Chapter 31
JADE
Steam swirls around me as I step out of the shower, my skin flushed and tingling from the hot water.
Droplets trace cool paths down my spine as I wrap myself in a plush towel, the soft fabric clinging to my damp skin.
The scent of jasmine from my body wash lingers in the air, mixing with the steam to create a cocoon of warmth and comfort.
I pad across the plush carpet, toward my closet. A flash of color on my bed catches my eye, stopping me mid-stride.
A crown of flowers.
Delicate white jasmine intertwined with small yellow blossoms, woven into a perfect circle that rests on my duvet. My breath catches in my throat as I approach, the towel clutched tightly around me.
I reach out with trembling fingers, lifting the crown gently. The petals are cool and silky against my skin, and the sweet fragrance fills my nostrils as I bring it closer. The craftsmanship is exquisite. Each flower placed with deliberate care, the stems hidden beneath ribbons of green.
Bali. The crown reminds me of Bali, when I'd spiraled into a panic attack and Mateo had appeared like a guardian angel.
He'd placed a similar crown on my head, a gentle distraction from the terror clawing at my chest. His voice had been so soft, so soothing, as he'd called me "Mi Reina" for the first time.
My queen.
A smile tugs at my lips as I turn the crown in my hands. The gesture is so typically Mateo. Thoughtful, romantic, with just the right touch of playfulness. A silent signal. A promise that what we're building, whatever shape it takes, is real.
I have been thinking about how to navigate this complicated situation with the three of them, and now, with this tangible reminder of Mateo's affection, a surge of courage courses through me.
Tonight I will face all three of them together. No more hiding, no more concealing my feelings. I will stand before them, open and honest about what I want.
All of them.
My skin tingles with anticipation as I move to my closet, the flower crown still in my hand.
I rifle through the hangers, searching for the perfect outfit.
My fingers stop on a slip of black silk that I'd bought on a whim and never had the courage to wear.
The neckline plunges dangerously low, and the hem will barely skim mid-thigh.
Perfect backdrop to the flower crown.
I let the towel drop to the floor and slip the dress over my head, the cool silk sliding over my skin like water. It clings to every curve, leaving little to the imagination. I step in front of the full-length mirror and barely recognize the woman staring back at me.
My copper hair falls in damp waves around my shoulders, framing my face like a fiery halo. My eyes seem brighter, more alive than I've seen them in years. My cheeks are flushed with color.
I apply makeup with a light hand. A sweep of mascara, a touch of blush, a hint of gloss on my lips. I want to look like myself, only... more. Unburdened. Unguarded.
Finally, I place the flower crown atop my head, adjusting it until it sits perfectly. The white blooms stand out starkly against my copper hair.
The woman in the mirror looks transformed. Not the controlled, composed Jade Sinclair the world knows, but someone wilder. Freer.
The real me.
By the time I make my way across the grounds to the pool house, the sun has set, casting the world in shades of indigo and silver.
The grass is cool beneath my bare feet, and a gentle breeze carries the scent of night-blooming jasmine and chlorine from the pool.
My heart hammers against my ribs, not from fear, but from a heady mix of anticipation and certainty.
Warm light spills from the windows of the pool house, casting golden rectangles onto the manicured lawn. I can hear the low murmur of voices inside, the occasional clink of glassware. Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door.
The voices inside fall silent. Footsteps approach, and then the door swings open to reveal Mateo.
"Mi Reina, I was just..." His words die on his lips as he takes me in, his golden eyes widening, then darkening as they travel from the flower crown to the silk dress and back up again. I feel his gaze like a physical touch, warm and electric on my skin.
"Dios mío," he breathes, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. "You're trying to kill us, aren't you?"
Heat blooms in my cheeks, but I meet his gaze and playfully say, "Maybe."
He steps aside to let me in, and I can feel his eyes on me as I move past him. The pool house is warm, filled with the rich aroma of home cooking.
"I have something I want to talk to all of you about," I say, surprised by the steadiness of my voice.
Mateo's hand finds the small of my back, warm through the thin silk of my dress. "The boys are just finishing dinner. Ethan got back moments ago."
His fingers trace small circles against my spine as he guides me toward the kitchen, where Declan and Ethan are engaged in quiet conversation over a half-empty bottle of bourbon. They both look up when we enter, and the conversation dies immediately.
Ethan freezes mid-sentence, his blue eyes widening. Declan's gaze is no less intense.
"Jade," Ethan says, my name sounding like a prayer on his lips. He stands, the movement fluid and purposeful, closing the distance between us. Without hesitation, he cups my face in his large hands and kisses me deeply.
His lips are warm and taste faintly of bourbon.
I can feel the restraint in him, the careful control, even as his tongue teases mine.
He kisses me like he has all the time in the world, like he's memorizing the taste and feel of me.
And he does it right in front of the others, not caring who sees or what they think.
When he pulls back, his eyes are dark, the blue almost swallowed by black.
Before I can catch my breath, Declan is there, turning me into his arms. His kiss is different, hungrier, more insistent.
His large hands span my waist, lifting me slightly so that I have to tilt my head back to meet his mouth.
Where Ethan had been controlled, Declan is demanding, his teeth grazing my lower lip in a gentle bite that sends shivers down my spine.
Then Mateo spins me toward him, playful but no less intense. He kisses me with a smile on his lips, his hands cradling my face as if I am something precious.
I stand there surrounded by them, breathless and dizzy. Three pairs of eyes, blue, black, and gold, all fixed on me with identical expressions of want that make my knees weak and my pulse race.
"I have something to tell you..." Ethan starts to say.
"No, please. Let me go first," I interrupt.
"I know this is... unconventional," I begin, finding my voice through the haze of desire.
"But I've never felt more right about anything.
The four of us...it just makes sense." I look at each of them in turn, seeking understanding, confirmation.
"I don't want to hide anymore. Not from you. Not from this."
My fingers reach up to touch the flower crown, and I smile at Mateo. "Thank you for this, by the way. It's perfect. It gave me courage..."
Mateo frowns, tilting his head slightly. "What do you mean?"
"The crown," I say, gesturing upward. "The flowers. I know it's your way of saying you're okay with... everything. It reminds me of Bali."
The warmth in Mateo's eyes cools, replaced by confusion, then dawning comprehension, then something harder, colder.
"Jade," he says slowly, each word precise, "I didn't give you any flowers."
My smile falters. "But... In Bali, with the flower crown. I thought..."
"It wasn't me." Mateo's voice is tight now, all playfulness gone.
My stomach drops, the floor seeming to tilt beneath me. I look at Declan, who shakes his head, his expression grim. Then at Ethan, whose face has transformed from desire to something cold and dangerous.
"Someone's been in your room," Ethan says, his jaw clenched so tightly I can see the muscle working beneath his skin.
The flower crown suddenly feels burning hot against my scalp, contaminated. I rip it off, letting it fall to the floor with a soft rustle. "How? The security..."
"Mateo," Ethan snaps, instantly in command mode. "The cameras. Now."
Mateo is already moving, pulling out his laptop at the kitchen counter. His fingers fly across the keyboard, the rapid clicking filling the sudden, tense silence. The blue light from the screen casts shadows across his face, highlighting the tightness around his eyes and mouth.
"There," he says, pointing to one of the screens. "Outside your bedroom window, 3:42 PM. Watch."
We all crowd around the laptop, the scent of Ethan's cologne and Declan's soap enveloping me as they press close. The footage shows the garden beneath my window. At first, nothing seems out of place. Then, a shadow moves, just a flicker of darkness that isn't quite natural.
"Zoom in," Ethan orders, his breath warm against my ear.
Mateo enhances the footage. A shadow slips into frame, too fast, too smooth. A figure sliding my bedroom window open like it's nothing.
"How did the alarm not trigger?" Declan growls, his voice vibrating through me from where his chest presses against my back.
Mateo's face is pale with fury. "They had to know the code. And exactly where the sensors were. This is someone who knows how to navigate our security system and our whereabouts. They knew how to get in and the best time to do so."
A chill runs through me that has nothing to do with the air conditioning. I think of the flower crown, so similar to the one in Bali. A memento from a private moment no one else should have known about.
"They've been watching us," I whisper, my voice sounding strange to my own ears. I grip the edge of the counter to steady myself. "For how long?"
Ethan's hand closes on my shoulder, steady and firm. "Doesn't matter. They won't get close to you again."
But his words, meant to reassure, only heighten my fear. Someone has been in my bedroom while I showered. Someone who knows enough about me to recreate a private moment from Bali. Someone who knows the security system thoroughly enough to bypass it.
I look down at my silk dress, suddenly feeling exposed, vulnerable. The confidence from minutes ago vanishes, like it was never there.
"What do we do?" I ask, my voice small.
The three men exchange glances, some silent communication passing between them that excludes me even as it centers on me.
"We move you into the pool house," Ethan says finally. "All of us, together. Easier to protect you if we're all in one place."
Declan nods. "I'll get her things." His voice is low and dangerous, promising violence to whoever had dared enter my space.
"I'll run a full diagnostic on the system," Mateo says, already typing furiously. "Find how they got in, make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Tell Gloria and Sophie not to come here until I tell them to," Ethan tells me.
"Do you think they might be in danger too?"
"That... and also, right now we can't trust anyone. Someone who knows the codes to our security system entered your room."
Their efficiency should be comforting, but all I can think about is the flower crown. A mockery of a tender moment, turned into something sinister. I feel violated in a way that's almost physical, as if unseen hands had touched me while I slept.
Ethan's hand tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Hey. Look at me." His blue eyes are fierce, determined. "We've got you, understand? All of us. Nothing is going to happen to you."
I nod, not trusting myself to speak past the lump in my throat.
"Go with Declan to pack what you need," he continues. "You're not spending another night alone in that house."
An hour later, I sit on the edge of the bed in the pool house's main bedroom, watching as Declan methodically checks the locks on every window. His movements are precise, controlled, but I can see the tension in his shoulders, the barely restrained fury in every line of his body.
Mateo works at a small desk in the corner, surrounded by cables and small devices I don't recognize.
The light from his laptop casts blue shadows across his face, highlighting the determined set of his jaw.
His usual laughter and flirtation are gone, replaced by a focused intensity I've rarely seen in him.
Ethan crouches before me, his eyes level with mine. The lamplight casts half his face in shadow, but I can see the concern etched in the lines around his eyes.
"Try to get some sleep," he says softly. "Tomorrow we'll figure out our next move."
I glance toward the door. "And tonight? Where will you all...?"
His lips curve in a small, sad smile. "Declan will take first watch. Mateo and I will rotate through the night. No one's getting past us."
I catch his hand as he starts to rise. "Stay," I whisper. "All of you. I... I don't want to be alone right now."
Something flares in his eyes. Understanding, desire, protectiveness all mingled together. His thumb traces a gentle path across my knuckles.
"Please," I add, my voice breaking slightly. "I need you. All of you."
Ethan's gaze moves from me to Declan, who has paused in his inspection of the windows, then to Mateo, who has stopped typing. A silent message passes between them, and I hold my breath, waiting.
"We stay together," Ethan says finally, his voice rough. "Tonight and every night until this is over."
Relief floods through me, followed by something deeper, more primal. The danger outside suddenly seems less important than the three men surrounding me, my protectors, my lovers.
As Declan turns off the overhead light, the room fades into soft gold. And even though I'm surrounded by them, my protectors, my lovers, I can't stop wondering...
Who else is watching me?
But then Ethan's hand holds mine. Mateo's warmth settles beside me. Declan's quiet breath anchors me.
And I remember something more powerful than fear: I'm not alone anymore.