Page 54 of Hunted
That seems to be the invitation he needed, as he immediately pulls off his shirt and pants and climbs in beside me. His eyes flick over to the nightstand, and I see a flash of surprise on his face before he smiles down at me.
He gives me a soft kiss on the lips then mirrors Bower’s position, so they’re both on their sides, facing me with their large hands sprawled across me.
I try to keep my breathing relaxed, but it’s hard when I’m laying between two of the men I love in such a large bed, all thoughts of Steve long gone from my mind.
“No hanky panky, young lady,” Bower scolds, and I turn my wide eyes to him. Can he read my mind? “Time for sleep.”
“Is Kingsley not joining us?” I ask tentatively.
“He’s probably just talking to Reece, I’m sure he’ll be in later,” Bower tries to reassure me.
After a few minutes, Weston reaches back and switches off the light, then snuggles in a little more.
It doesn’t take long before I can hear the sounds of both men’s heavy breathing as they sleep. They probably haven't had a good night's rest since they crashed on the island. There’s no way they slept well at the hospital. They’re probably exhausted.
But try as I may, I find it impossible to go to sleep. The room is eerily quiet, and I find myself missing the noises of the jungle.
I’m not sure how long I lay there. An hour? Four hours? But the sound of the door creaking open has my head turning. I watch Kingsley step into the room, the light from the hall helping me see who it is.
He takes a few steps into the room before he whispers, “Darla? Why aren’t you asleep? Did I wake you?”
“I can’t sleep,” I admit.
He moves closer, standing at the end of the bed, watching me for a moment before he asks, “Is it too quiet?”
I nod, then huff out a breath or annoyance. “I know it’s stupid.”
“Not stupid at all,” he whispers, turning towards the patio door. Since this room is at the back of the house, it opens onto the large deck. Kingsley pushes the door open and pulls the curtain across, allowing the sounds of the outside world to drift in.
Closing my eyes, I lean my head back and listen. The steady chirp of crickets fills the air, and in the distance, waves crash gently against the shore. A soft smile tugs at my lips as the sounds wrap around me, and my body finally begins to truly relax. When I open my eyes, I see Kingsley heading toward the other door.
“Where are you going?” I ask in worry.
He stops in his tracks and slowly turns to face me. I can’t quite make out his expression in the dim light, but I’m afraid to speak again. I might say something crazy like,“Don’t leave me.”
“I can stay if you want me to.”
Realizing I said that out loud, I pinch my lips in frustration before I whisper, “But doyouwant to stay?”
“I—”
He cuts himself off, and my heart instantly clenches, as if all the air has been sucked out of my lungs. My eyes fill with heartbroken tears. More than anything, I’m frustrated that I’m about to cry… again!
I push myself into a seated position so I can see him better. “Why are you pulling away? Do you not want me anymore?”
“I—”
This time I cut him off, my fears over the past few days all coming to the surface at once.
“Are you disgusted by me now? Because of what they did to me? Or because of what I did to them? You can tell me. I can take it. Just stop doing… this.” I wave my hand around in his direction. It’s a lie. I can’t handle it, but at least I’ll know.
He opens his mouth to answer, but Bower jumps out of bed, startling us both. He moves over to Kingsley, wraps his hand around the back of his neck, and forcibly leads him over to the side of the bed. Grabbing the bottom of Kingsley's shirt, he yanks it over his head.
“What are you doing?”
“Unless you want me to take your pants off, too, you better do it yourself. Now.” I’ve never heard Bower speak so aggressively before, and it’s honestly a big turn on. But I tell myself not to get distracted by that as I try to figure out what he’s doing with Kingsley.
“West, shuffle back a bit, we need more room.” Weston grunts but does as Bower asks, moving closer to his edge of the bed, and dragging me with him.
