Heat floods through me at the confirmation. “Yes, Sir.”
Then he’s gone, and the house seems too quiet without him.
I’m perched on the edge of the couch, fingers twisting together in my lap, heartbeat hammering so hard I can feel it in my throat.
The Christmas tree glows. The fire crackles, and outside it’s snowing. Very Hallmark. Except in the Hallmark version, the heroine isn’t sitting here with no panties waiting to be shared by two men.
Instead, my breath comes tight and shallow, anticipation coiling low in my belly.
I tug at the hem of my dress. It rides up another inch every time I shift, a constant reminder that underneath I’m completely bare. The fabric against my skin feels electric, every nerve endingawake and waiting. Tonight, I’m going to get exactly what I’ve been craving. The thought makes me dizzy.
Can I really handle this? Will I fall apart completely?
The answer rises up from somewhere inside: I want to fall apart. I want to be taken apart by both of them and put back together again.
I trust Leo. And Leo trusts Dane. That’s enough.
The rumble of the garage door makes my heart stop.
Footsteps on hardwood. Low voices, too muffled to make out words.
Holy hell. This is real.
Leo appears in the doorway first, and the grin that spreads across his face when he sees me makes my knees go weak. His presence fills the room the way it always does. The man could make me wet by walking through a doorway.
“There’s my sweet lass.” His eyes rake over my body, hunger flaring in those hazel depths. “And looking delicious.”
He moves fast, lifting me from the couch. He forces my chin up, and the kiss steals my breath. I surrender immediately, a moan rising as his tongue slides past my lips. Mint and heat—I want to drown in the combination.
When he breaks the kiss, his eyes are dark with promise. “You look perfect, lass.”
Movement behind him catches my attention. Everything else falls away.
Dane steps into the living room.
He’s taller than I expected, with broad shoulders that fill out his leather coat and a quiet authority that hits different from Leo’s sharp-edged command. His dark hair is slightly mussed, his jaw covered in scruff that only adds to his rugged handsomeness. And his eyes fix on me with a heaviness that makes my skin prickle.
I can already tell he’s the slow burn to Leo’s blaze.
Both of them radiate the kind of confidence that comes with age and experience. They’re men who’ve lived almost twice as long as I have and know exactly what they want.
He moves closer, his steps unhurried. Controlled grace. The way he watches me isn’t the same teasing, claiming pleasure I’m used to from Leo. It’s more analytical. Like he’s cataloging me. My pussy approves.
Like he’s deciding exactly how he wants to take me apart.
He smells like spice and sandalwood, and I have to physically stop myself from leaning in.
“Alice.” His voice has a hint of gravel underneath. “Leo’s told me a lot about you.”
My response catches in my throat. Up close, the reality of him is overwhelming. He’s tall, commanding, and those eyes see way too much.
But I manage, “Good things, I hope.”
The corner of his mouth twitches. It’s not quite a smile, but close. “Very good things.”
Leo’s hand lands on the small of my back, and I lean into his touch instinctively. My dress rides up another fraction of an inch as I shift.
Dane tracks the movement. He’s watching me lean into Leo’s touch. When our eyes meet, I feel a jolt of desire. Leo looks at me like he wants to devour me. Dane looks at me like he wants to understand me first.
