I crouch to pick it up, admiring the detail in the carved wood around the base of the island.
“While you’re down there…” Trace rumbles in a casual tone.
I lift my head and my gaze falls on his groin a few inches away. My breath catches, and I pop to my feet, standing in the spread V of his thighs. “Was that a joke, Trace Savoy?”
“I would never joke about that.” He touches a knuckle to my chin and ghosts his finger oh-so slowly to the hollow of my throat. “I missed you. Painfully. Your absence was a horrible way to remind me how much I love you.”
“I missed you, too, and I’m the idiot who walked away.”
“You’re an idiot for thinking I’d let you go.”
“Tell me what you really think.” I let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“You’re staying.” His gaze illuminates with the infallible confidence he’s known for. “Longer than one night.”
“I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.” I step back. “Let me see how tonight goes.”
“Everything that’s happened, the good and the bad, has prepared you for this.”
“For what?” I swallow.
“For the reason you’re here.”
My chest collapses beneath the gravity of his words, and the bathroom door opens.
Cole joins us at the island, glancing from Trace to me. “Heavy conversation?”
“Not yet.” Trace studies me for a moment before turning to Cole. “We need to discuss the punishment.”
My cheeks burn. I don’t need to ask why I’m being punished. Cole didn’t cheat on me. Trace saved my life, and I thanked them by kicking them out of my life. Being spanked for that won’t be my finest moment. It’ll hurt my pride, but my self-esteem could stand to be notched down a bit. After all, pride is the monster that stands between people in a relationship.
“She’s tired.” Cole rests his elbows on the counter. “It can wait until tomorrow.”
They fall silent, watching me, watching each other. Our unspoken thoughts settle around us, creating a transition into the next step. We’ve eaten. We’ve talked. We’ve come to a temporary cease-fire. It’s time for bed, and we’re all thinking it.
“Have you changed your minds about the sleeping arrangements?” I shift my weight for one foot to the other.
“Nope.” Cole finishes off his water and wanders toward the hallway.
Trace and I share a look and follow him.
In the bedroom, Cole stretches out on one side of the mattress and flicks off the lamp, dimming the room to a single light.
Trace takes the other side, mirroring Cole’s position, legs atop the tangled bedding and arms folded behind his head.
Three feet of empty mattress waits between them. Enough room for me to slide in without touching a muscled leg or sculpted hip.
I stand at the foot of the bed, nervous, excited, and most of all, relieved. I shouldn’t want this. I shouldn’t want to be here, knowing I’ll hurt one or both of them in the end. Doesn’t stop my heart from swelling in my chest at the sight of them waiting for me.
Cole’s soft smile flips my stomach inside out. His gaze dips to my mouth, and the memory of his taste tingles my lips like a phantom kiss. I don’t want to ever lose that feeling.
Trace looks like a half-dressed sex god, all laid out and ready to be devoured. Day-old stubble dusts his chiseled jawline, and his long fingers rest behind his head. If he crooks one of those fingers at me, I might forget we’re going to bed to sleep.
Climbing in between them, I settle on my side and face Trace with my back to Cole. “Does this feel weird to you? Sleeping in a bed together?”
“We’ve shared smaller, far more uncomfortable spaces over the years.” Trace rests a hand on his abs, drawing my attention to the corrugated ripples of muscle stretching his skin.
“Remember that night in the desert?” Cole’s chuckle warms my spine. “Christ, it was cold as fuck.”
“When were you in the desert together?” I ask.
“When we were both operatives.” A smile sneaks into Trace’s voice despite the ever-present scowl. “We were newbies on one of our first missions and barely knew each other. But we were so cold we spooned and shivered like pussies all night.”
“Who was the big spoon?” I bite down on my grin.
“We’re not talking about this.” Cole groans.
That answers my question, though it’s hard to imagine them cuddling in any position. “I wish I could’ve seen that. Specifically, the spooning part. Will you describe it? Like were you sharing a sleeping bag? Whose hands were where? What were you wear—?
“Enough, Danni.” Trace sets his jaw. “If that’s the outcome you’re hoping for, you’ll be sorely disappointed.”
“I know that.” I clench my hands at my sides. “But if the three of us could be together—”
“Not happening.” Cole says firmly.
“Yeah, I figured.” I blow out a wistful exhale. “A girl can dream.”
“Why would you want that?” Trace’s eyebrows gather. “Is one of us not enough for you?”
“No, God, that’s not it at all. It’s just…now that I’ve seen you two together without all the hostility, it makes it that much harder. Because if I stay here…” My voice breaks. “If I choose one of you, it’ll ruin any progress you’ve made toward mending your friendship. How do I live with that?”
“Danni, look at me.” Cole lifts on an elbow, and when I roll to my back, his maple brown eyes lock onto mine. “What if we promise to remain friends after this, no matter what happens, no matter who you choose?”
“You can’t keep that promise.” My heart ricochets against my ribs. “There would be too much resentment.”
“You don’t know that.” Trace lifts his eyes to me, hooded by thick lashes. “None of us knows what the future looks like.”
“Trace and I have come a long way in the past five weeks,” Cole says. “Other than the standoff earlier, which should’ve never involved a gun”—he shoots a glare at Trace—”we haven’t had any major altercations. But I’ll warn you. Even when we liked each other, we fought constantly.”
“Because you’re a stubborn prick.” Trace says matter-of-factly.
“I’d tell you to go fuck yourself.” Cole grunts. “But that would be cruel and unusual punishment.”
“See?” Trace smirks. “We have it all worked out.”
Maybe it’s all the testosterone in the air, but I’m foggy on how it’s worked out. “Two alphas in the same pack doesn’t end well. It’s usually a fight to the death.”
“Which is why this arrangement has an expiration date.” Trace releases a slow breath. “In the meantime, I’ll keep Cole on a leash, and he’ll…” His lips twitch, as if holding back an insult.
“Save your breath.” Cole arches a brow. “You’ll need it to blow up your girlfriend.”
“What are you…?” My eyes widen. “You’re talking about a sex doll?”
“It’s the only action he’s going to get for the next six months.”
“Whoa.” My head spins. “Okay, I’m missing something. What happens in six months?”
“We put a time line on this arrangement.” Trace rolls to his side to look at me.