Page 23 of Room for Three

I scoff at his words. “Overreact? I want to fucking arrest every male in that house.”

Knowing I had that bastard on my radar yesterday makes me crazy with anger. I knew I should have gone after him to give him another ticket.

“Well, you can’t,” he says. “My point in telling you this isn’t so you’ll teach Owen and his boys a lesson. It’s so you will proceed with caution with Savvy. The last thing she needs is more horny bastards in her life.”

It’s a rare day when Travis is the voice of reason.

I am disgusted for lusting after her.

We’re no better than the Monahans.

“We have to be strong,” Travis says gently. “I think Savvy is deliberately pushing boundaries with us. If we truly care about her, we need to be stronger than her advances.”

I think about how she put her feet in my lap last night and made me rub them. The male parts of me took over. I gladly put my efforts into massaging her feet, unable to ignore how hard my cock got because of it. This morning, she kissed me. It was a friendly, good morning peck, but it wasn’t appropriate.

“We need to be her protectors,” I agree slowly.

“Exactly. We can chalk up our reactions to us being bachelors who weren’t prepared to have a gorgeous teenage girl invading our space. Now that we know what she’s been through, though, and what she means to us because of Charlie and Serena, we have to do better.”

“We have to.”

He offers me his fist to bump across the table. I meet it with mine, signifying I understand the assignment.

Savvy has had a shitty life.

We can make it better for her.

If that means ignoring the baser male parts of us, so be it.

She’s worth a little discomfort.

Main Street is a nice part of the area we live in. The business owners have worked hard to rehabilitate the buildings that have been around since the 1900s. Each shop, restaurant, bar, and service-based establishment have lent their effort into keeping the vibe similar.

Small-town but sophisticated.

Cute but modern.

Because of the hard work they’ve put in, the area is virtually free of crime. This is relieving knowing Savvy now works here.

I’ve long since changed out of my uniform into jeans and a T-shirt, and since the evening air is pleasant, I’m waiting outside of Smoke & Sugar, leaned against the Explorer until Savvy gets off work.

Finally, she exits the building and waves to whoever locks the door behind her. She’s in her work outfit—tight black slacks and a black Polo shirt—and still wears her black and gold name tag. Her long hair has been swept up on top of her head in a neat bun. Without her hair distracting me, I’m forced to focus on her wide green eyes and supple pink lips.

My cock twitches.

Fuck.

I’d been so resolved to be a better man after me and Travis’s lunch talk, but all it takes is seeing her and my body reacts. I hate myself for it.

“Hey,” I say, forcing away my chaotic thoughts.

She makes her way over to me and gives me a hug. “Hey. I’m beat.”

Since the goal is to make her happier, I hug her back, putting all my focus on her wellbeing. She melts in my arms, and then, to my shock, tilts her head up, kissing my cheek again.

“Savvy,” I rasp out. “We need to talk about this.”

She stiffens in my arms. “About what?”

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