Page 18 of Seduced By Two Alphas

Casey looked as if I’d struck him.

“Fine, you can stay,” Casey said to Ken. “Your brother can curl up with a fucking pillow until he learns how to talk to someone without being so vulgar.”

“I wasn’t vulgar,” I argued, though I hadn't a leg to stand on. “Fine, kick me out of your bed, but you know I’m right, Casey. You’ll grow to resent us if we go through with your plan and it works. That’s a lifetime commitment that you yourself said you didn’t want.”

I jerked out of bed and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind me. I was right. I hated that I was right. But to me, Casey hating me forever was far worse than him being pissed at me at the moment.

Sometimes doing the right thing left you feeling like the world’s biggest heel.

Chapter Six

Casey

I’d made some dumb decisions in my life. Plenty. Enough to fill my café. Things I’d done without thinking until after the fact. Irrational thoughts. Impulsive decisions. None were as boneheaded as kicking Jack out of my bed. Had he been right?

Yes, yes, and yes. All I’d been thinking about was getting Nezat off my back. I didn’t want a demon coming after me to procreate. Talk about a nightmare. The only solution was to procreate with someone else. Right?

But as Jack had stated, that wasn’t a reason to have a baby. I was twenty-eight years old, still had my life ahead of me. Had I ever thought of starting a family? Maybe. A long time ago. It wasn't as if that option had been off the table for me. Gay couples adopted all the time. It just wasn’t a decision to take lightly, and I’d thrown that idea out there like one might suggest what restaurant they wanted to eat at or what color they wanted to dye their hair.

Now I sat behind the counter, resting my chin on my hand, my elbow against my knee, as I watched Brandon and Ken wait on customers. Jack, of course, was in the kitchen. We hadn't said a word to each other this morning while getting ready. Hadn't spoken a word on the drive in. Jack had gone straight to the kitchen when we’d arrived, and I hadn't seen him since.

I didn’t dare go in there. Not when I felt so guilty. Ken took a seat on one of the stools at the counter. He folded his arms and smiled at me.

Nope. Didn’t trust that smile. “What?”

At times he was annoying, but he was definitely handsome. The kind of handsome that always made my heart skip a beat whenever that sexy smile was aimed at me. I’d tried to fight my attraction toward Ken and Jack when they’d first started working for me. I didn’t think it professional to drool over my employees. Over the past months, it had been harder and harder to not fall for them. I’d grown to care for the brothers, maybe even something deeper I’d never dared to examine too closely. You know, those pesky feelings that tended to break your heart. Those feelings that had you exhaling as you watched someone you were interested in. The kind that twisted you up inside and left you feeling wrung out.

Only…only now they were saying they wanted me that same way, too.

“Just wondering if you’ve given your proposal any more thought.”

Clearly Ken had, if that twinkle in his eyes was anything to go on. “Such as?”

His smile softened, as did his eyes. “Such as, have you really thought this through?”

I rubbed the heel of my hand into my forehead before I let my hand drop. “I don’t think now is the time to discuss this.” I waved a hand toward the tables. “You’re busy, and I don’t want anyone overhearing us.”

“There’re only three occupied tables. Brandon can handle them.” He got up and walked around the counter, grabbed my hand, and then waltzed me to my office.

I dropped into my chair behind my desk, listening to it creak. It was cloudy out today, blocking any sunshine from peeking through the slats of the blinds. I wished the sun was out. Maybe then my mood wouldn’t be all over the place.

“Have you given your idea any more thought?” Ken dropped into one of the chairs in front of my desk. He slouched, spread his legs in a relaxed kind of way, and looked right at me like he could read my thoughts.

“It’s complicated.”

“Nope.” Ken shook his head. “You don’t get to pull the complicated card with me. Tell me what’s going on inside that beautiful head of yours.”

The door opened, and Jack slipped inside. I held my breath as I wondered if he would actually talk or keep giving me the silent treatment.

“Tell me,” Ken urged. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I…” I cleared my throat and stared at my keyboard. There was no way I could talk while looking at either of them. “Confusing,” I admitted. “I’m waffling from one end of the spectrum to the other. One minute I think having a baby wouldn’t be so bad. Dillon thinks I’d be a good dad.” I frowned at the keyboard. “I think I would be a good dad, too. Then I find myself panicking, certain I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’ll forget the baby in a grocery cart or, or, or he or she will get sick and I won’t know what to do.” I looked at both of them before staring at a pencil that was close to falling over the edge of my desk.

It was Jack who came and knelt in front of me, taking my hands into his. “Every parent has those worries, Casey, and so many more. My point last night was—”

“You were right,” I said, cutting him off. “That kind of decision shouldn’t be made as a way to solve a problem. It’s like thinking a baby will save a relationship.”

“Yeah, but it’s more than just that.” Jack rubbed his fingers over my hands, and I felt better. So much better with him touching me, talking to me. “When we decide to start a family, I want all of us on board. I want you to want that because you want it, not because it’ll save you from a demon coming after you.”

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