Tease Me (Private Listing #4)

“Don’t mean to interrupt, but I need to clear one more thing before the meeting tomorrow at lunch.” Patrick’s eyes never leave me. He doesn’t even glance at Madison.

Is that weird? Is he avoiding looking at her? Does he avoid looking at her because he wants to look at her? Or does she just not matter to him? He doesn’t have to work with her. If he needs something from her, we get it for him.

“Sure.” I glance down at Madison. She’s turned back to her work. Her cheeks are flushed pink as she types on her computer. Unable to resist, I brush her hair behind her ear. Her lips tip up into an almost smile even though she doesn’t look at me.

My heart settles. This is what family looks like. What the guys and I have and what Madison and I have.

I follow Patrick back to the break room with none of the anger my mother’s visit triggered.

Madison

My mind still spins hours later when I’m helping Seth make dinner. Coop stood up to his mother for me. He walked her out and spoke to the receptionist about letting her up without announcing her.

He chose me.

Coop went down to work out in the gym before dinner. Noah sits at the island, working on his laptop.

I haven’t seen Blake except in passing today. Every time I see him, my heart aches. I fell for him first and trusted him, but he didn’t trust me. I don’t know how we come back from that or what he can do to make it okay.

Seth isn’t completely forgiven, but he let Blake convince him to not trust me. That’s not as bad as being the one doing the convincing. I blow out a breath, and Noah lifts his dark eyes to mine.

“You good, kitten?”

Seth glances at me from the stove where he’s stirring a pot. His eyes aren’t as tense, knowing we’re going to sleep together tonight. It’s a move in the right direction. A move I needed to make.

Because I don’t feel complete. I feel unbalanced. But I don’t want the others to worry about it. Blake and I need to figure this out. I don’t know what he can do to make me believe he trusts me.

“I’m good.” I give Noah a smile as I pick up the bowl of salad to put on the table.

“You don’t have to do that.” Noah shuts his laptop and follows me. “You don’t have to keep it to yourself if you’re hurting.”

I set the bowl on the table and release my breath. “What am I supposed to say? That I don’t know what to do? That I don’t know how to fix this? That I miss having all of you with me and that feeling of being whole?”

Noah’s arms wrap around my waist and draw me back against his warm body. “We can work through it, kitten. You don’t have to figure this out on your own.”

I rest my head against his shoulder as I stare out the windows into the night. The city lights sparkle around our tower. We’re untouchable up here. At least that’s how I felt. But now I’m shaken.

The foundation of what we’ve built is a little rotten, and I’m not sure we can fix it without tearing everything apart and rebuilding.

I sink into Noah’s warmth as he presses his lips to my temple and holds me.

Seth walks over and puts dinner on the table. He stands next to me, close enough to touch, but he doesn’t. I hate that he still hesitates, but I’m also not willing to give him control so soon.

“We’ve always been a little broken, princess.” Seth’s voice is low and soothing. He reaches out his fingers and brushes them over mine. A little sizzle of awareness buzzes through me. “We’ll find a way back to each other.”

I turn my head to meet Seth’s mesmerizing eyes as I link my fingers with his. “I hope so.”

“Time for dinner?” Coop walks out of his room. His damp hair hangs around his shoulders. His smile is easy and carefree again.

“Everything’s ready,” Seth says.

Noah pulls away from me. Seth squeezes my hand before releasing it. I inhale and turn to the table, taking my seat.

Coop sits across from me. “You were brilliant today, goddess.”

My cheeks flush at his praise. “I don’t know if I’d go that far. I shouldn’t have been rude to your mother.”

“You met Victoria?” Noah seems surprised.