Watch Your Back (Devil's Backbone, #2)

by Tate James

0530: Woke up with Squirrel in my arms. Perfection. Even if Heath’s foot was touching mine, I could put up with it if it meant not waking her up. 0900: Must have fallen asleep again. Squirrel slipped out to visit Carter, and I know this because I woke up to the sound of his headboard smacking the wall and Heath snuggling me like I was little spoon. The fucking audacity, I am not little spoon.

“Christ, Roycey, for a man so good with his fingers, I expected you to know how to use chopsticks.”

He released me in an instant and popped open the passenger door, making a smooth transition from sexy-scary soft-Dom to gallant gentleman.

“Shush. Let me sort out this kink and then we can work on some other kinks.” “Fuck,” he wheezed. “Now I’m hard and in pain. You’re a cruel woman.”

“Fuck, you guys, where was my invite? Squirrel, baby, encore?” “Nah, I’m wrecked,” Carter said with a hint of amusement. “I haven’t nutted that hard in years. I need a shower and a gallon of water to rehydrate.” Heath chuckled as I slid off his lap. “Fuck, I hear that.” He put up his open palm, and Carter slapped it in a crisp high five. “Maybe a nap too?” Royce glowered, having already pulled off his shirt. “You guys suck.” The two of them chuckled, grabbing their discarded clothes before heading out of the living room. I was slicker than a waterpark from our combined releases but also wasn’t that mean…so I slithered off the sofa and onto my knees. “Nah, they don’t. But I do.” Royce’s brows shot right up, then a huge grin curved his lips. “Fuck, I love you.”

I kept my focus on tying my laces and absolutely did not sneak a look at his smooth, muscular ass in the process of changing. Denial was also not just a river in Egypt.

“Anyway, I had a really hard time trying to think what I could get you for your birthday since you have everything you could possibly want already.” Nate gave a short laugh with a bitter edge to it. “Not everything.”

“You can’t keep doing this to me, Nate. You can’t keep pretending there’s something between us and then⁠—” “No one is pretending here, Ash!” he barked. “I feel it. Trust me, I fucking feel it so damn hard, it hurts, but that’s the problem. What I feel is too much, it’s too big, and I’m scared…” He trailed off but didn’t break eye contact with me to hide his emotions. “I’m terrified that I don’t have the capacity or the emotional depth to give you what you need. I can’t fucking share you, Ashley. Don’t you get it? If you were mine…you’d be mine. And I know you’d never be able to give me that because you’re already in love with the three best guys I know.”