“I did it again. I tried to run away, but I realized my mistake, and I promise I’ll never do it again. I’m—”
Ian cut me off by dragging me into his arms and kissing me. I tried to wrap my legs around his waist, but the dress was in the way. Ian’s solution was to rip the side of the dress. He gripped my ass and kissed down to my shoulder. “You scared me last night. It’s okay, though. You don’t have to apologize, baby.”
Jayden kissed my other shoulder. “Nope. We don’t need your apologies. We just need your acceptance.”
Adam pressed into my back. “We’re not letting you go. All you’ve got to do is accept that and we can get on with the rest of our lives.”
“Doesn’t matter if you try to run, baby. We won’t let you. Or we’ll just follow you. It doesn’t matter how we do it. We don’t care, not as long as we finish each day with you.”
I grunted and sighed. “If you’d let me talk, you’d know that you’re not going to have to kidnap me, you dopes.”
They let me down when I wiggled and then stood back, facing me. They each looked hopeful but confused.
“I had a relapse of self-doubt last night. I panicked. I hid from you guys, and it was wrong. I spent the night going back and forth between mourning and raging. Then I had a moment this morning with Rose. The idea of our parents not thinking Anthony was perfect almost made her cancel the wedding. As I was thinking about how stupid that was, I realized I was no different. We’ve both lived our lives letting them decide how we were going to go forward. I lettheiropinions of me becomemyopinions of me.
“I’ve spent my life handing out my own lashings, and I’m done with that. I love each of you. I always have. And whether you say it or not, I know you love me, too. If I’m willing to live under my parents’ ideas of what I deserve, why not live under the ideas of what you three think I deserve? You treat me like a goddess. I want to be that for you. I’m done running. I’m done carrying their shame as my own. I’m a little peculiar, but I’m good with that. You guys like it. That’s enough for me.”
Adam ran his hands over his face, and when he looked at me, his eyes were full of humor. “We sang for no reason?”
I bit my lip. “No. That earned you so many points. Big,bigpoints.”
Ian grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me closer. “You love us? Just like that? No more running?”
“Not just like that. It feels like I’ve gone through hell and back to get to this place. I lived and lost with each of you, and I’m getting a second chance to do it my way this time. That means no running. It means I give myself completely to each of you, and love each of you with everything I have.”
He slowly smiled. “I thought I was going to have to fight a lot harder. I’m a little lost.”
Jayden nodded and frowned. “I had a speech.”
Adam groaned. “Again, I feel the need to point out that I just sang in front of alotof people.”
I giggled and batted my eyes at them. “You could still do your whole thing, if you need.”
“Our ‘whole thing.’” Jayden growled. “You think because we love you, you can get away with this sass?”
I shuddered and moved into his arms. “Say it again.”
“Oh, I thought you knew already. You figured it all out without us.” He grinned down at me and ran his hands through my hair. “I love you, Violet. My perfect Angel.”
I stood up on my tip toes and kissed him. Stroking his tongue with mine, I tasted his mouth and crushed my breasts against his hard chest. Warmth and pride filled me, along with a sense of strength and safety. I felt like I had it all.
Ian slowly turned me and took me into his arms, cradling me against his body as he kissed me languidly. “I love you, baby. You found your home with us.”
I leaned into him and sighed happily. “Home sounds really great right now.”
“We have a surprise for you after the wedding.” Adam welcomed me into his arms when I moved to him. He easily lifted me and groaned when I wrapped my thighs around him. “And then we’ll go home. Whichever home you want to go to. I love you, little rabbit. Always have. Always will.”
I tangled my hands in his hair and held his head as we kissed. It quickly threatened to get out of control, but a door opening down the hallway forced me to remember where we were. “Um. I have to go back in. Which is awful.”
“We all got personally invited by the happy couple.” Jayden offered me his elbow and wagged his brows at me. “I’m willing to be a gentleman for an hour. Then I’d like to take you away from these people and fuck you senseless.”
Ian shoved him out of the way and tucked my hand into his elbow. “So crass. I don’t know how we’ll manage being around you with that kind of language being so normal for you.”
I giggled, and then blinked away sudden tears at the thought of Rose and Anthony inviting my guys. Letting the guys sing to me, taking the focus away from themselves, even for a moment, was huge. I owed them both so much for the understanding they’d already shown.
“I love all of you.” I breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. “Now, I have to warn you: I might’ve caused a scene with my parents this morning…”
44.