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I sagged into the seat and wet my lips, mentally scrambling for something to hold on to. I had to start strengthening my position as quickly as possible too. That was what Mom would have done in a situation like this.
To beat her, I’d have to think like her.
“You said you have plans that you need me for,” I said with forced nonchalance. “Are you going to fill me in on what I’m getting into?”
Mom lifted her shoulders in an effortless shrug. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that yet.”
“I’m notworried. I’d just like to start preparing myself. You want me to do a good job with whatever it is, don’t you?”
I’d thought that appeal had a chance of hitting the mark, but Mom didn’t look remotely swayed.
“Patience, mija,” she said calmly. “I’ll bring you up to speed step by step, as you need to know.”
She added a firm note to the last few words—a hint of finality. She expected me to leave the subject alone now.
The ache of my ribs spread all through my torso, most of it not physical pain anymore. I tugged my gaze away, tuning out the growing sense of hopelessness as well as I could, and watched the last remnants of my new life drift by beyond the car window.
TWO
Niko
The sun was hittingmy eyelids from the wrong angle. Normally it didn’t pierce right into them like this.
I knit my brow, trying to orient myself in my half-asleep daze, and rolled onto my side to put my back to the source of the light. My hand brushed a warm arm next to me.
My eyes popped open, and I found myself staring bleary-eyed at Jasper.
Oh.Oh. After last night…
After our very enjoyable time with Lou last night, sharing her between the three of us, we’d somehow all tucked ourselves around her on her bed and fallen asleep. That’s why the window was in the wrong place. I was in the wrong room.
It was also why the man I found just as appealing as our shared lover was lying just a foot away from me.
It was only the two of us in the bed now. The covers were rumpled, pooled around our waists. Lou and Rafael must have used their criminal stealth skills to sneak out of bed without waking us and go get breakfast.
Which meant I alone got this fantastic view of Jasper St. Pierre’s sculpted torso. Of his wild auburn waves tumbling across his pale forehead.
I resisted the urge to brush them away from his closed eyes. Asleep, he looked more at peace than I’d ever seen him.
Adorably so. Not that I thought Jasper would appreciate being called “adorable,” so I’d keep that thought to myself.
Last night had really been something. I’d taken part in a couple of threesomes during my wilder days in my early twenties, but a four-some was a totally different level of passion. And acrobatics. Somehow we’d managed to all find our satisfaction while pleasing Lou together.
She was some woman, no doubt about it. I’d have to remind her of that the next time I saw her.
For now, I could enjoy watching my adorable grump of a boyfriend—if I was allowed to call him that. We’d never actually talked about labels.
Jasper stirred, and his eyes opened to reveal the gray-green irises. For once, they looked more curious than stormy. He gazed back at me, and his lips curved up to form the tender expression he’d been giving me more and more lately. An expression that made me giddy.
“Huh,” he said. “Good morning.”
I couldn’t hold back a grin. “What if we make it an even better one?”
His smile grew. “I could possibly be persuaded. Give it your best shot.”
How could I resist an invitation like that?
I scooted closer, tipping my head to seek out his lips, and he raised his chin to meet my kiss. The moment our mouths collided, heat rushed through my body.
