“Of course. I’ll be right there after I brush my teeth.”
I feel sorry for Miles, and I wouldn’t blame him if he took my spot next to Callie while I’m getting ready for bed, but when I come out, he’s still in the chair.
Callie’s already lying on her side, so I slide under the covers behind her and wrap my arm around her, resting it on the mattress in front of her. “Is this okay?”
“Mm-hmm.” She shifts, snuggling closer and pulling my arm in against her chest, and though my only concern is making her feel better, my body can’t help but respond to how good she feels, the way she smells, and how right it is having her in my arms.
I summon thoughts about neutral things, and then even things that disgust me, but that doesn’t stop my cock from reacting tothe silky softness of her. I shift my hips backward to put space between us, but she curls into me, keeping me close.
Then she starts giggling. At first, I think she’s crying, and I panic, but no, she’s definitely laughing. “What’s funny?”
It takes her a moment to compose herself in order to speak. The piña coladas are apparently still having an effect on her.
“I should have said yes,” she whispers loudly.
“Yes to what?”
“When you offered to send me dick pics.”
It takes me a second, but then I’m laughing, too.
CHAPTER 36
CALLIE
Iwake up to luxuriously soft bedding and diffuse sunlight. I know that I’m not at my townhouse, but it takes the good part of a minute for me to clear my head enough to remember exactly where I am and why.
When I do, I sit up and look for Max and Miles, but the room is empty. The bathroom door is open, and when I pad over to peer inside, I find that it’s empty, too.
The twins aren’t supposed to leave the room together, and the idea that someone in my family might see them is alarming, but I trust them to be discreet. I’m sure it’s not been easy for one of them to stay cooped up in this room, no matter how nice it is, while the other is out at an event with me.
When I glance back at the bed, a detail about last night comes to the surface. Max was in the bed with me, and I invited him.
I had a little too much to drink last night, but not so much that I don’t remember everything—the good and the bad.
The way Max held me was definitely a good part; it was wonderful falling asleep in his arms. Rick never did that. He’dhold me for about a minute after sex, then turn to face in the other direction, making me hold him if I wanted more physical contact.
Rick only ever cuddled me before and after sex, but Max held me in a way that made me feel supported, like he was there for me, being strong for me when I needed it. He wasgivingsomething to me rather thanwantingsomething from me.
Then I remember feeling Max’s erection last night—wow. There’s another big difference between him and Rick,bigbeing the operative word. If I wasn’t still half drunk when I felt it, I might have been either intimidated by how enormous it felt, or too horny to fall asleep—or both—but, despite his arousal, Max didn’t make a move on me.
Part of me wishes he had, though, of course, what could we have done with Miles in the room? And could I have done anything, when I have feelings for Miles too?
Something bright catches my eye on the nightstand on my side of the bed. There’s a tiny vase of pink and orange flowers that wasn’t there yesterday. Next to it, there’s a fresh iced coffee from the shop downstairs, along with a bottle of water and a small packet of aspirin.
I could nearly cry at the sweet thoughtfulness of this gesture. I don’t know if it was Max or Miles, or both of them, and it doesn’t matter, because I know they’re both such good men.
All this time, I’ve been thinking that men can’t be trusted, but it’s becoming clear that I’ve just picked the wrong men.
Max had my back last night, and Miles has been there for me at other events. Through some kind of dumb luck, it seems I’ve found two new friends. Of course, they appeal to me as muchmore than friends, but with there being two of them, maybe friends is all we can ever be, because I can’t imagine being able to choose one of them over the other.
After a shower, I get ready for the day while sipping on the delicious iced coffee, which was made just the way I like it. The men still aren’t back when I’m done, so I go down to breakfast by myself.
It occurs to me that I might run into Rick, but I’m feeling so much stronger than I was last night. I remind myself that he doesn’t matter to me anymore, and therefore, there’s no reason I should let him bother me.
The past is in the past, and my worries about him marrying Alexis are silly. Odds are very good that they won’t last, and I should actually be more worried about him doing to her what he did to me. Maybe I should figure out a way to warn her about him.
Despite my good spirits, I’m not particularly in the mood for socializing, so my goal is to grab some items from the buffet and disappear back up to the room, but of course, that’s not how things work out.
