The Billionaire’s Bride by L. Steele

16

Ava

"Ah." I lose my footing, and would have fallen, but Baron and Edward both step up. Baron grips my left arm, Edward my right, and I find my balance. I glance between the two of them. From Baron’s blue gaze that burns with that inner fire I am coming to recognize as uniquely his to Edward’s golden one that sweeps down my curves and eats me up before coming to rest on my face.

The tension between us builds. Heat flushes my cheeks, my chest. My nipples pebble.

"Um," Isla clears her throat, "I guess I’d better be going. Call me if you need anything, Ava."

Her footsteps recede, the door slams behind her and then I am alone, with not one, but two hot, sexy, dominant-as-hell alphaholes.

I tug on my arms, but neither of them releases me.

"Hey, guys," I half laugh, "I think you’d best unhand me."

Neither moves. Both of them glare at me, like they want to hurt me, right before they kiss it all and make it better. OMG, stop thinking about them in the plural! What the hell is wrong with me?

"Baron, Edward, please, can you release my hands? You are hurting me."

Baron instantly releases me, Edward more slowly. I step back, wrap my arms about myself. "I didn’t hear the two of you come in."

"I have the password," Baron concedes.

"Of course, you do," I complain. "Karina must have shared it with you, huh?"

"I didn’t give her a choice." He smirks. "And if she hadn’t, I’d have simply hacked into her computer."

"Another of your many skills, no doubt."

"Just something I like to play with in my spare time." His grin widens. "Of course, there are other things I’d rather be doing instead, if you must know."

My flush deepens. "Don’t think I asked, or that I care, either way."

"Sure, you do." He chuckles, "Admit it, Eve, you are dying to know more about me."

"And I want to know more about you," Edward interjects smoothly. "It strikes me that you haven’t had the chance to tell me more about yourself since we met."

"That’s true, I guess." I glance between them again. "I mean, I’ve, uh, been busy, I suppose."

"What do you say we pick you up after class and take you to dinner?" Baron asks.

"Both of you?" I look from Baron to Edward, then at Baron again. "At the same time?"

"It’s only dinner," Edward drawls. "What do you say?"

"I… I don’t understand." I frown.

"You have to eat sometime," Baron urges. "So do we."

"But at the same time?"

"Why not?" Edward interjects. "We can have a civil meal, the three of us, can’t we?"

"Can we?" I step back from them. "The last time I saw the two of you, you were getting ready to smash in the other one’s face. Then, both of you were pissed that I was maybe getting…uh, intimate with the other. Now you’re saying we should go to dinner together…" I purse my lips. "Do either of you care to explain what the hell is happening?"

They look at each other, then Baron nods at Edward, which is weird. Not that he nodded, but because it’s like a sign has passed between them, which means they are communicating, and that is strange. These two couldn’t stand the sight of each other. Now, suddenly, they are here asking me to dinner? Together? I shake my head, "What?" I frown. "What is it?"

Edward raises his hand, "We, uh, met up earlier, after you, ah, threw me out."

"I am not sorry about it," I mutter and he smirks.

"Opinionated too, huh?"

I flush. "You were saying? That you two met?"

His eyes gleam. "Yep, we did, and we figured we should come at this at a different angle."

"Which is?"

"That the two of us try to date you together, for a little while."

"So, the three of us," I circle the space between us with my finger, "do stuff together?"

Baron nods.

"So, we hang out together."

"Yep," Edward leans forward, "you okay with that?"

"More to the point, are you okay with that?"

His brow furrows, then he schools all emotions form his features. "For now." He nods, "Yeah, for the moment, I am."

"And you?" I turn to Baron, "You’re fine with this arrangement?"

He squares his shoulders. "Temporarily."

"Hmm." I purse my lips. "I wonder how long that will last?"

Edward grunts. "Don’t write us off yet," he admonishes me. "Neither of us wants to risk losing you. And while each of us hates the thought of you being with the other, it would be a lot worse if we upset you so much that you turned away from us completely, hence—"

"This arrangement," Baron picks up the commentary. "It’s not ideal, but it means each of us knows where the other is in relation to you."

"So, there is some level of transparency?" I venture.

"Exactly," Edward nods. "Earlier, each of us kept speculating about what the other was up to. This way, at least, whatever is happening is out in the open."

"Right." I glance between them again. "You do know that I am not compromising on the no-sex clause."

Edward scowls. Baron glowers back at me.

"Well?"

Edward seems like he is about to say something, then firms his lips.

"I am not deviating from that." I draw myself up to my full height. "I am not sleeping with either of you guys."

Both stay quiet. The silence stretches.

"Guess neither of you is happy with that," I say softly. "But that’s one thing I am not budging on." I glance between them again, "So what do you say?"

Baron’s jaw tics and a nerve throbs at his temple. Edward glares at me, his amber eyes glowing with a golden light that seems to flare even brighter.

"Well?" I say. "Guess you are both not on board with it, then?" I hunch my shoulders. "If you’re not, then I guess you should both leave now."

I am about to turn away, when Baron snaps, "Fine." He grumbles, "Fine, no-sex, for the time-being."

My muscles unwind. I nod, turn to Edward, "And you?" I murmur. "What do you say, Ed?"

"You’re killing me, Eve," he says softly.

"Is that a ‘no’?"

"It’s a ’yes.’" He pinches the bridge of his nose. "I can’t believe I am agreeing to it, but yeah, fine, no sex. Temporarily."

"No sex." I hold out my palm. "Promise me, neither of you will push it."

"What?" Baron scowls.

"What the fuck?" Edward glares at me.

"Promise me." I jerk my chin toward my upturned hand.

Baron growls, then places his large palm on my much smaller one.

"What-fucking-ever," he gripes.

My lips quirk as I turn to Ed.

He holds my gaze, then cushions my palm with his, sandwiching my hand between his and Baron’s. Heat suffuses my spine. My thighs clench. Warmth from the point of contact with both of them sinks into my blood.

"Fine," Edward grumbles, "we’ll do it your way."