Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“I used to make decisions based on my gut. The first one I’ve made in a long time was to spend the night with those men and it turned into a calamity,” she whispered.
Miranda shook her head. “No. It turned into exactly what you needed to get through something you hadn’t counted on.”
“You’re thinking about it the wrong way,” Gigi agreed. “What if the universe knew what was going to happen and they’re a gift? What if they were placed in your path to remind you that you don’t have to face things alone? That you can open yourself up and it’s not a mistake.”
“That you can spend time with two hot Doms and crush your enemies at the same time,” Miranda added.
Olivia sat back the rest of the ride, letting her friends’ words work through her head. The music playing was some power girl ballads Gigi had on earlier, and the fact that Keane didn’t try to switch it made her like him more.
And she already liked him a lot.
She liked them both a lot.
The trouble was she remembered how dumb she felt when she overheard Jason telling his classmates he was only into her for the money. She remembered watching as Jessica put a hand on Scott’s arm and told her not to take it too hard.
She definitely remembered how worried her parents were after both incidents.
Would they have been so worried if she had gotten back on the horse in a decent amount of time? If she hadn’t buried herself in work? She thought they’d been worried about her terrible taste in men, but what if they were worried about how she had taken the rejection?
Kid Livie would have shrugged and found someone else to play with, and if anyone said something she would have kicked their shins and gotten in trouble. But it would have been worth it. Her kid self understood that some things were worth the pain.
She was quiet while Keane found his way back to the ranch. At a proper speed this time and without death-defying U-turns.
Neither one of those men had made fun of Gwen or her nearly dead dog. They had been kind to her. Scott would never have gotten in the car, much less allowed Muffin to practically hump him in the back seat.
What was she truly risking?
Her heart. But what use was it if she never tried?
It didn’t have to be forever. They weren’t going to end up as her loving husbands, but for a couple of nights they could be her indulgent Doms. As long as all the rules were laid out and everyone knew what the others were willing to give and what they needed to withhold. All the cards were on the table. It was as safe as she could get.
Keane pulled the SUV into the spot where Olivia’s car should be and turned off the engine. He looked back. “I’m going to drop you off with Garrett and I’ll drive Gigi and Miranda wherever they need to go. I’ll try to get a ride back.”
Such a decision to make, but here it was and she didn’t have any more real time. Tomorrow she had to meet with Scott and either have the plan in place or tell him she lied.
That was not appealing.
But there was a choice that appealed to her greatly.
“They can stay at my place.” Decision made, and her body hummed with anticipation.
Garrett sighed and Keane’s eyes hardened, but his tone was still soft. “All right, then. We’ll go sleep at the bunkhouse.”
Gigi opened the door and grabbed her bag. “I don’t think that’s what she’s saying. You going to stay in the playroom?”
“There’s a bed there, and there’s way more food in the main house. I’m pretty sure Mom has some lasagna in the freezer,” Olivia explained, feeling her body go tight. Now that the decision was made, she wanted to get on with it. She wanted to get to the good stuff. It had been a rough day, and she could use the discipline. She wanted to sink into her body and simply be for a few hours.
She wanted to sleep with them wrapped around her.
“I thought the main house was being renovated.” Keane was steady.
“They won’t be in until tomorrow morning, and they won’t touch the playroom for a week or so. It’s not a full dungeon, but there is a nice bed and plenty of equipment. That’s one of the things my parents are renovating for. Now that we’re all out of the house, they want to take back that part of their lives. So I thought we could talk in there.”
“You want to talk in the playroom?” Garrett asked, his voice going deep.
She was tired of hiding. It was time for honesty. “No, Sir. I want to use the room for what it was built for. I want to play.”