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CHAPTER 9
Piper
RELIEF FILLED ME THEfurther away from the dining room I got. Even though the guys could still hear us, they couldn't make their snide remarks and underlying threats that Jack didn't understand.
Jack, on the other hand, took the alone time with me as an encouragement to hit on me. I was regretting letting him stay here with us: me and my need to prove a point.
"This place is really amazing," Jack commented, stopping in the hallway to stare up at a painting of some lilies in the water. "Is that a Monet?" His eyes widened, and he looked to me expectantly.
"I don't know. They have tons of art here. I couldn't tell the difference between a Picasso or a Monet." I shrugged. Not unless you're a Qing Dynasty vase. I laughed softly.
"What is it?" Jack placed a hand on my lower back, smiling at me.
Shaking my head, I stepped away from his touch. "Nothing. Just remembering something. The guest room is upstairs." I pointed as I moved toward the stairs. "This way."
Jack followed closely behind me. Too close. I could feel his breath on my arm as we walked up the stairs, and I didn't have to turn to know he was staring at my ass. Should have chosen the pants instead of work out shorts.
"So, how long have you lived here?" Jack asked. His voice held a forced nonchalance. As if he were trying to make me believe he didn't care about my answer.
I hummed and thought about my answer. "Not as long as I wish. We keep getting called away." I was sad to admit I'd spent more time in Seabrick than I had at this house. It made the need to keep the guys safe even more prominent. I didn't want to have to leave any time soon.
"Oh," Jack murmured as we reached the top of the stairs. I began to turn to the left where the guest room was, better than taking the chance of putting him near the guys. I didn't trust them not to try something in the middle of the night.
Jack stopped me with a hand on my elbow.
I glanced down at his hand and then up at him. "Yes?"
Giving me a small charming smile, Jack shifted in place strangely uncomfortable for one of the first times I'd ever seen. "I don't know a good way to ask this without sounding like a jackass. So, I'm just going to go for it."
I frowned, my brows furrowing together. "What?"
"You said you were dating Darren, right?" Jack's expression was more serious than the question required, and I was beginning to think I knew where he was going with this.
"Yes," I answered firmly. "I'm still dating Darren."
He huffed a laugh. "That's what I thought." Jack shook his head. "I came by your house while you were sick and the redhead one and Drake? Said they were your boyfriends too. I knew they had to be yanking my chain."
I shifted my weight onto my back foot and crossed my arms over my chest. "Not that it's any of your business, but they are."
"What?" Jack's head jerked back. "They're what?"
"My boyfriends," I said it slowly so he could understand. "I'm dating all of them."
Jack's face was an array of emotions. Surprise. Disbelief. Curiosity. Then finally, it settled on anger. "You know if you aren't interested then you can just say so, you don't have to make up such outlandish lies. Seriously, I thought you were better than that."
I scowled. "I'm not lying. And I wouldn't need any boyfriends to tell you I'm not interested. I'm not. I don't know how clearer I have to make it for you. I've been polite. I've tried not to hurt your feelings or my job, but now I just don't think subtlety is working." I huffed and jerked at my ponytail. Poor Bethany. That girl was head over heels for this jerk, and he was here trying to get in my pants. "If you can't accept that, then I don't know if you should stay here."
Jack quickly back-peddled, his hands up in front of him. "No. I'm sorry. I've just never known someone who has actually dated multiple people like that, especially not in the same household. Isn't that kind of awkward?" He tried to make light of it, smiling at me.
"Not really, no." I turned on my heel and led him toward his room.
"I don't mean to push my luck further..." Jack began making me stop and sigh. "But if you're dating them all, where do you sleep? I mean, do they take turns coming to you? Or do you go to them?"
Spinning on my heel, my annoyance already at an all-time high, I told Jack with a completely straight face. "Neither. We all sleep together in a big ass puppy dog pile. Naked. Sometimes we have so much sex we get stuck together and have to pry ourselves apart in the morning. Satisfied?"
Jack stared at me as if he weren't sure if I were telling the truth or not.
Rolling my eyes, I marched over to the nearby door. "Here. This is your room." I pushed the door open and gestured inside. "My room is down the hall on the right if you need anything. Darren is next to you, and the guys are on the other end of the house. I'd stay clear of them. Now, if you don't have any other questions, I'd like to eat my dinner." I glowered at him, daring him to ask me another dumb ass question.
