Page 54 of Obsessions of the Heart

I froze, not knowing what to say to that. While it ignited something inside of me, something that had always been there, but I never let out, the logical side came knocking. It wasn't what he’d said that was alarming, but how he’d said it. The tone he used was so void of any care or thought. It was a demanding declaration of ownership that would make any normal girl run in the other direction, but this was Ravi.

My Ravi.

Shaking off those weird thoughts, I reminded myself that just this morning I said I was going to stop over analyzing things. Shoving all those worries aside, I was able to focus on what we’d just done. I definitely got fucked by Ravi in a dressing room, and I secretly wanted to do it again.

“Rav?”

His breathing became steadier even though his body stiffened. “Yes, Rin?”

My eyes snagged on the thin string coming out of his pant pocket. "I was trying those on. We definably need to pay for those."

He ripped off the tag, stuffing them deeper into his pants with a smile. "I'll pay for them. Problem fixed."

Biting my lip, I held in my smile at the situation. “I think we need to get out of here before they call the cops.” I looked down at the shredded green fabric around my feet. “And we definitely need to pay for that dress.”

His lips caressed the small of my back, and his arms squeezed tighter before releasing me. I could hear the rustle of his pants and went to grab my skirt. Feeling the mess we’d made dripping between my thighs, I was a little mad at myself for not having underwear. Would it be really terrible if I used that ripped up dress to wipe myself?

As if sensing my debate, Ravi’s hand traveled down my body with a set of napkins, and I jerked in surprise. He glanced at me through the mirror and kissed my naked shoulder. “I got you, my love. You won’t ever need anything when you're with me.”

My eyes fell into his everchanging hazel ones, hypnotized by them, while he cleaned up the mess. It was so sensual that I accidentally clamped my thighs around his hand, and he gave me an evil grin. “If only we had more time, I would ravage this body, but alas, we have more to do. Pretzels, remember?!”

Breathing through my nose, I nodded. He tucked the napkins into his pocket, scooped up all of the clothes around us, and disappeared, but not before he kissed my cheek and whispered how beautiful I was.

It took my brain a second to catch up with everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. While it seemed like my fantasies were coming true, I also found some things concerning. Why were they okay sharing me? I mean, I was definitely okay with being shared, but in the long run, would that work? Was I setting myself up for future heartbreak by going along with this?

I could logically chalk it up to us being in college and experimenting, that was why I’d gotten the birth control implant in my arm before I left, but I was getting the feeling it was much deeper for Rion and Ravi. The way they looked at me, touched me, it didn’t seem like a passing fling. Their eyes tracked my movements, my body, making me feel both cherished and captive. It was an odd mix, and I didn’t know if I was just making things up in my head or if there was any basis to it.

The only way I would find out was to stay with them and peel back the layers of the Ambros brothers to find out who they really were. While we had known each other since we were young, and I trusted them, we had grown up differently and might not see things the same way.

Putting on my skirt and sweatshirt, I kept going back and forth until I told myself to let it go for now. The first step was to spend more time with them, and I wanted to. While all three of them called to this carnal desire I didn't know I had, there was also a soul connection. It happened the second I saw them get out of the truck that rainy night.

Looking in the mirror for a last check to make sure I looked okay, and not like I’d just gotten fucked, I left the dressing room and found Ravi at the counter, already stuffing several bags with clothes. I was about to yell at him when I noticed he was on the phone.

“I don't have much time to talk, but I think they know something. I don't know if it was a test or an actual job, but they tried something today. I think we should go on the offensive.”

I couldn't hear who was on the other line, but it sounded serious. “No. It wasn't a full-out run on her. Do you think it was him? I thought you had him handled?” Ravi ran a hair through his hair with a huff. “If we’re going to deal with both, it will become a much bigger problem.” He gripped the phone hard, clenching his jaw. “I refuse to say he was right. In fact, with what just happened for me, I would say he is a hundred percent wrong. We just need to be more alert, stronger. We need to show force and do it soon.”

Trying to connect the dots in my head, I couldn't shake the feeling he was talking about me, saying I was causing a problem. I just didn't know what kind of problem. He shoved the phone in his pocket and turned to the cashier who was almost done. I knew I needed to do something, so I exclaimed, “Ravi!” Stomping up to the counter, I eyed all the clothes. What the hell is he thinking?

He scooped them up, thanked the cashier, and directed me to the exit. “I couldn't very well let them have all the clothes in that room back.” I opened my mouth to tell him to return everything, but he gave me a wide-eyed puppy dog face. “They are now representations of our lovemaking, so I had to purchase them for you. Plus, you need more clothes anyway. The five outfits you rotate are not enough.”

My hands fiddled with the hem of my skirt. I hadn’t realized that he’d noticed all that. Did that mean the others had too? Looking at the floor, I mumbled, “Was it that noticeable?”

Ravi stopped, turned me, and put his forehead on mine as he cupped my cheek. “I'm sure maybe a few people had noticed, but I figured it out much, much earlier because when I'm with you, all I can see is you. All I think about is you. Nothing else matters.”

Sometimes, Ravi had this gift for making my heart stop and open up just so he could fill it with his happiness. He made me feel cherished through even the smallest of details. Examining the bags with a new set of eyes, I realized that this was his way of helping me save face as well as being loyal to me. Tipping up my head, I placed my lips right against his and said, “Then I guess I need to thank you instead of scolding you.”

He dropped all the bags, clutching me close as his face went red and his breathing mimicked running a mile at full speed. “I don't care which emotion I get from you, be it the carrot or the stick. As long as your attention is on me, I am completely fine with it.”

My body trembled at his words, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as a smile cracked along my face. My hand reached out to twirl his hair around my finger. “You know that sounds a little crazy, right?”

He leaned in, his whole body plastered to mine, and his arms circled around me, clutching me like he was making sure I couldn’t disappear on him. His eyes focused on my lips. “I think you can handle it.”

His kiss started off gentle, teasing, getting me to open up bit by bit, then his tongue swiped across mine, causing my body to heat up. My arms lifted on their own, pulling him to me just as much as he was pulling me. As soon as I gave just as much as I got, the kiss took a turn, becoming more explorative, greedier.

While he was keeping my mouth busy, his arms circled my thighs and lifted me, pulling my legs around him. His kiss deepened, intoxicating and overwhelming. I knew we were in public, but that awareness faded with his whole attention on me.

At that moment, I knew I was in trouble. Something was off about how fast and deep I was falling, but I shoved the knowledge into the back of my mind. I was finding it hard to care because deep down, I was just as problematic.

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