Page 53 of Cross Point
Trinity closed her eyes, unsure what to do. She felt someone lift her chin and opened her eyes to stare into Maxwell’s brilliant blue. “I’m a dominant man, I admit that. But I’ve never really been into anything more than being commanding in bed. I’ve already told you, if you need me to work on dialing that back, then I will.”
“I just won’t listen to you,” she said with a sassy smile.
Maxwell chuckled before pressing his lips against hers in a light kiss. “That doesn’t surprise me. This isn’t something that we can solve in one night, but we understand you better now.” He glanced over at Jackson for confirmation, who nodded in return. “There are reasons for who you are and what you need. Just like each of us have reasons for who we are and what we need.”
“But that’s the thing. Sometimes chemistry isn’t enough,” she said. “If what you need isn’t something I—”
“What I need is you, Trinity. It’s as simple as that,” Maxwell promised.
“Me, too. We can make this work,” Jackson insisted. “Are you willing to try, Katrina? Just like you need us to respect what you need, I need you to be open and honest and not run when I do something you don’t like. I’d rather you fight with me instead of walking away.”
“I can try,” she agreed.
“That’s all we can ask,” Maxwell said, refilling all of their shot glasses.
She raised it, and they tapped glasses. “Looks like we’re all in. God help you guys because I have a feeling I’m going to drive you crazy.”
“Baby, you already do.”
Chapter Nineteen
The fear was the first thing that crept through.
The darkness was like a living, breathing thing, trying to strangle everything in its wake. With it brought the horrible memories that left her weak with terror. Trinity’s eyes popped open, and a strangled cry left her raw throat as she struggled to breathe. The dark was everywhere, the moonlight no longer shining through Jackson’s bedroom windows, and it felt like she was trapped in a nightmare with no escape.
The three of them had stayed up until the early hours of the morning, drinking and talking, simply getting to know one another better. They had been open and candid, sharing their likes and dislikes with each other. She had learned that Jackson harbored fears of being in a trio because of the way his mother had behaved, and Trinity had promised to do her best never to pit the men against one another.
Maxwell was a workaholic and needed help loosening up. He also expressed concerns about her being an agent. He told her and Jackson that he felt better knowing there were two of them watching out for her, no matter how proficient she was at taking care of herself.
When their discussion was done, they retreated back to Jackson’s bedroom, where they had taken turns making love slowly. This time, Jackson had been first, then Maxwell. She had known that they would have been willing to take her at the same time, but she just wasn’t ready for that yet. When they had fallen asleep, she had felt happy and sated curled up between their big, powerful bodies.
But then the nightmare came…
She should have known the emotional rollercoaster from last night would have brought back the memories of her last mission. Sometime during the night, the curtains had been drawn across the windows, completely blocking out the morning light. Needing to break free from the nightmare, Trinity stumbled from the large bed where she had fallen asleep between Jackson and Maxwell.
Unable to breathe, she gasped for air. Knowing her jerking movements had woken both men up, she couldn’t bring herself to care as she tumbled to the floor, trying to make her way to the door.
She needed out of the dark…right fucking now.
Suddenly she was surrounded, Jackson and Maxwell both holding her while she gasped for breath, emotionally torn to pieces. She fought them, but their tenderness overwhelmed her desire to break free and she ended up holding onto the safety they represented.
“Katrina! What is it? What’s wrong?” Jackson asked, worried.
“I need to get out!” she gasped.
“Fuck! The lights! Why are the windows covered?” Maxwell snapped.
“Shit! I have automatic blinds.” Jackson released her to race over to the nightstand where he used a remote to draw the curtains back from over the window, letting the early morning light spill into the room. He hurried back to where Max held her and pressed himself close, lending her his strength.
“Sorry, just give me a minute.” Ashamed and embarrassed, she tried to curl into herself, but they simply wrapped themselves around her.
Holding her, comforting her.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Jackson snapped, fear making him irrational.
“We’ve got you, love. Please, don’t cry. You’re not alone in the dark. You’re not alone anymore. I’m here,” Maxwell whispered in her ear.
“We’re here,” Jackson corrected.