Page 96 of Caruso
“Is this guy still breathing?”
Giorgio’s tone is ominous, and I nod. “Of course, he is no threat to us. What do we care how he gets his kicks?It’s obvious he’s not a threat and Taylor is done with him.”
Giorgio nods, settling back in his chair, and I throw in, “She decided to leave.”
The air stills as my brothers digest thenews.
“But she didn’t.” Matteo asks, his tone fierce.
“No.” I sip the wine. “We came to an understanding.”
“Which is?”
Matteo’s voice is smooth, but I sense the tension in it and the fierce energy gleaming in his eyes. He’s more protective than I am, and I completely understand it now. He was the first one of us to fall, and rather than worry about it, I’m happy for Taylor that she now has three demons watching over her.
“She will stay and give this a try, but under her conditions.”
“Which are?”
Giorgio’s voice is edgy. He is most volatile when uncertainty creeps in, and I add quickly, “That she can leave at any time if she decides this isn’t for her.”
“Of course.” Giorgio chuckles softly. “She’llneverleave because I will make it my mission in life to make that woman the happiest one alive.”
“We must consider how this will work.”
Matteo is ever practical, and yet I agree. Fighting with my brothers over a woman is unfamiliar territory for all of us and must be carefully controlled.
“I get her nights.” Matteo stakes his claim.
“All of them?” Giorgio’s fist connects with the table, and I heave asigh.
“That’s not practical.”
Matteo hisses, “I found her. I stated the rules from the beginning.”
“You are giving her reason to leave, Matteo, remember, Taylor must be comfortable with the situation, and fighting among ourselves is a surefire way of showing her the door.”
He leans back, obviously pissed that I speak the truth.
“What then?” Giorgio growls, and I shrug.
“We have no rules. Taylor decides. She must be free to make her own choices. It won’t work otherwise.”
Silence falls as my brothers adjust to the situation. They will accept I’m right because drawing up a rota to share one woman would never work, and they both know it.
Chapter Forty-Five
Taylor
As soon as Tommaso left, I finished my shower and dried off quickly, pulling on his t-shirt and slicking back my hair. The guys are here, and if he’s to be believed, they are worried about me, and pleasure curls around my heart as I realize how lucky I am to have found them.
Everything has now changed, and I wonder what will happen next. Could this really work? Living, sleeping and loving three men at once. It’s a lot to process, and yet I’m eager to get to them. How I’ve changed from the virgin running through life from one disaster to another, straight into three pairs of arms who provided a solution to everything.
Three very different men who offer me something that makes up a delicious whole. Matteo is loving, protective and attentive. I bend toward him as I would to the sun on a blistering hot day. Craving the warmth, the heatand the comfort it gives, loving how it drifts through my entire body, warming every part of me.
Then there’s Giorgio. Unpredictable, funny and deranged. The madness within me, encouraging me to take risks and live life on the edge. He would slay a dragon for me and enjoy dissecting it for my pleasure. He is my warrior, a protective knight who would stand in front of a runaway train to keep me safe.
Then there’s Tommaso. The keeper of my fear. The man who makes me face them with a heart full of courage, slaying my demons and dragging them out from every dark recess in my mind. He makes me braver, bolder and fearless. I can face anything with him beside me, making me stronger, fearless in a more controlled way than Giorgio. He is the strength I need to see this through, and with him beside me, I cannot fail.
