Page 131 of Too Far

“Us,” I admit without hesitation, my lips brushing his neck.

Kylian. Locke. Kendrick. The men who love me, but more importantly, the men who have stood beside me. Decker loves me, too, I know it, but he’s proven time and again that love isn’t enough. He’s shown me that he’s willing to give up things that aren’t his to sacrifice.

“Baby.” Kylian squeezes me. “Do you really think marrying Decker could change what we have?”

He grasps my upper arms and pulls me back so I’m forced to look at him.

When I do, the expression on his face is carnal and full of lust. “You think just because he’d be your husband, I wouldn’t still be your daddy?”

My heart thuds against my breastbone. I whimper, craving the submission and safety that only Kylian can give me.

He senses my longing, just like he always does. Gripping my hair, he pulls, tipping my head back. “I told you, Jo. I’m never letting you go. Encouraging you to marry Decker doesn’t mean I’m giving up. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s me holding on tighter.”

Shakily, I give him a subtle nod. I can’t move more than that with the way he’s gripping me. I don’t like what they’re suggesting, but I trust Kylian with everything I am. He would never, ever persuade me to do something that wasn’t in my best interest.

Pulling me closer, he brings his lips to my ear. “But it’s still your choice, Jo.Alwaysyour choice.”

There it is. The closing argument—the freedom to be the one in control—that assures my rioting heart that this really could be okay.

“Why?” I ask him, continuing to ignore everyone else in the room. “Why Decker?”

For the first time since I crawled into his lap, Kylian looks past me to the other guys. “Ask him. My guess is, even if he lost everything—sponsorships, endorsement deals, other revenue streams—there’s an inheritance to be claimed, and it would default to you.”

“Exactly,” Kendrick confirms behind me.

I turn, sitting with my legs draped over Kylian’s lap so I can see K.

“Cap’s mom left him more than five million dollars. It wasn’t much of a consideration before, given his expected career trajectory.”

“I’ve never heard anything about this. Was it a secret?” Locke asks, his voice quiet, reticent.

Decker lifts his head and grimaces. “Not intentionally. My mom set up a trust. She kept it from my dad. Neither of us knew about it until after she died. I get access to the money when I turn twenty-five or—”

“When you get married,” Kylian pieces together. He nods once, satisfied. “This will work.”

“How do you know?” I demand.

Kylian studies my face, calm, patient. Two things I am not right now.

“If Decker gets married, the money will be unlocked. If Decker marriesyou, it guarantees we all get to stay together.”

I nod, because that makes sense, though trepidation still has me in a chokehold.

“It’s more than enough money to move forward, start making a life. We can buy the mansion, or another house if you want. Thomas would have no say in any of it. Decker would be free. We’d be financially stable. We wouldn’t be dependent on a career or a contract that wasn’t in our best interest. It’s simple, but it’s effective. It will work.”

The logic tracks.

But I never intended to marry for logic, despite being in love with the most methodical, logical man I’ve ever met.

I peek over my shoulder at Kendrick. Then at Locke.

“If I legally marry Decker…”

I let the idea float between us. Waiting, desperate, for one of them to object.

“It has to be him.”

The pain in Locke’s eyes cuts deep. I’m momentarily vindicated, then devastated.