helpless anger entered Lars’s tone. “I told you I have responsibilities. I’m only here for another two weeks. Once Erik is back behind his desk, I’m gone.”
Lars had said the same things to Mattie. They’d been good together. So good. But it wasn’t enough. Every day he’d told her over and over that she needed to find someone else. That he couldn’t give her what she wanted. That he was only in town for a short while.
Owen crossed his arms and took a step back. Mattie knew what he was doing. His posture reeked of self-protection. It was the only way to keep from reaching out to Lars. She’d done it a thousand times herself.
Owen’s guttural words made Mattie’s belly clench. “This isn’t a solution. You can’t just stick Mattie and me together and expect us to be whole. Relationships aren’t created with emotional duct tape. Besides, I’m not that kind of guy, and you know it.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to throw them both out. Her heart felt raw with what she’d learned. Wouldn’t it be better to say good-bye to both of them, retreat, and then start over with someone else? Why couldn’t she find someone who wanted the same things she did?
I’ve never told another soul that I love them.
She’d given Lars the key to her existence in that statement, and he’d thrown it back in her face. There was no getting around that pain. Yet something about Owen gave her hope. Meeting Owen had been like discovering someone she’d known intimately in a past life. She knew most people thought it nonsense, but Mattie believed it was true. There were souls that always managed to find each other as they were born and reborn. And sometimes there were souls that were destined to meet when the time was right.
She sucked in a deep breath and gathered her courage. This was the height of stupidity. She’d never been a bold risk taker when it came to going out on an emotional limb, but sometimes a girl had to try to hang on to what she wanted.
“Are the two of you going to stand around in my kitchen and argue? Or are you going to come upstairs to bed?” she called out.
Owen chuckled. “I wondered if you were going to say something or just hide there all night.”
“You knew she was there?” Lars shoved Owen aside and strode toward her. “How long have you been listening?”
Owen braced one shoulder against her cabinets. “Long enough to know the three of us have a fucked-up love triangle going on here.”
Mattie adored his sassy mouth, but it wasn’t helping things at the moment. “When were you planning to tell me you knew exactly who it was that walked out on me?”
Owen had the decency to look chagrined. “Soon?”
“And you”—she poked Lars in the chest—“don’t get to make decisions about who I do and do not fuck.”
Over Lars’s shoulder, she saw Owen give her a long, evaluating once-over before speaking. “Would it even things out if I fuck him and you watch?”
Her heart rate went from zero to sixty in half a second. Having a front row seat to that kind of show was on her short list of erotic desires. It had been ever since Selena had let slip a few details of the relationship she had with Malachi and Demon. Mattie had been with multiple lovers before. There was one very wild Beltane night that came to mind immediately, but that memory couldn’t hold a candle to what she was feeling now.
Lars looked apprehensive. “Owen you can’t just—”
“The hell I can’t.” He stepped closer to Lars. “Either you walk that sweet ass upstairs, or I’ll wrestle you right here and take you on the floor.”
Mattie had to grab on to the stair railing to stay upright. This wasn’t some nameless, faceless couple. These were two men she knew intimately. She wanted this. She wanted to know what they’d done in the time since she’d been with Lars. In some twisted way her heart felt as if that would begin to make amends.
“I want that,” she whispered. “I want to
Lars had said the same things to Mattie. They’d been good together. So good. But it wasn’t enough. Every day he’d told her over and over that she needed to find someone else. That he couldn’t give her what she wanted. That he was only in town for a short while.
Owen crossed his arms and took a step back. Mattie knew what he was doing. His posture reeked of self-protection. It was the only way to keep from reaching out to Lars. She’d done it a thousand times herself.
Owen’s guttural words made Mattie’s belly clench. “This isn’t a solution. You can’t just stick Mattie and me together and expect us to be whole. Relationships aren’t created with emotional duct tape. Besides, I’m not that kind of guy, and you know it.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to throw them both out. Her heart felt raw with what she’d learned. Wouldn’t it be better to say good-bye to both of them, retreat, and then start over with someone else? Why couldn’t she find someone who wanted the same things she did?
I’ve never told another soul that I love them.
She’d given Lars the key to her existence in that statement, and he’d thrown it back in her face. There was no getting around that pain. Yet something about Owen gave her hope. Meeting Owen had been like discovering someone she’d known intimately in a past life. She knew most people thought it nonsense, but Mattie believed it was true. There were souls that always managed to find each other as they were born and reborn. And sometimes there were souls that were destined to meet when the time was right.
She sucked in a deep breath and gathered her courage. This was the height of stupidity. She’d never been a bold risk taker when it came to going out on an emotional limb, but sometimes a girl had to try to hang on to what she wanted.
“Are the two of you going to stand around in my kitchen and argue? Or are you going to come upstairs to bed?” she called out.
Owen chuckled. “I wondered if you were going to say something or just hide there all night.”
“You knew she was there?” Lars shoved Owen aside and strode toward her. “How long have you been listening?”
Owen braced one shoulder against her cabinets. “Long enough to know the three of us have a fucked-up love triangle going on here.”
Mattie adored his sassy mouth, but it wasn’t helping things at the moment. “When were you planning to tell me you knew exactly who it was that walked out on me?”
Owen had the decency to look chagrined. “Soon?”
“And you”—she poked Lars in the chest—“don’t get to make decisions about who I do and do not fuck.”
Over Lars’s shoulder, she saw Owen give her a long, evaluating once-over before speaking. “Would it even things out if I fuck him and you watch?”
Her heart rate went from zero to sixty in half a second. Having a front row seat to that kind of show was on her short list of erotic desires. It had been ever since Selena had let slip a few details of the relationship she had with Malachi and Demon. Mattie had been with multiple lovers before. There was one very wild Beltane night that came to mind immediately, but that memory couldn’t hold a candle to what she was feeling now.
Lars looked apprehensive. “Owen you can’t just—”
“The hell I can’t.” He stepped closer to Lars. “Either you walk that sweet ass upstairs, or I’ll wrestle you right here and take you on the floor.”
Mattie had to grab on to the stair railing to stay upright. This wasn’t some nameless, faceless couple. These were two men she knew intimately. She wanted this. She wanted to know what they’d done in the time since she’d been with Lars. In some twisted way her heart felt as if that would begin to make amends.
“I want that,” she whispered. “I want to
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