I curl my knee up and nod. If he doesn’t know about the kiss, he probably doesn’t know what happened at my camper either. “It all really confusing,” I confess, my hands in my lap. “Ares says I don’t have to share you guys, but you have to share me.” I can’t even look at him when I say it. It’s so fucking embarrassing. “How can I ask that of you guys? It’s not fair. And the jealousy, I don’t know how to deal with it.”
“You’re not asking us, we’re asking you.”
“That’s not how I feel. I feel like you guys don’t have any other choice.”
Ollie bumps his shoulder with mine. “You’re right about it not being a choice.” He holds up his hands when I flash my eyes to him and open my mouth. “But not for the reasons you think. I could walk away Laura, so could Milo.” I rub my fist over my chest, trying to ease the pain his words cause. Ollie pulls my hand down, holding it in his own. “When we realized what you were to us, we could have all walked away and never even spoke to you. It would have been hard, but it’s possible.”
“You didn’t, though.”
“No, we didn’t. Honestly, it never even crossed my mind. I knew from the very first time I laid eyes on you that you were our future.” A little piece of me melts with his words. Ollie is being serious, not his normal joking self. His words are carrying weight.
“But you’re mad at me about the elevator?” I peek up at him from under my lashes.
He sighs, looking at the door in front of the bed. “Not so much mad as a little hurt.”
I squeeze his hand, which is still wrapped around mine. “What, why?”
“You didn’t drag me away from them.” He tries to force a lightness into his tone, but it fails.
“Because I’ve never doubted you.”
Ollie’s eyes jump to mine, his lips parted on an inhale. “What do you mean?” he whispers.
I wince. “Well, that’s not really true. When we first hung out, I was a little jealous about you and Milo. But I was crushing heavily on all three of you. Once I got to know you a little better, I kinda,” I shrug my shoulder, “well, it just didn’t bother me so much anymore.”
Ollie goes rigid beside me, his hand pulling away from under mine. “So, you growl if someone gets close to Dante, but you don’t care if you think I’m with someone else?” His jaw is pulsing again and his head shakes before he lets out a dark chuckle.
Realization dawns, he’s upset because he thinks I care more about Dante. “Ollie.” When he doesn’t look at me, I stand up in front of him and sink to the floor on my knees, my hands on his thighs so he doesn’t have any choice but to see me. “Ollie, I didn’t drag you away from those girls because I didn’t think I needed to. I trust you.” His chin tips up stubbornly but his eyes dip down to me. I walk a little closer on my knees, pushing myself against his. “I’m not jealous because I know you care about me, not because I don’t care about you, which I do.”
Ollie looks down at me then, he bites his bottom lip, but he can’t hide the little grin pulling at his mouth. Reaching forward he snags me under my arms and lifts me up, tossing me on the bed. “Stop being so dramatic,” he accuses, mock indignation in his tone.
“Oliver,” I snap as I push up on my elbows with my eyes narrowed on him. He chuckles unrepentantly and flips over so he’s crawling toward me. When he’s above me I let my head fall back to the bed. His eyes roam over my face, lingering on my lips. I think he’s going to kiss me, and my stomach tightens in anticipation.
Ollie lowers his body to the bed, bringing his face closer to mine. With a slowness designed to make me comfortable, he brushes his lips against mine then pulls back to look at me. I lick my lips, hoping he’s not done. His eyes fall closed as he leans back in, and this time he doesn’t pull away after one peck. He tilts his head to the side so he can push his pillow soft lips against mine with more pressure. I sigh, my lips joining his as he lets his mouth open more. Ollie kisses like he behaves, all teasing and sweetness. Every time I think he’s going to take the kiss a little further he pulls back, making me chase him.
The tip of his tongue finally touches my lip and I let out an embarrassing moan of appreciation. His traces my bottom lip then flicks up to the top. I reach out grabbing his shirt at the side of his waist. Ollie never seals his mouth to mine, but his tongue dips inside, coaxing my tongue out to meet his. His breathing grows heavy.
I feel his hand land on my lower stomach, his palm not moving but putting a tiny bit of pressure right under my belly button. I curl my legs up, and it takes everything in me not to lift my hips off the bed so his hand would slide one way or the other.
“Hey, you guys almost ready?” Milo’s muffled voice floats through the door.
“Coming,” Ollie singsongs then snickers, not stopping the kiss.
“I have to be downstairs in twenty minutes,” Milo adds. I let my head fall back to the bed. Ollie bangs his forehead on the mattress beside me a few times before he reaches down and shifts his lower body, a slightly pained expression on his face. Lifting back up, I watch his hand leave his groin. My eyes dart up to the ceiling, pretending I didn’t see him.
“I gotta go, I promised I’d go with him when he got the tickets.”
“I don’t mind, Ollie, I’m glad you’ll be with him. We’ll be here when you get back,” I assure him.
He stands up, making a big ordeal out of it, groaning and grumping like an old man. With his hand extended to me he helps me from the bed, smoothing his hands over the back of my hair with a twinkle in his eye. “I can’t wait to give you a full pillow perm.” He sighs wistfully.
“A what?” I swat his hand away.
“A pillow perm. You know, get you all hot and sweaty so your hair goes all crazy and wild. A pillow perm.” I groan, rolling my eyes. He just laughs while towing me to the door.
Ares glances up from the laptop on his knees, his eyes taking in my hand tucked into Ollie’s, and the boyish grin on his face. Without a word he focuses back on his computer.
Dante isn’t anywhere in sight. Milo is facing a large mirror near the main door, wiggling a maroon tie around his neck. His white button-down shirt is tucked into a very fitted black pair of pants. I gape a little at his bubble butt. Half the time he’s in gym shorts or loose sweats, and they don’t do his backside a bit of justice, because holy hell he’s got an ass.
Ollie’s finger wipes at the corner of my mouth, alerting me that I’ve been caught staring. I make a face and push his hand away, wiping under my lip just in case. Milo turns and he has a scowl on his face. He looks so handsome; his hair is styled away from his face, showing off his killer jaw and his navy eyes. Either ignoring or unaware of my gawking, he shoves his thumb into the waistband of his pants while bending his knees. “I can barely fucking breathe.” He yanks his dress shirt out of his pants. As soon as it’s all the way out, he undoes the buttons and loosens the tie at his neck, keeping it tied while slipping it over his head. The shirt and tie get tossed to the back of the couch, leaving him in the sinful pants and a skintight white undershirt. Milo’s arms are corded with thick ropy muscles and veins. His wide shoulders bunch up as he pulls off his last shirt. My eyes travel down his chest to a thin line of hair just below his belly button. His stomach is ripped, his abs standing out, and I finally get the term six pack.