Damn it. Belle hadn't meant to get Kinley in trouble. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. It was fun. I rarely get the chance to be so bratty anymore. Dominic tied me up, and I swear I was begging him, Law, and Riley after about ten minutes of torture. Luckily, Law is a cuddle bear."
"You mean he took pity on you?"
"Yep." She giggled. "I cried a lot, and he gave me an amazing orgasm."
Wow, that was a lot of personal information. "I'm glad that worked out for you."
Kinley cleared her throat as if realizing that she'd just spilled way too much information. "So Sir is adapting?"
Suddenly, he raised his head and twisted, his ears perking up as he stared out the window intently with a low growl. He began barking his little heart out.
"He was. But every once in a while, he's just loud." She moved, trying to see what had the dog's attention. "It's weird. He barks when I see absolutely nothing to bark at."
She could almost picture Kinley's shrug. "Animals are more sensitive to their surroundings than humans. I'm sure he'll settle in. Belle, I really wish you'd listen to me about your men."
They aren't my men. "Sir will be fine eventually, though he isn't exactly housebroken yet," Belle sidestepped Kinley's comment. "But I guess that will take time. Got any good tips?"
Kinley huffed. "Stop trying to change the subject. They're worried about you. Tate was practically crying. He's weirdly hot, you know. He's got that soulful geek thing. He's longing, Belle. Pining. All for you."
She closed her eyes, trying not to imagine that look on his face. She was sure Tate would be on her doorstep if she hadn't made herself scarce … though he was smart enough to track her down. If he wanted her, he would find her. She hoped she had the strength to turn him away.
"It wouldn't work with just me and Tate." He must know that, too. And it would be cruel to tear him away from his buddies when she knew their pairing couldn't last. "I care about him, Kin. I really do, but he needs Eric and Kellan. They understand his quirks and forgive him when he says the wrong thing. Without them, he'd just retreat into his shell. And they need him because he's logical and honest. I can't get in the middle of that. It would be like separating brothers."
"Of course you can't do that, honey," Kinley's voice was soothing even from five hundred miles away. "They're a set. Besides, you need something from each of them and you wouldn't be happy with just one."
It seemed wrong. So many women out there couldn't find one man, and Belle was insisting on three. Maybe she wasn't the right woman for any of them. "It doesn't matter."
"Does lying to yourself really help?"
Belle sighed. "I just don't think it's meant to be."
"I think you're giving up awfully easily." Kinley paused. "Kellan was leading the charge to find you."
That shocked Belle. "He must feel very guilty."
"Or he realizes he made a terrible choice." Her long sigh sounded over the line. "You know, you might be expecting Shangri-la between the three of you too quickly. Riley fought his feelings for me at first. He had things to work through. We talked. We argued. He had a lot of hesitation and second thoughts, but eventually he came around. Maybe Kellan needs more time and you need more patience. Men take their time in coming to conclusions that women just instinctively know. They fight their feelings, especially when they have baggage. Kellan has a whole boatload of it from what I can tell."
She thought so, too. Still, what she'd overheard from the bathroom in their suite had been very clear. He didn't want responsibility. He didn't want permanence.
"I don't think it's that simple."
"Nothing worthwhile is. A relationship like this isn't easy, and if you're expecting it to be, you're setting yourself up for failure. It takes a lot of work and honest talk. You three aren't communicating."
Maybe Kinley was right, but honestly, what else was there to say? She couldn't make Kell want her for more than a night.
Suddenly, Sir's whole body went on full alert and the barking began anew. Belle frowned as she moved to the window. From here, she had a great view of the courtyard that now swayed with the wind as the weather turned a bit chilly. A pretty orange and yellow tabby cat pranced across the bricks and turned her smug feline face toward the dog, looking deeply entertained by the dog's irritation.
Belle pulled Sir up into her arms and dropped the shade over the window, hoping the cat would be out of sight and out of mind. It wasn't working for her when it came to Kell, Tate, and Eric. Weariness set in. "Kinley, hon, I've got to go. I still have to get the bedroom ready for tonight and find some kibble for the little beast."