Page 47 of Break

Nicole yelps and slams her legs shut. “Hey!”

“Open.” I pry her thighs apart with little effort. “Now repeat after us.”

Kerrington climbs onto the bed, positioning himself behind her, and gathers her wet hair in his hand. “I’m yours.”

Nicole’s mouth clamps shut. She looks like she’s about to cry.

“Do I need to spank this pussy again?” My threat makes her nostrils flare.

“I…” She huffs, exasperated. “I’m yours.”

Skating my fingers up and down her thighs, I bring her attention to me. “I’m yours to take care of.”

Tears well in her sparkling hazel eyes. “I’m yours to take care of.”

“I’m yours to protect and love.”

She freezes at Kerrington’s words. Her eyes are still locked onto mine, and I nod, hoping it's enough encouragement. Her chin trembles as her mouth parts open. “I’m… I’m yours to…”

Lacing my hands with hers, I give them asqueeze and keep eye contact. “Keep going. You’re doing great.”

A runaway tear rolls down her cheek. “I’m yours to protect…”

“And?” Kerrington pulls the robe off her shoulders and kisses the side of her neck. “Finish that sentence, Duchess.”

“And yours to love.”

Her voice cracks when she says that, and my fucking heart shatters.

“That’s right, baby. And we’re going to take very good care of you.” Kerrington tips her chin and kisses her softly.

She whimpers against his mouth.

Of all the things I’ve seen and heard so far that’s let me know she’s hurting, this is by far the worst. Our girl has been in torment, and we haven’t been there to stop it or to ease her suffering. That ends today.

“We want more than a week,” I confess. “We want forever.”

Nicole’s thighs start closing, but I block her with my body. “Don’t shut us out again, Nicole.”

Another tear escapes and runs down her face.

“I can’t stay,” she says. “I have to go back in six days.”

“Back to what? Misery?” Kerrington slips her robe off. “Hell? A life that is someone else’s instead of your own?”

“Stay with us,” I beg on my knees. “Be withus, Nicole.”

A guttural noise rips from her throat, and she cries harder. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.” I lean up and kiss her sweet mouth. “You absolutely can.”

“We love you,” Kerrington confesses for us both. “We have for a very, very long time.”

She gasps, shaking her head as if we’ve said something that can’t be unheard.

There’s no amount of refusal that will knock it out of her memory now. I hope our revelation burns into her soul.

“We’ve suffered without you,” I say, pressing kisses to her cheeks and the tip of her nose. “We aren’t the same without you.”

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