I wedge myself behind him, greedy, pulling Leander into my chest until his back’s pressed to me, his body fitting against mine like it’s always belonged there. My arm hooks around his waist, my face buried in his neck.
Jax groans again. “For the love of God, don’t fuck while I’m right here. I’m too drunk to move, but I swear, I’ll puke on both of you if I hear one moan.”
I grin against Leander’s skin, the taste of sweat and salt right there for me. “Relax, Jax. I’m just cuddling.”
He mutters something unintelligible, already half-asleep.
I’ve got Leander’s pulse fluttering under my lips, his body caged tight against mine. He shifts once, maybe out of nerves, maybe out of habit, but I just squeeze tighter.
“Mine,” I whisper so low only he can hear.
And this time, he doesn’t pull away.
12
LEANDER
Iwake up pinned.
Jax is sprawled on one side of me like a dead weight, his arm flung across my chest, mouth open as he snores into the pillow. On the other side, Phoenix has me caged in tight—arm locked around my waist, his face buried in my neck like he never let go of me in his sleep.
It should feel suffocating, claustrophobic. Instead, it feels like my body is on fire. Because I can feel both of them.
Jax, shifting unconsciously, presses his morning wood against my hip. Phoenix, on the other side, is harder—thick and heavy against my lower back, grinding ever so slightly like his dreams are filthy.
And me? I’m stuck in the middle, pretending not to notice, pretending my brain isn’t already going somewhere I really shouldn’t let it.
It’s disgusting. It’s reckless. But God, the thought of Phoenix waking up, realizing how close we are, pressing harder against me just to remind me I’m his?—
My throat tightens. I squeeze my eyes shut.Stop.
I force my mind somewhere else, anywhere else. To yesterday.
I didn’t call him. After the fight on the bus, after the suspension, after the way his face looked when I told him I was staying at my own place, I thought maybe space was what I needed. But space doesn’t feel like relief—it feels like withdrawal.
Practice was a blur. I avoided looking at him the whole time, kept my focus locked on drills, on the burn in my muscles, on anything that wasn’t the way his gaze always dragged back to me. When it was over, I couldn’t sit still. So I went to the gym, working myself until sweat stung my eyes and my hands shook.
That’s when a guy caught me between sets, leaned in with this easy grin, told me I looked like I could use a spotter. His eyes had that glint, the one I’ve seen a hundred times before. He was cute, too. Tall, sharp jaw, the kind of body that would make most people turn their heads. But when he brushed my arm and asked if I wanted to grab a drink, I didn’t feel a damn thing.
Not even a flicker. Because all I could think about was Phoenix.
The way Phoenix watches me like he owns me. The way his touch lingers too long, bruises too deep. The way he burns hotand cold, obsessive and terrifying, but still makes me feel like I belong to him in some way I don’t even understand yet.
I turned the guy down, muttering something about needing to finish my set, and when he walked away, I almost laughed. Because that was it. The proof I’d been trying to avoid. I don’t want anyone else’s attention. Not unless it’s Phoenix.
A groan rumbles against the back of my neck, dragging me back to the present. Phoenix shifts closer, his grip tightening around my waist like he’s staking a claim even in sleep. Jax mumbles something incoherent, adjusting his arm across my chest, and suddenly I’m surrounded on all sides—one friend oblivious, the other dangerously close to breaking me open.
I try to breathe steady, to focus on anything else, but Phoenix’s laugh ghosts against my ear. Low. Dangerous.
“You look trapped, rookie.”
My throat works, no words coming. Phoenix never needs permission. His lips brush my ear as he murmurs, “Ya know, this isn’t the first time Jax and I’ve shared someone in bed.”
The words hit like a blow. My chest tightens, panic and heat tangling until I can’t tell them apart.
Jax groans, pressing his face into my neck. “You smell good, Lee.”
“Doesn’t he?” Phoenix slips his hand under my shirt, fingers passing over my nipples.
