Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 112892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
And then in late morning, they arrived.
“Wow,” Diego said, giving a low whistle as he surveyed the spacious condo. “Pretty sure the entire Baylor House could fit in this living room.”
That was quite the exaggeration, but it kind of felt true. The living room was gorgeous, with cream-colored fabrics and soft gray leather. There was a fireplace surrounded by a sunken sitting area, a great view of the city, and—to Cody’s obvious delight—a grand piano.
After a quick lunch, we did more touristy things, taking an inclined train up to Lookout Mountain, which provided a spectacular view of the city and the river running through it. It was fun, but the vibe was different with four of us there. I was conscious of how much time I spent with each of them. Whose hand I held. Who I smiled at the most. It wasn’t that I wanted to have to keep score all day, it was just that I was a little nervous about how this all would work out for us.
And very, very nervous about the sleeping arrangements for tonight.
Aaron was the one who brought that up after we returned from another nice dinner out. He clearly knew the best restaurants in town.
“There are three bedrooms,” he began. “Mia’s already installed in the suite, so I guess two of us guys should double up.”
“I could sleep on the couch,” Diego offered.
“No,” I said, taking a deep breath. But I’d already given this matter a lot of thought.
“On the piano?” he joked. But none of us were laughing. The atmosphere wasn’t tense—but it wasn’t exactly relaxed, either.
“I think each of you should take a bedroom.” That earned me three looks of surprise.
“And what will you do?” Aaron asked carefully.
“I thought maybe I could bunk with one of you.” I closed my eyes briefly. That wasn’t even the hardest part to say. “Each night, with one of you.” It was the most diplomatic way I could say it, but I could feel the heat flood my face. I couldn’t look at them, even though I’d been thinking about this all day.
“No,” Diego said instantly. “We’re not passing you around like...”
Cody looked at him sharply. “If you finish that sentence, we’re going to have a problem.”
Okay, this was going worse than any of the scenarios I’d imagined. “I just... I’m not saying that we... I just...”
“It’s okay, Mia,” Cody said, surprisingly gently. “No one’s judging you.” He gave Diego a look when he said that.
That gave me a little courage. “I want to spend time with you all. I want to get to know you better. It’s just sleep. Why can’t I share a bed with you?” Except I knew it might be more than sleep. We all knew that.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Aaron asked.
“Yes. If that’s what you guys want, too.”
“I’m not going to say no to that,” Aaron said. “But only if I know you’re 150% you’re comfortable with it.”
“I am.” I let out a ragged breath of air. “That was really fucking hard to admit.”
That made Diego raise an eyebrow. “She swore, so she must be serious.” That got a small smile from me.
“You guys figure out the schedule, and I’m going to curl up on the couch and die from embarrassment.” With my cheeks still on fire, I turned away from them.
“Don’t,” Aaron said, catching my arm. “We’re here because we want to be with you. It’s good to know you want to be with us too. In any capacity,” he said, before Diego could question the word choice. “But you must have some preference for where you’d like to stay first.”
I couldn’t answer that. It was too much like choosing between them.
When they realized I couldn’t or wouldn’t answer, Diego looked at Aaron. “It’s your place,” he said finally. Then he shook his head. “Shit, this is hard. Mia, I want you to know that we know you’re not some kind of… toy we get to share.”
How was it possible to appreciate the sentiment and be extra mortified at the same time? “I know.” I took a deep breath. “Okay. How about... I’ll stay with Aaron tonight?”
“You were with him last night,” Cody said.
“No,” I said, even as Aaron shook his head as well. “We stayed in separate rooms.”
“That’s still an option for tonight,” Diego said.
“That’s not what I want,” I said simply.
“She’s made her decision,” Cody said, catching my eye.
And that was the end of that discussion.
“I like this,” Aaron said, his finger gliding along the edge of the smooth satin of my new pajama set as I lay next to him. The room was dark except for two lit candles he’d placed on the dresser.
I was glad he liked my new pajama set. I’d never owned anything like it. It was peach satin. The camisole top was held up by spaghetti straps. It draped at the neckline and was cropped at the waist. The matching shorts were, well, short. But also satiny and smooth. The material felt good on my legs.