Adam grinned as he eased one of the blankets off Violet. “Sounds lovely.”
“Anyone any closer to walking away?” Ian gave a low chuckle. “I thought so. I’m afraid this might not end with you taking me home to meet the parents, buddy.”
I looked down at Violet and thought about the fear and frustration on her face at the thought of any of us dating someone else. “I don’t think she’s any closer to picking, either.”
“So what?” Adam raised his eyebrows. “We just keep doing this?”
The three of us were silent for a long time, each of us lost in thought. I was trying to imagine a life spent loving the same woman with two other men. I didn’t know what that would be like. When I thought about the men I was becoming fast friends with, though, I didn’t like the thought of either of them hurting if they lost Violet. It’d been a while since I’d had guy friends who weren’t my brothers or employees. Not having a reason to hang out and still wanting to was nice. It would suck to lose friends. I couldn’t even consider the option of Violet not choosing me in some way. I didn’t know if there was a perfect option for Violet to pick.
“Tonight, when I caught one of the guys standing with you checking out Vi’s ass, before I could move, you’d already corrected him.” Adam looked up at the ceiling and scrubbed his hands down his face. “It was nice. Knowing that there was a team of us, ready and willing to break faces for her. And I fucking wanted to break his face. I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone looking at her in that dress. Except you two. It doesn’t bother me when you touch her. What is that?”
Ian held up his hands. “If I knew, I’d be able to explain my own actions. Ilikewatching her with the two of you. If either of you repeat those words, I’ll be forced to dig into my childhood trauma and end you, but it’s true. I saw that prick you’re talking about, Adam. I nearly pushed a woman out of my way by her forehead to get to him. The idea of another man touching her? Fucking game-over-level anger. My head wants to explode. Not you two, though.”
I sighed. “Sorry for saying what I’m about to say. I know I’m probably going to ruin things, but I need to say it.”
Adam winced and Ian seemed to brace himself.
“You guys are my friends now. I feel like I’ve known you two assholes for forever. It’ll suck if this ends poorly.”
Ian faked a gag. “God, get a room.”
Adam fanned himself and winked at me. “I do declare, Jayden!”
I scowled. “Fuck you guys.”
“I think you’re trying to.” Ian laughed when I threw a pillow at his head. “I’m kidding. Wearefriends. Which means we should work on figuring out what that means for our options. Maybe there’s something we haven’t thought of, or spoken out loud, anyway.”
“I think there’s something we allhavethought of. It just feels like it shouldn’t be what we want or accept.” Adam met my gaze and then turned to Ian to meet his. “But if it’s that or I lose her, you can bet that I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
30.
***Violet***
IleanedagainstIanand pointed at a hat in the window of a store we were passing. “Did you know that Jayden has a collection of over two hundred hats?”
“So, you want to support that addiction by buying him another one?” He pulled me into the store, despite his words. “Where does he even store that many hats?”
I reached up to grab the right one and felt a wave of exhaustion hit me. It’d been three days since I’d been taken out by food poisoning, but I was trying to push myself so I could do everything I wanted to do for Christmas. I had to shop for the guys, and I needed to find a wedding present for Rose. I had two more live events for my business before Christmas and four more parties. I also had a bridal party fitting that night to attend. Rose had already bought the dresses, and the bridal party just had to show up and allow the team of seamstresses to measure us and adjust them according to our bodies.
Of course, I couldn’t miss the gingerbread decorating in downtown Holiday Village, or the ugly sweater competition. There were so many things to do, and I just needed to bounce back.
Ian wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me against his chest, holding me while he grabbed the hat. “You’re tired.”
I rested the back of my head on his shoulder and sighed. “Who isn’t?”
He turned me around to face him and cupped my face. “You can slow down. Ask us for help. I can help, baby. I’ve got time. No one wants their spouses followed around Christmas.”
I smiled and then rolled my eyes at him. “Maybe. Can we finish shopping for now?”
He studied my face before dropping his mouth to mine and kissing me. Pulling away before I was ready for him to, he held up the hat. “Yay? Nay?”
I touched it and frowned. “Nay. It feels too droopy. He always bought stiffer hats and then let them soften to the shape of his head over time.”
“All right. Onward we go.” He interlaced our fingers and kept me close to his side as we walked through the packed mall. He didn’t complain when I wanted to go into every other store to look at something, or when I made him wait outside because I’d spotted something I had to buy for him. He was just… great.
It wasn’t until we were leaving and he’d pinned me to the side of his truck, bags forgotten as he kissed me, that things went downhill fast and in a hurry. I was in the middle of wrapping my thigh around his hip when a horn blew next to us, and my mother’s shrill voice pierced my brain as thoroughly as an arrow.
I jerked backwards and hit my head on the window behind me hard enough to make me swear. Ian, undeterred by someone screaming at us, held me close and looked me over.