Page 26 of Double or Nothing
My heart lurches as I turn to face him, his sudden presence causing a seismic shift in the room. In a swift motion, he takes in the scene, his expression changing from confusion to a stormy mix of emotions. I’m standing between Kit and Vulcan with Kit’s arms wrapped around me, while Vulcan’s hand rests on my ass under my short bathrobe.
His gaze moves from me to the guys, lingering on each of our faces as his mind tries to piece together the puzzle before him.
Time seems to stretch as silence settles in.
“What the hell is going on here?” he finally asks.
13
SEVEN
I’m not sure what I expected to walk in on this morning, but it sure as well wasn’t a threesome about to happen in Kit’s kitchen.
“What’s going on?” I ask again when no one answers.
Kit goes dead still, his arms circled in a vise grip around Jade’s waist. Vulcan’s hand is on the curve of her ass, causing the fabric of her bathrobe to bunch up and reveal a tantalizing view of her bare skin underneath. There’s a strange camaraderie between the three of them, an unspoken ease that reeks of recent intimacy.
Jade disentangles herself from Kit’s hold and hurries over to me. She places her hand on my arm as if to stop me from acting irrationally. Her gaze meets mine.
“If you’re getting ready to tell me it’s not what it appears, please don’t,” I say. “It’s obvious something is going on. Who wants to tell me?”
“I swear I was planning to talk to you today about this,” Jade says, her voice slightly shaky. “Please don’t be mad. Just give me a chance to explain.”
“Mad about what?” The words spit out chillier than I intended. I’m straining against the tide of jealousy that’s threatening to wash over me, especially after I swore never to let jealousy get the best of me again. The memory of Jade getting hurt in a fight between Vulcan and me is still raw in my mind.
Silence returns to the kitchen, heavy and crushing.
“You’ve always known I have feelings for all of you,” Jade says, gesturing towards the other two men. “I’ve never hidden that fact. And I’ve always been aware of the tight bond between you. You’re a family and I would never wish to sever that. Choosing between you would be a heart-wrenching task, something I can’t and won’t do.”
I frown at her. It’s taking everything I have in me not to wrap my arms around her and draw her close. I still want her desperately, even after seeing her with them.
It’s not as if I haven’t watched the other guys hug her and even kiss her before, but something is different this morning. The way they both have their hands physically on her at the same time is causing alarm bells to go off in my head.
“Have I ever pressured you to choose between us?” I ask.
“No, but I’m afraid you might at some point,” she admits. Her eyes plead with me. “Can we go somewhere to talk about this privately? I want to explain things to you, to make you understand.”
“We should all be present for this conversation,” I counter. “We’re all involved.”
“Okay,” she says, blowing out a long breath. “Fair enough. Last night, Vulcan came here soon after you left. He didn’t want to be alone out at the RV, and I was relieved when he showed up. He needs us, and I need him in my life. Just like I need you and Kit. We all need each other.”
“I agree, but why do I get the feeling there’s more to this than you’re telling me?” I glance over at Kit, who quickly looks away.
Damn.
This might be worse than I imagined.
My gaze shoots to Vulcan, who is leaning back against the kitchen counter, casually drinking a cup of coffee as if he doesn’t have a fucking care in the world. I’m shocked, yet also glad that he’s here. It’s not Vulcan’s typical behavior to admit he needs anything or anyone. There might be hope for him after all.
He lifts an eyebrow at me in a silent question and takes another sip of coffee. That’s when the searing image of him and Kit, tangled up in the sheets with Jade, hits me.
Jade and Vulcan slept together last night. I see it on his face.
And Kit too?
“Are you in better spirits today?” I ask Vulcan, masking my hurt and anger.
“I am,” Vulcan replies. “Everything is fine. Don’t worry about me. It’s all good.”
