it when I did.
“I’ve got one request,” Archie said, sobering. “This can’t be a twenty-four-seven thing.”
“No,” Bubba agreed immediately. “It’s not for either of us. Right now, we’re exploring and we’re playing and we’re testing what we like and don’t like. But the dynamics of who the five of us are isn’t going to change.”
“Unless we’re playing too,” Coop supplied, and Bubba gave him a look.
“Unless we are playing,” he conceded. “But that’s still an ongoing trial and learning curve.”
“But it’s not a no all the time anymore?” Maybe this wasn’t the right place to have the conversation, but I was still curious.
“It’s more of a maybe,” Bubba admitted. “Under some circumstances, but not all the time.”
I glanced at Archie, but he wasn’t listening to us so much as watching her. Yeah, he wasn’t there yet. Frankie gave Lyssa a quick hug or maybe the other woman gave it to her, and then she headed back over to us. With a little hop, she joined our circle.
“And what are you four plotting?”
“Betting on the conversation topic,” Coop told her, not missing a beat. “Advice? Homework? Research? Or asking about some private tutoring?”
Frankie grinned wider. “A little bit of each, but more about whether there’s a right or a wrong way to learn some things. Like should we have a guide or should we just keep doing what we’re doing, and was there something on when you have multiple people involved.”
“So, we’re all right,” Archie said with a slow nod. “And you want us to do the one-on-one class?”
The hopeful look flaring in her eyes was unmistakable. “You don’t have to. Ian and I already discussed it. I like the idea of being tied up, but he really wants to learn how to do it the right way so it doesn’t hurt me.”
I agreed with that thought one hundred percent.
“But if you’ll notice, not everyone here is shy, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t have to be naked even for the one-on-one stuff. I mean, if it was just Lyssa there, that would be fine, but Ian’s going to need someone who is a master of ropes, and he gets to learn how to tie others up first.”
Bubba grimaced, but Frankie’s smile didn’t waver.
“And I get to watch.”
Coop laughed.
She hooked her arm through Bubba’s and leaned up to nuzzle his jaw. Whatever she told him settled him almost immediately because he relaxed, and then Frankie’s gaze locked on mine and I raised my brows.
Outside, Frankie slipped away from us to walk with Archie over to his Ferrari. I leaned against the SUV to wait with Coop and Bubba, only half-listening to their conversation on ropes and why it interested him. I’d seen some of the pictures in the books, I got it.
“Hey, you think she’d mind if you took pictures when you had her all tied up?” I mean, if I wasn’t going to be there.
“We’ll discuss it,” Bubba offered. “But maybe not right away. Not while we’re learning.”
Yeah, fair. That might be a little too intimate.
Still…
Frankie wrapped herself around Archie and then kissed him before he slid into the car and she headed back over to us.
“You guys okay with everyone coming over tonight?” Frankie asked us. Well, she focused on me. “I know we haven’t had a lot of time together…”
“Baby Girl,” I said, wanting to stop her right there, “we have all the time in the world. If you want everyone to come over tonight, I’m in. Archie grabbing food?”
“Yeah, he’s gonna grab pizzas. Then I’d like very much to just spend the night like we did in Colorado, just us and playing games and hanging out and not thinking about the rest of the world.”
Because she had court looming over her.
“Whatever you need,” Bubba said. “I’m going to ride with Coop, you ride with Jake and talk. I’ll even concede him the spot in the bed tonight.”
“Generous,” I said with a faint smirk, and he just grinned.
“I know.”
Then Coop pressed a kiss to her temple and they headed for his car, leaving me and Frankie alone in the cold.
“Jake…”
“Baby Girl, I meant it. I’m fine.” But when she plowed into me, I wrapped her up close. “We’re fine,” I murmured into her hair. “I know you love me.”
Voice muffled against my jacket, she said, “I really do, and I’ve missed you. It’s just been so…crazy.”
That was a word for it.
“Well,” I assured her as I pulled back and caught her gaze with mine, “then it’s