Page 53 of Not A Whisper

I laugh weakly as we start to climb the stairs again. “No, I’ve just had a stressful day. Food was kind of put on the back burner.”

“Oh.” He nods, understanding smoothing the skin betweenhis brows as they relax. “Do you want to talk about it? I could scrape something together and we can talk over dinner? I’m a good listener.”

We get to my landing where we turn to face one another. Will I ever get over how large this man is? Up close, he’s probably double me width-wise and he towers over me like an NFL linebacker. If it wasn’t for the suit, I probably would believe he did play for a team.

“Do I want to bear my heart toyou? Absolutely not, stranger.” I shoot him a smile, but it feels a little tight.

It would be nice to talk tosomeone. Just not with a guy I just met. The thought of being alone with my thoughts tonight, however, seems even less appealing. Maybe some company would help keep my mind from wandering to where it shouldn’t for a little while.

“However,” I hedge slowly. “I have a small pizza being delivered and a bottle of wine waiting in my apartment. I’d love to hear about how your interview went. Since the complex wasn’t on fire the other day, I assumed ironing went well.”

Lance’s answering smile could light up this entire exterior hallway should the lights go out. “Not a single scorch mark anywhere on my suit. Your instructions were perfect. And I’d love that. Let me go get your iron. Meet up with you in five minutes?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

As Lance takes the next flight of stairs up, I push in the numbers into the keypad to unlock my door. Internally, I groan. What am I doing? Now that I’ve made plans, all I want to do is watch my favorite comfort shows and get drunk. With a short sigh, I push open my door and step inside.

“Who. The.Fuck.Was that?”

My head jerks up to find Jason, Trip, and Grant all waiting for me in the living room. My breath wooshes out of me at thesight of three angry, painfully handsome men. Jason steps forward, his brows knitted together in a dark scowl that belongs on Trip or Grant’s face rather than his.

My anger spikes and my back stiffens even as my heart drops. I don’t want to fight. Cutting them off was meant to be a clean break. Neat, tidy, excruciatingly painful—but efficient.

But as Jason stomps forward and the other two look on, I decide that maybe war is what’s needed. Maybe it’ll make losing them just a little bit easier.

I hold on to that thought as I meet Jason’s glare with my own.

Fourteen

Through clenched teeth, he snarls, “There is no reason in hell you should be inviting men back to your apartment.Especiallygiven the time. Where the fuck have you been?”

I’ve never heard Jason so pissed off. He’s usually playful, even in his cruelty. Under any other circumstances, I’d probably cower away as he prowls forward. But I’m in no mood for this shit tonight.

“You had better be joking.” I take a step toward him, my body practically vibrating with barely contained hurt and rage. Jason’s steps falter, clearly not expecting me to meet him head on, but his intense glare doesn’t lessen. “Maybe I need a good fucking. I’ve had a horrible day, I could use some good, old fashion di?—”

“If you finish that sentence, I will make sure you get what you’re asking for, but you aren’t going to like it.” Jason’s eyes brighten with fury. “There isnoone else in your life except forus.”

I scoff, my hands clenching by my sides. “So what? I can be your side piece, but I can’t have a?—”

“There is no one else but you, dollie!”

Jason closes the distance. His anger is so out of character that I find myself staggering backward. My back hits the door. When he stops, it’s directly in front of me. His arms come up, and his hands brace themselves on either side of my face against the door.

The deep scowl pinching Jason’s brows smooths away, and his bright, charming smile appears. “If you want, we can skip to the fucking and talk this shit out later.”

Oh he’s so lucky I don’t have a baseball bat within reach…

“Fuck you, Jason!” I reach up and push at his chest.

Why I expected a wall of muscle, hard and unmoving, to give way just because I wanted it to is beyond me. Still, I give it a go. The outcome is that Jason remains exactly where he is, not having moved an inch.

“Yes, that’s what I just suggested.” With that, he leans down and kisses me.

For a moment, I’m dangerously close to melting into it. I want to. There’s no denying that I’m addicted to the guys’ kisses. But then I remember the smidgen of self-respect I’m trying to hold on to.

I bite his lip,hard. Jason swears as he jerks his head back.

“Don’t touch me, and while you’re at it, get out of my apartment!”

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