I’ll just have to let her know that she’s either spoiling Jax or needs to help him confront whatever’s going on his head. It should be plenty easy for her.
DIMITRI
Jax has been out of it all day. He seems pissed and uncomfortable. I’m sure it’s just because he’s injured, but the way Hope looks at him makes me worry. She keeps watching him.
While I work on something new in the kitchen and Knox works out, Hope lingers near me. “There. Again.”
I glance back and see Jax glowering at his phone. He pushes it to the side and snorts once. Hope turns those gorgeous, concerned eyes up to me. I rub her hip and feel her press closer to me. It calms every nerve in my body. I slowly press my face to her hair, then whisper in her ear.
“You’re worrying too much. He’s dealing with an injury that could bench him for weeks, take him out for the rest of the season,” I say gently. “He’ll deal with it his way.”
“That doesn’t explain the phone,” she argues, leaning into my touch. When I glance at her, our noses brush and my throat tightens. Hope nibbles her bottom lip as her eyes slowly chart every detail of my face. She exhales shakily. “Is someone harassing him?”“Who?” I ask, my hand moving up and over her ribs.
“Dimitri, we’re talking about…”
“If you’re going to make out in the kitchen, at least get to it so I have something better to enjoy,” Jax calls.
Hope’s face goes red. I pull her tighter. “Anytime you want, baby. I’m right here.”
She shudders and starts to lean in, her lips brushing mine. I kiss her softly, like I’m asking permission. She trembles and draws back when she realizes I’m almost cupping her breast. I lean in to take one more kiss, just to prove to both of us that she’s not going to break from one kiss… two… three.
“Mmm,” an approving sound echoes from the living room as I tease Hope with the tip of my tongue. She starts to give in, then draws back. Jax huffs. “Come on, Dimitri. Look at her face. You know she wants more.”
“Jax,” she hisses. “What’s going on?”
“Only talking allowed is dirty talk. Look at him, Hope. You’ve got us all worked up and eager for you. You don’t have to hold back. Take what you want. Be a good girl,” Jax says with a growing smile.
Hope kisses my neck. And trembles. “I want to, Dimitri. I want more than kisses, but…”
“You don’t have to explain.”
“I don’t want you three to not feel… feel wanted. I do want you, I’m just afraid that if we get started, I’ll freak out. I only want good memories for us from now on,” Hope whispers.
I nod, trying to reel myself back in. A few innocent kisses, her not flinching away from my touch or my hold, and I’m so hard I can’t breathe.
“Can you finish dinner?”
“Dimitri.” She immediately tries to hold onto me. “Don’t leave angry.”
“I’m not angry. I’m horny and I’m waiting for those good memories. Maybe with you in control,” I say with a teasing wink.
Would leveling the playing field, giving her total control over us, letting her tie us down and fuck us one at a time help us all?Blow off the steam, get rid of all this fragility between us and prove that we can’t be broken so easily?
HOPE
When we finally get to the gym the next day, Jaxon is pissed. He glowers at every other guy who “gets to workout” while he’s seen by a doctor. I glance at him and his gaze flicks to me. It softens, then heats with promise of plenty.
He knows he’ll be in my office soon enough and after yesterday, kissing each of the guys before bed and acting as Jaxon’s body pillow, I know he wants more. He was hard all fucking night, grinding against my ass even in his sleep. My face burns at the thought and I hurry to my office.
Taking a few breaths, I try to forget about how perfect he felt against me, the way Dimitri’s touch seemed to burn across me in a way that turned plenty of memories to ash.
Shaking my head, I clear my throat and get to work, following my normal schedule, until mail is delivered and there’s a manila envelope to me. There’s no return address either.
I rip open the envelope. I feel around at the top for a letter, but there’s nothing. My brow furrows and I walk over to my metal table and turn the envelope upside down. No one sends mail that has nothing in it.
After a few shakes, polaroids spill out over the table. My mind freezes, then works in overdrive as I turn all the photos over. The cabin. The tree where my mom was buried. The flowers that areall lying there. The shackles still there by the table. My blood on the plate.
My heartbeat echoes in my ear.
