Page 122 of Gates of Tartarus

“Jonah!” I breathe out, grabbing his hands. “You make me smile. Youmakeme happy. You don’t take from me!”

He shrugs, clearly not convinced. “I may make you happy,” he says. “But Lachy can get rid of your pain when it becomes too much. We’ll make a good team,” he says, smiling over my head towards Lach. “He and I, we’ll make a good team. We’ll be able to take care of you. Together.”

“But… why would you… isn’t this going to be... how will thiswork?”I repeat, completely overwhelmed.

They both smile now, sharing some sort of bro-moment like “look at how cute and befuddled our girl is”.

“It’ll work fine,” Jonah says, and Lachy smirks at him for a second, the look odd and devilish on his normally peaceful face.

“It’ll workbetterthan fine for Jonah.” Jonah chucks a pillow at Lachy, muttering under his breath, “Shut up, man.”

I look to Jonah for answers, and he gives me a slow smile full of dark promises and says, “Later, yeah? Let’s finish this first.” He motions to Lachy, who continues.

“It won’t be a problem for me. As long as I have you and know that someone is watching out for you when I can’t. Jonah cares for you and respects you, and he makes you happy. That’s good for me.”

“So… uh... what? I don’t… you want to date me… at the same time? That makes no sense! At all!”

They shrug in unison. “We’ve talked it out. Worked through the details. We’re pretty sure it will be okay,” Jonah replies casually.

“What’s going to happen?” I stutter.

“Well, Jonah’s going to move in here with us, in the guest room. You have your own room…”

“I can stay in the guest room I’m in?” I ask hopefully.

Lachy shakes his head, laughing. “That room is yours, Kai. It’s been yours for years. Jonah can have one of the other guest rooms, and we’ll stay here together when you aren’t working, and we’ll just... see what happens.”

“Isn’t it kind of sudden?” I ask. “Like, isn’t this too much? If we’re just starting dating... living together?”

He just looks at me like I’m asking crazy questions and says, “Does it feel sudden to you?”

“Well... not really,” I respond slowly. “I mean, we’ve known each other for years, and I’ve always felt…” I stammer to a stop, face flaming by now.

Lachy smiles at me, a sweet, sweet smile on his full lips, and I can’t look away from him, mesmerized by the movement. He leans over slowly towards me, where I’m curled up against Jonah, no hesitation in his movement as he moves towards me.

“Kailani,” he asks, his deep voice rumbling along my skin, “We’re asking you to be our girlfriend.” I turn to look at Jonah, who grins at me and kisses my nose.

“Boop!” he says, laughing. “She’s freaking adorable when she’s all confused,” he says over my shoulder to Lachy.

Lachy laughs back, saying, “Don’t get used to it. Catching Kai speechless is pretty rare. She usually hassomethingto say.”

I turn back to glare at him and open my mouth to snap out some comeback, when he cuts me off with the weight of his warm, soft mouth on mine. Whatever expectations I had of Lachy being hesitant were blown out the window. It’s like now that he has declared himself, all bets are off, and he bends me back into Jonah with an astonishing amount of dominance. Exploring every inch of my mouth with toe-curling thoroughness, Lach literally takes my breath away with his presence. He pulls back slowly, and I chase his mouth, trying to drawhim back to me before remembering that I’m leaning against one man with another trapping me from above. I flush briefly and turn to Jonah hesitantly. His eyes are blown out with desire, lips parted, breath coming in heavy, shivering pants.

“Shit, Kai... I mean, fuuuuck.” He grabs my face with a free hand and completely ravages my mouth, his kiss so different from Lachy’s but sending the same, bone-deep thrills through me, dropping low in my stomach. Where Lachy is all slow, deep dominance, Jonah is quicker, eager to please. I moan quietly against his mouth when he playfully grabs my lower lip in a quick bite, and I can feel his lips smiling against mine. Lachy moves to softly kiss my exposed neck as Jonah commands my mouth, and I’m caught between thinkingwhat the hell is happeningand not wanting to think againever ever everif it means that this moment won’t stop.

“What the FUCK is going on here?” Walker’s astonished voice breaks into the moment, dropping wood with a loud clatter on the floor, and I startle. Neither Jonah nor Lachy moves, though. Lachy is still kissing my neck along my collarbone, locking me in place, refusing to even acknowledge Walker’s presence. Jonah raises his eyes to meet Walker’s stunned gaze and says shortly, “We’re making out with our girlfriend. Go away.” He lowers his mouth back to mine and tries to kiss me again, but I’m feeling awkward and on display now, and Jonah sighs deeply, before looking up again.

“What the hell, man? Not cool.” Jonah’s frowning now, staring at Walker, who is still standing, frozen in the doorway. Lachy has stopped kissing me but hasn’t moved, resting his face in the crook of my neck. “Seriously. Go away, Creeper.”

“I’m... I’m sorry…” Walker stumbles unexpectedly over his words. For a guy whoalwayshas something to say, it’s strange to hear him unsure. “I... Did you say you’re making out with... yourgirlfriend? Like... both of yours?”

Jonah locks eyes challengingly with Walker, and then the fuckerlicksme, from chin to temple. “Eeew! Jesus, dude!” I say in a strangled voice.

Still looking at Walker, Jonah says in a smug voice, “I licked her. She’s mine.” Lachy rumbles a little, and Jonah hurriedly says in an apologetic tone, “Ours. Sorry, Lach.”

“What’s it matter?” Lachy finally says, belligerently. “It’s none of your business.”

I struggle to sit up a little, and both guys relent slightly, keeping me trapped between them but sitting up to a more polite position. Jonah and Lachy frown at each other over my head, then turn matching glares to Walker. I’m flushed and try to inconspicuously straighten my clothes, which have climbed somehow and exposed alotmore of my stomach and shoulders than previously.

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