Suddenly, being with the three of them, even for a year, felt overwhelming. “I don’t know anything about you,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
Moving slowly, he cradled my head with one hand, gripping my hair and releasing it like a reflex. “You can ask me anything, Ocean. Any of us. We have nothing to hide from you. I will answer any question you ask.”
“What’s your middle name?” It was on our marriage license, but everything about yesterday was a gorgeous blur.
“Thomas.”
“Micah Thomas Westbrook,” I said.
“Ocean Elise Correa Caldwell,” he said back. “I love your name.”
“Me too.” It was the truth. I’d always loved my name, unconventional as it was.
He groaned, shifting against me. “I should check your back, but I don’t want to move. You feel too good.”
Laughing quietly, I closed my eyes. “If you keep saying things like that I’m going to start believing them.”
“I certainly hope so, princess.” He did move then, rolling us on the couch so I was beneath him, and every hard inch of him was pressed into me. “When we told you we wanted a real marriage, it wasn’t because you were a body we would have at our disposal and therefore convenient. And not because you’re disposable. We chose you, remember?”
“It still doesn’t feel real,” I admitted. “And I don’t understand why.”
“Does it matter? Other than we’re ridiculously attracted to you and wanted you? Because even if your uncle hadn’t said yes to the deal, we would have approached you.”
I swallowed, my hands finding his shoulders. His skin was so warm and him looking down at me… it was a dream come true. Isolde was right. No matter what would happen in the future, I would regret it far more if I didn’t embrace this situation to the fullest. “I’m not used to anyone… not having an ulterior motive.”
“We wanted you. That was and is our motive.”
But only for a year.
The voice in my head stung, even though last night they’d said I could decide when the year was up. Maybe that meant they were open to more? Today wasn’t the time to think about it.
“Now,” he whispered. “Turn over so I can check your bandages before I strip you naked on this couch and start the honeymoon early.”
I laughed and twisted, feeling a little like a caterpillar in a cocoon with the blankets twisted in my legs. But I managed to get to my stomach and enjoyed the weight of Micah’s legs bracketing my hips. And the way his palms skimmed up my ribs beneath my shirt, not at all afraid of the way all my fat was bunched up and rolled because of how I was positioned.
“These look good. No blood through them, which is a good sign. We should still change them later. But now, we need to get up. We have plans.”
“We do?”
“We do.” He got off the couch and helped me to stand as the other two Alphas stirred now that we were speaking at full volume. “Well, we have an idea for plans. If you don’t want to do them, we won’t be upset.”
I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “What did you have in mind?”
“That will require us showing you something,” Cameron said with a yawn. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” I managed. Cameron rumpled with sleep was a good look. The way his hair stuck up made me want to run my fingers through it. “What do you have to show me?”
“Why ruin the surprise, little nymph?” Everett’s arms came around me, hands roaming as his mouth fell to my neck.
Chills ran over my skin. The good kind. They were going to kill me. Fuck a year of marriage. I wasn’t even going to last a week.
He tugged the collar of my shirt to the side and kissed toward my shoulder.
“You said you had to show me something, not that it was a surprise.” My voice was breathier than I wanted. The symptom of his lips on my skin.
“Well, it is a surprise,” Cameron said. “Not for long though. And we didn’t officially ask you,” he looked at Everett for a second. “Touching you? Kissing you? Are you all right with it?”
I nodded. Probably too fast. “I’m not…”