Page 34 of The Devil's Daughter

“Fuck,hermano, you’vegotto show it to me.”

“Later,” I say, distracted as I plow ahead. “There’s something I need to ask you guys first. Elle’s willing to let me, um,catch up?”

I feel like an idiot now—like I’m back in school and I’m the one getting tutored in math by her instead of my brother. It always made me wish I wasn’t almost as good at all that shit as she was.

Ben sees right through me, and grins wickedly. “Hell yes.”

“Alone,” I add.

Drake crosses his arms and frowns. “Okay. It’s her call, I guess, and you weren’t here Monday night.”

I spear him with a direct look. “She wants you both to watch.”

I hear a loudclang, followed by Ben cursing as he drops the weight plate he was loading onto the barbell, narrowly missing his foot.

Drake’s demeanor shifts so completely it’s like he’s another person. His eyes go dark and his entire body tightens. A vein throbs in his neck, and I keep my eyes fixed on his face because I’m nearly certain he just popped wood.

He licks his lips, then slowly nods. “I didn’t tell her this, but there are cameras built into the flatscreens in each bedroom. They’ve only ever been used for business… but I admit, I got them hoping…” He clears his throat and smiles slightly. “Well, hoping forthis, even thoughthisis beyond my wildest dreams. Just turn it on, hit the menu button, and you can pick my camera from the list. We’ll see each other’s rooms. I hope you’re okay with a two-way view.”

“Not particularly interested, but I have a feeling she will be. And you two are okay with not being in the room? I feel like if we’re doing this, we should start making rules or something. I don’t need either of you getting territorial about it.”

Ben comes over to stand beside Drake and reaches out, grabbing my shoulder and squeezing. “Brother, she’s giving you a gift. Just take it and enjoy it. After we’re square, the four of us can sit down and figure out what to make of it all. Because yeah, we still have a job to do, so rules are going to be required. Compromise is going to have to happen. But for the moment… while we’re secure, I don’t see any reason not to fucking take advantage of it.”

17

Elle

It takesBaz so long to return, I start to believe he’s backing out. It isn’t like him to leave me hanging, so I decide to do a bit of yoga to burn off some nervous energy. I put my hair in a ponytail and I’m just digging out leggings and a sports bra when the knock comes.

“Come in!” I call, and Baz enters.

“You put your hair up,” he says, frowning. “I like it down.”

I tug at the end of my hair draped over my shoulder. “I can take it down. I just got antsy waiting for you. I was going to work out a little.” I wave my sports bra at him.

He chuckles. “Yeah, that’s going around.”

“So… you want my hair down?” I ask.

His nod is distracted as he closes the distance, his gaze fixed on my face, on my mouth. “Yeah. But let me.”

He stands close enough that his body heat radiates through my clothes. He reaches up to the back of my head and grabs hold of the band securing my hair. The force makes me tilt my head back as he slides the elastic down to remove it, but I keep my gaze fixed on his face. He’s not giving me a lecture or excuses, which must mean he talked to Drake and Ben and still decided to come to me. But I need to hear him say it.

“Baz… tell me what they said.”

His eyes are fixed on my throat, and before I can straighten to look at him, he dips his head, pressing lips to my pulse point and kissing his way up to my jaw. My heart flutters, my body lighting on fire at the squeeze of his hands around my hips.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” he murmurs against my ear. “This is what you wanted.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and lean back a little so I can look into his eyes. They’re dark with need, and he pulls me in tighter until I can feel how much that need has consumed him.

“I want all of you. I said I’m not leaving them out. I won’t choose.”

“I know, baby. Just let me have this moment to myself.”

His mouth descends on mine, and I give in, just as starved for it as he is. It’s insane how good it feels, how new, even though I spent the night with Ben and Drake and had my share of passionate kisses, among all the other things we did. Kissing Baz feels just as good, just as intense, but new all the same. His desperation bleeds through, his hunger so potent I’m dizzy by the time he releases my mouth.

“You have no idea how fucking long I’ve waited to do that,” he says. “But I need to make sure you understand that if we start this, it means something. It’s not a game to any of us, no matter howuniquethe arrangement is.”

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