Quiver & Burn (Surrender to Them 5)

“You don’t have to say anything.” I put my finger to her lips. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

“I—I can’t…” Her eyes filled with fear and she pulled away from us both. “I can’t do this.”

“What?” I blinked in surprise.

“I’m sorry.” She turned and ran towards the door.

“Brylee, wait.” Rand moved quicker than I did and made it to the door before she opened it. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head and opened the door. “I’m really sorry.”

“Please, talk to us.” I walked to the door, but she was already running down the hallway.

“Fuck!” I slammed my hand into the wall as I watched her push her key into her apartment door and disappear behind it.

“Well, that didn’t go as I expected.” Rand exhaled sharply and pushed the door closed. “Sorry, man. I guess that was a bad idea.”

“No.” I turned away and growled under my breath. “There was nothing bad about that kiss. She was there—she wanted it.”

“Maybe she just needs time to think.” Rand walked over and picked up his beer. “It wasn’t easy for us to figure it ou

t either.”

“I hope you’re right.” I sighed and walked towards my bedroom. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m going to bed.”

“It’s still daylight.” Rand’s tone echoed concern.

“Yeah, we have to be up early for work tomorrow.” I pushed my bedroom door closed and started peeling off my clothes.

I was torn. I felt the passion resonating on Brylee’s lips. I felt the heat between us. There was no mistaking that. I wasn’t sure what caused her to run, but I hoped things weren’t completely ruined between us. We took a big risk, and I still believed it was the right choice to make. Maybe Rand was right. It wasn’t easy for us to come to terms with it the first time we were with Hannah. It was even harder for us to come to terms with the prospect of sharing Brylee. If the whole thing blew up in our face, then I would just have to live with my regrets. I could still taste the kiss on my tongue when I laid down in bed. I wanted so much more than a kiss. There was a whole lot more I wanted to do with those beautiful lips. One kiss had set my whole world on fire.

This is one fire I can’t put out—not without having Brylee in my arms.

I tossed and turned for hours before I was finally able to get a little peace from my own thoughts. I heard the television for a while, and then I heard Rand go to bed. I wondered if he was fighting the same war in his head that I was. His attraction seemed to be as fierce as mine. The way he kissed her—there was no denying that it was more than just lust. He had a real connection with Brylee just like I did. I hoped it would be enough for her to take the risk we had finally come to terms with. She was just so fucking incredible. I was willing to share her if it meant I got to have that gorgeous woman in my arms. Those curves were so tempting, and I was ready to just dive headfirst into every bit of temptation swirling inside me. She just had to be willing to take a chance.

Please give us a chance, Brylee. I know this isn’t conventional, but we will do everything in our power to make sure you are the happiest woman on the planet.

Chapter Eleven

Brylee

I could barely process my own thoughts when I got back to my apartment. I was on my way home from work—I wasn’t expecting to be ambushed by Jett and Rand. It might not have been a complete ambush, but it felt like it after what they told me. They wanted me to date both of them, and then Jett kissed me. I wasn’t mentally prepared for it, and I certainly wasn’t mentally prepared for Rand to kiss me too. I wanted Jett to kiss me so badly before he pulled away the last time we’re together. I felt like I was living in a dream while it was happening. I didn’t regret the kiss—either of them—I was just confused by the feelings erupting inside me. I needed time to process it and work through things in my head. If I hadn’t run when I did, there was no way I would have been able to stop things from escalating. My desires were crushing my inhibitions too fast. My heart was still beating hard in my chest. My lips were still tingling. My body was trying to tell me to go back. It took everything inside me to resist.

I have to make sure I’m ready for this, and right now—I’m not so sure.

It was much easier to fantasize about the two of them than to actually stare down the barrel of that reality. I never imagined they would ever put something like that on the table. I thought my indecisiveness had ruined my chances, not doubled them. Jett and Rand were unbelievably hot and they kissed me with more passion than I had ever felt in my life. Once my thoughts stopped spinning out of control, I settled down and tried to rationalize what they offered. I had no idea if I could actually fall for two men. It was fun to hang out with them. They definitely turned me on. Was that enough? What could kind of relationship could we really have? I couldn’t exactly show up in Cedar Grove with two guys and tell my parents I was dating them both. Not unless I wanted my father to drop dead on the spot—or maybe my mother would do the honors first.

I just need to sleep on it. The fact I’m not shutting the door in my mind tells me that I need to think about this—I really do like them.

The darkness didn’t bring any new clarity. They haunted my dreams. Their lips were a taste of heaven, and I was the girl lucky enough to have paradise twice over. As amazing as my dreams were, I woke up with just as much uncertainty as I had when I crawled into bed. I showered and got ready for another day of work. I still hadn’t received a response from Dana. I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign. If she was innocent, I felt like she would have messaged me back. Had she really fabricated everything she showed me, and if she did—why? She seemed to be happy at Dunkirk Accounting. I didn’t know what kind of ulterior motive she would have for messing up the Russo account.

I guess I should withdraw the applications I sent to the other accounting firms. The last thing I need is for someone else to call my boss about one of them.

I put the final touches on my makeup and filled my coffee cup before heading for the door. I was a few minutes later than normal, but I would be able to make it to work in plenty of time since I usually left early. I stepped into the hallway, locked my door, and when I turned around—I nearly dropped my coffee cup. Jett and Rand were standing in the hallway with determined looks on their faces. They weren’t casually hoping to say hello before I went to work. They were waiting for me. I couldn’t exactly blow past them because they were blocking my path. Whether I was ready for it or not, I was going to have to talk to them.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Jett took a step forward and smiled.

“The most gorgeous woman in the world.” Rand grinned and tilted his head.