Page 15 of When We Breathe
We ride an elevator up to the third floor, and Gabe pulls my back against his front as he leans on the wall. He wraps his arms around my chest and plants his lips in my hair, and I close my eyes, soaking in his warmth. This man is incredibly physically affectionate. Always touching me, hugging me.
It’s freaking blissful.
I open my eyes when the door dings, and find Adam looking at both of us, his face sober, gray eyes wide.
I offer him a smile, and those eyes soften, making the knot in my stomach loosen just a little.
“Come on, Princess.” Adam takes my hand and leads us down the hall, opens a door, and we walk into agorgeouscondo with views of the lake that take my breath away. The entire place looks like something out ofRich People Magazine.
If there were such a thing.
“Holy shit. Did you rent this?”
“I bought it,” Adam says as he walks straight into the kitchen and opens the fridge. “Excellent. Cassie dropped off our lunch.”
“I’ll grab the cooler.” Gabe marches down the hallway, then reappears carrying a red cooler big enough foranything we might need to take with us. The guys start to fill it up.
This condo is ten times the size of my apartment.
What am I even doing here?
When I was a kid, there was a TV show that would instruct me to choose which one of the items didn’t fit in with the others.
It’s me.I’m the oddball here.
But I’m the oddballeverywhere, so why should this be any different?
“Question,” I say, holding up a finger.
“Ask anything,” Gabe says with a grin.
“Who’s Cassie?”
Both men stop what they’re doing, and Gabe surprises me by pulling me into a hug.
“I mean, I know it’s none of my?—”
“She’s the chef,” Adam says, kissing the back of my head. “That’s all, Princess.”
I feel silly. It really isn’t any of my business. As long as they’re not fucking her with me in the room, I don’t have any claim on these men.
“I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Hey.” Gabe cups my face, and his brows pinch together. “You ask anything you want, Shorty. We’re getting to know each other. Be nosy. For the record, I’ll lay it out for you. Adam and I are together. Always will be. There is no woman in our lives except for you.”
I wrinkle my nose, then bury my face in his chest, embarrassed that I asked in the first place.
“Do you like cheese?” Adam asks, and Ichuckle as I nod. “Good. We have lots of cheese here. Christ, does Cassie think we’re mice?”
I glance up into Gabe’s eyes and feel better.
“Okay?” he asks, brushing my hair behind my ear.
“Yeah. Okay. Do you need help with this?”
“We’ve got it,” Adam says. “Go get yourself ready for the boat, Princess.”
Shorty and Princess.I never thought I really liked nicknames.
