Page 102 of Secret Pleasure (Bound Hearts 13)

There were other things she saw as well, though. Memories that

she’d forgotten over the years that drifted through her mind.

Alyssa hadn’t expected her mother’s reaction when she met Summer. It had been the accent, Alyssa remembered. Margot had been waiting when Alyssa had arrived home with Summer after school. When Alyssa introduced them and Summer had hesitantly greeted her, very properly polite, Margot’s eyes had widened, slid slowly to Alyssa, then a little grin had tugged at her lips before she’d nodded to Alyssa.

She’d approved.

It was the one and only time Margot had approved of a friend.

Even Gia hadn’t gotten the Margot nod. Gia’s family connections were impressive and Gia was just as polite as Summer. But like every other friend Alyssa had ever had, except Summer, Margot had simply overlooked her.

God, she wished Summer would just go home. She and Gia both. They had no business here. They had no business trying to protect her. Hell, she didn’t even want Shane and Sebastian putting themselves in the line of fire. She didn’t want anyone she loved dying for her.

Especially Shane and Sebastian.

She loved them with every part of her heart and soul. Every last shred that was slowly beginning to heal with their return.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked back to the window and sat down with a sigh, staring out to the slowly fading evening.

Where the hell was all this coming from? An attempted hit-and-run. An exploding chair? Really? Two days after Shane and Sebastian had killed Gregory, Harvey had tried to kill her. He’d been furious. It couldn’t be coincidence that he’d been so enraged over Shane and Sebastian. Especially at that time.

“You mean I don’t know about Shane Connor and Sebastian De Loren?” Harvey had asked softly, the malice in his gaze growing brighter. “But I do know about them, Alyssa. I know about how you fucked both of them. Do you know how long I’ve waited to throw that in your goody-two-shoes face?”

She had assumed he hadn’t known about her time in Barcelona for long. Why had she assumed that?

He had waited so long to throw that in her face, he’d said.

Pulling her lower lip between her teeth, she worried at it. Why had he waited to throw that in her face? How long had he waited?

Those questions had bothered her since she’d awakened after Harvey’s attack. He’d been angry at her. Furious with her. And her affair with Shane and Sebastian. He’d mentioned that specifically.

Something hadn’t been working out for him, so he was going to cash in on her insurance policy, he’d said.

The sitting room door opened, drawing her attention as she saw the image of Shane and Sebastian stepping into the room was reflected in the glass.

The door closed softly behind them.

“What’s going on?” The sense of answers hidden by her own inability to remember whatever it was teasing her mind had confusion massing inside her. “What did I do to make someone hate me enough to kill our baby? And now, to attempt to kill me as well? What did I do…?”

The pain in her eyes was killing him. That soul-deep burning agony that filled her gaze would destroy him, because he had no idea how to ease it.

Drawing her into his arms, Sebastian held her head to his heart, his gaze connecting with the fury in his cousin’s. Because they had no answers for her. No way to ease the fear reflecting in her eyes. Or the pain.

“Make it go away,” she whispered, her nails digging into the material of Sebastian’s shirt.

Pulling her head back, she stared up at him, the plea in her expression breaking his heart. “Please, make it go away. Just for a little while.”

Just for a little while.

Swinging her into his arms, he moved to the bedroom, aware of Shane closing and locking the door behind them as he placed her back on her feet.

“Alyssa…”

“I need you, both of you, ’Bastian. Please, take me away from this, just for now.”

“My sweet Alyssa.” As he lowered his head his lips sought hers. He needed for her pleasure to replace the pain in her eyes with ecstasy until he could figure out how to fix it.

She was his life. The fact that he shared her with Shane didn’t dilute his love for her. The fact that she loved them both, fulfilled their needs with such generosity, only increased his love for her.