Page 168 of Charlie

His hands clench at his sides, knuckles turning white. "I don't want this?—"

My shoulders sag under the weight of his words. I jerk away from the counter, barely holding myself together. I have to get out of here. I pull the door open several inches, but he slams it closed, cornering me.

"You didn't let me finish, goddamnit."

"I don't want to hear it, Jack."

His nostrils flare, the lines bracketing his mouth deepening as his eyes search mine. "Too fucking bad." His voice is rough, scraping over my skin like calloused palms, settling low and heavy in my core. He grabs my chin, forcing me to keep eye contact. "How do you know this won't ruin our friendship?"

"I don't."

"Yet you're willing to risk it. Why?" There's a desperate, wild edge to his voice.

"Because I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't."

"And what about Cam?"

"I think he's wondering what took us so long. He brought up that day back in?—"

"I told you not to mention that again," he says sharply, cutting me off.

"Does that matter now? I just fucked you with my finger, which, last time I checked, is a little more gay than an innocent kiss."

"That kiss wasn't fucking innocent, and you know it," he growls.

"I guess I don't remember correctly. Remind me." I keep my words light, giving him an easy out. He doesn't take it.

Jack crushes his body to mine, his cock hard against my hip, our chiseled edges and sharp angles fitting together like the last two pieces of a puzzle. He pauses, his gaze dropping as he pulls at my lower lip with his thumb, his breath hitching. I swirl my tongue over his finger, his pupils blowing out as I sink down on his thumb, scraping my teeth over him as he pulls away. I rock my hips against him, the answering groan a siren's song dragging me down into the depths. He angles his head, our lips a hairsbreadth from touching. Our tongues meet in a slow sensual sweep.

"Goddamnit, Lach." He cradles my face in his hand, the hooded lion eyes that haunt my dreams ripping the breath from my lungs. "You're sure?" he rasps, "I don't think we'll be able to forget about it this time."

"I never fucking forgot, Jack." His lips crash against mine before the last word is out of my mouth, his tongue sliding against the seam of my lips, pushing in to tangle with mine. Not a second later, I hear the bed banging against the wall, Charlie's moans floating under the door and wrapping around my dick.

Jack pulls away, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Let's go take care of our girl."

93

Cam comes out of the bathroom with a smile on his face, holding a finger over his lips as he gently closes the door.

"What's going on?" I whisper, pushing myself into a sitting position as he climbs on the bed.

"They have some heavy shit they need to figure out. It’s been a long time coming."

"I kind of figured that after today. They have history, don't they?"

He winds a strand of my hair around his finger. "Only one kiss, as far as I know. Though Jack would deny that it meant anything."

"And Lach?"

He shrugs. "Love? Lust? Something in between? I’m not sure even he knows. He’s sensitive to visual stimulation and incredibly sexual, which is great for all of us if they can figure it out."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"I could ask you the same question about me or Lach. I've never believed in the prescribed notion that we only have one soulmate. People come into our lives for different reasons. Some are lovers, some are platonic, but all of them grow and shape and mold our lives to be better."

My brain is rearranging itself as I think about his words, the foundations of my idea of love crumbling, only to be rebuilt stronger by Cam's words.

I shake my head, stunned by his emotional maturity. "If I had realized that years ago, I would have done a lot of things differently."

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