Page 16 of Handcuffs and Hexes

I shoved him away and scrambled back, nearly falling off the other side of the island. But years of keeping in shape because I felt like I had something to prove—not just because I was only a human but also a woman on the force—meant I managed to land on two feet and successfully put the island between us. I quickly smoothed the too-sheer top back down over my body.

“What’s wrong, Sweetcheeks?”

“Stop! Seth, I can’t do this. I don’t know what the fuck type of games you two are playing, but I don’t want any of it. If you guys get off on making each other jealous, find some other gullible girl.”

He looked back at me, confused.

“Whatever relationship issues you two are having, figure it out on your own. Don’t use me to make each other jealous. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

My thoughts were running all over the place, and I hated how out of control I felt. I hadn’t had a hold on the situation since yesterday, and I was sick of it. He’d touched me, and I’d turned into a needy puddle of goo. It wasn’t fucking fair. I couldn’t believe what we’d just done!

Seth looked shocked. “That’s not what’s happening. Listen—”

I covered my ears, even though it felt so ridiculously immature. “No! I’m done! I’m not listening.” I turned, eyeing the stairs and cursing the fact that I still hadn’t figured out where the washer and dryer were. If I had been dressed, I’d be eyeing the door. “Where the hell are my clothes?” I demanded. “I’m sick of wearing this piece of shit!”

“Hey, now! I love that piece of shit!”

“You can have it back.” I tore it off because it wasn’t like it was covering anything vital anyway, balled it up, and threw it at him.

I stormed around his home, looking for my missing clothes. I was done here. I was tired despite a full night’s sleep. I was hungry. My heart was confused as fuck, and somehow, my libido was acting like it was a teenager again. And now that stupid headache, which had miraculously disappeared when the hanky-panky started, was coming back, and it was coming back with a vengeance.

Screw this. I was out. I didn’t care who thought I needed to be monitored because of that stupid-ass spell. Stick a fork in me, I was done.

I wanted to cry. But I wasn’t going to show weakness. I’d done enough of that in the last twenty-four hours to last a lifetime. I was a cop, damn it. And I’d worked hard for the position. I didn’t cry!

It was all Seth’s fault. Seth and his perfect abs, and his perfect... wow, even half-hard, he was impressive. I tore my gaze away. I needed to get away from him. And Liam too. I had no chance against these guys.

Suddenly, it felt as if my feet were glued to the floor. What the hell? Was this Seth’s doing? It had to be! The asshole had magically magnetized my feet to the floor! I tried to pull away but only managed to lose my balance. I windmilled my arms, trying not to faceplant.

Then Seth was there, wrapping his arms around me and surrounding me with that musky, masculine scent of his.

“I didn’t mean it that way,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean that Liam would be jealousyoutouchedme. I meant he’d be jealousIgot to touchyou. We’re not doing this to piss each other off. Nothing like that, Gorgeous.”

“Stop calling me that. I’m not Sweetcheeks, or Gorgeous, or Hazy Daisy, or whatever. If you want to call me Hazel instead of Sarah, fine, but at least use my name.” But my words had no force behind them.

“Hazel,” he said. “You are not getting in our way. No one is upset with you, and we’re not upset with each other. You are not messing anything up.” He moved to stand in front of me, then cupped my face in his palms in a way more intimate than I’d ever thought possible. “Look at me. We want you. Both of us. Separately and together. Don’t you want us too?”

“Let me get this straight,” I said, my fingertips going to my temple to soothe the pounding starting there. “You two are trying to pick me up together?”

“Something like that. But I wouldn’t call it picking you up. That sounds crass.”

Was this something they did to keep things fresh? Well, at least I didn’t feel so bad about kissing them and... other things. But I wasn’t some chick at a bar or a club who could go back to pretending not to recognize them next week. I bumped into Seth at work all the freaking time; I couldn’t just throw caution to the wind and jump into their arms and bed.

“Is your headache back?”

“Yeah,” I admitted.

“Shit! I should’ve taken care of that first, before your other needs.” He moved his hand up to my head and immediately the splitting headache seemed to calm. “How’s that feel?”

“Better,” I sniffed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I wondered if I should tell him the headache all but disappeared when we were fooling around, but I decided against it. “But we still can’t do... whatever this is.”

“But you don’t deny that you want us,” Seth said slyly.

I decided that honesty was the best policy; I’d always been straightforward with everything else in life.

“Of course I want you two,” I said, eyeing his washboard abs. “Look at you! The two of you are hot as sin. But what the hell is going to happen the next time we cross paths at work?”

“That depends on what you decide to make of this and how far you want to take things.”

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