“Nope,” Soul interjected. “One date for each thing. That’s only fair.”
“Don’t look so stressed, baby,” Rico teased. “We’ll plan good dates.”
Sighing, she silently shook her head. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
She didn’t need to elaborate for me to catch the side-eye she slid my way before settling back into Soul’s arms.
We went over the list again, shared our boundaries with each other and picked a safe word that all of us could use if needed.
The conversation went on for an hour before Harlow straightened and looked at her stepbrother. “What about in public? Everybody on this island knows you’re my stepbrother.”
“Ex-stepbrother.” He shifted on the couch. “We’re grown, Harlow. I don’t really give a fuck if people know I’m with you. You’ll never be a secret I try to hide. We’re not doing anything wrong.”
His lips found hers and he managed to get her on the cushion beside him before they pulled away.
The doubt on Harlow’s face had been replaced with ecstasy. Her fingertips grazed her lips, and she stared at Rico like she was trying to remember what they were talking about.
Soul snickered. My reaction was more carnal. And helped me clear up my earlier uncertainty.
I wasn’t jealous. I just craved what they’d already gotten to experience. It’d been hours for them but nine years for me.
And the more my dick lengthened against my thigh the more it felt like I was going to fucking combust. All Harlow had to do was touch me at this point and I’d be done for.
I needed her. So fucking bad. But I had to get back to the bar.
I watched her walk away with Soul to try the cookies in the kitchen and blew out a breath when she was finally out of sight.
How was I addicted to something I’d only had once?
Rico stood up at the same time as me. I was in his way, but I didn’t sidestep to let him pass.
“What’s up?”
“I know you took them.” Rico said nothing. Didn’t acknowledge what “them” was or if he had taken them. He didn’t have to. But his blown pupils intrigued me. They more than intrigued me. “I’m just trying to figure outwhy.”
He stared at me, licking his lips with a challenge in his eyes. “You want them back?”
Plenty of answers raced through my mind, but I settled on the simplest one before finally clearing his path and heading for the door. “Nah, keep ‘em.”
Good Morning
Monday, June 16, 2025
Soul was already gone for work when I woke up Monday morning. I’d fallen asleep with him and Rico only to wake up with Rico still asleep on my right and Christian now sleeping on my left.
Yawning until my eyes watered, I stretched gently so I didn’t wake the men on either side of me. I felt more rested and more content than I had in a long time.
We hadn’t done anything last night. Soul just wanted to cuddle until we fell asleep and Rico sat in bed beside us, working on his art tablet.
As hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember the last time someone held me through the night. Just because. I liked it more than I expected.
A lot more than I expected.
Inching closer to Christian, I placed my hand over his chest. His heart beat against my palm with strong, steady thumps before my hand moved down across his stomach to settle at his side.
Mumbling, he stirred in his sleep, moving the arm he had propped behind his head and dropping it on top of mine.
I was locked in place, and I guessed there were worse places to be stuck.
