Page 82 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two
“And?”
Blowing out a sigh, I say, “And so do I. I’ll be out in a minute.”
After changing, I join the others by the hot tub. The night has cooled off, but it’s still comfortable out.
Oliver is already in the hot tub, and his face lights up when he sees me. His smile quickly fades, though.
“This is a bad idea.” I pull Wren away from the stairs that lead down into the water. “You’re pushing yourself too hard.”
“I’m not,” she insists, and just as I’m about to argue, she presses a finger to my lips. “Last night was a mistake. I shouldn’t’ve gone down to the pool by myself. But this is different. I have all three of you here with me. And you saw me in the pool. I think I did pretty good.”
I look to Elliot for help, but he gives none. “You literally agreed with me two minutes ago that she needs a break.”
“We all do,” Elliot says, gesturing to the hot tub. “This sounds like a great one.”
“But—”
“If it’s too much, we’ll get out of the water and do something else,” Wren says.
“And we’ll be right here with her if she needs us,” Oliver adds.
Wren tugs me closer. “Please? I want you all to relax before bed.”
Relaxing sounds like such a far-off concept that I almost laugh. There’s no possible way I’ll be able to shut my brain off. But Wren is already pulling me toward the hot tub.
Elliot gets in first, hovering on the steps and holding out his hand for her. When Wren gets to the edge, she hesitates for a second before grabbing onto Elliot and dipping her toes in.
I keep a firm grip on her other arm as we slowly take the first step, and then the next.
“This isn’t too bad,” she says. To her credit, her voice is only a little high pitched.
“Almost there, princess,” Oliver says. He’s watching her proudly from the middle of the hot tub. “You’re doing great.”
Wren stays steady as we make it all the way in. Oliver wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her lightly. I still haven’t let go of her, and neither has Elliot, so she’s nestled between the three of us.
“How are you feeling?” I can’t take my eyes off her. Not only because she looks stunning in her light purple bikini, but also because I’m terrified for her. Just because I’m willing to push myself to my limits doesn’t mean I want her to do the same.
Turning, she beams up at me. “I feel good. Safe.”
“Good enough to sit?” Oliver asks.
“Um…” She eyes the bench warily. Sitting will bring the water level up to her chest. Her hair is up so it won’t get wet, but it’s still closer to water than she normally lets her face get.
“You can sit on my lap,” I suggest.
“And Oliver and I will stay close,” Elliot says.
“Then yes.”
We all stay close as we move to the edge. Once I’m seated on the bench, I pull Wren onto my lap, and Oliver and Elliot settle on either side of us. My arms encircle her, keeping her tightly and safely against me. With a happy sigh, Wren leans her head against my shoulder.
I drop a kiss to the top of her head, her hair tickling my nose. “Still okay?”
“Still okay. More than okay. This is nice.”
However much I don’t want to admit it, she’s right. The combination of the night air, the hot water, and being with these three is actually helping me to relax. I forget sometimes—too often—how much their presence can calm me.
For the next half hour, our conversation stays light. I keep waiting for my body to rebel against having Wren so close to me for so long, but it never happens. Instead, her skin against mine and my arms wrapped around her only serves to help me feel more grounded. More supported.
