“I don’t lov—” Jace scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck.”
He hadn’t shared his plans with Andre when he’d decided to pursue Evan after that evening on the balcony. He’d gone on pretending that this was a two-month deal. To protect them all in case it didn’t work out. But he’d never been able to hide anything from Andre. The guy read people as if their thoughts were printed on their foreheads in Sharpie. “You knew.”
Andre smirked. “You’ve been gone on her since the moment she stepped back into your life. And I’ve seen how much your guard has dropped these last few weeks when she’s around. You’ve been courting her like your life depended on it.”
Anger, hot and fierce, welled up in Jace. “Then why did you go and fucking fall for her too? If you knew I felt that way about her?”
Andre laughed without humor. “Oh, right. ’Cause I’m not allowed to feel anything. I’m just dick number two, enter stage left? What the fuck, man?”Author: Roni Loren
Jace groaned and raked his hands through his hair. “No, that’s not—God. When did this get so damned complicated? Now she’s got three guys fighting over her?”
The couch squeaked as Andre rose and headed to refill his glass. He grabbed the bottle and poured, his back to Jace. Seconds passed, Andre staring down at the glass but not drinking.
“I’m not fighting you for her, J,” he said, his voice quiet. “I want you both . . . I love you both.”
The admission hit Jace in the chest like an anvil, stealing any ability to draw breath, much less respond.
Andre loved him? Not like dude-you’re-my-best-friend love. He could tell from Andre’s tone, the hunch of his pose that this was something much more serious, something he’d been holding back for a while.
Shit. He’d shared women with Andre for years. They’d both enjoyed fooling around with each other during some ménages, but never had he considered that Andre wanted anything more than that. It’d always been . . . casual. Even though Andre was admittedly bisexual, Jace knew his friend had always strived for a traditional relationship. A quick, anonymous fuck with a male sub at The Ranch on occasion, maybe. But being in a relationship with a guy had never been on Andre’s radar—not with his job and his very strict Catholic family. It would flip his life on its head.
Jace set his head in his hands. He didn’t know what to say. Or even how he felt. He enjoyed being sexual with Andre. And it’s not like Jace had any hang-ups about his own sexuality. He was primarily attracted to women but had never believed in restricting himself to some label. But a committed relationship? A true triad with another man and woman.
“Andre, I—” He looked up.
“Don’t say anything.” Andre drained the glass, his back still to Jace. “It doesn’t fucking matter anyway. Evan’s going to move to L.A. She didn’t make Dr. Dan leave tonight—not after he was a complete ass-hat to her. And not after he got hard seeing me naked. She made me leave. Her loyalty lies with him.”
“But why would she want to have a sham for a marriage?”
“Fuck if I know, brother.” He turned to look at Jace, his eyes a swirl of emotion. “Maybe she’s figured out that love is more trouble than it’s worth.”
With that, Andre headed toward his bedroom and shut the door behind him, the quiet snick more deafening than if he’d slammed it.
TWENTY-THREE
Evan stormed into the house, seeing red. How she’d managed to drive home without breaking every traffic rule in the book was a miracle. Her knuckles ached from gripping the steering wheel so hard. How dare he? How dare Daniel talk to her like that, break her camera, throw a fucking hissy fit like he was her real lover?
She shoved open the door to Daniel’s office, the heavy wooden door hitting the wall with a loud thud. Both Daniel and Marcus jerked their heads up from what they were viewing on Daniel’s computer screen. Daniel rose from behind his desk. “Evan—”
“What in the hell was that?” she demanded, cutting him off.
Daniel’s fist hit the desk. “You’re asking me that? You were the one fucking your brains out with some stranger in front of a goddamned camera.”
Marcus stepped around the desk and sat in a chair on the opposite side, obviously wanting out of the line of fire.
She threw her hands out to her sides. “And what the hell difference does that make? You wanted me to find a lover. I did.”
“At a club. A private club where no one would see you.”
“He’s from the club. And no one saw us except you.”
Daniel turned, ripped a page from his printer, and slammed it down on the desk. “Tonight. But what about when you decided to screw Jace Austin? You know who saw you then?” His booming voice rattled her eardrums. “Somebody with a goddamned hi-res camera!”
She stared down at the photo he’d laid out on the desk, her profile coming into focus. Her skirt hiked up her thighs, head tipped back in pleasure, Jace’s hand between her legs. Jace’s face was obscured by the thin metal railings of the balcony, but there was no denying the clarity with which they’d captured her own visage. She gasped, her hand going to her mouth. “How did you get that?”
“The gossip site that’s running the story tomorrow sent me a heads-up. An anonymous source sold them the picture. They haven’t figured out who the guy in the picture is yet—though Marcus could tell right away—but there’s no denying it’s you. They wanted to know if I had a statement.” He sank into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus, Evan. The newspapers will pick up on it after that.”
“Daniel, I—I don’t know what to say. I thought the balcony was private.”