Page 144 of Holy Hearts
It’s… vulnerable.Open.Scared.
Without thinking, I reach over, my fingers brushing against his wrist as I take the remote from his hand. The touch is brief, but I let it linger just long enough for him to feel it, just long enough to let him know I see him.
Kai’s eyes flick to mine, searching, and I meet his gaze with something steady, something I hope tells him it’s okay. I don’t move. Neither does he.
But the tension in his shoulders eases, just slightly.
I turn the vibrator all the way up, the hum of the speakers filling the space between us.
“Oh fuck,” Sophie whispers, knees buckling.
Kai’s eyes bore into mine, and all I can do is shrug nonchalantly.
“No point in waiting.” Looking at Sophie, who looks like she’s about to pass out, I kneel down on one knee and begin to unzip one of her boots. Her legs are trembling, so I make sure to let my fingers drift over the insides of her knees and thighs.
“Julian,” she growls, knowing exactly what I’m doing.
Once I’m done with the other boot, she steps out of both as I stand.
I’m just about to make a quip about moving to the desk or bed when Sophie turns around and pulls Kai in for a kiss. Her arms work around his neck, and she moans as she presses her body closer.
Yeah, I could get used to this.
I step behind Sophie and work my hands underneath her jumper.
And God, it’s not just her—the soft, familiar feel of her skin or the heat of her body beneath my hands—that has my heart pounding in my chest. It’s the sight of Kai, his tentative hands settling on her waist, and the way his breathing hitches as she deepens the kiss.
For a moment, I just stand there and take it all in. My hands rest on Sophie’s hips, watching my best friend kiss my wife. The way his lips part beneath hers, the way his lashes flutter as if he’s caught in some dream he doesn’t know he’s allowed to have.
But he is.
Because as much as Sophie is mine—always has been, always will be—I can feel it in my chest like a second heartbeat:Kai’s mine too.Or could be, if he’d let me.
My hand shifts, fingers trailing along Sophie’s side, and she leans into me with a soft sigh. Her head tilts slightly, giving me just enough room to press a kiss to the curve of her neck.
But my eyes stay locked on Kai.
He catches me staring, and for a second, he looks like he might pull away. But then, something changes. His gaze sharpens, his brows drawing together, and it’s like he’s daring me—challenging me—to say or do something.
Instead, I lift a hand and let it hover near his cheek, not quite touching but close enough that he knows he could lean into it if he wants.
And he does.
It’s subtle, just the barest tilt of his head toward my palm, but it’s enough to send a jolt of heat straight to my core.
Sophie notices, of course she does. She always sees everything. Pulling back just slightly, they end their kiss and she looks at me over her shoulder, her lips curving into a wicked grin.
“You boys need a minute?” she teases, her voice low and rich with amusement.
Kai lets out a nervous laugh, but I just smirk, my fingers flexing against Sophie’s hips. “Maybe later,” I say, stepping closer, until we’re all pressed together. I click the remote down to give Sophie a reprieve.
She hums, pleased, and tugs her jumper over her head, tossing it somewhere behind her. She’s in nothing but her bra and skirt now, and when she turns back to Kai, it’s like she’s giving him permission to look, to touch, tobe.
But his eyes dart back to me instead, searching.
I reach out without thinking, my fingers tangling with his. His hand is warm, hesitant, but he doesn’t pull away. Instead, he tightens his grip, and the way his thumb brushes over mine sends a shiver racing down my spine.
I don’t know when it happened, but I’m falling. For him, for this—forus.
