“What are you guys feeling tonight?”
Strolling through the aisles of our local grocery store, I look to the handsome men currently glaring at each other. It’s been seven days since their introduction. I would like to say they hit it off and have one epic bromance brewing, but that would be a complete and utter lie.
Cade and Theo butt heads at every corner. Theo wants ham, Cade prefers turkey. Theo wants to watch baseball, Cade wants to watch football. You get the idea. The worst part is Theo actually likes football and turkey, but he would rather crawl across hot coals before admitting he has anything in common with Cade. And they have plenty in common.
My poor home currently serves as a testosterone battlefield. The tension is so thick that I swear I can taste it. Theo has insisted that I’ve helped Cade enough and that he is good to go. He’s even offered an absurd amount of money to get him started on his way. He’s adamant that he doesn’t want Cade living with me once he returns to his team, which is in two days. Theo has been a handful, to say the least.
Cade has reacted far better than Theo but that’s not saying much. Typically, anyone behaves better than Theo. It’s just a fact. Subtle growls and several standoffs have been Cade’s only downfall. He’s acclimated well to living with me. At this point, it’s almost been a month. I can’t imagine him moving out. I keep finding excuses to both men about why it’s imperative for Cade to stay with me. Cade doesn’t argue much about it anymore, especially with Theo around.
Realizing neither have answered my earlier question I look over to see them chest to chest, fists clenched at their sides. Theo stands a few inches shorter than Cade but he couldn’t look hotter, all pissed off, flush against Cade’s chest. The asshole in Theo has always appealed to me. He doesn’t direct it at me much, but when he does we never end it on a bad note, if you know what I mean.
To each her own, right?
Currently, that asshole, with his ball cap turned backward, chest heaving, is creating an uncomfortable environment in my underwear. One that he will remedy as soon as I get him home.
“Theo!” I chastise. He doesn’t flinch, but I know the bastard hears me. “Cade!” I approach their unmoving forms, aggravated that they are causing a scene in the damn grocery store. I grab Theo’s arm and wrench him away from Cade. He lets me because he knows better.
“I asked you dickheads what you wanted. I’m not in the mood to keep repeating myself.” I let go of Theo once there’s space between them, then grab his face, forcing him to look at me. I arch a brow and wait for his answer.
He exhales and shakes free of my hand, licking his bottom lip with a seductive gleam in his eye. “I think I’m feeling a little blue, Dr. McCallister.” He palms his crotch, jostling it a bit. “What say you speed up this bullshit grocery outing so you can handle it.” He looks at Cade and winks before he says, “On your knees.”
Dear God.
A growl is the only sound Cade makes before he lunges at Theo.
“Stop it!” I glare at both men pushing against me like they would mow me down without a second thought. “Both of you, stop it!”
I push against Cade first, Theo chuckling as if he finds this charade funny.
“Just get burgers. No one gives a fuck.” Theo’s lip twitches at the corner as he glares down at me, his eyes humorless.
Don’t hit him. He needs to work. But damn if that asshole lip tip doesn’t send me right over the fucking edge. Ignoring his remark, I look at Cade, who still has his eyes locked on Theo.
What the fuck has them so revved up?
“Cade,” I repeat, trying to get his attention.
Finally, his gaze drifts to mine. His green eyes are tinged in red. Uh oh. Someone hasn’t been sleeping. Another thing I need to handle when I get home.
He clears his throat. “Burgers are fine.”
I look to the sky. Nope, no falling angels. I look behind me. No zombies, yet. Did they actually just agree and the world is not coming to an end?
One corner of my mouth twitches and I allow my lips to pull up into a full-blown grin.
Theo rolls his eyes. “Don’t start,” he scolds as he walks ahead.
Ha! They agreed! It’s a miracle. I glance over at Cade, who is staring at Theo’s back.
“What’s going on? Theo being an asshole?” I ask, genuinely concerned about their behavior.
Cade doesn’t answer me, which isn’t uncommon. I clutch his elbow, preventing his escape and he glares down at my hand. “Answer me,” I coax gently.
He shakes his head.
Uh-uh. Not today. Both my eyebrows shoot up in disbelief that he is being defiant.
He sighs. “We’re fine. Just setting boundaries.”
Boundaries? What the hell does that mean?
I open my mouth to respond when he cuts me off.
“Let it go, Commander.” His face is so serious that I decide I’ll do as he said. This time. But Theo better not be scaring him off.
Theo wanders off, doing who knows what, while Cade and I pile a shit-ton of food in the buggy, so much that a few looks are thrown our way. In the four weeks he’s been living with me he’s filled out, no longer looking emaciated. His forearms bulge as he maneuvers the buggy through the narrow aisles. His hair has been cut and styled and his booty is popping in his track pants. My Cade has become quite the hottie, if I say so myself.
I grin at the lady currently gawking at his ass. She has been holding that jar of peanut butter for five solid minutes.
“Protein and squats,” I tell her, and she jumps and fumbles the jar. I give her a little wink and swat Cade’s behind. Oh yeah. Definitely the squats and the fact he didn’t have much fat to begin with. We have been building some muscles in those glutes.
Cade jumps at my harassment and turns, giving me his signature stare.
I shrug and tease, “Just setting boundaries.”
He snorts out a laugh. “Did you just spank me, Commander?”
Peanut-butter-lady looks mortified, stowing her jar in a football hold and hightailing it away from us weirdos.
“I did no such thing, Major Jameson.” Oh. Another thing I found out. Hottie here was a major in the Marines. A motherfucking major! A complete badass! He was pretty tight-lipped about it and I don’t know as much as I would like, but I’ll weasel the rest out of him eventually.
“I was merely giving my fellow shopper fitness advice.” Eh. I swatted that backside because I could. I don’t do boundaries.
“Uh huh.” He chuckles. He doesn’t believe me and that’s okay, because it’s a lie. He doesn’t care though. I broke that shy shit the first week he was here. We all have the same parts. An ass is an ass. A dick is a dick. Maybe because I am a doctor and I see so many naked bodies, I’ve just grown accustomed to seeing people in their nakedness. Covering up like a nun and fleeing to the next room just makes me curious. Like, what is so special that you are keeping it under wraps? It’s natural. We all want to know what’s under there.
Cade doesn’t really appreciate my no-boundaries attitude, but he has learned to deal with it. What he hasn’t learned to deal with is Theo’s lack of a moral compass and blatant nudity. It’s a fine line with Theo. Asking him to cover up only encourages his bad behavior.
It’s like when a child drops the f-bomb. Do you gasp and tell them never to say that? Sure, that’s one way to correct them. Perhaps they’d say it a few more times and you’d correct those, too. With repetition, the child would learn that it’s a no-no. Or you could ignore the little spawn, act like they didn’t speak. They don’t get the reaction they want so they have no incentive to say it again.
The latter works with Theo. Ignore him, and it takes the fun out of what he’s doing. If you growl and charge him, as Cade did, he will repeat it about fifteen more times, getting more indecent with each instance. It’s been a long week.
“Commander.” Cade’s deep rasp pulls me away from the Nutella and my thoughts. “Your phone is ringing.”
Right. I jog to the buggy and rifle through the abyss otherwise known as my purse. Feeling the vibration, I snatch it out and answer before catching a glimpse of the caller. “Yeah.”
“Dr. McCallister?”
Damn it. Bellamy.
“Coach Bellamy. How’s it hanging?” Inappropriate? Yep. Was that my intent? Yes, yes it was. Bellamy is a bastard and I harbor no love for the man.
“Dr. McCallister, I’m calling to inquire about the physical status of my player.” Oh. Look who is being professional today. I’m game.
“The physical status of Mr. Von Bremen remains unchanged. However, his physical therapy has improved his range. I will release him on a conditional basis.” Total bullshit. Theo’s shoulder was sore, probably from bad form, but it’s in tip-top shape thanks to my elite expertise.
Continuing before Bellamy can interrupt, I say, “I will be returning with him to monitor his shoulder after each game. I assume the rotation has not been altered?” I can almost hear Bellamy grit his teeth in annoyance.
“No. It has not. I’ll see you both on Thursday.”
Just to annoy the pretentious prick, as cheerily as I can, I say, “We look forward to it!” I toss the phone back into the abyss, my mood darkening.
“You’re leaving?” Cade’s eyes are questioning and he seems disappointed.
Does he think I am leaving his hot ass here at home?
“We’re leaving,” I clarify, giving the buggy a little push, urging him toward the registers.
Theo comes bounding up, looking full of mischief. Oh shit.
“What did you do?” I ask the smiling idiot.
His face scrunches up like he’s offended that I immediately thought the worst. “Did I hear that my trainer will be accompanying me back to the pits of hell?” He can barely contain a ridiculous smile.
“Ugh,” I groan, rolling my eyes, and usher the three of us to the checkout.
He continues, undeterred by my annoyance. “Seriously, Ans. Is that what I heard?”
“What were you doing? Eavesdropping by hiding in the shelves like a two-year-old?”
He scoffs in the most adorable way and brings his hand to his heart. “I was not. I grabbed some candy and heard you talking. You’re always so loud.”
I am a little loud. Not always though. I blame it on Theo. Having to scream at him from the bench keeps my voice strong.
“I bet Ms. Patsy, who was checking out my ass at the pharmacy, heard you.”
He’s ridiculous. No way was Ms. Patsy, our pharmacist, checking out his ass. She’s like 102 years old.
“Well, then surely you heard that we—” I point at Cade then to myself, “will be accompanying you.”
He frowns, which turns into full-on pouting.
I cock my head to the side, daring him to argue.
He doesn’t, just looks at Cade and spits, “Remember, boundaries.”
Cade nods but otherwise doesn’t show any emotion.
“Good, now that that’s settled, let’s get this home before it spoils.”
Both men start piling items on the conveyer belt in silence.
Having men around the house is da bomb. Does anyone even use that phrase anymore? No? Oh, well, just call me old school McCallister. Seriously though. These two guys loaded, unloaded, and put away all the groceries in silence. Can I get a double tap? I don’t know about the rest of the ladies in the world but I am a sucker for the strong, silent type. Especially one that cleans and puts away groceries.
Realistically, I know they are both brooding. Theo doesn’t want Cade coming to Washington and Cade doesn’t want to come along and be subjected to Theo’s bullshit. Guess how many fucks I give about their comfort level? Zero. Nada. Zilch.
Theo will be fine. He’s just having his little tantrum. It will end and all will be well. Cade, on the other hand, well, he’s just going to have to learn how to deal. If he wants to stay with me then he will do as I ask. Besides, it will be good for him to get out and the ball club is a once in a lifetime experience.
The players are fun and like family. I enjoy mingling with their wives and shooting the shit with the guys. Theo fits in well. He’s naturally charming, but it takes time for him to open up and let you see the real him rather than the asshole playboy he likes for you to see.
When he first got drafted, he called me whining, saying it wasn’t for him and he was coming home. I flew out the next day. We argued. A lot. And then went out and got wasted with some of his teammates. It was fun. Theo got to know a couple of guys and lightened up. I stayed for a week, realizing that he needed help to acclimate to his new team. I got to know the guys and so did he. Obviously, he stayed, even though I would have loved to have him back. But he’s a showman. He needed to do it. For him.
So, going back to the clubhouse is like meeting up with family. It’ll be fun, a good opportunity to introduce Cade to some new people. And it’s free for us, anyway. Courtesy of Von Bremen. Is he thrilled to be footing the bill for Cade to come along to Washington? No. But he began to see it my way when I lowered to my knees in our stand-up shower, milking the yes from his lips.
“What are we supposed to tell the guys?” Theo, who after finishing in the shower is lounging in the most comfortable patio chair I own, asks in a low voice. Outside on the back deck, battling the flies, I readjust, trying to find a more comfortable spot on this shitty deck chair that’s digging into my back. Why, you ask, is Theo in the more comfortable chair and me in the shitty one? Paper beats rock. Dammit.
“What do you mean?” I pull down my shades to look at Theo. His hat is pulled down low over his face, concealing his eyes.
“I mean, how are you going to explain what he’s doing there? With you. With us.”
Good gracious.
“Why do we have to tell them anything?”
He makes a sound deep in his throat and sits up, his hat falling carelessly to the ground. “Because, Ans, it’s weird. And they are going to ask.”
He’s aggravated. But I’m not changing my mind. Cade is going. Better Theo goes ahead and pouts it out now.
“We’ll say we’re being adventurous and trying a little ménage.” I try not to smile because he is being so serious.
He bites his cheek, attempting to hold back his laugh. It doesn’t work and he snorts one out anyway. “I’m serious.”
“Me too. They’ll believe it.”
“No.”
“Okay. Fine. You hired him to be my bodyguard.”
He scrunches his face like that is the stupidest thing he has ever heard. “No. Not believable.”
Huffing out a breath, I look to the heavens for guidance. He is being so crybaby about this.
“He’s a med student doing a rotation in sports medicine?”
Theo’s silent. Score one for McCallister. He mulls it over for a minute before nodding. “I think that may work.”
“Of course it will work, doofus.” I pull my shades over my eyes and recline back. “Don’t burn the burgers.”
“Shit!”
The chair makes a scraping noise like he tripped over it in his haste to get up. I chuckle. He always burns the burgers.
“We’re good,” he yells.
“How Cajun is it?” I yell back.
“It’s not. I told you, we’re good.” His voice is closer. Opening my eyes, I see he has a plate piled high with perfectly grilled ground beef patties.
“How many did you make?” I ask in horror.
He shrugs. “I’m a growing boy.”
“One that I am going to have to run the hell out of tomorrow.” I hold the door open for him, allowing him to pass inside with the burgers.
“That’s tomorrow’s problem,” he says with a wink.
This is why he needs two trainers. He is an absolute handful. The team’s trainer once called me asking how I incentivize Theo to push his limits. That’s easy. Theo operates on fear and pleasure. You either withhold his orgasm or give him a blow job. Both work. Both incentivize. His team trainer didn’t appreciate my suggestions.
Cade has set up in the kitchen when we walk in. Condiments, lettuce, tomatoes, and beer are all spread out in anticipation of the burgers.
“Mmmm…” I moan. “These smell like they might actually be edible this time, Von Bremen.”
He flips me off while he pilfers through the fridge. “Where is my hot sauce?”
Yuck. I threw that shit out the other day—it was manufacturing penicillin. I turn to the table and start making my plate. “I think Cade used the last of it,” I lie.
The refrigerator door slams.
“I did not,” says a raspy voice at my ear.
Damn, Cade. Can’t you lie? Theo hates you, anyway.
“She threw it away last week. Something about it looking like a small animal was swimming in the bottle.”
I can’t have a fucking secret in this house to save my life. I chance a look at Theo. His eyes have gone all squinty. “I’ll get you some more. Geeze! It was growing mold!”
“What if I like mold?” he snaps.
Oh great. Here we go.
“Would you like me to go right now and get you more, Princess?” My hands go to my hips. He mimics me. It’s the battle of immaturity. We stand that way for, I know, half a minute, neither of us blinking.
“I guess I can live without it. This time,” he spits. Damn baby. It’s a burger, not a hot wing.
I roll my eyes and finish dressing my burger.
During our standoff, Cade made his burger and is biting into it. I glare at him and knock into his chair mid-bite, causing him to smear ketchup on his scruffy face.
“Traitor,” I mutter as I flop down beside him.
He stares at me and slowly wipes the ketchup from his cheek. I’m not really sure how to interpret the look, so I shrug and sit down to eat.
Theo’s burger is actually pretty tasty.
“What ho taught you to cook?” I tease.
Theo looks up from his plate with a scowl. “You’re getting on my nerves.”
No, he didn’t. Being the mature one in the house, I counter, “You’re getting on my nerves, too.”
We hold each other’s eyes for a minute before we both go back to eating. Cade is the first to finish and immediately starts working on the dishes. Have I mentioned how sexy it is for a man to clean?
Finished, I get up and hand him my plate with a quick kiss on the cheek. “Want to go for a run in a little while?” I ask, unloading the dishwasher.
“Sure.”
“We’ll go when we finish up here. That suit you?”
“Uh huh.”
Knowing that’s about all I am getting out of him, I finish the dishes and head up to my room to change. Theo’s perched on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands when I get there.
“You don’t want to run with me?” he asks with his face still buried in his hands.
Aww. My poor jealous boy. Sensing that I need to break the tension between us, I launch myself at him and take us both to the floor. It damn near knocks the breath out of me.
With Theo sprawled out on his back, I hastily straddle him. Leaning in close, I whisper across his warm lips, “I ran with you this morning.”
He grasps my hips hard, grinding me down on his stiff erection.
“You know I don’t share,” he growls in my ear, his undulating speeding up.
Uh oh. Someone feels threatened. Men are very simple creatures. Praise them, fuck them, and love them, and they will be the best damn companion you’ve ever had. However, when you do this to more than one, they tend to get a little territorial.
Mine and Theo’s relationship isn’t complicated. I know he loves me. But we’ve said and done things in our friendship that can never be undone. What scares me is to admit that this has never been just a friendship for me. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on him that he was meant for me. He was/is my people. I loved him when I lied and said we were “just friends.” I loved him when I said, “We should see other people.” And I cried when he said, “Okay.”
I’m no idiot. I know he loves me more than a friend but telling me years ago, “We’re just friends, right?” and keeping me in friend zone until a few years ago hurt my damn feelings and I’m not over it. Call me a petty bitch, I don’t care, but until I have Von Bremen on his knees, worshipping only me, then I am going to rub that sentence in his face until he breaks. Until he admits we were never “just friends.”
So, I wait and let him churn through all the feelings that come along with loving someone. Jealousy. Rage. Happiness. Sadness. Every day he gets closer, but it isn’t time yet.
“Hmmm… I don’t recall sharing my body with anyone else,” I soothe, pushing down harder on his straining cock.
He groans and flips us over, pulling at his zipper. “I’m about to fuck the sass right out of you. You have had this coming with all the Good Samaritan bullshit.”
His pants are off. And he’s yanking down my leggings. His finger plunges in hard—it hurts like a bitch. He doesn’t care, though, he is so far gone right now it’s not even funny. Animalistic, he flips between hard bites and soft kisses to my exposed neck. He’s unhinged. Wild. It’s so fucking sexy to see him come apart like this.
“You like this?” He growls, glaring at my smile. “You like to see me fucked up like this?”
Two fingers.
I gasp, “Yes.” I admit it. I love to break that charming, I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude.
He rams his fingers in harder. “Fuck. It’s so damn tight.”
I moan when he brushes that spot. “Put it in,” I beg.
He thrusts with his fingers a few more times before I feel his tip breach my entrance. With a deep breath, he pushes in hard, eliciting a scream from me.
His whole body is tense when he throws his head back in ecstasy. “Oh, how I love to hear you scream.”
I lock my legs around his hips, encouraging him to shut his mouth and speed up. He does, setting a steady pace with alternating deep and shallow strokes. I start to sweat, the euphoria pushing through the haze of pain. “I’m almost there.”
He pounds in harder, eager to steal my orgasm.
“Deeper,” I moan.
He sits back, kneeling, and pulls my ass in closer to spear me onto him repeatedly, the glorious muscles in those shoulders working. His thumb finds my clit and he presses down, the momentum rocking his thumb in sequence. My orgasm hits hard, and so fast that I don’t get a chance to warn him. When I clench his dick, he doubles over and roars. Grasping my hips in a bruising hold, he pounds into me, finding his release within seconds.
We lay there, sweaty and spent. I just let him mark me. I let him act like an alpha dog and pee all over his territory. He needed it though. He was going to be a total shit the rest of the week if I hadn’t. I stroke his back rhythmically, letting him come down from the adrenaline.
“Feel better?” I tease.
“No.”
Grabbing his face, I place a sweet kiss on his lips. His lips yield to mine, soft and pliant.
“Do you love me, Teddy?”
His brilliant blue eyes lock onto mine. “Without a doubt.”
I kiss him again. “Then, I’m all yours. There is no reason to share.”
We stare at each other a moment.
“I’m coming for you, Dr. McCallister. I don’t give a shit what excuses you dream up this time.”
I trace the line of his shoulder, absorbing his confession. “Then I suggest you bring your A-game, Von Bremen. I’m done with rookies.”
We know what the score is between us. But we’ll give it a little longer to grow before we blow this whole friendship thing to bits.
Theo nods tersely, prying our sticky bodies from one another’s. We stumble into the shower and quickly bathe in silence. We’re too tired for anything else.
“Are you going to be okay if I run with Cade?” I ask hesitantly. After the loaded conversation we had, I feel guilty immediately going to Cade.
He rakes a frustrated hand through his hair. “Yeah. Just be quick, okay?”
I nod my agreement and head into the closet to get dressed.