“We’re pushing too far and fast,” Eli said. “Even with the punishment, aren’t we? Fuck. Kellan, let’s get out and let Arabella finish showering.” They tried to leave but she grabbed hold of them both, stilling them.
“Don’t leave.”
Eli was torn.
He hated the look of panic on her face before. They wanted to touch her, to taste her, take her. But they couldn’t move so fast that she was scared.
It was completely understandable that she’d need to move slowly. Spreading those photos of her naked body must have been traumatizing.
Yeah, the guy that did that better be living a miserable fucking life.
Because if there was anything they could do to make it worse, they would.
However, was she telling them to stay because she wanted to?
Or because she thought she had to?
“Listen to me, we’re not upset that we need to take things slow. We get it. If anyone is in the wrong here, it’s us for pushing too fast too soon. We’re going to back off but it’s not because we don’t want you. It’s because we want to do what’s best for you.”
“And what about the two of you?” She turned so she was looking up at them both. She glanced over Kellan’s near-naked body to Eli’s fully-clothed one. “What about what’s best for you both?”
“What’s best for us is whatever makes you happy,” Kellan told her gruffly.
Damn.
He hadn’t realized his brother could be so good at this.
But Arabella seemed to relax even further at Kellan’s reassurances.
“Then I want you to . . . to spank me. I don’t want to think about it anymore. I want to know what it’s like. And then I want to wash the conditioner out of my hair.”
Eli nuzzled her cheek. “You’re sure, baby?”
“I’m sure. And I don’t want you to be scared to . . . to touch me or to tell me how you want to touch me. I think I need to hear that. To experience it. I’ve never really felt desired before. And the more you make it clear that you want me, the more secure I think I feel.”
“You’re so brave,” he told her, meaning every word. “You have every right to tell us to back off. To be scared. Fuck, baby. You amaze me every day.”
“I do?”
“You do,” Kellan said.
“Then do I get to ask for something?” she asked, licking her lips.
“Anything,” Eli told her. And he meant it. He’d give her whatever she desired in that moment.
“Can you both get naked?”
Okay. That wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. But he also wasn’t going to turn her down.
If she wanted them naked, then he was all for it.
“Unless you don’t want to,” she said hastily. “I don’t want anyone to do anything they don’t want to do.”
He glanced over at Kellan who nodded and stripped off his boxers quickly as though ripping off a Band-Aid.
Arabella sucked in a breath. “Oh my God. I was right. You are huge.”
Kellan cupped the side of her face. “I’d never hurt you, though. Tell me you know that much at least.”
