I looked down at the book, realizing he thought my offer was to read it out loud to him. “Are you sure me being here isn’t going to get you into more trouble?” I asked.
“Positive.” He patted the bed, encouraging me to lie down.
I spent the next hour reading to Gray, even when I knew he’d fallen asleep. I only stopped when he turned on his side and curled around me. It was too tempting not to lift his shirt and look at his back. The red welts made me cry again, and I knew he heard me because he whispered, “It’s okay,” before cuddling even closer and falling back asleep.
OF COURSE I TALK TO MYSELF. SOMETIMES I NEED EXPERT ADVICE.
The warm palm on my leg brings me back to the present. I look over at Felix and hum something close to a “Huh?” It feels like I’ve missed something in the last several minutes.
“We’ll all help you look for her tomorrow,” Felix promises, wrongfully assuming I was distracted by thoughts of Aisling and her whereabouts.
“Oh.” I nod. “Thanks. I hate to pull you away from what you have going on, but in this case, I feel like it’s worth it. I could really use the help. The station doesn’t seem to think it’s that big of a deal.”
Felix squints a little, making me think he’s now realizing my thoughts were not on Aisling. He opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something, but Remy cuts him off. “We’ve been thinking.”
“We, as in the three of you? That’s never good,” I joke.
“Oh, doll, you know we have the best ideas.” Remy smirks, and it makes me think dirty, dirty things. They do have wonderful ideas, but I can’t let him know I think that. His head is already big enough…both of them.
I give him a droll stare, waiting.
“Since you have a little time off, we should complete the bond,” Remy suggests simply, as if it’s just a little matter that we can get out of the way, no problem.
I choke on the air in my lungs. It’s not like this was completely unexpected, but it still catches me a little off guard. “You have all talked about this?” I’m sure my eyes are as wide as they can get as I pass my gaze over the three of them.
Gray waits for me to lock my eyes on him and nods once. “It’s been a long time coming.” He licks his bottom lip, and there’s something eager, maybe even hungry, in his eyes as he watches me.
I lean forward to give myself a little room, because I’m surrounded by Felix and Remy and that can make any girl’s head swim with ideas, and I need a clear mind for this conversation. “You know there’s no going back once we do it. No changing your mind. It’s for a lifetime,” I warn. We went over all this as kids, but it’s hard to comprehend the magnitude of something so big when you’re so young.
“I think we’ve all pretty much proven that’s true for us anyway.” Felix rubs a circle on my back with his palm. I don’t know why this feels so scary, it’s a dream come true for me.
“Do you not want to complete the bond?” Gray asks while giving me a sideways look that makes me think he’s worried about my answer.
“No, I mean yes, I do. That’s not it. It’s just, I want to make sure we’re all certain,” I reply, stumbling my way through my explanation.
“Then that’s settled. We’ll complete the ritual as soon as we find the lady,” Remy declares.
All I can think to say is, “Aisling, her name is Aisling,” in response, but on the inside, I’m having a little freak-out. When I look up, Gray is still watching me, but my calm exterior doesn’t fool him. He knows exactly what I’m feeling. That, for some strange reason, calms me. At first, I force myself not to overthink it because I’m worried about how he will feel about me having cold feet, but then I realize that’s not it at all. Him knowing what I’m feeling calms me because I’m reminded I can share those concerns with him. Feeling them doesn’t mean I don’t want the bond. It just means it’s a big decision, one that warrants some thought.
Grayson is holding some tension in his shoulders, but it’s only noticeable once he relaxes back into the chair. I know he only gets my emotions, but the wave of calm that washed over me must have soothed him too.
“Now, didn’t I promise to give you a tour of my bedroom?” Remy offers. “I promise that room will feel lived in.”
I snort and the heavy feeling from a few moments ago fades even more. I want this, I want them, now there’s just the small matter of finding a missing woman.
“So, you guys each have your own room?” I question. When we were kids, the thought of having separate space never really came up, but it’s not like we sat around and talked about our living arrangements too often.
“Yes,” Felix states emphatically. I expected that response from Remy, but not so much from Felix.
“He’s a pig,” Gray deadpans.
“Not making my bed the moment I’m out of the sheets does not make me a pig. Maybe it makes you a little neurotic that you do,” Felix retorts.
“He can be a bit obsessive, but don’t you worry your pretty little head. We always knew we’d get you back here.” Remy leans in closer and teases, “Willingly or not. There’s a room we can all share, and I have a feeling Mr. Uptight will find other things to fixate on now instead of the state of the sheets.”
I look over at Gray. His lips are twisted in a way that seems to convey,He’s probably right,and the lack of arguing confirms it for me.
“So where’s this room?” I’ve never been a shy girl, and the offer to sleep between the three of them sounds too damn good to pass up.
