Page 16 of Moonflower

“Something I should’ve done years ago,” he murmurs, leaning in.

When Wilder’s lips meet mine, I melt. Like, actually melt. My knees give out, but he keeps me pinned to the bookshelf so I don’t sink to the floor. As his mouth takes mine in a hard, demanding kiss, my thoughts turn fuzzy. He feels good. So, so good.

I break our hands apart so I can grab onto his jacket. He groans into my mouth, rolling his hips into the softness of my stomach. And then he’s fisting the hair at the base of my neck and forcing his tongue into my mouth.

Holy shit. I’ve kissed plenty of guys in my life. But never have I been kissed with such ferocity, such desperation. Such raw need. It sends chills skating across my skin in the most delicious way. My god, I never want him to stop.

But then I tense up as I remember we’re not alone.

Ezra.

I pull away, shaking my head. For a painful second, my gaze locks with Ezra’s. He doesn’t look hurt or jealous. No, he’s smiling. I don’t understand why, but before I can ask, my vision blurs as tears fill my eyes.

“Moonflower,” Wilder says, so gently it causes my tears to spill over. He brushes them away tenderly, kissing my cheeks as he does.

“I can’t do this.” I push at him, but he doesn’t budge. “Wilder, let me go.”

“Why?” His lips skim my jaw. There’s something about his tone that makes me pause. Something dark and bitter that has all my guilt slamming into my chest at full force. “So you can run away again? Abandon us? I don’t think so, Cora. We’re done waiting for you to come back to us.”

“But I wasn’t going to come back,” I whisper. I can’t.

He chuckles lowly in my ear, pressing me harder into the bookshelf. “Funny.”

“Wh . . . what?” I glance between him and Ezra, trying not to focus on Wilder’s erection pressing into my stomach. “What’s funny?”

“The fact that you thought we’d let you go. If you never came home, we would’ve dragged you back. And if we couldn’t do that, then we would’ve chased after you until you got it through that pretty head of yours that your place is with us.”

He spits out the last part with such force I cringe into the bookshelf.

“Wilder,” Ezra says, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’re scaring her.”

“It’s okay,” Wilder replies with a wry smile. “She likes it. Don’t you, Moonflower?”

I squirm. He’s right, but I have no clue how he knows it. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“A lot,” he says, his expression turning serious.

What Wilder said finally registers. Your place is with us. I gulp in air, but for some reason I can’t get enough. My heart is racing as wildly as my thoughts, so fast I’m not sure I’ll ever catch up.

“What did you mean, my place is with you?”

“Us,” Wilder says firmly. “Both of us. The three of us.”

I blink. Is he saying what I think he is?

Wilder.

Ezra.

Me.

. . . Together?

“What?” I choke out.

Patiently, they wait for me to process, Wilder stroking his fingers up and down my bare arm. Ezra watches me uneasily, and my eyes lock with his in a stare that absolutely guts me.

“Cora,” Ezra murmurs.

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