Page 31 of Scout

My heart skips. My pulse jumps.

“The three of us?” I repeat, because surely I heard that wrong.

“Yeah.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “A triad. A throuple. Whatever you want to call it. Maybe it’s just sex. Maybe it’s obsession. Maybe we just like using him to get to each other.”

That stings. But I get it.

“Or maybe,” he says, looking at me now, really looking, “it’s something we should explore.”

I can’t breathe for a second. My chest feels tight. My head’s swimming.

This is more emotion than I’ve ever heard from Xavier that wasn’t tied to a trauma case or a protein deficiency. He’sthinkingabout us. About Scout. About something more.

And yeah, my heart does something weird.

“I want to know, too,” I say softly. “I’ve thought about it. About you. About him. About… what it could be.”

He nods. “Then let’s find out.”

I lick my lips. “How?”

“We book him,” he says simply. “Together. A weekend away. Just us. No distractions.”

“Foxy’s doesn’t do weekends.”

“Then we book him privately. Make it worth his while.”

I blink. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious.”

I look down at my phone again. Xavier tilts his chin toward it.

“Text him.”

So I do.

Me: Hey. Xavier and I want to book you for a weekend trip. I know Foxy’s doesn’t do weekends, but you could on the side, right? Four grand. Half now, half when it’s over.

My hands are shaking when I hit send.

Scout replies less than ten seconds later.

Scout: When?

I look at Xavier. “This weekend?” I ask.

He nods once. “This weekend.”

Me: This weekend.

Scout: Pick me up Friday morning?

Me: See you then.

I put my phone down slowly, half-expecting it to bite me.

Xavier stands, grabs his water, and glances over his shoulder. “I’ll pay when he’s home. You cover the deposit.”