8
“Holly…” Trent swallowed hard, and all three of the people in bed with him swung laser-focused gazes at him.
Lorenzo tensed, terrified that his best friend might do something to jeopardize the best thing he’d found in a long time. If Holly ran again, Lorenzo wasn’t sure he could take it.
He could lose his best friends and the woman they were falling for in a single heartbeat.
His stomach cramped as he remembered everyone staring at him, while he stood in a tux at the front of a historic church in his hometown, thousands of miles away. The guests had seen his heart shatter when his bride-to-be had left him at that altar, because of a wild night that hadn’t been anywhere near as intense as this one.
And now, for the first time since, he was afraid someone else had the power to wound him like that again.
Trent rolled over so that he was looking down into Holly’s eyes as he caressed her cheek. “I’m so sorry for not having the guts to tell you this sooner, but…”
Her gaze flicked to Owen and then Lorenzo when Trent hesitated. Lorenzo flashed her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, though it felt kind of wobbly.
When she looked back to Trent, he admitted in a rush, “I love you. I think I probably was halfway there back in college, to be honest, but these past few weeks, they’ve been so much more than I could have hoped for. You’re the perfect partner for me, in all the areas of my life. Please, stay. And not for the money. In fact, I—uh—“
Trent looked over his shoulder at them as if asking how he was doing. Owen nodded.
“You should tell her,” Lorenzo confirmed.
“I’ve already deposited five million dollars into your bank account. It’s yours. No matter what you decide to do, with us or while working forourcompany, I never want cash—or the ability to provide for your mom—to be a factor in your decisions.” Trent’s face flushed then. “If you choose to stay, you’re staying for us. And for love.”
“And orgasms,” Owen chimed in when Holly didn’t answer right away. “We have plenty of those left in stock.”
Her silence stretched long enough that Lorenzo was sure they’d fucked up again.
“You did what?” she asked, her head canting slightly to the side.
“Uh oh,” Owen muttered.
Holly nudged Trent’s shoulder. Not quite a shove, but enough that he plopped to his ass on the bed beside her. She reached for the sheet and pulled it up to her collarbones.
Lorenzo was relieved that at least she didn’t start getting dressed, or flee like she had before. Hardly able to breathe, he stood frozen in place. His whole body flashed cold as he waited for her to speak.
“Are you joking?” she asked Trent.
He shook his head. “You deserve it. You’ve helped me so much already. I wouldn’t have anything without you. Besides, I care for you and your mom. It’s only right. And I want to be sure you’re staying because…”
Trent took a deep breath, then said, “Because you love me too. If you do. I mean, if you could in time.”
Lorenzo was freaking out for all of them now. Because as much as he was scared of being abandoned, Trent was terrified of being unlovable, and Owen had never had someone he could rely on. If Holly lashed out now, she could cause irreparable harm.
Instead, she opened her arms and flung herself at Trent, taking them both to the mattress. She dusted kisses over his cheeks and mouth while Owen and Lorenzo cracked up. Every bit of Lorenzo’s paralyzing fear melted, thawing his heart along with it.
He joined Holly and Trent, with Owen piling on.
Even Moose barked in the background at their antics.
And when they fell into a heap, out of breath, Holly rose to her knees and took turns kissing each of them. Lorenzo tried to show her with every brush of his lips over hers how glad he was to know they were finally in sync.
What they were doing wasn’t for money, or even for pleasure. It was for love.
And if she could care for Trent now, maybe she could feel as deeply for him and for Owen as she did for a guy she’d met while in college, a few years down the road. They’d have to take it one step at a time, but at least they’d be traveling in the same direction from then on.
9
Holly hugged Trent. She rested her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back then squeezed her before stepping away. “I promise I’ll come home as soon as I can.”