Page 48 of Three Bossy Boyfriends (Honeysuckle Harbor #3)

Finley

By the time I get home from my brother’s house, I am decidedly less pissed off.

Ford made some fair points about Tucker and where he might be at in this whole situation. He barely knows Evan and Christopher.

Just because I want him and I want Evan with Christopher as a bonus boyfriend, doesn’t mean Tucker should just automatically want that too. He wants it for me. He’s made that clear. I think.

He certainly acted that way the night we spent together.

Damn it. Maybe I should have actually read the fucking contract instead of having a knee-jerk reaction to the idea of it.

My phone is buzzing with a text. I dig it out of my back pocket and look at the screen, hoping it’s one or all of the guys.

It’s Frannie, texting both me and Fiona.

Hunter said he loves me!!!

There’s a string of heart-eye emojis filling up two lines of text space.

Aw. That makes my heart happy for my sister.

Yay! See? You stressed out for no reason.

He said he was desperate to say it back but really, really wanted to be looking me in the eye when he did. I told him it just felt natural, and I texted it because I’ve been feeling it for over a month, and it just popped out without thinking.

I open the front door and head into the house. It feels quiet and empty in here. I’ve gotten used to having one or both of the twins around me.

It’s a far cry from life in New York, where I lived alone in an apartment roughly the size of a walk-in closet. Or one of the bathrooms at Harrison’s house.

But Ford makes good points.

I’m independent. I’m used to being alone. Making decisions for myself and not having to take anyone else’s opinion or feelings into consideration.

Given that I just walked out of Christopher’s tonight without actually listening to any of them explain how they felt, feels a little like maybe I have a lot to learn about communication when it comes to relationships.

Maybe I’m not even really ready to jump into a full poly foursome.

I shouldn’t have assumed any of my guys are ready or not ready to do the same.

Fiona texts our group chat.

I’m so happy for you! Kyle and I just had a talk, too. Neither of us is ready for the L word yet, but we both agreed we don’t want to see other people. We want to see where this goes. :)

Also yay!

Both of my sisters seem to realize at the same time that I’m actually responding to their texts immediately.

Wait, Fin, why aren’t you getting banged by three guys right now?

That’s Fiona, of course.

Yeah, I thought you’d be…busy.

Frannie sends three tongue and three eggplant emojis.

The girl loves her emojis.

I’m at home. The guys gave me a contract, and I felt like they weren’t communicating with me, so I left.

…

…

But isn’t a contract communication?? Setting expectations and boundaries, etc?

That hits me like a bolt of lightning.

Of course, it is.

Double damn it.

I fucked up.

Have you told Tucker and Evan you love them?

No. They didn’t say it either. Well. Evan did. But only after I got annoyed and sort of yelled at them all.

Putting it in writing sounded worse than it had felt when it was happening.

Mostly, I was disappointed.

I was excited to see them and be all together, and it was like walking into a work meeting you didn’t know was on the calendar.

It’s possible I overreacted.

A little.

I should have stayed and talked.

Fiona texts me.

You can be a brat.

Frannie is right on her heels.

You need to open up to them.

That was my plan.

I add the eggplant emoji to prove my point.

I’m joking, but mostly because they’re right.

I can be a brat.

Christopher loves to remind me of that fact often.

And I love it when he does.

I think I even love Christopher.

In a different way than I do Evan. And different from Tucker.

But I love them all.

And I didn’t even tell them.

I need to tell them.

I need to make this right, as much as I can.

Because I’ve never been in love and now I am, with three incredible, caring, and sexy as hell men.

I’m going back to Christopher’s. I need to talk to him and Evan.

I don’t want to lose them too, and I know they’ll listen and encourage me to share how I’m feeling, and we’ll come to an understanding.

Good move.

Go get ‘em!

What about Tucker?

I bite my lip as I pick up the keys I just set down and head for the front door.

Tucker is harder. I know without a doubt he’s not still at Christopher’s. I’m guessing he left right after I did.

I’ll talk to him tomorrow.

Except when I throw open the front door and launch myself out of the house, intending to jog across the porch and down the stairs, I hit a massive wall and bounce back.

The wall is Tucker.

Or rather, Tucker’s chest.

“Oh, geez!”

Tucker’s giant hands immediately shoot out and steady me so I don’t stumble backward. “Are you okay?” he asks.

“I’m fine.” I look up at him. Way up. Sometimes I forget how massive Tucker is.

Then I picture him lifting me up in the bedroom and my body suddenly tingles. It’s a very distracting and pleasant thought but…

“Why are you here?” I ask, confused.

“I wanted to talk to you.” He runs his hands through his hair. “Look, I know you said you need time alone to think, and I respect that.”

That makes me cock my head and eye him. “Really? Because it kind of seems like the opposite of that.”

Except I’m not angry. This is just Tucker. He likes to fix things. With his hands. And doesn’t always have the words for what he’s feeling. He likes to show me, which I generally appreciate.

If I hadn’t calmed down all on my own though—with a little help from my sisters—I wouldn’t be thrilled about it right now.

“I should have called you, but I just…” Tucker takes a deep breath and puts his hands on my shoulders.

“I really care about you, Finley. I know that this all started out as an old high school grudge and some sexual tension, but this is more than that for me. I hope you know that. Even if I got cold feet about a poly relationship.”

My heart squeezes.

Big, brawny Tucker Hastings looks like he’s in agony.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he adds. “Not when I just got your sexy, sassy little ass back in my life.”

I would never expect flowery words from Tucker. I don’t even think I would want them.

But this?

This feels right. “I care about you too. Why don’t you come inside for a minute? It’s freezing out here.”

“I would have thought you had Northern blood by now,” he says, as he follows me into the living room.

“Once a Southerner, always a Southerner. The weather was the thing I disliked the most about New York.” Rubbing my arms, I gesture for him to sit. “Spring is late this year, which seems like a dick move since I’m living back home for the first time in a decade.”

“Don’t even think about putting a curse on Mother Nature.” Tucker sits down beside me on the couch.

“I think I’m retired from casting curses.”

“Good to hear. Though you have put a whole different kind of spell on me.”

The minute the words are out of his mouth, he makes a face. I’m fighting the urge to laugh suddenly. “Um…”

“That sounded a whole lot better in my head than it did coming out. I’m sorry. I’m botching this.”

“Just dust off your karaoke speech,” I tease.

“I didn’t expect to see you at the law office that day. I certainly didn’t expect to feel punched in the gut by seeing you.” His hand slides over my thigh.

It’s a steady, warm grip. Solid. Like Tucker.

“I didn’t either.”

“I thought about you a lot over the years, but when I saw the woman you’ve become, I just…damn, I fell hard and fast. So hard. So fast.”

I nod, swallowing. “The feeling is mutual.”

“And I don’t object to the other guys. I get it.

I want you to be happy. I loved seeing you come apart for the three of us.

Hell, I loved working together with them to make that happen.

It was hot as fuck, and I’m open to repeating that whenever you want.

And I’m open to dating you while you date them, without rules, without a contract. I just want you to know that.”

I trace the back of his hand with my fingers, overcome with emotion. “Thank you. I don’t want to lose you either, Tucker. I’m falling in love with you.”

“And I’m falling in love with you.” Tucker leans forward and brushes a soft kiss over my lips that makes me sigh in pleasure and relief.

“You’re right,” he murmurs, kissing one side of my mouth. “We should let this evolve naturally. At whatever pace we need.” He kisses the other corner. “Who knows where it will take us?”

I shiver, leaning into him, fighting the urge to close my eyes. “You’re willing to do that?”

“Yes. I’m willing to do anything for you.”

His hand is making inroads onto my thighs, and we’re both starting to breathe harder. I want to get carried away by Tucker—straight to my bed.

But I can’t. Because I need to sort this out with Evan and Christopher.

Yet I hear a moan spill off my lips when Tucker brushes his thumb over the seam of my jeans, his lips pressing hot kisses to my throat.

Then he pulls back. “Not yet, my little witch. You need to go find the guys and talk this out, just like you and I did.”

That he’s willing to acknowledge that it’s important, that they’re important, causes tears to well up in my eyes. “Will you come with me?”

“Of course. If that’s what you want.”

“That’s what I want. I want you.”

“And them.”

“And them.” I run my thumb across his bottom lip. He kisses it. “I talked to my brother after I left Christopher’s, and he pointed out there is a downside to living with three other people. Dirty dishes, lots of socks.”

Tucker laughs softly. “Don’t look at me. I’m tidy as fuck.”

“I just mean that I think we should focus on having fun for right now.”

“I’m a sucker for fun.” But even as he says it, Tucker stands up and holds his hand out for me. “Come on. Let’s go back to Christopher’s. Maybe you can get fucked tonight, after all. Since that’s clearly what you wanted.”

My nipples instantly harden. “I really hope so. But I have a better idea.” I pull my phone out. “I’m going to invite them over here. I think we should be on my turf this time.”