Page 115 of Pucking Sweet

“I’m saying, well, just listen across the hall.” He waves his hand at the door. “Itcanbe done, Cole. You know, with the right people. Are you really that opposed to sharing her with me? I mean, if it’s what she wanted,” he adds quickly. “Like, if she made it clear it would make her happy, would you still never even consider?”

“I don’t share,” I say again.

He nods, shifting off the bed. “Yeah. Got it. Fuck you too.”

“Nov,” I call at his back.

He glances over his shoulder.

“When I say I don’t share, I mean to say I’venevershared.”

Slowly, his face breaks into a grin. “Well, neither have I.”

“That cannot possibly be fucking true.”

He chuckles. “I know, right? But I’m telling the truth.”

Are we actually having this conversation? I’d be lying if I said my fucked-up head wasn’t already taking me there in my dreams. I’ve been picturing them together for the last few weeks. While my first reaction was to growl and rage and feel like a possessive fucking caveman, there’s no denying I was turned on.

Now, Lukas Novikov is standing in my hotel room with no shoes on, hoodie inside out, strongly hinting that he’d like to be in the room while I casually fuck our PR director, all of us pretending I don’t want to put a ring on her finger. He says she’s not ready for forever. Based on the radio silence from her this week, I’m inclined to believe him.

Maybe he’s right. Maybe I need to recalibrate my approach.

And if Ihadto share her with someone, Lukas would at least be entertaining. And it’s not like I haven’t already seen him naked a thousand times, so there’d be no surprises…

“I don’t want to hurt Poppy,” I say.

“Good. I don’t want to hurt Poppy either.”

“We don’t even know if this is what she wants,” I go on. “Maybe she just wants to date us separately. I mean, could you handle that? Could you know I’m with her when you’re not? Know I’m touching her and laughing with her and fucking her behind your back?”

He’s quiet for a moment. “Honestly? Yeah, I think I could.”

“Why?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be behind my back, would it? And you’re a good guy, Cole. She could do a heck of a lot worse than date a guy like you.” His smile turns to a grin. “She could date an asshole like me.” Fumbling with his hoodie, he tries to zip it up while it’s still inside out. “Fuck, I’m so tired.”

“Well, you can’t sleep in here. Sharing my girl is crazy enough. I’m not sharing my pillows.” Slipping off the bed, I follow him to the door.

He gets it open, and we both pause. Across the hall, muffled sex noises are still humming beyond Jake’s closed door. Novy grins. “Sharing sounds rather lively, doesn’t it?”

I sigh, giving him a push. “Goodnight, Nov. Don’t walk into traffic in your bare feet, yeah?”

“This isn’t over,” he says as he walks away. “I have no intention of letting either of you go.”

On that note, I shut my door, muffling the sounds coming from Jake’s room.

To own the truth, I’ve had my suspicions about those three for weeks. Jake and Rachel have been obvious from the start, even before I caught them kissing. And the guys have always joked about Jake and Sanny and their “domestic life partner” situation. Is she with them both? Are they finally with each other?

I’ll admit, I know nothing about threesomes. It’s never interested me. I always thought I was too jealous to share my partner. Even now, if I think of Poppy with some random guy, I see fucking red. But at some point in all this, when I pictured her with Novy, my curiosity started outweighing my jealousy.

God, are we crazy for even considering this?

I bolt my door, locking myself inside the hotel room. I’mexhausted from the game, but I’m wired too, alive with sudden and surprising possibility. Alone in my bed, I turn out all the lights, lie back, and let my imagination run wild. For the first time in weeks, I don’t try to keep those mental doors shut. I walk right through them.

I come in record time, my warm release filling my fist with Poppy’s sweet name like a prayer on my lips…and Novy’s hands on my hips.

38

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