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Before the kiss registered and the fact that my unrequited crush was kissing me, Slade pulled back and cleared his throat. “Sorry about that.”

Dazed, I pressed two fingertips to my lips as if I could hold the taste of him there forever. Something like “fucking finally” came from the front seat, making a hesitant smile spread across my face.

“We’re almost at my place.” His knees cracked as he stood, using the car frame for help. After double-checking that I was safely tucked into the car, he shut my door and folded himself back behind the wheel. “Neither of you are allergic to cats, right?”

Melting back into the seat, I replayed the brief, scorching kiss.

The anger and fear faded with the memory of his lips pressed to my own, heated anticipation simmering in its place.

Me and two sinfully attractive men forced to cohabitate for the foreseeable future. Maybe my place being trashed isn’t such a terrible thing after all.

* * *

Aware of Slade’sNFL background and having heard rumors of his Hall of Fame father and movie star mother, I expected his place would be nicer than mine. But in reality, it wasn’t nice—it was a gorgeous modern mansion. During the grand tour, I had to remind myself to not gawk after the fourth guest room followed by the media room, gym, and game room.

Standing outside, arms wrapped tightly around myself, I inhaled deep. A hint of salt water lingered on the cool breeze that had my dark hair floating behind me as I walked along the edge of the large pool. Because of course he had a pool, complete with a cabana and a small pool house, with comfortable-looking seating along the pool deck and yet another enormous TV.

The man liked his TVs, that was for certain. I’d lost count during the tour—but to be fair, there was too much to take in to even attempt to keep count. Especially after he showed us his cat’s room. That had both Jameson and me snickering, which turned into rolling laughter at Slade’s eye roll.

“You have to be freezing out here in that outfit.” Slade leaned against the patio doorframe, tracking my every move, either curious about what I thought of his home or worried about my mental state from the earlier incident. Another cool gust had my teeth chattering. The tiny outfit was perfect for the hot gym, but not so much out here. “Come back inside. I’m sure you’re ready for a shower and to crawl into bed.”

With a longing look at the steaming water that cascaded from the spa into the main pool, I weaved back through the lounge chairs toward Slade.

Movement through the glass door caught my eye. Jameson paced, still on the phone, moving from one side of Slade’s kitchen to the other. With my suspicions about Josh, Jameson wanted to trace his last known whereabouts and had put in a call to a technical genius he worked with back in Dallas.

Slade’s massive hands wrapped around my slim shoulders, the heat that soaked from his skin to mine immediately soothing the sharp edge to the cool night air. Using the pads of both thumbs, he brushed tiny circles against my skin, making goose bumps sprout for a whole different reason than the temperature.

“We’ll figure out what’s going on,” Slade murmured. “You’re safe here.”

“I know,” I breathed. Desperate to break the heaviness of the night, I tossed my head back and let out an exaggerated groan. “All my shoes. My precious, precious shoes.”

Though slightly dramatic, I’d shed a tear when Slade informed me of the ruined state of my sneaker collection. Not only were they expensive, but they were broken in perfectly. I could afford to buy more, but I was not looking forward to the discomfort and time it would take to truly replace what I’d lost.

Slade chuckled. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” Jameson looked our way as we stepped back into the house but continued talking on the phone. “Do you want to look through the clothes Jameson found in your room that were okay or wear something of mine to bed?”

I sucked in a fast breath, pulse now racing at the thought of wearing Slade’s clothes. “Yours, if that’s okay. I don’t have the energy to sort through it all. Not tonight. I need sleep and a truckload of sugar before I’m prepared to take on that task.”

Following him, I couldn’t help but stare at his firm ass.

“Rain.”

“Hmm,” I practically panted. The entire house smelled like him. Manly and intoxicating.

“I said you can use this room.”

At the clear laughter in his tone, I jerked my gaze up, finding him watching me.Well, damn. He one hundred percent caught me checking out his ass. Whoops.

“I’ll be right back with some clothes.” His soft chuckle echoed down the hall as he continued walking deeper into the house toward the main bedroom.

Half of me wanted to go after him, see if he’d follow through on that kiss.

The kiss he’d quickly apologized for.

Shaking my head, I dismissed the idea. No need to add embarrassment and hurt to the night if he rejected my advances. I had Jameson to seek for comfort tonight. That was enough. It would be stingy to have both of them, even though the idea made it difficult to breathe normally.

Lost in thought, I startled, a little squeal escaping when firm hands slid around my waist. Before I could whirl around, a solid chest pressed to my back, fingers tightening, keeping me in place.

“I was scared shitless tonight,” Jameson whispered in my ear, breath fanning along my skin, making me shiver. Soft lips swept over my neck. “Being on the phone with you, knowing you were in danger and I wasn’t there. What if something had happened to you?”

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