He sighed and sat down on the couch. “Come here, baby. ”
She clutched at Ethan’s hand and chewed nervously at her lip.
What had made her so afraid? Who had hurt her so badly that she couldn’t trust him or his brothers?
Ethan’s arm went around her, squeezing her reassuringly even as he guided her forward. Ethan cupped her chin and forced her to look up at him. “No one will hurt you, doll. I swear it. No one will ever hurt you again. ”
She relaxed a bit at his vow then turned her nervous gaze at Adam. “Are you angry?” she asked softly.
He held out a hand to her and felt an insane sense of victory when she trustingly curled her hand into his. He pulled her into his arms and smoothed her hair from her eyes. “I’m not angry, baby. Not at you. Never at you. I’m angry at the son of a bitch who hurt you, who put that fear I see into your eyes. ”
He tugged her down further into his arms then kissed her, gently, lightly, feather soft across her mouth. For a moment, she melted into his arms, and she fit so damn perfect, like she’d always belonged there. Then she tensed and yanked away from him, torment and self-loathing burning brightly in her eyes.
With an inarticulate cry, she ran past him and down the hall to the bedroom.
Adam started after her, surprised by her reaction. Ethan’s hand on his arm stopped him.
“You’re going to have to explain,” Ethan said. “Now. ”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Ethan sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. “She thinks she’s a whore. ”
“What?”
“Come on, Adam, you know she has to be confused. She’s attracted to the three of us. Some bastard has told her she’s a whore and now she believes him. She doesn’t understand herself or us. You have to explain it to her. ”
“You’re right,” Adam said with a deep sigh. “I’ll talk to her. ”
Adam walked down the hall to the bedroom, his brothers following a short distance behind. He knocked softly, not wanting to alarm her by barging in. “Holly, honey, it’s me, Adam. ”
“Go away. ” Her voice, muffled by sobs, filtered through the door.
He opened the door, flinching when he saw her huddled on the bed, her eyes red-rimmed. She’d discarded Ryan’s coat on the floor. He stepped around it and walked over to sit on the bed next to her. He pulled her into his arms. She didn’t fight him much to his delight.
“Tell me why you’re crying,” he said softly.
“What would you say if I told you not two minutes before I kissed you in the living room, I was outside kissing Ethan?” she said, her lip trembling.
He smiled and smoothed his hand over her hair. “That makes me very happy, actually. ”
Startled eyes flew to his face. “Happy? I’m acting like a slut and that makes you happy?”
He looked sternly at her. “I won’t tolerate you talking about yourself that way. If you say anything like that again, I’ll turn you over my knee and spank your pretty ass. ”
Her mouth fell open.
“There are some things you should know,” he said. “Starting with the fact that you belong to us. All of us. ”
He expected to see fear at his statement. Instead, he saw surprise. Ethan and Ryan, who had been standing in the doorway, moved closer to the bed. Ethan sat down behind Holly and slipped his hands over her shoulders, rubbing soothingly.
Holly looked uneasily between the brothers as Adam allowed time for his declaration to sink in. She wet her lips nervously and turned troubled eyes back to him.
“Does that mean you’re not going to let me leave?”
He chuckled. “If you’re asking if you’re a prisoner, the answer is no. If you’re asking if we’re going to open the door and let you waltz out of our lives, the answer is no. ”
He moved in closer, cupping her chin in his hand. Her breathing sped up. Beside her, Ryan curled his hand around hers. All three brothers were touching her, soothing her.
“You belong to us, Holly,” Adam whispered. “I can feel your want, your need. It’s as strong as our need for you. You’re frightened, but you want us. ”
“So you want a sex slave?” she asked in a strangled voice.
His eyes narrowed. She was afraid. Not just of him and his brothers but of herself and the unknown man who had done so much damage to her both physically and mentally.
“If you think this is only about sex, you’re wrong,” Adam said in a low voice. “We’re talking about forever. You would be our wife, our mate. ”
“W-what?” she squeaked. “B-but…you can’t all marry the same woman!”
“Can’t we?” Ethan asked behind her.
“It’s not legal!”
“You’re thinking with your mind,” Adam chided. “There’s no law that says you can’t live with three men. In our hearts, you would be bound to all three of us. Wife to each one of us. Cherished by all of us. ”
She shook her head in denial, in confusion.
“It’s that way in our family,” Ryan said quietly. “If you’re wondering if it’s genetic then no, it isn’t. We have a choice, and we’re choosing you. Our fathers chose our mother, our grandfathers chose our grandmother. But we aren’t bound by an invisible compulsion to lead that kind of life. It’s something we decided when we were old enough to do so. We always knew there would be but one woman for the three of us. And so we’ve waited. ”
Adam watched Holly’s reaction to Ryan’s sincere explanation. A sheen of tears rimmed her eyes, and her hands shook in her lap.
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“But you want us,” Ethan persisted.
She nodded a little shamefully.
“Then why can’t you?” Adam prompted, wanting to hear the demons she fought.
“Because I’m already married,” she choked out.