Chapter Twenty One-The Arrangement

When the garage door closed behind us and the engine quieted, I stopped Jacob from opening the door. “Before we do this, we need to air all this out and make some ground rules. I’m not going to be caught in the middle of some drama between you two again.”

The Alpha’s chin shook back and forth as he blinked away from me. “Jacob and I worked everything out, didn’t we?”

Jacob kissed my cheek and nodded. Not like he had any other choice but to agree to whatever plan Logan concocted. Even though he was Beta, or second in charge, for all intents and purposes, he had no real authority. Whereas Logan was Alpha by birthright, Jacob’s position was more a job. He didn’t inherit whatever it is that his fathers had flowing through their veins. He was just a Lycan.

Logan could be taken out and killed by another stronger shifter, if such a thing existed, or he could retire and hand it down to his heir. That was his only way out.

But if Jacob didn’t serve Logan or his pack well, they could fire him, and he’d just be another pack member. Maybe even expelled from the territory.

It had to be a hard enough pill to swallow that he had to accept whatever scraps his twin brother gave him. Knowing that his ability to be with me rested on Logan’s shoulders as well must be indescribably painful. I don’t blame him now for the choices he made. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

I put my hand on Logan’s to get his attention. He wanted nothing more from me than to fall in line and not question him, but that’s not me. “How does this work?” I turned back to Jacob. “I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings. I haven’t been in an actual relationship ever, much less two at the same time.”

I tugged on Logan’s fingers. “I’m coming into this at a disadvantage. You two have had nearly a year to plan all this out. It’d be nice if you explained things to me; I’m not a mind-reader.”

His fingers closed around mine, and he kissed the back of my hand as his eyes rose to the ceiling. “This your home now.” The fingers on his other hand bent over and over as they motioned between the three of us. “Our home. A new start.”

A finger tapped on the steering wheel. “The first night, it’s all of us.” That finger touched my chin before it wagged between us again. “Your room is our room. My room is just for you and me. Jacob’s room is for the two of you.”

I rested on Jacob’s chest and looked up at him before meeting Logan’s eyes again. “You really think you can do that?”

He rolled his eyes away, and the long breath he blew through his mouth told me no, despite what he said. “Our parents have been doing it that way all our lives.”

My fingers met his jaw and turned him to face me. “But we’re not your parents. I want to know about what you two can handle. Because I’m telling you right now, this jealousy thing and using me against the other is not going to work. I won’t live in a house where I have to walk on eggshells to keep the peace. You know me. I got a big mouth, and if trouble is brewing, I’m going to be talking about it.”

His pink tongue passed over his lips before he nodded. “I know.” He shook his head, and his eyes moved back and forth between Jacob and me. “All I can do is say I’ll try my best. I love you both, and I want this to work.”

Jacob’s lips tickled my ear when he whispered to me. “I think he means it.”

I knew he did, but as I recalled every rain-soaked word he said to me, I knew he’d never be able to keep his word. I sighed and nodded as I pushed the car door open. “Blessed be.”

I left a trail of expensive, designer breadcrumbs behind me as I walked out of my shoes and dropped my necklaces and bracelets to the floor. By the time I crawled into bed, there was nothing left on my body but the remains of their big, wet lips and the smell of my perfume.

With my foot in his hand, Logan took his time and tasted every inch of me until he hovered over my face. “You’ll never regret this. I swear.”

As he positioned himself between my legs and rose to his hands above me, my fingers traced the curve of his jaw. “Show me.”

He started slowly, and I thought for just a minute, he’d show me that soft side again. But I was wrong. So wrong. His hips beat into me like a jackhammer, and the bed slammed into the wall so hard the flowers they got me crashed to the floor.

The beast revealed himself there above me through grunts and snarls and growls, and I caught the man who had plotted our escape in the car—the desperate wolf who craved freedom from his duties and wanted me all to himself.

A tremor began in my toes and traveled up my legs until I squeezed him inside me. I matched his movements as I thrust my hips up to meet his and sought more pressure against my clit until I screamed out to him, and he collapsed on top of me.

We both broke our vows to Jacob at that moment. I couldn’t see him or hear him or feel him. All that mattered was the heart beating against me and the lips making their way down my neck.

The world crashed down around us when a slap came to Logan’s back. “You had your turn. Let’s go.”

Like he knew I’d seek Logan out, Jacob guided me to my hands and knees away from him. Logan got first dibs on me every time we were together, but this was Jacob’s time with me, and he intended to make sure I remembered that.

When fingers threaded themselves through my hair, and a hand gripped my hip, I closed my eyes and pretended it was the chocolate-scented Lycan riding my ass like a cowboy instead.

I knew he was just feet away watching, but the thought of Logan inside me brought me there again and again as Jacob hissed and grunted and yanked my hair. Between my cries for more and the slaps of his skin to my backside, I heard the door shut behind us. But he was never really gone from me.

I thought about the time at the inn, and in my mind, we were there. I tapped Jacob’s arm. “On my belly.”

I tried to get every memory perfect, and I pulled his arm around my neck, then collapsed to my stomach and arched my ass into the air. I’m not sure he’d ever been in this particular position before. It took a few strokes to get it down right, but then he found his way, and he even put his own flare on it as his other hand wrapped around my hips and slid between my legs.

With his fingers rubbing me and him whispering smut into my ear, he pleased me inside and out. But it didn’t matter who was above me shaking the walls as the headboard beat against them with each thrust into my body. I was with Logan.