Page 21

Chapter 21

Two Emotionally Well-Adjusted Men

Carter

I watched Nora weave through the crowd toward the bar, tracking the gentle sway of her hips like a compass finding true north. The woman was pure poetry in motion, even when she was pissed off. Especially when she was pissed off. The tension in her shoulders highlighted the elegant line of her spine, and I felt that familiar tug in my chest that had been growing stronger since the moment I’d met her.

The same tug that had led me to buy into a hockey team, for fuck’s sake.

Miles cleared his throat beside me, breaking my trance. “You’re staring.”

“I’m appreciating,” I corrected, shifting my weight against the pool table. “There’s a difference.”

“Not the way you do it.”

I twirled the cue stick between my fingers, keeping my voice deliberately casual despite the steel underneath. “Just so we’re clear, I’m making my move tonight.”

The change in Miles was instant; his shoulders squared, and his jaw tightened. “What happened to letting her breathe? To giving her space?”

“I gave her space. Now I’m giving her options.” I leaned closer, dropping the casual act. “Look, I’m not interested in watching from the sidelines while you play house. If you want her, man up and tell her. Otherwise, step aside.”

“We have an arrangement,” Miles hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. “A delicate one. You go stirring shit up now, you could blow everything.”

“An arrangement,” I repeated, unable to keep the edge from my voice. “Is that what you call this little charade? Pretending to be her boyfriend, pretending to be the father of her child?”

“It’s to protect her. To protect Dominic.” Miles’s knuckles went white around his cue. “Some of us think about consequences before we act.”

“And some of us know that life’s too short for pretending.” I set my cue down with deliberate care. “I want her. I’ve wanted her since I first saw her. I don’t give a fuck about optics or team politics or whatever game Wilson’s playing by walking out that door instead of staking his claim.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m honest.” I straightened up. “You’re welcome to come along tonight, watch how it’s done. Hell, join in. We both know that works well for all parties involved.”

A muscle in Miles’s jaw twitched, and I knew I’d hit a nerve. Good. Maybe it would finally force his hand.

“This isn’t just about getting laid,” Miles growled, stepping closer. “You’re being reckless. You don’t care what happens to her if this all implodes.”

“I trust Nora to make her own decisions,” I fired back, my voice quiet but sharp. “Unlike some people, I don’t think she needs a knight in shining hockey pads to protect her from reality.”

Miles’s eyes flashed. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. No idea what’s at stake for her.”

“I know exactly what’s at stake.” I leaned in. “Her happiness. Her right to choose who she wants. Or hell, she doesn’t even have to choose at all. I’m done playing by everyone else’s rules, and I think she is too.”

“Because you’ve never had to follow rules your whole privileged life, have you, Campbell?”

Well, that stung more than I’d let him see. “Careful, Captain. Your perfect boy-next-door mask is slipping.”

For a moment, I thought he might throw a punch. Instead, his eyes darted past me, and his entire demeanor shifted. I didn’t need to turn to know Nora was returning.

“Everything okay?” Her voice carried that note of wariness that made me want to sweep her up and carry her away from all this bullshit.

“Peachy.” I flashed her my most disarming smile, the one that usually got me out of trouble. “Was discussing the merits of my cheesecake with the captain here.”

Miles snorted but forced his features into something resembling relaxation. “Just two emotionally well-adjusted men having a calm, rational debate.”

Nora’s eyes narrowed like she wasn’t buying what we were selling, but she let it slide. “So, about the cheesecake... are we really doing this?”

“Absolutely. I never joke about dessert.” I did actually have a cheesecake in my fridge.

“I meant all three of us going to your place.” She wasn’t talking about the dessert now.

“I’m in if you are.” My gaze held hers, letting her see past the joking to the sincerity underneath. “No pressure either way.”

As we headed for the door, I caught a glimpse of our reflection in the dark window: the three of us walking in sync, Nora in the middle. It looked right.

* * *

The car came to a stop outside my house, and I fought the urge to check Miles’s reaction in my peripheral vision. I’d seen the look a hundred times before, that momentary recalibration when people realized I didn’t live in some sterile glass tower filled with motivational posters and ergonomic furniture.

Miles unfolded his tall frame from the back seat, eyes traveling up the weathered brick and steel-framed windows of my converted warehouse. “This is... not what I expected.”

“Let me guess, you pictured me living in a penthouse with robot butlers and toilet seats made of solid gold?” I couldn’t resist needling him a little.

“Something like that.” He was still scanning the building like he was memorizing entry points. Ever the captain, always assessing.

We stepped into my studio space on the bottom floor. Canvases in various stages of completion leaned against the exposed brick walls, and my workbenches were scattered with tools, brushes, and the scraps of half-finished projects.

Miles drifted toward the far wall where a series of my black-and-white photographs hung in simple frames. He stopped in front of one that was a tight shot of a lipstick-smeared wine glass balanced on the edge of a bathtub. In the fogged mirror behind it, the faint silhouette of a woman stood.

“Who took these?” His eyes were still fixed on the photograph.

“I did.”

His head turned, expression shifting into something I couldn’t quite read. “You’re good.”

“Try not to sound so surprised, Captain.” But underneath my sarcasm, a tiny flicker of pride sparked to life. The guy was an asshole, but he had taste.

Miles moved to another photo that was a high-contrast shot of Nora on the ice, her face captured in a moment of intense concentration as she demonstrated some skill that I had no clue about.

“When did you take this?” Miles’s fingers traced the edge of the frame, careful not to smudge the glass. The reverence in his touch made me want to snatch the photo right off the wall.

“A few days ago.” I met Nora’s eyes across the room, catching the slight curve of her lips as she watched him study her image.

Something shifted in the air between us into something more anticipatory. Miles looked from me to Nora, and I could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

“Come on.” I broke the moment, gesturing toward the stairs. “Let me show you the rest.”

“Now this looks more like what I expected,” Miles muttered as we stepped onto the second floor, and he took in the view of the river through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

I headed for the refrigerator. “Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll grab the cheesecake.”

“Need any help?” Nora followed me to the kitchen, and I couldn’t help but notice how naturally she moved through my space, like she belonged here.

“Just your company.” I pulled out a simple New York style cheesecake I’d picked up from the bakery down the street.

Nora’s eyes widened appreciatively. “I’m surprised there is a real cheesecake. That looks delicious.”

“Wait until you taste it.” I grabbed plates and forks, then tilted my head toward yet another staircase. “The best view is upstairs.”

I led them up the spiral staircase to my roof terrace. I popped on the string lights and turned on the electric heater that warmed the seating area. The city sprawled before us, a constellation of lights mirrored in the dark ribbon of the river.

“Okay, I hate to admit it, but this is impressive.” Miles’s shoulders finally relaxed a fraction.

“Coming from you, that’s practically a love letter.” I set the cheesecake and plates on the table that was nestled between comfortable outdoor seating.

Nora sank into one of the cushioned chairs with a little sigh of contentment that did uncomfortable things to my insides.

I busied myself with serving the cheesecake, very aware of the charged silence that had fallen over us. The knife sliced cleanly through creamy perfection, and I definitely wasn’t thinking about how Nora’s eyes followed my every movement.

She picked up her fork, and the soft clink of metal on ceramic broke the quiet. The city lights sparkled behind her like a backdrop designed specifically for this moment, and I wished I had my camera with me.

Then she took her first bite and let out a soft moan that shot straight through me, scrambling what few coherent thoughts I had left. “This is so good.”

The way her eyes fluttered closed made me grip my own fork a little tighter. Watching her savor that first taste with such uninhibited pleasure was doing dangerous things to my already questionable judgment.

“I know, right?” I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her lips. “The bakery won’t tell me their secret, no matter how much I offer to invest.”

“Maybe you should offer to take photographs for them.” Miles was already halfway done with his slice.

“I’ve done that already, and it gets me one free cheesecake a week.” I patted my stomach. “That’s why I don’t have abs.”

“Abs are overrated anyway. Too much broccoli is required.” Nora did a little wiggle dance in her seat as she took another bite, and I couldn’t tell if it was because she was cold or because she was enjoying the cheesecake so much.

A tiny smudge of cheesecake lingered at the corner of her mouth, and the opportunity was too perfect to resist. “You’ve got something…” I leaned in, brushing my thumb slowly over the corner of her lips. I brought my thumb to my mouth and licked it clean, maintaining eye contact. “Delicious.”

Her eyes widened and the air between us crackled with electricity. I flicked my gaze toward Miles, expecting annoyance but found something else entirely. His jaw was tight, but his eyes were dark with an unmistakable heat.

Emboldened, I leaned in closer to Nora. “I think I missed a spot.” I closed the distance between us until my lips brushed the corner of her mouth in a not-quite kiss.

She froze for a heartbeat, then turned her face slightly until our lips aligned. The kiss was soft at first, like savoring the last bite of dessert, but when she didn’t pull away, I deepened it, cradling her face with my hand.

When we broke apart, her cheeks were flushed, eyes sparkling in the string lights. “That was almost better than the cheesecake.”

I chuckled, glancing at Miles. His expression was complex with arousal warring against frustration. “Your turn, Captain. Unless you’re here to watch?”

“Carter!” Nora smacked my arm, but I could hear the underlying current of anticipation in her voice.

Miles set his fork down with deliberate care, like he was resisting the urge to stab me in the eye with it. “Is that what this is? Some kind of game?”

I leaned back in my chair. “Not a game. More like... an exploration of possibilities.” I gestured between the three of us, watching his expression shift from wariness to something more complex. “Unless you’re afraid of what you might discover?”

He stood up, pacing to the edge of the terrace. The city lights outlined his impressive frame, tension pouring from every line of his body. “This is a bad idea.”

Nora bit her lip and started to stand, but I stopped her. I was pretty sure if it was only the two of them, he’d have no hesitations. His problem was me being involved.

I moved to stand beside him, just close enough that our shoulders almost touched. “Look, I know you want her.” I kept my voice low enough that Nora couldn’t hear. “I’ve seen the way you look at her when you think no one’s watching. And she wants you too.”

Miles’s jaw worked. “It’s complicated.”

“Only because you’re making it complicated.” I turned to face him fully, leaning my arm on the railing. “We both want her. She seems interested in both of us. Where’s the problem?”

“The problem is that this is supposed to be fake. Taking it any further is only going to end in disaster.” His voice dropped to a hiss. “She’s pregnant with my best friend’s baby. A best friend who I think wants her more than he’ll admit. I can’t do this to him.”

“He’s doing it to himself by not being here and allowing you to take his place.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “If she didn’t want this, she wouldn’t be here right now.”

“And when Dominic gets his head out of his ass and decides to step in?”

I shrugged. “It’s up to Nora to decide who she wants and if that includes one, two, or three of us.”

“Three of us is unreal.” His fingers tightened on the railing, his knuckles going white. The thing I’d noticed about Miles was that he always needed to analyze everything to death. Sometimes the best things in life were a bit unhinged, like buying into a sports franchise on a whim or pursuing a woman who was pregnant with another man’s baby.

“Not really when you really think about it.” Maybe it didn’t faze me since I knew several polyamorous people. Birds of a feather really did flock together.

Before he could respond, I heard the scrape of a chair behind us. Nora appeared at my side, looking between us with a mix of confusion and determination. “If you two are discussing me, I’d prefer to be included in the conversation.”

Miles ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t think this is a good idea. It will only complicate things.”

The silence that followed felt endless, broken only by the distant hum of traffic and the soft rustle of wind through my potted plants.

Nora sighed and squeezed into the space between me and Miles. “I’m worried about that too, but if there’s anything I’ve learned in my life, it’s that if you want something, you have to go for it. Life is too short to ignore what you want.”

“But Dominic…” Miles looked pained, and even I started to briefly doubt myself.

She put her hand on his arm. “Dominic agreed to this. Were we a bit hasty and impulsive? Probably. But both of us were scared, and fear leads to rash decisions. I know we said this was fake, but really, is a fake relationship where two people are attracted to each other ever really fake?”

“You’re attracted to me?” Miles turned to face her, cupping her cheek.

She pressed her lips to his, answering his question without words. He remained frozen for a second; then his arms came around her, pulling her close as he returned the kiss with a hunger that spoke of long-suppressed desire.

I should have felt jealous watching them kiss since that’s what society told me I was supposed to feel. But seeing Miles finally let go of his control and the way Nora melted into him stirred something deeper, more primal than simple possessiveness.

The yearning that flooded through me was unlike anything I’d experienced before. There was no greater feeling in the world than seeing Nora happy and taken care of, her whole body softening with contentment. And the revelation hit me square in the chest: it didn’t have to just be by me.

Maybe that made me weird. Maybe that made me different. But I’d never been one to color inside the lines anyway.

When they broke apart, Nora turned to me. “I don’t know where this will ultimately lead. You understand that, right?”

I brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to.”

She responded by pulling me into another kiss, this one deeper and more needy than the first. Miles moved closer, his hand settling on the back of Nora’s neck. He still seemed uncertain, but that was to be expected.

When Nora finally pulled away, she looked between us with flushed cheeks and bright eyes. “So...”

Miles and I exchanged a glance, and for once, we seemed to be in perfect accord.

“Let’s go inside.” Miles’s voice had dropped an octave, his pupils completely dilated now, making the green look almost black.

Without another word, Nora took each of us by the hand and led us toward the door, the cheesecake forgotten on the table.