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“Have it your way. We’ll get you to talk, one way or another.” Holden bent and scooped her up for the second time today. The man needed a good lesson in manners and a good kick in the shins. In that order.
Swirling water licked at her toes then quickly swallowed her up to the neck as he lifted her to straddle his waist and glided out to the middle of the inlet. She tightened her hold around his neck.
“Easy, baby.” Suddenly his voice went darker, smoother. “I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.” Strong arms held her steady as she took in the rush of cool water over her heated skin.
She nailed Holden in the chest. “But who has you? Because you’re earning a good ass-kicking, Savage.”
A low chuckle tickled her ears. “Might want to take it easy on the Tarzan act, buddy.” Riley lifted her from Holden’s grip and glided them both out until the water hit his chin.
“Now that I have you alone, tell me what’s scaring you?” She didn’t believe for a second Holden couldn’t hear them from where he now stood on the bank spreading out the blanket for them and situating towels for easy access. They had a plan and she walked into it blindly.
A lump formed in her throat. Riley always had a way of opening the tightest of closed doors. She scanned the small ripples in the water but she knew no answers would come popping out at her.
Deep wounds threatened to burst open, but this wasn’t the time for her haunting past. Besides, how did she tell them she didn’t trust anyone no matter how hard she tried? And she cried herself to sleep almost every night when they left her? How could she trust them when they so easily walked away? All she wanted was to wake up in someone’s arms, feeling loved. Who was she kidding—she wanted to wake up intheirarms. She was the kind of little girl who dreamed of her future wedding as a child. When her mom sent her and Ivy to the store for the rare piece of candy while she got her drug fix, Zahara took five extra minutes to peek at the frilly white dresses in the magazines.
Looking back, maybe that was why she fell so hard for her first husband and why she’d missed all the signs. She dreamed too big and wanted what fate never intended for her.
What happened yesterday with the Ashwood Sr. only served as a cold reminder of the past.
“Let’s just enjoy today. Why do we need to talk about anything?” Once she hit cruising altitude tomorrow, everything would come barreling down on her shoulders. For today, though forced on her at first, she rather enjoyed the small gift they’d given her.
Zahara cupped Riley’s cheek and leaned in to brush the tip of her nose against his. “Let’s just enjoy.”
Worry lines along the edges of his eyes deepened, but he didn’t say anything as Holden rejoined them. She reclined into his embrace and he took in her lips and her braid wound around her shoulder before answering.
But he didn’t answer with words. Eyes bright with a golden flare of hunger, Riley dipped his head and caught her lips with a fiery kiss. Her core tightened, tingled with anticipation. Of what Holden would do to her as he eased up behind her, his chest pressed against her back. But her heart said another minute in their arms spelled her downfall. She’d risk it. Riley tasted too damn sinful to give up.
“Let’s get one thing very straight, baby. We’re not letting you run.” And then they switched. Holden’s mouth was on hers and Riley was the one holding her steady.
Deft fingers worked the clasp of her bra and the cool brush of water against her exposed skin sent a flush of heat through her body despite the water. Braced against Holden he took her weight in his arms. Large hands framed the sides of her sensitive breasts as Holden lifted them to reveal her nipples above the waterline.
She gasped and tightened her thighs around Riley’s waist, locking him in place. He drew the pebbled tip of her nipple between his teeth and bit down. Not too hard but hard enough her pussy spasmed and the bundle of nerves deep in her core quivered with a need for release. His cock pressed against the confines of his shorts and her panties, teasing her further.
She didn’t have to promise forever to enjoy their touch. Her eyelids slipped closed. Did she? Fear clenched deep within and she stiffened.
“What is it, baby?” Holden took in their surroundings with a caution she hadn’t seen before.
The dark strands of her hair splayed across the water’s surface like swirls of ink. She focused on that instead of Riley. “Your father.” The itch to reach for her hair had her gnashing her teeth, but Holden held her steady, his fingers threaded through hers. Tension bunched the corded muscles of Riley’s neck, and his body went rigid against hers. She immediately regretted her words.
“We don’t have to talk about that now or ever if you don’t want.” Riley’s eyes deepened with pain before returning to their normal state.
“I don’t want you to misunderstand what today is about. He spouted a lot of shit last night. Nothing to give much mind to.”
“He’d called me your mate.” she half muttered, the words hard to say.
“Our soulmate,” he confirmed in a gravelly voice.
“You complete us, Zahara.”
She flicked her gaze to Holden’s and nodded. Out of agreement or just acknowledging he’d spoken she couldn’t say.
She froze her throat closing up with so many emotions.
Hehad called her his soulmate too. And then he’d tried to kill her. Her ex needed to find a black hole and fall in.
“You make me want to kill whoever put that fear into your eyes, baby girl,” Riley growled. He moved a swath of hair that had slipped from her braid aside and placed a tender kiss on the side of her cheek. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against her.
She wished things could be different, that her broken mind didn’t hold her back, but to give them false hope of what can’t be would be wrong. “You both need to know that it can’t happen.”
