Belle just didn’t want him.

  “Hey, it probably wouldn’t.” He wasn’t going to make a bigger fool of himself.

  She reached out to touch him, but sighed again when he moved away. “Tate, if I asked you to move here, you would eventually resent me. I know it worked for Kinley, but I doubt Eric wants to give up his practice for a woman he spent one night with. I don’t see how it works, especially since Kellan isn’t interested at all.”

  Ah, so it was Kellan she truly wanted. He’d known it must be one of his two friends. They were smooth. They wouldn’t embarrass her by doing anything painfully awkward. Now that he really thought about it, she would never have gone for their type of relationship. Almost no woman actually wanted to deal with more than one man. They were demanding, obnoxious at times. He might be the most demanding of all, following her around like a sad puppy or the horny mutt trying to hump her leg. Most women preferred men like Kellan.

  He held a hand up. “Whatever. It’s cool. I’m going to take a shower. I’ll look into flights out of here this afternoon.”

  She looked startled. “I thought you were going to stay for a few days.”

  “That was when I thought you gave you a shit, Belle. Now, I think I’ll let you get on with your life.”

  Eric tried to step between them. “Tate—”

  “So we can’t be friends if you don’t get your way?” Belle cut in.

  “My way? You want to make me sound like a kid who throws a temper tantrum because I had a toy taken from me? I wanted to marry you, build a life with you. I wanted to take care of you and make you the center of our world. But I guess you just wanted a man to pop your cherry and we were handy.”

  Belle gaped at him. “That’s not true! I never said that.”

  “You don’t have to. I know the drill, baby. So I’ll make it easy on you. I won’t tell you I love you again. Clearly, you don’t want to hear it.” Trying to hold himself together, he whirled away to leave.

  She grabbed his arm. “Tate, stop. Will you sit down so we can talk? I care about you. I’m not trying to hurt you, just be realistic about this. I can’t let you give everything up for me when it can’t work. You would hate me.”

  He could never hate her, but he damn straight could hate himself. At the end of the day, this mess was his fault. He was the real reason it wouldn’t work.

  “I’d rather not rehash this shit.” He yanked away from her grip. “I need to take a shower and get back to work. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I can.”

  He walked out without another word, letting the door shut behind him.

  “Tate!” he heard Eric’s oh-so-reasonable voice but kept walking. He needed to be away from her, away from all of them. In his suitcase, he found a tank top, then he thrust his shoes on, his whole body numb. In moments, he headed for the door.

  Kellan walked in, a white bag in his hands. “Hey. I got us beignets. I thought we could sit down and figure out what we’re going to do about the house situation. I have some thoughts on vetting the people who’ve been in here in the last twenty-four hours. The cops are going to be useless. They have a high-profile murder to solve. They aren’t going to waste many man hours on what amounts to vandalism.”

  Of course, Kellan would take charge. He usually did. Often, Tate found a deep and grateful comfort in it. Not today. Instead, it was just another way he didn’t measure up.

  “Do whatever you want.” He shouldered his way past Kellan and slammed out the door. Then Tate did what he always did when the world pressed in on him.

  He ran.

  * * * *

  “Do you have any idea what you just did to him?” After the door slammed behind Tate, Eric snapped around and drilled his stare into Belle. He had a point to make to her.

  Yeah, he’d have to go after his best friend very soon. Tate wouldn’t talk about this argument now. He’d need hours, maybe days, to process it. He might say he planned to take a shower, but he would find his sneakers and run through the streets until he couldn’t see straight. Only when he’d pounded out every ounce of his frustration would he come back.

  Of course, he also might just run to the airport and leave for good.

  Belle shook her head, looking perplexed. “What? I shouldn’t be honest? I wasn’t trying to hurt him. Damn it, Eric. Did you really expect me to wake up this morning and give up this house? Is one night supposed to make me believe this can work long term?”

  “You could have mentioned how you felt last night.” Eric forced himself to take a deep breath because he was brutally angry, too.

  Of course, he and Tate had already written the fairy-tale ending in their heads without telling her, either. Still, hadn’t she felt the magic between them when they’d made love to her? Hadn’t it made her rethink staying in New Orleans at least a little?

  Kellan pushed the door open and walked in, looking deeply concerned. “What the hell happened to Tate? He took off running. The last time he was that upset, he’d just watched the last Star Wars film.”

  “No jokes. It’s not helping right now.” Eric ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He knew Kellan wasn’t intentionally being insensitive, but now sure as hell wasn’t the time for a ribbing.

  Kellan stared, then cut his gaze to their aloof lover. His face lost all amusement. “What happened?” His eyes narrowed. “What did you do, Annabelle?”

  She loosed an exasperated huff. “Why do you think I did something?”

  “Because there’s only one person in the world with the power to crush Tate like that, and I’m looking at her.” Kellan set his bag down and prowled toward Belle. “Tell me how you hurt him this morning. I have a suspicion, but I hope you prove me wrong.”

  Belle opened her mouth. “I-I—”

  Eric saved them all the time and her the effort. “She explained that she didn’t want anything but sex from us.”

  Belle would probably choose different words, but he cut to the chase.

  The distance she’d forced between them had completely shocked him. While he hadn’t thought Belle would immediately begin packing to head back home, he sure as hell hadn’t thought she would pronounce that a relationship between them couldn’t work.

  It had worked pretty fucking well last night.

  “Oh my god, I didn’t say that—at all,” she shot back, tears shining in her eyes. “Tate started talking about me going back to Chicago or him moving in here. I just… He blindsided me. I tried to explain why that wouldn’t work, and Tate took off.”

  “You told him that you weren’t interested in a relationship.” Tears or not, he refused to let her sugarcoat what had happened.

  “No, I told him I didn’t necessarily see a future for us.”

  Kellan shook his head, a tight fury all over his face. “Well, that’s perfect. Hey, at least she told him to fuck off before the wedding.”

  Hurt ripped across Belle’s face. “That’s not fair!”

  With a shrug, Kell turned to him. “Look, man, I should go. I’ll do nothing but make this worse. Sorry.”

  Crap. At the moment, Eric wanted to throw down with both of them. He’d been prepared for Kellan to shy away or bow out. He’d always known that bringing his friend into the relationship after his bitter divorce would be difficult. He’d never imagined Belle would wake up after the best night of his life and declare that they could leave whenever because it didn’t matter to her.

  Kellan paused, gripping her shoulders and staring into her eyes. “Think about what you’re doing, Annabelle. There’s a reason you’re driving away men who love you. Think hard and fix it. Don’t end up like me.”

  “What does that mean? You said yourself you didn’t think it could work,” Belle replied.

  “I still don’t, but then it’s occurred to me very recently that I might not be the most optimistic person about love.” He withdrew. “Besides, we’re not talking about me. Really think this through before you break anything off. Make sure there’s not even the smallest part of you doing this for revenge.”

  “Revenge?” Confusion widened her eyes.

  Eric had been thinking along the same lines. “Back in Dallas, you were very upset with us. You thought we were rejecting you. Maybe you think it’s a good idea to reject us right back. It won’t work, Belle. You’ll regret it.”

  “I am not doing this for revenge.”

  “Then you’re pulling away because you’re afraid,” he shot back. Those were the only two reasons for her to be so standoffish.

  “She is and she won’t admit it.” Shaking his head, Kellan headed for the door that led to the dining room.

  “Afraid of what?” she challenged.

  “C’mon, Belle. You’re too smart to play stupid.” Kell pushed the door open. “I’m going to start background checks on everyone who was here yesterday.”

  Belle opened her mouth to say something, but Kell left.

  And Eric shut her down. “Don’t. Do not be stubborn enough to stop us from watching out for you. Think very carefully before you say whatever is about to come out of your mouth. The last twelve hours aside, we’ve been friends for a long time, and I will be deeply offended if you choose your pride over your safety. Before you told Tate he could leave on the next plane for all you cared, did you think about the fact that someone broke into this house and tried to scare the hell out of you?”

  Tears spilled from her dark eyes, down her cheeks. “Damn it, Eric. You make me sound cruel and awful. I did not say that.”

  “Not in those exact words, but I assure you that’s what he heard. And you’re probably about to tell me to get out, too.”

  “No, I appreciate you looking into the suspects. If there’s any help I can give you, let me know.” Her big, hurt eyes were like a punch to the gut. He wished he could take back the whole morning. Or that they’d just stayed in bed. “I can’t keep you here, Eric. And I can’t lie to Tate and tell him I’m willing to do something I’m not. If that means he has to go, I’ll understand.”

  Pain wracked his system. “You’re not even willing to see what we could have?”

  “What do you think we could have? I can’t go back to Chicago. I really believe I need to be here. But I can’t let you guys give up your careers to move because I can’t promise a relationship will work out. Tate wanted commitment from me this morning. We’ve never even gone on an actual, romantic date. I have no idea where you stand, and Kell is out on the whole relationship thing, so why should I be thinking about cohabitation already? I don’t know that I’m ready. It would be unfair to ask you guys to give up everything back in Chicago when we might not have a future.”

  Eric sighed. That’s how she saw the situation? So maybe they hadn’t exactly communicated their wants and expectations to her. But she also hadn’t tried to meet them at least a little closer to halfway. Either she was getting her revenge or she was terrified. His money was on the latter.

  “We can’t leave until we know you’re safe. That’s not open for negotiation,” Eric stated unequivocally.

  Tate wouldn’t be able to leave her vulnerable and alone either. Sure, he could threaten to walk away, but he would stay here tonight and every night until he was sure Belle was safe.

  It wouldn’t matter that she refused to love them back.

  More tears spilled onto her cheeks, and it took everything Eric had not to brush them away. “What do we do, Eric? I don’t want you to leave, but I can’t tell you that I’m ready for anything more than a casual relationship. Maybe you think this is stupid, but I don’t think it’s going to work without Kellan. You three are a team. I’ve watched you for a year. You’re happiest together. You’d resent me if I came between you.”

  She looked so miserable, Eric couldn’t stop himself from cupping her cheeks and wiping her tears away. “But you hurt Tate. You have to understand that this isn’t the first time a woman has pushed him out of the relationship.”

  “What do you mean?” she frowned.

  “We’ve dated women who didn’t want to see Tate outside the bedroom. Once we explained that we wanted a more established relationship, they quickly let us know that Tate could pop in for sex, but they didn’t want to see him socially.”

  Belle gasped. “That’s terrible.”

  The utter horror in her voice made Eric breathe a little easier. “It’s true, and now he thinks that’s what you’re doing. He’s convinced you prefer Kellan to him, but that you’re willing to fuck him because he’s good in bed.” At Belle’s shocked frown, Eric shrugged. “It’s exactly what our last girlfriend told him.”

  “I didn’t mean anything like that. I had no idea anyone had treated him so awfully. I just need time to figure out where this is going, Eric.”

  “And for that you want us all to go back to our corners and pretend like last night didn’t happen?” He wasn’t sure he could do it.

  “You keep assuming the worst. It’s nothing like that. Whatever time you have, I want to spend it with you, Tate, and Kellan. Honestly, I wasn’t trying to shove anyone out the door. I just can’t give you the assurances you want right this second. I get the feeling you guys have been thinking this out for months. I haven’t, and everything in my life has changed suddenly. Maybe I would feel different if I hadn’t inherited this house, but I did and I already love it here. I’ve been ready for a change. I can’t go back to being just your secretary. Can’t you see that?”

  “We’ve been slowly preparing you to be with us for almost a year. We waited until you wouldn’t think we were lecherous bosses like your last one and until you really got to know Tate. We waited for Kell to trust you. But we always had a plan. We might not have been traditionally dating, but we’ve spent every spare second we had with you.”

  “While you ‘dated’ other women.” She made air quotes with her fingers.

  “What other women? Name one.”

  “I know about that skinny paralegal at Johnson and Forbes.”

  So she wanted to debate? This was so up his alley…

  “That ended about two weeks before you came to work for us. Next?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you going to tell me you don’t go to that club? Or that there are no women there.”

  Apparently, Belle was under some very mistaken impressions. He’d be more than happy to correct them. “No, we went because Kellan has been sponsoring our training. But that isn’t what’s bothering you, is it, Belle? You think we were out having a grand old time while you took care of the office. I’d like to know why you think any woman is more important to us than you. We haven’t brought one female to the office who wasn’t there in a professional capacity. We answer your calls at all hours of the day or night and drop anything we’re doing to take care of your needs. One of us takes you to lunch nearly every day and dinner at least once a week. We’ve spent a year taking care of you. What makes you think we were sleeping with other women?”

  Her brows rose as her jaw dropped. “Are you trying to tell me you haven’t had sex in a year?”

  “I’m telling you I haven’t had sex with anyone but you since the moment I laid eyes on you. Neither has Tate. After his divorce, Kellan fucked everything in sight. But shortly after you came to work for us, he tapered off. He hasn’t slept with anyone else in easily six months. For a guy who used to get a different piece of ass every night, that says a lot. We all knew who we wanted and we were willing to be patient until the time was right.”

  “The time was never going to be right.” Tate shoved the door open and stood, his eyes flat.

  “I thought you went for a run.” Eric stared at his best friend.

  Tate looked dangerous, his eyes predatory, every muscle in his body still as though ready to strike. Suddenly, Eric was worried that Belle was Tate’s prey.

  She looked hesitant, but raised her chin and approached him. “Tate, we should talk.”

  When she reached for him, he jerked away. “Nothing to say. We’re not going anywhere until we’re sure you’re safe. In the meantime, you want to explore sex? You can do it with us. I was gentle with you last night, but if this is just a fuck, then we’re going to do this my way—hot and dirty.”

  Tate didn’t wait for her reply, just swept her in his arms, against his chest, and headed for the stairs.

  “Hey,” Eric called, following after them.

  Kellan met him in the hall, and Eric wondered if he’d been listening on the other side of the door since he supposedly left. “Don’t. He might be right, and Belle isn’t exactly protesting. Let’s join them and see where this goes.”

  “I don’t know. He’s emotional.” When Tate exploded, it could get spectacular.

  “In normal circumstances, I’d prevent him from sceneing, but maybe this is what Belle needs. She’s shut down. Make her feel, force her to open up, but you have to break through those walls or you have zero chance.” Kellan stared after Tate and Belle. “I can stay down here, if you’d rather. But you definitely need to get upstairs.”

  He slapped Kellan on the back. Maybe they could break down some of his walls, too. “Come on. Help me see if we can save this.”

  They walked up the stairs, Eric’s heart pounding.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Arms hooked around Tate’s neck, Belle looked into his face, her heart softening even as she told herself this was an absolutely terrible idea. He climbed up the stairs two at a time, her weight seemingly not a burden to him at all.

  “Tate,” she called softly. “We really should talk. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  He didn’t break stride, didn’t acknowledge that she’d spoken. He just stared straight ahead, his strong face closed off. “Tell me whether or not you want this. That’s the only conversation we need to have.”

  Belle bit her lip. She’d done a number on him. She hadn’t realized it at the time, but now she understood that he’d misinterpreted everything she’d said through his own filter. Unwittingly, she’d pushed his buttons. “I don’t even know what this is anymore, Tate.”