Page 51 of Run Like the Devil

“Who do you want?” Tyrus asked, and I could tell he struggled to ask. I had no doubt he wanted to send Hale away, to claim me for himself, but he still gave me the choice.

And knowing him, he’d follow whatever I wanted.

But the answer was so obvious, it was almost laughable.

“I want you both.”

And the groans that came through the darkness back told me that they didn’t mind that answer one bit.

A hand touched my wrist and pulled me forward. I didn’t know whose it was at first, not until I felt the soft cotton of a button up shirt.

Tyrus. Hale wouldn’t be caught dead in such clothing.

Familiar lips met mine, the kiss soft and coaxing and slow enough to let me think about it, to let me pull away if I wanted to.

It was like Tyrus wanted to be the counter to Hale.

I didn’t need that, though. Or maybe I did, and maybe those gentle touches of his had relaxed me enough that panic was the last thing in my mind.

A hand touched my back, and when I realized it didn’t belong to Tyrus, I hesitated.

The idea of having them both at once was one thing, but reality was always different. It was like when it had seemed like a great idea to do a juice fast until I actually gave it a try.Just like then, I wondered if my body would hold out for this…

“You want to stop?” Hale asked, his voice surprisingly uncertain. In fact, it was that uncertainty that drew me in, that made me want to keep going. If he’d been all arrogance, I might have reconsidered. Instead, him being just as nervous as I was gave me strength, made me feel in control.

I twisted, grasping in the darkness until I found the leather of his jacket. I tugged him closer, my lips missing their mark and touching his jawline, first. He had no stubble—it was nice having bodies that didn’t change because there weren’t any five-o’clock shadows unless a person died with it. I moved my kisses from his jaw to his lips.

He returned the kiss slowly, something so unlike him.

In fact, they were both unlike themselves. I recalled the first time I’d slept with Tyrus, when he’d changed into his demon form because he’d been driven to the brink of his control and shoved well past it.

Hale was always aggressive, always acted without thinking. He was the type to throw himself into his feelings without thinking it through at all, to deal with consequences later, after doing exactly as he pleased.

Yet they both held back for me, to make me comfortable, and that melted me in a way nothing else could have. It made me feel safe with them, kept any fear of mine at bay.

Hale groaned when I traced his lips with my tongue. “You are fucking hell on my control,” he whispered, but even then, he didn’t yank at me.

The darkness made every touch so much more, electrifying them, leaving a tingle in the wake of each touch. Tyrus’ lips found my neck, teasing over my racing pulse while I kissed Hale.

Hands roamed over my clothing at first, leaving fire in their wake and a burning need for more. They warmed me, chasing away the chill that had sank into me since I’d arrived in the Path.

It seemed impossible to feel cold between these two men.

A hand slid beneath my sweater, and it was amazing how quickly I could tell the difference between Hale and Tyrus just from touch alone now.

Tyrus was sure. He went slowly, but without real hesitation. His touch was harder, more planned, and when he ran his thumb over my nipple through my bra, I gasped.

Hale, on the other side, acted more carefully. He would move his hand then wait, driven by instinct and need but held back by fear. Not that it mattered, because when he cupped my other breast, I pulled my shoulders back to press myself against his hands more.

“Is this what you wanted?” A heated playfulness filled Tyrus’ voice.

I nodded, not caring that they couldn’t see it. They were high or stupid if they believed I could still actually form words or hold any sort of conversation at this point.

Hale grasped my sweater and pulled it off, taking the shirt underneath with it. He reached behind me, unhooked my bra then worked that off as well. I shivered when the cold air hit my skin, but I didn’t have time to complain. Instead, strong hands shifted me until my back pressed against a warm, solid chest.

They’d turned me so I sat in Tyrus’ lap, and he wrapped his arms around me from behind, his palms covering my breasts.

“I can keep you warm this way,” Tyrus whispered, and fuck did his whispers do sinful things to me. If he’d spoken in his normal voice, it would have been hot—most of what he said turned me on, after all—but when he said it with that breathy voice right into my ear, it was like it connected directly to my clit.

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