Page 40 of Complete Me

“Quiet, brat.” Their voice is gruff but full of affection. “I’m enjoying my wine.” As if to prove their point, they lift their glass and take a sip.

“Fine.” I turn my attention to Bjorn. “When Kaino and I had our date...” I glance back to them. “Was it a date? Did we decide that?”

“We can call it a date.”

“Okay. So on our date, and when the three of us were at the cafe, we talked a bit about our mutual attraction. And seriously, what’s not to be attracted to? I mean, look at you both.” I wave my hand in Kaino and Bjorn’s general directions. “Deliciousness.”

Kaino snorts. “I think you mean snacc.”

I narrow my eyes at them. “I know what I mean. Bjorn’s a delicious golden retriever.”

“Newfoundland.”

Now it’s my turn to snort. “Oh, that’s right.”

Bjorn’s mouth quirks up in a grin, enjoying our antics. “What are you two talking about?”

I take another sip of wine and wink at him. “We’ve decided you’re like a Newfoundland. A big, burly, sweet caretaker. Massively affectionate.”

Kaino nods in agreement. “You’re the nanny.”

Bjorn chuckles. “As accurate as that is, I’d much rather be a snacc, thanks.”

Chuckling, I tilt my head in a way I hope is charming. “Does that make you a hot Mary Poppins?”

Bjorn’s stare is intense. “You’re implying Mary Poppins wasn’t already hot. I have a very developed competency kink. Trust me. She was HOT.” His gaze darts between Kaino and me. “Now, can we get back to the concerns part of the conversation?”

Kaino groans more dramatically than I’ve ever heard from them. “Fine. Xander’s butchering this.”

I gasp and press a hand to my sternum. “I am not!”

“You are.”

Bjorn clears his throat. “We’re meandering all over the place and not getting to the real part of the discussion.” He pulls more ingredients out of the fridge and sets them on the counter. “C’mon. It’s too important not to cover.”

“Why don’t you tell us what you’re thinking, Bjorn?” Kaino sounds utterly composed, and I find that horribly annoying since I’m obviously not.

“Well, it’s more of a suggestion that might address Xander’s concern from the other night.” Kaino nods, encouraging him to go on. “Doc, you talked about not wanting to feel left out. Well, we each have interests we love. Some of them overlap, like investigating new restaurants and going to shows and museums. And some don’t. I think we should try to do the things that all three of us enjoy when we’re all free. Then we can work in the other activities when one of us is busy or not interested.”

“It’s actually a fantastic suggestion. That would keep me from feeling left out. And as you both have so readily indicated, I’m the needy one of us.”

“Most affectionate.” Bjorn winks, and I raise my glass to him, liking the sound of that much better.

“But…” I hesitate to mention my concern, not wanting to throw a wrench into things. Though, as Kaino has stressed before, not talking about it isn’t going to help. “What about intimacy? Especially when one of us isn’t around or isn’t interested? Do we all have to wait?” Thankfully, I keep my tone curious rather than petulant.

Bjorn glances from me to Kaino, shrugging. “What do you think?”

Kaino considers. “This is probably my only area of concern. If you’re asking whether I’ll be upset if the two of you are sexually intimate without me, the answer is no. I won’t feel threatened or left out. In fact, it will probably alleviate pressure to participate if I’m not in the mood. But please don’t assume I’m not interested if I am around. I might be, and having the choice would be nice.“ They smirk at me. “As Xander so helpfully points out, I find pleasure in the pleasure of others. If I’m not in the mood to participate, I might enjoy watching.”

Bjorn considers that. “I think I’d be okay if you and Xander had sexy times without me. I might want to hear about it after, though.” He waggles his eyebrows. “But I don’t think I’d be jealous.”

I roll my eyes, sure he’s overstating his reaction. He might not be incredibly bothered, but I think he’d mind a little bit. Then again, that might be me projecting. “Well, I’m not going to say I wouldn’t be jealous if you and Kaino got all spicy without me, but I honestly don’t know. I’ve never been in this situation. But we all know I have a jealous streak.”

Bjorn laughs and winks. “We could always make it up to you.”

That isn’t as comforting as he wants it to be. But the reality is, I don’t know how I’ll react. “I can try not to be jealous, and I promise to talk about it, if it happens. That’s the best I can do.”

Bjorn nods his approval. “That seems reasonable.”

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