“Was that too serious for you?” he whispered against my lips.
“No.” Yup. That was me all breathless and needy.
“Good. And neither is this.” His lips melded to mine in a kiss so soft it felt otherworldly. As though we were connected on another plane in another universe.
“Touch me,” he urged. “Put your arms around me, Heaven.”
As though I had needed his permission, my arms instantly snaked around his neck. I leaned into him, my lips parting, accepting him as his tongue slid against mine.
What started out sweet morphed into something else entirely. Ian’s hand slid into my hair, fisting it as he claimed my mouth. In that moment, I wanted to give myself to him in every way. Sowing oats or whatever. I didn’t care because mere mortal men did not kiss like this.
Certainly not Danny the Dickhead.
“Here with me,” he ordered, pulling back, his hand still wrapped in my hair, forcing me to look at him. “When it’s about pleasure, that’s all it’s about. Your mind stays in the moment, not wandering to other men.”
I frowned. How did he know what I’d been thinking?
Ian’s big hand engulfed mine, our fingers linking. “Come on. Let’s get some food. Then we’ll talk some more.”
Confused as to why I still wanted to do anything this man wanted, I nodded.
Oh, crap.
I was so screwed.
SEVEN
ISAAC
“Is the pool warm enough to swim in?” Heaven asked as the five of us sat down for dinner, once more occupying the dining room Ian and I had never used before they’d come here.
“Probably not,” Ian told her. “But it’s worth trying.”
“I’m game,” Everly said, her gaze scanning the rest of us. “But I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
“Well, then you’ll be happy to know we don’t allow clothing in the pool, anyway. You’re all set,” Ian stated, his tone so serious I almost would’ve believed him.
Heaven chuckled, and for the first time since she’d come down from the library, she seemed to relax. I wasn’t sure what had happened between her and Ian earlier, but when they had appeared in the kitchen, they’d both been tense.
“Seems like a rule of convenience,” Heaven added as she sipped her wine.
Ian laughed. “Well, my house, my convenience.”
“Don’t you mean your house, your rules?”
“That’s a given,” he told her between bites. “But I do like the convenience.”
“So we can swim?” Everly asked, her gaze sliding to me.
“You can do whatever you’d like,” I told her. “Whenever you’d like.”
There was heat in those baby blues and it touched something deep inside me. I’d been holding back with her. Mostly because I didn’t want her to misunderstand the reason we’d brought her here. She was free to go at any time, but I wanted her safe. But mostly, I wanted her here. With me. Because she wanted to be here.
And yes, I was offering the same protection to Heaven and Dante, but not for the same reasons. While Dante piqued my curiosity unexpectedly, the same couldn’t be said for Heaven. She was an interesting woman, but not at all my type. While my twin would dally with women who weren’t in the lifestyle, I rarely did. I knew what I wanted, knew what was required to make me happy. Pretending otherwise was simply a waste of valuable time all around.
“You should check out the library,” Heaven told Everly. “It’s amazing. I think they’ve got all the classics.”
“There’s a pool table and dart board downstairs,” Ian said helpfully. “Tomorrow morning, I’m going for a run.”
I nodded. “I’ll join you.”
“I will, too,” Dante said, his tone not quite certain.
“Good.” Ian glanced at the women. “And you two? You up for a run?”
“Absolutely,” they said at the same time.
I frowned. “You run?”
Everly nodded, continued eating. I’d made her and Dante quinoa salad, wanting to ensure they had enough to eat. Not having known their dietary restrictions had been an issue since Ian and I being meat eaters had made things awkward last night. But I had rectified that this afternoon, slipping out while Everly napped, Heaven read, and Ian and Dante did their thing in the basement.
“I try to go with Dante at least three days a week,” she said. “He’s got far more energy than I do, though.”
“And by three days, she means once every three weeks.” Dante chuckled.
“Whatever,” she said, smacking his arm playfully. Her gaze shifted back to me. “But I’d love to go for a run. Where do you go?”
“Through the neighborhood,” Ian answered. “We’ve got a five-mile route mapped out.”
“Perfect.”
“Well, if it’s all right with you, I’d really like to go for a swim after dinner,” Heaven said, not committing to the run.
“Me, too,” Everly added.
“Like I said,” Ian teased, “no clothes allowed in the pool.”
“I don’t need clothes,” Everly stated, drawing all eyes toward her. She grinned impishly. “What? I don’t.”
“What about you?” I asked Heaven directly.
