Wade turns, stepping onto the stair below ours, eye level and close enough that she lets out a tiny gasp. He cups her cheek, thumb brushing the corner of her mouth.
“Pretty girl,” he says, “I promise we’ll never fight over you.”
I feel her breath catch against my collarbone, her relief stark.
We move slowly up the stairs, her warm and trusting in my arms, Wade’s steady footsteps right behind us. At the top landing, he touches my arm, guiding us toward the bedroom across from the one she’s been using.
His room.
Inside, the only light comes from the moon through open curtains. The bed looks impossibly big and impossibly inviting.
I lower Joelle, her knees brushing mine, her fingers still tangled in the collar of my shirt like she’s afraid of what will happen when she lets go.
Wade stands behind her, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders, thumbs stroking a slow, steady reassurance. She leans back into his touch with a breath that trembles.
“You sure?” I ask again. She deserves room to decide—and men who don’t take advantage of her in any way. Not like that asshole who took her innocence at the fair, changing the trajectory of her life for good. I hate that asshole, but if she never met him, she wouldn’t be here, between us. Life’s funny like that. Every bad decision and heartbreaking moment can lead on to better things.
Her eyes lift to mine. “I want this,” she whispers. “I want… both of you.”
Wade’s breath leaves him in a quiet, rough exhale. I swear I feel my heart trip.
We move closer, one on each side, the air thick and warm around her. My fingers brush her cheek. Wade’s hands skim her shoulders. She reaches for us both, one hand gripping my wrist, the other sliding back to find Wade’s.
Then she lets out a soft sound of relief and desire, andthe moment shifts. Wade leans in first, brushing his lips over her temple. I follow, kissing her jaw, slow and reverent. Her breath stutters, her hands fisting in our shirts, and Wade murmurs against her skin, “Let us take care of you, Joelle.”
I kiss her, soft at first, then deeper when she opens for me, her fingers curling in the fabric at my chest. Wade’s lips trail down her neck, and she arches between us, her breath spilling out in a broken little sigh that’s nothing short of devastating.
Everything moves slower then, a moment suspended in new and tender feelings laced with heat.
Her hands reach for both of us, and the world narrows to the warmth of her body and the soft, hopeful sound she makes as we close in around her.
Chapter 19
Joelle
One rugged, sexy cowboy is overwhelming enough, but two? I don’t know where to look or who to touch. Shirts are stripped and jeans unbuttoned, and suddenly I’m surrounded by heat and muscle and men who want me with a focus that steals the air right out of my chest and makes the walls around us draw closer.
Wade’s at my back, solid and warm, his hands braced on my hips, anchoring me to him. Caleb stands in front of me, all soft eyes and restrained strength, his smile gentle enough to undo me even before he reaches for my face.
My pulse skitters and my breath shakes. I’m caught between them, anchored by their desire and my own.
“What do you need, Jo?” Caleb murmurs, voice low and coaxing. “Tell us.”
I swallow hard, feeling Wade’s breath at my neck, his lips against my spine, and Caleb’s thumb brushing my cheek. Two men waiting onmyanswer. Two men willing to stop,move, or change everything based on one word from me.
The power of that makes me giddy.
“I need…” My voice trembles. “I need you to show me what it’ll take to be the woman you need.”
Wade’s breath rumbles like a growl against my ear. Caleb’s eyes are warm, deep, and molten.
“You already are the woman we need, Jo,” Wade says, his hand sliding up to rest over my heart.
My breath leaves me in a rush of relief.
Caleb smiles, kissing my lips, then murmuring, “But we can show you what it’ll be like to be ours.”
“Yes,” I gasp, as Wade’s hand cups my breast. “That’s what I want.”
