Ugh. He knew he should say it back, but he couldn’t get the words to come out.
“Same.”
Church whistled again. “Whoa. It’s a fucking miracle. Ilse is never going to fucking believe this.”
Severin grunted.
“Later, gator.”
Severin rolled his eyes. Having kids was turning Church into Mr. Rogers. “Bye, doorknob.” He hung up before Church had a chance to say anything else.
Apart from the loud breathing of a puppy or two, the room was silent. He sat up and surveyed his study, and two puppy faces were suddenly at high alert, their brown eyes watching his every move.
“What? You think I should have said it?” He shrugged. “He knows what I meant.”
He got to his feet, stretched then rubbed his ear, annoyed at how sore it got when he was on the phone. Phones were annoying, but when brothers moved half way across the fucking country, they became a necessary evil.
Now, where the fuck was his girl? Puppies were all well and good, but shouldn’t his human pets be lurking around waiting to be of service? He needed to put shock collars on her and Rodrigo so they got reprimanded every time they went more than a room or two away. That should be a thing.
He chuckled to himself as he headed toward the kitchen, assuming Minnow was making lunch or something. It was about that time of day. Normally Ro would be in there with her, since he wasn’t complete shit at cooking, but he’d gone to his old house to get some paperwork.
The pups skittered ahead of him, careening into the kitchen, but although they seemed enthusiastic, Minnow didn’t greet them.
“You keep doing things like this and it makes me uncomfortable,” he heard her say. He stifled a laugh, wondering just how many puppies were licking her.
“Oh, play coy all you want, pretty girl. We both know what you want.” The low whisper was silken.
When had Rodrigo gotten home? He stopped to listen. Rodrigo was always so much smoother with her than he was.
“No. It’s not going to happen.”
“I hear you say no all the time.” The whisper turned harsh, guttural. “But in this house no one listens to you when you say no. That’s your thing, isn’t it? Playing at reluctance you don’t really feel?”
“I’m sorry if I confused you, Loïc. I’m nice to you because you’re Severin’s brother. You’ve had a hard life and you’re feeling lost, but I’m not interested in you that way, and I’m not what you need.”
He froze. Loïc? He shook his head, trying to pay attention and not panic.
“You’re already connected to two men, why not three?”
“We’re in a closed relationship,” she said firmly. “No one gets added without Severin’s say so, and I highly doubt he’ll want to add his brother. That would be inappropriate.”
There was a masculine snort. “If he shares you with his best friend, why wouldn’t he share you with his brother?”
“He just wouldn’t. I know he wouldn’t.”
“But you’d let me fuck you if he ordered you to.”
“No. I’d safeword. That’s a line I refuse to cross.”
She gasped. The sound broke Severin out of his shocked inertia and he strode into the room, ready to kill Loïc.
His brother had Minnow against the wall, his arms on either side of her, penning her in place. Although he wasn’t touching her, he was far too fucking close. She looked small and nervous with him menacing her that way. She only came to Loïc’s shoulder, and dressed in one of her short flared skirts and the kind of knee socks that drove Rodrigo so crazy, she seemed young and defenseless even knowing she and his brother were almost the same age.
“Step away from her, Loïc,” he growled, “or I’ll break your face.”
Loïc pushed off the wall and spread his hands innocently, his mouth twisted in a charming smile. “I didn’t touch her.”
“No, but you’re scaring her and pissing her off.”