Page 91 of Deviant Obsession

A smile tugs at my lips. "You make it sound so simple."

"Because it is simple. Life doesn't have to fit into anyone’s narrow little box of acceptable behavior." She gestures around our apartment. "Look at everything you've built here. Your grades, your future career plans, the people who care about you. Does any of that seem wrong?"

"No, but...”

"No buts. The only thing wrong here is letting their voices in your head tell you that good sex is somehow evil. That love is only valid if it follows their rules."

"Love?" That was one part I hadn’t managed to say out loud.

"Oh, come on. You think I haven't noticed how your whole face lights up when you talk about them? Any of them?"

Heat creeps up my neck. "It's just...different from anything I expected. Everything I was taught to want."

"Good. Different is exactly what you needed. What you deserve."

The conviction in her voice bolsters my confidence just a little. I start to wonder if she’s been gallivanting around town dressed as an old lady recently.

"So what happens now?"

"Uh, well, I saw the professor today... He has this idea." My pulse quickens just thinking about his proposal. "About how we could make it work. All of us."

Nat's eyes go wide all over again. "All of you? Together?" She practically bounces in her seat. "This is literally the hottest thing I've ever heard. Tell me everything!"

"It's called high protocol. It's like...a formal arrangement. With rules and structure and designated time for everything."

"Everything?" Nat wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

"Yes, everything," I laugh. "Study time would be protected. Rest would be mandatory. No more trying to stretch myself thin between them all."

"That actually sounds...really healthy? Like, way more organized than I expected from a kinky arrangement."

"Maybe it could be…if it actually worked. I have my doubts.”

"Girl." Nat grabs my shoulders, giving me a gentle shake. "You’ve spent your whole life denying yourself everything. Maybe the universe is finally giving you exactly what you need. All at once."

I consider it, remembering how safe I felt in Professor Shaw's arms today. How complete I feel when I'm with Dean or Ethan, or both. The thought of having all three of them, each filling a different need in my soul, still feels too good to be true.

"They'd have to agree first." I remind myself, trying not to get lost in the fantasy.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Nat's grin returns full force. "Go speak to your men. All of them. Better to be honest now than live wondering what could have been."

"You're right." I leap from the couch as determination finally overtakes fear. "I need to do this now. Before I lose my nerve."

"That's my girl." Nat pulls me into a fierce hug before I can grab my jacket off the hook by the door. "Just promise you'll be kind to yourself no matter what happens… And call me the second you leave their place!"

Chapter 33

Dean

The quiet knockjolts me from my sulking, making me nearly spill the beer I've been nursing for the past hour. I drag myself off the couch, figuring it's probably just another delivery guy with Ethan's protein powder or whatever the fuck he orders these days.

But when I yank the door open, my heart stops dead in my chest.

Rhea stands in our hallway like a mirage I can’t quite believe is real, her fingers twisting the ends of her sweater sleeves. She looks nervous, but somehow more beautiful than ever.

My tongue feels too big for my mouth. I try to form words, but nothing comes out. Days of radio silence and now here she is, right in front of me, close enough to touch. Close enough to grab and never let go again.

"Can I come in?" she asks tentatively, raising an eyebrow as she watches me fail to function.

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