Page 69 of Pucking Around

“Fuck—here—” Jake twits around, using his long arms to snatch the dish of creamers off the table behind us. He slides it across our table at me, away from Caleb’s reach. “He’s not gonna share, and you’ll get a fork in the hand if you snatch at him again.”

“Surly ass,” I mutter.

Caleb just stirs his cream-hold-the-coffee with a rattle of his spoon.

I hold my warm cup between my hands, taking a deep breath. “Look guys, I’m happy for the first time in my life, okay? I’ve got a job that I love, and I’ve got this amazing opportunity to make a big move with my career. And I’m making all of this happen without trading on my dad’s name or his fame. Do you know how much that means to me? Can you even imagine what it’s like to have the specter of being Hal Price’s kid haunting you night and day?”

“But the MCAT didn’t care that I was Hal Price’s daughter,” I go on. “Neither does the Barkley Fellowship. The only thing that got me here ismytalent.Myhard work. And frankly, I don’t want my work overshadowed by a relationship right now,” I admit. “Do I wish I could see you more and laugh with you more and just exist where you are? Of course, I do. I’ve loved every minute we’ve spent together,” I say, taking one of each of their hands. Caleb stiffens, but Jake quickly laces our fingers together.

“And would I like to have more sex?” I add with a smile. “Hell, yes. You two drive me wild and I—god—I can hardlythink around you.”

“The feeling is mutual, Seattle,” Jake murmurs.

“But does that mean I’m ready to flip my life inside out and put you before my career—or risk hurting yours?” I add. “No way. I’m not ready to brave the chaos of the press.” I reach for my coffee, taking another sip. “So, I’m sorry, Cay. But I think moving in with Jake is literally theworstidea ever. I would only end up hurting him…and I’ve done enough of that already.”

Resting my case, I sit back, content to finish my coffee and head back to the hotel.

Both guys are pensive, their shoulders turned in slightly as they exchange pointed looks. I’ve heard the other guys refer to them as DLPs. Domestic life partners. Caleb would make a much better wife for Jake than I ever could—

I go impossibly still, glancing between them, reading their body language. That’s when it hits me. All my niggling feelings of curiosity and confusion suddenly make sense. They behave like domestic life partners. They behave like lovers. Like soul mates.

I suck in a breath, feeling rattled by my revelation.

“I mean, we could,” Jake mutters.

Caleb frowns. “But would you…”

Jake shrugs. “Better than nothing, right?”

“Fine,” says Caleb. “It’s your call, man.”

Then they both turn to me.

Jake pierces me with this gorgeous hazel eyes. “Seattle, I want you to move in.”

Now it’s my turn to sit there stupidly with a surprised look on my face. Recovering my wits, I choke out. “What theactualfuck?”

35

“Well?” I say, my voice coming out all high and squeaky. “Iliterallyjust said moving in would be the worst idea—”

“You’d have your own room,” Jake says quickly. “Own bathroom and everything, and it locks, and you can see the ocean from your window.”

“It’s a block off the beach,” Caleb adds. “Gorgeous. You’ll love it, Hurricane.”

“And there’s off street parking for your truck,” says Jake. “And I’ve got a home gym and a rooftop terrace to watch the sunset. You can cook anything you want. Or don’t cook. During the season I have a company make all my meals so I stay on track with my diet. But there’s a second fridge, and you can fill it with whatever you want.”

I feel like I’ve entered some bizarro dimension where my words come out, but I’m not understood. “Jake, you’re not listening. I can’t play house with you. I just said—”

“Cay’s gonna come too,” he adds, jabbing a thumb at his friend.

I sit back, hands pressed flat against the sticky Formica tabletop. “What?”

“Yeah, you said you want more of both of us,” Jake presses. “Not a relationship if that freaks you out,” he adds. “But I can’t keep doing this, Seattle. I can’t have you in my city and on my team and not be closer to you. I need more. And I’ll take anything I can get. You wanna fuck me? You just name the time and place. You want him?” He jabs his thumb at Caleb again. “Have him. With me there, without me, me watching from the side holding some electrolyte water. I guarantee you, he’s not saying no, and neither am I.”

I look to Caleb, and he gazes unflinchingly back.

“But this isn’t just sex for me, Rachel,” Jake adds, his face solemn. “Hell, at this point, I’ll settle for just breathing your air. I’ll rub your feet on the couch after a long day. I’ll do your laundry. I’ll hold your purse while you shop for trail mix. That’s how crazy I am about you. I have to be me, and this is who I am. This is how I feel. Move in and be with me. Withus. Whatever that looks like to you, we’ll figure it out. Just give me more than this nothing. I can’t bear another second of the nothing.”