He nods, accepting it. “And sorry I was a turtle dick.”

  “What?”

  “I retreated. Like a turtle.”

  “You do know turtles and dicks aren’t the best comparisons?”

  “They kind of are though.”

  I laugh, and it feels good to laugh again with him. But the laughter dies quickly.

  There’s business to deal with. The business of love.

  Ryker stares me down. “Let’s try it again. What do you want?”

  I appreciate that he’s taking the lead on fixing things, but I should be the one asking him. That’s what I didn’t do last time. “What do you want?” But while I should wait for him to answer, I also need to be more honest with myself, so I start now and I say the hard thing. “Since we’re both in love with the same woman.”

  His eyes widen with a surprise I’ve never seen before, then he grins a crooked grin. “Took you long enough to figure it out.”

  I laugh. “No, dude. You were easy to figure out. I knew you were in love with her by the second day. Easily.”

  He shakes his head, laughing. “That’s not what I mean, dickhead. Took you long enough to figure out you’re in love with her too.”

  I shrug, but it’s a hopeful one. For the first time since I behaved like a control freak, I feel hope. “That’s probably true too.”

  And this obsession? It’s not only obsession. It’s love, and it’s terrifying, but it’s also thrilling. “So what are we going to do about it?”

  Ryker grins like a cat. “At last, he gets it. That’s what I wanted to talk about.”

  I’ve needed this talk so badly. I want to share her love so much—if she’ll have us and that’s a big if. “So, talk. Since I talked too much last time.”

  Ryker’s easy to read this time as he runs a hand through his hair, like that unwinds his tension. “A lot of things pissed me off that night. First, I made this promise to you that I wouldn’t let a woman come between us, and I didn’t. So I let her go, and that damn near killed me. It devastated me to let her walk out. It’s been eating me up inside. But I don’t just want her.” He takes a deep breath, then pushes on. “I want us both to have her.”

  Yes! Holy fuck, yes. I can’t erase this stupid grin because I want that too.

  “I want us to share her,” I say, my voice full of wild hope. “I want us to love her together. She lights up with both of us. She’s like a flower, and she needs two suns. She needs her two men. She thrives with you and me.”

  But Ryker’s smile disappears. “But if I were her, I don’t know that I’d even remotely consider seeing the two of us idiots ever again.”

  My heart drops. “We really fucked up, didn’t we?”

  “Big time.”

  I pace the patio, scrubbing a hand across the back of my neck. “Why the hell didn’t I figure it out sooner?”

  “It’s a little complicated,” he says dryly.

  I chew on that for a minute. “It is but it’s also not.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “Because,” I begin, and I strip down my defenses. I let down my guard. “Because she told us she was falling for us when she left, and we let her walk away.”

  Ryker practically bolts for the door. “We need to get our girl back. And we need to do it right away.”

  “Yes, we do. But we also have to do it the right way,” I say.

  Good thing I have some excellent ideas.

  42

  BOOK BOYFRIEND MOVE

  Trina

  I say goodbye to Prana, then hand her the victory mug. “Well done. Your bang sense is most excellent.”

  She clutches it to her chest. “It’s my top skill.”

  The romance lover and nookie prognosticator waves goodbye and heads out of the store. Aubrey sticks around to help me finish cleaning up, then flicks a strand of hair off her shoulder when we’re done. “I have an early blowout. Which always sounds dirty no matter how many times I say it,” she says, breezily.

  “I hope you enjoy your blowout, you dirty girl,” I say, then give her a hug and say goodbye. It’s closing time in a few minutes and the store is mostly empty on a Sunday night.

  I make a few laps, straightening books that are sticking out of shelves and realigning them when the bell tinkles at the door.

  Pretty sure it’s nine, which is when we close, but if someone wants a book, then dammit, they should still get it.

  “Let me know if you need anything,” I call to the customer, glancing over my shoulder to the entryway.

  I turn back to the shelves when my brain catches up with my eyes.

  Was that…?

  “We do.” Two voices. They speak in unison, and the hair on my arms stands on end.

  No way. It can’t be them.

  But I’m too full of traitorous hope. They disappeared from my life. It’s just my imagination playing tricks on me. Cautiously, I turn around and…

  Oh.

  Wow.

  They’re here. Together. In my store. Chase in jeans and a dark Henley, his soulful brown eyes locking with mine. Ryker, in a trim T-shirt, glorious arms on display, with those midnight blues that see inside me. The guys I love.

  Wait. Hold on.

  These are also the guys who broke my heart.

  All at once, my hurt rushes to the surface. My throat tightens. The heartache I felt this last week pummels me all over, and I want to grab the nearest hardcover. Like that one right here—Paris Off The Beaten Path. I want to grab it and fling it at them.

  But I’ve let my emotions get the best of me before. I won’t let that happen again. Instead, I adjust my glasses, lift my chin, and plaster on a customer service smile. “You must be looking for Ten Ways to Break Up with A Woman And Make It Look Like It’s For Her Own Good. I can show it to you,” I say brightly. “We also have Five Great Lines To Use When Dumping Her Gently. And the perennial favorite, But We Can Be Friends, Right?”

  I bat my lashes.

  Chase blows out a breath. Ryker mouths oh shit.

  “I’m sorry,” Chase begins, setting down a canvas bag he’s been holding.

  “I’m so damn sorry,” Ryker continues, dropping his bag too.

  “Cool. Apology accepted. You’ll find that title on the self-help shelves. It’s called Fool Me Once,” I say, staying strong, even as they step closer, walking past our bright and bubbly romance bestsellers display, full of pastel covers and delicious stories THAT ARE ALL A LIE.

  “Trina,” Chase says again, but I back up. Toward the shelves. Toward the safety of books. “Can we please talk to you? There’s a book boyfriend move we have to do.”

  “And it’s called The Grovel,” Ryker says.

  Oh. Wow. They’re serious. This is real. They’re not just here to say they’re sorry. They’re here to grovel? I’ve never seen a real grovel.

  “I fucked up badly the last week,” Chase begins. “I tried too hard to solve a problem, and I didn’t stop and think about what the gorgeous, amazing, incredible woman right in front of me actually needed.”

  “And I just let you walk away,” Ryker says, jumping in. “That was the worst decision of my life. I should have fought for you. I should have tried to keep you. Because you’re incredible, and I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  And as they come closer and the scent of pine mingles with the smell of the ocean, my defenses start to weaken.

  Ryker’s gaze is so vulnerable. Chase’s voice is so earnest. Their words are so outrageously romantic.

  But they still hurt me so much. They left me. “You really broke me,” I say, looking from one to the other, my tone as tough as can be. “Both of you. So much.”

  “We know,” Chase says, never looking away. The intensity of his gaze strips off another layer of self-protection. “I want to make it up to you. We want to make it up to you,” he says, gesturing to Ryker.

  The bearded, broody man swallows roughly, then says, “I’m crazy about you, Trina. I have been since probably the night I met you.”

  “You hated me,” I say, challenging him.

  “Only because I liked you from the start. You were fun and feisty, and you called me on my attitude and you never stopped doing that. And even when I tried not to fall for you, you did all these things—wanting to help me, wanting to know me, wanting to meet my family. I don’t trust easily, but you showed me what it’s like to trust completely in just a little over a week.”

  God, my heart is mush. Where are my defenses going? They are crumbling like weak bricks.

  “And when I met you, I thought we had this dog bond going,” Chase picks up the dialogue. “I thought that was our thing. But really, our thing was understanding each other, accepting each other, wanting to help the other see that…you’re enough. On your own, Trina, you’re enough no matter what your family thinks. Just like you showed me that I’m enough even without hockey.”

  That’s official. It’s melted. My heart is a puddle on the floor. I’m trembling and my bottom lip is quivering, and I’m so glad there are no customers here because I’m about to cry stupid tears of happiness.

  “I love you,” Chase continues.

  “And I love you,” Ryker says, then takes a beat. “And we want you to be…”

  In unison, they say, “Ours.”

  Gasping, I cover my mouth with my hand. This is too much. Too romantic. Too good to be true. Except, it is.

  “I love you both too,” I blurt out, and then they’re both coming toward me and wrapping me up in their arms. Chase is on one side, Ryker on the other, and I can feel it—all of their love, all of their protection, all of their promises.

  I have no idea how we’ll make this work. What I’ll tell my family. What they’ll say to the world. But in this moment, I don’t care. They’re here with me.

  Where they belong.

  When they let go, Chase retreats to root around in one of the bags, and Ryker in the other. Anticipation thrums through my cells.

  A gift is coming my way, and I do like their gifts. Always have.

  Chase goes first, handing me a fancy, festive, studded dog collar with a bow on it, and a shiny dog tag. I take it, curious why they’re giving me a dog collar, besides, well, the obvious. I have a dog.

  But when I see the name and address on the tag, my breath catches. “Is this—”

  Before I can finish, Ryker hands me a velvet pouch. I dip my fingers into it and take out a simple, silver key.

  My heart gallops so fast. My throat clogs with emotion. “Are you—”

  “Move in with us,” Chase says. “You and Nacho. We don’t want to go back to separate places. We want you with us.”

  I look to Ryker, confused. “But you have your own place.”

  “My place is with you,” he says, then shrugs helplessly. “I want us to share a home.”

  Share.

  That word has become my whole entire heart.

  “What do you say to that?” Chase asks, so hopeful.

  I’m hopeful too. “Yes. I say yes.”

  And I let go of the hurt. I step into my future with my two guys.

  43

  THE BAND’S BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

  Trina

  As Chase kisses the back of my neck, I gasp.

  The sound turns into a long, low moan. Because Ryker thrusts deeper into me at the same time. I’m in bed, on my side, face-to-face with Ryker, who’s fucking me, while Chase is spooning me, his strong body holding mine.

  Pleasure twists through me as Ryker reaches for my thigh then hooks my leg over his hip, all while Chase slides a hand down my back, caressing me.

  With their twin attention, I lose my mind and soul to bliss.

  Minutes later, after I come down from that first high, I’m on my other side, looking into Chase’s eyes as he takes me. He rocks into me while Ryker lies behind me, buries his face in my hair and inhales me, nipping my neck and palming my ass.

  It’s everything I never knew I wanted.

  It’s a deluge of sensation. It’s them together with me, giving me so much more than I thought I had a right to ask for. Than I ever knew I wanted.

  But now in bed, they’re taking turns making love to me, cherishing me, worshiping me.

  Making me the star of the night.

  Well, I suppose they’ve always treated me like a VIP.

  After I shower, I pad out to the kitchen in a tank top and shorts I picked up during a quick stop at my apartment.

  Now I’m here in my kitchen. That’s a strange thought, but it’s also a cozy one that warms me up. I feel at home as I head to the sink and fill a glass with water. As I drink, a metal tag jingles and my little dog trots into the kitchen, wagging his tail, looking up at me, as if he’s asking, “What’s up?”

  “This is our new home,” I answer as I scoop him into my arms.

  He sighs happily against my chest, snuggling up to my boobs—his happy place.

  But we’re not alone for long. My guys join me after their respective showers. Ryker’s wearing low-slung heather-gray pants while Chase is dressed in a pair of basketball shorts.

  “It’s the shirtless chefs,” I say, giddy at the sight of my men.

  “I guess the band is back together again,” Ryker says as Chase yanks open the fridge and asks, “Pancakes, anyone?”

  “Only if our girl can show us my second-favorite party trick,” Ryker answers.

  I can, and I do, flipping the pancakes high in the air.

  Once the breakfast-for-dinner is ready a little later, we head to the counter.

  The canvas bag Ryker was carrying in the store is perched on the end of it. Chase grabs it and waves it toward me. “We have one more thing for you.”

  “Another gift? You guys are really spoiling me.”

  They look at each other with intensely serious expressions. “And the problem with that is?” Chase asks.

  “It’s a lot of gifts,” I say, a little overwhelmed by their generosity.

  “And I’m still not hearing a problem,” Ryker deadpans.

  “No, it’s not a problem. I’m just not used to it.”

  Chase nuzzles my neck. “Get used to it.”

  I sit straighter, soaking in their attention, letting myself enjoy it completely as I take the bag from Chase. “I will.”

  After they met me at the bookstore, we went to my studio for Nacho. My studio is a month-to-month lease, so I won’t give it up right away. But I don’t plan on living there again.

  My home is with these guys.

  When I pull out the gift, my throat tightens in all the good ways. It’s a jersey. On the front it says, “The Hockey Guys.” On the back, there’s a numeral one, and the word above it is Ours.

  I never thought I would cry over a sports jersey. But once upon a time, I never thought I’d fall in love with two men who love me just the way I am.

  44

  AT THE SAME TIME?

  Trina

  I feel like I’ve drunk ten cans of Monster Blitz drinks, even though I’ve had nothing. But I’m shaking with nerves on Tuesday morning and about to breathe into a paper bag.

  Aubrey grabs my wrist. “You can do it,” she says, reassuring me.

  I take a calming breath and nod. She’s at my home—my new home—and the guys are off at the gym.

  I’m about to leave to meet my family for an early breakfast before work. “I can do it,” I say.

  “You’re going to nail it,” she says, then winks. “Just like they nail you.”

  “Actually, they double nail me.”

  She narrows her eyes. “I hate you. All I want is a damn good nailing.”

  “Some girls dream of unicorns. Some dream of unicorn dick,” I say, then we leave together, and she walks with me through my new neighborhood and over to Fillmore, then says goodbye when I reach Mindy’s Café.

  I smooth a hand along my shirt, then gulp. I head inside, spotting my family immediately in a booth. I make my way over and join them, sitting next to my sister, who I swear is going to be pregnant forever.

  “Forty weeks—so you’re pumpkin size now, right?” I ask, focusing on her since I need to wade my way into the I’m in a three-way relationship pool.

  “Forty weeks, two days, and five million hours,” she says with a miserable moan. “Which makes me house size.”

  I pat her shoulder sympathetically.

  My mom laughs. “At this rate, you’re going to be a mansion.”

  “Maybe even an entire complex,” my dad says.

  Cassie frowns. “I’m a whole city.” Then she turns to me. “But thank you again for all the books on my registry. That was cool.”

  I smile, thinking of Chase, buying out all her books at Target. He’s such a good boyfriend. I can do this. I can tell them. Any second now. “Glad you like them. Can’t wait to read to my niece or nephew,” I say, and as those words come out, so does a new realization. I will be an awesome aunt for that reason. I can read my ass off to the baby.

  “But how are you doing?” Cassie asks, her bossy voice back. “How’s the studio? Are you okay? Is the neighborhood safe? Do you want to come back to my place?”

  There it is. My chance. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” I say, even though the nerves are now a whole battalion in my belly. “I’m involved.”

  That’s a start, but only a start, since I haven’t used the plural pronoun yet.

  My mom beams. “Oh, you got back together with the guy from the dog park? So it’s serious?”

  She can’t even hide the hearts and flowers in her voice.

  Just say it.

  “Yes, and his best friend too. I’m in a relationship with two guys,” I say, putting it out there for them at last. This is me. Take me how I am.

  Cassie’s brow knits. Mom tilts her head. Dad’s face is blank. And I keep going. “I don’t expect you to understand it. I don’t expect you to even like it. But I like it. And I love them, and they love me. And I want you to know that this is me. This is real. This is who I am.”