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Right on cue, guilt pelted her. And she’d screwed it all up by not communicating about dinner or asking his plans or… Raine winced. “I’m still sorry about that.”
“Not the point now.” Liam propped an arm over his bent knee. “We’ve moved most of the equipment out of the room for this exercise.”
Which explained why it was bare. “I understand, Sir.”
“You don’t yet, but you will,” Hammer vowed. “So it’s bare. Is that the only reason you don’t like it?”
“It’s chilly in here, too, Sir.”
It was December, after all. And unless she missed her guess, it would probably snow overnight. The room itself felt subarctic. Liam and Hammer wore suit coats, long-sleeved shirts, trousers, and shoes. They had her dancing around in a transparent nightie and a thong, damn it.
“Oh, so you’re cold?” Hammer’s tone both patronized and confused her. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“A shame.” Liam added with an arch of his brow.
That’s all they have to say? Raine frowned, looking from one to the other. They stared back expectantly. What the hell were they waiting for?
Hammer gave her a superior smile, then a sudden gust of even colder air blasted her from above. Somehow, the ceiling fan began to spin faster. What in the world…? She glared at Macen. How had he done that?
Raine wrapped her arms around herself. “Can we turn the fan down, Sir? Or off?”
“Of course.” From his pocket, Hammer withdrew a remote and pointed it at the fan. It clicked off, then the blades wound down slowly until they stilled. Liam rose and made his way to the thermostat on the wall near the door. The moment he adjusted it, Raine felt warm air begin to seep from the vents. “Better, precious?”
“Getting there, Sir. Thank you.” Butthead.
“You’re welcome.” A roguish grin curled Hammer’s lips. Liam wore the same expression.
They were setting some sort of trap, waiting for her to open her mouth and put her foot in it. This cat-and-mouse game confused the hell out of her, but Raine was determined to figure it out and beat them.
“So what do you need me to do for this task, Sirs?” she asked, wishing they’d let her sit up. Looking at them hovered above her only made her feel at a disadvantage. Then again, that was by design, no doubt.
“We’ll get to that, love,” Liam assured. “So you’re comfortable now?”
Damn it, they knew the heater would take a few minutes to warm the room. Their little smirks told her that. Why didn’t they offer her a blanket to help warm her? Was she supposed to learn something from discomfort? She was more likely to focus if she wasn’t shivering, and this was too important to mess up.
“Actually, could I have a blanket and some socks, please?”
Proud smiles stretched across their faces at once.
“Absolutely,” Hammer praised. “I’ll be right back.”
As Macen left the room, Liam edged closer. “All you had to do was ask.”
But if they knew she was cold, why didn’t they just give her a way to fix it? Unless… Hell, they wanted her to say it. They wanted her to communicate.
And she could just guess what they’d “work” on for the rest of the evening.
Oh, shit. She was doomed.
Raine turned on her side, curling into the fetal position, and faced Liam. No. Somehow, she had to get over this hurdle. In order for them to take another step with her, they must believe she could give them more than Juliet. They had to trust they weren’t headed for tragedy again. She had to open her head or give up the desire to be with them both.
What’s it going to be? she asked herself.
No contest.
“You want me to communicate, don’t you?” she whispered, looking up at him.
Liam sent her a wry glance. “I’ve been wanting that for weeks now, Raine. But I think I’ve made that plain.”
He had. She just hadn’t wanted to understand the importance of spilling her guts. But knowing about Juliet now… Lack of communication could tear them apart, and Raine knew she was the only one who could prevent it.
“I know, Sir. I’m sorry.”
Before he could reply, Hammer returned with a soft cotton blanket draped over his arm and a pair of fuzzy black socks in his hand. He bent and drew the blanket over her before kneeling at the foot of the bed. Liam joined him, and together they slid the warm socks over her icy feet.
“Is there anything else you need?” Hammer asked, his warm hand lingering on the back of her calf for several long seconds.
“No, thank you, Sir.”
Liam trailed his wide palm along her thigh. She warmed at first, then melted a little.
Then he turned to Hammer. “She’s figured it out, mate.”
“Good.” Hammer looked incredibly pleased. “I knew it wouldn’t take long. Are you warmer now?”
“I am. Thank you.”
