She didn’t know what she was going to say to them. She’d done a torturous amount of thinking when she was locked up in that interrogation room. Questioning, obsessing, vacillating. A part of her still wasn’t convinced she was the woman they needed or deserved.
The other part of her was smacking her internally for even contemplating letting either one of them go.
When she emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, she found that Sloan and Rylan had laid out a feast for her. Fresh fruit, cheese, and best of all—bourbon.
“Oh thank fuck,” she said as she accepted the glass Sloan handed her. “You don’t know how badly I need this.”
Both men watched in amusement as she drained the entire glass.
The alcohol warmed her belly and sent a lethargic buzzing through her blood. “Damn, that’s good.” She flicked up a questioning eyebrow. “You had time to load up the booze before you evacuated Foxworth?”
Sloan nodded. “We took as much as we could. But our priority was getting our people out.”
Rylan spoke up in a quiet voice. “And they’re all safe, thanks to Sloan,” he said, rubbing Sloan’s shoulder with his palm.
She didn’t miss the gentleness of that touch or the way Sloan leaned into it, and for some reason it brought her comfort knowing that they were able to bring each other comfort.
Adjusting the bottom of her towel so it remained closed, Reese sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed a piece of bread.
Sloan lowered himself beside her. “Teresa . . .” He searched her face. “Did they hurt you? Did they . . . rape you?”
She was quick to shake her head. “No. They just locked me in a room while they waited for the death order to be signed. Ferris decided I wasn’t an ideal candidate for torture, that I’d rather die than give up any information.” Her stomach churned, and not because of the food she was introducing to her empty system. “He believed I’d let all my people die before I’d talk.”
Her gaze locked with Sloan’s, then Rylan’s. “He’s wrong, though. I would never let anyone I care about suffer just so I could exact revenge on the council.”
“We know,” Sloan said.
“Do you?” She studied his rugged features, seeking any trace of doubt. But there was none. “When I found out Ferris was sending men to Foxworth, I tried to get Dominik to help me, to strike some sort of deal.” Her tone became wry. “I didn’t realize you guys had already beaten me to it.”
Rylan laughed. “Hey, Con’s been telling you for months that Dominik could be trusted. You were just too stubborn to believe it.”
“I’m starting to think stubborn might be my middle name.”
“Nah, your middle name is . . .” Rylan paused in thought. “Sexy as fuck—how about that? Does that work for you?”
Laughter bubbled in her throat. God, she’d missed him. This man with his readily available jokes and sparkling blue eyes, the man who never took anything too seriously.
But just as that thought entered her head, he threw her for a loop.
“I love you,” he said fiercely.
Reese’s gaze flew to Sloan, but he looked calmer and more content than she’d ever seen him.
“We love you,” Rylan continued.
Her pulse grew erratic. “I thought you didn’t believe in love.”
He reached out and stroked her cheek. “I’m a changed man, baby. Ask Sloan—he can vouch for that.”
Sloan leaned closer, resting his chin on her shoulder. “It’s true. Our man loves the hell out of you.” His warm breath tickled her bare skin on a ragged exhale. “And so do I.”
29
Sloan felt Reese stiffen, but she didn’t pull away. Not from him, and not from Rylan. She remained seated between them, her gorgeous face flushed from her shower, and maybe something else. Maybe arousal, but he hoped it was more than that.
“We love you,” he murmured in her ear, and she shivered in response. “So fucking much, sweetheart.”
Rylan nuzzled the other side of her neck, eliciting another shiver from Reese. Sloan saw the pulse point in her throat throbbing wildly, and he leaned in to press his lips against it.
This time she shuddered. “You’re crazy. Both of you.”
He chuckled. “Loving you is crazy?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“You know what made us even crazier?” He trailed kisses from her throat up to her jaw. “The thought of losing you.”
“Lost our goddamn minds,” Rylan agreed, and then he was kissing her too, a hot, slow path that brought his lips inches from Sloan’s.
Smiling, Sloan brushed his mouth over Rylan’s, then gave the man’s bottom lip a playful bite.
“Fuck,” Rylan choked out. “You’re supposed to be turning her on, brother, not me.”
“How about we all turn each other on?” he countered.
Reese released a wheeze of laughter. “You’re crazy,” she repeated. “Crazy to want this.”
Sloan nibbled on the corner of her mouth while Rylan’s lips danced over her delicate jaw.
“But I guess I’m crazy too,” she murmured. “Because I want the same damn thing.”