Page 50 of Tempting Fate

Chapter Twenty-One

Patch

My wolf is not being helpful. He’s gone entirely silent, despite the fact that surely, he should be kicking up a storm because our mate— our mate—just asked someone else to join us.

Despite telling Em to ask, Jamie seems to be having second thoughts, too. Or hesitating, at least. His whole body strains towards us, but he doesn’t say anything. Not right away.

“You—You’re—” It’s like he can’t decide where to look. My mouth waters. Now that I’m presented with the possibility, one so very real, my entire body is on board. I’ve known I wanted Jamie for months, but I’ve never let myself give in to it because I didn’t think I’d be enough for him. Or he’d be enough for me.

What if this is what we need?

I shake the thought away. No use for it. This will be one night, surely. One wild night where we all got caught up in things and the rain kept us trapped together and—

“Jamie,” Em says, voice low and soothing, like he’s trying not to spook either of us. “I need a clear yes or a no. From both of you.”

“Yes,” I say.

Jamie jerks in surprise. He looks between us and nods. “Yes.”

Em holds out a hand. “Come here, then.”

Jamie takes it, brow furrowed a little when he looks at me as though he expects me to say something. Do something. I can’t. All I can do is watch as Em gently tugs him closer until Jamie is pressed up against him—against both of us—and fuck if he doesn’t fit against me exactly the way I imagined he would.

“We’re just going to have fun, okay?” Em murmurs, tilting Jamie’s chin up with one hand. “Nothing scary about it.”

Jamie pouts, a flash of humour in his eyes. “I’m not scared of either of you. For the record.”

“Same,” Em says. He bumps their noses together before their lips meet, and there’s a familiarity in the way their mouths catch, softening together when Jamie lets out a hitching moan. I like it. Fuck, I more than like it.

I want to taste.

Em pulls back, glasses all steamed up and askew, and turns his grin on me. “Your turn.”

Now, Jamie looks apprehensive. It’s to be expected, I suppose. I rejected him, after all. Still, he rallies faster than I do. He grabs the front of my T-shirt and slams our mouths together.

Sparks flare behind my eyes. Em still has one arm around my waist, and Jamie kisses me like he wants to bite, and I don’t know how this can feel so perfect when Em’s my mate and it’s not him I’m kissing, but somehow, it’s right, so, so right.

Jamie pulls back with a gasping breath, but before he can say anything, Em kisses him again, one hand tight in his hair. Then me and Em, me and Jamie, and my head spins as I breathe them both in, desperate to keep them close.

“Upstairs,” Em says firmly between kisses, but it still takes us a few minutes more to even think about detangling from each other. Jamie kisses the hollow of Em’s throat and I roll my hips and Em lets out a growl that any wolf would be proud of. “I mean it.”

Jamie chuckles. He kisses the underside of Em’s jaw and grabs both of our hands, though he gives me a shy look as he does. I tangle our fingers together and squeeze. I can’t think past tonight, even if the way Em and Jamie look together is… perfect. I don’t understand it. I don’t want to try.

Jamie leads the way up the stairs, but Em nods to his room when he hesitates on the landing. Makes sense, I suppose. Em’s the one who invited us both. We might need somewhere to retreat to after.

I take in Em’s room with a glance. Underneath his scent, and the faintest hint of Jamie and Nick, since they live in the house too, is the smell of fresh paint and wood furniture. Em pushes me over to the bed and I almost stumble into Jamie, who turns to face me.

“Patch is soaked through,” Em says in a teasing tone. “We really should get him out of those clothes. Wouldn’t want him to get sick.”

Jamie shoots a wicked grin over my shoulder and my heart flutters. The next second, he’s even closer, somehow, and he wastes no time in sliding my T-shirt up, exposing my chest.

When I lift my arms, though, he hesitates. “This okay?” he whispers. Can Em hear that? Probably, but from the sound of it, he’s pulling off his own wet socks.

I reach down and strip my T-shirt the rest of the way off myself. Then I take Jamie’s face in my hands and kiss him soundly on the mouth. No point in holding back. It’s not what Em wants. It’s not what I want, either. Jamie grabs my wrists but gives as good as he gets, and I remember that hot, tight feeling when he backed me up against the wall, when Em asked me if I’d be quiet.

I pull away with a sharp inhale. “I want you,” I say, the words harsh, ragged. Jamie gasps. Behind me, Em goes still. “Both of you.”

Em makes a sound, his scent amused and content, but Jamie is still staring at my face. He moves in again, too fast, and in the second before our mouths meet, he says, “Your eyes.”