“I’m not tired yet,” I admitted.
Majesty’s smile was warm and genuine. “Good. Neither are we.”
We put on another movie that was animated and light. Somewhere during it, I stopped fighting the drowsiness creeping in. My head dipped toward the back of the couch, and I caught myself, blinking hard.
“Here.” Majesty shifted, grabbing one of the throw pillows. “Lie down before you hurt your neck.”
“I’m fine…”
“Cami.” Lex’s voice was gentle but firm. “You’re exhausted. It’s okay to be comfortable.”
I hesitated, then let myself stretch out on the couch, my head on the pillow Majesty had positioned. The next thing I knew, there was a blanket being draped over me which was the throw from the back of the couch.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, already half-asleep.
I felt more than saw them settle in around me. Majesty on the floor near the couch, his back against it, Lex stretched out on the other side of the coffee table. The movie played on, but I was barely aware of it. The last thing I registered was feeling safe and highly cared for.
I woke to early morning light filtering through my living-room curtains and the smell of coffee. For a moment, I was disoriented. Trying to remember how the night had ended, I mentally retraced my steps. I’d fallen asleep on the couch, still in my dinner clothes, and…
The memory came back in a rush. Majesty and Lex. The cheesecake. The movies. Falling asleep. I sat up quickly, the blanket falling away, and found Lex in my kitchen, two mugs of coffee in his hands. He was freshly showered, hair still damp, and looking sinfully good.
“Morning,” he said quietly. “Hope you don’t mind. I found the coffee.”
“No, it’s okay. Where’s Majesty?” I asked, attempting to distract myself from the thoughts trying to assault me. Because I shouldn’t be visualizing kissing this man while his hands traveled my body. I bit my lip wondering if his palms were calloused or worn from working with his hands.
“Shower. He went second,” Lex added, a hint of amusement in his voice. “He’ll be out in a minute.”
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to process. There were also the thoughts of joining Majesty in the shower. “You both stayed.”
“We did.” Lex handed me one of the mugs. “You fell asleep, and it seemed wrong to wake you. We figured we’d stay until morning, make sure you were okay.”
“You slept on the floor.” Guilt twisted in my stomach.
“We’ve slept in worse places,” he said simply. “And you needed the rest.”
I took a sip of coffee and it was perfect. Somehow he’d made it exactly how I liked it and I tried to find words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a bad host.”
“Don’t.” Lex’s dark eyes held mine. “Last night was good. All of it. Don’t apologize for that.”
Majesty emerged from the hallway then, looking unfairly put-together for someone who’d spent the night on a floor. “Morning, sunshine. Hope you don’t mind that I raided your shower.”
“No, it’s fine.” I gestured helplessly at the situation. The two of them towering over me made me feel small. That was tough to do when I was 5’8” and two hundred sixty something pounds. “This is weird, right?”
“Is it?” Majesty asked, guiding me onto the couch with him. “Feels pretty natural to me.”
“We spent the night. Fully clothed, completely appropriate, but still...” I couldn’t quite process it.
“We spent the night getting to know you,” Lex corrected. “Building trust. That’s important for what we’re going to be doing at the Ranch.”
“Is that what this was?” I asked, searching their faces. “Trust building?”
It felt more like courting and I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was. Let me explain. I thought their intention was true, to getto know me. I knew mine was pure, in that I wasn’t looking for anything serious. However, the way they’d been attentive and sure was intense and landing harder than I felt like it should. Was I opposed? No, and that was where it got weird for me.
“Partly,” Majesty said honestly. “But also, we were having a good time. None of us wanted it to end. That’s allowed.”
Lex nodded. “What happens at the Ranch will involve a lot of vulnerability. Knowing we can spend time together comfortably, that we can be in each other’s space without it feeling forced, that’s valuable. Plus, we’ll be sharing a cabin together as well.”
I hadn’t realized that we’d be sharing a cabin. I clutched my coffee mug, trying to organize my thoughts. “So this was what? A test?”
