Page 6 of Right Side of Paradise

Always Want You

“You look good,” Rico whispered against my lips as his arm slid around my waist, holding me in place against the door. “Where you going?”

“To pick up donuts from Frenchy’s.”

“Hmm.” The vibration of his hum traveled to my core seconds before he started kissing my neck. “You got the keys to the Jeep?”

“Yeah.” The word was breathy and so fucking telling because his lips on me changed the rhythm of my breathing and sent all the blood in my body rushing in one direction.

Rico’s obsession with my neck led to dangerous places. Because we’d already spent all morning together and I was ready to climb back in bed after a few kisses.

As the sun came up, we shared a blunt on the balcony, made each other come in the shower and got distracted getting dressed.

And here I was, a second away from letting him pull down my pants and do whatever he wanted with me. Again .

I was so damn easy when it came to Rico. What started as us “getting it out of our system” had turned into the healthiest, filthiest non-relationship of my life.

“Grab a coffee for Christian on your way back. I heard him up late last night.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, fingers touching my lips while I held eye contact with the man in front of me. “I think something happened with him and Harlow.”

Rico frowned, stepping back with his brow raised. “Something like what?”

“The energy was off when I went to help her with her bag last night.” I shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe something at the bar pissed him off.”

Rico shook his head. “He’s so fucking in love with her and he won’t tell her.”

“Sounds familiar.” I hummed, feigning confusion as I cocked my head to look at him. My eyes traced Harlow’s name above his brow while he bit into his bottom lip.

I knew what he would say before he fixed his lips to say it. “ It’s complicated.”

“Most things are with you.” My hand found the side of his face and cradled his cheek. A familiar ache filled my chest when his eyes swam with uncertainty.

“Soul…”

“The only woman you’ll ever love. That’s what you said, right?” I asked, jogging his memory of that night almost nine years ago.

“She’s my sister.”

“Not really. Your parents been divorced for five years and it was never blood bonding y’all anyway.”

He dropped his stare but covered my hand with his to keep my touch on him.

“It doesn’t matter.” He licked his lips, “Chris is better for her anyway. I know that shit is never happening between us again.”

‘That shit’ changed all of our fucking lives and was a testament to none of us being able to tell Harlow no. Because that would have been the logical answer when she came to us the summer we turned twenty-one and told us she didn’t want to be a virgin anymore.

We should have told her there was nothing wrong with not having experience.

We should have told her she was young, and it would happen naturally one day.

But we never really did what we should have done when it came to each other.

And when Harlow said it wasn’t a lack of options but a lack of trust that had kept her from making that move, we all folded like church fans when she said she trusted us .

And damn, that night created a web we still hadn’t untangled. Nine years later and flashes of it still lingered rent-free in my fantasies.

Rico cleared his throat, intercepting my thoughts.

“I’m just happy we’re all in the same place again. It’s been too long.”

“Yeah,” I looked him over with a smirk. “Too long.”

He could try to hide the emotion clouding his eyes, but I could read him even when he was actively trying to erase his feelings. And right now they were written loudly all over his face.

I pecked his lips until he grabbed my neck and pushed his tongue in my mouth.

“Still want you,” he murmured, pressing into me.

“I know.” I sighed and let him kiss over my jaw, down my neck and back to my lips again.

Rico was right. This thing between us was complicated. We knew we weren’t fucking anyone else but had never sat down and made this exclusive. It was an unspoken agreement that we’d keep things open unless the impossible happened and we both ended up with more than we allowed ourselves to crave.

Wanting Harlow and wanting each other had never been mutually exclusive.

I wanted both, but I’d learned to adjust my expectations when it came to the situation.

I knew I could love more than one person at the same time.

I’d been doing it most of my life. But what I knew in my heart wasn’t reflected in my reality yet.

“I’ll always want you.” His fingers outlined my dick print and a moan slipped out.

Biting down on my lip, I practiced restraint and didn’t lean into his touch.

“Donuts,” I panted. “Coffee.”

It was a reminder as much as it was a plea. I needed him to stop kissing me if I was going to get anything done.

Rico pecked my lips once more then opened the door. “Drive safe, Soul.”

My head was still fuzzy when I walked down all three flights of stairs to the Jeep outside.

Harlow was on the water on her paddle board and Christian was still sleeping in the guest room.

All four of us were separate but together and that made me happier than I’d been in a long time.

Nine years ago, all our lives had changed. And I couldn’t prove it yet, but I had a feeling this summer would change everything too.