Page 32 of Room Ten: Praise Times Three

11

LETI

Oh my god, what am I doing? I just kissed him, or he kissed me—either way, we definitely made out and then…

My whole body is a tingly mess. I feel things I’ve only felt while reading a steamy romance in bed with my bedroom door locked. And when Reese said I should do the same thing with Soren and Caiden… oh my god. Could I do something like that? Could I be with three different men at different times? Do they do this kind of stuff at the same time?

Yes, I suppose they do.

Back to wondering how that would work.

I hide in the bedroom for a while. Long enough for Caiden and Soren to come home, and then for Soren to come knocking at my door. “Leti? Can I come in?”

I pull my knees into my chest. “Yes.”

He walks in with two shopping bags and closes the door behind him. “Are you okay?”

“Did he tell you?”

“I didn’t wait to hear the story. Instead, I came to show you what I bought.” He dumps the contents of the bags on the bed. “Shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion—all top brands. I guessed on your size and picked you up a couple of T-shirts, shorts, and—” he blushes “—under garments. Sorry to be presumptuous, but I thought you’d like to wear some clean clothes designed for women.”

I finger through the fabrics, noting the lacy panties. They are feminine, beautiful, and unlike anything I’ve ever worn. I’ve never had a man who cared about undressing me, much less what I was wearing underneath my clothes. Do they expect me to wear this for them? I’m both nervous and excited by the idea. “This is very thoughtful of you.”

“We want to make you as comfortable as possible while you're stuck here with us.” He sits on the edge of the bed and stares at the floor. “Did Reese say something stupid while we were gone?”

“No. He didn’t. But I’m afraid I’m not strong enough to be the kind of woman you want.”

He brings his bright blue eyes up to meet mine. “You are the strongest woman I’ve ever met. Strong and beautiful—a true survivor.”

“I’m socially awkward and alone.” I hang my head, Reese’s words hitting home once again.

Soren lifts my chin. “I’m awkward, and I used to be alone. There’s nothing wrong with that, if that’s what you want. But if you want more…”

He lets the words sit out there unspoken, but doesn’t have to complete the sentence to let me know what he means. I don’t have to be alone. There are three men who want me, even though I have no idea why. We just met. They found me naked, dirty, and damn near catatonic. If I had been rescued and taken home immediately, I would be sitting in my room, alone, breaking into sporadic crying fits and unable to sleep without being heavily medicated.

Instead, I’m safe and warm and feeling things I never thought I’d know as a woman. I’d resigned myself to being an old maid by the time I was thirty. A spinster shunned by society as if we lived during the Victorian era, destined to live in her father’s big house alone while her twin sister traveled the world, falling in love with someone new every six months.

I roll onto my knees and lean forward, bringing my face within inches of Soren’s. “I kissed Reese.”

He nods, but doesn’t make a move toward me.

“And I kind of kissed Caiden last night.”

“I know.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “Reese said I should kiss you, too.”

“Did he now?” He leans forward, brushing his lips over mine. “What do you think about that?”

“I’m not sure what to think.”

“Do you think we would do anything to hurt you?”

“No.” I smile. “I know you wouldn’t.”

“Then what’s there to think about?” Soren surprises me with a forceful kiss, pulling me on top of him as he lays back on the bed. His kiss is just as dominating, just as skilled as Reese’s, and yet being on top of him gives me a sense of power and control I didn’t feel earlier. I place my knees on either side of his hips, moaning as he plunges his tongue inside my mouth. His hands are everywhere, cradling my neck before sliding down my back to cup my ass. He pulls me against him so his erection presses against the softest part of me. And then he does it again, grinding his hips and causing me to moan aloud.

“Oh!” I pant, tingles and butterflies running from the pads of my fingers to the tips of my toes.

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