You know that, right?”
“He’s a pretty boy. Smart. Lethal as hel . And most importantly, in my humble opinion, very keen on keeping you safe.” His hand stroked over her, trailing down to the curve of her hip and back up again. “Important things, especial y these days. Well … pretty is overrated.”
Guilt bit her ample ass. Had she been flirting? Not with intent, most definitely, but still. His voice had not been accusing. It would be closer to say amused. Talk about confusing.
Ali wriggled out from her safe place against him, rose up on an elbow to better gauge the expression on his face. “Where is this coming from? Are you tired of me or something?”
“What? No. Of course not, babe.”
“Alright, so you don’t want to pass me on.” She paused, listening for movement behind the parked car. No sign of life. “That’s nice, and yet … God, Daniel. Do you think I’d cheat on you?”
“No. Ali, look at me,” he insisted, waiting her out till she did. No accusation, no judgment. So why was unease slicking over her skin?
This was dangerous territory, but his face was calm and close. “I trust you. I’m yours, babe. No matter what, okay?”
“Okay.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.” His hand cupped an ass cheek, thumb stroking the curve of her hip. Not lighting her up, but placating. “I’m just saying that the world has changed. The rules have changed. It might pay to have an open mind where this situation with the three of us is involved.”
“What are you trying to push me into now?”
He cocked his head. “My love, I would never try to push you into anything. You wound me. Relax.”
“Right.” Ali nestled back down next to him. Hiding. Maybe. A little. She was just pulling it al together in her head, what to say and how to say it, when he pre-empted her again.
“He’s attracted to you. I don’t think you see how much.”
“I get that things have changed, but …”
“But?”
She said nothing – for al of a minute. “But I'm probably the first female he's seen in a while and his alternatives aren’t great, Dan.
Sex-wise it's down to you, me or his fists. His being attracted to me doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot.”
“Hmm.”
What the hell did he mean? Hold up. What if it wasn’t about her? “Are you attracted to him?”
“I’m very attracted to you. I’m not letting you go.” He brushed his lips over hers, reassuring, teasing. “But what, hypothetical y speaking, would you think if I was attracted to him?”
The picture hit her full frontal. Finn and Daniel naked and sweaty, hands and mouths all over each other. Her heart raced. Her mind was a far filthier place than she ever suspected. “Ah, really?”
“No, hypothetical, remember. I love your inner kink. You always have this vaguely stunned expression when it rears its head and bites you on the ass. A dead giveaway,” Daniel chuckled, then groaned when the movement jarred his ribs. “Damn. But the fact is, you wouldn’t mind if I did want him.”
“I might get jealous. I don’t know. I’ve never been in that situation. Am I in that situation?”
“Again, no. But …”
“But …” Would she deal with it? Yeah, probably she would. There were no doubts in her mind that Daniel was committed to her, and yet, this conversation had a dangerous feel to it. Like the ground was shifting beneath her feet. The topic they were covering was all highly unstable. “It’s a risk, Dan.”
“Babe, you over-think everything. Our life is one God-awful risk these days.”
“True,” she sighed. “Is there a point to this bewildering conversation about who you have no interest in sleeping with? I’m a straightforward kind of girl. Just spit it out.”
“Straightforward? Yeah right,” he said, again with the laugh. “The point, my girl, is this. If you wouldn’t mind me doing it, what makes you think I would mind in the reverse-case scenario?
“Because if you wanted Finn it would possibly mean you’re after something I can’t give you, namely a reallive working penis. Maybe that’s small-minded, I don’t know. This is complicated. I wasn’t expecting …”
She cleared her throat, tried to form a straight line in her head. Maybe that was the problem
– straight lines didn’t always apply. “I
won’t risk losing you for a frolic. You’re too important to me. Not to mention Finn deserves better. I won’t treat him like a cheap thrill when we’re talking of building a future somehow somewhere. Sex complicates things.”
Dan nodded. “Alright, though I never said short-term. See how it goes. Be open-minded. Two men devoted to pleasing your very sweet self? Have you ever thought about that?”