Page 79 of Nailed

And if it came from Brock, then I knew he meant it. He had personal beef with the old rooftop.

Somewhere between all the tasks for the inside of the firehouse, Cal had managed to transform this space too. It was striking. The gravel-dusted surface was now mostly covered by all-weather cedar decking tiles, creating a smooth path between the exposed l-beams. String lights were draped in low swags from the parapet wall to the masonry chimney, the result being a soft glow over a cluster of heavy, oversized outdoors pillows he’d tucked into a corner.

They look kind of familiar though…very similar to the ones I’d shown Clara in passing when we were doing our shopping for the exhibition prep.

The steel railing had been scrubbed clean of rust, framing an unobstructed view of the skyline I’d come to love that made the height feel like a sanctuary instead of a ledge.

Tears pricked my eyes at the effort that went into everything. I loved this so much and Cal had done it just for me. I turned to face him, laughing through the tears. “When did you even manage to find the time?”

He shrugged. “Here and there. I had breaks.”

I practically ran up and threw my arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. He returned the embrace, a warm steady furnace of a man. “You like it, darlin’?”

“It’s amazing,” I said, wiping my tears away. “I love it.”

“Consider it free of charge,” he said, pulling back and delivering a gentle, thumb-led bop to my chin. I kissed his cheek before withdrawing, knowing we still had a lot to discuss.

“Okay, we should probably figure out where to go from here,” I said.

“It’s already been decided,” Rafe said.

“You’re not going back to jail,” I stated defiantly, lifting my chin. “Not if any of us can help it. But for that to happen…Brock is going to have to cover for you.”

“You mean lie,” Brock cut in, frowning in displeasure. “Again.”

I could see the reluctance on his face. “Brock, I know that doing this would go against the grain of what you value. And I would never, under any other circumstances, ask you to do that because it’s one of the things I love most about you.”

He flinched in shock.

All three of the men stared at me. That tricky four-letter word seemed to ricochet off the parapet wall and railing, coming to land square in the center of us. I’d been the first to openly say what I was feeling, even if my body had written the confession before I was ready to say it out loud. But I was finally ready now.

I took a breath. “Yeah. I love that about you. There are so many things I love about you and about Rafe and about Cal. I love the way you lead, and how intentional you are, and the fact that you carry your honor on your sleeve. It’s one of the most beautiful things about you.”

The knot at his throat bobbed, like he was holding back tears of his own. I turned to Rafe.

“And you. God, you know how to drive me insane in the best and worst ways possible.” He smiled at me but his gaze was uncharacteristically tender. “But you’re brave and intense and I wish I could hold as much fire as you do in my veins.”

Lastly, I turned to Cal. “And I don’t think I’ve ever met a man with a heart quite like yours. You’ve made me feel so safe every time I’m with you that I’ve forgotten what it felt like to be scared. And alone.”

He dipped his head in thanks, looking charmingly humbled. I looked at all of them now even though I was still addressing Brock. “All of you make me better in different ways. And losing any one of you would make me feel like part of me was missing. I can’t imagine Rafe disappearing from my life any more than I could either you or Cal because I’m in love with him. I’m in love with Cal.”

I met Brock’s eyes again, my heart leaping into my throat. My voice dropped to a whisper. “And I’m in love with you. You guys are my home.”

I was exposed.

The old urge to run flared up, only for Brock—the stoic, foreman Brock whose resolve made steel look pliable—to step forward and this time, without armor. “I’m in love with you too, Lauren.”

The dam broke and a quiet sob tore itself from my throat. Instead of letting it out, I reached out for Brock and he met my embrace, pulling me into his arms. I tilted my head back and he bowed his, and we kissed.

Something unfurled inside of me, raw and primal and urgent.

This was the culmination of every connection point I’d made with these men. I didn’t want their words right now, I wanted them to show me what they felt in the best way they knew how. With skillful hands that had memorized the patterns of my body.

When we finally broke apart, breathing hard from the sheer intensity of the kiss, I stepped back, not wanting them to misunderstand what was happening and what I desired.

I lifted my shirt over my head, shivering in the rapidly cooling air and under the heat of their collective attention. Hunger immediately crossed each of their faces, as unique as they were. And I was at the center of it. They looked at each other and I didn’t miss the knowing glance they shared.

Cal reached me first, taking my face in both of his hands. I let myself get lost in his kisses and the softness of his lips as they pressed against mine. I held onto the bottom of his shirt, my fingers curling up in the fabric.