“Hey, I’m fickle. You have a beautiful apartment and inside are two gorgeous housemates. Who wouldn’t consider it?”
I chose not to let them know about the similar offer from Carter, Seb, Kane and Ryan. No, not today.
But yes, the luxurious, modern apartment in the best part of town tempted me. But also captivated by the delicious kissing Jack, and it didn’t put me off, that it would be Jack and Blake, especially now I’d kissed him properly.
I didn’t know what it was with the two men. They were intense with me, but the atmosphere between the three of us was heart thumping and red-hot.
Blake was more unusual than Jack. I imagined making love to Jack would be that—making love. But Blake, I imagined it would be raw and hard sex. Or would it be both of them at the same time? That thought blew my mind as I wondered what it meant.
Did I ask or leave it for another time?
I laughed nervously and coughed to cover it up.Yeah, definitely don’t bring it up today.
“Who is this?” I asked, walking into the living area and picking up a photo of a blonde girl on a console table. I narrowed my eyes at her. She looked familiar.
“She was our last love," Jack said.
My jealousy spiked, and I didn’t understand why. Both had a past, but seeing her photo meant they hadn’t got over her. I sighed internally and turned, and they stood together. “Both of yours?”
The normally cool and collected Jack looked nervous as his eyes flitted around my face as he tried to work out how I felt about that. But it was Blake’s lip that curved on one side and I realised then he did that a lot. I needed to remember that. It was something that made him look devious. “Mine,” Blake answered.
I swallowed and sighed silently. “Where is she now?” I asked, looking at the picture again.
“She left me,” Blake said.
“Oh.” I paused for a beat of my heart as I turned and glanced toward the window. I sighed. “I don’t think you’re ready for someone else?”
Or was it me? Not ready to enter whatever they were asking for, not when their last lover’s picture still adorned the apartment. Because as much as Blake claimed she was his, Jack said she was theirs.
Blake cleared his throat. “We’re ready, we’ve been waiting for you, S…”
“Lacey,” Jack interrupted. “Let’s have lunch.”
“Jack,” Blake growled.
“Lunch.”
And now the dynamics between the two guys had shifted again, and I was more confused than ever by which one of them was more dominant. I’d talked myself into thinking it was Blake, and Jack was the flirty one, but the way Jack looked at Blake with an almost forceful power was confusing.
Blake walked away.
I flicked my thumbnail across my teeth and narrowed my eyes at Jack, and then watched Blake as he strode to the kitchen. I could tell he felt my stare when he turned and he gazed back at me. And I didn’t work out what it was, but I felt something between us. A powerful surge of electricity as I looked in his eyes, and he looked in mine, and we both refused to look away.
Jack cleared his throat. “Lunch.”
And that broke whatever was happening.
Only twenty minutes later, and we were in a nice Italian bistro, I ordered the seafood linguine. It was always a favourite of mine. Jack ordered the same and Blake ordered a steak, which I found a strange choice when in an Italian with fresh pasta on the menu.
“Mm, lovely.” I closed my eyes, my mouth salivating from the most delicious meal I’d eaten in a while, but then cooking for yourself in the dorm kitchen or a quick sandwich didn’t count as decent food.
“Delicious isn’t it?” Jack said, looking at me with a deep, intense stare.
I nodded. The smell of tomatoes and fresh seafood, with a hint of cream, oozed from my plate.
“She certainly is,” Blake said.
I laughed into my hand. “Stop it and eat your food.”