Page 21 of Treat Her Right

“Since they’re a mile long,” Mick said, “they’d be a little hard to miss.”

Josh lifted a brow. “She’s put together right, I’ll say that for her.”

“You didn’t have to put up with her first thing this morning.” Wishing he could bite off his tongue, Zack took a long cooling drink of his cola.

Saluting him with his glass, Josh said, “She can get me up anytime.”

“Ha ha.” Mick shook his head at the double entendre, but amusement shone clear on his face as he looked between the two of them. “You have a one-track mind, Josh.”

“And it’s definitely on track right now.”

Zack growled before he caught himself. “I hate to curtail whatever fantasy you’re indulging, but she’s off limits.”

Josh hesitated with his drink almost to his mouth. “Says who?”

“Says me. I have to live by her. I’ll be damned if you’re going to date her, dump her, then leave her to me to deal with.” Zack shook his head in adamant finality. “No way, so forget it.”

Mick nudged Josh with his foot. “Besides, he’s got his own plans.”

Zack did bite his tongue this time. The more he said, the more they’d read into it, so denials would do him no good.

Eyeing Zack, Josh asked, “Is that right?”

“No, it is not right.” He hoped like hell he sounded more definite than he felt. “Now can we talk about something else?”

“Because I can back off if you’re making a personal claim.”

Through his teeth, Zack said, “I’mnotmaking a personal claim, but youwillback off.”

Josh stared at him a moment, then chuckled and switched his gaze to Mick. “I think you’re right.”

“Are we going to play cards or sit here mooning over women?” Zack barked.

“All right, all right,” Josh soothed. “Don’t get all fired up. We don’t have to moon.”

“Speak for yourself,” Mick grumbled. “I’m mooning. I’d much rather be home with Delilah right now.”

Josh shook his head in pity. Even Zack managed a credible chuckle. “You’re still a newlywed, so you’re allowed.”

“And,” Josh added, “Delilah is enough to make anyone moon.”

Predictably, Mick bristled. Why in hell Josh continued to make those types of comments, Zack couldn’t figure out. He knew there was a time when Josh had fancied himself taken with Delilah, too, but since she’d married Mick—an event Josh had supported whole-heartedly—Josh had roamed from woman to woman with a near insatiable appetite.

Mick half came out of his chair. “I wish you wouldn’t speak so intimately about my wife.”

Josh looked supremely unaffected by Mick’s ire. “I was only agreeing with you.”

“You—”

“Sheesh, men in love are so touchy,” Josh complained. “First Zack breathing fire on me, and now you. A single man can’t make a legitimate observation any more.”

“Zack isn’t married,I am.”

“Zack wants to be married,” Josh pointed out. “It’s almost the same thing.” Then he redirected his comments to Zack. “Is that it with Wynn? You considering her suitable wifely material?”

“No.”

“Did you really see her backside?”

---