I pushed up onto my knees and straddled Dio’s lap before he even saw it coming. He only just caught me, wrapping his hands around my hips, before my lips crashed down over his and I kissed him with every little ounce of attraction, desire, and need I had for him. He caught on quickly and returned the kiss just as ferociously, his hand moving from my hip to my right cheek and cradling it, moving my head to the angle that allowed him to deepen the moment.
“Okay,” he gasped as we pulled apart, breathless. “Out of all the responses I anticipated, I didn’t see that coming.” He smiledsoftly, and leaned in to peck my lips again, just a peck this time though.
“Sorry, that was a lot, I now realise,” I told him with a blush.
“Don’t you dare apologise. It was perfect.”
I nodded as I sank against him and wrapped my arms around the sides of his waist, clutching him as I caught my breath and allowed myself a moment to take everything in.
It took me less than that moment to realise what a mistake it was to allow myself to think though. All of my fears and worries flooded in and in a flash I was regretting kissing Dio as I had without laying the truth out for him first. I’d been selfish and just taken what I wanted, not thinking about what he needed.
“You’re getting all tense on me now,Piccola,” Dio uttered as he nuzzled his lips against the top of my head. “Are you regretting it already?”
“No.” I lifted my head and met his eyes, hating I was probably about to ruin the smile that was still on his handsome face. I’d seen him smile so little since I arrived back in London. “But you might.”
“Never. Don’t talk silly,” he scoffed.
I forced myself to sit up and I faced him, making sure my eyes met his so he would see the truth of the words I was about to spill.
“I kissed Dante, Cal, and Arran too…and I…I have feelings for them! I’m sorry. So sorry. I know I’m a horrible person! I should have told you before, but you…”
“Hush baby,” he cut in, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close until every part of my front was pressed to him.“I suspected as much. You are not a horrible person, alright? I knew what I was getting into when I came to you tonight.”
“You did?” I asked as I looked up at him with surprise.
“I’m pretty observant, not that you need to be to see the bond between you, Cal, and Arran. It’s just been getting stronger and stronger over the last couple of weeks. I was already pretty sure I wasn’t going to get you to myself.”
“I don’t know what’s happening. Cal told me he loves me, and I love him too. Arran and I have kissed and cuddled, but he hasn’t said much about the way he feels, other than he feels something for me. And Dante…well, I kissed him, but he’s gone now. He might not even come back. It’s a mess, and I know I shouldn’t feel the way I do for all of you, but I do, Dio. I’ve been falling for all four of you since I moved in here,” I admitted anxiously.
“There is nothing wrong with the way you feel, and no one has the right to tell you otherwise. You don’t decide who you love, and, clearly, you don’t decide how many people you love either. None of it matters here, Carr. What matters is that you want all of us, and we want you. I’m good with being in a relationship with the others too, if that’s what you need and want. I’ll take you any way I can get you, as long as I get to call you mine.”
“But how would that even work? And Rafe….”
“Rafe will get over his issues as long as you’re happy. I’m not saying he won’t lose his shit to start with, but he will come around eventually. You don’t need to weigh that up as a factor.”
“But all of us…four of us…maybe even five…in a relationship? It sounds messy,” I pointed out.
“It would be complicated, I agree, but we’d find a way to make it work. If the others love you the way I do, they’ll do whateverit takes to be with you. Have Cal and Arran not spoken to you about any of this?”
“No. Dante started to mention some things before he disappeared, but it was all pretty platonic then anyway. Cal and Arran know I’m into both of them though, so I guess they’re good with that?”
“We all need to sit down and talk this through as a group, if it’s what you want. I have no idea what Dante is up to, but Cal, Arran, and I can come to some understanding with you for now.”
“Understanding?” I repeated with a frown.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like some business transaction,” he chuckled. “I just meant we should all make sure that we’re on the same page.”
“And if you are?”
“If weallare…” he corrected, pulling me even tighter against him. “…if we all want this, then we work out what’s next. But we’ll need to come clean with Rafe. I’m not sneaking around behind his back.”
“I agree. I don’t want that either.”
“After that, if me, Cal, and Arran survive it, we can see where things go, but wherever that is, it can go at your pace, Cara. No one is going to rush you into anything. Tell me you know that.”
“I do. I know I’m safe with the three of you.”
“Then everything will work out, baby. You’ll see,” he assured me. I only hoped he was right, because as things stood, they were a long way from ‘worked out.’
