Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Josh was putting all his cards on the table. “We won’t miss the money, baby. But we would miss you so fucking much. My whole family agreed to this.”
Nicole’s eyes closed, and she wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, Josh. And you, Grim. Thank you for loving me.”
He held her and when her eyes opened, his mouth found hers. It was gentle at first, a promise the love they had would always be there. Then she turned and Grim kissed her, too. He watched as his best friend in the world kissed the woman who would be their wife. Here there was zero jealousy at all. His jealousy had been rooted in the fear he could lose them both, but now they felt settled. They felt real.
This was the start of his family.
Grim turned her toward Josh. There was a flush to his friend’s face that let him know emotion was riding him hard, too. “Get her ready. I’m going to get my kit.”
His kit. Because they would need lube and a plug to prepare her for what they really wanted.
Nicole’s arms floated up around his neck. “You’re going to make love to me together tonight.”
“Is that a question, baby? Or a demand?”
“I don’t know. Which one will get the big bad Dom to spank me?”
“All you ever have to do is ask.” He ran his hands under her shirt, feeling soft skin beneath his palms. “Did you miss it? Did you miss the discipline?”
She nodded. “Yes, Josh. I dreamed every night about how you and Grim touch me, how you worship my body. I never thought I would crave something like this, but I do. I wouldn’t if I didn’t trust you, if I didn’t love you and believe fully you love me, too. I’ve been scared I can’t trust my instincts. Worried I made a mistake once so I’ll make it again and again, but I’ve learned. I’ve grown. I’m not the woman who thought I could fix the man. You don’t need to be fixed, Josh. Grim doesn’t need to be fixed.”
She’d come so far. He lowered his forehead to rest against hers. “You don’t need to be fixed, Nic.”
“No, I need to understand what I want and need and ask for it from the people I love. From the people who love me. I spent my whole life wondering how I would get through, how I would just survive sometimes from one moment to the next. How to please the people around me so they let me stay. Now I’ve started to wonder who I can be, what parts of me I can explore, because I’m not worried about pleasing people.” She flushed. “It’s not that…”
He knew where she was going. “Baby, you don’t have to change to keep my love. You can be irritated. You can get mad as hell at me or Grim and we’ll still be here. You can make mistakes and your family will still love and support you.”
“Except Olivia.” Grim chuckled as he walked back into the room. “She’ll throw your ass under a bus if you get caught underage drinking.”
A soft smile hit her lips. “I’ll try to avoid that.”
“I can think of other things to do.” If Grim was back then the bedroom was ready, and he hadn’t done his job. He lifted Nicole up and into his arms. “Come on, baby. We want to welcome you home.”
In the sweetest way possible.
Chapter Eighteen
Nicole felt light as Josh carried her through the house she’d come to think of as home. He always made her feel like she weighed next to nothing, but there was more to it tonight. She’d let go of her fears, of the worry she might not be enough for them, and it made the world feel brighter, easing her soul.
Josh set her on her feet, and his hands immediately went to the hem of her shirt, hauling it over her head.
“I thought you were supposed to have her naked and ready,” Grim complained. He looked so hot. He’d taken off his shirt at some point, and his big, muscular chest was on display.
“We were having an emotional breakthrough,” Josh shot back. “She’s decided we’re not her asshole dead ex and she loves us.”
“You’re slow. Nic and I had this particular breakthrough hours ago,” Grim replied.
“Well, if you hadn’t had to go to dinner immediately, maybe I would have had mine with her, too. Your gut always gets us in trouble.” Josh’s head shook as she toed out of her shoes.
Her guys. They were two halves of a whole, and she wouldn’t have them any other way. “All the emotional breakthroughs are good. As soon as Jack throws enough money at the problem of my potential incarceration for a crime I didn’t commit, we can get married and get super boring.”