Love Triangle Six Books of Torn Desire - Willow Winters Page 0,44

Nikolai’s shoulders. I don’t see him until his fist flies past me and collides with the other man’s nose.

Blood spurts across Nikolai’s bare chest, and he stumbles back, colliding with the mirror and cupping his face.

“Cole!” The wind whooshes from my lungs, and my knees lock in horror. “What have you done?”

Expression tight and eyes aglow with black fire, he rears back for another punch, hellbent on putting my dance partner through the wall.

My legs propel me forward, and I hurl myself in the path of his strike. I narrowly miss four knuckles in the face as he redirects his fist into the mirror behind Nikolai.

Glass shatters, and Nikolai’s arms come around me, hauling us away from the detonation of testosterone and fury.

I slap the power button on the sound system, plunging the room into a haze of panting, wheezing breaths.

Cole steps toward us, hands flexing at his sides and the cords in his neck stretched taut. “What the fuck—?”

“Don’t come any closer!” I thrust a finger at him and swivel toward Nikolai.

Oh God, blood trails from his bent nose, the cartilage twisted and swelling rapidly. I grab a towel and hold it up to catch the bleeding.

“I’m leaving in two weeks!” Cole shouts behind me. “Is this what you’re going to be doing while I’m gone?”

“Dancing with my dance partner?” I whirl around, voice rising. “Yes, Cole. You better fucking believe that’s exactly what I’ll be doing.”

Cole and I fell in love so easily, naturally, perfectly. But I’d be lying if I said our relationship has always been easy. His temper is explosive, his jealousy obnoxious and turbulent on the best days.

“Where’s your ring?” He glares at my left hand with murderous accusation.

Shit, I forgot to put it back on. “Bathroom counter. I took it off to wax my—”

“Don’t ever take it off!” His roar echoes off the walls.

“Stop yelling at me!” I scream back.

“I can’t do this.” He paces through the room, threading his fingers through his hair and locking them together on his head. “I can’t be halfway across the world thinking about you rubbing your pussy all over another man.”

“I warned you. The morning we met, I said no jealousy. This is my job. You told me you could deal with it.”

“I also said I was hotheaded, and you told me you could handle that.”

He’s right. I can handle it. But…

“Nikolai didn’t sign up for this.” I step to the side and place a hand on my friend’s chest. “Un-fuck this up, and I mean, fix it right. I want groveling, Cole.”

“Danni, don’t.” Nikolai glares at me over the bloody towel against his nose.

“I want bowing and scraping and heartfelt apologies,” I say to Cole. “If Nik leaves here without forgiving you, you’ll be leaving with him.”

I walk toward the kitchen and pour a glass of wine as their footsteps trudge into the bathroom. A moment later, Cole’s voice rumbles through the house.

“I don’t like you.”

Christ. I pinch the bridge of my nose and release a heavy breath.

“I get that.” Nikolai’s Trinidadian accent sings through his pained voice. “But just because I fucked your girl in college—Ow! Fuck! You don’t have to press so hard.”

Cabinets slam. The faucet turns on and off. Then Cole’s hoarse timbre fills the silence. “I’m sorry.”

More silence.

“I’m struggling with…” Cole rasps out a sigh, and something thumps against the bathroom wall. “It’s killing me to leave her, and I’m going mad with worry. But there’s no excuse for taking it out on you. I don’t like you, but I do trust you. Because if you put your dick anywhere near—”

“That’s a threat,” I shout from the kitchen. “Not an apology.”

“You know,” he shouts back, “I eased up on that punch at the last second. His nose isn’t broken, so there’s nothing to forgive.”

I roll my eyes and leave them to it. Making my way to the front of the house, I recline on the couch and wait.

Fifteen minutes later, they emerge from the bathroom, both shirtless and sullen.

“Well?” I look at Nikolai expectantly.

“He loves you.” Nikolai prods a finger around his nose, his silver eyes squinting in pain.

My chest pinches. “Yeah, but—”

“He’s scared, hoss. Fucking terrified he’s going to lose you while he’s gone.” Nikolai rubs the back of his blond head, the corner of his mouth lifting in a small smile. “He and I won’t ever be buddies, but I’m gonna cut him some slack. He’s sorry. I forgive him. And my face doesn’t look so bad after he cleaned