Cooper’s smile of relief brought with it a stab of guilt that nearly made me panic. Shit, that wasn’t what I was supposed to say. It was the truth, but it wasn’t right. But the way he looked after I said it? It was as if he took in the sun.
“I missed you, but…” I struggled to remember what I’d planned to say. “But this can’t happen.”
Cooper’s face fell, but Rory looked unfazed. “And why’s that?”
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Cooper asked when I didn’t immediately answer.
I should have said yes. That would have been the easy way out. But I’d never been much of a liar and I missed the opportunity. I’d waited too long and they could see the truth of it in my expression. They’d always been able to read me and now that was dangerous.
“There’s no one else, is there?” Rory confirmed. They’d asked this the day before, but obviously they thought it was worth repeating. I respected them more for it; they would have backed off if my heart was given to someone else.
I shook my head because my heart had always belonged to them. Not that I was going to tell them that.
He raised my hand to his lips as if rewarding me for my honesty and I felt that simple gentle kiss all the way to my toes. My skin tingled and my nipples instantly hardened.
Cooper’s brow furrowed as he studied me. “Then what’s the problem?”
I licked my lips, a move that had both their gazes fixed on my mouth. Inhaling deeply, I said a quick prayer for strength. “My life is…it’s complicated.”
Rory nodded like that made perfect sense. “We’ve all grown up, sweets. We all have issues and problems, but that’s no reason not to give us a shot, is it?”
Cooper hurried to talk before I could come up with another protest. “Trust me, your issues are nothing like mine and I’m here, right? We’re not asking you to commit to us right now. We know you have a life here in Seattle and we respect that.”
I frowned. “Then what are you asking?” I couldn’t help myself. I had to know. The temptation was too great.
“Give us tonight,” Rory said quietly. His eyes were dark and his intent clear. “All night.”
I met his gaze and oh, holy shit. That was the sexiest look I’d ever seen. He made no attempt to hide his desire or the meaning behind those two words.
“All night?” I had no idea why I repeated it, perhaps just wanting to hear it again. It made my mind go to some deliciously dirty places. Oh, the things I could do with those hard, muscular bodies…all night long.
Cooper must have seen what the thought of it was doing to me, because he took it one step further. Placing a hand on my knee under the table he stroked the sensitive skin there, just below the hem of my dress. I startled, but relaxed into the warmth of his palm. I hadn’t been touched by a man intimately in a long, long time and it just felt good. My body seemed to recognize them, their touch. “Just one night, sweets, so we can remind you of how good it is between the three of us. And we’re not eighteen anymore, nor virgins.”
I bit my lip to hold back a laugh. Did they really think I’d forgotten how good it had been? That even though it had been the first time for all of us, it had been really, really good. Hell, I remembered how amazing it had been when I spent some quality time with my vibrator. I’d relived that night every day for the past seven years.
And now…well, now I was being offered the chance to truly relive that night. For real, not just in my imagination. I had no doubt it would be even better than I remembered because Cooper was right. They weren’t eighteen anymore and I itched—no, ached—to get my hands on those hard muscles.
I might have tossed myself into their arms right then and there if I hadn’t caught a flicker of hope along with the heat in Cooper’s eyes. If I said yes, they’d take it to mean more. They’d been clear with me from the start that they thought I was the one, and I knew that I wasn’t. That I couldn’t be, not anymore.
I’d given up any dreams of a happily ever after with these guys the day I decided to keep our baby and raise her on my own. Her. Lily. “One night wouldn’t change anything.” Even I could hear the regret in my voice. The wistfulness. The need.
Rory leaned forward, his gaze intent. “Let us worry about that.” Before I could argue, he hurried on. “We’re not asking you to make any kind of commitment. This one night would be just that—one night. No strings attached.”
I studied his earnest expression. “But you want more. You’ve made that clear.”
“We do want more,” Cooper answered, his low voice filled with honesty. He squeezed his fingers on my leg. “But we’ll take what we can get. And right now, all we’re asking for is tonight.”
I tried to come up with more arguments, but my mind was having a hard time functioning under their heated stares. Cooper’s hand moved a touch higher up my thigh and all of my attention was focused on the feel of his rough, calloused fingers against the soft skin. I wondered how it would feel if he touched my inner thigh, and then up further…
I reached for my glass of wine and drained it in one gulp. But the tart liquid did nothing to stop the aching in my core. My pussy was wet and throbbing, and for one desperate moment I thought about catching his hand, placing it over my needy pussy right then and there. Easy, girl.
I didn’t know if Rory could read my mind or if he just saw the telltale flush in my cheeks, but he reached a hand out and placed it on my other leg, firmly gripping my upper thigh. A little squeaking noise escaped from my throat.
Oh God, my level of horniness was almost embarrassing. I hadn’t gone out much since Lily was born, but I hadn’t become a nun. Still, none of those encounters had left me this hot and ready, and Rory and Cooper were just touching my legs. And in public, although beneath the long hem of the tablecloth. I could only imagine what would happen if I went back to bed with them. I’d probably come before they got my dress off.
With his free hand, Rory lifted mine and brought it to his lips. “What do you have to lose, sweets?” His lips brushed against the underside of my wrist, making me shiver.
What did I have to lose? Everything. A panicky voice in the back of my mind told me I’d be playing with fire, letting these guys back into my life. But it was just one night, another voice argued. Those words weren’t so much coming from my brain as was my pussy. If it was just one night, maybe I didn’t have anything to lose. They said themselves that this was all they would take. After tonight, if I told them to leave, they’d have to go. If there was one thing I’d never doubted, it was that these men had integrity. They wouldn’t lie about that. If I told them to hit the road tomorrow morning, I’d never see them again. The thought was bittersweet and made me swallow. Hard.