Page 36 of Karma

Grim remains by the table and Scorpio sits on the edge of the bed, half the room between them, but I ignore all that and focus on the positive. They slept in the same bed. That’s gotta mean they reached some sort of friendship. And once the smell of coffee rising from my portable espresso maker fills the room, it almost feels like things are starting to turn for the better after a very long winter that swallowed up the whole spring and most of the summer too.

The coffee maker yields about two sips of coffee for each of us, and then we have to wait for it to cool before I can make more. But that’s fine, I’ll get another one. Then this won’t be an issue.

“So how does this work exactly?” Scorpio asks.

He’s standing by the table now, holding the little cup of coffee, and I have no doubt what he’s referring to. The desire in his eyes is different that Grim’s. More like a warm caress than an urgent, intense scratch. But the two complement each other in ways that make my head spin whenever I focus on it.

“It works however we want it to work,” Grim answers. “Generally, the less talking the better.”

Scorpio is looking at him like he thinks Grim doesn’t want it to work at all. But I don’t think that’s it at all. He’s just not great at using words to communicate.

“I want it to work,” I announce. “And I like talking.”

Scorpio grins at me. It’s one of those soft smiles of his that I hadn’t noticed before giving myself to him and now I can’t stop wanting more.

“All right, I guess we don’t gotta talk much to figure things out.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder, leans me back and kisses me in a way that makes my cabin tattoo pulse with life and brings pictures of endless love to the forefront of my mind.

I lose myself in the kiss, the way I always do in his kisses, at once transported to that simple pleasure of the lakeside, but with my feet firmly planted on the scratchy rug covering this hotel room floor.

I feel Grim walk up to us, searing heat coming off him in waves. There’s no telling what he’ll do when his aura pulses like this. I’ve seen it turn to murder. And to the best sex of my life. I hope the latter is coming. But I dare not look into his eyes and find out.

Scorpio doesn’t have that problem. He stops the kiss, leaving me breathless, and locks eyes with Grim. “Too much too fast?”

Grim grunts something that’s probably a yes.

“Hey, I wanted to talk about it, remember? You’re the one who said no.”

“I didn’t say no,” Grim says and pulls me from Scorpio’s arms into his. Then he kisses me like his life depended on it and I don’t know if it’s the tension in the air, the difference from this hard, deep kiss to the one I was sharing with Scorpio or just the exhilaration of having two hot guys fighting over me because they both want me, but I feel like I’m floating and I don’t ever want to come down.

Scorpio starts moving away though, his arm slipping out of my grasp. I want to pull him back, but it’s Grim’s fist on his shirt that saves me from having to. And then Grim’s lips are no longeron me, and his attention is no longer all mine either. He pulls Scorpio all the way back into our circle and kisses him.

And my heart does a full-on cartwheel in my chest. Painful at first, before I remember it’s joy. I haven’t felt it for so long I’d forgotten what it felt like. But I’ll never forget again. Not now.

I figured they’d try to kill each other before we got to this point. But they didn’t. And we’re here. That’s gotta mean even better things are coming.

“All right, all right,” Scorpio says once I’m the one being kissed by Grim. “I need some food before we start figuring out who gets to fuck who.”

Grim gives him a look that speaks volumes about whohewants to fuck. This is moving fast. But Scorpio’s eyes turn dangerous as he shakes his head. Right before he smiles one of his lazy smiles, which I’m sure are a large chunk of why Grim took to him so fast. He does like them cocky. And hard to get.

“Come on, let’s get dressed and have some lunch,” Scorpio says. “I know a great taco place downtown.”

Grim and I share a look.

“Maybe it’s better if we just stick to places around here,” I say. “Because of all the cameras and cops downtown, I mean.”

Scorpio mutters, “Fugitives,” like it’s a curse word, but then he’s smiling again.

“Just wear something pretty and it’ll be fine,” he says, slapping my butt. “You can ride with me like last time.”

My face heats up and I dare not look at Grim. But I can feel him glaring at me and I’m sure I’ll have to explain to him why I let Scorpio take me for a ride, when I’ve been refusing rides from him for years.

“OK, fine,” I say.

He chuckles then leaves the room, informing us he needs a shower. The only pretty thing I have to wear is a skirt I haven’t worn in years. I hope it’s still buried somewhere under all therest of my stuff. A new beginning requires shedding the old. And I am very ready to do that. I hope Grim is with me.

And his kiss as soon as the door shuts behind Scorpio sure tells me he is. But hearing it in words will probably have to wait.

17

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