Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 138775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
“Stay on message, dude,” Jayden cut in.
“Right. I just… I wanted to be here with you.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “With all of you, actually, but I’m only kissing her.”
“Fair enough,” Jayden said.
“So I guess I’m in,” Kyle concluded, and happiness filled me.
“Your turn, Tori,” Lucas said softly as he stroked my hair.
The first part of my answer was easy. “I want this. With you three. But I also want more.” I looked over at Lucas. “I want to be a girlfriend. To all of you. I know that’s messed up, but—”
Lucas put a finger to my lips. “It’s not messed up if it’s what we want, too.”
“Yeah, don’t judge yourself, Tori, or think that we will,” Jayden added.
I nodded, my lashes growing moist. “I want a real relationship. Because… because… because I love you guys.” I couldn’t look at them after saying that, but I squeezed the hands of the men on either side of me and pressed my foot against Jayden’s leg.
Then Lucas leaned in. “I’ve loved you for a long time, Tori.” Before I could process that, his lips met mine. My eyes closed and some of the tension drained out of me as his warm mouth moved slowly over mine. This was different from when we’d had sex downstairs on the pool table and the bed. This was an entirely different kind of kiss, and it meant so much more.
When Lucas pulled back, I was still in a bit of shock at what he’d said. But then Kyle turned toward me, and I panicked. “No one else has to say it,” I said in a rush. “It’s too early. I’m not expecting anything, I just—”
Kyle’s large palm covered my mouth, and my frantic flow of words stopped. When he deemed it safe, he let go and then he whispered in my ear. “I love you too, Victoria.”
Shock shot through me, and then he was leaning over me, his leg sliding over mine as he claimed my mouth. I cupped the back of his head as he kissed me. I was still stunned but also thrilled.
He kissed me longer than Lucas had, and despite the tenderness of the moment, my blood started pumping harder—and traveling between my legs. Finally, he eased back, capturing my bottom lip between his teeth, stretching it out before letting go. Then he laid back on the bed. “So let’s see if we get that fourth yes.”
I chuckled softly, feeling happy and giddy. But then my eyes met Jayden’s.
“Don’t tell me I don’t have to say it,” he warned before I could speak. “Because I know that.” He leaned forward, crawling over me, supporting himself in a pushup position. Lucas and Kyle both eased back, giving him space. When he was hovering over me, he lowered his head. When his lips were an inch from mine, he whispered, “I love you.”
He kissed me thoroughly, then sat up, his knees between my body and Kyle’s. “I’ve never kissed a crying woman before,” he said.
“Happy tears,” I managed to say.
“Good to know,” he said softly. “So I guess that’s four yeses.” He stroked my calf through the blanket. Kyle worked his arm under my head, and Lucas put his hand on my stomach, his fingers splayed.
It was like they were all claiming a piece of me. Or just that they were all claiming me. Which made me so happy. “I love you guys,” I said softly. I’d already said that a couple of times, but this was different. Now I knew they loved me too.
Jayden smiled down at the three of us. “So, now, we could all go back to our rooms or—”
I cut him off. “Please stay here.”
46
EPILOGUE
TORI
Friday after classes, I went down to the basement and found Jayden playing pool by himself.
He smiled when he saw me and gave me a kiss.
“Are you going to play Spin the Bottle by yourself, too?”
He laughed. “No, I just figured if I practice pool for a couple more years, I might be able to give Kyle a run for his money.” He lined up another shot, and I couldn’t help noticing how cute his butt looked as he bent over. The solid green ball disappeared in the corner pocket. “Or a couple of decades.”
I perched on the edge of the table, staying out of his way. “Have you heard from Mia?”
His focus remained on the cue ball, but I saw his mouth tighten. “No.”
Today was the day when she was moving into that house for former foster children. We’d offered to help her, but she’d turned us down. Both Jayden and I thought she was avoiding us, perhaps still embarrassed about what had happened at the party.
“I’ll text her and ask how it’s going.”
Jayden nodded and then cussed as he missed his shot. “Do you want to play?”