Page 59 of Lies like Rubies, Part Two (Savage Jewels)

Bless his heart, he wasn’t disgusted, he was concerned.

“I’m okay,” I breathed.

Nick ran a warm hand down my back, tapped on the plug, then delved his fingers into my folds. He wiggled them in front of his face, admiring the glistening sparkle of my need. “She’s better than okay, I think.”

I flushed, embarrassed of how much I liked being treated like this, embarrassed that Lorenzo was seeing me like this, and how badly I wanted him to be okay with it, to play with us.

Nick gestured for Lorenzo to approach, and to my astonishment, Lorenzo took Nick’s fingers in his mouth and sucked them clean.

I couldn’t stop the needy noise that escaped me as I watched them together, these two men that I liked so much, staring at each other as Lorenzo licked me off of Nick.

My pussy clenched on air. I wanted them, and they wanted each other, and hope grew in my chest, heating the icy cold of my terror.

Lorenzo returned to his seat, watching me through narrowed eyes.

Dante brought dinner to the coffee table, and the simple domesticity of his actions struck me.Shit.I liked Dante.Goddammit. I didn’t want to. I wanted to hate him, wanted to hold him at a distance and use him. And I fucking couldn’t. The maelstrom of emotions must have shown in my eyes, because he walked over to me and crouched down beside me, bringing his face to mine.

“You okay, kitten?”

My lips curved up into a smile at the quiet concern in his words. Dante was checking in on me instead of barreling forth in a quest to draw out more tears. Warmth bloomed through me, and I met his eyes, gentler than I’d ever seen them before.

“I’m fine, sir.”

He tapped my ass. “Bene.Up.”

Careful not to bump my tail against anything, I stood. He dropped a cushion on the ground at the end of the coffee table. When he set a plate and cutlery in front of me, my eyes widened with surprise.

With a casual ruffle of my hair, he grinned, the flash of joy on his face absolutely breathtaking. I’d have done anything to see that expression more often. “It’s notyourboundaries we’re pushing tonight, slut.”

My eyes flicked to Lorenzo. He flinched at the word but otherwise ignored it, serving himself from the steaming takeout containers in front of us.

“Is this what it’s like all the time with you all?” he asked, obviously fighting to keep the judgment out of his tone.

Nick’s glare was sharp and hot. “Careful, Lorenzo. You’re here because she wants you here, but if you hurt Sofia’s feelings, I’ll boot your ass from this polycule so fast you’ll have burn marks from reentry.”

“I like it,” I interjected. “I didn’t know I liked it before, but I know I do now.” I smiled wryly. “Not entirely sold on the tail.”

Lorenzo’s mouth tightened into a grim line. “And if I don’t like it?”

When Dante opened his mouth to speak, I blurted, “Then you don’t have to participate.”

“What if I don’t want to share at all?”

I shrugged, hiding my hurt behind a practiced mask of indifference. “That, I can’t help you with.” I waved my fork at the three of them. “I don’t know what this looks like after I graduate and we murder Sergio, but if you want me now, I come with the two of them. That’s not negotiable.”

Dante’s gaze burned into me. I wondered if I was admitting too much, giving him too much power over me, by my declaration.

“Okay,” Lorenzo said, his face neutral, his emotions closed off. “Let’s talk about how we’re going to keep you safe this weekend.”

Dante had assigned bodyguards to me, men who would stand outside of my classrooms and walk me from building to building, but running errands and attending social events as a mafia princess was more complicated.

God, what was I doing? How had I dragged so many people in my orbit into danger, into giving up everything they’d ever worked for?

Lorenzo’s hot gaze found mine as he leaned over the table to take my hand in his. Steady reassurance flowed through his gentle touch. “You’ve got this, sunshine.”

I sure hoped so.

Too soon,we finished eating. A lull in conversation turned into a tense silence as the men cleared off the table andwashed the dishes. Nervously, I waited on the floor, my eyes darting between them as they cleaned up.

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