by Autumn Reed
Seeing his point, I conceded, but my mind still wandered back to his earlier statement. “What did you mean by after? After what?”
Cole glared at Shane, but I could tell he was amused more than angry. “You should have known she would pick up on that.”
“We were planning to save this discussion until we finished eating,” Shane grumbled.
I looked down at my plate. In the few minutes since Shane piled it high with steak, grilled corn on the cob, and my favorite pasta salad from the deli, I’d managed to devour most of the food. “Okay.”
Taking my time, I continued eating until only the bare cob and remnants of steak sauce remained. With exaggerated movements, I covered my plate with my napkin and nudged it out of the way. “Done.”
Cole gave me a puppy dog look he must have picked up from spending so much time at the shelter. “But what about dessert?”
“Dessert later. Talk now.”
His expression quickly changed to a mix of mischief and heat. “I like it when you get bossy.”
I groaned in frustration before turning to my other boyfriend and adopting a sweet but pleading tone. “Shane, please tell me what you meant.”
He pushed his own plate away before picking Snow up from where she was begging at his feet. “You know the compromise I mentioned earlier?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Cole and I want to buy a new house for the three of us. As in, you, me, and Cole.”
My pulse fluttered madly as his words sank in. The three of us. Me and Shane and Cole. Living together.
“Technically, the five of us,” Cole corrected, a huge smile on his face. “Can’t forget about Snow White and Ace.”
Shane gave Snow a grave look and said, “I’m sorry I left you out,” before letting her lick his chin. “We’ve already started looking at some properties in the area that have a better floorplan and a bigger yard. But we want you to help us decide, since it’ll be your home as well.”
Home. Damn, he really knew how to pull on my heartstrings. It sounded amazing. Almost too good to be true. And maybe it was, because there was one vital piece missing from this picture.
I swallowed before forcing my question out. “What about Nic?”
Cole shrugged, but behind his nonchalance, I could see his anger from earlier resurfacing. “He can either buy out our shares in the townhouse and stay here or find a new place. I really don’t give a fuck what he does.”
“Cole,” Shane warned.
“What? I refuse to keep pretending like everything is all right when it’s not. Emma deserves the truth.”
My stomach dropped, and my brain immediately conjured one of the many pictures of Nicholas and Alyssa I’d seen over the last couple of months. Was this about her? Did I even want to know?
You’re choosing to be stronger, I reminded myself.
“What don’t I know?” When Shane shook his head at Cole, I said, “Please, just tell me. Cole is right. I can’t keep pretending, and neither should you.”
Cole clasped my hand and tugged until I was standing over him. Then, he reached for my hips and lifted me onto his lap. Though my body was tense, I easily sank into him and felt myself relax.
He kneaded my shoulders as he spoke. “Nic told us today that he’s planning on staying in California if James wins the primary.”
I couldn’t hold in my gasp. “Indefinitely?”
“Until the general election in November,” Shane replied.
Five more months? My head spun and my heart sank as my last vestiges of hope withered away. Nicholas wasn’t coming back to us...to me. He was still choosing his family, leaving me in the dust. And the worst part was I couldn’t blame him, at least not completely. He loved his sister, and he was putting her first. It might even seem honorable if it didn’t hurt so damn much.
Cole’s arms wound around me. “I’m sorry, Em. We didn’t know he would do this. He was always supposed to come home after the primary.” He sighed into my hair. “I believed he would find a way to make it up to you, and the torrid foursome would prevail.”
Yeah, so did I. I didn’t speak my thoughts aloud, though. They didn’t need to know I’d secretly been holding on to hope that I’d find my happily ever after with Prince Charming in the end.
“I don’t understand. Chelsea just told me today that Nic was coming to town this weekend. She wants to have dinner with all of us to discuss a marketing plan for the lofts.”
“I doubt he’s still coming after I cussed him out on our conference call this afternoon,” Cole said a little smugly.
“Why didn’t you guys tell me you were going to hire Chelsea—which now includes me, I guess—to do all the marketing for your new building?” I thought back to my reaction in the office. “A little warning would have been nice.”
“We didn’t know Nic was going to approach her about it already,” Shane explained. “It’s something we’ve discussed, but we’re still in the planning stages. I honestly don’t know why he talked to her, but I’ll be sure to find out the next time I speak to him.” His usually smooth voice grew rough at the end of his sentence, and I could tell Cole wasn’t the only one angry with Nicholas.
“Can we go back to talking about our new house?” Cole asked, adjusting me on his lap so he could look straight into my eyes. “You’ll move in with us, won’t you, Em?”
As his dark eyes pleaded with me, I felt myself giving in. It would be so easy to say yes and allow myself to officially move on with the Provocative Pair. Still, as frustrated as I was with Nicholas’s decisions over the last couple of months, I refused to be the cause of an irreparable rift between him and his two best friends.
“I don’t think we should rush into this. You three have been through so much together, and I have a feeling you would regret pushing Nic away. I’ve already told Simone I’ll move in with her when my lease is up next month, so you don’t have to worry about me.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Shane asked.
“She just asked me yesterday, and we’ve been kind of distracted since I got here.”
“Don’t move in with Simone,” Cole said softly but with certainty. “We want you with us.”
“I want that too,” I answered honestly. “But—”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, cutting me off. I didn’t even try to resist as he deepened the kiss, making me forget about everything except the taste of him.
“Do I get a turn?”
Shane’s voice cut through my Cole-induced haze, and I glanced over at him. “I don’t know, smirking Shane. Do you want a turn?”
I felt rather than heard Cole’s laugh. “Stupid question.”
Before I had a chance to respond, Shane was out of his chair and standing in front of us. Without another word, he hoisted me up and practically slammed me down on the tabletop. He pushed my legs apart and stepped between them before crushing his mouth to mine. I fisted his shirt in my hands and kissed him back, more than a little aware of Cole watching us from mere inches away.
Just when I started to wonder if I would be able to muster the will to stop, a familiar song rang out from Shane’s cell, and I immediately recognized it as his ringtone for Nicholas. Those notes were more effective than a bucket of ice water, causing Shane to recoil like he’d been slapped and me to retreat within myself.
Shane fumbled with his phone, silencing the ringer before shoving it back in his pocket. He gave me an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I thought that was on vibrate.”
I hopped down from the table and straightened my hair and clothes. “It’s fine. Actually, it’s probably for the best. We need to finish this conversation instead of getting distracted with...you know.”
“What?” Cole asked. “Are you suddenly afraid to discuss dirty kitchen table sex in mixed company?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Fine. We need to finish this conversation instead of getting distracted with dirty kitchen table sex. Better?”
“Yes.”
>
“Anyway, as much as I would like to pick out a new house with you two and move in, I don’t think it’s the best time.” The words were painful, but I knew they were the right ones. “I’m not saying never. But I do think we should wait until all of our relationships with Nic are more...settled.”
Shane stared at me for so long, I started wondering if I’d angered him. Finally, he said, “I understand where you’re coming from, but we’re not going to change our minds. Whatever does or doesn’t happen with Nic, you’re mine and you’re Cole’s. We want you with us.”
Cole stood and came to stand by both of us. “He’s right. We’re choosing to move forward with the future we want. And the most important part of that is you.”
I looked from him to Shane and back. “You are making it really difficult to say no.”
Cole grinned. “Then don’t.”
“Come on, edgy Emma,” Shane said, “you know you want to say yes.”
“Edgy?”
He shrugged. “Close enough. Now, what do you say?”
My heart was begging me to relent, but my head wouldn’t allow it. “I don’t have to move for a month, so how about this: we’ll sit on it for three weeks and then discuss it again and make a final decision. Agreed?”
Cole looked like he wanted to argue, but Shane quickly said, “Agreed. Cole?”
“I don’t like it, but it’s just a few weeks, and nothing will change my mind. So, agreed.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Good. Now, what’s for dessert?”
Cole’s grin turned wolfish. “Don’t you mean who?”
Chapter 19
The next two weeks seemed to fly by in a jumble of guilt, stress, pleasure, and indecision. Most of my guilt stemmed from missing Chris’s graduation, even though he insisted over and over that he didn’t mind. Thankfully, I had been able to watch a live feed of the ceremony online, so it kind of felt like being there. And he’d loved the noise-canceling headphones, which made me feel marginally better.
Not surprisingly, Shane and Cole still managed to show me up in the gift department by sending him the newest video game system on the market plus an entire box of games to go with it. When I’d tried to lecture them about spoiling him, they said the games would be the best way for him to make friends in the dorm. How could I argue with that?
What I hadn’t expected was for Chris to text me that he received an envelope stuffed full of gift cards to the best coffee shops and restaurants around campus. The cards totaled more than a thousand dollars and were from my exasperating ex-boyfriend. I’d been so shocked, I’d had to read Chris’s message multiple times before replying.
After much deliberation, I sent Nicholas a simple thank you text. It was our first communication since he left Vegas, and I’d had to hide my phone to keep from staring at it while awaiting his response. When I received a you’re welcome about an hour later, I’d taken it as a sign. He’d done something nice for my brother, but that didn’t mean he wanted anything from me. And as Cole had predicted, he hadn’t even come back to Vegas as planned, and the dinner with Chelsea and Andy was indefinitely postponed.
It truly was time to move on.
More importantly, I was ready.
The first two weeks of my job took care of the stressful part. It wasn’t a bad experience, but I constantly felt like I was playing catch up as I tried to learn about the business and figure out how to contribute beyond answering phone calls and making copies.
Pleasure was at the hands and, well, mouths, tongues...and other appendages of Cole and Shane. If they were trying to bribe me into agreeing to move in with them, their particular brand of persuasion was extremely effective. They were chipping away at my indecision and worry a little bit every day. I was still holding them to our agreement to wait the full three weeks, but I was running out of reasons to reject them.
Now, it was finally the day of the primary election, and Xavier had invited me, Shane, and Cole over for dinner and to watch the election results. At first, I’d been wary of the idea. After all, though I was past believing Nicholas and I would get back together, the results of the election still felt significant. But Xavier had pointed out that we “might as well eat, drink, and be merry instead of sitting around and twiddling our thumbs.” Since I probably would have stayed at my apartment and sulked while trying not to check my phone for updates, I’d agreed.
Shane was pulling up to the curb when I stepped out of the office, and I gratefully sank into his luxurious leather seats.
He leaned over and gave me a peck on the mouth. “Hi, babe. Long day?”
I nodded as I turned my head away to yawn. “I had to address hundreds of envelopes by hand today.”
“Hasn’t Chelsea ever heard of labels?”
“Yes, but apparently people are much more likely to open mail when it contains real handwriting. I blame you for my sleepiness,” I said around another yawn, “since you woke me up before the crack of dawn.”
He pulled out onto the street before grinning over at me. “I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
Remembering the many ways he’d worshipped my body that morning, I wasn’t sorry either. Still, I huffed in protest. “Of course not.”
Shane chuckled in response, and I hid my smile.
“So, how did the interviews go today?” Although the Ts had been slowly handing over the reins of Loft25 to their management team, they were just now hiring a general manager.
“Good. I’ve narrowed it down to three qualified candidates.”
“I don’t suppose any of those are women?” I asked, only partially teasing. After flipping through the resumes of the interviewees, I’d given him a hard time about the low number of females in the group.
“Yes, actually, my first choice is a woman.”
“Please tell me she’s not your favorite because she’s young and pretty.”
He sent a playful glare my way. “Give me a little credit, examining Emma. She’s my first choice because she is experienced and has excellent ideas for improvements. Also, she’s in her forties and not my type.”
“I hope she gets the job, then.”
“Me too. Cole, Nic, and I will make a final decision after we conduct second interviews with all three of us there.”
“Let me guess. Nic will appear by video conference?”
“Likely.” He glanced over at me and reached for my hand. “Should I not have mentioned him?”
After linking our fingers together, I said, “No. It’s probably always going to be weird, but we all have to get used to how things will be from now on.”
Shane didn’t say anything else until he pulled into a parking spot at Xavier’s apartment complex. “I don’t know if you want to hear this, but I think you should. He still cares about you, Emma. He asks about you every time I talk to him.”
Surprised, I stared at him. Other than our discussion about Nicholas staying in California for the general election, Shane and Cole had been careful not to share any details about Nicholas. Why was he telling me this now?
“I just thought you should know he didn’t move to California and forget about you, even if he made you feel that way.”
Damn right, he’d made me feel that way. Did it help to know he’d asked about me? I honestly wasn’t sure.
“Okay.”
Shane studied me for a few seconds before attacking me in my most ticklish spot. I immediately started grabbing my side, trying to push his hand away. When I couldn’t breathe anymore from laughing so hard, he finally relented.
“What was that for?”
“I was trying to save you from Xavier. If he sees you looking sad, he’ll hand you shots all night, and you have to work tomorrow.”
“Fine,” I said, stepping out of the car. “Good thinking.”
When he reached my side, he wrapped an arm around my waist and started leading us toward Xavier’s apartment. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
I glanced down at myself. I was fully d
ressed, and my purse was hanging from my shoulder. “No...”
“I think you forgot to call me smart Shane. I also would have accepted sharp or shrewd.”
Grinning up at him, I said, “Okay, smart aleck Shane. Good thinking.”
He laughed and grazed his fingers over my ticklish spot, but this time his movements were a sensual caress. “I’ll get you back for that. Later.”
Tad opened the door at our knock and gave me an uncomfortable smile. “Emma, I just want you to know that I tried to talk him out of it, but you know Xavier...” He shrugged, like there was nothing to be done.
“Out of what?”
Before Tad could respond, Xavier appeared behind him and flung the door all the way open. “Welcome, welcome.”
When I caught sight of his outfit, I felt my eyes bug out of my head. He was wearing bright red pants paired with a blue shirt and white sneakers. His glasses had thick red frames with crystal stars on the sides. An Uncle Sam hat was the only thing missing.
Just as I was convincing myself his outlandish attire was a coincidence, we made it past the entrance and found the apartment decorated in red, white, and blue balloons, streamers, and banners. Even Snow was wearing a dress with stars, stripes, and ruffles.
The television was turned to a news network with a ticker at the bottom providing constant updates on election results. Yeah, not a coincidence.
“Did you know about this?” I asked Shane under my breath.
When I glanced up at him, his shocked expression told me all I needed to know. “What’s all this, X?” he asked politely.
Xavier held his arms open wide. “This is an election watch party! Isn’t it fabulous?”
Cole came out of the kitchen and handed me a red cocktail as he mouthed, “I’m sorry.” I took a sip and ended up knocking back half of it. I had a feeling I was going to want to get tipsy, regardless of having to go to work tomorrow.
“Now, I know what you all are thinking,” Xavier continued. “You assumed you were agreeing to a somber affair, where we would eat dinner and talk about everything other than the election while the news played on mute in the background. But why ignore the elephant in the room—get it, because James is a republican—when we could embrace it instead? Let’s make it a party!”
