Page 15 of Twisted Ruck

I regarded him for a few moments. "I'm starting to think you believe I'm some kind of princess who's gathering a horde of men around her." I paused for a beat before adding, "Dragon might be a better analogy."

"Aren't you?" he asked. "You have three boyfriends already, what do you want with Atlas?"

I sat back. "I'm attracted to him. Relationships aren't pizza. There's no limit on the amount of slices before it runs out. I'm not gathering men like they're rings, one for each finger. It's not just me benefiting from the relationships either. Storm and Frost are getting closer. Dallas is like a brother to them. We're a family. Families don't have limits either. There's never a bad time to add more family members."

"Family." Jay mulled over the word. He glanced sideways at Atlas. "Is that how you feel? Like it's a family?"

"I guess so," Atlas said slowly. "If you think of Storm as the asshole brother who gives you shit for everything."

"What about Frost?" Jay's expression and tone were tight. "Is he a brother too?"

"I'm not leaving you for Frost either," Atlas told him. "You and I, we're… Us." His eyes were soft as he regarded the other player. "If you just want it to be you and I, I understand. But I'm attracted to Chelsea and Frost. I'd like to see where it goes."

Jay looked down at his half-empty bowl.

I held my breath. I wanted to get to know him better. I liked how protective he was of Atlas and vice versa. But if he wanted to walk away, I'd totally respect that. Life was too short to mess with something that wasn't broken.

"Jay." Atlas put a hand on his lower arm, between his wrist and his elbow. "I care about you a lot. Whatever you decide, we'll go along with it. Right, Doc?"

"Absolutely," I said. "We don't have to rush into anything. If Jay wants to think about it for a while, that's totally cool." He could take all the time he needed. I wouldn't push. Life was too short for that too.

"I never could say no to Atlas. I've seen the way he looks at you. And Frost too, I guess. He seems like a decent guy." Jay drew in a breath and blew it out slowly. "And I can't deny my own physical attraction to you." He nodded to me. "If Atlas wants to try, I'm in. With some conditions."

"Of course," I said. "Whatever you need." My heart raced. My clit throbbed at the prospect of being between them physically. Watching them touch each other. Being touched. Finding out what they were into and exploring their fantasies.

"I'm not moving in with Storm any time soon," Jay said. "If we ever do, it'll need to be a big place. I need my space."

"I agree," Atlas said. "Storm and I would literally kill each other."

I nodded. "We're already looking into somewhere bigger." I didn't elaborate. A cliffside mansion was a big step, and too soon to think about yet.

Not to mention the four of us might drive each other crazy in Storm's place and decide not to stay together. If that happened, I'd be devastated, but I'd be lying to myself if I didn't think it was possible.

"Anything else?" Atlas asked gently.

"You don't have a problem with me fucking Chelsea?" Jay asked.

Atlas looked from him to me and back again, his eyes darker. "Fuck no. If we're both in, then we're both all in. If that's what you want."

"You don't have a problem with me fucking Frost then?" Jay asked carefully.

Atlas looked surprised, but then swallowed visibly.

For a moment, I thought he might say he did, but then he said, "I don't. If that's what you both want. I…wouldn't mind watching."

Jay put his hand over Atlas' that still rested on his arm. "I can't imagine being with him without you present. Or with Chelsea. But I'm okay with you fucking either of them without me. You know how I am, sometimes I need my space. When I get overwhelmed, I have to take myself away."

He looked over to me, not quite meeting my eyes. "It's not personal. I just get…overloaded. If I don't have a quiet space, I feel like I'm losing my shit."

"That's completely understandable," I said gently. "The world is a lot. Families can be a lot. The good thing about families is that we take care of each other. And support each other. Anytime you need space, no one is going to judge you for taking it."

"Definitely," Atlas said. "And if you lose your shit, we're here for you."

"You always are," Jay said softly. He rubbed the heel of his hand up and down his forehead. "At our old club, some people didn't get it. They just want to be up in your space, you know? They think I'm aggressive or distant, or fucked up, or something. But I'm just in my own head, trying to deal with my shit."

"Did you ever—" This was a delicate topic to discuss, and he may not want to. If he didn't, I understood. I wouldn't push, but I was curious.

"Get a diagnosis?" he finished for me. "Yeah, I'm on the spectrum. Big surprise, right?" I wasn't judging him, but clearly people in the past had.

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