“Well, if we take out everybody who ever hurt us…” I trail off when I hear footsteps coming our way.
They stop outside this training room, and then the door opens and River peers inside.
I grin widely. “Hey, River! I was just telling Carly and Samantha about your dick.”
“Don’t make them jealous,” River deadpans. He nods to Carly and Samantha. “Hey. Pandora still torturing the two of you?”
I pout at him. “I have never tortured anyone in my life.”
Laughter comes from behind River. Blaze and Asch both step into the room with him.
“Believed no one ever,” Asch says. Like River, he’s dressed in workout gear, and he’s mussed. I wonder if they were sparring.
I wish I could’ve seen it.
Even Blaze is dolled up for the gym. Or is that “dolled down”? Either way, his blond hair is sticking to his forehead from sweat. It’s good to know he has to work for his abs like the rest of us.
The three of them look amazing together. I can think of a few things we could all do, sweaty as we already are…
Blaze walks over to me and squats down, then reaches out for one of my pigtails and tugs. “Are these for easy pulling?”
Samantha tenses as Blaze gets close to her, and she edges back so she’s not within easy reach of him. Never mind that he’d never touch her—he’d have me to answer to if he even tried—but since his family is responsible for her abduction, she has reason to be afraid.
“They’re for easy something, all right,” Asch says, but he keeps his distance. Of the three of them, he’s the most conscientious of Samantha, the most aware of the way she flinches and pulls away from the world.
I wonder if they could be friends.
My stomach roils at the thought of Asch getting close to anyone else.
“Hi, Blaze,” Carly greets. “If you guys need Pandora, we’re done sparring for today.”
Blaze gives her his beautiful, charming smile. “Only if you’re sure. We wouldn’t want to pull Pandora away from her friends.” He tugs on my pigtail again.
I push my foot against his knee. “You couldn’t pull me away if you tried, Blabe.”
Blaze groans. “Stop calling me that. Nobody thinks it’s funny.”
I don’t know; I think combiningBlazeandbabeis hilarious.
“See? I keep telling you her sense of humor isn’t funny,” Asch says. “You’re the one who encourages her.”
I glance over to River, who’s suppressing a laugh. “River thinks it’s funny! I should rename Blaze in my phone, actually.”
“You could also rename me,” River suggests.
It must really grate on him that he’sCry Me Ain my phone, but if he stops being a crybaby, I’ll change it.
“The more you tell her that, the more likely it is that she’ll leave you that way. Or make it worse,” Asch tells him.
Carly huffs. “Okay, if you’re going to flirt, that’s really our cue to leave. Samantha, do you want to join me in the caf?”
“Yeah, I’m out of here,” Samantha says, getting up. She skirts around Blaze to grab her bag. “Thanks for the session, Pandora. I really do appreciate it.”
Wow. She actually sounds sincere.
River steps aside so the two of them can leave.
That leaves me alone in the training room with three big, strong men. I extend my arm toward Asch. “Come here, boyfriend, and give me a kiss.”
