“It's fine,” I said and sat up. “I was prepared for this to confirm that I'm not your mate. But can we do this a little longer before you move on?”
“Indigo, we don't know how it's supposed to feel,” Gideon said.
“But youaresupposed to know, aren't you? You're supposed to know after sex. You said sex was the easiest way for you to know.”
“I just said I love you,” Gage growled. “We don't fall in love with women who aren't our mates.”
I went still. “Really?”
“Really,” Gage said. “You're our mate, Indigo. I'm more sure about it now than I was before.”
“Then why don't I feel different?”
“Darling, I think it could be you,” Gideon said gently. “You're holding back.”
“No. No, I wouldn't,” I said. “I want this. I want to be your mate.”
“Do you?” Garret asked. “Do you trust us? Truly trust us?”
I hesitated and all three of them made angry sounds.
“I'm so sorry!” I wailed.
“We're not upset with you, Indie,” Garret said.
“We're a little upset with you,” Gage grumbled.
“No, we're not,” Gideon said with a hard look at Gage. “We're upset that we did this with you before you were ready.”
“I practically begged for it.” I grimaced as those words sank in. Suddenly, I was ashamed. My wild behavior came back to me, and a flush rose in my cheeks. I got up and fetched my dress.
“Indigo,” Gage growled. “We're not done here.”
“You think that I'm your mate, but I don't trust you enough to let the magic happen. Is that about right?” I asked. I pulled on my dress and faced them.
They were still naked, still gorgeous, and still mad. Especially Gage. He got up and stepped over to me.
“You can't force yourself to trust someone, and you certainly can't make yourself fall in love,” Gage said. “We understand that. Are we disappointed? Yes, of course. But we can wait. Now, come back over here.” He drew me over to the other men. “You must be exhausted. Just relax for a while. I'll go make pancakes.”
I sat down between Gideon and Garret, shaking my head. “Pancakes.”
“It's the only thing he knows how to make,” Garret said.
“That's not true,” Gage said as he walked away. “I can make coffee too.”
“Coffee doesn't count,” Garret called after him.
“He makes some mean nachos,” Gideon said.
“Damn. You're right,” Garret muttered.
I didn't hear the rest of their banter. Gage’s taut ass fascinated me too much. What an ass. What a man. And, for the moment, he was mine. Would I bond with them if I trusted them? I didn't think so. I think they were making up excuses because they wanted me to be the one. They had waited centuries. If I turned out to not be their mate, it would be crushing for all of us. So, even though I didn't believe it, I would play along for as long as possible. Maybe a couple of decades or so. By then, I might have a chance of getting over them.
Gage's ass disappeared around the doorframe, and I looked at the mouthwatering masculinity on either side of me. Oh, who was I kidding? Twenty years wouldn't be enough. A lifetime wouldn't get me over them. Because I was in love too. With all three of them.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I should have told them how I felt. Gage had bared his soul to me, and I sensed a similar openness in the others, though unspoken. They loved me, and I loved them. It should have been perfect. Magical. But it wasn't. And that's why I didn't tell them. It would just make things worse when I left.
