AllFreeNovel
Share Us
4
Our conversation takes us well into the morning hours, and we end up closing down the place, the owner’s “Last call!” announcement causing us to realize how late it is.
“I’m not ready to say good night,” I admit as Niles walks me out into the cold night air. Only a few weeks away from Christmas, it’s chilly enough to cause a shiver, and I curl my arms around my midsection to stave off the worst of it.
Like a true gentleman, Niles opens one arm and steps in, taking me under his wing. He’s warm and cozy and smells like a dream, and I inhale his crisp, woodsy scent into my lungs, committing it to memory in case this is as far as things go between us.
Although, I have a feeling tonight isn’t stopping here. In fact, I’m banking on it.
After all of the talking and questions and explanations, I’m beyond interested in experiencing a taste of Niles’ world. It sounds kinky and hot and incredibly sexy. Nothing like what I’d been imagining.
They aren’t a multi-woman household. On the contrary, Niles and his friends are one-woman kind of men. Like everyone else, they’re looking for “the one.” It just so happens that whoever that one woman turns out to be, she’s going to be made for all three of them.
Niles explained to me that in their world, the woman stands at the center, garnering all of their attention. They love her equally, and she does the same in return. He made it sound as if the whole thing is very normal, natural, and similar to the dynamics of a one-on-one relationship, but with more love being exchanged because there are four hearts involved instead of just two.
I admit that it sounds great. When I envision the three of them loving me unconditionally, lavishing me with attention, I get all warm and gooey inside. I want that.
I’ll also admit to a bit of fear because relationships are so damn hard. Of the ones I’ve been involved in, they were usually one-sided and I’m no stranger to being cheated on. Imaging not one but three men putting me through the wringer at once freaks me out. I don’t think my poor heart could handle that kind of heartbreak. I’ve always been a one-man kind of woman, dedicated to my partner. I’ve just never been gifted the same in return.
But as we walk toward my car, now covered in a light dusting of snow, I remind myself I don’t have to make a decision on my future now. I have time to explore and figure things out.
“Do you wanna come back to my place?” Niles asks as we reach the bumper of my cherry red Fiat. “We can continue our discussion there. I can’t guarantee that the guys are up, since we all have work tomorrow, but you might have a chance to meet one or both of them.”
I consider the offer, wanting to curl up on a couch or maybe a bed with Niles and soak up more of his warmth, but… “Nah. It’s probably not a good idea,” I reason. “It’s late, and like you said, we all have to work in the morning.”
I can tell he wishes my answer was different, but he grudgingly accepts it, nonetheless. “All right, Elle. Then I guess this is where we part ways.”
“I guess it is.” I bite my lip again, and he does the same, and I can’t help smiling at that hint of shyness returning to him. He’s been so open the past couple of hours, I almost forgot the Niles I’ve come to know is the one standing in front of me.
“I’d like to kiss you again, if that’s okay.”
I grin, unable to stop myself. “If you don’t, I will. I’ve been dying for this all evening.”
I turn into him at the same time he turns into me, and that arm around my shoulder turns into a brace that holds me close against his chest and keeps me upright as Niles lands another earth-shattering, knee-wobbling kiss on me.
I’m not quite sure how long we stand there making out in the middle of the restaurant parking lot, but it’s long enough that I begin to feel the chill numbing my thighs through the thin pair of jeggings and kiss the exposed parts of my body.
“As much as I’d love to continue standing here…” I break away, already feeling the loss.
Niles nods. “Yeah, we should get going. It’s late,” he reiterates what we both already know.
“See you at work?”
“See you there,” he agrees.
Although, I’ve never seen much of him around the office, I feel certain that tomorrow, I’ll see plenty of him.
I’m not wrong.
Just a few hours later, running on little sleep and far too much caffeine, I cross paths with Niles at the water cooler. How cliché, right? But I love it. He gives me a flimsy cup of water and goes on his way, careful not to reveal our secret as there are others around.
This place is a hotbed for running mouths. It goes without saying that neither of us wants our date getting around to our coworkers.
I work studiously for the majority of the day, pushing papers as per usual, while diligently attempting to ignore Colleen, who has absolutely zero ability to put a lid on it for longer than thirty minutes at a time.
She’s a good woman, nice and sweet, but there are days like today when I just want to turn around and slap a strip of duct tape over her mouth.
It’s hard enough to focus on my job without the added struggle of resisting the urge to correct her on the falsities of the latest gossip, a good portion of which involves Niles and his sexuality. My need to defend him is surprising, even to me, and I have to check myself multiple times. If I open that can of worms, the whole building will be prying into our personal business, and whatever potential we could have had as a couple or…quadruple?...will be destroyed. I won’t allow that, especially since I haven’t had my curiosity properly satisfied yet.
