Home > Three is a War (Tangled Lies #3)(13)

Three is a War (Tangled Lies #3)(13)
Author: Pam Godwin

“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.

“Why? So I’ll make a decision by a certain date?” I sit up and scoot back to the headboard. “I haven’t even decided if I’m staying.”

“You’re staying.” Cole shifts to sit cross-legged, facing me. “Admit it, so we can move on.”

“No.” I cross my arms. “What’s the six-month time line?”

“I put you at an unfair advantage before.” Quiet, heavy, Cole’s voice scratches in his throat. “You’re so beautifully submissive, and I leveraged that, making it difficult for you to stick to your no-sex rule.”

He seduced me, thoroughly and completely. But my actions are my own. I knew what I was doing and could’ve stopped it.

“This time, Trace and I are making the rules.” Cole runs a finger over his eyebrow. “Decisions about sex are between him and me.”

“What?” Fire ignites in my veins. “That’s not—”

“I’m not finished.” He leans closer. “We’re staying here until summer—”

“But it’s January! That’s six…” My voice falls. “Months.”

“Six months,” Trace says. “We don’t want a decision from you before that.”

“That’s crazy.” I run a nail over my fleece pants, thinking. “What if I know before then?”

Wouldn’t I know? Six months is a long time. Especially while living under the same roof with them.

“If you know, we’ll all know.” Trace’s eyes lose focus and clear just as quickly. “And that will be that.”

“The point is there won’t be any pressure.” Cole tilts his head. “No pressure to decide. No pressure about sex.”

“You’re going to go six months without sex?” I look at them with disbelief.

“Trace has his inflatable friend.” Cole shrugs.

“I bet your ass is jealous of the shit leaking out of your mouth.” Trace grunts an abrasive sound. Then he turns to me and softens his tone. “With regard to intimacy, we’re taking those decisions away from you.”

“You can’t—”

Trace moves so quickly I feel my air cut off before I see his hand wrap around my throat. I claw at his fingers, and he loosens them just enough to open my windpipe.

My breaths come fast and shallow. My skin heats beneath his ferocious gaze, and my heart hammers out of control.

The pressure of his hand doesn’t make me fearful. It thrills me, arouses me, and he knows it.

Warmth trembles in my thighs, and a heavy ache swells between my legs, gathering, throbbing, and forcing a whimper past my lips.

Cole doesn’t move beside me, his fist resting beneath his chin, his expression dark and unreadable.

“Nothing turns you on more,” Trace breathes, leaning in, “than surrendering your power to another. You don’t want the control. You want to be relieved of it. You crave the freedom it gives you. Shake your head if I’m wrong.”

I don’t move, my fingers curled around his wrist, my breath lodged in my throat. He’s right. I want to be owned, dominated, and pleasured by a man I trust. And I trust him when it comes to sex. Both of them. They know my limits, and they have the desire, experience, and skill to effectively master my body. It’s one of the reasons sex with them is so damn good.

“Your face is flushed.” Trace flexes his fingers against my neck and glances down. “Your nipples are swollen, and your heart is racing.”

My gaze flies to Cole, and he stares back at me, his eyes pupil-black and half-mast.

“I’m making a point.” Trace uses his grip to turn my head toward him. “Tell me what it is.”

“If I stay…” My throat bobs against his hand. “All decisions regarding sex are between you and Cole.”

“Tell me why.”

“I prefer it that way.” I wet my lips and whimper. “And it takes the pressure off me.”

“Good girl.” Trace releases my neck and touches his lips to my brow.

I melt beneath the warmth of his mouth and slide down on the mattress until I’m flat on my back.

Cole focuses on my hand where it rests between us. When I lift it toward him, he grips it, knotting our fingers together. Then he lowers his head to the pillow and stretches out on his side, facing me.

Trace turns off the light, blanketing the room in darkness. The bedding rustles as he slides a blanket over us.

While still holding onto Cole’s hand, I reach my other toward Trace. His fingers find mine beneath the sheets and clutch tightly.

No one speaks. Not for the long minutes that follow.

I waver so uncontrollably between I shouldn’t be here and this is exactly where I’m supposed to be, between resisting and surrendering, fleeing and fighting, that I doubt every thought in my head.

That’s when it hits me. I’m not leaving. Because if I did, it would only prolong the inevitable. Since they know I won’t be happy without them, they’ll track me down and haul me back.

Why would they go through so much trouble? I’m just a woman. An average, pain-in-the-ass woman with a lot of flaws.

“Why are you doing this?” My voice drops to a whisper. “I’m not worth it.”

“Since the moment I saw you…” Trace squeezes my fingers. “I haven’t gone a day without thinking about you. No matter how much it hurts or how long it takes, I know that a lifetime with you is worth fighting for.”

“I couldn’t have said it better than that.” Cole grunts a soft chuckle. “Fucking asshole.”

I pull my arms to my chest, bringing their hands close and holding them there, against my heart. “What are we going to do for six months?”

“I’ll show you tomorrow.” Cole shifts closer and brushes a kiss against my shoulder. “Tell me you’re staying.”

   
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