Hot Piece of Ash (Paranormal Dating Agency #28) - Milly Taiden Page 0,43

shrugged. “I hadn’t planned on it. I was checking the wreck out, and then a piece of seaweed caught my eye. It was flowing the wrong way. I was so focused on it and how it ended up slipping through a crack in the rocks that I ended up there. I was checking it out when my tank ran out of oxygen. I think there was something wrong with the air tube.”

“I smelled saltwater up there earlier. This tunnel explains a lot, actually.”

They watched the volcano erupt again, water exploding into the air.

“That’s it,” she said. “When the volcano erupts, it must take water up the tunnel and out the top, taking rocks and maybe the treasure up from the ocean floor.”

Treasure? What was she talking about? Pirate’s treasure? It made sense, but something about the whole thing didn’t sit right with him. “Promise me you won’t attempt going up the tube on your own. It’s dangerous, as we both know now. I can’t chance anything happening to you.” He paused when he heard her phone ring.

“Hello. Hey.” She lowered her gaze and listened quietly. “A meeting in thirty minutes? I’m not sure if I can make it in that short of time.” She glanced at him, her gaze darting all around as if she were nervous for him to listen to her conversation. He had to hold back a laugh. He smelled her embarrassment. His mate was so cute. She had a surprise coming. He nodded to let her know they could get back to land when she glanced at him again. “Okay, I think I can make it by then. I’ll see you soon.”

“Everything okay?” Smoke asked, not giving anything away.

“I’m not sure. Ash said that it was important.”

He winked and kissed the top of her head, pulling her into his side. It was time to give his mate the whole story. “I’ll get you there, sweetheart.”

He could only hope Valentina was ready to listen to them give her the island history as well as their shifter background. And he definitely hoped she was willing to give their triad a chance.

Chapter Eighteen

Back at the resort, Valentina knocked on Ash’s office door and winced at the scrapes on her knuckles. What was going on? Did Ash know she was dating them both? Was he going to break things off? God. What if they asked her to choose? She couldn’t do it. Her heart was torn between both men, and it was impossible to pick one over the other. Nausea rolled in the back of her throat. She was going to be sick.

“Come in Val.” His voice carried through the door. He stood and met her in the middle of the office. She was instantly pulled into his arms, pressed against his chest. There wasn’t time to suck in a breath. He took her lips fast, hard, and hungry.

Guilt worked its way into her mind. The orgasm she had with Smoke just a few hours before brought back her sluttiness. How was she going to justify that?

He led her to a chair facing an overstuffed couch in the middle of his office. “Valentina, there are some things I think I should clarify for you.”

Oh, fuck. He knew she was a ho and was with both of them. He was going to break things off.

“First off, I think that you’re under the impression that I’m a manager of the complex.”

She blinked. “A what-what?”

This wasn’t about her being a ho! Thank fuck!

“I’m not the manager or an employee here.”

“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “You’re not? Are you a contractor?”

He shook his head and grinned. “I’m one of the owners.”

Wait. What? She frowned. “I don’t…I think I missed something.”

Then, before she could figure out how Ash went from manager to owner, the office door opened, and Smoke waltzed in. Val’s eye grew wide. Smoke sat next to Ash on the couch.

She needed to understand what the hell was happening. “What’s going on, guys?”

They smiled at her. “Well, sweetheart, it’s time to tell you a story.” Ash started. “You’re the perfect woman, Val. You’re sweet, intelligent, beautiful, and kind.” He glanced at Smoke, who nodded. “But you’re also ours.”

“Ours.” Smoke agreed.

Her confusion grew. “Um…What?”

“You want both of us. We both want you. This is all okay.”

She swallowed hard. “It…is?”

Ash nodded. “In fact, that is the way that we need and want it to be.”

Her gaze swung between the two gorgeous men she had feelings for, part of which was guilt for liking the other.

“You