“Sonofabitch,” Knox snarls behind me.
Another orgasm takes me to some other realm, and I’m so blissed out that I don’t know up from down. Then, the world is shaking. Earthquake? No—they don’t notice it. Until they do.
Strong fingers poke at the sides of my jaw, forcing my mouth open. Salem crouches to my side. “Damn, angel. I never…fuck.” He kisses me, irrespective of his cum in my mouth. Or maybe he likes it.
Houston gentles me off of him. I don’t know when Knox pulled away, but I hear him in the bathroom. The other two sandwich me between them, warm and safe. Houston holds a glass of water to my lips. Thank god. I never could have done that for myself. Not after that.
Salem spoons me and murmurs, “You’ve got a bite like a goddamn pit bull.”
I giggle. Can’t help it. “Sorry?”
“Nah, I liked it. Spicy.”
I snort a laugh at that and snuggle into them, trying not to think. They make it easy not to.
6
KNOX
What the fuckwas I thinking? Bad idea. Full stop.
So why didn’t I stop?
The suite is quiet in that heavy way after the night has taken what it wanted. Salem is out cold on the couch, boots off, one arm thrown over his eyes. Houston made it to the armchair and half folded himself into a position no chiropractor would endorse, head tilted, hair loose. The TV glows blue with no sound. The Strip stutters at the windows. Ice melts in a bucket we never used.
Lou sits at the edge of the rug with her back against the couch, knees up, dress smooth, eyes open. Calm. A little dazed, but not lost. She looks like someone who finally found a chair in a crowded room and decided to keep it.
Bad idea, I tell myself again.
She looks up at me, like she heard it. “You okay?”
I nod. “Shower?”
A blink. “Yeah?”
“Clean up. Talk.”
“Okay.”
I hold out a hand. She takes it, and I pull her to her feet. Warm palm. Steady grip. No tremble. That helps with the guilt.
We move down the hall. I check the door to the suite out of reflex. Locked. Chain set. Salem snores once like a motorcycle turning over and then goes quiet again. Houston doesn’t move.
In the bathroom, I set towels on the counter, turn the water on, hand under the spray, and adjust until it’s right. No hotel scald today. These big resorts like to provide the best of everything, but between the high-pressure showerheads and the extreme heat, I have to be careful not to power wash my skin off with them.
She leans on the jamb. “You always this careful?”
“Yes.”
A small smile. “Okay.”
I close the door. The fan hums. The mirror fogs fast. I should say something smart, something like,We keep this to ourselves. I’m the one who has to be the adult when the others won’t. I clear my throat. “You’re not going to tell Troy, right?”
She laughs once, sharp and clean. “I’d be happy to never talk to him again.”
The knots in my shoulders loosen. “Good.”
Her mouth flattens. “Things were bad for a long time. Today just…finished it.”
