“What about him?” Lucien picked up a twig and snapped it between his fingers.
“He’s been hurt and doesn’t want to even think about being serious with us. What if…do you think…”
Lucien cocked his head to the side as if to see Calder’s face more clearly. “What?”
“What if it was just a regular twosome? Do you think he’d have a problem being mated to only one Weaver?” Lucien sucked in a harsh breath between his teeth, and Calder quickly pushed on. “You and Gio are perfect for each other. So similar in personality. I think you’d both be happy together, and he wouldn’t have to worry about being hurt in a poly again.”
“What about you?”
Calder shrugged, keeping his eyes locked on the water. If he met Lucien’s gaze, he might lose his nerve. “Doesn’t matter. I’d be fine. You’d have a mate. You’d both be happy. Gio would get powers. We’d defeat the pestilents. Happily ever after.” Each word came out in brittle chunks like parts of his heart were being chipped away.
“No happily ever after.” Lucien reached over and took Calder’s chin between his thumb and forefingers. “You wouldn’t be happy. Do you honestly think I’d be happy missing such a big part of myself? Do you think Gio would be?”
“But you’d be together—” Calder argued but stopped at Lucien’s head shake. There was such a look of sweet tenderness in his eyes, it left a hard lump in Calder’s throat.
“I don’t need Grey to tell me this is an all or nothing situation.” Lucien dragged his thumb up Calder’s jaw, caressing him. “When we’re together, it’s good. When I’m with Gio, it’s good. But when we’re all together, it’s heaven. It’s the difference between surviving on a sip of warm tap water and dining on champagne and caviar every night. One’s surviving. The other is living.” Lucien leaned close, bumping his nose against Calder’s “I wanna live, baby.”
There was no stopping the smile. Lucien’s enthusiasm was intoxicating. Calder wanted to believe him, wanted to live as well.
“Think we can change his mind?”
Lucien pressed a quick kiss to Calder’s nose and dropped his hands to his sides. “I think we have our work cut out for us. Somehow, we’re going to have to convince him that this is real. That what we feel is more than some mystical bond.”
Calder’s heart stuttered in his chest. “And how exactly do you feel?”
Lucien reached over and took one of the hands that had been resting on Calder’s knees, threading their fingers together. His hand was so warm. “I don’t know, to tell you the truth. I do know I don’t agree with Gio. It’s more than a bit of fun. What I feel goes deeper than that. But is it love?” He shrugged. “I can’t answer that yet. I just know that I want you both with a passion I’ve never felt before.”
Calder tightened his fingers on Lucien’s. “I want you, too.”
He shivered as a cool breeze swept over the pond and Lucien tugged him over, spreading his legs so Calder could sit between them and lean against Lucien. Lucien wrapped his arms around Calder and placed a lingering kiss on the side of his neck.
Sighing, Calder closed his eyes and relished the warmth and the comfort. “I think you’re right. We’ve got our work cut out for us. Gio is special. He’s so open in his sexuality and in his feelings. I like that about him. We have to give him good reasons for those feeling to grow into something more.”
“And how do you think we go about that?”
Chuckling, Calder patted Lucien’s arm. “I have no idea. You have any ideas?”
“I think we’ll have to seduce him. Turn that talent of his back on him.” Lucien nuzzled Calder’s head, then placed his lips behind his ear.
“You’re doing a pretty good job of that right now,” Calder whispered.
“Oh, yeah?” Lucien’s warm breath flowed over the nape of his neck. “Am I seducing you, Calder?”
“Fuck, yes.” Calder tilted his head to give Lucien better access to his neck. He was a complete sucker for neck kisses. Lucien nipped his skin gently, and Calder shuddered as his dick began to fill.
But what about Gio?
Calder snorted at himself. Had he really thought he’d survive watching Lucien and Gio bonded without him? While he enjoyed having Lucien’s arms around him, his heart kept reaching out for their missing part. Gio. He needed to be here right now, enjoying the quiet of the night, the warmth of their snuggles.
“I think it’s more than just seducing him,” Calder murmured. “We’ve already seduced him, and he still ran. We haven’t given him many reasons to trust us with his heart. What have we done to prove that we’ll always be there for him? That we’ll always stand by him when he’s having family issues or problems with work?”