Page 33 of Deadly Promise
“Clothes shred when we shift. I’m gonna need something to wear home.”
“Makes…sense.” Teagan stood there, staring like his brain had blue-screened. Liam grinned when he flexed a pec and his mate squeaked.
Hayden poked the other one. “It’s made of steel. Mine squishes in a little when you touch it.”
“I don’t have a damn thing to poke unless you count my nipples.” Teagan peeked down his own shirt. “All flat planes as far as the eyes can see.”
“Your flat planes look good on you.” Liam winked. “Now do I finish undressing so I can shift, or do you want to keep pointing out our differences? You two are perfect. We’re like the three bears.”
“Would that make me mama bear?” Hayden frowned.
“At least he’s not calling you baby bear,” Teagan argued.
Liam ignored them and kicked off his boots then slid his pants down his legs, using the counter to steady himself as he took them the rest of the way off. He was not about to get pulled into a conversation about who was which bear. All he’d been trying to say was he liked how different they were, not insult anyone.
After tossing his underwear toward his jeans, he straightened, realizing the room had gone silent.
Teagan slowly licked his lips, his gaze sweeping appreciatively over Liam. Hayden was studying him, making Liam wonder if he was making a few more comparisons in his head.
“I take back what I said,” Teagan murmured. “I feel a little lightheaded. If I faint, make sure Liam’s dick catches me.”
* * * *
Liam paused in the doorway, heart squeezing at the sight before him. Teagan was already naked, pale skin glowing against the soft light as he leaned over a storage box by the wall, muttering to himself. His blond hair hung wild across his forehead, a flash of pink tongue appearing when he finally pulled free the bottle of lube with happy little grin.
Hayden, on the other hand, was locked in a losing battle with his jeans. One leg was off, but the other was tangled stubbornly around his ankle like it refused to be evicted. He hopped once, cursed softly, then grabbed at the wall for balance.
A smile tugged at the corners of Liam’s mouth then grew a little wider at how domestic this already felt. “You need a hand there, kitten?”
“I can handle stripping off a lousy pair of pants.” Hayden’s voice tightened with concentration, switching from pulling to swinging his leg wildly. “Don’t you guys dare start without me. I got this.”
The jeans begged to differ. Another tug, another hop, then he nearly toppled over before catching himself on the dresser. Liam was itching to help but forced down the offer. Some battles he had to let his mates fight.
Denim was clearly one of them.
With amusement in his eyes, Teagan watched, bottle of lube clutched tightly in his hand. “Looks like you’ve really got it.”
“Not helping.” Hayden gave one last yank, the denim finally giving way with a loud rip. He stared down at the torn leg, chest rising fast. “Perfect. This better not be an indication of how my night’s going to go.”
Leaning against the doorframe, Liam shook his head, his smile breaking free this time. “Those jeans never stood a chance. Nice defeat.”
Teagan chuckled while Hayden’s arm shot up, the jeans clutch in his fist, his expression radiating triumph.
If this was how they acted on any given night, Liam was the luckiest bastard alive. “Now that you’ve won your hard-fought battle, plan on joining us? Or is there another pair of jeans in desperate waiting to take you on?”
Hayden’s Adam’s apple bobbed with a slow swallow, arm lowering, jeans hitting the floor.
“Somebody better make the first move, or I’ll just start doing myself.” Teagan walked toward the bed, Liam’s gaze zeroing in on naked ass.
Chapter Ten
It’s nothing to freak out about. So what if it’s not Hayden? You’re not cheating, and Hayden will be in the room.
Did that make it better or so much worse?
But Hayden had encouraged this, for Teagan and Liam to kiss, but kissing was totally different than…this.
Maybe he could call a time-out, make some excuse to leave for a second, then have an existential crisis in the kitchen.
