Page 4 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two

“Perfect.” He kisses both Rhett and Elliot. “You two won’t know what to do with yourselves when we come back down.”

The thought puts a smile on my face. When Oliver dressed me to go to Evolve, Rhett and Elliot’s eyes practically bugged out of their heads when they saw us. I thought they looked hot as well, I was just too focused on the fact that I was going totheEvolve to show it.

Upstairs, Oliver stops the second his door is closed. “Princess. Are you really okay? If you’d prefer, we can stay in and watch movies and cuddle and—”

Placing my hands on his shoulders, I cut him off with a kiss. “I’m good, I promise.” With the best smile I can manage, I say, “Now, tell me what you’re wearing so I can figure out what I should put on.”

Eyeing me, Oliver says, “I actually have a sweater that I think will fit you perfectly. It’s a little small on me, but I’ve kept it around for… reasons.”

He doesn’t elaborate, instead pulling me into his closet. I smile at the array of colors and variety of styles as he goes through a dresser at the back.

My gaze drifts to a dress that’s separate from all the other clothes. It’s small, a child’s dress, and it looks vintage. The blue fabric is faded, and there’s a faint stain on the skirt.

“Aha! Here it is.” Oliver whips around, holding a forest green sweater in his hands. His eyes flick to the dress, and I realize I’m holding the material between my fingers.

I drop my arm. “Sorry.”

With a halfhearted shrug, he says, “You’re allowed to touch it.”

I don’t. I just look at it. “Whose was it?”

“My mom’s,” he says softly. “And then it was my sister’s, and then she gave it to Sammy when she grew out of it.” Oliver pauses, and I don’t miss the heartbroken look he tries to hide by running a hand over his face. “Rhett’s dad was going to throw it out after Sammy died, so we stole it back.”

“Oh,” I say quietly.How awful.“I’m glad you got it.”

He nods, placing the sweater in my hands. “Here. I can—uh. I’ll just stay in here so you can get changed.”

“Thanks.”

After earlier, I’m definitely not in the right headspace to take my clothes off in front of another person. It’s silly, the idea that a couple layers of fabric feel like armor, but I can’t help it. So I step out of the closet to take my T-shirt off.

The sweater is soft against my skin, and it fits almost perfectly. The sleeves are a bit too long, but I don’t mind. It just makes me feel cozier. Paired with my jeans, I bet I look cute.

“I’m done,” I call, stepping in front of Oliver’s mirror. I was right—it’s a simple look, but it does look cute.

He comes up behind me, his hands on my waist. I can just see the dark shirt he has on. He left the top buttons undone, and it makes my mouth water.

Fuck, he even has his sleeves rolled up.

“Oh, that’s hot.”

It takes me a second to realize the words slipped from my mouth. I groan from embarrassment, but Oliver snickers, kissing my neck.

“Can I do your makeup, too?”

“Sure.”

With a grin, Oliver grabs my hand and pulls me into the bathroom. He lifts me onto the counter next to the sink before stepping in between my legs. “God, I love you, princess.”

“I love you, too.”

He looks like he’s about to reach into a drawer, but he stops and embraces me instead. My body is pressed to his in as many places as possible as he captures my mouth in a kiss. His lips move against mine so softly, so tenderly, like he needs to be gentle with me or I’ll break.

Maybe that’s the case. Or maybe not. One minute, I feel like I’m the strongest woman in the world. But the next, I feel like Iwillbreak if someone even looks at me wrong. It’s a tumultuous roller coaster I can’t seem to get off of.

When Oliver pulls away, I sigh, resting my forehead against his. I’ve grown a lot as a person over the past couple years. I’ve found strength in times when I thought I’d wither away. And being with these three men has given me more determination, more resolve. I feel like I cankeepgrowing with them.

“I’m excited to go on a date with you all,” I say.