chance to use your bed. But I'll let her know the offer's good only if she's in it alone." Rafe glanced at Jerry. "I know you don't get this, Blade, but Glory and I are friends. I do things for her, even when I'm not getting sex. Go figure."
Jerry growled, not liking the reference to sex despite the fact that Rafe had just admitted he wasn't getting any.
"Jerry, let's go." I walked around that enormous coffee table and gave Rafe a hug. "Thanks, buddy. I appreciate this. And, both of you, love the new furniture." Rafe's hand lingered at my waist until I pulled away to grab my keys and cell phone. Jerry just stood at the door, watching silently.
"Yeah, Blade did all right. But you should see the bill. I expected to see diamonds inlaid on that damned coffee table." Rafe shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, his face giving away nothing as he watched me join Jerry at the door.
"I told the designer to select a sturdy table." Jerry slipped his arm around my waist. "We would do well to take our next fight outside. It did cost a pretty penny."
"You both have to promise me there won't be a next fight." I looked up at Jerry. "I mean it. This tension between you is getting to me and I don't need it. Not on top of everything else."
"I can make the promise that I won't throw the first punch." Rafe smiled at me. "But can you, Blade?" He shifted his gaze to Jerry and his smile disappeared.
Jerry stared at Rafe, and I didn't doubt there were some pretty pithy mental messages being exchanged. What did I expect? Jerry's pride still smarted from my brief affair with Rafe. And there was something in the way my former bodyguard treated me now, a familiarity that almost shouted, "I've had her." It was subtle, but, to a man like Jerry, it was like a jab with a well-placed sword every time he saw Rafe and me together.
"Can you at least act civilized around each other? Please? I don't expect you to be friends but both of you are in my life to stay. I hope you can accept that." I put my hand on Jerry's chest.
"For you, Gloriana. Only for you." Jerry nodded at Rafe. "I won't fight with him again. Unless he starts it."
"There you go, Glory. You can even bring him to the club if you want. See how civilized I can be?" Rafe sat back on the couch and picked up the remote. "I'll let Trey and Penny have a little more time before I pry him out of here. Take off. I think we've said all we need to."
"Thanks, Rafe. I mean it." I wanted to hug him again, but knew Jerry had just about reached his limit. "Good night."
"Good night." He turned on the TV, obviously determined to act like he didn't care what I did. But I saw through it.
Damn, I hated hurting him, but he was a man who had known the score when he'd tried his luck with me. It had been Jerry who'd hired Rafe to protect me in the first place and I was sure my sire had made it clear he expected the bodyguard to know his place. Now Jerry's arm tightened around me, strong, possessive. I shrugged it off, not happy with this last overt sign of one-upmanship from him, and eased the door closed. Then I led the way up the stairs to the roof.
It was still a beautiful night but awfully close to dawn; no wonder I felt out of sorts, off-kilter. We shifted and flew as fast as we could, arriving in record time on Jerry's back porch. Lights were on and we could hear loud rock music. So much for a peaceful ending to a tense night.
"Seems my daughter is entertaining. She won't appreciate it if I check up on her or interrupt." Jerry frowned down at me. "Is there nowhere we can be alone?"
I smiled, the brief flight having done a lot to blow away my bad mood. What could I say? Two handsome men wanted to be with me. It wasn't exactly the worst problem in the world.
"Is your window locked?"
"I don't know, but I can afford to have it fixed." He glanced up at his second-story bedroom and saw what I'd seen. It was a fairly easy climb to get to his window if we used the ladder he kept