Page 19 of Six of Hearts
I picked up my wine glass, needing something to do with my hands. My mind was spinning, trying to process this. Part of me was shocked—this wasn't exactly a conventional arrangement. But another part of me, a part I was almost afraid to acknowledge, was intrigued.
I'd felt the pull toward all of them this week. The way my heart raced when Noah smiled at me. How safe I felt when Gabriel was near. The intellectual connection I'd felt talking with Liam.
Julian's warmth, Ethan's quiet strength, Ronan's intensity. I'd been trying to ignore it, to push it down, because they were my employers and it was inappropriate.
But if they were offering something more...
"This is a lot to take in," I said finally.
"I know." Liam's voice was gentle.
"And I want you to know—there's no pressure. You can say no, and nothing changes with your job. We need a nanny regardless. But I wanted to be honest with you about what we're hoping for. What we're open to."
I looked at him, really looked at him. He was nervous, I realised. This powerful, confident lawyer was nervous about my answer.
"I'm not saying no," I said slowly.
"But I'm not saying yes either. I need time to think about this."
"Of course." Relief flooded his expression.
"Take all the time you need."
We sat in silence for a moment, the air between us charged with possibility. Then, almost without thinking, I reached out and touched his hand.
The contact was electric. His fingers turned, threading through mine, and suddenly we were both standing, moving toward each other.
"Aria," he breathed, and then his lips were on mine.
The kiss was everything I'd been trying not to imagine all week—intense, searching, full of barely restrained want. His hands came up to frame my face, gentle despite the hunger I could feel in the way his body pressed against mine.
I kissed him back, my hands sliding up his chest, feeling his heart racing under my palms. This was crazy. This was complicated. This was—
"Wait," Liam said, pulling back slightly. His breathing was ragged, his eyes dark. "Wait."
"What's wrong?" My own voice was breathless.
"Nothing's wrong. Everything about this feels right." He rested his forehead against mine. "But you said you need time to think. And you should have that. I don't want you to make this decision because we got caught up in the moment."
I could feel the tension in his body, the effort it was taking him to pull back. "What if I don't want to wait?"
"Aria." His hands slid down to my shoulders, steadying both of us. "This isn't just about tonight. This is about something bigger. You should be sure. You should think about what this means, what you want."
He was right. I knew he was right. But my body was still humming with want, my lips still tingling from his kiss.
"Besides," he said, a small smile playing at his lips, "if we do this, I want you to be all in. Not uncertain. Not questioning. I want you to choose this—choose us—with your whole heart."
The words sent a shiver through me. Choose us. Not just him. All of them.
"Okay," I said softly. "Okay, you're right."
He kissed me again, softer this time, almost reverent. "Think about it. Talk to Khloe if you need to. Ask me questions if you have them. But don't feel rushed."
I nodded, stepping back, trying to clear my head. "I should probably go."
"Probably," he agreed, but neither of us moved.
Finally, I forced myself to grab my purse, to head toward the door. Liam walked me out, and at the threshold, I turned back.
