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She looked away from his eyes. “Maybe you should drop me home and forget this plan.”
“Let me make it up to you. You’re still hungry, and you have to eat. Real food.”
“Jax.”
“Tae, I’m going to be around. The sooner you accept it, the better. I don’t have to share your bed. I would never force my way there unless you invited me, but I’m going to support you, as a friend.”
She glanced at him. Was he saying he wanted to sleep with her again? Sure there were sparks between them, but they had complicated their lives enough with sex. No, she would not give in to physical needs again, definitely not with Jax.
“You still don’t know how to cook.”
He took control of the cart and kissed her cheek. The sensations that arrowed through her system were no less intense than when their lips locked. “We’ll bumble through together.”
Chapter Ten
“Octavia, what are you doing carrying those bags?”
“Tae, let me get those for you.”
Tae stopped dead in her tracks outside her apartment building. She looked first right to see Daniel heading toward her and then left to find Jax. What the hell were they both doing here? Did they plan it? She licked her lips and shifted the bags she held from one hand to the other but made no more moves as they approached. The answer to her questions were soon provided when Jax glared at Daniel over Tae’s head.
“Why are you here?” Jax snapped. “Don’t you have a wife?”
Daniel reddened. “I could ask the same of you.”
“I don’t have a wife.”
“No, but what happened between you and Tae was a mistake, a moment of weakness that won’t be repeated.”
Jax’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what she told you?”
“Boys, for real?” Tae interjected. “I know you two aren’t going to argue outside my apartment.”
Daniel didn’t spare her a glance but stepped around her to get into Jax’s face. He used two fingers to poke Jax’s chest. Even she knew that was just asking for trouble. “You don’t have any shame about it. You never apologized.”
Jax laughed, a cold sound without humor. “Apologize to who? You? I notice you’re not concerned about your vows but you want to claim I’m wrong. That’s hilarious. And you have two seconds to back off before I make you sorry you showed up here today.”
“I won’t be the one who’s sorry,” Daniel shot back.
Tae grabbed Daniel’s arm and pulled. “Stop! You two are like brothers. You can’t fight.”
Daniel made a rude noise. “Brothers? A brother wouldn’t fuck your girl.”
“Newsflash, asshole,” Jax growled. “She’s not your girl.”
“If I have anything to say about it, she’ll never be yours.” Daniel followed his declaration with his fist, connecting with Jax’s chin. Tae screamed at the sound of the impact, but as hard as it seemed, Jax only staggered back. He didn’t miss a beat when he lunged and landed a blow into Daniel’s side. Daniel crumpled but recovered fast. Both men’s hands came up, fists clenched, mouths tight and eyes narrowed. They lowered their chins and tucked their elbows in close to their sides. They looked like prizefighters in dress clothes, and Tae had to put a stop to it.
She dropped her bags on the ground and stepped in between the two of them. Jax’s fist just missed her head, and she squeaked. Both men dropped back, but Jax was the first to dart forward and draw her into his arms. “Tae, are you crazy? I could have hit you!” He studied her face and head as if the wind flying off his fist could have damaged her somehow. She glared up at him.
“If you weren’t fighting, I wouldn’t be at risk. Now stop this. Both of you.” She peered from one to the other, and neither said a word. Tae pulled herself from Jax’s hold. “Fine, then you can both be fools alone. I’m going in the house.”
She bent to get her bags, and both men tried to take them from her. She smacked their hands, gathered her stuff, and charged into the building without a backward glance. When she made it up to the second floor where she lived, she stretched to look out the gigantic window above the stairs, which overlooked the parking lot. Jax and Daniel stood there glaring lasers at each other. Then Daniel said something, and Jax replied. A moment of tension made her think they would go at it again, but then the two men spun away from each other to return to their cars. Tae breathed a sigh of relief and let herself into her apartment. How had it come down to this? She had never respected women who let men fight over her, and here she was in the middle feeling stuck and unable to get out of the situation.
Tae refused calls from both Daniel and Jax the rest of the evening, and the next morning, she went into work and plopped down in Zerita’s office, kicked off her shoes, and drew her feet up.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Zerita teased.
“I will.” Tae snagged a piece of chocolate from the dish next to her and unraveled the wrapper to pop the treat into her mouth. She let the candy sit on her tongue melting and soothing her mood. “I’m so glad you have an office. One day I will be promoted to senior editor, and I’ll have a private office.” While she’d gotten the position of editor, it did not come with an office at her magazine, but Tae had known that beforehand. She might have a lowly cubicle, but she still loved her job.
