Easton

She wanted it, and yet it scared her.

Pulling away from him, she shook her head. “I’m a married woman, and I love Liam.” She put some distance between them. “You’re going to have to go and put your bag away.”

“Scar?”

“I don’t cheat. I took my vows seriously. Please, go and put your bag away.”

Guilt washed over her, and she hated that she had wanted to kiss him back. With shaking hands, she started to prepare dinner. She didn’t see Easton, and when Liam came home, she heard Junior shouting to his father. She didn’t know what happened next, but Liam came into the kitchen.

One look at him, she just couldn’t handle it.

“What’s wrong?” Liam asked.

“Easton kissed me.” She felt the tears once again. “He kissed me, and I didn’t hate it.”

Liam wrapped his arms around her, like he always did, and she wanted to sink into him.

“You should hate me,” she said.

“It’s not possible for me to hate you or to feel anything like that.”

She lifted her head, staring into his eyes, confused. “Why?”

He cupped her face, and his lips covered hers. She kissed him back, feeing the need rising up. Her attraction to Liam wasn’t dying down; it was getting stronger.

Liam broke from the kiss. His lips trailed to her ear. “Now he has kissed both of us.”

She jerked back, confused. “He’s kissed you as well?”

“No, I took the kiss from your lips. Now we have both been kissed.”

“Liam?” She frowned. “Are you wanting him to be your male? Your boyfriend?”

“We need to talk about this in private.”

She had to talk about it now. Grabbing Liam’s hand, she marched him up to their bedroom.

Easton was outside Junior’s door.

“We’re going to talk for a few minutes. Good to see you, Easton,” Liam said.

She closed the door, resting her back against it and staring at her husband, who took a seat on their large bed.

“You want him to be your man in this relationship?” she asked.

“I’ve been thinking it would work for all of us, yes.”

“Easton’s not interested in a sexual relationship.”

“I don’t know. There’s a lot you don’t know about a man.”

“I think you’re wrong.”

“And if I was right and I invited Easton into our bedroom and into our life permanently, would you accept it?”

She opened her mouth and closed it. She didn’t have a clue what to say. Could she accept him?

“He hurt me,” she said, but she was starting to sound like a broken record and she knew that.

“How did it feel kissing him? Did you like it?”

She nodded her head. It felt too much like a betrayal to say the words aloud.

“Then how about we approach him?”

“You can’t trust him.”

“Scarlett, we can.”

“You don’t know him.”

“I know he wants you more than anything else. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. How his gaze lingers and there’s a yearning in his eyes, and it’s all for you. Every single part of it is for you. He will do whatever it takes to have you, at least once.”

“No. You’re wrong.”

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“You know I do.”

“Then how about you show a little faith in me?” Liam stood up and walked toward her. “This is where our relationship is heading, Scarlett. I won’t lie to you. I won’t manipulate the facts. I will always give you the cold, hard truth.”

“Even when I don’t want to know the answer?” she asked.

“Even then. Now, let’s go out there and have a nice dinner. I know you want to.” He kissed her cheek. “Leave everything else to me.”

****

Later that night, after Junior had gone to bed and Scarlett had gone to have a relaxing bath, Liam invited Easton into his library to have a late-night drink. He knew of Easton’s addictions, so the drink of choice was hot chocolate.

He’d made the drink himself. It was a damn good hot chocolate. Not as good as Scarlett’s but a second best.

“I kissed her,” Easton said, taking a seat.

“Everyone seems content to tell me about a kiss I didn’t see.”

“Scarlett told you?” Eaton asked.

“No secrets.”

“Yes, of course. I should have known. No secrets between the two of you.”

“Did you enjoy the kiss?” Liam asked.

“Look, man, I don’t feel comfortable sharing those details with you. Scar and I, we’ve got a past, and I can’t deny that I blurred the lines today.”

“You did.” Liam smiled as Easton looked uncomfortable.

“Are you going to take my son away from me?”

“Last time I checked I wasn’t a monster, Easton. I believe Junior has a right to know his father, and regardless of what that means for me, I will never keep you from your son. Unless you hurt him or Scarlett in any way. I’m also not stupid. I know you and Scarlett have a past. A history I can’t rewrite and neither of you can change.”

“I won’t cross the line again.”