I shake my head, my voice firm, “You don’t need to feel bad. We understand. We pushed you too far and moved too fast. We were too eager.” I swallow hard. “I was too eager. I just wanted you so fucking badly Edison and I couldn’t stand it anymore.”
“Do you still want me?”
My mouth drops open before I snap it shut and close the distance between us, kissing her lips softly and pouring every ounce of want inside of me into the kiss. Her lips part and her tongue slides across my lip, asking me for entrance and I almost fall the fuck over from shock. I don’t though, I deepen the kiss, our tongues swirling and twirling in a dance, one it feels like I’ve always known the steps to.
We’re all instinct and feeling. I let myself sink into it, never wanting it to end. When my arms drop to her hips, I start to gather up the skirt of her dress, needing to get her naked, but also not wanting to break away from her mouth.
I pull back, giving us just enough space for me to yank it off, loving the way it looked on her, but hating how it was stopping me from touching her skin. I pause a moment and look down her body. I take in the tattoos on her leg, my gaze traveling up to her pretty lace panties and then up to the tattoo on her shoulder. I stand a little taller seeing my ink on her, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.
“I didn’t come here to find someone else,” she tells me softly.
“No?” I feel like I’m in a daze. She’s right here in front of me, and it sounds like she’s accepted this, us, at least in part. I’m greedy enough to take it. I force myself to focus and ask, “Why did you come here then?”
“I came here because I knew you’d follow me, and I wanted to see you.” She smirks. “I figured you’d come in here beating your chest like a caveman.” She giggles softly, looking pleased as punch with herself. "I was right.”
My fingers skim up her body, barely touching her and causing her to shiver. After I flip the clasp on the front of her bra, I growl softly when she lets it fall to the ground. I make a humming sound and bend down, ready to take her nipple into my mouth.
Before I can, the door slams open and we both turn our heads to see Coyle and Jude march into the room like they’re prepared to go to war.
I look at Edison and tsk. “Like I said, you’ve been a very naughty girl.”
CHAPTER 11
EDISON
Like I said, you’ve been a very naughty girl.
I have been, it’s true. But I did it for the right reasons. I needed to. When I woke up alone after Coyle came over, my heart sank. I knew he did it because he didn’t want me to feel too much pressure with him staying, but I didn’t like it.
It’s what made me realize I was pushing away a perfectly good man; three of them, actually. I do have my reasons, they might even be good ones, but nothing in this life is just handed to you as easily as Jude, Killian and Coyle were trying to hand me happiness. I could see in their eyes, in the way they looked at me, in the way they desperately wanted to reach for me.
Today, when I knew someone was watching me and knowing Jude wasn’t in the library cleaning, I figured it was Killian. It made my heart flutter in anticipation knowing he was watching me and that he was keeping his distance. Hell, the cat was kind of out of the bag at that point with how much he wants me. He could have just come up and talked to me, but he chose to still stay in the shadows.
And so, a plan was hatched and now here I am, standing in just my panties and boots with three men looking at me like they want to eat me alive. It makes me feel something I’ve been missing since I was with them in this room. I’ve been missing the way they make my body sing. I’ve been missing the rush of pleasure wrapped up in safety and comfort.
Coyle’s voice is deep and dark as his sage green eyes drink me in. “Have you been bad, pretty girl?”
I bite my lip and look up at Coyle and slip a step closer to him. Killian’s fingers skim along my hip and cause goosebumps to cover my skin. I square my shoulders, ready to take this on, ready to accept what they’re offering.
My voice is breathy and needy, “Yes.”
Jude’s eyes flare as he looks at me. “Why are you here, Edison?”
No more games. No more running. No more hiding.
It’s true that my family was taken away from me, but it doesn’t mean these men will be. I can’t live in that fire anymore.
I swallow hard, knowing I need to get the hard stuff off my chest first. I look at Jude, my voice small at first, “Remember when you asked me if I was from Chicago, and I told you no?”
He nods slowly as if he’s trying to figure out why I’m changing the subject. “You said you were from Arizona.”
“That’s not entirely true. I grew up here, until I was eight.” He opens his mouth, but I shake my head. “When I was eight, my parents and brother died in a house fire. I was the only survivor, and I went to live with my aunt and uncle. Being afraid of losing the people I care about has caused me to,” I pause and squeeze my eyes closed to take a deep breath before I open then and forge ahead, “close myself off.”
Killian’s voice is like silk against my skin, “You don’t need to do this, little one.”
“Yes, I do. If I want this, then I need to do this.” I look at each of them in turn, “I do want this, so fucking badly. I’ve never felt more alive than I did the night we spent here. I’ve never felt anything like it. I can see what you’re offering.” I look at Coyle and give him a soft smile. “Coyle was very clear about what you all want. I don’t want to run anymore. You just need to know where my fear comes from. I know it’s silly,” I don’t get the chance to finish my sentence because Coyle cuts me off.
“No,” he growls, “you aren’t going to do that. You aren’t going to downplay your trauma. It’s not silly.” His eyes soften as he looks at me. “Thank you for trusting us, Edison.” He swallows hard, hope filling his words, “Does that mean you’re going to give this a chance?”