Free Open Door Marriage by Naleighna Kai Page A

hearing the insecurity in her voice. Tori ’ s determination, confidence and compassion had been one of the most beautiful things about her. He would never forgive himself if she lost the best parts of herself.
    Tori stroked a hand across his jawbone. “ I can ’ t lose you. ”
    Dallas encircled his arms about her and lifted her body so that she was flush against him—a move that sent a tinge of warmth spreading through him, but it wasn ’ t nearly as potent as Alicia ’ s touch. He whispered into her ear, “ Do you realize that we ’ ve had more physical contact in the past two hours, than we ’ ve had all year? ”
    “ You know the reason for that, ” she said, thinking back to all the times when she ’ d tried to explain this to him. “ I ’ ve told you. We weren ’ t like that. I didn ’ t come from a touchy-feely family and I don ’ t know why that ’ s such a big deal. ”
    For at least the thousan d th time since he ’ d found out that Alicia was Tori ’ s aunt, he marveled that the two of them were related. One, so hot! The other, so frigid.
    The thing was, as cold as Tori was, Dallas had no doubt that she cared deeply for him. And he felt the same about her. Besides that, Tori was the only person besides his mother that he ’ d trusted.
    He ’ d been surprised when she ’ d told him that she ’ d wanted to abstain from sex until marriage. She ’ d said that it was the way she ’ d been raised and when she cited religious reasons, Dallas had gone along with that. He wasn ’ t about to be responsible for messing up Tori ’ s relationship with God.
    At first, it had almost been a relief for Dallas. Making the commitment to Tori meant that he wasn ’ t out there, trolling, sleeping with one girl tonight, another one tomorrow, and the whole time, checking condoms to make sure that one of those scandalous females wasn ’ t trying to come up at his expense. But it didn ’ t take long for him to kick himself for agreeing to Tori ’ s stipulation. He ’ d had no clue that to Tori, no sex, also meant “ no nothing else. ” And for a man who was used to having sex on a pretty regular timetable—having no affection at all was more like he had been dropped into a time warp of ancient times.
    “ I love you with all my heart, ” she whispered so softly he thought he had imagined it.
    Dallas hesitated, knowing the words she wanted to hear. Finally, he uttered, “ I love you, too. ” That statement was the truth. But was it enough?
    As if reading his mind, she said, “ Go to her. Do what it takes to make you feel all right. ”
    Tori tried to mask her pain and it tore at his heart. He was at a fork in a rocky road — and neither path was an easy one to take. Stay with Tori and long for what he had with Alicia, eventually hurting Tori in the end? Or go with Alicia, though he wasn ’ t sure that he ’ d be able to convince her that they belonged together.
    Then lastly, there was the ultimate — he could have his cake and his cherry. Have both women. Tori, who had already brought value to his life, who had helped him save his mother and now she held a debt that he could never repay. She was loyal, would be the perfect mother for his children, and he loved her.
    And then there was Alicia. Who held his heart. He more than loved her, he was in love with her.
    “ There ’ s no hiding what you feel for her, ” Tori said.
    Dallas wondered if she knew that her words mirrored his feelings exactly. “ Get her out of your system, then come back to me. I promise we ’ ll make everything work. ”
    He thought for another moment, and then, his three choices collided, making him angry. Gripping her upper arms, he growled, “ Stop it! If you keep pushing me on that woman, I ’ m going to take you up on it. Stop testing me! ” he said, shaking her, though he didn ’ t meant to be so forceful.
    Tori looked up at him with a calm that was more alarming to him than her anger had been. “ Close your