“Yes, you have.”
“But you’ve been just as greedy at times,” Ripley took over. “You’ve slipped in and out of our beds. You’ve kissed us until we were dizzy, and unable to say no…” His lips moved softly now, in almost a whisper, “then pushed us onto our backs, and wrapped those legs around us.”
Colson was behind me now, tucking his stubbled chin into my neck. His kisses were molten. Goosebumps erupted, everywhere his lips touched.
“So are you saying these encounters are purely sexual?” Colson murmured against my skin.
“Purely?” I choked. “I—I…”
“Or maybe you’re guilty of falling for us,” he finished, kissing me some more. “Every bit as we’re guilty of falling for you.”
Falling…
For me.
His words caused a wave of nervous nausea to ripple through me. Of course, this wasn’t the first time I’d put my foot in my mouth. It was one of the first times I didn’t regret it, though.
“Ican’tfall for one of you,” I protested weakly. “It’s just not possible.”
Ripley stared back at me, pretending to be wounded. “And why not?”
His arms and shoulders were peeking above the water now. Curls of steam rose from his skin in shimmering, flame-like waves.
“Lots of different reasons,” I answered, falteringly.
His sculpted shoulders were hypnotizing me. Colson’shands, suddenly on my hips, also weren’t helping.
“Give me one.”
“Well, let’s take our current situation. We could all be dead by tomorrow.”
“We could,” he allowed. “We won’t be, but we could.”
The hands on my hips slid forward and downward, gliding between my thighs. I was rapidly becoming lost in wicked, greedy thoughts. Losing all train of rational thought.
“Whyelsecan’t we fall for you?” asked Theo, closing in. “It’s not like you’re married.”
“I’m still engaged though,” I countered. “Technically, I suppose.”
Colson chuckled against my neck. “Pretty sure your engagement ended the moment you went wheels up at Nantucket.”
I sighed, thumbing back through my Rolodex of memories while dating Donovan. The good ones were few and far between.
“Well before that, actually,” I admitted.
“Good,” he agreed gently. “You’re finally being honest.”
“The main reason I can’t fall for you though,” I went on, “is because there are three of you.”
“Three of us?”
“Yes.”
More silence. More touching. More soft, nuzzled kisses.
“But there’s been three of us the whole time.”
“I know, and maybe that’s what makes the whole thing so safe for me,” I shrugged. The sex part is easy, knowing I can’t actuallyfallfor any of you,” I explained. “Not without making the others jealous.”
