Luca, who’d been grinning as they professed their love, suddenly sobered up. “Perhaps the Grand Master will place the two of you in a trinity together.”
Selene reached over, grasping Luca’s hand. “Luca, we don’t get to choose our partners. The Grand Master forms the trinities, and while compatibility comes into play, love isn’t the predominant deciding factor and members don’t get to ask.”
“Wait. What? Just the two of us?” Oscar asked. “What about you?”
Luca sighed. “I am not worthy of your love.”
Selene, who was next to Luca on the couch, turned to face him fully. “Don’t say that. Don’t even think that. Of course you’re worthy. You deserve so much love.”
Luca shook his head. “No. I’ve done terrible things. You heard Langston. Mina has nightmares. When she closes her eyes, it’s me there, terrorizing her in her sleep.”
Oscar scowled. “Dammit, Luca. We’ll visit Mina, explain it to her. You can say you’re sorry and we’ll all move on. It’ll be okay.”
“I hope that is true, but…”
“It is true. Now,” Oscar said, rising from his chair and perching on the edge of the coffee table in front of Luca. “Say it back to us.”
Oscar watched as Luca tried and failed in his attempt not to smile.
“When I was young, I believed I was in love with Roberto. And maybe I was, but what I felt for him was lukewarm compared to this. I will never regret what we’ve shared. You saved me in ways I can never explain. And even if our destinies take us on different paths, I promise you now…I will love you both until the day I die.”
Selene tried to discreetly wipe away a tear, and Oscar had to turn his head away. He couldn’t see her cry without adding a few of his own tears to the mix.
“We can’t…” Selene’s voice broke, but neither he nor Luca needed to hear more.
Oscar nodded slowly. They couldn’t keep going on this way. The pain of losing them was already more than he could face. To continue…
Fuck. This couldn’t be completely over. Not after today. Oscar had spent too many hours, holding his breath, terrified. He needed…more. Selfish or not.
“We all knew going in this couldn’t be forever. I knew when I met you,” Oscar said, looking at Selene. “You were a member and I wasn’t. I knew someday you’d belong to someone, someones, else. But now…”
“But now our hearts are involved.” Luca’s voice was soft.
“Which means we have to stop. Cold turkey.” Even saying that made Oscar feel ill.
“Stop loving one another?” Luca shook his head. “No.”
“Stop sleeping together,” Selene said. “We start there. We have to put some emotional distance between us.”
“We’re still going to be together,” Oscar said slowly. “Until we find Joli. Until the Bellator Dei are stopped.”
“But the day will come when we have to walk away from one another.” Selene’s voice was watery. “And that will be much easier if we stop sleeping together now.”
“Can we have…tonight?” Luca asked softly.
“One more night. I can’t let this be over without…fuck…” Oscar ran his hand over his head.
Luca reached over and grabbed it with his free hand, Selene still clinging to the other. “One more night,” he agreed.
Selene merely nodded. Speech seemed to be beyond her right now.
The three of them stood together and walked to the bedroom. To hell with dinner.
Unlike their previous sexual endeavors, this time they weren’t playing roles, trying new positions, “practicing” ménages.
They were simply Oscar, Selene, and Luca.
And they were in love.
The masks were off and none of them held back as they took their time, kissing, touching, undressing.
Night had fallen, the room bathed in moonlight.
Once they were naked, Oscar pulled back the duvet, the three of them climbing beneath the sheets. Luca reached for Selene, pulling her under him. Oscar stroked Luca’s back and ass as he made love to their woman, the two of them rocking together, fighting off their climaxes, neither wanting it to end.
When it did, Oscar was certain he’d never seen anything more beautiful than the pleasure, the utter bliss on their faces.
Luca fell to the side, clearing the path for Oscar. Selene twisted at the last minute, flipping onto her hands and knees, giving him a sexy smile over her shoulder. She’d remembered him claiming that doggie style was his all-time favorite position.
He pushed in hard and fast, both of them gasping. While Luca preferred sweeter, slower lovemaking, Oscar needed a rougher touch, and Selene matched him in those