Take It On The Run

Chapter 36

POV: Reed

It was late evening by the time Sloan and Avery joined us at the pool. She was a knockout, with her long braided pigtails and tight green bikini. More than that, though, she seemed genuinely happy, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She now appeared more like the girl I'd grown up with than ever before. It made my heart ache.

Whatever Avery had done, I already wanted to thank him just for chasing away the darkness that usually clung to her like a wraith.

"You had fun, princess?" I asked.

Sloan walked over to the edge of the pool and sat, sliding her legs into the water up to the knee. I could see some of the scars on her thighs, but she didn't try to hide them like she usually did. I was surprised she had so much skin on display to begin with. It made me happy that she was that comfortable with all of us.

Like everything else about Sloan, her casual reply was completely unexpected. "Avery and I found a gateway to the underworld."

I had no idea what she was talking about, but I decided to humor her anyway. "You did? That sounds terribly exciting."

She flipped a pigtail over her shoulder. "It was."

"Anything else exciting happen?" Deacon asked, striding through the water until he stood between her legs. He tugged her forward for a quick kiss.

"We saw a really ugly shark."

All of us laughed at that.

"You need to be more open-minded about basking sharks, angel," Avery teased as he bent down to place a kiss on her crown. "I'm going to make you a hot toddy. I'll be back in a few."

She beamed up at him. "Okay. Thank you."

"Anyone want anything while I'm in the kitchen?" Avery asked us.

Sumner lowered the harmonica he'd been playing before pointing to a bottle of liquor on a small table next to a sunbathing chair. "Appreciate the offer, Ave, but we brought a handle of whiskey."

"Cool. BRB."

Sloan screeched as Deacon pulled her into the water, directly onto his lap. "Why don't we play a drinking game?" he suggested.

She lifted a honeyed brow. I noticed then that her hair was nearly blonde now. "Like what?"

"Never have I ever?" I supplied.

Sloan frowned. "I suck at that game. Haven't exactly been able to lead a normal life."

"That's exactly why we should play," I argued as I waded over to her and D, careful to hold my drink above the water.

"We promise not to make fun of you, sunshine," Sumner added.

I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist before kissing her cheek. "In any romantic relationship, it's normal to discuss your lover's level of experience, their boundaries, their fantasies. Just because there are five of us doesn't mean we shouldn't do what most people do."

She looked at me over her shoulder. "I guess that's true. We still haven't discussed our group dynamic, by the way. I've just had to take everyone's word for it that y'all are on board with sharing."

Sumner left his chair to join us in the water. "Everyone wants to share you, Sloan. That I can guarantee."

"And what does that mean exactly?" she pressed.

"It means," D started, "you're with all of us, and we don't want anyone else. The five of us are exclusive."

"That can't be true, and even if it is, that arrangement doesn't seem fair to y'all. I get to be with four amazing, gorgeous men, and the four of you only have me. How could I ever be enough to satisfy all of your needs?"