Landon held out his arm, and I took it, grateful for the steady presence as my heart hammered in my chest.
They led me to a suite where the guests had already checked out, and the dining room table was set beautifully with candles and white linens. Asher had gone all out with the meal, serving multiple courses, where each one was better than the last.
And in between bringing out the courses, he kept the conversation going, which I was grateful for. Some combination of nerves and excitement had rendered merather speechless. But Asher regaled us with stories of the ridiculously rich students back at Langley—like the guy who’d had his butler fly in his favorite coffee beans every week, or the girl who’d thrown a tantrum when she found out the school didn’t have valet parking for her third Ferrari.
A couple of times I chimed in because I’d witnessed some utterly insane displays of wealth back there too. The twins laughed and joked, and I caught their blue eyes on me a lot. There was an undercurrent of tension throughout the entire meal, a crackling anticipation that made the air feel charged. And I kept squirming in my chair, crossing and recrossing my legs, hyper-aware of the fact that I wasn’t wearing anything under the dress.
And then Asher served baked Alaska for dessert.
I laughed when I saw it. “You remembered.” We’d spent hours arguing over that particular dish.
“Of course I did.” It was really impressive as he set it on fire, the blue flames dancing across the surface. I had no doubt Asher was going to take the culinary world by storm. None at all. But it was hard to think beyond tonight and what was going to happen soon.
When we finished eating, we all kind of looked at each other across the table. I was excited but didn’t know how this was supposed to begin, and the silence that stretched out between us was withanticipation. My pulse raced, and I could feel heat pooling low in my belly.
Asher poured coffee that no one drank. I sipped my wine a few times, but my mind was no longer on his amazing meal.
Finally, Asher sighed, looking half-exasperated, half-amused. “So, the elephant in the room really makes the décor pop.”
The tense muscles of my face loosened enough to let a small smile through, while the others laughed. But no one jumped in to tell me exactly how to get started with what came next.
“So, um, how do we do this?” My voice was so quiet I wasn’t sure all of them had heard me.
But Landon had gotten the gist. “However you want. With whoever you want.”
They were watching me so closely, their eyes so intent. And suddenly, my stomach hurt. Choosing one man felt like a betrayal of the other two. We’d said all along that this was about the experience, about pleasure, not feelings. But right now, it seemed like I was being asked to say which one of them I liked best. And not only didn’t I know, but the idea of it really bothered me.
Then Kai put his large hand on my arm. “Look, Zoe...”
I turned toward him. I should’ve known he’d want to go first, but I was grateful he was takingthis decision out of my hands. And he was—though not in the way I anticipated.
“There’s been one guy all along insisting that your first time should be special,” Kai continued. “And I think it will be—with him.”
My whole body stilled, and I didn’t even breathe, forcing myself not to look at Landon.
But they knew.
“I think you want that too,” Asher said. Then he smirked, breaking the tension. “I get it. He’d be my choice, too.”
The men laughed, and I was very grateful for the way Asher had lessened the tense atmosphere.
Finally, I turned to Landon. His blue eyes were so intent on mine. He didn’t question whether I agreed with Kai and Asher’s assessment. And I didn’t question if he wanted to be first, either.
The answer came when he held out his hand to me. I took it, and he pulled me gently to my feet. Put his arm around my shoulders. And led me to the bedroom.
There were cream-colored candles everywhere,which I was pretty sure had been arranged by the man next to me. There was also soft music playing, just loud enough to make the silence less awkward.
And I felt awkward—like a newborn foal who didn’t know how to use its body properly yet.
But I knew Landon could teach me. He looked at me with such tenderness that my breath caught. “You’re so beautiful,” he said softly, looking into my eyes.
And I looked into his. If I lived to be a hundred, I’d never stop being surprised by how blue they were. Only Kai’s were just as blue.
Landon stepped toward me, and I took a step backward until the backs of my legs touched the mattress. He caged me in, his height and strength a preview of what was to come. I’d spent my whole life competing with men. Striving for the best grades in class. Fighting for the same opportunities they seemed to get so easily.
And now my body yearned to give itself over to a man. Not just any man—Landon. I wanted him to take control. To touch me. To teach me.
I needed so badly for him to show me what to do, whathecould do, and what our bodies could do together. And I was more than willing to follow his lead.
