I drew back and turned away, planting my hands on my hips as I tried to reason with myself. This was the exact kind of situation I’d been trying to avoid, and yet here I was, going for it anyway.
Dammit. Damn it all to hell and back.
“Priscilla,” he whispered. “Please look at me.”
My god, I’d just kissed Beau. I'd kissed Sky! Was I losing it?
Why did it feel so damn right?
I heard him come around the desk behind me, his presence inching closer. His arms slid around me and he pulled me against him.
And he hugged me.
That was it. His arms were strong, his body a wall I could fully melt into. His touch wasn’t sexual, wasn’t flirtatious—it was just him. Holding me.
My eyes stung. It’d been a long time since I’d been held.
“I don’t want to screw this up,” I whispered.
“Me neither,” he murmured. “It’s scary. But I’ve never had a good thing happen to me in my life that wasn’t.”
I blinked back tears. He was right, though.
All the scariest decisions I’d made were the ones that worked out for the better. The decision to leave Oklahoma and go to college, getting a degree I wasn’t sure was even right for me. Working my ass off to make enough money to build up savings. Meeting someone that ended up being toxic and then finding the will to actually leave him.
All of that had been scary.
But this?
This was a whole different level of scary. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, my chest squeezing as I let my nerves take over, giving into the panic for just a few seconds. All while he held me through it. Patient. Strong. Kind.
“Whatever you need from me,” he murmured. “I don’t care what it is, Pris. Whatever you need from me, you can have.”
“I know,” I whispered. “I just need you to keep doing this for a moment.”
He let out a gentle hum, his arms tightening just enough to make me feel even safer. I closed my eyes, drew in a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. Counting to three.
And past the clouds of fear, there were rays of hope. Sparkling bright, shining right on the desires I’d held in my heart for so long that they were covered in dust and cobwebs.
“I don’t want a casual relationship,” I finally said. “I want to be loved. I want to be cared for. I want to love and care for the ones I’m with, too. And there’s not a single sane soul in the world who learns that about me and stays.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Then you’ve lost your mind.”
Beau let out a soft snort. “Pris, I’ve been losing my mind about you for years.”
My heart galloped in my chest. “I want Sky too.”
“We both do,” he said bluntly.
“So then we would be a trio . . .”
“Yes,” he said. “We would be.”
“And when they leave?”
“I don’t want them to leave,” he admitted softly. “But if they do, then we’ll cross that bridge when it comes. And we’ll still have each other.”
