Page 185 of Ruthless Legacy

He sighs. “We need to know how you feel about him.”

“I just told you.”

“How youreallyfeel, Pet. Do you like him as much as you like us?”

“What are you really asking me here? Why do my non-feelings for Pax suddenly matter?” My eyes bounce from Finn to Holden. “Awe, you guys. Is he too scared to ask me himself? On the companion scale, I could have done worse. I give him two gold stars.”

Finn shrugs. “It’s about more than rating him as a companion. This has to do with the rest of our lives and who we spend our time with. None of us want to marry the people we’re matched with or who we’re going to be matched with. We want to choose our own wives. Knowing how you feel about Pax helps us decide.”

“Okay. I agree you should be able to choose who you want. I wouldn’t be in a hurry to marry Eloise either, but Pax and I aren’t in the same boat as you. This is just a temporary thing, so my opinion of him won’t matter. Unless I’m really supposed to be grading him or giving him pointers on how to improve. I have lots of those. Where is Pax anyway? Picking his victim, I mean wife?”

I smile. “Is that what this is? Do you need pointers on how to get Eloise to give you a bad rating so you can pick again? Number Three, I am happy to help you in your quest.” I lean against a tree. “Do you already have a candidate in mind?”

“We do.”

“Lay it on me. Who is it?”

He and Holden stare at me. The intensity of their gazes set off somersaults in my stomach, and tingles down my spine. They take a step forward; need coils through me.

We haven’t had a group session since the last picnic, but I’ve thought about it. Pretty much constantly, since the day of the tattoo conversation. I’ve been too busy to throw the offer out there.

“Thea?”

Finn’s voice cuts through my daydream. “Hmm.”

“Are you picturing us naked when we’re trying to have a serious conversation?”

Yup. I shake my head. “No.”Down, bitch.Focus. They’re talking about wanting new bride choices. Now is not the time to be fantasizing about the three of them stretching me out on the coffee table like a living sushi platter, while Deacon directs us on what to do.

I drag my mind from the filthy vignette playing in my head. “Right, so the bachelorettes. Who are they?”

“It’s not a they. There’s only one person. For all of us.”

“To share?” A pit forms in my stomach. So I’ve been their test run to see if they could really deal with fucking the same woman, repeatedly? This decision is premature, since I haven’t gotten the triple whammy experience yet.

“What are you thinking?” Holden asks.

I put my don’t give a fuck mask in place. “Nothing. Tell me about her.”

I cringe inside, listening to Finn tick off her attributes. “She’s smart, funny. Driven. Gorgeous as fuck.”

I said I’d help. So I’m gonna help. “Okay, but Eloise and Paisley fit that description and that’s not enough for you, right? So this girl needs to have a thick skin and a strong will to deal with the three of you and the archaic ideologies the legacy families live by.”

I chuckle, “And she’ll need to be a tad psycho to match the unhinged energy of your little group.”

Finn nods and smiles, “Anything else, Pet?”

“Sure. She needs to embrace the kink. If she doesn’t have those qualities, don’t waste your time on,” I finger quote, “wooing her.”

Holden says, “We couldn’t agree more.”

“Okay, so you have your wish list. The next question is, does she even like the three of you?”

“That’s what we’re waiting to find out.” Holden slides his belt through the loops on his jeans and slips it around my neck, using it to pull me forward. “Do you like all three of us, Thea?”

“Sure. I like you now. I didn’t before.”

“Didn’t you?” He asks, tightening the belt.

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