Chapter 29
Cole
After, Nico disappears and returns with the bottle of fancy limoncello. Dane turns on the fireplace and grabs several bottles of water from the fridge, a plate of neatly sliced fruits for Lucy. We sit in the bed together and watch her pop bright orange slivers of cantaloupe between her lips.
“When I was a kid, I’d tag along with my mom to go grocery shopping for the lunch that came with it,” Lucy is saying, enjoying her fruit.
Maybe she’s aware of the fact that we’re all hanging on her every word, or maybe not.
“Usually, it was like a six-inch at Subway. But sometimes I’d get lucky, and she’d take me to the Chinese buffet in town.
I think it was called Red Panda Buffet or something like that.
I loved that place—there was a koi pond in the front.
Anyway, most of the time I’d have two bites of sesame chicken, then I’d fill my plate with cantaloupe and go back to the buffet over and over again.
I loved it. Mom never bought it for the house because it was such a pain to cut up, she said it wasn’t worth the expense… ”
Lucy pops another piece in her mouth, then looks up at all of us, a dash of pink appearing over her cheeks. “Sorry,” she says around the bite, before swallowing. “I’m rambling.”
She’s not. But I would listen even if she was.
“I’m in,” I say, capping my bottle of water. My two best friends and the woman I’m falling in love with turn to look at me.
Nico raises an eyebrow, glances at Lucy, and jokes, “Doesn’t look like it, buddy.”
Lucy’s blush deepens. I’m grateful that we’re taking it slow. From what I understand, her first time was with Dane just a few weeks ago. Going from nothing to three people at once feels like a big jump.
Plus, waiting makes it better.
Rolling my eyes at Nico, I say, “I’ve thought about nothing but work for the past thirty years or so.” Since we found the cure for the condition that killed Claire, that is. “Now, I’m thinking about something else. It feels good. So I’m in if you guys are.”
“Cole,” Dane says, his voice with less of an edge now. I like seeing him like this, less hard on others and on himself. “What are you talking about?”
It occurs to me, for the first time, that perhaps they aren’t thinking about this like I am. I let out a quick, frustrated breath. It seems like the most obvious answer, but it’s not like I’m not in the habit of having to explain the things in my head to other people.
“Lucy,” I say, addressing her instead of them.
“I like you as a person. I enjoy having sex with you, all of us together.” She blinks rapidly, that blush compounding and spreading down her neck and to her chest. For some reason, the sight of it makes my cock twitch, like it’s waking up and noticing her again.
I’m not used to this kind of desire interfering with my ability to think straight.
It feels, against all odds, good.
“I liked it, too,” she says, her voice soft. I could tell her that much was obvious, from the way she whined and moaned, from the little noises that bubbled out of her.
“I’d like to spend more time with you. All of us. Having sex but also doing other things. If you’re open to it, I don’t see why we shouldn’t all date you.”
Lucy’s mouth opens, and her eyes widen. A piece of cantaloupe hovers inches from her lips. Nico reaches out and plucks it from her fingers, popping it into his own mouth.
“Fuck, the fruit here is so good,” he says, licking his fingers and reaching for a slice of pineapple. Shrugging, like it’s nothing, he adds, “And I’m in too. I think we could show Lucy a good time, in more ways than one.”
Dane’s voice is dark, “Fine. But she’ll use my card for what she needs.”
“I can’t believe you just…” Lucy brings her hand to her collarbone, rubbing a gentle circle. “Said it. Like that.”
Nico lets out a bark of laughter, “Hey, Lucy, let me introduce you. This is Cole, and he—”
Lucy punches him in the shoulder. Something sparks in my chest, bright and brilliant, like the touch of a torch to a piece of metal. It takes me a moment to recognize it as joy.
Joy. Sitting in this bed with the woman I love. With the men I love, in a different way.
In a strange way, this is what always happens when we come to this island. It’s the process of finding a new pursuit. Except I can admit that I’m usually hesitant to move onto the next thing. But if the next thing is Lucy, I’m ready to leave Ember in the past.
That is, after I perfect the cleaning cases lined with copper-infused metal.
Lucy shifts, swallowing, and my attention easily shifts away from the problem and back to her. I watch the path of her throat as it bobs in her neck and realize that she hasn’t agreed yet. Does that mean she’s not interested?
If Claire were here, not that it would make sense, for her to be here, but if she was, she would know instantly from the look on Lucy’s face what she’s thinking. What she wants. I’ve never been that good at knowing people from their expressions.
Nico and Dane probably knew from the moment I introduced the idea that she would say no.
Obviously, though I’m not that comfortable with navigating social norms, I know that women don’t usually date three men at once.
That society—the people around us, looking in—won’t understand it.
I’ve seen what happens when a woman starts to date a high-profile man.
His fans vilify her. In fact, the whole world often does.
It would not be easy for Lucy to publicly date us. Perhaps I should make it clear that it wouldn’t have to be very public. She’s our assistant, after all. Being seen with us in public wouldn’t have to raise any questions.
Lucy draws her bottom lip between her teeth, and I think she’s considering the social awkwardness. Maybe what her family would say about it.
And then, improbably, she says, “What the hell? Let’s try it.”
Dane’s face opens, softens, and Nico lets out a low whoop, cheering it by taking a long drink of his limoncello. I’m not usually impulsive—though, maybe that’s not true, maybe my trends are changing since meeting this girl. This brand-new variable. Reactive and highly potent.
I lean forward, take her face in my hands, and kiss her deeply. She tastes light and sweet, like melon. Her mouth opens, either in surprise or desire at first, and she leans into the kiss.
When we’re done, both Nico and Dane’s expressions have gone dark.
When Lucy leans back, breathing hard, Dane shifts and pulls her against his chest, dropping his mouth to the crook of her neck, leaving a trail of kisses there, too.
Nico has her leg over his lap and runs his hand up and down her calf.
“Wow,” she breathes, and I’d echo it if I could.
“You like us, huh?” Dane whispers against her neck. She shivers and nods.
“And the sex?” Nico asks, cocking an eyebrow at her and kissing the top of her knee. She shivers again, then laughs, breathy as Dane’s hands snake up over her stomach, brushing aside her tank top and engulfing her chest in his hands.
“Yes,” she pants, her eyes meeting mine, and I ride the spark of desire down, cling to the wanting in her eyes, ready to catch fire again with these three. “The sex, too.”