Vince shoves himself up on one elbow, his body a tense line against my back. “Who the fuck told you that?” The words aren’t just a question; they’re a demand, low and dangerous.
Kat goes still against my front, her breath catching. His hand frames my jaw, forcing me to meet the fire in his gaze. The cabin’s shadows cut deep angles across his furious, beautiful face.
His thumb strokes my jaw, his anger dissolving into something pained and terribly soft. “Listen to me.” He waits until my shaky exhale hits his skin. “I like my lovers needy.”
A ragged sound escapes me. Kat’s hand finds mine under the sheets, lacing our fingers tight.
“I have wanted your need for nearly twenty years, Ollie. Don’t you dare apologize for it now.” He kisses me, hard and claiming, sealing the promise. When he pulls back, his eyes are dark with conviction. “No more giving without taking. Not here. Not with us."
Kat leans in, her lips brushing my shoulder. “We want all of you," she says, her voice quiet but sure. “Every complicated piece.”
The last wall inside me crumbles, silent and final. A single, hot tear tracks from the corner of my eye. Vince kisses it away, his touch unbearably gentle.
“Okay,” I breathe, the word barely audible. “Okay.”
Their relief is a palpable shift in the air. Vince settles back, pulling me tightly into the curve of his body. Kat nuzzles closer, her sigh warm against my collarbone.
“I just…Everyone always gave me shit about us being just friends.”
"Like what?"
"Like it was only a matter of time before we fucked and you would see me differently, and our friendship would crumble because I'm…"
“Why are you letting that bother you? We already passed that test years ago.”
“Halloween didn’t count. We don’t even remember it. I feel like we’re crossing a lot of boundaries here. That’s usually when things get broken.”
Vince lets out a slow, controlled breath. His muscles uncoil one by one next to me. “We didn’t break a goddamn thing.” Henoses the nape of my neck. “We just stopped lying to ourselves about what we want.”
"No more lying. No more fear. No more holding back! Just let yourself have this week. The only rule is that we go to sleep together and we wake up together."
"Fuckthat, I'm out." I bark, and they both look at me like I spit in their faces. "What? I'm not waking up at 7 AM Vince. We’re on vacation."
"Oh, fuck you.” He smiles. “It's called cardi-something-rhythm, Ollie! It's a real science. You're always so fucking tired because you sleep too much."
"That makes no fucking sense! Do you even hear yourself sometimes?"
He holds my gaze, his blue eyes sparking in the lamplight.
“Hear myself? Do you hear yourself?” He retorts.
"You're both ridiculous," Kat interjects, pushing up between us with a small, exasperated laugh. "Okay! How about we go to sleep together, and I'll wake you both up with my mouth." Kat offers.
“I can’t agree with that,” I say, nodding my head.
"That seems fair,” Vince says, instantly deflating.
"Good! Now, kiss and make up."
Vince’s grin is all teeth in the semi-darkness before he leans over me, his mouth finding mine with a certainty that still steals my breath. It’s a slow, deep kiss that tastes like my future, his hand cradling the side of my face, his thumb stroking my cheekbone.
“I still think your circadian rhythm theory is bullshit,” I murmur against his lips.
He laughs, the sound a warm vibration against my skin.
Kat watches us, her expression soft and satisfied, until Vince turns and captures her mouth with equal fervor. I watch the lineof his shoulders relax as he kisses her, the way her fingers curl into his hair.
When they part, he settles back behind me with a heavy, contented sigh. The previous tension has dissolved, replaced by a weary, sated closeness. Kat shifts, pulling the thick comforter up over our tangled legs.
