AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hunter jerked his head toward the kitchen. “Defuse her that way.”
Liam thought about it for a moment, listening to the sounds of Kat brewing coffee. The clatter of china told him she was getting the mugs down. “She’s not a bomb. I was wrong, I copped to it and apologized. Like I said, she’s usually right when we argue, so I try to avoid it.”
“Seems like there should be a trick to it. Most of the married guys I know have to beg or bribe.”
“No one ever said we couldn’t sweeten the pot with a little bribe.” Liam smiled slowly. “Employ that Marine self-control of yours and you might even get some begging, if that’s what you’re after.”
Hunter cocked his head to the side. “What did you have in mind?”
Chapter Six
Kat loaded the mugs along with sugar and cream onto a small tray. Playing hostess gave her something to do and gave her some time to process. The magnitude of her relief at hashing things out with Liam told her something important. Despite his lie, despite his manipulation, she wanted their marriage. She’d known when she married him that he had a wide controlling streak that manifested in maneuvering people around him to suit himself. Given the chaos and disorder of his childhood, it wasn’t exactly shocking that he’d become so adept at it. With that need for control, it shouldn’t surprise her that he needed a more stable arrangement than their current approach. That didn’t make his manipulation okay.
Hunter, though. Hunter was both new and familiar and she wasn’t sure of her footing with him. He and Liam seemed to have come to an accord, and that was good. But she still wasn’t clear on what the ground rules were. She was afraid of making a mistake, of driving him away out of ignorance. He wasn’t exactly known for talking through his feelings before acting upon them. Maybe his willingness to stay—even to participate—while she’d hashed things out with Liam was a sign that he’d changed over the years. One of several signs, really. Still, the sooner she figured out the rules, the better.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted the tray and headed back into the dining area.
The low murmur of their voices cut off abruptly when she approached. She’d have to be on her toes for sure. She poured the coffee in silence, then sat down and stirred sugar into hers. Neither Liam nor Hunter bothered with additions.
“This is good.”
Kat raised her eyebrows at the surprise in Hunter’s tone. “You expected me to serve you subpar coffee?”
“No, of course not.” He saved himself from further comment by lifting his mug to his lips.
“How does a Marine get to be a coffee snob?” Liam asked. “I figured you’d have freeze-dried crystals running through your veins.”
Hunter shrugged. “About six years ago, someone named Amy sent a care package that contained a grinder, a pound of beans and a French press. I could’ve married that woman. Converted me for life. What about you two? I remember you swilling instant coffee with the rest of us.”
“I spent a little time working at a local roastery before my fashion sense started paying the bills.” Kat spoke around a twinge of jealousy. Absurd, uncharacteristic jealousy, but she couldn’t help it. If things had been different, she probably would have been the one sending care packages overseas, making sure Hunter had things like good coffee and luxury shaving cream. Determined to be that person the next time he deployed, she met and held his gaze. “You didn’t have to wait for strangers to think of you. You could have had me and Liam.”
He tensed but didn’t deny her claim.
“We’re both flexible, geographically speaking. I’m self-employed and I can work anywhere. Liam has contracts but he only goes on location a few times per project. We could go with you wherever you go. We would want to go with you wherever you go.”
“Kat—” Liam started to interrupt, but she held up a hand.
“Don’t say no. Just think about it. Please?”
“I have been thinking about it.”
Kat stared at him, unsure she’d heard correctly. “You have?”
Hunter straightened and rolled his shoulders. “Yeah.”
“And?”
Silence spun between them for a moment. Kat drank her coffee, trying to blank out all the coercive arguments she wanted to present.
Liam’s confession of wanting a permanent third had tripped an emotional trigger of her own. It had to be Hunter. Liam claimed she had too much love to ever be happy with one man only, and he was right...to an extent. Physically, she was up for anything. Emotionally, the rest of her had been filled with Hunter for years. If she had any sort of psych background, she’d diagnose herself as having been searching for him in every other casual partner she’d had.
Clearly the same was true of Liam.
“My life isn’t stationary,” Hunter said.
Kat set down her nearly empty mug.
“I’m career military. I didn’t opt out at the ten-year mark and at this point in time I’m not planning an early retirement. I’m not the only one of us with a career, either. You and Liam have built your own lives. You own a home, you both have careers. You both have friends here. Know what you’d have if you started following me all over the globe?”
