Rock You Like a Hurricane: Stormy Weather, Book 1 (6 page)

“It might have something to do with the way you were checking me out in the bathroom while I was undressed.”

“I wasn’t.” Jack did not like the direction this conversation was going. Not one stinky bit.

“And you called me pretty.”

“But that was…”

“
And
,” Greg cut him off mid-explanation, “you stood there in the hallway claiming the lack of light was preventing you from leaving, even though the truth was you wanted to stay, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but not to look at your junk.”

“Then why?”

What the fuck did this guy teach? Debate?
“Because I was being a shit. And I was just trying to make you uncomfortable enough to leave.”

“Jack.” Liv slapped his arm. “That’s not nice.”

“No. Not nice at all.” Greg raised the bottle to his lips, but instead of drinking, he smiled behind the bottle, obviously enjoying Liv giving Jack a little hell.

“If you’d have thought of it first, you would have acted the same way.”

“No, nothing would have made me stare at another man nude.”

“So, what, you’re a homophobe?” Jack asked, trying to turn the cards back on Greg and get the focus off himself.

“Why, does it bother your gay side that I might be?”

“I’m not gay or bi or hetero-flexible.”

“Right.” Greg’s tone belied his words.

Liv slipped her middle finger and her thumb in her mouth and let out an ear-piercing whistle so loud it rivaled the storm outside. “Okay. Guess what, I’m not having fun anymore. Is this cock fighting going to continue all night? Because honestly, it’s getting old.”

“Probably,” they both admitted at the same time.

“Then let’s figure out a way to turn those frowns upside down. There’s got to be a plus to both of you being here. I can’t believe it’s just a coincidence.”

Jack usually loved her unbridled enthusiasm, but he believed there was another explanation for both men to be there tonight. “Maybe the reason is for you to finally decide.”

Liv’s brows drew together. “I don’t like that reason.”

“Because you don’t want to pick,” Greg noted.

“No, I don’t. I like things like they are. For me, you guys are half of a whole. And in a perfect world…” Her words trailed off and she looked away, but not before he saw the telltale rose tint of her cheeks.

“What? Tell us.” Jack reluctantly included Greg, discerning without having to ask that the other man would want to know what Liv was trying to tell them.

“In a perfect world we’d all be free to do what we want.”

“And what is it you want?” Jack continued to prod her.

“I want to see you both.”

“We’re already doing that,” Greg reminded her.

“No, you don’t understand.”

Jack could tell this was difficult for her, but he wanted her to see it to the end. “Explain it to us, Liv. What do you mean by see us both?”

“I know it’s unthinkable, selfish and more than a little twisted, but I like having you both here, even if you’re snapping at each other. I still enjoy having the two of you around. And it’s sort of had me thinking. Why does it just have to be when I’m stressed out? Why can’t we date, like this,” she gestured between the three of them, “all the time?”

“Because we can’t,” Greg replied insistently.

“Why not?”

The look of determination in her gaze made Jack nervous. “What exactly are you thinking?”

“You guys have met now. Why can’t the three of us hang out? I’m not suggesting sex. I’m talking about doing date stuff. But with all three of us.”

“I don’t want to date him.” Jack spoke slowly, to make his point as clear as possible. No matter what strange thoughts Greg might have put in her head, he wasn’t interested in the other man in any way, shape, or form.

“You’re not, you’re dating me.”

“Then why does he have to be there?”

“Because when it’s just me, we have a blast.” She smiled. “We have so much fun together. You don’t take things too seriously, you’re not afraid to take what you want. You’re almost perfect.”

Jack’s heart was heavy as he asked the question. “Almost?”

“Yes.” Liv looked over at Greg. “That’s where Greg’s side comes in. I have a great time with him. We can talk about anything. He’s spontaneous but grounded. He’s wicked smart, funny in a dry sort of way, and he makes me feel great about me. But our relationship isn’t perfect either.”

“Why not?” Jack needed to hear something bad about the other guy after the litany of compliments.

“Because separately you guys are breathtaking, but together you’re like the damn Fourth of July.”

Jack arched a brow. “What, we’re loud, crowded, and have a faint aroma of hot dogs surrounding us?”

“No.” She laughed. “Together you both make my life light up. And I think I want that all the time. Fireworks.”

“I think you’ve lost your mind,” Greg said after a few seconds of strained silence.

Jack felt the exact same way, but he was smart enough to keep his opinion to himself until he figured out the best way to handle the newly bedlam-headed woman in front of him.

“Why?” The sincerity in her voice baffled him. Could she really not see the bad parts of her suggestions?

“Because let’s say the three of us go out. Whose date are you? Will we alternate? Will I have to watch you hold his hand one night while we see a movie then have him watch you hold mine at dinner the next night? Trade off, like on shifts?”

“Of course not. I know you guys have lives. See other people.”

“Actually, I’m not seeing anyone else,” Jack said.

“You’re not?” Liv cocked her head in confusion. “But why?”

“Because I realize I have what I want. You.”

“Isn’t this just bloody impressive.” Greg rose to his feet. His agitation radiated off him like flames. “Now I suppose you’re going to tell me you’re such a good champ you’ll be willing to let her still see me, just to show her how much better than me you are.”

That was the furthest thing he was going to suggest. “Actually, that wasn’t my plan at all.”

“It wasn’t?” Liv asked before Greg had the chance.

“No. My plan was to find out if Greg was willing to give up his other dates as I have.” Jack presented the challenge and was looking forward to watching Greg squirm. “Well, are you?”

“Of late there haven’t been other dates.”

That couldn’t be true. “What about tonight?” Liv reminded him. “You were with another lady.”

“That was a work thing and remember, I only took her because I thought you didn’t want to go. Now that you’ve said you’re willing to go, I have no need to see her, or any other woman, again.”

Instead of being pleased that her dueling suitors were being completely faithful, Liv seemed enraged. “So basically, the two men I got into an open relationship with, have both now declared they no longer want to be in an open relationship.”

“I can’t speak for the professor, but I don’t want to see other people. I only want to see you.”

“I feel the same way,” Greg jumped in with his own assertion.

“Which means what?” Liv crossed her arms over her breasts.

“It means, my dear, that you have a decision to make.”

Liv shook her head. “Oh no. You’re not putting this back on me.”

“Fine. I’ll gladly make it for you.” Greg turned toward him “Go away, Jack.”

“Not on your life.” Leaning forward, Jack took her chin and turned her head so she was looking solely at him. “See, honey, it doesn’t really work well when we make the call. That’s why this is your call.”

Liv pulled back, breaking his hold on her. “I don’t want to choose. I want to see you both. If you guys don’t want to do the joint dating thing, fine, but I see no reason we can’t just continue on as we have before.”

“You really think that’s going to work?” Jack was amazed at her naïveté.

“It has been.”

Jack shook his head. “That was before we met each other.”

“So what’s happened in the last two hours that’s made any difference?”

Jack looked over at Greg who was staring at him. He didn’t need to hear the other man’s answer. Instinctively he knew they both felt the same so he had no problem with saying it. “We’ve met.”

“And…” She dragged out the word, obviously not seeing the importance of what he just said.

“In our own way we’ve spent the little time we’ve had here tonight sizing each other up.”

Her gaze was blank and clueless. “So…”

“I don’t like him.” Jack looked over at Greg. “No offense meant.”

“None taken,” Greg turned his attention to Liv. “Because I feel the exact same way.”

“That’s not fair though,” she complained. “You haven’t even given it a real shot.”

“We don’t need to,” Greg said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure he’s a good enough bloke, possibly too good. Which is the exact reason he has to go.”

“Exactly.” Jack nodded in full agreement. “He’s a likeable guy. I have to hate him. I don’t want to, but it’s a done deal.”

“Precisely.” Greg nodded.

“That doesn’t make any sense. Can you honestly say if there had been a different guy, someone not Greg, that you, Jack, would have liked him more?”

“Not sure I would have liked him more, but I don’t think he would have been as threatening.”

Liv quickly swung her gaze to Greg and frowned. “You threatened him.”

Annoyance flickered across his face. “No. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“That’s not what I mean, honey.” It did amuse Jack to no end though that she was going to jump to his defense. “What I mean by threaten, is I feel like I could lose you to him. He’s not just a fuck to you.”

“Neither are you.”

“We know. Which is why you’re going to have to pick,” Greg said in a firm, no-nonsense tone.

“And it would be nice if you did it sooner rather than later.”

“You guys picked a hell of a time to spring this on me. I’m already stressed out because of the storm. I don’t need to worry about this too.”

“What’s there to worry about? Just pick,” Jack said. “Whoever you don’t choose will take it like a man and leave.”

“I promise you,” she said through clenched teeth, “if you guys try to make me pick, neither will like who I choose.”

Her cold words took Jack back. “Neither of us?” Was she seeing someone else he didn’t know about? “What does that even mean?”

“It means it seems as if I only have three options here. Behind door number one,” she pointed at Greg, “is my sophisticated, charming, sexy-as-hell lover. Behind door number two is,” she pointed at Jack, “my funny, sweet, irresistible lover. Then there’s door number three.”

“Who’s behind door number three?” She better say no one, Jack thought, or there was going to be hell to pay.

“I am. And if the two of you leave me no other choice, then I’m going to pick me.”

What the hell
? “Is that allowed?” It didn’t seem fair at all to Jack.

“My house, my rules. And right now, I want to be alone.”

“You want us to leave?” Greg questioned.

“The bedroom. Not the house. I might be mad but I’m still a big-ass chicken. I simply want some space and a little time to think.”

Jack didn’t like the idea of leaving her alone at all. Time to think was probably the last thing she needed. It would just give her more opportunity to find reasons she shouldn’t date either of them. And while he could get on board with her breaking up with Greg, Jack knew his heart would shatter if she didn’t want to see him any longer. Nevertheless, he knew her well enough to realize she was serious and not going to budge on this.

“Fine. We’ll give you some space, but not much.” Jack stood and made his way to the foot of the bed. He leaned over and pulled out a propane lantern from his bag and the other deck of cards. After lighting it, he stuffed the cards in his pocket then grabbed a few beers for the road. “But I warn you now, and I think I can even speak for the professor on this one, if you truly believe either one of us will walk out of the relationship as easily as you’re suggesting, you’re dead-ass wrong.” Jack looked over at Greg, who was wearing a frown as fierce as the one Jack knew was spread across his own face. “Am I right?”

“Too bloody right you are.” Greg pulled Liv into his arms and kissed her roughly before releasing her and allowing her to sink back onto the bed. “Take your twenty minutes and use it well.”

“Twenty minutes,” she gasped. “I’ll take longer than that if I want.”

“Take your twenty minutes,” Greg said again, “and work through your anger, but know as soon as your time is up, we’ll be back in here to work on what you have behind door number three.”

Jack couldn’t have said it better if he tried. “I promise you this, Liv. If you think either of us could ever walk away from you without a fight, be it with each other or with you, you have another think coming. You might be his woman, but you’re my woman too, and I’m not letting you go. No matter what.”

Without giving her a chance to reply, he turned and walked from the room, with Greg hot on his trail. As soon as they cleared her threshold, Jack pulled the door closed behind him then made himself comfortable on the floor with his back against the door.