Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66861 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66861 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Moisture formed on my lower lashes as I reached my free hand across the table to squeeze his. “I’m so glad.”
It took me a moment to center myself. “Raphael?”
“I’m in,” he said simply. “I think you know that.”
I nodded, not quite trusting myself to speak, but there was something that had to be addressed. “Are you okay with Spencer being in?”
The smile slid from Raphael’s face. “I think so. I want to be.”
Flynn looked back and forth between the two men. “What’s that all about?”
Raphael sighed. “I, um… when I saw Spencer and Alyssa together, it brought back some feelings.”
“Like jealousy?” Flynn asked. Then his jaw dropped as he turned to his brother. “Wait, you slept with her?”
“No,” Spencer protested, then he hesitated. “Well, yes, but not like that. We slept next to each other.”
It had been a bit more than that, but I didn’t volunteer that information.
“It wasn’t jealousy,” Raphael clarified. “It’s just… the last time I saw Spencer look at a woman like that, it was my sister. It’s hard to see him with someone else, but I know that’s what’s best for him.” He turned to me. “And for the woman he’s interested in.”
Spencer patted him on the back. “It’s bound to hurt, though. I get it. I can’t stop thinking about Corrine, either. But I have to think that she wouldn’t have wanted me to be alone the rest of my life, no matter how much I miss her.”
“No, she wouldn’t have.”
Unexpectedly, it was Flynn who spoke up next. “This would’ve happened a long time ago, Spence, if you’d ever gone on any dates. It’s been eight years, but it’s the first time you’ve had feelings like this. So hell yeah, it was bound to throw Rafe for a spin. It had to happen sooner or later.”
“It’s something I have to deal with on my own,” Raphael said.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I said. “Deal with it on your own, I mean.”
Across the table, Spencer nodded and downed the rest of his wine. “So I guess that’s two men you don’t have to choose between.”
“Three,” Flynn said.
I looked at him in surprise. “Really? You’re in, just like that?”
“Yeah. Not sure exactly what I’m signing up for, but I’m in.”
Grinning, I pulled my hand out of Spencer’s and reached out to Flynn. I’d have to ask Kylie how she managed to connect with three men when she only had two hands. Flynn’s was warm and calloused, but I loved the way it engulfed mine.
Following Spencer’s lead, I finished my wine. “Whew,” I said, setting the glass down.
Raphael laughed. “Was it that scary, talking to us, cher?”
“Kind of,” I said. “I’m not usually this direct.”
“Few women are,” Flynn said.
“Few people are,” Raphael corrected. “But if you want something, why not go for it?”
“That’s what I thought… eventually.”
The others chuckled at that, and for a while, there was a companionable silence. I had no idea where to go from here. My plans hadn’t included this side of the big question. I’d pretty much convinced myself that they’d think I was crazy.
Spencer broke the silence this time. “How would something like this even work?” he asked. “I mean the four people part?”
“You really need to watch more porn,” Flynn said, and I bit back a laugh.
“I’m serious. Is it… is it supposed to be three men in a relationship with one woman, or is it more like the four people are all in a relationship with each other?” Spencer was clearly struggling with this concept, but the fact that he was trying to understand touched me.
“It’s the latter,” Flynn said. “Looks like it’s time for you and me to get it on, big brother.”
Ew.
“Quit it, Flynn,” Raphael said, and it was the sharpest I’d ever heard his tone. “This is important.”
“Thank you,” I said to him.
Spencer’s face was flushed. “I just mean, you said your brother and his friends had that super strong bond.”
“Yes,” I said. “So do you three.”
“We do,” Raphael nodded. “Even if it hasn’t been all that evident recently.” His eyes were on Flynn.
Flynn didn’t argue that point.
“I think it works best if the guys are friends to begin with,” I said and then my face flushed. “I’m not an expert, but I can’t imagine falling for men who didn’t even like each other.”
Spencer nodded in thought, and I couldn’t decide what to say after that.
“I guess it’s something we’ll figure out together,” Raphael said. “After all, when a relationship is just two people, they still need to figure out what works for them. Two likely very different people have to find their middle ground. Only with two people, the midpoint is between them. With us, it’ll have to be somewhere in the middle of the four of us.”
“We don’t even know if there’s going to be a relationship,” Flynn said.