Roommates Box Set #4-6

24. Sierra

24

SIERRA

When I emerged, the guys were still sitting around the coffee table. Carter was just wearing jeans, since I still had his shirt. Drew was fully dressed, and Tristan had his jeans on but not his shirt.

They didn’t even notice me at first. Instead, they were intent on their discussion. Which, surprise, surprise, was about me.

“Bad idea all around,” Tristan was saying.

“Why?” Carter demanded. “Why can’t a group of adults go on a date and have a fun evening together?”

“Because she wasn’t ready for that,” Tristan said.

“She looked ready to me.”

Tristan was angry. “This is a huge deal for a woman. It’s not something she should decide on a whim.”

I stepped over to them. “Oh good, now there’s a committee of men discussing my sexuality. Remind me again what country we’re in?”

Drew looked stricken. “We’re just worried about you.”

“Then talk to me, not each other.”

“She has a point,” Carter said.

Tristan reached out and touched my arm. “We’re so sorry for the way tonight turned out. We feel awful.”

Carter snorted. “Will you stop speaking for the group? That works when you’re sourcing bamboo flooring, but not for something like this.”

“Can it,” Tristan said. “You’re the last person who would understand what she’s going through.”

“I understand that you’re not her dad. You’re not her keeper—and she doesn’t need either to tell her what to do with her own body,” Carter said as I stared at him.

There was something very unsettling about a world in which he made sense and Tristan was being irrational.

“I’m not trying to tell you what to do with your body,” Tristan said to me.

“Me either,” Drew said. “But I’m really sorry that we upset you.”

This was getting exasperating. “The only thing that upset me was when you found out I’m a virgin and decided I needed to be sequestered in my room.”

Tristan took a deep breath. Ordinarily, the sight of his sculpted pecs rising and falling would’ve been a turn-on, but right now, that was the farthest thing from my mind. “You’re right. I apologize for that. We were just trying to protect you.”

“If I thought I needed protecting, I would’ve been the one to retreat to my room.”

“We’re sorry,” Drew said again. “And we… we talked it over, and…” He looked to Tristan for help.

“We decided that if at some point you decide you want to be with one of us for your first time, then the other two of us promise we won’t get our feelings hurt.”

“Fine. I choose Carter.”

Tristan looked as if he’d swallowed a hornet. “What?”

“You heard her,” Carter said. He didn’t leer at me or anything like that. In fact, he looked as pissed with Tristan as I was.

“You can’t do that,” Tristan said.

“So that whole thing you just said about it being my choice was just bull?”

“No, I—” He put his head in his hands. “Fuck.”

Drew had the grace to look ashamed. “This whole night was a mistake. Let’s just go back to the way things were.”

“What, with her skulking around here like a timid little mouse?” Carter said. “Let her move past that, man.”

“We came up here to work. All of us,” Drew said. “Let’s just get back to that. There’s no need for anything else.”

“Except the fact that we’re all adults, and if we feel a connection with another adult, why the hell shouldn’t we explore it?” He turned his dark eyes on me, his smirk nowhere in evidence. “If you want me for your first time, you won’t regret it.”

“I believe that,” I said slowly. “But that’s not what I want.”

Tristan and Drew looked visibly relieved.

I took a deep breath. “I want all of you.”

Stunned silence greeted that. Then Tristan spoke up. “You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, she does.” This time, it was Drew who spoke against him. “She’s an adult who knows her own mind.” He looked up at me. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize that sooner.”

I reached down and he squeezed my hand. “Thank you.”

Tristan looked tired. “I was just trying to look out for you,” he said.

“Which is helpful when the roof caves in or if I meet a coked-up bear in the woods. But not for this.”

He nodded.

“So, let’s try again sometime,” I suggested, looking to Carter for support. He nodded and gestured with his hand to say I should continue. “This time, without all the bells and whistles. No fancy clothes. No centerpieces. Just the four of us being honest with ourselves about who we are and what we want. Okay?”

“Okay,” they murmured.

Carter winked. “Keep the shirt. It looks good on you.”

Suddenly, the fire drained out of me. It had been an exhausting day. I’d spent so long anxiously getting ready for this evening. Then the date itself had had some real highs—like dinner, and me actually being able to speak my mind to a roomful of men— but there had been some real lows, too. Like the reason I’d had to speak my mind to them.

I was so tired that it took me twice as long as it should have to remove my makeup and get ready for bed. But when I was finally ready, I didn’t want to take off Carter’s button-down.

And when I inevitably woke up at two, I trudged blearily to the bathroom and then the kitchen. I didn’t even realize Drew was awake until he spoke. “I’m sorry.”

I made my way over to the sofa. He was sitting up, staring at the fireplace even though it had long gone out.

“It’s like we all got dressed up and lost our damn minds,” he continued. “Except you.”

I wasn’t too sure about that last part. Agreeing to strip poker because I wanted to show off my bluffing skills and see some gorgeous men’s bodies in the process hadn’t been my finest moment. But I’d puzzle that one over later.

Instead, I told Drew something truthful. “Do you know the only time I’ve ever been comfortable sleeping on my side was when you were spooning me?”

He looked up, surprised at the subject change. “Really?”

“Yes. Want to try it again?”

He nodded, and I held out my hand, leading him into the bedroom that used to be his and was now mine.

I fell asleep with his arms around me.