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Her jaw clenched.
“Everything good?” Shade asked, stepping in front of me.
“My brother is being dramatic. It’s nothing huge but I need to relay a message to my mom. Because he’s not a man and won’t do it himself,” she said, her voice monotonous.
“I heard that,” Ryder called from inside.
“You were supposed to,” she yelled back. “Anyway. It doesn’t matter. I’ll take care of it.” She turned and headed back into the house.
We followed her but not before her brother stopped us at the patio door.
“Good luck with her.” Ryder shook his head. “She takes after our mother. It took my dad forever to get her to trust him.” He pointed at me. “You just made her put up another wall.” He left the patio door and followed his sister back into the house.
“Good job, Sunny,” Shade muttered.
Fucking hell. That was not what I wanted Meadow to walk in on. She probably thought I was worried she would leave us. Maybe I was. Our relationship with her was so damn new, these fears were normal. Or that was what I liked to tell myself anyway.
Shoving my hands in my pockets to keep myself from wringing my own neck, I followed Shade into the house.
Meadow was standing at the kitchen island while her brother sat on one of the stools. Shade moved beside her, hooking his arm around her middle and pulling her into his side.
She sighed.
“Ryder, will you excuse us a moment?” I asked, keeping my gaze locked on my target.
“Sure. I have to make a call anyway.” He left the stool and went out back.
Meadow glared my way. “Have other shit to say, Sunny?”
Grabbing a stool from the kitchen island, I closed the distance between us and sat it right in front of her so we would be at eye level. And so she would realize that we were equals. Sure, I liked dominating her but that was only when she gave me her complete and utter consent.
Reaching out for her, I gripped her hips and pulled her between my spread knees.
Her breath caught.
Shade stayed close but didn’t say anything as I stared her down.
“Sunny.” She attempted to shove out of my grip.
“Stop.” I cupped her face. “I’m going to be completely honest with you.”
“Because you haven’t done that yet?” Her brows narrowed. “Have you been lying to me this whole time?”
“Fuck. Meadow, seriously, woman.” I shook my head, gathered my thoughts and then decided, what the hell. I was going to just go for it. “I like you. Alright? I’m an old fucker who’s set in his ways, but I refuse to get hurt. I don’t want to get hurt. You and Shade could break me. If something happened where the three of us parted ways, I would never be able to get over that.”
Her face softened. “You…you think I’m going to hurt you?”
“I…” I sighed. “Yeah, I guess I do. Roxanne fucked me up. I know that’s not an excuse but it’s the same one you have because of that fucker.”
Meadow looked away, chewing her bottom lip.
“He’s right.” Shade leaned down to her ear. “You know he’s right, little lamb.”
She looked between us both. “I think we need to go on that date.”
I chuckled, pushing my thumb beneath the hem of her shirt and running it across her soft skin.
She shivered, giving me a small smile.
