42. Katherine
42
KATHERINE
There's a beat of silence.
“I mean,” I amend quickly, “we all sort of jumped into the deep end.”
King especially.
“How are you feeling? I know sharing a partner is...” I lick my lips, searching for the right word. “Unconventional.”
King gets really still, and my heart drops.
Why does my mind immediately go to a worst-case scenario? I retrace my words... getting along so well... four of us...
“Unconventional isn’t bad,” I say because the silence is brutal. The way he’s staring back and forth between my eyes and my lips, looking confused and uncomfortable, makes me uncomfortable.
“Did—did something happen?” All of a sudden, I feel like I’m back in my grandfather’s office, my nervous system on overload, unable to control my runaway anxiety.
I’ve been over the moon all weekend, prancing around Paris with Alex, and King’s been here. He came back for me, and I left him.
True, he said I didn’t need to babysit him. He never has and never will. The world is his playground, and he wouldn’t be the man I admire so much if he were relying on me for entertainment.
“Well, an elevator tried to hold me captive,” he says finally, lips curving up in a smirk.
What?
That’s it?
I mean, that’s terrifying for him, but that’s... I take a steadying breath and remind myself that heart words are hard for him.
I cup his cheek, making him look down at me. “Do you want to talk about it?”
He gives me that sort of tough guy chin lift as if to say, ‘I can handle it.’ But he shouldn’t have to. Not alone.
“We don’t have to talk about it, but I’m here if you need me.”
“I know. Really, I’m fine. All things considered.” He sighs, giving a slight eye-roll. “Thank goodness for Gabe.”
I laugh softly, dropping my forehead against his shoulder. “Those are four words I never thought I’d hear either of us say.”
“Yeah.”
I look up at him again. “I’m glad he was there for you. Panic attacks are no fun.”
“I’d rather have a root canal.”
“You and me both.” My hands on his shoulders, I give him another little squeeze. “But back to us...”
He ducks his head, blotting out the afternoon light, and slants his lips across mine. Warm, firm, working me steadily into a weak-kneed pile of want.
“I love it when you say that word.”
“What word?” I say against his lips.
“Us.”
My moan is soft and needy, an agreement and a plea.
But he lifts his head and slides his hands to my upper arms, prying me away from him. “We need to talk.”
“We were talking,” I tease.
He gets all stiff and awkward again. “I know, but this is important.”
“I don’t know that I like that sound of that.” I try to give a brave smile, but after all the warm, fluttery feelings from a minute ago, ‘talk’ feels like ice water to the face. Or a bomb.
He tugs me over to the sofa adjacent to the windows. “It’s not bad,” he says but sounds unsure.
No sooner does my ass hit the cushion than I hear voices downstairs. And then footsteps on the lovely curving staircase.
“I’m home! Where are you guys?” Gabe calls.
King’s chin jerks toward the door, and I try to read his expression. I thought after all this time knowing him, I’d seen everything there was to see on his face, but this, with his parted lips and slightly frantic lift of his brows, is new.
“Did Gabe say something I should know about?” I whisper. “Tell me quick.”
He darts a glance at me, curls in on himself a bit, and shakes his head. “Nah. Nothing like that.”
Good, because I’m not so far gone for the tech tycoon that I won’t yeet him into the Hudson if he said or did something to hurt my best friend.
“Up here,” I call.
His footsteps pick up the pace, and I imagine him taking the stairs two at a time. He comes through the door looking like he stepped off the cover of a magazine. Casual but polished.
There’s a soft whimper and whine sound, and ohmygod, I think it’s me. Kingston laughs.
“We did a bit of shopping,” King murmurs. “I might have forgotten to mention that.”
That’s an understatement. “You’re dressing my boyfriends, now?” I shoot him a smile and then meet Gabe halfway across the thick rug.
“Boyfriend?” Gabe demands, pulling me against him.
I didn’t realize that until this moment, I was still a bit out of sorts. Tense and uneasy because I hadn’t seen him in days. Is that what it’d be like? Ill at ease whenever my guys travel? Keeping multiple calendars to know who is where and when?
But with his talented hands clasped around my waist, our thighs brushing, and that look of longing etched across his face, my stomach flips and my heart races and everything in me just feels settled.
“Do you have another title you’d prefer?” I ask, sliding my palms up his chest.
He purses his lips, deciding.
“King. Emperor. Supreme ruler?—”
“Hey now,” Kingston cuts in, and I hear him stalk across the room toward us. “I’m the OG King.”
“There can be only one,” I tease.
Gabe gives a good-natured shrug and glances over my shoulder. I feel something pass between them, but then his attention is on me again.
“We wouldn’t want to subject you to that. Boyfriend will do for now. Welcome home, Princess.”
“I missed you,” I whisper as he ducks his head to kiss me.
“Ditto,” he whispers against my lips.
Pleasure wells up in my chest, making me feel light and like anything’s possible. Even the four of us working out somehow.
I nip his lower lip. He groans and the vibrations reverberate through my hands, down my arms, taking residence in my core. He deepens the kiss, swiping along the seam of my lips with his tongue. Heat sweeps over my shoulders, down my back, calling up a seemingly never-ending need.
But then he lifts his head, bright blue eyes unfocused, lips parted.
Who knew Gabriel Rothburn could look bemused?
I smile because he’s adorable.
“Alex said you were going to be home late.”
“Yeah. I cut out early.” Another glance at King. “But I have to leave again in an hour or so.”
I give him a little pout. “Sad.”
He squeezes my hips and thrusts his chin King’s way. “Well, at least you have this one to keep you company.”
“I kissed Gabe.” King blurts the words like he can’t help himself, the tension releasing from him like an over-inflated balloon that somersaults around the room when you let it go.
Don’t miss the final book in this series: The Billionaires’ Bride.