CHAPTER 14
GABRIEL
The moment I hear the knock on the door, I know who is there. We’ve given our woman a key, but she refuses to use it, even now after we’ve been together for almost two months. I get why she’s hesitant, but it also rankles. Kent keeps trying to tell me to be patient, to give her time to realize we’re forever.
I know he’s right. I know it’s a lot to consider being with three men and its not normal but fuck normal. I don’t give a fuck if anyone else accepts us and our relationship. As long as we’re happy, who do we have to answer to?
The only person who I might care about as far as their opinion goes is my brother and he’s happy for us. Hell, he’s ecstatic for us. He can’t wait until we visit New York next week. I wish we were going just for a visit, but we’ll be there for one of Cy’s tournaments. It’ll be the best way to end the summer, support him and visit my brother.
The timing is perfect because then the next week Ariel is back at school preparing for the new year.
We still haven’t gotten her to agree to move in with us. Her caution gets under my skin and feels like nails scraping along every single one of my nerve endings. She’s so fucking submissive, wanting to please us and take care of us at every turn, but on this one thing she’s stubborn as fuck.
I hope what I have to show her today will help convince her that we’re serious about this, that we’re in this for the long haul.
I wrench the door open and Ariel’s lips part as she looks at me. I know what she must see. I’m furious, but it’s not at her, it’s at this situation, it’s at the fact that she’s been given reasons in the past to not trust, and it’s been brought into this relationship. I’m frustrated because all I want is every single piece of her. Now and forever.
My hands tunnel into her hair and I use my grip to pull her to me, my lips crashing down on hers, not giving a fuck if we’re giving the neighborhood a show or not. They’ll get over it. They’ll have to.
The whole world could be watching right now, and it wouldn’t stop me from kissing our woman.
“Ariel,” I groan into her mouth, “I hate it when you leave, but I love greeting you when you get home.”
She pulls back enough to look up into my eyes, a hint of hopefulness in her voice, “Home?”
I press my forehead against hers and take a deep breath so I don’t yell. It’s not her fault she doubts us, it’s not her fault other people have proven to her trust shouldn’t be freely given. Maybe we aren’t trying hard enough. I’m going to change that today.
I’m going to prove it.
“We’ve told you that we want you to move in, little mermaid. We want you here. You’re ours and we aren’t letting you go,” I barely contain the frustration in my voice, but I know a little of it leaks through. I close my eyes and take a deep breath of her vanilla scent, using it to calm and ground me. “I know you’re not sure, but we are. I’m trying to give you the time you need, but the beast inside me wants to grab you and chain you to the bed, making you come over and over until you admit this is where you’re supposed to be.”
She gasps, but before she can protest, before she can even think, I’m on her again and kissing her as if she’s the answer to all of life’s toughest questions.
What’s the meaning of life? Ariel.
Is happiness just chemical or is there more to it than that? Does it matter when Ariel is in my arms? She’s the meaning of happiness.
Is it easier to love or to be loved? It’s natural to love Ariel and I feel her love in her touch.
What is beauty? Ariel.
She is the center of it all, the meaning of my existence, meager as it is on the grand scale of things. I kiss her until my lungs burn and only then do I let us separate. Even then, my lips hover over hers, wanting more, needing everything she has to give me. I’ll give her all of myself in return.
“I have a surprise for you,” my voice is husky and labored from kissing her. I want to take her to the ground right now and have her naked underneath me, but it would be too much of a show for the neighborhood.
She sighs, “Really, you three have been far too generous already. I don’t need any more surprises.” She narrows her eyes sightly and sasses me, “Is this like the first surprise? The ‘hey, it’s a sex club’ surprise?”
I throw my head back and laugh, the sound rusty but getting smoother the more time I spend around this woman, my woman. Our woman. She makes me feel lighter than I have in years. She makes me feel like the sacrifices my brother made for me aren’t in vain. She makes me feel alive.
I kiss her forehead before I entwine my fingers with hers and pull her into the house. I don’t even let her put down her stuff. Instead, I pull her through the space and into the master bedroom. This is my room and has been since we moved in. Kent and Cy insisted I take this room, the largest of them all, because I was the one who bought the property. Well, technically Jericho bought it, but to them it was close enough.
We’ve all been sleeping in here, but the fit was tighter than any of us wanted, and it certainly reduced the sexual activities we’ve been able to engage in because of the size of the bed, but we’ve made it work. Now, it won’t be a problem anymore.
Ariel gasps and tugs her hand free of mine. I hate it, but I let it happen. She steps closer to the giant, custom made bed which was just delivered and installed today.
She looks back at me, “What is this?”
I puff up my chest with pride, “It’s our bed. It’s for us.” I decide to see if I can push just a little farther. “You’re moving in here when we get back from the trip.”