Jake hummed thoughtfully. "What do you want me to say, Tanner? That not kissing her back was the hardest thing I've ever tried? Yes! That Ty was right and she has a way of getting under a man's skin? Definitely! But J.D. said this is a thing with the three of you, and I can respect thatandrespect her. I'm not trying to steal your girl, ok?"
But those were the wrong words to say. J.D. launched up from the chair he'd just found like an explosion.
"She's not a fucking thing! She'shergirl, dammit! I don't fucking own her, and neither does Tanner! Ain't no one making her decisions for her but her, but you're sitting here sayin' you didn't kiss her because ofus?Because she's fuckingours?" He slowly stepped around the couch so there was nothing but space between him and Jake. "Don't you fuckin' disrespect my rookie like that, get me?"
"J.D.!" I snapped.
And his rant stopped hard so he could look at me. Fuck, but it was like I'd just flipped a switch. I'd seen that happen with Cody, but having him do it with me? It made me pause for a little too long.
"I ain't gonna hit him," J.D. muttered, looking a little ashamed.
"No," I agreed, "you're not. Now sit down and stop scaring him."
"Sorry," he said, reclaiming his chair.
I stretched out my arm, inviting Jake to take another. "He only bites if he has no other choice. Promise."
"He's not a dog," Jake reminded me, but he did head that way.
"Aw, now that's where you're wrong," J.D. told him. "I'm a fuckin' pit bull. Aguarddog. I'm also trained real good, but ain't no one disrespecting my rookie."
"Yourrookie?" Jake asked. "Not your girl, but yourrookie?"
"Mhm," J.D. said. "Because she's got shit to learn, and I'm gonna make sure she gets the chance. Don't matter if that's PBR, or managing the shit-tons of money she's gonna make - or men. If that girl wants it, Tanner and I are gonna make sure she can get it."
"And you're not helping," I told him as I sat down on the opposite corner from Jake. Same couch, but not too close. "Look, Jake, this is an open relationship. All we asked from her is that she doesn't hide things from us."
"I just didn't want her to mess this up," he tried to explain. "I also know you'll hear about it, Tanner. I mean, to most of the PBR, sheisyour girl. They expect you'll leave me high and dry out there for a few seconds."
"Won't happen," I assured him. "First, because you didn't kiss back."
"She was drunk." But he said that like he was explaining it to his toes. Like he was ashamed of it.
Which made J.D. huff out a laugh. "Jake, that girl? She don't do so good with men. They shit on her until she got here. Yeah,here, with all the bullshit we've watched her push through. Austin beating her up, and Merrill fucking with her, and all these boys sneering at her for having a damned pussy instead of a dick. But she thinks this is nice, Jake. Not shitty. Nice."
"Seriously?" Jake asked, looking at me for confirmation.
I nodded. "Yep. Kinda why she was so happy about the acceptance tonight. Never mind the shit Ty pulled."
"What shit?" he asked.
"Acting like he fuckin' owned her," J.D. growled. "Sayin' he was protecting her to keep other men far, far away. Forgettingshe's here to ride - and is damned good at it - not get ridden any time he needed a little attention."
Jake ducked his head and groaned. "Ok, that makes a lot more sense. Also explains why you're a bit rabid about her independence."
"Mhm," J.D. said, somehow making that sound like a warning.
"And she's going to be embarrassed about this tomorrow," I told him.
"Shit, she already is," he explained. "She said something about how kissing her should be ok - "
J.D. growled again. "I knew Ty was full of shit!"
"What?" I asked.
"Tulsa!" he said. "He told me nothing happened. He said he kept his hands off her, but clearly he didn't keep his mouth so far as that."
I waved him down again. "And he paid for it," I said.
