Page 48 of Harbor (The Wanderers 3)

“Of course,” Dario agreed.

“Look,” Advic continued. “There was never a question she would soften to us. She has feelings for all of us. She won’t deny that. The problem is she needs to know that no matter what happens between any two or more of us, she will still be permitted to walk out the door the moment she wants to. We can’t keep her. We can’t even ask her to stay. She’ll back off and shut down if we do.”

Darion nodded. “You’re right.” He hated admitting all that, but it was true. He couldn’t picture a single scenario that ended with Maya a permanent part of their lives. Not even if she admitted she cared a great deal for them. Not even if she let them take her places she’d never allowed herself to go. It wouldn’t be enough for her. Like she’d told them, she was a wanderer. Staying in one place wasn’t how she was wired.

Dario drew in a ragged breath. “We have to be careful. Take our time. Watch for signs that we’re pushing too far or too fast. She’s been through hell and come out on the other side, but the damage remains. She has PTSD even if she doesn’t know what that is or might not acknowledge it.”

“Agreed.” Keanu nodded. So did Advic.

“I also think she’ll feel safer if we don’t all come at her at once.” He hated that part. He hated the idea of not being able to share her. It made his chest tighten. But it wasn’t about what he needed. It was about what Maya needed. Too many men surrounding her might trigger a very unwelcome response.

“You’re probably right,” Advic admitted, his shoulders slumping. “As much as I’m loath to admit it.”

“Are we going to regret this?” Keanu asked rhetorically. “I’m picturing a lot of pain in my future after I have a taste of heaven and then let it go.”

Dario met his gaze. “Would you have it any other way?”

Keanu lowered his head. “No.”

Dario clapped his hands together. The decision was made. “I’ll go put lunch together. Keanu, you go check on Maya and get a round of stretching in. Advic, you check on Ana and Rick and see if they need anything. Until Jed and Alan return and we see the four of them off to a safe location, our hands are tied.”

Everyone nodded agreement and they dispersed.

Dario had trained both of the men he worked with. Perhaps in the early years, he’d considered himself more knowledgeable than the men who’d joined him underground, but that was no longer the case. The three of them had different strengths. They’d gotten their hands on medical journals over the years and learned more about a variety of disciplines. Dario was by no means superior to his coworkers unless age and slightly more experience were considered important factors.

Advic had been a med student in rotation at Dario’s hospital when all hell broke loose. Keanu had been in nursing school when Dario approached him to ask if he’d like to go underground with him and Advic. Rush had joined them a few years later and stayed until he joined The Wanderers.

That had been years ago. Their relationship had grown and evolved into one of mutual respect and admiration. They were a team. They saved lives. The fact that Dario had a few years on them was no longer a factor that stuck out in the grand scheme of things.

Nevertheless, he felt the weight of this decision on his shoulders. He knew Advic and Keanu were watching him and taking cues from him. He’d tried hard to keep his distance and let each man develop his own relationship with Maya, and he believed that had happened organically.

In a perfect world, Dario had always secretly envisioned finding a woman who would slide into their lives and become an integral part of a beautiful foursome. But the more he thought about Maya’s needs, the more he realized the abundance of testosterone in one room would probably stress her way the fuck out.

Maya cared about each of them. Dario knew it. There was no room for jealousy. There was no need for it either. They’d all kissed her. They’d all felt her melt under the small gesture. She might be skittish, but she had passion in her waiting to be unleashed under the right circumstances.

Dario thought she was ready for more. He also believed she needed to move forward with one man at a time. And it wasn’t something that could be scheduled. Sex never worked that way. Not good sex. Nope. It needed to happen organically. Whoever happened to be with her at the right time would know, and that man would make sure she got what she needed, no matter how hard it might be to slow the fuck down enough to keep her from panicking.

With a deep breath, he pulled out everything they needed to make sandwiches and set up an assembly line. It wasn’t the first time he’d made lunch for six people. It wouldn’t be the last. Every day brought new circumstances to his clinic, and he’d learned to go with the flow.

He kept one eye on the open doorway to Keanu’s room, listening to the quiet moans that came from exertion, not sex. Maya was a determined woman. That was for sure. He admired that determination and the fact that he knew she would be back on firmly planted feet in no time.

The only problem was that the faster she healed, the sooner she would leave them, and every time he considered what his home would feel like when she left, he grew a little nauseous.

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