Jude sits in a chair and reaches his hand across the table, offering it to Coyle. “Nice to meet you, man.”
I take a seat and pass out the beers, taking a long drink of mine as both guys eye me, probably wondering what the point of all this is. I fidget slightly, but the resolve inside of me to make Edison mine, ours, solidifies. This is the first step in getting exactly what I want, even if I didn’t realize Jude would be part of it until a few days ago.
I can adapt. I’m fucking amazing at it.
“Now with the introductions out of the way,” I try and joke, but it sounds flat, even to me, from nerves. I look at Coyle to find his face serious, but curious. “I met the woman meant to be shared by us.”
Coyle sputters a little as he tries to swallow the swig of beer he just took. I could have timed that better. His voice is strained, “What are you talking about?” When I don’t answer, he looks at me for a beat longer and then scrubs a hand down his face. “I figured you forgot about that shit a long time ago.”
I shake my head, “I never did. I just thought maybe she wasn’t out there, or we were looking in the wrong place. I focused on work instead of worrying about it, but it’s always been there in the back of my mind.”
“Finding a woman to fuck for a night in a bar is one thing, but someone who would want to be between us forever?” He scoffs, “We were definitely looking in the wrong place.”
I glance at Jude to see him watching the exchange between us, curiosity and interest in his gray eyes. I give my brother a pointed look, my voice serious, “Before I say anything more, I want to know if this is something you want. If you don’t, you can walk away, but I think you’d be making a mistake. You’ve been lonely and wanting something more. It hasn’t been working out, but this woman is the right one.”
Coyle eyes me warily, “How do you know?”
I look across the kitchen and take in the ticking clock, feeling like seconds are counting down for me to get this out while I can. “She’s a dichotomy. She’s sweet and fierce, sexy and innocent, daring and timid.” I look back at Coyle to find him studying me. “She’s perfect. I want her for me, but I also don’t think I’d be enough on my own. You’d be her steady, her rock. She needs you.”
Coyle nods toward Jude. “And him?”
I chuckle and look at Jude who has a smug look on his face. He clears his throat, “I’d push her boundaries without remorse while still having a smile on my face and praising her for giving in to what she clearly needs.”
“You know who she is?” Coyle runs his hand over his short hair as Jude gives him a curt nod. “How do you know her?”
I fill him in on how I tattooed her months ago. It’s clear, by the way his eyes flash, he knows there is more to the story that I’m not sharing. Jude fills us in next and I’m not surprised by the way he came across Edison. She’s someone who you can see in a crowded room and be drawn to her.
There isn’t a hint of hesitation in Jude’s voice when he admits, “When I saw her, I knew she was mine. I went and got a job at the university as a janitor to have an excuse to get closer to her.”
Coyle blinks at him, his voice incredulous, “You did what?”
“I’ve been obsessed since I tattooed her.” Coyle’s eyes snap to mine, and I shrug, not the least bit ashamed by what happened. “I’ve been watching her, keeping tabs on her. It’s how I came across Jude. I’m done waiting and now is the time to make her ours.”
“You mean you’ve been stalking her,” he hisses and looks around like a SWAT team is going to burst through the windows and doors any minute.
“You could call it that,” Jude counters, “but I call it making sure she’s safe.”
Coyle’s voice cuts right through the bullshit, “If you’re stalking her under the guise of keeping her safe, who, exactly, keeps her safe from you?”
“No one needs to keep her safe from us,” my tone is defensive as fuck, but I don’t care. Not right now. I run a hand through my hair. “Look, I just need to know if you’re still in. I think you’re going to fall head over fucking heels for the girl once you get a look at her.”
Coyle leans back in his chair and studies Jude and then me, his eyes, a sage green with hazel flecks, lock onto me. “Why do you seem hellbent on getting me to agree to this right now? What else are you hiding?”
I stand up and start pacing in the kitchen, knowing this is a make it or break it moment for the future. I need to come completely clean and I’m not sure which way it is going to go. It’s fuckin agonizing, but there’s no other choice than to suck it up and move forward. I’ve already put things in motion.
“I slipped an invitation under Edison’s door earlier so she would get it the moment she got home from work.” I glance at Jude and his eyebrow is arched in question, but he doesn’t say anything. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. I could have fucked up this whole thing with what I’ve done. “It’s an invitation for a night of praise and pleasure at Club Sin. It can be redeemed at any time, but the moment she presents it, I’ll get a call.”
Coyle’s eyes slide closed as he clenches his jaw. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he murmurs.
Jude smirks at me. “Praise and pleasure? How could you possibly know what I’m into?”
There’s so much innuendo in those words that my cock lengthens and starts to throb.
Not the fucking time.
“It’s not really about what any of us are into, is it?” I stare into Jude’s eyes, not wavering. “I know you’ve seen the same thing in Edison’s eyes I have because it’s so fucking obvious. How could anyone miss it? She puts on a brave face, she smiles and normally they’re genuine, but there’s also a lot of pain in her eyes. Pain and fear and walls which are so fucking high, it’ll take all three of us to scale them.”
Jude sighs, acquiescing, “Yeah. I’ve seen it.”