Meg knew what she should do. She should tell Theo that the best way to take care of her and Galen is to talk to them. But with the candlelight playing across Theo’s skin and his skillful hands working at the knots in her shoulders, she couldn’t work up the energy to fight with him. “I’m not happy with you.”

“I know.” He dug into a particularly tight knot, working it with his thumb. “What do you need from me tonight, princess?”

She let her eyes close, let him keep working his magic on her body. Six months into their relationship, and Meg knew that Theo would give her anything she asked for. If she wanted him and Galen to dress up like Vikings and roleplay one of her favorite scenes in a romance novel she was reading, he’d do it without question. He had done it without question last month. Theo might be fucking up on communication and overworked to the point where she barely saw him, but she never doubted for a second that he loved her and wanted her happy.

She slipped beneath the surface of the water. Free of his touch, clarity didn’t suddenly strike her like lightning. If there was an answer, she didn’t have it. Meg slowly stood and let herself drink in the way Theo watched her. As if she was some kind of Aphrodite rising out of the ocean instead of standing here in their tub. “I just want you tonight, Theo. None of the bullshit. Just you.”

He nodded and grabbed one of the ridiculously large towels they kept stocked in here. “Let me take care of you tonight,” he repeated.

Easy enough to read in between the lines of what he wanted. A reprieve in a long line of reprieves. Theo was trying to hold off the inevitable conversation all three of them had to have until he could iron out the mess Thalania had become in his absence. Or maybe the backbiting politics and squabbling seven Families had always been like this. Either way, Theo wanted time to get it handled.

She just wished he’d lean on her and Galen a little bit in the meantime.

Meg stepped out of the tub and let him wrap her in the towel. “Like I’m going to say no.”

Theo dried her gently, thoroughly, making quick work of it. He had a face built for candlelight, all sharp angles and a beauty that was damn near painful to witness. The passing time should have inoculated her to the sight of him, but then he would turn just so or look at her with those big blue eyes, and she’d forget to breathe.

“You could.”

She blinked. “What?”

“You could say no.”

Meg laughed. She couldn’t help it. “Theo, have you looked in the mirror lately?”

He glanced over, and she followed his gaze to the large mirror situated on the other side of the bath. They painted quite the picture, him large and towering over her, his shock of near-black hair several shades darker than hers, his big hands holding the towel against her skin. For once, he wasn’t wearing his usual clothing of suits that cost enough to give Meg hives. In the workout shorts, he looked… Not normal. Theo would never be anything as mundane as normal.

He looked touchable.

So that was exactly what she did. Meg ran her hands up his stomach to his chest and stepped to him. “I know I could say no. I’ve said no to you more times than I can count since we’ve met.” She cupped his strong jaw with her palm. “Theo, are you okay?”

“No.” He pulled her slowly, inexorably closer, until her breasts pressed against his bare chest. “Just… Let me take care of you tonight, princess.”

The rare vulnerability he let her see in that moment seduced her as thoroughly as his body ever had. She nodded. “Yes.”

Theo swept her off her feet and carried her out of the bathroom. Normally, she’d give him shit for such a caveman move, but Meg didn’t want to poke at him tonight. She was tired and heartsore, and both her men were obviously feeling the same. They couldn’t fix the mess waiting for them outside those doors, but they could strengthen their foundations tonight.

She just hoped it would be enough.

Galen waited for them on the bed, clothed in only his skin. Her heart skipped a beat. As much as Theo’s beauty seduced her, Galen’s raw sex appeal knocked her right in the stomach. His dusky skin was crisscrossed with lighter scars, a testament to the abuse his father had leveled at him as a child. His dark hair had grown longer, losing the military-like cut. She liked it. There was a lot to like about Galen.

He watched Theo carry her toward him with a predatory look that sent a bolt of desire through her. Only good things came from Galen getting that expression on his face.

Theo set her on the bed just out of reach and pressed a hand to her shoulder. “Don’t move.” He was only gone a moment, disappearing back into the bathroom and reappearing with a hairbrush. He took up a position against the headboard and urged her to sit between his legs with her back to him.

Theo began carefully brushing her wet hair.

Meg closed her eyes and let the gentle tug of the brush soothe her. The fluffy towel and Theo’s proximity kept her cozy, but Galen’s attention pricked along her skin, a promise of things to come. On and on it went. Theo was never one to do things halfway, but he seemed to enjoy the slow slide of the brush through her drying hair as much as she did.

Finally, he set the brush aside and eased her back against his chest. Her hair was almost dry at this point, but Theo moved its soft weight off her neck and pressed a kiss to her throat. He pulled the towel away from her body and tossed it off the bed, leaving them skin to skin. It felt good to be wrapped up in him like this. Even better than his brushing her hair.

The mattress dipped and Meg opened her eyes to find Galen had moved to a point just past their feet for a better view. He arched a dark eyebrow at her, but something soft and intimate marred the arrogance of the expression. He needed this reaffirming as much as she did.

For once, no one colored the air around them with filthy words and dirty talk. Theo stroked his hands over her body, the rough slide of his palms across her skin sending her nerves sparking in response. She writhed a little, but he wouldn’t be guided. He paid equal attention to her arms, her shoulders, her stomach and her hips, avoiding her breasts and pussy.

The damn tease.

Finally, a small eternity later, he cupped her breasts, giving them the same slow exploration delivered to the rest of her body. Meg couldn’t stop herself from arching up to press herself more firmly into his hands.

“Impatient,” he murmured against her skin.

“Can you blame her?” Galen’s rough tone made Meg shiver. He reached down and palmed his own cock. “She’s shaking with need.”

Meg grabbed Theo’s hand. She spread her legs wide, hooking them on either side of Theo’s, making sure to give Galen a good show. “Take care of me, baby.” She pressed his hand to her pussy. “You promised.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Theo cupped her there roughly, possessively, the touch lighting a spark beneath Meg’s skin. He pushed a single finger into her, still teasing, not offering nearly enough of what she craved. His voice curled around her, just as intimate as their current position. “I’m feeling generous tonight, princess, so I’ll let you choose how we give it to you. Do you want me here?” He pushed a second finger into her and then withdrew. “Or here.” Theo pressed his wet fingers to her ass.

Meg shivered. “Galen takes the other?”

“You wouldn’t deny him, would you?”

As if she didn’t spend far too much of her time craving the feeling of being pinned between them in every way possible, both their cocks filling her until she lost herself completely. Of the unique closeness and trust that came from this particular kind of fucking.

“In fact…” Theo slid his hands beneath her ass and lifted her higher against his chest. “Come have a taste, Galen. An appetizer for both of you.”

Galen didn’t hesitate. He crawled up the mattress to lay between their spread thighs and adjusted Meg against Theo’s body until he had her where he wanted her. Unlike Theo, Galen didn’t tease this time. He just descended on her pussy like he could work out all his frustration with his tongue on her clit.

Theo kept her pinned in place with one hand on her hip, but the other he laced through Galen’s hair, holding his face against her. As if he wasn’t already fucking her with his tongue like he could never get enough.

Pleasure coiled inside her, tighter and tighter. She reached down and covered Theo’s hand with hers and used her other to lace through Galen’s hair on the other side of his head. “Oh god, Galen. That feels so good.”

He growled against her skin, the sound vibrating her clit. Theo laughed softly. “Can you feel how she tenses when you do that? She’s so fucking close.”

His words and Galen’s mouth were too much. Galen sucked her clit hard and that was it. Meg orgasmed, writhing against him even as he softened his touch to the barest brushing of his breath against her sensitized skin.

“Mmm.” Galen gave her one last lick and rose over their bodies to give first Theo and then Meg a devastating kiss. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Meg turned in Theo’s arms and climbed up to straddle him, well aware that he allowed her to do it. She hesitated, but he didn’t give her a chance to decide how to play this. He guided her down onto his cock, slowly and surely spearing her to the hilt, his hands on her hips locking her in place. She felt more than heard Galen move away to grab the lube they kept stocked in the nightstand and return to take up a place behind her.

She tensed. She couldn’t help it.

No matter how many times they did this, how intensely she craved the whole experience, there was always a moment of oh god, I’ve made a mistake as the second cock pushed into her. This time offered no exception.

Galen ran his hand up her spine even as he sank another inch into her ass, slowly and steadily working deeper. “Breathe, baby.”

“We’ve got you.” Theo cradled her face and kissed her softly, his lips and tongue devastatingly gentle, the feeling all the more overwhelming because of the almost-uncomfortable way they filled her. The stroke of his tongue against hers told her more clearly than words how much he cherished her, how much he loved her.

And then Galen was sheathed in her completely and he pressed his big body against her back, caging her and setting her free at the same time. Meg closed her eyes and allowed the feeling to wash over her as she relaxed into the feeling of them inside her. If she concentrated, she could almost feel their heartbeats on either side of her body, a merging of them into something more.

Theo smoothed her hair back. “Good?” His normally smooth voice had roughened, the only signal of his need to move.

“Yes.” The word broke in the middle. She cleared her throat. “I’m good.”

Galen lifted himself off her enough so she could move, a slow drag of her body between theirs. His weight pressed her clit hard against Theo’s pubic bone, and every slide had her relaxing a little more, welcoming the penetration and the orgasm sparking to life inside her. Each stroke built on that pleasure, and Meg fought to keep her rhythm consistent. She bit her bottom lip, trapping a whimper threatening to break free. It was too much. Between one breath and the next, she came. Her men held her through the waves that seemed to go on and on. It might have been seconds or hours, but finally it released her and she slumped against Theo’s chest.

They shifted her onto her side and came with her. Galen kissed the back of her neck and reached around to cup her breasts, playing with her nipples. Theo hitched her leg up and out, opening her completely to them. He took her mouth as he and Galen began to move, chasing their own pleasure.

Careful, though. They were so damn careful with her.

Galen lost himself first, pulling out of her in time to come in harsh spurts against her back. Theo drove into her, grinding hard as he came, still kissing her in that devastatingly gentle way.

They lay there for several long moments, but before reality—and their level of stickiness—could sink in, Theo rose and carried her into the shower. Galen joined them several minutes later and they washed each other leisurely.

She loved this just as much as the fucking. The casual intimacy of Galen handing Theo the shampoo, of him rolling his eyes as she washed his back, of the soft kisses they both pressed to her skin in passing as they went through the motions of cleaning themselves and each other.

The bed had clean sheets on it—the reason for Galen’s delay—when they made it back into the bedroom. Meg glanced at Theo, a thousand questions lingering in her chest, but ultimately exhaustion weighed too heavily.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow. They would have a conversation tomorrow.

Tomorrow just hadn’t come around once in six months.

Galen dropped onto his side of the bed and, for all intents and purposes, appeared to pass out immediately. She laughed softly and pulled the comforter higher around her shoulders. Laying between them was like occupying space between two space heaters. She loved it, couldn’t get enough of it. Meg rolled over to find Theo scrolling through his phone. “Can’t the emails wait until tomorrow?”

“Just a few small things to take care of.”

There were an endless supply of just a few small things, but she didn’t say as much. Theo reached over and absently ran his hand along her back. Up and down, tracing abstract patterns over her skin.

Meg tried to stay awake. She really did. But his touch was like a drug. In the end, she didn’t stand a chance. Weights attached themselves to her eyelids and she relaxed into the absurdly soft mattress and pillow, safe and secure between the two men she loved.