"Where the hell did you even get this thing? No." Jamie stops himself. "How the hell did you get it in here?"
Ellis laughs quietly and breaks free from my hold. He leaps with a cheeky grin I can't help but smile at. Reclining on the bed, El sasses, "He paid some people very nicely."
"Is that code for a blowjob?" Jamie wonders, his lips twitching with good humor.
Grumbling, I shove the sexy man away. Jamie laughs and punches me in the arm. Rubbing the spot that doesn't even hurt, I look around the room again. "Seriously, though. Is it too much?"
Jamie lifts an eyebrow and crosses his arms. "Are you wondering if the extra huge bed is too much or the fact that you busted a fucking wall down, combined two rooms, enlarged the closet, bought a second dresser,andredecorated?"
Working my jaw, I catalogue all the things I've changed in here. "Look, I started this before everything went to shit. The hope and...feelingsare still strong so I thought I'd finish it."
"No wonder this house is dusty as fuck all the time," Jamie states and wrinkles his nose.
Ellis lifts his arms over his head, exposing a few inches of his creamy waist. Jamie zones in on his lickable skin too while Ellis is none the wiser. As we ogle him and battle the desire to break in the new mattress, El starts talking.
"The dust is me. Nate had the wall down the day Violet left for her trip. Said he wanted you guys here all the time, and we had to start making plans to make it happen. It was mapped out long before that, so executing it was easy."
The lust in the room dissipates with each word Ellis shares. Jamie's no longer looking at him either. Instead his eyes are onme, studying my features and trying to look beyond the rugged man on the outside.
"You still finished it..." he whispers, sounding a bit like he's trying to understand my deepest secrets.
"I told you," I murmur and sigh. "I have hope that this will work. If I didn't finish, it would have been like admitting defeat. There's no way in hell I'm waving the white flag on us, Jamie."
Jamie's chest rises with a deep inhale, making my pulse skyrocket again.What is he thinking?His stare is so fucking intense, and I swear the tension in his body rises.
Like the crack of a whip, Jamie's tight form releases and snaps toward me. With determination in his gaze, Jamie grabs me by my throat and pins me in place with his crystal gaze.
"You mean it?" he growls, his hair falling forward to create a barrier between us and the world. "You better fucking mean it or I swear to?—"
I cut him off by grabbing the front of his shirt and closing the gap between our faces. "I mean it, Murphy. Don't get your wires crossed. I love you. I love Violet. We mean it."
"Good," he snaps.
His mouth descends on mine in a punishing kiss that makes me stumble back an inch. The need to battle for dominance rises, but as quickly as it comes, a feminine gasp yanks my focus.
"Oh my god! Iloveit!" Violet yells.
In a blur of blonde and purple, she sprints through the room and launches herself onto the bed beside Ellis. My partner doesn't waste a fucking second. With one arm, he snatches her around the hips and scoots her under his strong body. She giggles and evades his kisses, but eventually moans into his embrace and wicked tongue.
"Off!" she huffs and wiggles. Giggles burst from her when he doesn't move, so she gives up and just turns her head to look atme and Jamie. He's since released my neck but there are only millimeters separating us.
"Hi, baby," I coo, giving her a wink. "Happy you like the bed."
She nods and runs her hand over the sheets. "It's big enough for some of us to sleep and the other two to eat waffles at the foot of the bed."
Jamie snorts and extracts himself from me. Placing his hands on the mattress, he bends forward and kisses her mouth with a sweetness that makes me smile. Then on his way back up, he takes Ellis by the jaw and kisses him gently too.
"Always on about waffles..." Jamie mutters with a grin.
Violet returns the cheeky look and makes the request I knew was coming. "Breakfast for dinner?"
Jamie snorts and stands up to his full height. I laugh too and seat myself on the edge of the bed. "Sure," I say and take a moment to appreciate the position V and El are still in. "What do you think about the rest of the room though?"
Ellis releases her, and I think we all hold our breath as she climbs onto her knees and looks around. The more she realizes has changed, the wider her eyes get. Her full lips even part on a soft gasp when she noticed the extra dresser.
"We want you to know, both of you," I add and glance at Jamie, "that there's no pressure. There's still trust Ellis and I need to earn, and plenty of relationship building that should happen before you guys move in. If you ever want to, though, we want you here. Be it next week you forgive us or a year from now when you'll happily wake up in our arms every day, it doesn't matter. But the invitation is there, baby," I end with a whisper that sounds a little like a plea.
There's more for me to say, so I clear my throat and continue. "I just told Jamie, and I'll tell you too." I swallow when she blinks at me with her big, expressive eyes. There was a time not too long ago that her eyes looked dull and lifeless. I'll forevercherish her feelings and vulnerability. "I love you. Move in with us, please, whenever you are ready."
