“Coming,” a female voice from inside yelled.

“I remember you saying those very words twenty minutes ago,” I growled in Suzy’s ear.

Her cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink as she bit her lip, trying to hide her smile. Suzy pushed her hair off her shoulders and fixed her shirt, as though she wanted everything perfect and in place.

“Stop fidgeting, sugar.”

“Oh my God, I can’t. Sophia is going to take one look at me and know what we did,” she said, dabbing her fingers at the corner of her lips.

“If she doesn’t, then I didn’t do it right.”

A beautiful brunette opened the door with a smile. She looked me over, starting at my face, and then her eyes raked over my body. I felt almost violated by the way she appraised me. She looked at Suzy with a devilish grin and opened her arms. The girls exchanged hugs and whispered words that I couldn’t hear, but Sophia’s eyes didn’t leave mine.

“Sophia, this is City.”

“Nice to meet you, Sophia.” I extended my hand to her. Sophia’s hair was pulled back in a sloppy bun that sat on top of her head. She had a bright white smile and kind eyes.

She placed her hand in mine. “Nice to finally meet you, City. I’ve heard all about you.” She winked.

A grin crept across my face—I guessed I got the thumbs-up from her friend. “Nice things, I hope.”

“She spoke very big of you.” She giggled, and I felt my cheeks heat. I could tell these girls together were going to be a handful. “Come on in. Kayden and Jett are out on the patio starting the grill.”

I extended my arm for Suzy to walk in front of me, and I watched both girls walk inside as I stayed close behind. They lived in a small apartment that was decorated with mismatched pieces that all worked. SportsCenter was on the television, and baby things were scattered everywhere.

“Don’t mind the mess. Children have a way of overtaking everything, no matter how small.” Sophia waved her hands around and picked up small toys off the floor before tossing them in a basket near the television stand.

The door to the patio opened and a tall, muscular man holding a baby walked into the living room. His head was clean-shaven, and he looked like someone that I’d find down at the Neon Cowboy—or a guy who would walk in my shop for some work.

“Kayden, baby, Suzy brought her new beau, City.”

Kayden eyed me warily. I held out my hand to him. “Nice to meet you, Kayden. Suzy talks very highly of you and Sophia.”

Kayden placed the baby in the crook of his left arm before extending his right hand to me. “Glad to meet you, City.” He squeezed my hand tightly, almost to the point of pain, but I didn’t dare pull away. I knew the fuckin’ macho bullshit. He was staking his claim on Sophia and giving me a silent warning with Suzy.

“Oh, Jett, come here, baby.” Reaching for Jett, Suzy plucked him from Kayden’s arms.

“No hello, Suzy? How are you, Kayden? I’ve missed you, Kayden. Just oooh, Jett.” Kayden laughed.

“Oh now, Kayden, you know I love you. Gimme a kiss,” she said, puckering her lips and closing her eyes.

My heart raced with the thought of Kayden placing his lips on hers. I squeezed my hands into fists. They were just friends. Kayden planted a kiss on her cheek as he rubbed the head of his child before walking into the kitchen and wrapping his arms around his wife.

“He’s gotten so big,” Suzy said as she bounced the baby in her arms, patting his butt. She looked natural with a child in her arms, like it was something she did every day. Her eyes lit up as Jett gripped her thumb.

“He’s growing like a weed,” Sophia said from the kitchen. “What do you guys want to drink? City, what can I get you?”

“I’ll take a beer if you got one.”

Suzy’s eyes grew wide and her nostrils flared, and I didn’t know what I said, but obviously I’d fucked up somehow. “But it’s okay if you don’t. I’ll really drink anything.”

“Coming right up. Suzy? Virgin daiquiri, babe?” Sophia snickered as she opened the fridge and began to dig around.

“What did I say wrong?” I whispered in her ear.

“Kayden doesn’t drink. He’s an alcoholic and has been clean for about a year now.” She looked at Kayden and Sophia before returning her attention on the cooing baby in her arms.

“I didn’t know. Shit, you should’ve given me a heads-up, sugar.”

“I’m sorry. It just slipped my mind.”

“It’s okay, City. It’s not something the ladies like to talk about. It’s always the giant elephant in the room,” Kayden said as he handed me the beer. “I can be around alcohol and not drink.” He sat down on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. “Sit down; let the ladies work their magic in the kitchen. We’ll take care of the meat, like God intended.”

“I don’t want to hear about your meat, Kayden.” Suzy snickered.

“Kitchen, Suzy, but let Sophia cook.” He pointed at her then toward the kitchen, and snapped his fingers.

“I can cook, Kayden,” she said as she rubbed her nose against the baby’s face before handing the baby to Kayden and walking away.

“City, Suzy can’t cook a lick. She’s the queen of pre-made. Just an FYI,” he said as he cradled the baby and ran his finger along the chubby cheek.

Sitting on the couch, I set my beer on my knee and relaxed. “Eh, I can cook, so it’s not a deal-breaker for me. Bucs fan?”

“Fuck no, Browns fan born and bred.” He stretched out, placing his free hand behind his head.

“No shit? You like an underdog or abuse?” I smiled before lifting the beer to my lips.

“I stay true to my roots, you?”

“Bears fan. No other way to be.”

“They’ve had some fuckin’ horrible seasons, but the Browns have the market cornered on losing.”

“Give ya that,” I said as I tipped my beer toward him. “Suzy said you three lived together.”

“Yep, for a while. She was a lifesaver, and I owe her. Don’t fucking break her heart—I’ll beat the fuck out of you.” He laughed. “Seriously, you’ll have a few more holes to match the ones you currently have.”

What? I could see the girls had talked about me in detail. “Not my plan,” I said. “Suzy isn’t like other girls.”

Suzy leaned against the counter and watched Sophia as they chatted. They looked over at us and started laughing.

“No, she’s not. She’s kind, pure, and too trusting. I feel like she’s my little sister, and I’ll protect her like she’s my family.”

“Gotcha. Loud and clear.”

“You boys done with your pissing match?” Sophia said as she walked in the room with a plate of burgers. “These won’t cook themselves.”

“Let me handle the meat,” Kayden said, handing Jett back to Suzy.

“That’s what she said.” Sophia chuckled. Kayden grabbed the plate from her and kissed her on the lips. She looked at him with a dopy grin as he backed away.

“If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you handle my meat later.”

“Not in front of our guests,” Sophia said as she smacked him on the shoulder.

“They’re kind of nauseating aren’t they?” Suzy stood next to me and rocked Jett in her arms. His eyes were almost closed as he sucked his fingers.

“A bit.” I felt content with the three of them. I could almost feel the bond that they had, the love for each other.

“They’ve endured more than most people have in a lifetime, and they came out on the other side with an unbreakable bond. Someday I’ll tell you their story. If fate is real, they’re the perfect example. They were made for each other.” She smiled as she watched them on the patio.

They touched each other and kissed, never moving apart. His actions portrayed adoration for his woman. “Are they married?”

“Not yet. Someday, I hope. They’ve both been married before, and they use that as an excuse not to rush into things.” She curled her lips up and rolled her eyes. “I remind them that they have a baby. I guess I’m old-fashioned.” She shrugged.

I made sure not to fuck that up. I never fucked without a condom or took that kind of risk. “I was brought up that way too, but you can’t deny what they have. I’m sure they’ll do it in time.”

The evening was relaxing, and I liked talking with Kayden. He didn’t bullshit, and Sophia was something else. She was a spitfire, and loved to tease Suzy mercilessly. “Did I pass the test with your friends?” I asked as we climbed on my bike.

“You did well. You got the thumbs-up from Sophia.”

“She’s not the one I’m worried about.”

“Kayden? Oh, please. He likes to talk all his macho crap, but he’s the sappy one. He just wants me happy, City.”

“He said he’d kick my ass if I broke your heart, sugar.”

She wrapped her arms around me as I walked the bike away from the building, trying not to be too noisy. “Kayden’s been known to take matters into his own hands, but I’ll set him straight about us,” she said in my ear, chuckling.

“Whatcha mean?” I said as I started the engine.

“Oh, nothing.” She rested her head against my shoulder and toyed with my nipple piercing. It was the first time I didn’t feel her tense against my body when riding on the back of the bike. Maybe she was finally letting go and enjoying herself without overanalyzing the situation.