Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 140184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 701(@200wpm)___ 561(@250wpm)___ 467(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 701(@200wpm)___ 561(@250wpm)___ 467(@300wpm)
Jonathan sees the tears shining on the surface of my eyes and drops his devil-may-care fucking around attitude. “Hey. Don’t cry.” He sets his book and the beer down on the end table, then reaches his arms out for me. “Come here.”
I feel relieved when he pulls me into his strong arms, pushing my face into his chest and holding me tight.
“We’re fine,” he rumbles in my ear. “We’re not breaking up or anything. There’s no reason to get upset.”
“This feels like a weird gray area and I’ve never… been here before.”
He strokes my hair. “I have. Don’t stress about it, okay? We’re good. I’m not mad. I’m not hurt. You don’t have to feel bad about anything.”
I feel stupid admitting it, but I might as well. “I wasn’t sure if maybe you liked me a little bit, and I didn’t want to hurt your feelings if you did.”
He laughs lightly, giving me a squeeze, then pulls me back to look down at me. “You’re so goddamn inexperienced. I oughta beat my dad’s cradle-robbing ass.”
Startled laughter bursts out of me. It’s a teary laugh, my eyes still wet with tears, but at least none fell down my face. “No ass-beating allowed. You guys have an in-home gym for that.”
“You like me and I like you,” he says, shrugging. “What’s the problem?”
“I just wasn’t sure…”
He knows what I wasn’t sure of, so he doesn’t make me finish.
“I knew you were invested in my dad, Kennedy. I knew that from the moment I walked in on you two making out like teenagers in the foyer. I’m not generally a jealous guy, and I knew where your loyalties were when I let you into my bedroom that night.”
Generally.
A frown flickers across my face, but before I can overthink that word that stands out a bit more than the rest, he continues.
“If I let any wires get crossed, then that was on me. Not saying they did, of course.”
“Of course,” I murmur dryly since his tone seems to invite me to agree with his unwavering impenetrability.
He smiles. “If my dad were open to sharing, I think we’d have a damn good time playing tug of war with you, but I take it from you feeling the need to have this conversation with me, he’s not.”
I shake my head.
Jonathan nods. “All right. No big deal. At least we got to have a little fun, right?” he adds with a wink.
My cheeks warm and I have to look away, but I can’t suppress a small smile despite my embarrassment.
“I’m glad I got to be a couple of your firsts.”
“A couple?”
“First fuck. First pregnancy scare.” He sighs and spreads his arms out across the back of the couch in an exaggerated show of male pride.
“Ugh, you’re the worst,” I tell him, but I can’t stop smiling.
“And hey, you never know. Once my dad stops worrying I’m trying to steal you from him, maybe he’ll ease up on the restrictions and gift me a night with you for my birthday or something,” he continues. “I’m a Sagittarius, so I do have a birthday coming up soon. And then there’s Christmas… I’m just saying, the guy could save a lot of money.”
I sigh heavily with exasperation. “Why do I like you?”
“My good looks? My charm? My natural athleticism?”
“Must be your humility,” I deadpan.
He grabs the beer I brought him and takes a swig. “Nah, can’t be that.”
I feel so much lighter than I did when I came in here.
I’m still not 100 percent sure how to juggle my dynamics with both of them without stepping on any toes, but when Jonathan grabs me around the waist and pulls me against his side right as his dad comes into the room, I look to Milo rather than scramble away to see what he thinks.
“Am I interrupting?” Milo asks dryly.
“Nah, have a seat,” Jonathan says, flicking a glance at his dad as if it’s all perfectly natural. “We’re just enjoying a little family time. Kennedy needed a cuddle. Wanna watch something?” he asks without preamble.
Milo’s gaze moves between us, studying our energy before taking a seat beside me. “I suppose we can start something while we wait for dinner.”
Magnanimously, Jonathan gestures to me with his beer. “You want to take over?”
“If you don’t mind,” Milo says dryly.
“Nah, I was just filling the void while she waited for you. Story of my life.”
“Oh, my god,” I say, burying my face in my hands.
Milo reaches around my waist and drags me closer to him. I curl my legs up on the couch behind me so my feet are close to Jonathan’s legs and lean into Milo’s solid warmth.
Even though he doesn’t seem bothered that I was cuddling with Jonathan, I feel the need to make sure. When he said Jonathan’s access to my body had to be cut off, I assumed he meant only sexually, not harmless affection.