Catfish nods. “I’ll tell him. Best if the three of you stay inside tonight. At least, until daylight.”
When the door closes and the rumble of their truck fades, I slowly but surely stand and pull both Isla and Kai close. They move to me gently, knowing full well that a misplaced hand to my ribs will be agony.
The atmosphere feels different immediately.
Just the three of us feeling right in a way that amplifies what the two of us had.
“You’re staying here for a few days, Sunbeam,” I say.
She shakes her head. “It might be easier if I?—”
“No,” I say.
“Nope,” Kai says at the same time.
“Fine.”
Kai catches my eye over her head, and I can see how fucking happy the man is that there’s someone else in the house. And that recognition doesn’t leave me feeling deserted like I thought it would.
“You saw the same thing we did,” I tell her. “Some asshole is hanging around here. We’re safer together.”
Isla’s jaw tightens. “I don’t want to be a burden. This is all complicated enough.”
Kai runs a hand down her hair. “What do you mean?”
“I want…well…us…the three of us to…” Her cheeks go pink, as if sayingthe three of uswas too much of an acknowledgement for her to handle. “Well, I don’t want it to seem like there’s an ulterior motive. I don’t want the two of you to think I’m needyor hanging around here because I want on-site protection or a trophy biker.”
“Or two,” I say.
Both Kai and Isla look at me.
“What?” Isla says.
“A trophy biker,or two.”
There’s a slightly stunned moment, and then, Isla covers her mouth before a chuckle escapes.
“Let’s get you upstairs, Bear,” Kai says, offering me his hand. “I want to get you comfortable.”
I know his gesture is well-meaning, and so very Kai that he cares. But being looked after is starting to chafe a little. I struggle to let Kai see me when I’m down, but it feels different letting Isla see this side of me so quickly. “I can manage. I seem to recall Isla ran out barefoot to reach me. Maybe she needs help getting upstairs.”
There’s a moment of hesitation in Kai’s eyes, followed by a silentare you sure?
I nod.Yeah, Wild, I’m sure.
Kai uses the moment to dip his shoulder and hoist Isla over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. All that toffee-colored hair of hers falls over his ass. “In that case, we can carry on this conversation in bed.”
Isla squeals as he squeezes her ass.
She glances up at me, her neck at a funny angle, and I tilt my head so I can see her pretty face properly.
“Need you to tell me honestly if you want to come upstairs with us,” I say. “No pressure. No expectation. There’s a spare bed, if you’d prefer. But I know you’ve had a problem saying no. So be honest.”
“Is that really whatyouwant?” she asks. “Me, in bed with the two of you.”
I nod. “Yeah. I want you where I can hear you breathe when I wake up. And I want to find out if this thing between us feels as good in our bed,underthe covers, as it does everywhere else.”
She drops her head, then taps Kai’s ass. “Then, take me upstairs.”
