“No fucking way. Really? She was in there paddling the pink canoe loud enough for you to hear her and you stayed on the fucking couch?” He laughs even louder, and I’m seconds away from hitting him just to make him shut the fuck up. “No wonder you’re a grouchy bitch this morning. You have more restraint than I gave you credit for.”
I flinch when he walks up and claps me on the back.
“You don’t have to do that, man. You have my fucking blessing.”
With his arm around my shoulder, he pulls me to his side.
“Your fucking blessing?” I ground out.
“Yeah. I couldn’t imagine a better guy to be my kid’s stepdaddy.”
He disappears before I can turn around and deck him.
Chapter 26
Simone
I waited to leave my bedroom until after the chatter wore down, but my thirst keeps me from staying in here all damn day.
Touching myself repeatedly last night seemed like a good idea at the time, but I never considered having to face Rocker. I figured he would’ve shoved open the door and demanded that I stop or he would’ve joined me on the bed. He did neither, and honestly, that hurt a little. Even after the numerous rejections, him not showing his face still got to me.
When I enter the kitchen, Jinx and Rocker are on opposite sides of the room, glaring at each other like a showdown is about to happen and I’m at risk of getting caught in the crossfire.
“Morning,” I grumble.
“Hey gorgeous.” Jinx presses a kiss to my temple, his hand sliding down to my stomach.
I keep my eyes on Rocker, wondering what his thoughts are on his best friend’s daily morning routine.
Only Jinx decides to change things up. Instead of being satisfied with the brief touch, he lifts my t-shirt, uncovering my panties before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss just below my belly button.
Rocker looks like he’s never been more offended in his life.
And when Jinx breathes deep and declares, “You smell fucking amazing,” I swear he could kill a man with just the look in his eyes.
“I’ll snap your damn neck,” Rocker hisses.
I look down at Jinx to find him grinning up at me, his face still near my exposed belly.
“Good morning, baby boy. Did you sleep well?” He has his lips pressed to my skin, and the rush of warmth makes chill bumps race over my skin.
“Boy?” Rocker says, his eyes managing to open even wider.
“We don’t know. Miles thinks it’s a boy.” The man in question winks at me before pulling away, and it tells me he’s antagonizing his friend on purpose.
Well, the jokes on him because Rocker doesn’t want to do a damn thing with me, despite his declaration last night that he’s only keeping his distance because Jinx isn’t happy with the idea of us being together.
I use the word together very lightly. Fucking would be better. Jinx doesn’t want us fucking.
“I give you both permission to date.”
Rocker spits out his sip of coffee, and all I can do is glare at Jinx.
“Permission? I don’t need your fucking permission to do shit, Miles Alexander. We’ve had the conversation about you trying to run my life, or have you forgotten?”
Undeterred by my anger, Jinx hands me a glass of apple juice before pulling eggs and bacon out of the fridge for breakfast.
Rocker chuckles when Jinx doesn’t engage.
“I don’t need your damn permission either.”
This shuts him up.
“Don’t forget the damn bell pepper,” I snap before turning around and walking out of the room.
If I stay, I’ll blow a gasket, and after my appointment with Dr. Alverez yesterday, I need to remember my breathing techniques to keep calm. That’s impossible when those two assholes are in the same room.
With my hands on the bathroom counter, I hang my head between my shoulders and take long deep breaths through my nose and release them slowly through my mouth as I wonder how hard it would be to get a restraining order against both of them if only to keep them out of my damn apartment. I missed Rocker when it was only Jinx and I here, but the two of them together are nearly impossible to handle.
My shower is uneventful, but I stay under the hot stream of water until it begins to run cold. I spend extra time on my skin care routine because I want to, not because Rocker is here. I blow-dry my hair slowly, spending extra time to style it