“So you move in with every case you have?” Dean offered a grin. “Or actually, move in with every ex-case you have?”
Olin averted his gaze, as if to hide whatever he was thinking. Fine with Dean—all his time learning to read people made it a fun game for him.
“I know Kat’s a lot, but that look in your face says you don’t mind it much,” Dean said.
“Why are you even asking? Clearly, you’re interested, so it seems pretty stupid to be shoving other men onto her.”
Dean waved off the question. “I’m not a jealous man. Besides, Kat’s enough trouble that sheneedsa few men to keep her in check.”
And it wasn’t like Dean was the staying type, no matter how much Kat made him wish he were. Just remembering how she’d fit into his arms when they’d fallen asleep made his chest ache, made him want to try that again even if he knew it was a pointless wish.
Dean kept things casual for good reason—no reason to go fucking that up now.
“Well, seeing as we’re both staying here with her and Bradley, maybe it’s a pointless conversation to have anyway.”
“Making decisions for me now?”Speaking of…
Bradley walked in through the kitchen door, then stopped by the sink to wash his hands as if he hadn’t just interrupted their private conversation.
“Were your ears burning?” Dean asked with a grin.
Bradley dried his hands on the towel hanging off the handle of the oven before turning toward them. “Nah. Kat’s reading down by the barn so I figured it was as good a time as any for the three of us to actually have a talk.”
Because that wasn’t awkward at all… The reality was that while Dean had no idea what his relationship with Kat was—or any of the others—they all had something between them. What did that mean?
“Never figured you for the talking type,” Dean said.
“I’m not the ‘ignore shit until it comes down to a fist fight’ type either.” Bradley crossed his arms as he leaned against the kitchen counter, staring at Olin and Dean. “So, what’s the plan?”
Dean didn’t answer, unsure what to say.
Olin spoke up instead. “What plan? I’ve already said, I’m not getting involved.”
“From what I saw of your little self-defense lesson, you’re already involved.”
“That was—”
“Self-defense doesn’t normally involve grinding against someone,” Bradley said without any inflection in his voice.
Dean chuckled at the way Bradley laid it out, the bluntness. It was hard to dislike someone that direct—at least when he was using it against someone else.
Olin cursed softly. “Fine—not like it isn’t obvious I like her. I’m just here to protect her, though. That’s it.”
“You figure you say that enough and it’ll be true?” Bradley asked.
“It’s got to be true.” Olin turned his gaze on Dean. “But since we’re deciding to dig into personal lives here, what about you?”
“What about me?” Dean set a hand on his chest as if he had no idea what they were talking about.
Bradley sighed loudly enough for both Dean and Olin to turn their gazes that way. “You two are ridiculous, you know that? And I thought Kat was hard to deal with.”
Dean wanted to argue that, but it was true.
Still, he shrugged and answered as honestly as he knew how to. “I like her, but fuck knows that’s as far as it goes. I’m not a relationship type of guy. She deserves a lot more than I’ve got to give.”
Even as he spoke, he recalled the way she’d clung to him that night, the way her lips had tasted, the sound of her little moans. It wouldn’t be terrible to wake up beside her and—
He cut off his thoughts before they went any farther.
“I’ve told her I’m not interested in anything long term or serious. If she’s cool with that, then I’ve got no problem indulging in any fun. I’m also not someone who minds sharing. What about you?” Dean asked Bradley.
“Kat and I have a lot of history. Never figured I’d have her here, and sure as fuck never figured I’d have the two of you here, but so long as we are?” He shrugged then tucked his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans. “I’ve wrangled some wily horses before, and one thing I learned is that it’s a hell of a lot easier to do it with a few extra bodies.”
Dean couldn’t stop his laugh at the explanation, at the way Bradley connected it to horses when they were talking about the three of them sleeping with the same woman. He’d bet if Bradley tried that analogy with Kat, she’d be the one to geldhim.
“So, that settles it?” Dean asked, glancing between the other men.
It seemed none of them knew exactly what they wanted, or where any of it would go, but at least they’d come to some sort of understanding.
That understanding being that they didn’t mind sharing the feisty brat that they’d all fallen for. Hell, maybe between the three of their sorry asses, they might just make one decent man…