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She pulls back, studying me. “You’d let me go so easily?”

The laugh that escapes me sounds hollow even to my own ears. “No. It would tear me apart knowing I almost had you and I let you slip through my fingers, but I’m not going to make you do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“You’re a good man, Hudson.” She sounds so certain.

“I don’t know about that.” What kind of guy falls for his best friend’s ex-girlfriend?

She shakes her head fiercely. “You are.” She pauses, wetting her lips in a way that goes straight to my cock. She threads her fingers through mine. “I can’t believe I’m saying this. Okay.”

My heart stutters. “Okay what?”

“You know.”

“Say it, Lily.” I lift our joined hands and press my lips to her knuckles. “Tell me what you want.”

With a soft exhale that carries the weight of surrender, she nods. “I want to date the three of you.”

Suddenly I’m weightless, like I could float right off this deck and into the star-filled sky. I nod, pulling her in for another kiss that tastes like possibility. “Good,” I whisper against her lips.

Here’s hoping we don’t fuck it up, because a woman like Lily is once in a lifetime.

Chapter Thirteen

LILY

The aroma of fresh coffee drifts through the kitchen as I sit at the island, wrapped in Hudson’s oversized flannel I stole from the dryer this morning. The sun streams through the windows, bathing the room in gold, and for the first time in weeks, I’m excited. With all the stress of Mom, the breakup, and my busy schedule, I haven’t had much time to be happy. Dating three guys is certainly a recipe for fun.

My lips still tingle from Hudson’s kisses under the stars, and every time I think about agreeing to date all three of them, butterflies explode in my stomach. Is this how Callie felt with the Williams brothers?

Noises come from the second floor and I sip my coffee, smiling to myself as the guys slowly make their way to the kitchen in various stages of dress. Hudson is wearing low slung joggers and no shirt. Gage is in basketball shorts and a tight shirt, and Cole is in his boxer briefs.

My eyebrows lift.

He smirks at me. “You’re lucky I put these on.” His voice is scratchy from sleep. He reaches for a mug which Hudson promptly snatches and fills with coffee for himself. “Asshole,” Cole mutters.

Gage nudges in front of him to fill his cup.

“You see what I have to deal with?” Cole asks me, shaking his head.

I grin into my morning brew, taking a sip, savoring the bitter and slightly sweet flavor of my favorite roast. I pause and stare at the coffee. When did they buy this? More importantly, how did they know? These three have been paying attention to me more than I realized. My heart warms.

“Sleep well?” Hudson asks, rubbing his hand down his abs.

I try—and fail—not to stare. “Eventually. You?”

He holds my gaze a moment longer than necessary. “No.”

I have a sneaking suspicion what kept him up. When we finally came inside last night, he had a raging hard on. Heat creeps up my neck. I might’ve taken care of it, but I’m still not entirely sure how to handle the dynamics of dating three men. Would the others be upset if I slept with Hudson without us discussing it?

Cole saunters over. His black hair is sticking up at odd angles from sleep. There’s something ridiculously attractive about how rumpled he looks. “Morning, gorgeous.” He plants a quick kiss on my cheek before sitting on top of the counter beside me.

Gage turns on the faucet and grabs the sprayer, squirting Cole. “Bad kitty. Off the counter.”

“Fuck, man!” Cole springs off the granite and glares at his friend who is cackling.

Hudson grins at me. “They’re animals.”

“Tell me about it,” I mutter with an eyeroll.