1
CORA
Iswallow the lump in my throat as Miller crosses his arms over his chest.
“Are we doing this or what?” he asks, his voice singing me a seductive lullaby.
He leans against the wall, the veins in his forearms bulging. It's everything I can do not to stare at him, at his hands, at the way his charcoal-colored shirt hugs his chest.
I’m not used to him this way.
Miller is stoic, quiet, reserved. He’s a man of few words, but when he speaks, he commands authority. An authority that makes heat swell between my legs.
I shouldn’t think these thoughts. I shouldn’t acknowledge them.
But when he’s standing in front of me like this, how can I do anything other than exactly that?
Someone clears their throat and draws my attention.
Alec.
Where did he come from?
“I’m game if you are.” Alec’s dark eyes meet mine.
I blink once, then twice. This can’t be real.
“What do you mean?” I ask, finally ready to know what’s happening here.
“Us, babe.” Alec motions in a circle, implying what I can only assume is a dream come true. He steps forward and stalks toward me, his gait causing my chest to rise and fall a bit faster. He stops just as he reaches me.
Of course I want them, I have from the very first moment they entered my life.
But they are off-limits, and it’s been made abundantly clear that it’s forbidden.
Still, that doesn’t stop me from licking my bottom lip and wondering what’s going to happen next. I’ve been longing for the touch of a man; why should I starve myself of that because of a technicality I’m not even quite sure of? Especially two men, who are eagerly waiting for me to give them some kind of approval.
June and her guys quickly dismissed Miller as a potential suitor the second I brought it up, being evasive every step of the way. They said he wasn’t interested in women, but how can that be true if he’s standing here looking at me like he is?
There’s undeniable chemistry between us, not just now, but all the other times we’ve interacted, too. Who am I to continue to deny that spark from igniting us both?
And Alec…June’s driver. We flirt and banter, and I’ve always been attracted to his dark features and non-toxic masculinity. Alec feels safe, like he’d hold me if I cried or be there however I needed him. I don’t know how I know that, it's just something I feel in my core. Still, though, there's a darkness to him, a sexy, illicit nature I haven't quite uncovered yet.
Maybe if I play my cards right, I’ll find out.
I lean back on the bed, suddenly unaware of where I am, but quickly realizing I don’t care, not when the reality of the situation sinks in. The burnt red comforter is soft under my elbows, and I scoot farther, eyeing both of the men in this decadent space with me.
“I want this,” I find myself saying out loud in a whisper.
Miller and Alec exchange a glance, and from that very moment, it’s like the energy in the room is charged with something fiery—one wrong move could set all of us ablaze.
But damn am I ready to feel the eruption consume me.
Miller grazes his fingertips around my left ankle while Alec cups the right in his hand.
My entire body throbs with desire, and my breath catches.
Miller smirks and yanks one of my legs away from the other, spreading me open and reminding me that I’m wearing a skirt with no panties.
