Page 82 of Triple Threat

In the end, it hadn’t really mattered either way.

He cleaned us up with washcloths and towels and slipped into the bed beside me, silently hooking an arm around my neck and shoulders and pulling my temple to his lips where he gave it a peck. I sighed, tired, still lazing on a river of bliss from what we’d done.

“C’mere,” he said, and his voice had lost its cold neutrality and I cuddled into his side. I laid my head on his chest and shoulder and hated how swiftly he could fall asleep while I lay awake long into the night remembering.

* * *

When I woke,it was to the lazy sound of the surf and a cool breeze ruffling through the hut and over my body. I pushed myself into a sitting position gritting my teeth slightly at the residual soreness in my ass, but honestly surprised it didn’t hurtmore.

I bit my bottom lip, a shiver of anxiety going up my spine when I realized that Kyle wasn’t with me. I ran my hands through my hair, which was still long, just parted on the side with a glamourous sweep of bangs now, and instead of almost to my waist? It was to the middle of my back, just at the line of my bra.

It felt lighter, and cooler, and I liked the cut, but I was worried now that I’d upset Kyle enough that he’d left me here. Like he’d done in the middle of Indigo City once when we had taken the bus system from the Daughton’s to the Central City Museum on its free day. We’d argued about something stupid and he’d left me there, at the museum, and I’d had to figure out my own way back. It’d taken hours and finally I had to ask a cop for help and when the police had delivered me to the Daughton’s? Oh, Pricilla had beenpissed. I’d been on food restriction for three days. Kyle had gotten his ass beat by Dean.

Truth be told, I’d rather have dealt with the beating from Dean, but they didn’t hit the girls, only the boys. The girls they locked up or just stopped feeding us. Pricilla said it was doing us a favor. We didn’t want to get fat, now did we?

I closed my eyes and shuddered. As I slipped out of bed and wrapped the sheet around me, the tightness in my chest loosened as I spotted Kyle down the beach. He was emerging from the water, and it ran down his perfect chest and tight abs. He was tall and lean, muscles sleek like some dark panther as he marched out of the surf, running his hands through his short dark hair, his obsidian eyes sparking and expression sour as he looked up and down the beach.

There were people today.

Modesty was in full effect – at least for me. Kyle didn’t have anything to worry about. He exuded confidence, and gave no fucks, no matter what.

The more things change, the more they stay the same…I thought to myself and probably not for the first time.

He walked up the beach and up the ramp, pulling me into his arms and kissing me soundly. I made an ‘Mm!’ in surprise and slightly stiffened, caught off guard, his words from the night before drifting back to me…

I love you.

That was the problem, though… wasn’t it? I loved him too. Despite everything… in spite of everything. I never stopped loving him and as much as I wanted to erect an impenetrable tower between myself and Kyle Lachlan to protect myself from any more hurt that loving him would bring? I just couldn’t do it.

“Morning,” he said, dark eyes shuttering and closing down at my stiff startlement. “How did you sleep?” he asked.

I shook my head slightly and said, “Alright, I guess…”

“You okay?” he asked, and I blinked. Had he ever asked me that before? Maybe once or twice when we were kids, but only when I think he knew he had pushed things too far.

“Yeah, no, I’m okay,” I rushed out, but was I? Was I, really?

I love you…

I looked up at him and he traced a thumb along my cheek lightly, drinking me in with his eyes and it was such a Roan thing to do in a lot of ways and Jesus, I was so weak for those little touches and that look in either of my two men’s eyes when they looked at me, I felt myself soften.

A slow smile curved Kyle’s lips, and it was a glimpse past his diamond-hard façade. I smiled back and whispered, “Kiss me, please?”

“You never have to ask me for that,” he whispered and brought his lips down to mine. He gathered me up, his hands on my ass. The sheet was trapped between us, cool saltwater soaking through the scant covering. I laughed against his lips.

“Mm, love that kiss,” he said, sucking in his bottom lip. “Tastes like candy.”

“Mm.” I smiled appreciatively and asked, “So what were your big plans for today?”

“Flight doesn’t leave until this afternoon, thought we might take a walk along the main boulevard in town, look through some of the shops, see if we can’t find that big, ginger mook of a Brit back home a souvenir of some kind.”

I smiled, lighting up a bit at the thought of Roan and bringing him something; honestly more delighted that Kyle had been the one to think of it and not me.

“You must really be good friends… how did you two meet up anyway?” I asked.

Kyle slapped me lightly on the bottom and murmured, “Get dressed,” moving away from me to do the same.

“We were on a joint task force in Afghanistan when his Humvee got blown up. I knew right away that he would be perfect for what I wanted to do, so I faked some medical stuff and worked the system to get where I needed to be to be near him. As soon as he was recovered enough,” he gave a shrug, “I did what I could to help him out the rest of the way and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”

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