corners of Jake’s lips tipped up in a half-smirk, and that coupled with his bruises added to the bad boy element he rocked without trying. It also sent a shiver up my spine when he focused on me, like I was the only one in the room. “Rule number two—Sunday nights are mine.”
“Rule number three,” Coop chuckled. “Don’t step on another guy’s date.”
“How is that different from rule number one?” Wasn’t that the point of the no texting rule?
“I don’t have to text to show up when Coop is over here,” Jake said flatly. “That steps on another guy’s time. Same with when you go out to eat with Archie or I take you to the drive-in. That’s our one-on-one time.”
Okay. “Fair.”
“Rule number four,” Archie said, stretching forward to snag his coffee off the table. We’d stopped for fresh on the way home. We all had a lot of homework. With Halloween behind us, the race to the holidays was on. Thanksgiving in three weeks and the winter break two weeks after we got back from that. Every single class had a major project due, and we’d have all the tests. Yay. “No competing with each other.”
That jerked me out of my homework musing, and I stared at him.
“What? No competing?” I glanced from him to Jake, to Coop, and then down at the back of Ian’s head, before looking at Archie again. “Seriously? You four? No competing?”
“We managed,” Coop actually sounded offended. “But the important one was you, so we all focused on our own strengths, not trying to one up each other.”
“Screaming orgasm contest doesn’t count,” Jake said with a grin. “That’s friendly competition.”
And I was blushing again, but Jake only laughed at me.
Still, no competing. Wow.
They were all laughing, and I plowed on, heading back to the subject at hand. “So just four rules?”
The laughter faded, and Ian sighed.
“Nope,” Archie picked up the thread. “Rule number five—no one else, just us.”
A shiver went through me at the possessive look in his eyes. That rule didn’t surprise me. I licked my lips and nodded.
“Rule number six,” Ian volunteered. “Don’t hurt Frankie.”
That got a sharp nod from all of them.
“We fucked that one up some,” Jake admitted, and Coop sighed.
“But we’re working on it,” Archie insisted. “I like to think we’ve gotten better.”
“So do I,” I agreed, and some of the tension went out of their shoulders.
“Rule number seven was mind your own business. We only talk about what we want to talk about. We don’t butt in to each other’s relationships with you.” Ian tilted his head back to look at me again. “Unless we see someone messing up like I did. The guys nailed me for that, and rightly so.”
“And we worked it out,” Coop clarified. “Because we’re still friends, and friends have to communicate.”
“Okay, Dr. Phil,” Archie teased. “Dial it back. She gets it. Rule number eight was no fighting.”
“We did a shitastic job with that one,” Jake declared wryly. “But I stand by slugging Bubba. He deserved it.”
“So did you,” Ian retorted drily. “Not that I’m disagreeing with the fact that I deserved it.”
They shared one of those nods that meant they were in accord, and it took everything I had not to roll my eyes.
“That just leaves rule number nine, “ I murmured. “I think, unless you added any more.”
“Rule number nine?” I had all of their attention, except for Archie, who just laughed softly.
“No, I think we’re at nine, and I think that one should stand. Naked worrying is not allowed.”
Immediate assent came from all the guys on that one, and at least the blushing had calmed enough. Naked worrying had nothing on screaming orgasm contest.
“So, Baby Girl,” Jake said. “Any of those rules you want to toss out?”
“I don’t think so, though I’m confused why Sunday nights with you got a rule, but all the other date nights didn’t.”
“‘Cause Jake is a territorial ass,” Ian told me. “And he wanted to make damn sure he had time with you locked in no matter what else was going on.”
“No lie,” Jake admitted. “We can amend that one, within reason. To maybe…all four of us get an evening with you to ourselves, at least once a week?”
“Schedules and school and work permitting,” Coop suggested. “Some weeks are going to be tougher than others.”
“Fair,” Archie mused. “But we’re all staying here, so we can just rotate on those nights so your families get off your asses about how much time you’re over here.”