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“This is my boyfriend and brother’s best friend. I’ve only just opened the door, so I don’t know why they’re here.”
She didn’t give Marie a chance to respond, instead slipping out of the front door and closing it behind her. They were both a sight for sore eyes. King was pensive, alert, and twitchy. Liam was his opposite, sleep-mussed and exhausted. But both were as beautiful as ever.
Adelaide looked between them, at the way Liam rested his head on King’s shoulder and King’s arm around his waist. It wasn’t jealousy that hit her, but she did envy the hours they’d spent together over these last couple of weeks. She’d missed being in King’s arms so badly. But now he was there. A giddy smile parted her lips. “What are you doing here?”
“We wanted to see you, Adds. Both of us.” King let go of Liam and stepped forward, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles before threading their fingers together. “I’m sorry. I should have handled things differently. We needed to make sure you were okay.”
“So you came all the way down here?” she asked, joy suffusing her at the gesture that meant more to her than she could express. She needed to be closer to him, to have his arms around her. She leaned in, and King obliged, wrapping her in his embrace. His scent enveloped her, the warmth and strength of his hug like a balm to her battered heart. He hugged her with his whole body, scooping her close and cradling her like she was precious. She was happy and scared at the same time, filled with a fizzing kind of excitement while fearful of getting hurt again. She wanted to kiss him—needed to—but didn’t know where the dynamic between them stood. Would King and Liam being together change things between her and King? Could they show each other affection in front of one another? “Can I kiss you—”
King squashed her worries before she could explain. He pulled her closer, kissing her like he was a man drowning and she was oxygen. His touch was gentle and loving, and at the same time a little desperate. Ravenous and wholly consuming. She melted into him, touching her tongue to his when he explored her mouth, never wanting to leave the comfort of his broad shoulders and muscular arms again.
His hard cock was trapped in the confines of his jeans. It pressed against her belly and Adelaide shamelessly rubbed herself against him like a cat. She wasn’t sure who whimpered—whether the sound came from King when she slipped her hands up under his shirt and raked her fingertips down his firm belly, herself when he cupped her arse, his huge hand covering one whole cheek in his firm grip, or Liam seeing it all go down from up close. The imagery her mind’s eye painted of Liam getting involved too was far too tantalizing.
She forced herself to pull back and put a bit of distance between them. Panting, she pressed her cool hands to her flaming cheeks, pulling her elbows in front of her erect nipples. Adelaide was barely dressed, and while Liam had seen her in this outfit before, he’d never been there during a make-out session. She didn’t know the ground rules between them yet, what they could and couldn’t do, and she’d taken it too far. The brush of the soft cotton against her nipples, which sent zings of awareness down to her wet pussy, was too much for a first-time viewing.
Adelaide cleared her throat, but still sounded breathless when she asked, “So why are you both here?” then held up a hand to stop any protestations. “I’m not complaining. At all.” She flicked her gaze between King and Liam and bit back a whimper when Liam stared back, his eyes dark and teeth biting down on those pillowy lips. He looked like a predator ready to pounce.
Damn did she want to be his prey.
His voice was gravel when he spoke, the rasp sexier than anything she’d ever heard before—except King’s sex voice. “We—King and I—both wanted to talk to you. Can we?”
She hesitated. “Marie, the woman you saw, doesn’t like strangers in her house. She’s asked me not to bring any men here.”
King ran his fingers through her hair and encouraged, “Pack an overnight bag. We’ve got an apartment near the city that we’re all gonna stay at.”
“We?” Adelaide asked, hesitating once more.
“Yes, we. But we need to have a conversation first.” King lifted her knuckles back to his lips and kissed them, his eyes never leaving hers. “Go.”
Adelaide nodded and dashed inside, her heart pounding erratically and heat crawling over her skin. She caught the door before it banged and whirled around, ready to duck into the guest bedroom where she was staying. “I made it clear that you were not to bring men around,” Marie stated, the annoyance in her tone unmistakable.
“They surprised me. I didn’t know they were on their way, and they aren’t coming inside. I know your rules and I’m respecting them. I won’t be back until Sunday some time. My boyfriend has a hotel room booked for the weekend.” She didn’t want to get on the wrong side of her, but Adelaide hadn’t done anything wrong either. She just hoped that Marie didn’t feel like her trust had been betrayed. But she didn’t stick around to find out.
After throwing clothes and toiletries into her bag, Adelaide almost ran out again still wearing her PJs. “Shit,” she mumbled under her breath, flustered by the surprise visit. Her thoughts were running around in circles, dreaming but not daring to hope what their joint visit might mean. She threw on the first outfit she found—a tank top, denim shorts, and a cardigan—slipped on a pair of thongs and called out in a whisper, “See you later,” before locking the door on her exit.
King was there holding the front passenger door open for her, and he beamed as she slid onto the seat. He buckled her belt before pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. He nuzzled her cheek with his short beard and whispered, “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too,” she murmured back. “I’m sorry I turned my phone off. I know we’re okay, and I want this for you, I really do—”
“Let’s talk more when we get to the apartment.” He kissed her again, a soft chaste brush of his lips against her temple, and stepped back, closing the door after him.
Twenty minutes later they were pulling into the visitor parking at a newer-looking building. Adelaide loved the atmosphere in the city. Even at night there were throngs of people moving about. She revelled in the vibrancy and speed of the city, the tall buildings and the energy that seemed to vibrate through the streets. But she already missed home, and seeing King and Liam only reinforced how happy she was living in her little suburb away from the hustle and bustle.
King slung Adelaide’s backpack over his shoulder, carrying his duffel on the other as Liam picked up his own bag. Decked out in the team’s colours, it was like a beacon to anyone who’d seen football teams travel before, but there was no one around to notice. Both the car park and lobby were empty except for the man sitting behind the desk.
The view from the apartment was spectacular—lights twinkled as far as the eye could see, and the moon reflecting off the water created an ethereal glow. Between the high rises she caught a glimpse of the Harbour Bridge lit up in Christmas colours. “Wow,” she murmured as King wrapped his arm around her waist and looked over her shoulder. She revelled in his closeness, in the way he held her like she was his world.
“View’s pretty good, isn’t it?” King murmured.
“Certainly is,” Liam added from behind them. She turned, looking around King’s big body to see where he was. They were taking up most of the gap between the gauzy curtains that she’d pushed apart. He wouldn’t be able to see much at all. But his expression told her it wasn’t the view he was looking at, but King.
His eyes were dark. Jaw clenched, he radiated power. It was as if he was trying hard to hold himself back. Or coiling his body tighter ready to attack. She’d seen the look of intense concentration on him before during games.
Liam dropped his bag in the middle of the entry hallway and added, “I’ve been biting my tongue for what feels like a decade. Can we talk?”
“Yeah, let’s sit.” King motioned to the couch and Adelaide followed his cue, perching on the edge of the cushion. King slid in next to her, pulling Adelaide into his arms. Liam took a seat on the chunky timber coffee table so that he was directly in front of her, his spread knees bracketing hers.
“What’s going on, guys? You’re starting to freak me out.”
