Page 42 of A Night of Indulgence and Sloth
Aiden flicks a light switch, illuminating the space until I can see that the room opens up further into a masculine kitchenwith dark cabinets and appliances and a pop of white in the backsplash. The living room has the same theme with dark gray sectionals, a black rug, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the city.
“Wow.” I step closer to the windows, staring out at the skyline lit up beneath the darkness of night. It feels like freedom being so high up and far away from everyone. Like I can finally breathe again.
“Beautiful,” Kaleb whispers, but when I turn to him, he isn’t looking beyond the glass. He’s staring at me. I feel a blush creep up my face, but I don’t shy away from his gaze.
“Can we get you anything?” Aiden asks. I consider asking him for something strong, something that might help smother the overactive parts of my brain that are constantly worrying about everything and nothing all at once. But I already had enough to drink at the party and ask for water instead.
As Aiden strolls to the kitchen, Kaleb takes my arm. “You didn’t really get a full tour last time you were here. Would you like one now?”
I nod, following him down a hall past the kitchen and living room. There’s a bathroom to my right, another small closet on the other side of the hall, and three doors at the end.
Vague memories spark as we head toward the room on the right, and as Kaleb flicks on the light, the images turn crystal clear. Here is where he soothed me after the gala.
What I didn’t notice then was the second door on the opposite side of the room. The one that connects to the bedroom on the other side of the hall. Aiden’s room.
Kaleb lets me peek inside, though without Aiden here, it feels almost like an invasion of privacy. The layout is the same, but where Kaleb’s room looks lived in, Aiden’s is pristine. The heady scent of his cologne tickles my nose as we walk back toward thehall, and in my mind, I’m transported back to the kiss we shared at that little bed-and-breakfast all those weeks ago.
Shit. I have to get my feelings together. They only invited me here for a drink. Thinking anything else might happen would only cause problems.Or disappointment.
As we make our way back to the kitchen, Aiden hands me a glass of water with four pieces of ice inside, more like icicles than cubes. His fingers graze mine as I take the glass, and I absentmindedly thank him while trying to ignore the spark of heat zipping its way to my core from his touch.
Kaleb beckons me over to the couch. Soft music plays in the background from speakers I can’t see, and they’ve kept the lights off, so the view from outside is our only source. I don’t particularly mind it though, as it means my blushes will be hidden.
“Aiden and I have been talking,” Kaleb starts as I sit down beside him. Aiden sits on my other side, slightly turned inward on the chaise part of the sectional.
“Oh?” My voice comes out too breathy, so I bring the glass to my mouth and hope they didn’t notice. The moment the ice cold water passes my lips, Aiden speaks.
“We want you.” His dark, sensual voice does wonderful things to my body, but his words make me choke on my drink.
Both of them are silent as I splutter, though they each reach out to rub my back while I cough. This can’t be what I think it is, right?
Aiden takes the glass from me, setting it on the coffee table in front of us before returning to my side. I avert my gaze, and after a steadying breath, I peer up into his eyes and see the truth of his words.
When I look over to Kaleb, he gives me a bright and buoyant smile, calming the raging storm battering against my mind, but still I can’t get the words out. The lustful, carefree woman insideof me, the one that itches to get out every single day since Club Rapture, screams at me.Say yes, Lil. Say. Yes. But how do I know they won’t harm me?
I push them both away, not letting either of them decide for me as I assess Aiden and Kaleb’s faces, replaying every moment we’ve shared together. I know I could say no and leave, and neither of them would stop me. But saying no means losing what I had with both of them, and that thought hurts too much.
With images of the confident woman who walked out of Club Rapture clear in my mind, I open my mouth and let one word slip out.
“Yes.”
Aiden
Her answer replays in my mind like my favorite song, reverberating through my limbs until I’m wired with the need to act. Kaleb and I don’t say a word. It’s like we’re both holding our breath, waiting to see if she’ll change her mind, but as the moments pass and she doesn’t, I know I need to confirm she means yes to both of us.
He and I had already discussed the possibility that she’d choose. If she wanted to explore a relationship with only one of us, physical or otherwise, we’d accept it. Neither of us would stand in the way because we understand. We both shared a deep connection with Liliana, one that transcended all else, and though it would be hard to stand by and watch my best friend claim the woman I cared for, I would do it, just as he would.
I place my hand on her knee, circling my fingers on her soft skin. “I need you to be explicitly clear, Liliana. Are you saying yes to us both?”
Before she can answer, Kaleb reaches out to put his hand on her other knee, mimicking my actions. “We want to shareyou, physically and more than that, if you’re interested. But we’ll understand if that’s not something you want.”
Liliana bites her lip, inviting me in with her delectable fucking mouth and making my anxiety skyrocket as she continues not saying a word. She sucks in a deep breath, holding it for one beat and then another before she replies.
“Both.”
It’s only one simple word, but it changes everything. Had she given another word in its place, things would have gone differently. But now that she’s agreeing to this with the two of us, my muscles go weak as all tension drains from my body.
She unclasps her hands, letting them fall on top of ours without looking at us. With her lower lip clamped between her teeth, she focuses solely on the skyline.
