Page 85 of Rock Giant

He shrugged.“Went back to her guy, I guess.”He was so blasé about it, at first, she was convinced she’d misheard him.

“You just shagged someone’s girlfriend?”

“Wife, I think.”

“What!”

He treated her to another of those loose-limbed shrugs.“It’s hardly a first.What’s the big deal?”

“Balin!You’re screwing married women!You don’t think maybe that might be detrimental to their relationships?”

He leaned over the table, bringing their heads closer.“Jo, their relationships are none of my fucking business.I make it a policy not to interfere in other people’s affairs.I’m there for the good times.We have fun.I never disappoint.Everyone knows the deal and gets what they want out of it.”

“Right.”The word came out more clipped than she’d intended it to.

“Oooh, disapproving look,” Balin crowed.He didn’t seem in the least bit perturbed.

“And when the condom splits, or—”

“Shh!”He pressed his index finger to her lips while grinning.“Not your problem.Your job is just to keep me stocked up on jonnies and lube.”

“Well, that makes me feel complicit.”

His handsome mug scrunched into a frown.“Don’t be daft.Look, is this because you’re pissed off at me for letting Nash watch?Babe, if you’ve issues with it, you need to discuss them with him.You realise he’s just watching, right?So, what’s the big deal?It’s not like he’s cheating.”

Right.Of course it wasn’t.Balin wouldn’t bullshit her over that.

“Is he just watching, though?Or is he getting off?”

Balin went all po-faced on her.So, that was a resounding yes, then.

“I’m just asking because if he is, that makes it sound an awful lot like you’re having strings of threesomes with random married women.”

“Not all of them are—”

“Not the point, Balin.”

She rubbed her suddenly prickly eyes, and then at the stinging sensation in her nose.

“Jo, babe.”Balin bumped his chair closer so he could sling an arm around her shoulders.“We’re not having threesomes.Trust me on this.You don’t need to get upset.Promise.He’s just being an observant wingman for me.It’s all harmless.”

“Right,” she snuffled into a napkin she didn’t remember picking up.“But is it?”

“Yes.”

“So, if I decided to, I dunno, go watch Rock Giant jerk off, would that be just harmless?”

“I’m not sure that’s the same.Nash isn’t watching me jerk off.He’s not interested in me.Watching just gets him going.It gets him excited for you.”

He was always hot for her after he’d been places with Balin.

“He’s only interested in you.”

“I know, but...Suppose I asked you to stop letting him—”

“Jo.”

“Balin.”