Don’t fuck this up. “Every family is different, and we would work out the logistics together to make sure everyone is happy, but we haven’t historically shared a woman all at the same time.” He blew out a breath, hoping she got the idea.
“It makes you nervous talking about it,” she pointed out.
“Very,” he admitted.
“So, what you’re saying is that you would each get me on a different night of the week?”
He glanced at her, sweating bullets. “I don’t mean to imply there would be such a strict schedule. We’re not all home at the same time. We have jobs to do, often out of the compound. We come and go.”
They continued in silence for a while.
“Say something,” he encouraged.
She sighed. “It’s just that I’ve never had sex with even one man, and the extent of my understanding about relationships comes from watching old sitcoms on television. The thought of being shared is…overwhelming. You’re implying that each of you only gets me one or two nights a week while I’m expected to, uh…” She didn’t finish her thought.
She was embarrassed, and he could understand that. Hell, by this point, he was also rather embarrassed.
He stopped walking again, releasing her hand to set both of his on her hips. “You’re not expected to do anything you don’t want, Layla. Ever. If you decide to join us, you will always be the most important person in the household. We will bend over backward to make sure you’re happy.”
“I can’t decide if I should be flattered that four men are vying for my attention or feel like a slut who’s expected to have sex twice a day with so many men I can’t keep them all straight.”
She was being honest, and he respected that. “Let me make a suggestion.”
“Okay.”
“Stop thinking about sex and focus on whether or not you even like us or have chemistry with us. In the end, that’s all that matters. We aren’t assholes. The Wanderers are simply creating a new normal, recreating what family units look like under circumstances beyond our control. The women in our society are under no obligation to form relationships with anyone. Hell, some live with female partners. Some women fall in love with one man.”
“But it’s rare because it’s not feasible.”
He shrugged. “It seems more farfetched to you than to us because you’ve been living in a two-parent household with little outside influence. Most of us were quite young when we joined The Wanderers and shifted our way of thinking. It’s what we know.”
She set her hands on his biceps and rubbed them up and down. “Kiss me.”
His eyes widened in shock. “You want me to kiss you?”
If he wasn’t mistaken, she flushed. “Is that too weird?”
He shook his head, trying to swallow over his nerves. “No. Just… unexpected.”
“How am I going to make an informed decision about whether or not we have chemistry if I don’t kiss all of you?”
Nile gave her a slow grin and stepped closer. “You’re sure?”
“You want me to beg?”
“Nope. That’s more Ledger’s style. I will always go out of my way to ensure you’re getting exactly what you want and need.”
Her eyes bugged out. “And Ledger won’t?”
Nile shook his head, wishing he hadn’t said a word about Ledger. This was Nile’s time. His more dominant partner had no place here. “Forget I mentioned anyone else.” Nile slid his hands up her body and cupped her face. “May I?”
“Please,” she whispered.
He tipped his head to one side and closed the distance, eyes shutting as he inhaled her scent and let his lips brush over hers. Soft. Gentle. Slow.
Her lips parted for him and he slid his tongue along her upper lip until she shivered. He didn’t have time to give her more than a taste because they needed to keep moving, but he wanted to be sure she knew how he felt, and what he felt was far more intense than anything he’d expected.
Nile had been skeptical of this arrangement when he’d first spotted Layla sleeping with her head on Jay’s lap. He’d worried her heart might already belong to Jay and it would be tough to crack her walls. But Layla was leaning into him, giving as much as she received. She was hesitant from lack of experience, but sweet as an ice cream sundae on a hot afternoon.