“Emily?”

I snap back to reality with a startle. “Hm?”

Jai towers over me, his hand outstretched, awaiting mine. “You all right?”

Oh, Jesus. Fuck. Why am I sweating? Despite the cool breeze blowing by, a searing heat suffocates me. Can he tell? Can he tell my body is shutting down because of him? What the shit am I doing? In love for ten seconds and I’m already making a mess of it.

“Uh...” I shake my head. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”

Unlike mine, his hand is dry and stable and, with ease, he pulls me to my feet as the next gush of wind blows a sudden and violent case of vertigo into me, causing my head to swirl and my feet to stumble. My ankle doesn’t have time to twist underneath me as Jai wraps an arm around my slender waist and pulls me tight against him.

I sigh a breath of relief before shuddering in embarrassment. Can I be anymore awkward?

“You sure?” He asks, gripping my shoulders and planting me back in my own bubble where I can breathe my own air.

I hate it over here in my own bubble. I want to be with him in his bubble. His bubble is better.

I swipe at my hair, tucking it neatly behind my ears, avoiding eye contact. “Now that you mention it, I’m not feeling myself this morning.”

“I hope last night wasn’t too much for you.” A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips. He swallows it quickly as my brows draw together.

Last night?

“It’s...” He pauses, his lips pressing together as he takes a moment to choose his next words. “I was already so mad and you were teasing me with your tongue, driving me into a goddamn frenzy. I couldn’t help myself.”

Oh! That last night. Embarrassment morphs into heat as it spreads up my neck and tickles my cheeks. Next time, I think I’ll skip the backrubs and the small talk and start with the blowjob. It’s nowhere near as time consuming. I spent the whole day trying to snuggle him back to happy before I gave up and opted for the short cut.

“No. Last night wasn’t too much for me.”

Another hot flush blasts through me, sizzling my nerves in the most delicious of ways as flashes of last night derail my train of thought.

He rakes his hands through my hair, purposely tangling his fingers in its thick, damp locks. He squeezes until they pull at my scalp then he pulls his powerful hips back the slightest amount, allowing me to fill my lungs with the oxygen his cock deprived me off. I gasp for air as the very tip of his penis brushes against the roof of my mouth.

I groan as my head spins, another kick of vertigo slamming into me.

"I’m gonna go...” I mutter, cautiously stepping around him.

“Emily?”

I wave him off and, when he's at least six feet behind me, I cover my face with my hands. I’m going to puke. Anxiety swirls in my stomach, panic mixing with emotions that make me feel happy and light headed. Falling in love is worse than I thought. It’s not just me I have to worry about anymore. It’s like my heart has doubled in size overnight, making room for him. I can’t believe it. I swore I never would...I swore I’d take care of myself and myself only...I swore I would never put myself in a position where I could be tossed aside and left heartbroken...but I let my guard down and...

I love him.

I fucking love him.

Seven

****

Slam

Jai

Sighing, I glance at the small black clock above the kitchen window. It’s been nine hours since she locked herself in the room, four hours since I went upstairs to find her in a cold shower that had been on blast for at least fifty minutes, and an hour and a half since I told her to get ready to go out. Normally, I’d chalk this kind of behavior up to the aggressive, red demon that shows up for a week every month, but Emily insists she can’t menstruate. So either I’ve done something or someone else has.

“You look tense. Have a beer.” Huss announces, slipping a cold beer into my hand. Condensation drips off the freezing glass and runs over my skin.

Huss.

Both Huss and Emily have been weird today. Coincidence?

Involuntarily, my jaw clenches, prompting my fingers to tighten around the bottle in my hand. She wouldn’t. Not with him.

How hard would I have to hit him to lodge a piece of it in his brain?

Ted informed me of all the colorful questions he’s been asking Emily when I’m not around. Ted assures me it’s only in gest. He tells me I shouldn’t worry, but there’s a fine line between poking fun and being disrespectful and he’s crossed it too many times. What kind of man would I be if I ignored it? Huss would see me as easy—as someone he doesn’t have to fear. The only reason I haven't beaten his ass yet is because he's already a cripple. He will fear me. When it comes to Kitten, he should fear me.

“Where’s Emily?”

I look up at Huss. I hate the colorful polo shirts he wears. He’s opted for a strange turquoise tonight over the bright pink he’s been defending since yesterday.

“Broken bones or not, you know I’d kick the shit out of you, right?” I say, popping the lid off my beer.

Feigning confusion, Huss scratches the side of his shaved head, avoiding the gel that holds the middle in place. “Uh...I’m not sure I know what you’re—”

”You know what I’m talking about.” I cut in, lifting the beer to my lips. “If you were smart you’d toy with someone else’s girl.”

His shapely eyebrows shoot up toward his hairline. “Oh. She’s your girl?”

Don't smash your bottle and stab him with it. Don't waste a perfectly good beer.

A smile cracks through his faux shock. “I’m kidding. Ted told me all about you two. I’m only teasing. It’s a bit of fun, that’s all. I swear.”

I slip the bottle between my lips and tip the vessel until the smooth, bubbly beer flows onto my tongue and tickles my taste buds.

“But...” Huss glances over at Ted and Joel who prepare various shots of alcohol in the kitchen. “And this stays between you and me, but if you two decide you want to slip another hotdog into that bun, let me know.”

I stop. Did he suggest what I think he suggested? With tight lips, I swallow my mouthful and lower the bottle.

“Are you suggesting a—”

“An orgy? A three-way? A ménage et trois? Yeah.”

I overtly look him over. Stitches, bruises, broken bones and busted ribs? Is he fucking serious?

“You think you could improve what I already do in the bedroom?” I laugh. “Having you there would only hinder the amount of times I make her come on my own.”

“Please tell me y’all are talking about hot dogs of the edible kind and not of the, you know, cock variety?” Ted interrupts, dropping his heavy body into the recliner next to me.

He brushes fluff off the breast pocket of his black button up shirt before he places his beer on the counter, reaches for his left sleeve and rolls it up to his elbow to match the other.

“Your buddy here is suggesting he and I fuck Emily at the same time.”

Ted freezes as I shift forward, resting my elbows on my knees. Hearing those words aloud and in a sentence doesn’t sit well with me.

Ted turns his wide eyes on Huss with a subtle shake of his head. “What’d I tell you? Are you fucking crazy?”

Huss shrugs his wide shoulders, his smug grin boiling my blood.

“It’s worth a shot. Emily is hot and I wouldn’t mind banging it. Not to mention Jai said he wanted to have fun on his last night so I’m trying to help out. It’s a win-win.”

Banging it. It. Like she's a vagina and nothing else. He makes me sick.