Page 53 of Mocha Kisses

“Don’t do that. I’ve never seen you this fucking obsessed with anyone. Not even that girl we shared a few times. It’s like Luna lights your entire world. Sure, you fall fast but not this fucking fast. Second, I know you and Nova found shit. I might not be into all the stuff you guys were before… you know but like-” I’m not explaining this well so I drift off, hoping that Rome can save me from my cluttered thoughts. When my gaze darts to the door again, I understand just how unsettled Luna feels. I’m waiting for her to come back and at the same time hear Nova tell me she decided to leave anyway. The uncertainty makes me feel uneasy.

Rome grunts as he comes to sit across from me on the couch. “Are you asking because you want to know or are you just asking?” I narrow my eyes at him because now he’s just stalling. He huffs, annoyed before leaning back into the cushions, his attention falling to his hands in his lap. “I’ve known Luna for about seven years. Had no idea she was your Luna. You never mentioned her name but I should have known that the one piece of sunshine in this town was the one who left you broken.”

“How could you have known her?”

“I was in town the year before she left, learning about the café from my father—well, stepfather. Taught me everything I know about that bakery and we both know that was Luna’s favorite spot to stop in. Pretty sure she never noticed me but fuck, I noticed her. Kind of hard not to with that bright smile. And dad always talked about her, how she made his day, especially as a kid. Then she just disappeared. I did what I could to find her and then dad died and I just… she was in my head but I didn’t do much else than fantasize. As far as I knew, she didn’t even know I existed.” Rome wears his emotions on his sleeve most of the time, everything making sense now.

He's living an unrequited lover’s dream while trying to figure out the rest of this mess. “Now, the other stuff.” Keeping Rome talking means I have something to focus on and I don’t fall apart.

“There’s not much else I have, Griffin. And the options available to us are pretty much shit. We can try and shut down Paula’s Agency which could be years’ worth of work and we don’t have that time. They aren’t even the ones terrorizing her. They might have been the ones that used to. I called my brother and he… he said he was one of the ones but they aren’t anymore.” Rome’s jaw pulls tight, his eyes flashing with anger at the thought. I’ve never met his brother but I can’t imagine finding out that tidbit was easy. “To be honest, I’m not even sure they are the ones terrorizing her for that loan. I don’t trust the police, not after what Luna’s told us. It might be rash but I’ve closed the café for a little bit. Luna’s safety means more to me than selling pastries to college kids.”

He really does love her and I can’t wait to share the woman who’s had a vice grip on my heart with the two men I know best. “Seems like Nova has this shit handled better than the both of us. I thought he was going to rage when he told her she had an hour. I’ve never heard him so angry before.”

“Because he cares for her. He probably loves her too even if it’s too fast but circumstances pull people together and she’s a light that we all desperately need. I just hope she needs us the same way.”

I throw him a genuine smile. She does. She absolutely does.

Footsteps alert me to Luna’s arrival and I scramble over the back of the couch to get to her. Rome once again pulls me against his chest, holding me there. “Give her a moment to breathe. I have no idea what headspace she’ll be in and your overwhelming love may terrify her.”

“I just-”

“I know but give her a minute to tell us what she needs.”

The door swings open and we hold our breath as Luna steps inside with Nova at her back. Surprisingly, Nova is holding her bag. When the first words out of her mouth are ‘I’m sorry’, I can’t help myself and race toward her, gathering her up in my arms. Her legs wrap around my waist as she clings to me, my head angled up for a kiss. Luna gladly gives in, the softness of her lips taking away the panic from earlier. She’s here. With me.

Rome saddles up against her back, both of us holding her as the tumultuous emotions race around us. “Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. We’re just glad you came back.”

Luna pulls away shortly after, tapping my shoulder to get down. I can tell that our greeting was exactly as Rome said—overwhelming—and that she needs a little bit of space. I take that moment as I leave her by Rome’s side to approach Nova, my hands clasped in front of me. I wonder if he’s angry with me, with us, with how this transpired. If he’s angry that I fell apart because of someone that isn’t him.

He doesn’t speak, just pulls me into his chest and kisses me. It’s fierce and dominant as he claims my mouth, not holding back the way I did with Luna. One of his arms bands around my back, the other slipping down so that his hand grabs my ass, fingers digging in as he presses our hips together. “You will always be mine,” he mutters possessively. “But you are also hers.” He peppers a kiss on my lips. “And his.” A conversation we still need to have.

I twist around to see Rome playfully running his hands through Luna’s hair, staring into those big brown eyes. The whites are rimmed with red as if she’s been crying but they’re brighter than they have been recently. Rome dips his head to hers, nuzzling his nose against hers as she lets out a little giggle. My heart softens and I feel Nova’s interest thicken against my belly. I can’t wait till Luna is ready for a man sandwich.

“Coffee? Bagels?” Rome asks.

Luna nods. “Both, please. I’m-”

Rome shakes his head. “That better not be another sorry. You’re used to running. It’s what has been safe for you for six years. Don’t apologize for that. However, you now have us.” He moves her to the kitchen and we follow. I greedily grab a seat beside her, tugging her stool closer to mine before draping her thighs over one of my legs. Luna throws a playful jab at my arm before wrapping her arms around my waist and leaning her chin on my shoulder. “Luna, and you can say no, would you be amenable to moving in? Not like that. Just… for safety reasons? You really scared us when you took off.”

I can see that Luna thought something entirely different and that she wasn’t about to say no. Still, what she does say isn’t what I expected. “What about Yana?”

I nearly forgot about that bitch. “What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her,” I push out. Rome and Nova maneuver through the kitchen, Nova slicing up several fresh asiago bagels and smothering them with cream cheese while Rome starts a fresh pot of coffee. “There’s three bedrooms here and we can just say that it’s saving you money or whatever.”

“Sure, that works.” Luna’s attention is far off. She’s not really here in this moment even if she is back with us. I can’t wait till all of these shenanigans are over so that I can focus on what truly matters—building the family I’ve always wanted.

Rome places two full mugs on the table, Luna untangling herself from me so that she can sip at the delicacy. Chocolate and cinnamon reach my nose, one of my favorite combinations that Rome makes. Our woman groans as she raises the mug to her lips. I watch, intrigued, not hesitating to lean closer and lick the stray cream that dots the corner of her lips. Someone grunts and we both look across the counter to see heated stares focused our way.

The air feels supercharged, Rome and Nova’s hands pressed against the counter as they lean toward us. It’s like they’re watching their favorite show, muscles straining in their arms and necks. Luna flashes them a shy smile before hiding behind her mug, no doubt remembering Nova fingering her in front of us. She’s not ready for all three of us like that but god, I can’t wait till she is.

For now, I’m just happy that she’s back with us.

I wonder how long it will last.

Luna

Thenexttwodaysare filled with fresh coffee and sweets as Rome dotes on both Griffin and me. I don’t miss the growing tension between them, Griffin leaning into soft touches and Rome’s lingering glances heating me up from the core. They’ve all been incredibly gentle with me between gentle caresses, passionate kisses, and the slow, sensual moments as either Rome or Griffin steals me away to their bedrooms. They’ve kept me occupied, my mind distracted from my plight as I put the finishing touches on Griffin’s manuscript.

And now, the night before Yana shows up, I’m a little ball of anxiety. I’ve spent the last two nights in the middle of Griffin and Nova, neither one of them taking it further than sweet kisses and caresses. I sit up, the bed still warm but empty. My eyes grow accustomed to the darkness as I rest against the headboard, thinking over the last 48 hours.

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