She giggles, playing into it. “You really should. It’s a cinematic masterpiece.”
He settles into the seat on her other side while I take the armchair and Tae hits play.
The movie is absolutely terrible. Judging by the frown on Nash’s face, he’s finding it hard to suffer through, which only makes it more hilarious when Delilah and Tae animatedly pretend that it’s the best thing they’ve ever seen. If Delilah’s legs weren’t draped over Nash’s lap, I’m sure he’d be complaining much more.
“Okay!” We’re halfway through when Nash finally can’t stay quiet anymore. “This movie is ridiculous! He’s chasing after her in a snowstorm wearing shorts! That’s unrealistic. I don’t understand what you guys see in this movie.”
Tae manages to keep a straight face while Delilah fails spectacularly, bursting into a fit of gleeful laughter. “Okay, I have a confession…” Looking guilty, she nibbles on her bottom lip. “It’s not my favorite. And I admit, it’s probably one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.”
“You’re so easy to mess with, Nash.” Tae tosses a pillow at him.
Nash grabs the cushion, cocking his arm in preparation of throwing it back. “Oh yeah?”
Tae knows what’s coming, springing up to grab another pillow. But he’s too slow, stumbling when Nash launches the soft pillow at his face.
“You deserved that.” I chuckle as it whacks him.
Nash wields another cushion while Tae covers his face. “Okay, I surrender!”
“Is this what it’s always like with you guys?” Delilah asks.
“Us winding Nash’s serious ass up all the time?” Tae dares to peer out from behind the cushion. “You betcha, cookie. You better get used to it because, if you haven’t noticed, we all like having you around.”
Her eyes light up as Tae hurls the cushion back at Nash. He misses him by an inch, and it bounces off Delilah’s shoulder.
“Uh-oh.” I grin as Delilah picks up a cushion of her own. “You’re in trouble now.”
She hurls it at Tae, but he jumps out of the way, so it strikes me instead.
“You better buckle up, rainbow,” I warn her. “You’re definitely asking for trouble.”
She dashes behind the sofa for cover, and when her head peeps up, I throw—although at a fraction of my usual force. It narrowly misses her. She darts toward the chair to grab another pillowy weapon, but I catch her first, wrapping my arms around her waist, holding her prisoner.
“There’s nowhere to run now,” I murmur into her ear.
“Maybe I don’t want to run.” Her voice comes out more sultry, changing the playful energy to one of deep lust.
I spin her and tip her face up. Her mouth finds mine, kissing me with less caution than the last time. It feels different, like she’s stopped holding herself back. I thread my hands through her curls, holding her face as her lips part for my tongue, and she lets out a low purr. That sound is everything. My inner alpha jumps to attention, the noise awakening my claiming instincts.
“Delilah.” I grind my erection against her, wanting to rub myself all over her and get lost inside her. “You’re…”
My sentence trails off into her needy mouth, demanding more. With her warm, tiny hands sliding underneath my T-shirt, I completely forget that Tae and Nash are in the room. Fuck, I want to strip her naked, ravish her in front of the open fire, and spend hours exploring every inch of her body, apologizing to every part of her for wasting a whole year.
When Tae clears his throat, she pulls away with a breathy moan. “How about we move to somewhere a little more comfortable?” he suggests.
“We’ve…” Nash keeps his hands in his pockets. “Built a nest.”
“A nest?” Her mouth forms a perfect O. “Here? For me?”
“It’s still a work in progress.” Nash shifts from foot to foot. “But after last time, we all jointly decided that you’re never going to sleep on the sofa or floor again. You need a proper place to rest.”
We’ve spent hours remodeling the largest bedroom upstairs. Nash even knocked through a wall to expand it farther, in hopes of making it perfect. We spared no expense. I’d spend every cent I have if it means making Delilah more comfortable.
“We all helped,” Tae chimes in.
He was in charge of the soft furnishings. He has the best taste out of the three of us and has spent hours folding blankets and plumping cushions to get them exactly right.
“Come on.” I take her hand. “Let us show you.”
