she’d showered, she’d tried hard to sternly damp the hot, lustful stirring of her body—of her soul—that had risen with their revelation.
They all wanted her. Each of them, and enough that none of them was willing to give over to another.
It should be a concern to her—the risk these three men were taking with their friendship. The hot turn-on it was to contemplate the fact that they all desired her.
It should feel wrong, not very, very—right.
She should have dug deep. She should have found her discipline, her good sense. But their regard for her—sexual and otherwise—was just too seductive. It had been so long since a man had looked at her with approval, with desire, with anything other than callous, derisory possession.
It was beyond her to turn down what they offered. She didn’t know how much she could accept. She didn’t know if she had it in her to be with one of them, sleep with one of them, to say nothing of experimenting with two or all three of them. Oddly, the fact that she’d already once taken each of them into her body had nothing to do what they now proposed.
Her future was unknown.
But this, she could give herself. This lovely moment of basking in their attention. So she laughed with them, accepted the restrained heat of their gazes, and assented to their gentle touches.
When the meal was done they left the clutter on the table. It was too mellow a time for clean-up. Clay forced another glass of white wine into her hand and brought her to her feet.
“Come sit with me.”
He led her to the teak chaise. He sat back and tucked her in with him while Jace and Quinn scooted the two Adirondack chairs around so that, once they sat, they were in an arc that faced the mountains beyond the deck.
It was clear they spent time like this regularly, sharing a meal and then another six-pack on Quinn’s deck. Only, she guessed, they didn’t usually have a woman cuddled up with one of them.
Gemini rested her head against Clay’s chest, and he kissed her temple. “We have to talk.”
He sounded serious, so she lifted her head. But he kissed her again and tucked her back against him, his arm warm and safe along her shoulder. A little reluctant, she settled and looked over to where Jace and Quinn watched.
Clay stroked his thumb along her arm. “We have to expect Bryce to show up soon.”
Gemini shuddered and would have sat up if Clay hadn’t kept her contained in his arms. She met those gazes across from her, bright green and sweet blue, and knew that the three men had already had this talk. Jace and Quinn had known what was coming.
“I spent the last two days in Sacramento,” Clay said, warming her with his hands as if he knew she needed it. “Tomlinson has a security firm looking for you. And it won’t be hard for them to find you. It was necessary for you to get on the grid here, but it’s made the job easy for them.”
“You’d been gone for more than a week before he hired help,” Quinn added gently.
“He thought I’d be back,” Gemini said. “He wouldn’t believe—his ego wouldn’t allow him to believe—that I could really leave him.”
“Will he come for you himself, do you think? Or send his minions?”
Gemini lifted her head to look at Clay. “I don’t know.”
“Think about it,” he said.
She understood what Clay wanted. She took a moment to evaluate what she knew about Bryce. “He’ll come,” she said. “He’ll want to see me when he wins.” She looked from Clay to the others. “When he thinks he’s won.”
“It will be important to him.” Clay led her. “To win.”
“Yes.”
“So he won’t come right away. He’ll have the firm check you out first, learn what your situation is. They’ll be watching us.” He squeezed her arm. “You won’t be alone again, any time, until this is over.”
He looked over at Quinn, and Gemini knew the bit of freedom she’d had that day, that terrifying, lovely freedom, was gone. Quinn nodded, and Jace,
They all wanted her. Each of them, and enough that none of them was willing to give over to another.
It should be a concern to her—the risk these three men were taking with their friendship. The hot turn-on it was to contemplate the fact that they all desired her.
It should feel wrong, not very, very—right.
She should have dug deep. She should have found her discipline, her good sense. But their regard for her—sexual and otherwise—was just too seductive. It had been so long since a man had looked at her with approval, with desire, with anything other than callous, derisory possession.
It was beyond her to turn down what they offered. She didn’t know how much she could accept. She didn’t know if she had it in her to be with one of them, sleep with one of them, to say nothing of experimenting with two or all three of them. Oddly, the fact that she’d already once taken each of them into her body had nothing to do what they now proposed.
Her future was unknown.
But this, she could give herself. This lovely moment of basking in their attention. So she laughed with them, accepted the restrained heat of their gazes, and assented to their gentle touches.
When the meal was done they left the clutter on the table. It was too mellow a time for clean-up. Clay forced another glass of white wine into her hand and brought her to her feet.
“Come sit with me.”
He led her to the teak chaise. He sat back and tucked her in with him while Jace and Quinn scooted the two Adirondack chairs around so that, once they sat, they were in an arc that faced the mountains beyond the deck.
It was clear they spent time like this regularly, sharing a meal and then another six-pack on Quinn’s deck. Only, she guessed, they didn’t usually have a woman cuddled up with one of them.
Gemini rested her head against Clay’s chest, and he kissed her temple. “We have to talk.”
He sounded serious, so she lifted her head. But he kissed her again and tucked her back against him, his arm warm and safe along her shoulder. A little reluctant, she settled and looked over to where Jace and Quinn watched.
Clay stroked his thumb along her arm. “We have to expect Bryce to show up soon.”
Gemini shuddered and would have sat up if Clay hadn’t kept her contained in his arms. She met those gazes across from her, bright green and sweet blue, and knew that the three men had already had this talk. Jace and Quinn had known what was coming.
“I spent the last two days in Sacramento,” Clay said, warming her with his hands as if he knew she needed it. “Tomlinson has a security firm looking for you. And it won’t be hard for them to find you. It was necessary for you to get on the grid here, but it’s made the job easy for them.”
“You’d been gone for more than a week before he hired help,” Quinn added gently.
“He thought I’d be back,” Gemini said. “He wouldn’t believe—his ego wouldn’t allow him to believe—that I could really leave him.”
“Will he come for you himself, do you think? Or send his minions?”
Gemini lifted her head to look at Clay. “I don’t know.”
“Think about it,” he said.
She understood what Clay wanted. She took a moment to evaluate what she knew about Bryce. “He’ll come,” she said. “He’ll want to see me when he wins.” She looked from Clay to the others. “When he thinks he’s won.”
“It will be important to him.” Clay led her. “To win.”
“Yes.”
“So he won’t come right away. He’ll have the firm check you out first, learn what your situation is. They’ll be watching us.” He squeezed her arm. “You won’t be alone again, any time, until this is over.”
He looked over at Quinn, and Gemini knew the bit of freedom she’d had that day, that terrifying, lovely freedom, was gone. Quinn nodded, and Jace,
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