Page 97

“Well, that’s practically a dare. How could I possibly resist?” Ford winks at me when I turn to glare at him.

Hayden heads back to the table while I pour myself a generous glass of eggnog. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Liam get up and walk over to the refrigerator. He peers inside for a moment, apparently doesn’t find whatever he’s looking for, and closes it again.

“Eggnog, huh?” he says quietly, positioning himself close enough that the others won’t overhear.

“Hmm?” I finish pouring and return the container to the fridge.

“You like eggnog. It fits you perfectly.” Liam’s voice drops to an intimate tone that makes my skin crawl. “Sweet but rich, with hidden layers…”

“What?” I close the refrigerator door and stare at him in disbelief. What the hell is he trying to say? He can’t seriously be hitting on me after I made my feelings crystal clear. What is this nonsense?

I grab my glass and head toward the table, but Ford is already standing. He pulls me into his arms, plucks the glass from my hand to set it at my place between him and Gabriel, and kisses me with unmistakable possession.

I grip his shoulders as he kisses me thoroughly. And then keeps kissing me. And keeps kissing me some more.

“Seriously?” Lydia asks with mock outrage. “Right in front of my bacon?”

Ford finally pulls back, and I laugh while covering my burning face with my hands. Lydia winks at me to show she’s not genuinely annoyed—though she might be slightly grossed out watching her brother claim me so thoroughly.

We eat breakfast while Elaine enthusiastically outlines all her plans for the day. I should have known that giving us one lazy day yesterday meant we’d be back to full throttle today.

When everyone gets up to prepare for our outing, I hurry down the hall to grab my coat and boots—only to have someone catch my arm, strong fingers wrapping around my bicep. I recognize the scent of cedar, spice, and a hint of citrus immediately: it’s Hayden.

He crowds me into the coat closet and shuts the door behind us, trapping us in intimate darkness. There’s barely any room in here, which means I’m pressed flush against his hard body, surrounded by hanging coats that make the space feel small and insulated.

“What are you doing?” I whisper breathlessly.

“Ford isn’t the only one who gets to kiss you like that,” Hayden murmurs against my ear, and then his mouth captures mine hungrily.

I melt into him. I have no idea how long we spend in that closet making out like teenagers playing Seven Minutes in Heaven, but I don’t care. It feels incredible.

I’m burning up and wet and aching by the time Hayden finally pulls away. His hands mapping every curve, his muscular thigh pressed between my legs, his mouth claiming mine, his tongue exploring—it’s overwhelming. I’m ready to beg him to take me right here against the coats.

Then he steps back. “Better get your things,” he purrs with wicked satisfaction, and then he’s slipping out of the closet, leaving me breathless and thoroughly disheveled.

I manage to pull myself together, but the rest of the day continues in the same maddening pattern. Gabriel is next, somehow getting me alone long enough to press me against a wall and ravage my mouth until I’m dizzy with want.

By the time we’re preparing for dinner—another party at another family’s house in Ford’s parents’ social circle—I feel like I might vibrate right out of my skin. I’ve spent the entire day with these men kissing me senseless and working me into a frenzy, but never following through. They won’t even slip their hands under my clothes.

I’m about to lose my mind from sexual frustration by the time we’re supposed to get ready for this party. I don’t know how I’m expected to be social and charming around strangers, trying to remember who I might have met at the previous party, when all I want is to be thoroughly claimed until I lose my voice from screaming their names.

But then, just as I’m about to head upstairs to change, I see Ford intercept his mother in the foyer. “Actually, Hayden, Gabriel, Maeve and I have different plans tonight. It’s all right if we skip this party, isn’t it?”

Elaine smiles indulgently. “Of course, dear. At least it’s not the Nutcracker performance! You won’t escape that one.”

Ford barely hides his grimace. “Wouldn’t dream of missing it,” he says with transparently false enthusiasm.

“What are we doing instead?” I ask quietly as Ford approaches me.

He winks mysteriously. “You’ll see. Dress cute but not formal.”

All right, I can work with that. I definitely trust these men by now, and I’ll admit—I’m hoping this means we’ll spend our alone time in the house having incredible sex without worrying about staying quiet.

But when I come back downstairs after changing, the men are waiting by the door in their coats, looking nothing like we’re planning a night of debauchery.

I’m tempted to ask what’s happening, but I recognize those expressions. I’ve seen that look on each of their faces enough times to know they won’t answer any questions until they’re ready. I simply let them guide me to the car.

We drive to what appears to be some kind of large institutional building. I’m not sure what to make of it.