Over the Edge (Bridge #3)(23)
“Talk to me, Olivia.”
I searched for words, but it seemed like he’d said them all. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t think I’m what you want—”
“You’re what I want, okay? It sounds complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. This is why I wanted to talk about this in person. I can already hear you freaking out, and that’s not what I want.”
I rose to my feet and started pacing around my room. “How am I supposed to respond to this? What do you want from me?”
“I want you, Olivia. No one else exists for me right now.”
“Right now.” I couldn’t hide the uneasy tone in my voice. Who knew what tomorrow would bring…
“I haven’t been exclusive with anyone for a very long time.”
“And sharing me with your roommate counts as exclusivity?”
“I want you for myself, and I trust Ian to be with you if that’s what you both want. But he’s the only exception.”
“This is completely insane. Do you realize that?”
“If three consenting adults choose to spend time together—intimately or otherwise—I don’t see that as insane or deviant or whatever else you want to label it. You want to spend your life playing by someone else’s rules, go ahead, but I call that a waste of time.”
He’d cut me off at the knees with that last comment, and I struggled for a reply.
“I’ll be honest with you, Olivia. I don’t usually see women more than once or twice. Most of the time, the person I’m with accepts that for what it is and enjoys it. That’s not what I’m asking for, because I think I want something different with you. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since you walked onto the work site and started bitching at me about that f*cking wall. And after spending most of last night inside of you, I can’t think straight right now.”
“Me neither,” I admitted, feeling the smallest measure of relief that I wasn’t the only one who was totally mixed up at the moment. I sighed and dropped back down onto my bed. “Did you two like plan this already? Did you know this is what you wanted from me when you asked me to have dinner with you?”
“Not really, no. I met you, I was attracted to you, and I acted on it. But Ian and I don’t observe boundaries like other people do. His attraction to you is obvious. And from the looks of it, you’re attracted to him, too.”
I couldn’t deny that I was. My body reacted to his before my brain could talk me out of it, and it had been that way every time we’d interacted. Still, I couldn’t imagine myself seeing two people at once. Breaking away from expectation was an attractive notion, but how far was I willing to go?
“What if I say no?”
He was silent a moment. “Then we’ll figure it out.”
“What does that mean?”
He sighed again. “Come over and let’s talk about this. I can explain it better.”
“I can’t tonight.”
If I hadn’t just spent one of the best nights of my life in his bed, I could have easily dismissed all of it away. Never in a million years was I going to have two lovers. Sure, I was attracted to them both. The idea of them knowing about each other seemed unbelievable until I thought about how unfair it was when someone was left in the dark. Will wasn’t painting a picture of betrayal and heartbreak, though. This was open and honest, even if it was unconventional.
“Then I’ll come to you,” he insisted.
“No,” I said firmly. Never mind the rattling confession about sharing women with Ian. I couldn’t have Cameron run into him here and deal with the inevitable drama.
I heard him curse quietly on the other end, and then the sound of ice hitting a tumbler. “Tomorrow.”
The edge in his voice told me he wasn’t asking anymore. He was demanding, and even though I’d told him he couldn’t make those kinds of demands on me, I knew better. He had more control over me already than I cared to admit.
But what the hell was I walking into? Even talking to him and entertaining this conversation was probably a step in the wrong direction.
Maybe Cameron’s instincts were right and mine were all wrong. Didn’t change the fact that I wanted to see Will tomorrow, and I knew I would. I couldn’t deny the way he made me feel, and I couldn’t ignore my growing attraction to Ian either. I wanted to talk about this insanity until it made some sort of sense.
Tomorrow, maybe it would.
“Tomorrow.”
Chapter Seven
WILL
I climbed the steps of Olivia’s Brooklyn brownstone, fueled by coffee, another restless night, and a burning desire to see her again. The call box showed three buttons. The second one was scratched out. Above, M. & C. Bridge, and below, O. Bridge, was scrawled in messy lettering. Before I could buzz her, the door opened. Cameron walked through, a satchel slung over his arm. He was dressed as I normally saw him, in jeans and an athletic shirt donning the Bridge Fitness logo.
“Cameron, hey.” I smiled, like there was nothing at all uncomfortable about me showing up at his sister’s apartment at eight in the morning.
He leveled a hard stare at me. “Can I help you with something?”
I hesitated. I wasn’t afraid of being upfront with him about seeing Olivia, because I planned to see more of her. But after last night’s conversation, I had no idea what the future had in store for us. Things were tenuous, and instead of adding to the potential shit storm and admit I was here to see his sister, I could come up with a bullshit excuse about wanting to talk about the renovation. Except my hands were full with coffee and pastries from the bakery down the street. Not sure I could sell Cameron on that gesture being for him. Had to go with the truth.