Page 26 of Beyond the Rules
“Mydiary?”
“Yes, why not?” he said. “We’re all up for sexual experimentation if you are. Think of it like a challenge, an adventure. No pressure. Zero obligation. We are open to you, however you think itmightwork.”
Her mouth opened. And closed. And opened again. Her eyebrows shot to the top of her forehead and wouldn’t come down. For a full thirty seconds, no words made it throughherlips.
I waited for her to process the variables, which were many. Waiting wasn’t my thing. Tanner had just pulled the pin on a grenade and we were gonna blow up any time. My pulse dropped down to sniper’s range. The wait was agonizing. Aiden was standing there like a marble statue, hope and despair playing in his wide eyes. Tanner’s fingers were white around his crutches. All we could do was watch and wait, because if this had the slightest hope of happening, this choice? It had tobehers.
Her voice came out in a squeak. “Are you saying you want me to stayhereand…”
“Yeah,” Tanner said. “That’s what I’msaying.”
“But…” She hesitated. “I’m not sure Iunderstand…”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I ran out of patience. “I’m gonna put it plainly for you. We share everything in this house so, if you’d like to consider the notion, we’re willing to share you, as long as you’re willing tofuckus.”
Chapter7
Nina
My mouth must have been wide open. My face burned with the heat of my flush and my ears drummed with my heart’s frantic pounding. Had I heard right? I tried to wrap my head around what Zar had just said. If I’d heard right—and I still wasn’t sure about that—their proposal was nothing less than shocking. It was scandalous, lewd, and obscene. It was also totallytempting.
I forced myself to review the conversation in my mind. First they’d wanted to help me, protect me, keep me safe. I’d been on my own so long that the suggestion had stunned me. Then they’d asked me to join this cryptic team of theirs and stay at their place. Okay, it was only for the short term, but they’d asked me. If all of that wasn’t shocking enough, they’d suggested… Wait. What exactly were theysuggesting?
I considered the men standing before me, their impassive faces, their bodies’ absolute stillness.Courage, Nina. Might as well get the big question out of the way. “Um…when you say I could fuck the three of you, do you mean…um…separately ortogether?”
“Now, see?” Tanner’s smile tickled my nipples. “Entirely uptoyou.”
The glimmer in those mossy green eyes worked like a remote garage opener. He blinked and my legs wanted to lift, widen and welcome whatever part of him—or his friends—he wanted to parkinme.
My gaze ping-ponged between the men. I knew I’d enjoy being with Tanner. Aiden too, he was definitely up my alley and the heat simmering in his eyes warmed me all the way to my toes. But I didn’t think Zar would be a casual lay. Or an easy one. And yet if I was going to do this, I wanted him too.Crap. My panties were getting damp. Since they were my only pair, if I stayed in this house, they were going to live in the washer anddryer.
Zar might have noticed my hesitation, because his mouth set in a straight line. “You don’t have to do anything you don’twantto.”
He was a prickly one. Proud, too. But I could workwiththat.
The mere thought of being able to stay here, with the guys, thrilled me. The suggestion made me horny as hell. Some women may balk at the notion of getting with three guys. Those prim and proper souls weren’t me, would never be me. They didn’t keep an erotic bucket list that they’d started while in jail, topped by item number one: three hot guys and me every which way. Plus, I bet they’d waver on their righteous knees if they came across the extraordinary trio facing me. I wondered if, after meeting them, they’d cast their stonesatme.
Hard to turn down an offer like theirs, especially when my chemistry was in sync with all three. Plus, the offer totally appealed to my fantasies. They’d known that, of course they had. They had scoured my laptop, read my journal, and stripped me bare, which made their offer intrusive, sly, calculated, but also…sweet? They knew everything about me, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And they stillwantedme?
Hack the happy, girl, today is allwe’vegot.
I gave myself a mental yank. I had to straighten my priorities.Fantasies aside, my main concern was to take down Artur Dimayev and his associate. Staying with Tanner, Aiden, and Zar represented my only chance at both putting Dimayev out of business andsurviving.
A dark cloud cast a shadow over my blue skies. This was a temporary proposal that would only last until the takedown. None of these guys were recruiting for a soul mate. Well, neither was I. No, sir. I was fundamentally a pragmatic creature and a quick look confirmed the truth: if one had to hide, this was the nicest, safest place todoso.
If I stayed here, I was going to be a partial member of a really sharp team. The opportunity was golden to me. I’d always wanted to serve my country by fighting the cyberwars, but jail had derailed my plans. Working with these guys was a roundabout way of fulfilling my dream. And maybe, just maybe, if I showed them how goodIwas…
Down, Nina. My fantasies were getting outofhand.
“We’ll keep you safe.” Zar’s gaze scoured my face, determined, serious. “We’ll pay for your restitution and we’ll take care of your mom and everyone else without compromising yourwhereabouts.”
This last point was huge for me and something I couldn’t do without showing myself to Dimayev or endangering my loved ones. The points were adding up.Decisiontime.
“I need mylaptop.”
Tanner smiled. Aiden took off, mounting the stairs in twos. Zar scooped me up and carried me down thesteps.
“Where are we going?” Iasked.