Chapter 28
FINLEY
Today is big. It even feels big. Since I opened my eyes this morning, nerves have churned nonstop. I thought cooking brunch for Jayden and Elijah would quiet the chaos, but the simple routine only spotlights how massive life is right now.
I’ve got a job, friends, two incredible men… and tonight Elijah, Jayden, and I are going to our first real event together. Not just hiking, shopping, or grabbing dinner. After tonight, people will know about us, and the certainty of fallout ties me in knots.
Dragging a breath, I hunt the source of the bitter smell…
“Shit! Shit…” I yank the bacon skillet off the heat. “Get your head together, Finley James.”
“Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness,” Elijah’s voice croons from behind me.
His light, playful tone squeezes my chest.
He’s perched on the counter in only his underwear, a soft smile hushing the noise in my head.
We made it, I remind myself. And if we’ve made it this far, we can go any distance.
“That poor bacon,” he chuckles, peering past me.
“It’s seen better days,” I say, moving the pan to the sink and running cold water over it. “Thank God for the decent extractor.”
Elijah chuckles, crooking his finger at me. “Come here, Beautiful.”
He calls, I go. It’s that simple.
When I stand between his spread legs, he leans in, brushing my hair from my face before pulling me into his chest. There’s a sudden stutter in his pulse when my ear rests over his heart, and as I circle my arms around his waist, it quickens.
“You smell all bacony and smoky,” he says, threading his fingers through my hair.
“Does that mean you don’t want to kiss me?”
He laughs at my grumble. When I lift my face, the tenderness in his eyes arrests me.
“Angel…” He leans in. “I always want to kiss you.”
Oh my God.
I giggle when he smooches me—soft, playful, our noses nuzzling as we laugh.
This is worth all the fallout. It doesn’t matter what happens and what doesn’t, so long as we never lose this.
“Okay, put me to work,” he croons, nipping my lips as he slides off the counter. “How can I help?”
My jaw drops at the faint bite mark around his nipple. Heat rushes my cheeks—last night’s sounds from the bathroom flood back. I’m still torn with myself over watching them and giving them their moment.
It was a hard decision to stay in bed and listen when the mere sight of them kissing sets me on fire.
“Fin?” He dips to catch my eyes. “How can I help?”
“Ahm… I really need you to teach me to drive,” I blurt. “I know it’s been kind of crazy the last few weeks, but I really need to do this.”
“Okay.” His eyes narrow. “Why the sudden urgency?”
Shoot, I don’t want to poop on his happiness with the fact that I never want to run into Ryker again like I did yesterday.
“It’s not sudden. We spoke about it, remember?” Elijah nods.
I lace our fingers and tug him to the fridge. He stacks fruit against his chest as I pull it out.
“Summer is giving me more responsibility with the suppliers, and Ubers are expensive…” At his frown, I add, “I think it’ll be good for me to do this for myself. I can’t always have you and Jayden drive me places.”
“That’s what we’re here for, Fin. To look after you and be what you need.” He dumps the burnt bacon down the disposal.
I grab a jug and the long ice sticks for fresh orange juice, so it chills as it presses. It’s warm for December—warmer than Havenview, anyway.
“I know, and I appreciate it… It’s just that, when you’re not here, I have to rely on myself.” While he cleans up, I wipe the counter and set bowls out as the juicer hums. “Ubers are expensive, and I don’t want to waste all my money on being chauffeured around LA. It’s counterproductive.”
“I got you, Finley,” he says, catching my hand and tugging me closer. “You don’t have to worry about money or any of that stuff. That’s why I gave you my card.”
“I know you got me,” I sigh.
Thing is, when they’re not here, or on game days when they’re home late, I need to know I can get myself where I need to be without constantly looking over my shoulder.
“Good, because what’s mine is yours.” His tone leaves no room for argument. “I want you to work because you enjoy your job. Because you love what you’re doing. Not because of the money.”
“It’s not just the money.” I splay my hands on his chest. “I didn’t leave Havenview to live the same life out here. I want to experience every facet of normal. Like working and driving… independence.” I give him my biggest smile and flutter my lashes.
“No, I can’t look at you when you give me those eyes,” he chuckles, swiping the dish towel off my shoulder and tossing it over his face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Love…” I sing-song, pulling the cloth away. He hums when I comb my fingers through his hair. “These are just my eyes.”
“Sure.” His stare narrows, seeing straight through me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, hugging him hard as I hop up and wrap my legs around his hips.
Good God, I don’t know what I did to deserve him, but I’d do it forever.
“Thank you…? I didn’t mean sure I’ll—” He exhales, smacking my ass in surrender. “Sure, I’ll take you out on our next day off.”
“You’re the best.” I kiss his face everywhere until he’s laughing.
Nose to nose, he levels me with a tender look. “And you don’t play fair, Angel.”
“Neither do you, Love.” I smoosh our lips together.
Before I can pull away, he sucks my lip and squeezes me tight. We’re wrapped around each other, mouths meshed, hands greedy, when Jayden joins, his arms circling us.
“What did I miss?” he asks, squeezing tighter.
“Elijah’s taking me out in the car tomorrow,” I say with a giggle as Eli digs his fingers into my sides.
Jayden barks a laugh. “He drives like an old man, and we’re taking off after lunch…”
“We’re starting slow. Twenty minutes… half-hour at most. And anyway, you drive with a death wish,” Elijah fires back, hitching me higher and tugging Jayden close.
“Let me remind you, Sweetheart—” My insides melt at his endearment for Elijah. “—my driving got us home in one piece last night. No thanks to you.”
Jayden tilts in, ghosting his lips over Elijah’s.
My heart jumps at the sight of them so close. My legs tighten around Elijah’s waist. Hot, greedy need throbbing in my core.
“No idea what you mean,” Elijah chuckles low, a slow, mischievous grin pulling at his lips.
Good God, my ovaries are about to explode with the flirting between the two of them.
“Later,” Jayden murmurs into Elijah’s ear, just loud enough for me. “I’m going to show you exactly what I mean.”
He nestles in deeper, palming my exposed ass, kneading the flesh roughly. It’s heaven—the mix of warmth and coarseness in the affection instantly takes me to that place where my whole body is burning with desire.
The flutter in my stomach climbs to my throat as Jayden licks into Elijah’s mouth. My own mouth waters for them.
Elijah’s fingers curl into my side—an electric spear to the bone. Without thinking, I lean and lick over their meshed lips.
Mmm… There’s never been anything better. Sweeter. Hotter. More frantic than the sudden hunger biting at my insides.
I want them.
I need them.
Before I express it, they peel apart with matching wicked grins. Neither of them says a word as Elijah sets me on the counter I wiped down minutes ago. He looks at Jayden—Jayden looks at him… And good Lord, the anticipation is killing me with every second of their silent exchange.
I hate it.
I love it.
It’s torture.
Plucking a strawberry from the punnet beside me, Elijah asks Jayden, “Hungry, Sunshine?”
“Fucking famished.” Jayden licks his lips, leaning all the way into Elijah as he takes a bite of the strawberry and licks the juice as it drips off our man’s lips.
I want to be that juice… that strawberry… their lips and fingers… the freaking air between them.
Elijah feeds him the rest, spreading juice over JJ’s mouth with his thumb before gripping his nape and kissing him again, licking and humming with the same hunger knotting my belly.
He breaks away with a wet pop. “Thirsty?”
“Parched,” Jayden says, eyeing the orange juice.
I expect him to drink from the jug. Instead, Elijah turns to me, brushing the cold, sweating glass over the swell of my breasts. He inches it over one nipple while Jayden spreads my thighs and lifts the hem of my T-shirt, exposing my white lace underwear.
“Oh fuck,” I yelp with a shiver as ice-cold juice rivulets down my cleavage, over my stomach, pooling between my legs—straight into Jayden’s mouth. He laps the drops from the granite and then my soaked panties. My hands brace wide as the cold liquid and Jayden’s hot mouth scramble my senses.
I’m shaking, lungs tight, heart pounding, while his tongue works me in relentless strokes.
The hot flat of it presses to my covered slit as Elijah keeps pouring.
When only ice remains, he sets the jug down and plucks one of the wands.
A wicked glimmer spreads over his face, pulling his mouth into a crooked grin when he sucks on the thick stick.
I don’t know which way I’m being pulled. There is so much of everything right now that I’m in a state of endless apprehension and shock with every move he makes and every lash of Jayden’s tongue. When his cold mouth lowers to mine, I grip his face with both hands.
There’s no kiss, no bite, no lick as he hovers his gaping lips over mine. He exhales ice into me while tracing the wand down to my breasts.
“Oh shoot… shoot…” I claw his scalp as he rubs the ice over my aching nipples.
“Feel good, Angel?” he teases.
“Please, Eli, please… I can’t… It’s…” He licks into my mouth, swallowing my pleas.
For a second, the fire in my blood evens out. Then Jayden drags his mouth down one thigh, rakes his hands to my ankles, nips up the other thigh, and lifts my feet to his shoulders, opening me, while Elijah strips my T-shirt.
I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. I only know I need. To be touched, fucked, owned. To belong in every sense of the word.