“I don't really have a style,” I answered honestly. Everything I owned was a hodgepodge of items that appealed to me at one time or another. “This place is incredible, though.” There were low-slung, white-plastic-backed seats of blue leather nearby. They looked like they would be hard and stiff, but when I sat, the soft leather formed around my body. “Sit down.” I patted the seat next to me.
Grinning, he did and groaned when he leaned back. “That's deceptive.”
“I know. It doesn't look like it will be this comfortable.”
“I should have known a place like this wouldn't miss a single detail. It can't be five stars on looks alone,” Paris replied. He took the hand that I'd braced on the cushion between us. “I know I had the ride next to you, but I was hoping we'd have the night together.”
Flashing a glance toward Orestes, I realized Paris hadn't heard our conversation outside the hotel. “I told Orestes—”
“That's okay,” he replied. Linking our fingers, he brought our hands to his lips and kissed me. “Next time.”
“You can stay with us.” Orestes appeared in front of us. I hadn't heard him approach. He made the offer steadily and held my gaze as he spoke. “If Leo is fine with that.”
Um.Was he hinting at what I thought he was hinting at? I was bad at reading subtle signs. And this was way outside my wheelhouse, so even asking made my body heat with embarrassment. A vision of Paris kissing my neck while I rolled toward Orestes filled my head, and now, I couldn't hold either of their gazes.
Neither one of them pushed when I didn't answer. Paris turned away, saying something to Hector, Pollux, and Achilles that might have been in Mandarin. All I could think about was Orestes's question and whether it was what Paris had asked.
How would that work? I wasn't a virgin, but in having a relationship with all of them separately, I was already pushing myself outside my comfort zone.
But then again, I loved them. And it didn't scare me—the idea of being with Paris and Orestes—as much as it intimidated me. I had a fear of failing or being ridiculous. What if I made a fool of myself?
“We'll talk,” Orestes said, before turning to the others. “I have your keys. The front desk recommended a restaurant nearby, or we can order room service?”
Whatever we did, I needed a shower first. I wanted to scrub myself from head to toe and let the hot water beat down on me. My shoulders and neck ached from the hours in the car, and a film of fear still stuck to me from my run-in with Poseidon. I needed a reset to feel something akin to human.
We climbed into the elevator, but this time, Orestes had a special key that he waved in front of the pad of buttons. “It unlocks our floor,” he told me.
When the doors opened at the very top of the building, I gasped at the view. Directly in front of us was a wall of glass. In the distance, I could make out ships and the inky ocean. As we stepped out, I counted six dark wood doors.
We split off: Achilles into one room, Pollux another, and Hector into the third, leaving me, Orestes, and Paris. After a second, with me struggling to find the words to invite Paris and simultaneously check with Orestes that it wasreallyokay, Paris gave me a half smile and went into a fourth room.
Orestes opened the fifth door and held it open. With another glance in the direction Paris had gone, I went inside.
“Did you mean it?” I asked as soon as the door closed.
“About Paris?” he clarified.
I nodded. “That wouldn't be weird for you?”
He shook his head. “Why would you think that?”
Uh.In terms of the accepted setups of relationships, ours was on the outer edges. “Am I pushing too much?” I asked. “Is all of this too much?”
He took my bag from my shoulder and let it drop on the ground. “I was wondering when you'd ask this. The other guys—well, barring Hector—are better at this than I am. They say what they're thinking. Look at Achilles. He couldn't care less about thinking before he speaks. Or acts. Or does anything, really. But you're like me, I think.” He pressed his thumb between my eyebrows. “You're overthinking.”
I let out a breath. “I do overthink. But I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.”
“By telling us what you need? Or what you're comfortable with? It'd hurt my feelings if you didn't do that, Leo.” He studied me. “You're uncomfortable with the idea of being with Paris and me together?” he asked.
I had the feeling he was trying to be more up front for me, because he could see me struggling with the same thing. It was in my nature to blurt things out and then facepalm for infinity.
“Being vulnerable with my body is hard for me,” I started, “and I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. What if I'm bad at it?”
Throwing back his head, Orestes laughed louder than I'd ever heard him. “That's impossible. And we'll be figuring it out together.”
“It wouldn't bother you?” I asked. “Being together?”
His tan skin flushed, and he pushed his curls back from his forehead. “I'm not looking to be with Paris. But watching him with you?” He swallowed. “Yeah, I like the thought of that.”