Page 95 of Feeling the Heat: Part Two
“Alright, I’m just going to ask,” I say, setting down the electric drill in my hand.
Both spin to look at me, eyes wide.
I have to bite my lip not to laugh. “What’s going on with you two? You’re acting weird.”
They exchange a glance, neither one able to hide the spike of nerves through the bond. Jackson nods at River, answering whatever question they silently exchange.
River rubs the back of his neck. “I told him how I feel.”
That’s what I already suspected, but my pulse still leaps. I’m secure enough in my relationship with my mate that I’m not upset he hasn’t mentioned it before now. His bringing it up to Jackson at all is a minor miracle. I would’ve given them more time to figure things out without butting in, but with Camille’s impending heat, we can’t have them acting this skittish.
I nod, swallowing down the urge to remind him that I told him Jackson wouldn’t run away. “Yeah?”
There’s another long pause, and I say a silent prayer that they’re not acting this way because Jackson is upset and trying to hide that for the sake of everyone else.
Jackson’s mouth twists into a tiny smile. “Relax, old man. I’m not upset.” He shakes his head. “Confused and nervous because I kissed my best friend and am realizing I’m into you guys as more than packmates, but not upset.”
My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. “Youkissed?” A moment later the rest of his words catch up with me, and my jaw goes slack. “Wait, intoyou guys, as in not just River?”
A swarm of butterflies surges to life in my stomach. I’ve put any feelings I’ve been developing for Jackson to the side because I wanted River to have space to address his infatuation with his best friend first. He’s had ten years of secretly loving Jackson, while I’ve only realized my affection and attraction have deepened over the last few months.
“Well, yeah…” Jackson swallows hard but holds my gaze. “Is that a problem?”
“No, it’s not a damn problem,” I huff, crossing my arms over my chest. “Not particularly romantic to tack it on out of the blue, though.”
Jackson laughs at my grumbling. “Sorry, dude, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, and I wanted to be honest.”
“You’re doing fine,” River murmurs, placing a handon Jackson’s arm. It’s meant to reassure him, but the flush that washes over Jackson’s cheeks and the flare of excitement through the bond tell me Jackson likes the praise.
My mate’s lips curve upward. “Ambrose was even more of a mess when he realized he was attracted to me.”
“I wasn’t a mess!” I protest.
“What do you call trembling the second I touched you and begging me to show you what to do?”
It’s my turn to flush, ears growing hot at the memory. Our first night together is still burned into my brain. The riot of emotion and overwhelming rightness of submitting to him, of begging him to take what he needed from me, of our roles flipping from me being the calm, confident one to a quivering mess in the blink of an eye.
“Don’t expect me to be like that,” Jackson says, giving us a cocky grin that is so quintessentially him that it immediately makes this conversation less intimidating. If we add romance and sex to the dynamic of our relationships, that doesn’t mean who we fundamentally are changes. Jackson is nervous, but he’s still a total goof.
River cocks a brow at Jackson. An expression I’m all too familiar with that means his alpha is perking up. “We’ll see about that.”
The flare of Jackson’s surprised arousal makes me stifle a groan. The image of my mate unleashing himself with the beta after a decade of staying away takes my breath away.
“Don’t think that because you’re an alpha, you’ll get to boss me around and be on top,” Jackson huffs, but there’s no hiding that beneath his protests, he likes the idea of River taking control.
I wonder if he’d want me to be in control, too. I can’t see myself submitting to Jackson unless it was something that River commanded. With all my partners, I want to take care ofthem. That’s what gives me pleasure. For River, that’s giving him an outlet to embrace his dominance. For Camille, that’s being her daddy. What will it be for Jackson?
My dick gives an eager twitch, getting way too ahead of itself. Just because Jackson says he’s attracted to me and River doesn’t mean we’re going to have sex with each other. Sex near each other, undoubtedly. But that might be all it ever is between us, and that’s okay. I’m intrigued by the possibilities, but never at the expense of anyone’s comfort.
Shit, we need to re-discuss boundaries before Camille’s heat.
“I’m calling an emergency pack meeting.”
I go to fish my phone out to text Camille. She’s at lunch with Astrid, but maybe she can do a video chat when she gets back to the office.
“Whoa, wait!” Jackson protests, snatching my phone out of my hands before I can swipe it open.
“What the hell? She needs to be a part of this,” I grumble, reaching out to try to get my phone back.
