Free Twin Temptations by Carol Lynne Page B

him a slight smile and nodded. He could tell by the strained look on her face that she was hurting as well. Dammit, this was supposed to be the answer to all his prayers, so why did everyone he loved feel sad?
    Ryker closed his eyes and stood. Walking out to the great room, he spotted Ranger making a fire even though it was barely October. Sitting on the floor in front of the large river stone hearth, he stared at the flames. “Talk to me.”
    “Huh?” Ranger looked over seemingly unaware that Ryker had even entered the room. “Where’s Lilly?”
    “Taking a bath. I came to talk to you.” He reached out and ran his fingers through Ranger’s wet curls. “What happened back there?”
    “What do you mean? I think you were pretty much involved in the whole process,” Ranger tried to pass Ryker’s comments off as a joke.
    Ryker put a hand to either side of Ranger’s head and made him look him in the eyes. “What happened to you while I was making love to Lilly? Don’t tell me nothing because I could feel it—feel you—pulling away from us.”
    Ranger shut his eyes. Ryker watched as his Adams apple bobbed up and down in the firelight. He could tell Ranger was trying not to cry. He’d only seen him cry twice before. The day their Dad died and the night Sonny was shot. Ranger was tough, always had been. He was the one who’d held Ryker together when they’d been forced to leave their home at the age of eighteen. It had always been Ranger.
    Now his brother clung to him fighting to keep the tears at bay. “I’m scared,” Ranger finally whispered in a guttural voice.
    He pulled Ranger into his arms and buried his face in his neck. “I love you. You’re part of me, I can’t live unless I know you’re beside me, but I love Lilly, too. Please don’t ask me to give her up.”
    Ranger shook his head, “Never. I’d never ask you to do that. I’m not sure how I’ll fit in with the two of you though. I like Lilly, a lot, but it doesn’t feel right making love to her knowing I don’t love her like you do, and I’m not sure I ever will. She’s yours and she always will be. So where does that leave me?”
    Fuck! He’d never even thought of a scenario like this happening between them. “Are you saying I can’t have you both? That I have to somehow choose?”
    “No, my mind’s just all screwed up right now.” Ranger said.
    Feeling a warm hand on his back, Ryker turned to see Lilly, wrapped in the large blue terry robe he’d laid out for her. “Can I say something?” Lilly asked chewing on her lip.
    Nodding, Ryker released one of his arms that held Ranger and pulled Lilly into a hug. The feel of both of them against him was right, dammit.
    “I know I shouldn’t have heard what I did, but I’m glad I took the chance.” Lilly kissed Ranger’s cheek. “I don’t want to take Ryker away from you. And I was wondering if you could give us a chance. I don’t expect you to vow your undying love for me right away, but I already love you, I have for years. Just give me the opportunity to show you I’m not trying to come between the two of you? I wanna make a life here, with Ryker and you. I can be patient, give you time, hell, I’ll give you whatever you need. But please, don’t give up on me. I’m not sure how you feel about sharing his love and attention, but I’d rather have part of him than none of him.”
    “How does that work?” Ranger asked, his voice hoarse with emotion.
    “I’m not sure. This is all new to me. Maybe we could both try loving Ryker and maybe someday soon you’ll grow to love me, too.”
    Lilly didn’t have to spell it out. He knew she was talking about intimacy between her and Ryker and between him and Ranger. She seemed to know his brother pretty well. Ranger didn’t want to make love to Lilly with his feelings still up in the air and Lilly was saying she understood that. She was also telling Ranger he could still be intimate with him and she’d give them the space to do