Page 72 of Forged

Neomi follows my line of sight, her gaze lands on him, lingers, and then returns to me. When her eyes meet mine, there’s curiosity there.

“You said,” she begins, her voice tentative, fingers toying with the collar of my shirt, “that if I ever wanted to play, you would be my man.”

“I did,” I reply.

She looks into my eyes. “Is thatstill true?”

“It is.”

She studies my face carefully, searching for hesitation. “Have you ever done that before? Shared?”

“I’ve had threesomes,” I answer honestly. “In the past.”

She nods once, absorbing it without visible jealousy. “I haven’t.”

“It’s never something I’ll need,” I tell her. My thumb traces the line of her jaw, grounding the moment. “You are everything I want, you’re perfect, Bella. Nothing changes unless you want it to. I’m not interested in disrupting what we’re building.”

Her gaze flicks back to the man at the bar again, thoughtful. “I’m not asking because I feel pressured,” she says quietly. “I just…I like the way he’s looking at us.”

I follow her gaze once more. The man hasn’t moved. He’s composed, his glass resting against the bar, shoulders relaxed. He isn’t signaling for attention, he’s waiting. Dangerous scenarios begin to fill my imagination.

“Would you like to be watched as I fuck you?” I whisper in her ear. “Or would you like to watch me with a man? Or do you want all the attention on you?”

She shivers in my lap, eyes focused on my mouth. “What if I think all of those options would be hot?”

Her honesty has my cock at full attention.

But what if it’s too soon? We’ve barely settled into our home. We’re still learning the quiet spaces between us. Inviting another presence into that space could complicate something that is only just beginning to feel permanent.

“Even if we were to explore that,” I say carefully, “it would be on your terms. You would dictate the pace. You would decide how far it goes.”

“Shouldn’t your wants be considered, too?” she asks.

“I’m always going to be focused on you, Bella. I’m here to make your fantasies come true, to serve you.”

Her lips curve at that, satisfied. She leans in again and kisses me, slower this time. I deepen it, my hand tightening at her hip asmy tongue moves against hers in a sweep that leaves her breathless when I pull away.

Over her shoulder, I see him still watching.

The knowledge that he’s witnessing this, threads through me in a way I didn’t anticipate. It sharpens the kiss. It makes my grip firmer and my cock grow harder.

When Neomi straightens in my lap, smoothing her dress, she reaches for her champagne flute.

“Can we invite him over?” she asks.

“Only with a couple of rules,” I answer. “You leave here with me, and you tell me the second that you feel uncomfortable.”

She nods, but that’s not enough for me.

“Use your words, Bella. Tell me you understand.”

She links her hand with mine and lifts my wrist to her lips. “I understand.”

I kiss her one more time, softly, and allow the moment to stretch between us. When I pull away, I lift a hand, catching our waitress’ attention from across the floor. She finishes with her customer before walking to our table.

“Yes, Mr. Marchetti?”

I nod subtly toward the bar. “The gentleman at the bar, the man who sent the drinks. Ask if he would join us, please.”