“Nope.” I hold up a hand. “I got it.”
I wish the kitchen weren’t open to the rest of the living room. I could use a minute to take a breath, away from their dual sexy influence.
I snag a beer for Edmund, and two glasses of water. One for me, one for Troy in case he changes his mind. Back in the living room, I shove aside one of Elias’s disgusting hoodies and sit on the couch. Troy takes the other side, leaving Edmund to sit in my favorite chair. And somehow, Edmund makes the old grandpa-style recliner look good.
“I like your place.” Edmund surveys the room like a king taking stock of his country. “How many roommates do you have?”
“Three.”
“It’s a four-bedroom?”
“No. Elias and Wallace share the master. Rita and I have the smaller rooms.”
“What’s the security like here?”
“See that deadbolt?” I point to the front door.
Edmund nods, eyebrows raised.
“That’s the security.” I lean back on the couch and nearly jump forward again when I realize Troy’s arm is extended along the back. Then I realize I don’t mind leaning against him in the slightest. So I snuggle back again.
“You need better security.” Troy’s voice is a rumble next to me.
“We’re fine.”
“How about a pool?” Edmund peers at the rear sliding door that leads to the back yard.
Now I see where he’s going with this. “There’s no pool. I don’t care about swimming, though. My cat is here, and we’re safe enough.”
“Cackle could move.” To underline his point, Edmund reaches down to where Cackle is currently sprawled next to the chair.
Finally getting with the program, Cackle turns on his back and attacks Edmund’s hand with all four of his paws. Good kitty.
Edmund barely winces. He hand-wrestles with Cackle for a moment, a delighted smile on his face.
“Cackle isn’t moving, and neither am I.” I set my cup down on the coffee table with what I hope is an air of finality. “I’ve already agreed to the engagement, I’ve agreed to wear your ring, and I’ll have a dress picked out soon. I went to the engagement party and?—”
“And you had a very good time, if I recall.” Edmund’s smile is sinful.
I tamp down the pang of lust that fills me. “That’s beside the point.”
“It’s very much the point.” He leans back and crosses one leg over the other. “Imagine the fun we could have if we lived together. Hell, angel—don’t imagine it. Let us show you.”
Troy’s arm behind me takes on a whole different feel. I’m hyperconscious of where our bodies make contact. His arm. My back. He brings his hand down to cup the top of my shoulder, and his thumb rubs smooth arcs over my bare skin.
Edmund watches, a satisfied expression on his face. “How was dress shopping, anyway?”
“Fine.” I swallow. “It was fine.”
It was both better and worse than fine. Trying on gowns was stressful and fraught, not to mention a physical workout. But the moments with Troy made it bearable. His steady, comforting presence meant a lot.
Edmund stands and, in one graceful motion, sits on the couch on the other side of me. His hand cups my knee, warm through my jeans.
I yank my knee from his grasp. As soon as I’m free, I miss his heat.
He tuts. “Angel. You’re always mad at me. But in the end, Troy and I always make you feel good. Don’t you want to feel good?”
“You come here and tell me I have to move in with you—which you know will piss me off. Are you trying to get a rise out of me?”
