Lindsey shivered. Would they always fight over her?
“Sorry, again.” Ryan dropped his hand, and she immediately felt bereft at the loss of his warmth. A glance at his face showed the pained war inside his head. He’d undoubtedly “heard” the battle going on in her mind.
“Is the inside as glamorous as the outside?” She moved past both men and pushed open the front door Ryan had left ajar. Her breath was stolen. A masterpiece straight out of New Orleans from the turn of the century greeted her.
Alejandro eased against her from behind, his hand climbing up her back to rest on her shoulder. She’d know that touch anywhere. How? Why do you know that already?
So personal, like long-time lovers who’d been together for decades and hadn’t lost their lust for each other. Would it be that way for them in ten … twenty years?
Where did that thought come from?
She whirled around and glared daggers at both men. Sure she was blocking the doorway. Sure they had no choice but to pause behind her close enough she could smell each of their tantalizingly indecent scents. But still, she didn’t like them invading her mind. It was too intimate. And the look on their guilty faces spoke volumes concerning her plight.
Heads bowing, they eased past her and did their best to avoid touching her skin as they awkwardly inched by. Her anger and discomfort turned to amusement on a dime as she considered the power she possessed where it concerned them.
Ryan cleared his throat. “Don’t get cocky, woman. I’d hate for you to believe you hold the power in this relationship.”
“Masters!” Alejandro admonished. His gaze returned to Lindsey. “Don’t listen to him. We are partners here. All three of us. And we will learn to get along.” He looked back pointedly at his unintended accomplice on this ridiculous planet she found herself cohabitating with them. Or would that be, tri-habitating?
Lindsey wasn’t nearly as sure as Alejandro sounded about this arrangement. She’d agreed to explore the idea, at least for a few days, maybe a week. But that was it so far. And only because her hormones were sky high out of this world right now, and she couldn’t begin to think clearly where it concerned these hunks.
Ryan chuckled and turned for the kitchen. She hoped he was laughing at Alejandro’s admonishment, but sincerely doubted that was the case.
Pressing her palms to her temples, she turned away herself and wandered farther into the house. Alejandro did not take the hint and stayed close on her heels.
“Does your head hurt? We could probably find some aspirin or something.”
“I don’t think any amount of aspirin would even so much as take the edge off what I’m feeling.” She glanced back over her shoulder to find him much closer than she’d assumed. “No, I don’t have I headache. I just tend to press into my temples when I’m stressed.”
“And I’m making you ‘stressed.’” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, Sherlock. You are.”
“Holmes?”
“That’s the one. Good job, Spaniard.”
He chuckled. “I’m well read. My parent’s insisted.”
“You guys hungry?” A voice called from some distant room.
As if on cue, Alejandro’s stomach growled.
“One of us certainly is.” Lindsey moved to get past him and headed for the presumed area of the kitchen.
Alex had other plans. He gently gripped her shoulders, waiting until she brought her gaze up to his to speak.
“I’m sorry. Believe me. If I could turn back time and not walk into the Masters’ home the other night, I would. We were doing so well, you and me. I haven’t slept much thinking about sharing you with … someone I don’t know any better than you do. But trust me when I say, this was meant to be. We will sort this out, and we will make you happy. Happier than you could ever imagine.”
His smile held a certain level of mirth, his own brand of cockiness.
“I … I just don’t know.” How could she? It was all so … insane still.
“You will.”
“Now who’s cocky, Alex?”
“Touché, mi amor.”
*
Lord, if she would just relax. Ryan had selected a number of finger foods and arranged them on the bar in the kitchen. She was making him nervous. And Ryan had never been nervous a day in his life. Even the few times he had shared a woman before.
Alejandro pulled out a stool and ushered Lindsey to sit at the counter. When he had her pushed in, he rounded the wood-block surface and joined Ryan on the other side.
“You intimidate me when you gang up on me like this.”
“Gang up on you? How so?” Ryan swallowed around the frog lodging farther and farther in his throat. He held himself stiffly on one side of the counter in an effort to avoid mauling her immediately.