wondered what it would be like to be the center of such a relationship, the very heart and the core in which the arrangement was centered on.
Never in a million years would she have dreamed that such a relationship would find her.
Noah nodded. Liam squeezed her hand.
“Would you even consider such an arrangement?” Liam asked. “I know we’re asking for a lot. We’re nowhere near the permanent commitment stage. We haven’t even had what qualifies as a date. All we want is a chance. We want to open your mind to the possibility and see where it takes us.”
“This is a lot to take in,” she murmured. “I had no idea. I mean that you returned my interest.”
Noah’s eyes gleamed in sudden triumph. “So you are attracted to us.”
Her cheeks flamed, but she nodded. They’d given her the truth, and while she’d certainly started their acquaintance with lies, she didn’t want to continue that path.
Liam leaned in and kissed her again. Long and sweet until she was breathless. This time she slid her hand around the back of his neck and buried her fingers in his long hair. He groaned against her mouth and then pulled back, his eyes blazing.
“If I had my way, we’d bypass the dating stage altogether and I’d have you in my bed every damn night.”
She gaped at his bluntness and nearly glanced in Noah’s direction, but remembering his admonishment the last time she’d looked his way to gauge his reaction, she forced herself not to peek at him.
“We’ll take things slow,” Noah said. “We’ll go whatever pace you need, Lauren. You’ll take the lead and we’ll do whatever we need to for you to be comfortable. We want this to work.”
“Okay,” she said in a shaky voice.
Noah touched his finger to her cheekbone and ran it down to her jaw and then over to trace a line around her mouth.
“I want very much to kiss you,” he said huskily.
“Then kiss me,” she whispered.
He leaned in, slowly, angling his head so their mouths aligned. And then he pressed his lips to hers. Lightly at first. Then he deepened the kiss, tentatively seeking entrance with his tongue.
It was sweet and slow, like the first kiss between lovers. A kiss to be remembered for the way it made her feel when things were all shiny and new and emotions were still running high.
His hand fell to the side of her neck and then, as she’d done to Liam, his hand crept upward, into her hair.
He broke away but rested his forehead against hers, his chest heaving as he rested there a moment, their mouths so very close.
“I want this,” he whispered. “I didn’t think I did, but God, I want this, Lauren. I want you, and I’ll make any sacrifice for this to work.”
His words opened a part of her soul that hadn’t been previously opened. He and Liam had reached a part of her she’d closed off, a protective measure so that Joel couldn’t reach the very core of her and damage it.
It was scary and exhilarating all at the same time to open up and allow herself to trust again. But mostly it terrified her because she knew she hadn’t made good decisions in the past. How was she supposed to know if she was making the right ones now?
CHAPTER 8
L AUREN sat between Noah and Liam at her small dinette set that accommodated four people. Four normal-sized people. Noah and Liam weren’t exactly normal sized. They made her apartment seem overstuffed and crowded, where before she’d relished the warm, cozy feel of it.
They’d ordered dinner from Dillon Colter’s pub, and Liam had gone out to get it, leaving Lauren and Noah alone for a time in the apartment.
Lauren still wasn’t sure of herself in this strange, new environment she existed in, so she’d excused herself to take a shower and get into more comfortable clothing for lounging. By the time she’d returned, Liam was back with the food, and she’d sighed in relief.
“I meant what I said before,” Noah said around a bite of steak.
Lauren raised her eyebrows.
Never in a million years would she have dreamed that such a relationship would find her.
Noah nodded. Liam squeezed her hand.
“Would you even consider such an arrangement?” Liam asked. “I know we’re asking for a lot. We’re nowhere near the permanent commitment stage. We haven’t even had what qualifies as a date. All we want is a chance. We want to open your mind to the possibility and see where it takes us.”
“This is a lot to take in,” she murmured. “I had no idea. I mean that you returned my interest.”
Noah’s eyes gleamed in sudden triumph. “So you are attracted to us.”
Her cheeks flamed, but she nodded. They’d given her the truth, and while she’d certainly started their acquaintance with lies, she didn’t want to continue that path.
Liam leaned in and kissed her again. Long and sweet until she was breathless. This time she slid her hand around the back of his neck and buried her fingers in his long hair. He groaned against her mouth and then pulled back, his eyes blazing.
“If I had my way, we’d bypass the dating stage altogether and I’d have you in my bed every damn night.”
She gaped at his bluntness and nearly glanced in Noah’s direction, but remembering his admonishment the last time she’d looked his way to gauge his reaction, she forced herself not to peek at him.
“We’ll take things slow,” Noah said. “We’ll go whatever pace you need, Lauren. You’ll take the lead and we’ll do whatever we need to for you to be comfortable. We want this to work.”
“Okay,” she said in a shaky voice.
Noah touched his finger to her cheekbone and ran it down to her jaw and then over to trace a line around her mouth.
“I want very much to kiss you,” he said huskily.
“Then kiss me,” she whispered.
He leaned in, slowly, angling his head so their mouths aligned. And then he pressed his lips to hers. Lightly at first. Then he deepened the kiss, tentatively seeking entrance with his tongue.
It was sweet and slow, like the first kiss between lovers. A kiss to be remembered for the way it made her feel when things were all shiny and new and emotions were still running high.
His hand fell to the side of her neck and then, as she’d done to Liam, his hand crept upward, into her hair.
He broke away but rested his forehead against hers, his chest heaving as he rested there a moment, their mouths so very close.
“I want this,” he whispered. “I didn’t think I did, but God, I want this, Lauren. I want you, and I’ll make any sacrifice for this to work.”
His words opened a part of her soul that hadn’t been previously opened. He and Liam had reached a part of her she’d closed off, a protective measure so that Joel couldn’t reach the very core of her and damage it.
It was scary and exhilarating all at the same time to open up and allow herself to trust again. But mostly it terrified her because she knew she hadn’t made good decisions in the past. How was she supposed to know if she was making the right ones now?
CHAPTER 8
L AUREN sat between Noah and Liam at her small dinette set that accommodated four people. Four normal-sized people. Noah and Liam weren’t exactly normal sized. They made her apartment seem overstuffed and crowded, where before she’d relished the warm, cozy feel of it.
They’d ordered dinner from Dillon Colter’s pub, and Liam had gone out to get it, leaving Lauren and Noah alone for a time in the apartment.
Lauren still wasn’t sure of herself in this strange, new environment she existed in, so she’d excused herself to take a shower and get into more comfortable clothing for lounging. By the time she’d returned, Liam was back with the food, and she’d sighed in relief.
“I meant what I said before,” Noah said around a bite of steak.
Lauren raised her eyebrows.
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