Page 243 of Stay Scared

“You were with them?”

“Occasionally.”

“Why?”

“Supervision.”

Cade turns. “You broke into Ash’s office twice.”

“The first time was not breaking in.”

Ash looks at him. “You bypassed a locked door.”

“The lock was embarrassing.”

I start laughing because all three of them are standing here alive, damaged, impossible, and exactly as irritating as I remember.

Cade looks at me, and the laughter fades when his eyes settle on my mouth.

Ash notices.

Owen does too.

The mood turns in a heartbeat.

Cade steps into me. Ash holds his ground while Owen closes one hand around my hip from behind.

Three bodies crowd around me, too much heat with the wall at my back and no camera recording any of it.

I lift my chin as Cade touches my jaw, Ash’s mouth brushes my temple, and Owen’s breath reaches the side of my neck.

For six weeks, I imagined what coming back would feel like.

I was wrong.

Relief would be easier.

This is pressure, hunger, and the dangerous familiarity of wanting men I have every reason to fear and enough reasons to want anyway.

Cade’s mouth finds mine as Owen’s hand tightens. Ash reaches into my coat pocket.

I catch his wrist before he reaches the founder key.

His eyes meet mine.

“Absolutely not.”

His mouth curves. “Worth trying.”

I shove his hand away, but he catches my fingers and kisses my knuckles instead.

Cade makes an irritated sound while Owen pulls me back against his chest.

Nobody is behaving.

Apparently that is perfect.

Somewhere beyond the corridor, Mark honks once from the parking lot.