“It has all my stuff.I’m a copywriter, and it’s all on there.I mean, I keep backups, but the most recent files are on the laptop.I don’t really trust the cloud.”
“If you ever want a dedicated cloud server for your writing that you can actually trust, one that has really good encryption, let me know,” Linc said.“I do security.Cyber security is a smaller area for my company, but we’re good at it and planning to expand.”
Marcus leaned back so he could watch Linc cooking before looking back at me.“Hmm.So when you say mate, what you mean is you want me to join your polyamorous cuddle puddle?”
Linc hissed when his knife came down, and the scent of his blood made my nose twitch.Unless he’d actually taken off a finger, the cut would heal quickly, so I decided to save him the embarrassment in front of Marcus and not comment.
“We didn’t expect this.”Linc turned on the water to wash away the blood.“The three of us weren’t out looking for a mate.What you need to understand is that mate bonds just happen.Some say it’s magic, some say it’s genetic.We’re doing our best to take this in stride.”
“And we know it’s even more difficult for you,” I added.“Since you’re human.But you get to choose where this goes from here.Dom, Linc, and I, we can’t help it, but you don’t feel what we feel.One way or another, you decide what happens going forward.”
I heard Dom on the steps outside before the door to the patio opened.When it did, Marcus jumped.Dom winked at our mate, who’d turned that way in surprise.
Dom grinned as he stepped inside.“But if a cuddle puddle is your thing, it can be arranged.Enthusiastically.”
Linc glanced up from his cooking.“You scared Marcus.”
Dom flinched.“Shit.Sorry, Marcus.”
Linc added more veggies to the pot.“Steven?”
“Headed into town rather than away.”
Next to me, Marcus stiffened.Unfortunately, I doubted it had anything to do with Dom walking in naked and not making much of an effort to hide that.
“It’s okay.”I closed my arms around Marcus, moving slowly and ready to pull away as soon as he indicated he didn’t like it.But he accepted the touch.
Dom looked at the both of us, and his lips turned up in a smile.“People know us in town.If your ex tries to cause any trouble, we’ll hear about it.”
Marcus nodded.“He doesn’t do trouble, not like you think.He’s pretty smooth.”
Dom frowned.“Meaning?”
Marcus’s hands tightened on his mug.“Meaning he isn’t likely to beat anyone up.He doesn’t do that.”
I saw Dom’s eyes go to the clothes he’d discarded earlier, then to the couch.In the end, he chose to get dressed before joining us.He left more space between himself and Marcus than I was sure he wanted to.
Linc snorted and went back to chopping things that were hopefully not his fingers.
Dom just shrugged and leaned back.His tee stretched over his chest.“Figured he’d be the talking shit kind of guy.How’d you find out he cheated on you?”
Marcus finished his tea before he answered, and I whisked the empty mug out of his hands and put it on the coffee table.He gave me a weird look, but I just shrugged.
“The guy he cheated on me with sent him a text.And a pic.You know what kind.”Marcus rubbed his right eye.“I wasn’t snooping or anything, but we were sleeping, and the incoming text woke me up.I just wanted to turn the phone off, and then I saw that.”
“You send a text back?”Dom asked.
“No!No.”Marcus shook his head.“I went back to bed.Couldn’t really sleep, but I had to think.”
Dom hummed but showed no other reaction.In the kitchen, Linc was tossing the carrots in with the onions and celery, using the sizzling to hide his low growl from our mate.
“How long did it take you to end it?”Dom asked.
Marcus looked at his tightly clasped hands in his lap, easing them open.“The next day.Which was yesterday.Or the day before yesterday?How long was I out, exactly?What time even is it?”
I pulled out my phone.“It’s five-thirty now.We found you last night.The first time you came to was this morning, and then you slept a few more hours.”
Marcus groaned.“I should take a shower.I stink.”
