Page 36 of Second Chances with my Billionaire Bosses

“You’re playing with fire, sweetheart.” Arlo’s voice was a growl against my ear. “What’s going on?”

I trailed my hands up his chest and locked them behind his neck.

“What if I want to get burned? What if I’m tired of you three treating me like I’m your little sister?”

Letting out a harsh laugh, he pressed his hips closer to mine and let me feel his hard length pressing into me.

“Does that feel like I have any kind of brotherly feelings about you? We’ve been trying to give you time and space, Max. Did we fuck up?”

I looked into his eyes and decided it was better not to talk. I stood on my tiptoes and stretched up to press my mouth into his. I only had their kisses to go by but I gave him all that I could. I tried to tell him exactly what I wanted with my tongue against his. His hands gripped my hips tight and he growled against my lips.

He wasn’t kissing me back the way I needed. Then he wasn’t kissing me back at all. He tugged me from the dance floor, barked at Shep and Rhett to get our food to go and meet us at the hotel. He dragged me across the parking lot to the hotel we were staying at for the night, his long legs forcing me to all but jog to keep up.

I was confused about what was happening but I held out hope that he was going to throw me down as soon as we got into the room and make me forget everything else but him. That didn’t happen, though, and all the ice came rushing back over me, threatening to freeze everything in me until I shattered.

CHAPTER 26

Maxie

Arlo pushed me down in the stiff lobby chair and sat across from me, his elbows on his knees and his eyes hard as he stared at me.

“Talk to me.”

I crossed my arms and scowled at him.

“This makes twice that I’ve kissed you and you’ve rejected me.”

“I’m not fucking rejecting you, Max. I’m trying to make sense of what’s going on with you. You’ve been shut down even more than usual for the past week and suddenly you’re damn near humping my leg on the dancefloor of some shitty bar?”

I’d wanted heat but I hadn’t expected it in the form of shame.

“If you don’t want me just say it and I’ll go find some other cowboy to take care of me tonight.”

“The fuck you will.” He grabbed my chair and yanked it closer to him, ignoring the dirty look the front desk employee gave him. “That’s what I’m talking about, Maxie. You’re a virgin and you’re dealing with a lot of shit and suddenly you want to get drunk and fuck whoever wants you? I’d be an asshole if I just fucked you without making sure you’re okay first. I’m not just some cowboy who’s going to bend you over and fuck your virginity down the drain. I care about you. Same as Rhett and Shep.”

“Shut up.” I didn’t want to hear that they cared about me. I just needed to feel their heat. What didn’t he get?

“You’re hurting, Maxie. I can’t take advantage of that. I want you more than I want my next breath but you’re not a stopping point on the trip, baby. You’re the fucking destination.”

Tears burned my eyes but I blinked them away, relieved for a moment when Rhett and Shep joined us, bags of dinner in their hands. I looked away from them and took a deep breath. I didn’t want emotion. I wanted to forget.

“Do either of you want to fuck me?”

I wasn’t sure if it was the language or the offer but Shep dropped the food. He sat down on the coffee table next to me and cleared his throat.

“I think I was drugged at the bar because I thought you just asked me if I wanted to fuck you.”

“What happens if we fuck you tonight, sweetheart?” Arlo wasn’t backing down. “You get what you need tonight to forget for a few hours and then you wake up full of shame and disappointment because you still don’t feel better? I would do anything for you. I need you to know that. I would—”

“Anything but fuck me!” I didn’t care that people heard me and were staring. “You would do anything for me but what I need!”

Rhett bent down and grabbed my face, holding me still while he glared at me.

“You are not some stranger to be fucked and forgotten about. We are not going to hurt you by fucking you when it’s not what you really want or need. You’re hurting and you need to feel something other than that pain but it would make us unworthy of you if we fucked you just because we wanted to and you were willing. This is more than sex for us. This is what we want for the rest of our lives, Maxine.”

I flinched like he’d hit me.

“You don’t mean that.”

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