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  He gently cupped her cheek as he tilted his head and pressed his mouth against hers. The kiss was soft and tentative, his lips so smooth and warm that they instantly had her body lighting up. He started to move his lips along hers, his tongue tentatively stroking along the seam of her mouth until she opened and let him inside. He tasted like syrup, sweet and addictive and making her erogenous zones tingle with awareness.

  She brought her hands up and gripped his biceps, the muscles beneath her fingers flexing as he moved closer to her. His other hand cupped her waist, his mouth still working slowly against hers.

  Soon that soft and tentative kiss became more heated, more demanding. His tongue stroked along hers. His hand clenched and unclenched on her hip. She opened her mouth wider, softly moaning as she forgot about everything except the feel of his mouth on hers. Her pussy became wet, her clit swelled, and her nipples beaded. He suddenly broke the kiss, pulling her so close that one of her legs draped across his thigh.

  “God, I love you. You feel so good, so right pressed up against me.”

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let her body hum with a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire. He moved back and cupped her face, his lips mere inches from her own.

  “I’m so in love with you, Lilly. Did you know that? Since the moment I realized what love was, I knew that was how I felt for you.”

  She smiled, her eyes becoming moist again as Riley pored his heart out to her.

  “I tried pushing away what I felt for you, tried to tell myself wanting you was wrong. I didn’t want to cross that line, so I buried what I felt, tried to be with other people, find love elsewhere.” He shook his head again. “It was no use. You’re it for me, all I think about.”

  Her pulse was beating so hard and fast she couldn’t even think straight. But the truth of what she wanted to say was right there on the tip of her tongue. She knew she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

  “I’m so in love with you, Riley,” Lilly whispered. “I feel like I shouldn’t have those kinds of emotions toward you.” Lilly closed her eyes for a moment. Or these emotions for Tallin either. “It almost seems wrong.” She dropped her gaze, but he guided her head back up with his finger under her chin until she was looking at him again.

  “Don’t say that, sweetheart. I’ve realized what I feel for you isn’t wrong. It could never be wrong.”

  “It just seems … selfish of me to want you the way I do.”

  “Selfish?” He sounded confused.

  “You guys have always been there for me. Protecting me, being my shoulder to cry on, and just being there for me no matter what.” She remembered when Christian, Tallin, and Riley had cornered Jacob Phinson—a guy who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. The asshole had pissed himself before they even bitch-slapped him. He never did bother her again.

  “How can we not be all those things to you? We love you, Lilly. There isn’t anything selfish about your feelings. It’s only natural for us to feel this way for you, to love you so much that it takes up our entire beings.”

  Us.

  We.

  She sat back, wondering why he had spoken in the plural, but she didn’t question him, just let what he said absorb into her. What he didn’t know, and what she could never tell him, was that he wasn’t the only one she had those feelings for.

  As if he had heard her thoughts, Tallin came in and slammed the side door. There was some rustling of clothes a minute before he walked into the living room with an armful of freshly chopped wood. He stopped, looking between them, and his brows drawn down.

  “What?” Tallin’s voice was gruff, and his cheeks and nose were red from the blistering cold.

  Lilly’s cheeks became hot as she thought about what she and Riley had just shared. She knew Tallin hadn’t missed the blush. It was obvious when his eyes went back to Riley’s for a suspended second.

  “Need some help carrying in the wood?” Tallin stared at Riley for another moment before bringing his eyes to her and shaking his head.

  “Nah, Riley can help. I don’t want you to get a splinter.”

  She had to laugh because Tallin was so serious. “A splinter? Really?”

  “Those things can be a real bitch. Remember when you stubbed your toe? That didn’t hurt as much as a big-ass splinter shoved into your hand would. Trust me.”

  She was smiling as she watched Tallin stack the wood by the fireplace. Riley got up and left the living room. The silence between her and Tallin was tangible, and the way he watched her, the expression on his face, made her feel bared, for some reason.

  A moment later, Riley came back in with a pile of wood in his arms. She leaned back on the couch, staring at them as her own personal questions and concerns filled her head. She needed to figure out what in the hell was going on with her, and how she’d deal with the new revelations.

  Chapter Six

  Clarity

  The next few days passed fairly quickly, and the snowstorm was finally starting to let up. The weather was still frigid, and because of that, the snow was turning into ice. The main roads had been cleared for the most part, but it would still be a pain in the ass to make it down the mountain. But even though Lilly knew she should go back to her own cabin, put her feelings and what she and Riley had said behind her for the time being, she couldn’t stomach the idea of leaving Riley and Tallin.

  She’d stayed up during the night, her thoughts bombarding her as she tried to make sense of her feelings. The more she thought about it, the more her embarrassment and shame decreased. She hadn’t done anything more with Riley, not even talking about their feelings, although she didn’t miss the way he stared at her, the way his whiskey-colored eyes watched her with a hunger that made her heart skip a beat.

  Lilly had initially thought it would be slightly uncomfortable, seeing him and knowing what they had shared, but it wasn’t. She actually found herself more at ease. Riley hadn’t attempted to kiss her again, and she had a feeling he was waiting for her to decide what she truly wanted.

  Tallin hadn’t left the cabin either, and she couldn’t help herself and let her mind explore the emotions she felt for him. True, she loved both of them very much, but examining them as a woman would a man, she knew it was so much more than that. How had she not seen the truth all along? How had she been so blind? She didn’t know if Tallin even felt the same toward her, but how would she ever find out? Wasn’t it taboo to love two men at the same time? To be with two men? They were her childhood friends, as well, and that seemed like she was doing something totally wrong, wanting something that was off-limits.

  As she really thought about it, she realized she didn’t just love them, she was in love with them, but there was the very real possibility she could lose them both if she revealed her desires.

  Shaking her head, she knew she could never be with them in the way she desired. It was a moot point anyway. She might want Tallin, but aside from a stolen glance here and there, which she interpreted in her own way, he had never acted as though he were interested in her. Although, neither had Riley until recently.

  She sat by the window in the library, a book in her lap as she focused on the setting sun. There hadn’t been much of it lately, but every so often, she could see it peeking through the dense clouds and making the snow sparkle like a million little diamonds.

  Tallin was out getting more firewood, and Riley was working in his study. It had been over a week now that she’d been at the cabin, and the food was starting to dwindle down. They’d have to go to town soon, and she’d have to face the fact she couldn’t stay in this bubble forever.

  She’d been able to use the snow as an excuse, but now the storm was lifting and she’d told Riley she didn’t want to outstay her welcome and it was probably time for her to leave. To say the expression on his face hadn’t affected her would be a lie.

  Now that she’d finally opened her eyes and accepted what had been hidden deep inside of her for so long, her feelings for Riley and Tallin w
ere starting to take their toll on her, starting to become stronger. Even now, she couldn’t help but picture how Tallin had looked when he’d come down after his shower this morning.

  He hadn’t bothered with a t-shirt, and when he’d walked into the kitchen, she’d had to force herself not to gawk. Tallin was a big guy, tall and heavily muscled thanks to his training with the Marines, but it had been years since she’d seen him without a shirt on, and back then, she hadn’t fully appreciated what she saw, hadn’t let her emotions take root in her.

  Closing her eyes and breathing out, the image of Tallin kept replaying in her head. His chest, honed to physical perfection, had a dark trail of hair starting below his navel and disappeared beneath his loose jeans. She got wet now just thinking about it. Fortunately, neither Riley nor Tallin had seen the way she’d been looking at him. If they had she would have been mortified, humiliated beyond belief.

  Opening her eyes she focused on the wall in front of her. Riley was getting under her skin, as well. Even now, as she lay in bed, she couldn’t sleep, couldn’t get her mind off of the two men. Pushing the blankets off of her, she rose and grabbed the robe Riley had given her. The sun wasn’t even up yet, the shadows washing through the partially opened curtain. She’d walk the house a little, trying to clear her head while everything was quiet and still.

  The noise of the clock ticking in the hallway was the only sound she heard, but as she moved down the stairs and into the living room, the sound of rhythmic pounding filled the air. Following the thumping noise, she came upon Riley’s study, and pushed the partially ajar door fully open.

  Lilly sucked in a breath as she stared in rapt awe at Riley running on a treadmill. He wasn’t as tall or bulky as Tallin, but his body was tight and corded, like that of a swimmer.

  She stood in the doorway, barely breathing, knowing he couldn’t see or hear her. His earbuds were in, his eyes closed, and his chest bare. Sweat rolled down his skin in rivulets that had her pussy clenching with desire. He only wore a pair of track shorts, his legs toned and muscular as he ran with precision. His muscles flexed and bunched. His body was like a machine. She stood there until he slowed to a brisk walk and then quickly turned and left, not wanting to be caught staring at him.

  Heading back to her room, she shut the door and breathed out. Closing her eyes, all she could feel was the pounding of her heart in her ears, and the feeling of her pussy wet. Thinking about Tallin’s massive muscles and Riley’s toned perfection, all she wanted to do right at this moment was touch herself.

  If she didn’t control herself she’d became insane with her lust and feelings for them. As it was her body was at a constant arousal, her breasts swollen and her nipples tight. Her pussy was moist all the time, her clit so swollen it felt like her pulse was stationed there. Lilly couldn’t help her body’s reaction, and it wasn’t something she could ignore.

  Pushing away from her door she went to the window and pulled the curtain aside. She just stared at the ground, and the snow covered trees, the way the disappearing moon made it seem like diamonds were scattered across everything.

  Lilly must have stood there for a good twenty minutes, not able to go back to sleep, and not able to clear her mind.

  There was a light rap on her door. “Lilly?”

  She looked at the doorway, her heart pounding fast. Before she even said anything the door was pushed open and Riley stood there, his chest bare, a light sheen of water covering it. He wasn’t in his workout attire anymore, and instead wore a pair of loose sweats, his feet bare. His hair was damp and in disarray from a clear shower, and he was void of his glasses.

  Trying to control her expression and emotions, she swallowed and stepped away from the window. “Hi,” she said softly, her voice feeling tight, sounding like it, too.

  “I saw you downstairs leaving my study. Can’t sleep?”

  She shook her head.

  “Do you want to talk?” He walked in and shut the door softly behind him.

  I don’t know if what I want to talk about is the right thing to do.

  He turned and glanced out the window when she didn’t respond, the muscles in his jaw clenched tight.

  “Listen. I feel really bad about what happened between us.”

  Her heart nearly stopped at his words. “What do you mean?” Was he now regretting it?

  “I shouldn’t have put in you in that position, made you uncomfortable.”

  I wasn’t uncomfortable, Riley.

  “I was in the wrong, and I was being selfish. You have been through so much, we all have, and it wasn’t right for me to push it.”

  He hadn’t looked at her when he spoke, just continued to stare out the window. Knowing what she was about to do could possibly ruin everything, she moved toward him, not wanting to deny herself any longer.

  Life’s too short.

  He turned his head toward her, a flicker of surprise going over his face at her sudden movement. She moved closer until they were standing chest to chest. She lifted on her toes, cupped his cheeks, and brought his lips to hers. There was a moment when he didn’t kiss her back and she almost pulled away, but then his hand speared into her hair and urged her closer. He gripped her waist with his other hand, clenching it slightly as his tongue ran over her lips, teasing and tempting her. She opened her mouth and moaned at the feel of his tongue sliding along hers.

  Ecstasy speared through her with an intensity so powerful that it left her breathless. She could feel his erection straining against his sweats, pressing hard and long against her stomach and causing her own pussy to weep with the need to be filled. He had her against the wall in a matter of seconds, his head tilting more to the side as his tongue speared deeper into her mouth. He tantalized her senses, driving her higher and higher until she was forced to break the kiss and suck in a large lungful of air.

  He immediately went to her neck, licking and sucking, dragging his teeth along the column of her throat. The sounds coming from him were erotic and spicy and turning her insides to jelly. Her clit throbbed heavily, and her nipples grew tighter, longer, as if they were seeking out his mouth. His hands moved over her body, running up the sides of her breasts, skimming over the mounds that felt too heavy, too full.

  He skimmed his palms over her sensitive nipples, and she thrust her chest toward him, seeking for more than the tentative touch he was giving. She panted when she felt him slowly push his hips into her belly, grinding his cock against her. She groaned, not able to hold the sound in. Riley lowered his head even further, his tongue leaving a trail of liquid heat down her neck and over her collarbone until his lips were poised right above the swell of one of her breasts.

  Before she could say anything, his mouth had taken possession of her nipple through the thin fabric of her shirt. She was braless, so there was nothing but that thin layer of cotton separating them. He grabbed her breast, squeezing and massaging the mound until she soon found herself pushing her hips out in wanton pleasure. She could feel the defined length and girth of his shaft, which made her gasp with lust.

  He sucked hard, her shirt becoming saturated from his saliva and fueling her desire higher. She let her head fall against the wall as she gripped his shoulders. His mouth moved to the other breast, and she opened her eyes and looked down. The white material was nearly transparent as it suctioned to her breast, her areola clearly evident through the fabric, and her engorged nipple poking against the shirt.

  He moved his hand to the hem of her shirt, pushing the material up, and she gasped at the feel of his fingers caressing her body. He moved his hand over her waist, up her ribs, and cupped the breast he wasn’t sucking on. She breathed out heavily, watching the acts as her pussy throbbed, creamed, and tingled. The feelings he caused in her were exquisite, setting off an explosion of color within her. Having his warm flesh on her, his mouth doing wicked things to her nipple, could have had Lilly coming right then.

  He tweaked and pulled at her nipple, having the little nub between his thumb and fore
finger and pulling at it. He then smoothed his palm over the pleasure-pain he’d caused, teasing the aching bud once more. Riley unlatched his mouth from her and looked into her face. His eyes were dark and stormy, filled with desire that mirrored hers. He took a step back, grabbed the hem of her shirt, and pulled it up in one swift move. She flushed with arousal, her breathing erratic as he tossed the material away and lowered his gaze to her exposed chest.

  “So damn gorgeous, Lilly,” he whispered.

  She couldn’t even form any words at the moment.

  “You are so beautiful, Lilly.” His expression was filled with love, but more than that, especially right now, unadulterated lust was coming from him.

  “Should we really do this?” she asked, reason coming in even though she was the one that started this right now.

  “I won’t force you into anything, but damn, Lilly,” he groaned the last word, “I don’t want to stop.”

  She wanted Riley with a passion that rivaled anything else, but she couldn’t get rid of that little nagging voice inside her head that told her she could possibly ruin their friendship. She knew for sure that if she didn’t express how much she loved him, if she didn’t open up her arms and accept what he was offering her, she would absolutely regret it.

  “I don’t want to stop,” she whispered, knowing she had to be with him.

  And then the sound of the snowmobile coming toward the house had them both holding their breath.

  He grabbed her shirt from the ground and helped her back into it, and the material abraded her sensitive flesh. He took a step toward her again, wrapped his hand around her waist, and pulled her up against his chest. Riley kissed her gently on the lips, then leaned his forehead against hers, exhaling. “Tallin’s home.”