Lydia's Twin Temptation(Divine Creek Ranch 8)(28)

With her eyes closed, she could hear the smile in Chance’s voice as he said, “That seat reclines all the way back if you want to take a nap. We’re going to be on the road for a while.”

“I may do that later. I’m not sleepy right now.”

“I think your book is in the box on the backseat, if you want to read.”

Lydia decided that was what she wanted. She reached back and located it. “Thanks again for the book. I really do like her stories.” She blushed, thinking very soon she could be living one of Caressa MacFarland’s stories. Unfortunately, it was all too clear to her what a fantasy they mostly were.

She recalled the day Bella had told her she’d called it quits in the polyamorous group she’d been a part of. One of the three women in the group had wanted to add another woman to the group, whom she was also privately involved with, and the newcomer had disrupted the dynamic.

While the group was already on shaky ground, the men had introduced a male friend of theirs who had made Bella uncomfortable from the get-go. He’d cornered her in a bedroom and made a pass when he’d already agreed to let the women get to know him better first.

The other women had flipped out when Bella had told them and other revelations came to pass. In the end the group splintered and fell apart.

Even though it had been clear that there were no monogamous relationships among the group, Bella had confessed that she’d fallen in love with one of the other men but the deeper feeling had not been returned. They’d parted, and Bella had been depressed and miserable for weeks.

It had been hard to watch her friend go through that, and Lydia had been glad that she hadn’t become involved with them. Trying to balance that many needs, wants, and feelings seemed like too overwhelming a task for anyone. The more Lydia thought of her friend’s hurt, and the painful revelation that the love Bella felt wasn’t returned, the more worried she became about Clayton.

Once again, she pondered whether it would be worth it to chance building a relationship with him that was based on nothing more than attraction. Granted, that could change as they spent time with each other. It was probably best that she had not allowed Chance to assume from the get-go that a threesome was a definite possibility. Chance had only asked for the opportunity, and Lydia planned to approach it very cautiously. The risk wasn’t only to her either. She didn’t want to become a stumbling block in Chance and Clayton’s relationship. Jealousy between the twin brothers was a primary concern of hers.

“You sure are thinking hard there, baby.” Chance’s voice startled her, and Lydia gasped. She’d been so deep in thought she’d forgotten everything else around her. “You want to talk about it?”

“About what?”

“Whatever has you looking so worried. Are you having second thoughts?” His tone was guarded, but he reached a hand across the console and she took it, drawing reassurance from his warm grasp.

“I’m worried that I might bring trouble between the two of you.” She told him the whole story about Bella and her polyamorous woes, and he nodded his head in understanding when she finished.

“Quite a lot was going on in that relationship.”

“You could say that again.”

“People coming in who maybe weren’t welcomed by everyone?”

“Yes. And complicated feelings and jealousy.”

“And she was in love with someone who didn’t really love her back.”

“Yeah. It turned out she was just convenient for him.”

“That had to hurt a lot. You know this, but I’ll say it again. You have all the time you need, from both of us. Whatever happens, if ever, is on your time frame. But remember I also said we aren’t interested in a fling, or ‘convenience’ for that matter. We are interested in you, and I know it would be much simpler than what Bella experienced. I’m sorry that happened to her, by the way.”

Lydia posed another question that had been bugging her. “What will happen if I’m not comfortable with moving forward with Clayton but I fall in love with you?” She asked about loving him like it might someday happen, but she knew she was already headed that direction with Chance. All he had to do was smile at her and open his arms and she was putty in his hands.

“He’s prepared for that possibility. All he wants is a chance to see if there could be more between the two of you. He told me he feels guilty for not coming with me to see you as often as he could have, in light of the fact you were willing to uproot your life and come to Divine.”

“He didn’t think I’d agree to it?”