I let the towel drop to the floor and slip the dress over my head, the cool silk sliding over my skin like water. It clings to every curve, leaving little to the imagination. I step in front of the full-length mirror and barely recognize the woman staring back at me.
My copper hair falls in damp waves around my shoulders, framing my face like a fiery halo. My eyes seem brighter, more alive than I've seen them in years. My cheeks are flushed with color.
I apply makeup with a light hand. A sweep of mascara, a touch of blush, a hint of gloss on my lips. I want to look like myself, only... more. Unburdened. Unguarded.
Finally, I place the flower crown atop my head, adjusting it until it sits perfectly. The white blooms stand out starkly against my copper hair.
The woman in the mirror looks transformed. Not the controlled, composed Jade Sinclair the world knows, but someone wilder. Freer.
The real me.
By the time I make my way across the grounds to the pool house, the sun has set, casting the world in shades of indigo and silver. The grass is cool beneath my bare feet, and a gentle breeze carries the scent of night-blooming jasmine and chlorine from the pool. My heart hammers against myribs, not from fear, but from a heady mix of anticipation and certainty.
Warm light spills from the windows of the pool house, casting golden rectangles onto the manicured lawn. I can hear the low murmur of voices inside, the occasional clink of glassware. Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door.
The voices inside fall silent. Footsteps approach, and then the door swings open to reveal Mateo.
"Mi Reina, I was just..." His words die on his lips as he takes me in, his golden eyes widening, then darkening as they travel from the flower crown to the silk dress and back up again. I feel his gaze like a physical touch, warm and electric on my skin.
"Dios mío," he breathes, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. "You're trying to kill us, aren't you?"
Heat blooms in my cheeks, but I meet his gaze and playfully say, "Maybe."
He steps aside to let me in, and I can feel his eyes on me as I move past him. The pool house is warm, filled with the rich aroma of home cooking.
"I have something I want to talk to all of you about," I say, surprised by the steadiness of my voice.
Mateo's hand finds the small of my back, warm through the thin silk of my dress. "The boys are just finishing dinner.Ethan got back moments ago."
His fingers trace small circles against my spine as he guides me toward the kitchen, where Declan and Ethan are engaged in quiet conversation over a half-empty bottle of bourbon. They both look up when we enter, and the conversation dies immediately.
Ethan freezes mid-sentence, his blue eyes widening. Declan's gaze is no less intense.
"Jade," Ethan says, my name sounding like a prayer on his lips. He stands, the movement fluid and purposeful, closing the distance between us. Without hesitation, he cups my face in his large hands and kisses me deeply.
His lips are warm and taste faintly of bourbon. I can feel the restraint in him, the careful control, even as his tongue teases mine. He kisses me like he has all the time in the world, like he's memorizing the taste and feel of me. And he does it right in front of the others, not caring who sees or what they think.
When he pulls back, his eyes are dark, the blue almost swallowed by black.
Before I can catch my breath, Declan is there, turning me into his arms. His kiss is different, hungrier, more insistent. His large hands span my waist, lifting me slightly so that I have to tilt my head back to meet his mouth. Where Ethan had been controlled, Declan is demanding, his teeth grazing my lower lip in a gentle bite that sends shivers down my spine.
Then Mateo spins me toward him, playful but no less intense. He kisses me with a smile on his lips, his hands cradling my face as if I am something precious.
I stand there surrounded by them, breathless and dizzy. Three pairs of eyes, blue, black, and gold, all fixed on me with identical expressions of want that make my knees weak and my pulse race.
"I have something to tell you..." Ethan starts to say.
"No, please. Let me go first," I interrupt. "I know this is... unconventional," I begin, finding my voice through the haze of desire. "But I've never felt more right about anything. The four of us...it just makes sense." I look at each of them in turn, seeking understanding, confirmation. "I don't want to hide anymore. Not from you. Not from this."
My fingers reach up to touch the flower crown, and I smile at Mateo. "Thank you for this, by the way. It's perfect. It gave me courage..."
Mateo frowns, tilting his head slightly. "What do you mean?"
"The crown," I say, gesturing upward. "The flowers. I know it's your way of saying you're okay with... everything. It reminds me of Bali."
The warmth in Mateo's eyes cools, replaced by confusion, then dawning comprehension, then something harder,colder.
"Jade," he says slowly, each word precise, "I didn't give you any flowers."
