Stay With Me - Maya Banks Page 0,16

listen to what we have to say, Catherine. Give us a chance. Let us try to make you happy again.”

She glanced over his shoulder to see Rhys standing in the pathway, hands shoved into his pants pockets. He looked tired and defeated.

“Please, baby,” Logan said softly. He reached for her hand, curling her fingers into his. His thumb stroked over her palm, and he brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles.

“No sex,” she said solemnly, knowing damn well they’d both use any means necessary to press their advantage. “Sex won’t fix what’s wrong.”

Logan scowled.

“Talk. You’re supposed to talk to me.” As much as she wanted them to touch her again, to take her, to possess her—she’d spent the last months aching for them to do just that—they had to talk about the problem, not disguise it with sex.

Rhys chuckled in the background, and Logan only scowled harder.

“Jesus Christ, Catherine, when did you become one of those let’s talk about our feelings girls?”

“When you stopped talking to me,” she replied.

Not giving him a chance to respond or protest, she walked around him and back toward the hotel. Rhys fell into step beside her, but she ignored him as she made her way to the lobby.

She punched angrily at the elevator button, impatient when it didn’t immediately respond. Rhys quietly took her hand and held it close to his body while they waited for the doors to open.

He couldn’t know how much it hurt her to be this close, to feel him touch her so lovingly. If he did, surely he wouldn’t do it.

He ushered her into the elevator, Logan crowding in behind them. She backed away as he closed in on her. His hands cupped her shoulders, and he kissed her deeply, hungrily.

“Do you remember, baby?” he asked huskily. “Remember when the elevator broke down in our old apartment?”

Fire bloomed in her cheeks. Oh yes, she remembered. Logan and Rhys had been insatiable. They’d taken her on the floor, against the doors, one holding her while the other fucked her in long delicious strokes. Then they held her between them, one fucking her ass while the other fucked her pussy. By the time the elevator was up and running again, she’d been thoroughly exhausted, and Logan had carried her back to the apartment.

“I remember,” she whispered.

The elevator doors opened, and Logan reluctantly stepped away. He reached back for her hand as Rhys curled his fingers around her other. They pulled her toward their suite, and she followed, her heart lodged painfully in her throat.

Cooler air hit her, sending a shiver down her aching spine. Rhys turned and took her into his arms, his hands sliding up and down her back.

“What do you want, Cat? Tell me. I’ll do anything for you.”

“A long soaking bath,” she mumbled against his chest. “You need to shave.”

He chuckled. “Let me take care of you. I’ll go draw you a bath and while you soak, I’ll shave, and we’ll talk. We used to do that a lot.”

“Yeah, we did,” she said with a smile.

“I’m going to hit the shower,” Logan said. “I imagine we’ll all feel better and calmer after a bath.” He eyed her pointedly as he made his statement as though her hysteria could be blamed on the need for a bath. She almost laughed.

“Sit here,” Rhys said as he eased her down on the bed. “I’ll be right back.”

With a sigh, she let him put her where he wanted and watched as he hurried to the bathroom. She slipped her flip-flops off and flexed her toes. She was tired. Weary to her bones. Just when she had her mind made up about the direction she wanted her life to take, Rhys and Logan stormed in and turned everything around.

She couldn’t let them change her mind. Not when she’d finally grown a spine and decided to stop being the martyr in the relationship. On the other hand, was she being fair? How could she expect them to change, to make her happy, if she didn’t tell them what she wanted, needed, and give them the chance to react?

A dull ache began at her temples. About the time she thought she’d taken a proactive stance, she realized that she’d reacted like a twit. Reactionary. Instead of standing up, fighting back and saying no, it’s not okay for you to ditch me again, she’d stomped off like a sulky child.

Rhys returned and reached down for her hand. At first he just stroked