He leaned against the doorjamb. “You heard me. Grab your coat. I’m hungry.”
“I think maybe we need to get a few things clear, Mr. Breton. I don’t appreciate being told to do anything. I’m not a dog who heels and I’m not a soldier under your command.”
He grinned. “So noted. And I agree with you. We don’t know each other. Closed doors and silent treatments aren’t going to help that. Am I right?”
Elyse appeared chagrined. “You are.”
“You like Mexican?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes. I do.”
“Then that makes three of us. I’d say we’re well on our way to finding quite a bit of common ground.” Grant walked into her bedroom and picked up the coat she had dropped at the foot of her bed. He’d been a gentleman thus far, keeping his distance, but he’d be damned if he would resist the urge to touch her a minute longer.
Elyse turned so he could help her into her coat, and then sank back without hesitation when he tugged on her shoulders, pressing her back to his chest.
“You’re very beautiful, Elyse.”
She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. “Thank you. I’m sorry I snapped at you. And I’m sorry I closed myself in here. I just needed a few minutes to myself.”
“Understandable. We’ve all just experienced a life-altering event. Takes time to adjust.” With any luck, Grant would have a big portion of the walls standing between them knocked down by the end of the night.
“Ready to go?” Sebastian stood at the doorway, watching them with an expression Grant couldn’t read.
Jealousy?
Given Sebastian’s actions at the altar and his comments earlier, that feeling seemed unlikely. And yet…
Grant was a man of action. He’d spent too many years dealing with people who’d made dragging their feet an art form. It was time to see exactly where the three of them stood.
Keeping his hands on Elyse’s shoulders, he turned until they both faced Sebastian, then he bent forward and placed a kiss on her cheek.
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.
Yep. Definitely jealousy.
Elyse didn’t attempt to pull away, though Grant felt her stiffen slightly, surprised by his actions.
Upping the ante, he drew his hands down along her arms before wrapping them loosely around her waist. Elyse’s breathing accelerated, but to her credit, she held her ground.
They were virtual strangers. And yet, they were about to embark on a lifelong relationship. That knowledge drove Grant to push the limits far faster than he would have if he were merely on a first date with someone.
Sebastian remained silent, still as a statue by the door. His gaze followed the motion of Grant’s hands.
“Grant,” Elyse whispered.
He kept his arms around her, though his attention was on Sebastian. “We all knew this day was coming. Knew what it meant to join the Trinity Masters. We understood what we were giving up. And what we were gaining.”
He tightened his grip, letting Elyse feel exactly how much she was affecting him. His cock had hardened the moment he’d seen her lying on her bed, looking so lost and lonely.
For years, he’d worried that he wouldn’t feel an attraction to his spouse or spouses. Sex was something he enjoyed a great deal. His desires were darker than most, stronger, hell—kinkier. So, he’d spent the past seventeen years indulging them…just in case he was matched with less-adventurous souls.
“You’re going to be my wife, Elyse,” Grant continued, his hand rising to cup one breast. She gasped in surprise, but the nipple budded and her body relaxed under his hands.
More common ground.
“Our wife,” Sebastian said, drawing their attention back to him. “She’s going to be our wife.”
Up until that moment, Grant had gotten the feeling Sebastian was still resistant to the union, determined to buck the Grand Master’s edict.
And for the first time since he’d taken her in his arms, Elyse tried to pull away.
Also interesting.
She didn’t have a problem being Grant’s wife, but she wouldn’t accept that same declaration from Sebastian. Whatever came between them in the past was still an issue. They had their work cut out for them.
There was a delicate balance to be met if this relationship was going to succeed. It meant all the players needed to be invested. They needed to accept it.
Grant refused to let go of her. He tightened his grip on her breast until she moaned, her hips pressing against his crotch in a way that betrayed her need for more.
“Our wife,” Grant repeated.