Page 6 of The Partner Predicament

It’s my turn to blush. I rarely share what I do for a living but I suppose telling them won’t hurt. I’m going to be here for the foreseeable future, if not forever.

“I’m an author,” I say trying not to look like a complete fool.

But the moment the words leave my mouth, Aspen leans forward. “Really?” she asks with clear interest.

“Um…” I clear my throat. “Yes.”

“Wait!” She jumps up and runs up the stairs, leaving me and Mason to gape after her. I can hear her rummaging upstairs and then a thump before she comes back down.

“Is this you?” She shoves a novel at me.

And there it is. My debut novel. It’s a well-worn copy which means one of two things. Either she bought it used or she liked it so much that she’s read it quite a few times. I nod as I stare at the intricate blue cover.

“Oh my,” Aspen gasps before ripping it from my grasp and hiding it behind her back. “I didn’t think that through.”

When I finally look at her again, she’s blushing furiously. It takes me a moment to realize why but then I remember that specific novel was heavy on erotica. Instead of embarrassing her with this new knowledge, I simply smile.

“It’s always nice to meet a fan.”

****

Mason

Two Weeks Later

I really wanted to dislike Jaxon, but he isn’t a bad guy. He isn’t even the villain in our story. He’s smart and funny and closer to Aspen in age. They spend most days together while I work. She has been teaching him how to bake and even though the first few attempts were horrendous failures that not even the neighbor dogs wanted to eat, Aspen stuck with it and he is slowly getting better.

At night Jaxon uses his time to work on his next novel, and even though I know it’s killing Aspen not to pry, she leaves him to his writing. That’s when we spend time together. Aspen ordered a ten-thousand-piece puzzle online that we’ve slowly been working on.

“How do you feel about Jaxon being here?” I ask.

Aspen drops the puzzle piece she had in her hand as she stares at me in shock. “What?” She swallows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that he’s been here for three weeks. I know you get along but how do you feel about this entire situation?”

“Honestly?” I nod. “It’s all still a little crazy and scary. I want to be a good Partner, it’s all I’ve ever wanted, but I don’t know how to do that in this new dynamic.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s easy when it’s just you and me, or me and Jaxon. But will it always be this way? Won’t you be jealous if he kisses me? Or other things?” Her voice tapers off.

“I don’t know,” I reply, “but I do know that this is the situation we’re in and there’s nothing we can do to change it.”

Aspen nods before returning to the puzzle. I want to talk more and get her to open up about what she’s thinking and feeling but I don’t want to pressure her. And even though I wake with a rock-hard cock and a sore back every morning, I won’t push her into something she isn’t ready for. I can see her thinking about what I said, trying to figure everything out. And I know that when she comes to a decision, she will talk to me.

Chapter Seven

Aspen

Lying in bed staring at the ceiling I replay my earlier conversation with Mason. Since Jaxon has come to live with us, he’s been much more openly affectionate. He continues to touch me every chance he gets and always has me sit next to him. I always knew he would be protective, and this just proves my point.

On the other hand, Jaxon has been a true gentleman. He never touches me, but I think he’s trying to give me time to get used to him being around. But he watches me. When he thinks I won’t notice, I find him staring at my ass and yesterday he even licked his lips. So at least I know he finds me attractive.

This information, though, does nothing to solve my problem. How can I be the best Partner to both of them? In the past three weeks, I have slowly fallen for both men and I don’t want to hurt either of them, but I simply don’t see a way to keep them happy.

Thinking back to my parents, I knew that my father was insanely jealous of my mother. He didn’t like her talking to any other men and if someone dared touch her, his true colors would show. He once kept her locked in the house for a month because a stranger helped her carry groceries to the car.

I never understood why he would do such a thing, but now that I have Mason and Jaxon in my life, I can’t imagine being okay if I ever saw either of them with another woman. It would drive me mad.

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