“A date then,” I say, and Juniper beams at me.
North sits forward and leans against the counter, eyes darting between the two of us. “Personally, I don’t think it’s fair,” he says, a brow lifted in my direction. “You’ve known her two days longer and now you want to steal her when I’ve only just had breakfast. We might have to have a custody agreement. Two days with you, two days with me, three days together sort of thing.”
Juniper snorts and quickly covers her mouth, snickering the cutest fucking laugh I’ve ever heard as she looks between us. Ifeel my heart swell, the perfection of this swimming through me to my extremities.
“I’m sorry,” Juniper manages. “Sorry. It’s just… Honestly, who thinks they’d be in a situation like this? It’s just wild to me. How is there two of you interested in me?”
“We could show you,” North says, and the corner of my own lip quirks.
Juniper’s laugh dwindles into a nervous smile. She bites her lip and clears her throat, then quickly makes herself busy by filling up the napkin holders.
“No response?” I ask, teasing her.
“Ah…” Her face is beet red. “I mean… Wasn’t that what all the—” She looks around us and leans over the bar. “—stretchingwas for last night?”
“Oh, fuck me,” North groans, his head hanging.
I smirk at her. “You’re not ready yet,” I say as I push her hair off her cheek. “But you will be.”
“And we have a multitude of other games we can play before that one,” North says, winking.
Her chest rises high, a jagged, visible breath releasing after. I smile at the sight, and she swallows. I can see her squeezing her thighs as she bends over the counter, see her pushing her tits together to showcase the most beautiful cleavage.
“Maybe we can both walk you home tonight,” I suggest. “All go see the lights.”
“Are we making it that far?” she asks, her tone going high at the end.
“She’s right. I don’t know how the hell you do this patience thing,” North says.
I laugh. “The end is always worth it.” I regard her again, my own breath shuddering.
“So fucking worth it.”
Chapter 19
Juniper
Ididn’t know how debilitating seeing these two together in the same room was going to be until I couldn’t look them in the eyes as they were standing over me. Shit, if that’s what it’s going to be like between them, god fucking help me.
I’ll whither with a crook of their fingers.
All afternoon, my breath keeps hitching when I look toward their table. They play games and sip their drinks, laughing and joking the entire time. I haven’t been able to satiate my thirst in hours. One of them is always looking my way, and each time I join them at the table, they give me the sexiest, most encouraging smiles.
I think my cheeks are a permanent shade of pink.
My entire body is going to be flushed later.
I nearly spill the drink I’m pouring at the thought.
It’s an hour to close when I glance over to Nick and Jax, noticing them deep in conversation about something—unlike the carefree banter they’ve shared all day. A bewildered, annoyed expression rests on Nick’s face. It reminds me of the way he looked the first night he walked me home, and it concerns me enough that my stomach drops.
I can’t hear what they’re saying. They’re looking out the front toward the surf, yet the only thing I see when I look that way is the crashing waves lit up by our lights.
Curiosity has me wiping my hands and walking around the end of the bar to their table. I haven’t even reached them when Nick suddenly stands.
“—careful,” I hear Jax saying.
“You know it,” Nick says.
