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My eyes widened and my heart swooned a little. “Seriously? That’s so cool.” I stepped closer to him, noticing his slight intake of breath when I got closer, and batted my eyes when I asked, “Can you teach me one on one sometimes?”

He was already shaking his head before I got the words out. “Hell nah. I’m still scarred from the last time I tried to teach you to fight.”

Frowning, I stomped my foot in a pout. “I was twelve.”

“I know,” he said. “And somehow, you managed to make me break my arm and ice my balls all before my sixteenth birthday. I couldn’t even fuck Brittni ‘cause I seriously thought my shit was broken despite what the doctor said.”

I pretended to admire my fresh manicure. “I don’t recall that happening.” And I’m definitely not sorry you couldn’t fuck Brittni wit’ the big titties on your birthday.

“Whateva.” He waved me off and nodded to his left. “You wanna play Call of Duty?”

Don’t stare at his tongue ring. Don’t stare at his tongue ring. He licked his lips.

Shit.

I looked.

My stomach growled. “Actually, I’m kinda hungry. I only had a bag of chips and juice at the salon.”

Cruz glanced in the direction of the kitchen. “We can’t eat yet ‘cause Titan been actin’ like he’s the food police in dis bitch.”

I snorted. “You mean he told you to stop eatin’ up everything in the kitchen?”

Cruz smirked, his eyes growing more dangerous. “I wish I could eat something else instead.”

My steps faltered, but I maintained my balance this time.

“Wh-What did you say?”

He stepped closer to me, causing me to tilt my head back and soak in his six-foot-five frame. “I said, I wish I could eat something else instead.” He gently gripped my chin. “Something a little sweet. Tart.” He inhaled my neck, causing me to shiver. “Wet and juicy.”

My heart was racing, and my head was spinning, unable to comprehend how Cruz could be so flirty with me out of nowhere. Sis, this ain’t out of nowhere. Cruz has been flirting wit’ you for years. It just never felt like … this.

Just as my mind started racing with possibilities, he pulled a red apple out of his pocket with his free hand and wiggled his eyes. “Shit, this apple is just what my mouth wanted.”

“Boy, stop,” I teased, slapping his hand away and stepping out of his space. I shook my head, already feeling lighter like I always did with Cruz, even when we were arguing about something.

That’s what he did. He made me forget my stress and laugh about stupid shit.

In a way, Cruz felt like home since he knew so much about my childhood, having been there for most of it.

That made everything I was feeling for him risky, especially when watching him take a big bite of that apple was downright sinful.

It took a minute to realize he had said something else.

“I missed that,” I admitted.

“Call of Duty?” he repeated. “Want to play?”

“Uh, maybe later,” I told him, needing some water to cool off from his seductive fruit mouth. I thought he may stand there and torment me some more with his sexiness, but luckily, he went back to the living room.

I kicked off my shoes and stretched, before heading toward the kitchen for some water. As soon as I stepped inside, Storm was already there, leaning against the counter, arms crossed over his chest.

“Long day?”

I paused, surprised that he asked. Honestly, it felt strange to say that my day had been long when I spent most of it at the salon. But Storm always asked questions that meant more than what they seemed.

I shrugged. “Nah. Just got my hair done.”

His eyes dragged over me slowly, like he was taking me in. He nodded. “It looks nice.”

Something about how he said it made my skin warm. Storm wasn’t loud like Cruz, nor was he quiet like Titan. He was the type that sat back and observed and thought before he spoke. That’s what made his words hit different. They were contemplative.

“How you feelin’?” he asked, voice lower now. “For real.”

Confused. Aroused. Confused. I looked away, forcing a small smile. “I’m good.”

He held my gaze for a second longer before nodding. “Aight. Lemme know whenever you’re not good.”

“I will.”

I exhaled the moment I left the kitchen before he could see the effect he had on me. I didn’t get far as the scent of grilled steak hit me before I even made it to the dining room.

My stomach growled as I looked up to see Titan setting a plate on the table, moving like he had already expected me to be home around this time.

“Damn,” I muttered. “Are you psychic now?”

He didn’t say anything, just nodded toward the chair.

Titan wasn’t much of a talker, but he spoke in other ways.

He was the one who made sure the doors were locked at night.

The one who stood between me and any man who looked too long any time we went someplace.

And the one who grilled my steak just the way I liked it, without me even asking.

I sat down, picking up my fork. “Have you eaten already?”

“Yeah,” he huffed, striking a match to light one of the ivory taper candles. “But don’t tell Cruz. That muthafucka is always hungry, and he already ate all the wings I made earlier even though he tried to blame it on the damn dog.”

I froze, my chicken wing mid-air. “I’ve only been gone a few hours. Since when do y’all have a dog?”

Titan grunted. “We don’t. He’s always makin’ up some shit when he doesn’t follow the rules.”

“Your rules suck ass,” Cruz yelled from the living room. “I’m a growing boy and I need to eat.”

“You’re thirty-four,” Titan retorted. “So act like it and quit eatin’ food that ain’t yours.”

Their argument continued for another minute, their voices like a track on an album that had the potential to be your anthem.

I finished eating and went to clean my plate, but Storm beat me to it and took the plate from my hands, his soft smile warming my insides.

When he told me I looked like I needed some time alone, I took the out he was giving me and escaped to my bedroom, flopping onto the bed the moment I shut my door, while leaning on my elbows so I wouldn’t fuck up my hair.

“Shit. What is wrong with me?”

How was I supposed to function like a regular human being around them? They were like the perfect man. Cruz made me laugh. Storm made me think. Titan made me feel safe. And somehow, I liked all three of them.

This shit wasn’t healthy. Fuckin’ friends was not what I was here to do. Groaning, I dragged a hand over my face. Why can’t I forget what the ladies said? Or worse, why was the only thing I could focus on was figuring out how to test the truth behind the gossip?

Did they truly share women?

And if so, was there a world that existed where they wanted to share … me?