"Jade, I was simply stopping by to check on you. That is it. I haven't heard from you since you ran from my bed. I know you have shit you're dealing with, and I'm just worried about you. But if I ever wanted to track you, I could."
"I know you could, and I don't want that shit in my life. If we're going to see each other at all, you have to leave the technology to the level of normal people, Kaleb. I'm not kidding. A cell phone or email, that's it."
"So we're seeing each other?" He backs off just slightly, still pressed up against me, just not as tightly.
"I didn't say that. I'm just laying down the ground work if we're going to consider it. Even if we're just friends, I need boundaries and you … . You don't seem to have any of those."
"You have no idea the restraint I have with you, my sweet Jade. I can deal with your rules, but you need to deal with mine." My eyes move to his again, and I wait for him to continue. "You can't fucking run. You want normal … Then you have to communicate like normal, and when I want to taste your fucking body, you let me. Because remember, Jade, I want you. I can deal with your rules outside the bedroom, but I make the rules inside. Beyond that, I don't give two fucks how we set it up. I just want to know you're on the same page as me."
I don't know if we're on the same page or not completely, but I nod in agreement, because honestly, my body wouldn't allow any other reply.
His mouth lands on mine, and his arms pull me closer to him, even though that didn't seem possible in the moments before. His kiss is passionate, and I find myself matching his intensity. He feels good and wrong at the same time. Like I'm playing with an explosive that will go off any second. Of course, it could simply be the fact that Harris is nearby and has to be seeing all of this. Shit.
I push Kaleb off of me and breathe deeply, pulling my thoughts together. What am I doing? Do I want this with Kaleb? Yes. Do I want to deal with the pissing contest between the two of them? No.
I look over and see Mallory smiling the biggest damn smile of her life, while Harris is loading the back of his truck with harsh movements. I know he's pissed about this, but he's going to have to get over it.
"Were you going away with Harris?" Kaleb's face has dropped, and it's obvious he truly wasn't watching us before. If he would've seen all the luggage and us walking out together, our conversation would've been so much worse.
"My friend Mallory and I were going to meet him in Alabama, but he offered to drive us instead. It's just a weekend away that I desperately need. Nothing more, Kaleb."
"I bet he did."
"Stop. I'm not dealing with that either. I've told you we are nothing more than friends, I need you to own that."
"I've seen you with him, Jade. It's hard for me to not want to kill him." Yeah, well, it's hard for me to not want to kill you right now. I don't say that. But I sure as hell feel it. What I do say is what he needs to hear.
"He also went to battle with you and had your back the whole damn time. This will be a deal breaker with me. You two have to get along."
"Fucking hell, Jade. He would fuck you right now if you offered."
"He's a guy, of course he would. I'm not talking about this again, so you need to deal with it. I've told you we are nothing more than friends and that's the truth." I watch him watch Harris. He's glaring at him, and right now, I wish I could go back in time and not meet Kaleb the same way. Being wrapped around Harris probably wasn't the best first impression I could give, but it is what it is. That's how it happened, and it's what probably sparked Kaleb to go after me like he did in the first place.
"I'll deal with it." The muscle in his jaw moves as he tightens it.
"Yes, you will. Right now." I wanted to make amends with things in my past, but I need to do it with my present as well. These two guys need to know where I stand, and I can't think of a better time than right now. "Follow me."
I walk away, leaving him no chance to react, then walk up to Harris and tell him we all need to sort this shit out. "Let's talk inside." Mallory looks entirely confused, however, she follows us in instead of pumping me full of questions outside. I know she's biting her damn tongue.
Once we get inside, I let it all out. "Harris, I'm seeing Maverick. Kaleb, I'm not seeing Harris. You two have to stop with the alpha bullshit and let me breathe before I kill you both. Harris, you know I love you, but it was never more than friends even though we almost crossed that line. It would've never been more than a fuck. I want to see what Kaleb and I have beyond the insanely great sex. I deserve this. I want to see where it goes, but I need you two to stop. This isn't helping any of us. In fact, it's driving me crazy. It ends now." Kaleb's fucking smirk spreads across his lips, while Harris looks as confused as ever.
"Who the fuck is Maverick?" Mallory's voice pulls me into a smile. How comical this shit must look to her. I've never been in a relationship before, and now there are two men in our apartment. This whole scenario is new to her, so I can only imagine what she's thinking.
I point to Kaleb. "He's Maverick."
"You people and your using last names crap. How can I keep up? Nice to meet you, Maverick, Kaleb … Whatever your name is." She moves forward to shake his hand. "I'm Mallory, her best friend, who knows absolutely nothing about you or the shit she just spewed, but you better know I will be drilling her very soon."
"Drill away." He doesn't even bother to hide his arrogance. The damn bastard is so confident. The way he stands there with his arms crossed around his massive chest and those tattoos daring me to come and lick them. Ugh.
"And you almost fucked this one? Damn it, Jade. Crush a girl's heart, why don't you?" Harris looks at Mallory but still hasn't moved from his spot. He's processing all of this, and I can see his wheels turning. He's about to let loose what he's thinking.
"Just like I told him before, if he lays one fucking mark on you, I'll kill him. I know we're never going to be more than what we already are … But that's the reason I'll never let any man hurt you. It's that code we live by. We protect our team. Jade, you're a part of my team forever, and I would die making sure you're safe." He ends his words staring right at Kaleb. Kaleb stares back, and I watch the two of them exchange so many things without a single word leaving either of their mouths.
"Do you two need to beat the shit out of each other and battle this out, or should you just whip your dicks out and measure? Better yet, we can have you stand side by side and see who can piss the farthest. I'll let Jade judge the piss, and I can always judge the size. I mean, boys, we can work this out." Mallory stands next to them both, looking up and instantly softening both of their demeanors. They look down at her and smile. I laugh out loud at her craziness, and then she continues. "What you need to do is invite him to Alabama. Give Jade the chance to see where this is going for her, while you get the benefit of watching him close on your own terms." She points and touches Harris' arm with the tip of her finger. "Damn, that's hard. Okay … Stay focused, Mal. And you, Mr. Maverick. You need to remember it will be me first you have to deal with if she's so much as crying over you, then I'll let this big gorilla over here at you if there's anything left." Both men turn to look at me as she continues to talk. Their faces are amused, and her tiny frame walking in front of them both, taking charge, is a sight I needed to see. This is damn hysterical.
"I'd poke your arm too, but I don't think I can handle that again. A woman can only take so much sexy as all hell men in her apartment, especially when they look like the two of you, and trust me, I mean that in a very good way. Now, let's all play nice, get our asses in that truck, and burn up the road. Okay, boys? This girl is using her vacation days on a road trip with her best friend. We were supposed to be Thelma and Louise-without jumping off the cliff at the end, of course. Now we have so much testosterone, I'm not sure we'll even get to where we're going." She walks toward the door, hoping they'll follow, but they don't right away.
"Maverick. You're more than welcome to go with us to my ranch in Alabama for the weekend. I have plenty of room at the ranch house." Harris follows Mallory out the door, and I don't miss his smile when she passes in front of him.