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I looked between them, pressing my lips together when my eyes began to sting. They were still waiting for an answer. I could make a joke, give myself a little room to pretend I hadn’t taken the offer so seriously, but I was tired of pretending I needed less than I did.
A weight the size of a house was lifted off me. “I want that.”
They wore matching smiles, and they warmed me to my bones.
“That’s right. From now on, you get everything that you want.”
“Speaking of which, it’s time for your present.” Ronan helped guide me up, and Thorne slipped the shirt over my head.
Chapter 9
The Gift
“A present?” I tugged at the hem of my shirt as Thorne settled Ronan’s ringmaster jacket over my shoulders.
Ronan’s expression changed, and he glanced at Silas in a brief, silent exchange.
That look was intense, but somehow, the way they were all surrounding me filled me with warmth.
“There’s something we want you to see.” Ronan took my hand in his, tucked me into his side, and led me toward the door.
The music had stopped by the time we stepped outside. Voices grew louder where the other guests gathered in front of the stage. It was the type of untamed excitement that happened when a crowd shifted into a mob. My heart lurched, and the instincts that had protected me so far burst to life, warning me when I realized we were heading toward it.
“What’s happening?” I hedged.
Ronan’s arm stretched when my steps slowed, and I nearly slipped out of his half embrace. He turned to me, eyes searching mine for several moments. They softened, and he closed the distance between us, pulling me into a hug and kissing the top of my head. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“We’re coming with you,” Silas added, his firm chest against my back.
The feeling of being cocooned between them, warm and safe, calmed my growing agitation. We stayed like that for a while, neither of them showing signs of wanting to let me go. If anything, they drew me closer.
The comfort of their warmth began to coil low in my belly and turned entirely more dangerous.
I buried my face into Ronan’s chest, not wanting him to see my flushed cheeks.
His knuckles traced the shell of my ear. “Your ears are red.”
My hands flew up and covered them.
Silas coaxed, “Don’t hide your reaction to us.” His hard length settled against the small of my back as he carefully removed my hands. “We feel it too.”
They curled into Ronan’s shirt, reaching for the fragile confidence he instilled in me.
“What if we skip the present and head inside?” I said, barely above a whisper, my face and neck flaming.
Ronan’s growl traveled all the way down to my toes, and his voice was tight, pushed out through gritted teeth. “I’m so fucking proud of you for asking.”
His pained restraint dissolved any of my remaining embarrassment, and I tugged on his shirt, wanting to be closer despite already being pinned between them.
“This will be quick. Then I promise we’ll spend all night making it up to you.” Thorne chuckled and pulled me from between them. His hold on my forearm was both careful and insistent.
Whatever they wanted to give me must have been important. None of them seemed happy with letting me go.
“Promises, promises,” I joked.
Thorne’s smile turned wicked, and light flashed behind his eyes. “There’s my girl.”
He wrapped his arm around my waist and cradled me into his side.
