Three Rings and a Rose (11 page)

No. That can’t be it. God, please don’t let it be that.
Caedon shook his head. “You have lived here for two years, Micah. Surely you have seen more than one happy couple. Shit, I’ve seen plenty of them, and I’ve only been here a few hours.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen them,” he muttered, “but I assumed that I would not be one of them.”

“Why not?” The question slipped from Caedon’s lips. But he didn’t regret it. He wanted to know what made Micah feel different from the other men in town.

Micah shrugged. “I don’t know. I just figured it wasn’t for me.

I’m a possessive asshole. If I couldn’t control my jealousy with you, then I have no hope that I can do it with anybody else.”

“And the other men in town aren’t?” Caedon held back his disbelieving snort. He had not been in town long. But he’d seen enough to know that the men here were dominant. “Have you ever talked to any of them about what it’s like to share a woman?”
78

Mia Ashlinn

“No.”

“Maybe it’s time you did,” Caedon remarked.

Frowning, Micah nodded. “Maybe it’s time we both did.”

“I think it’s about time we did a lot of things,” Caedon informed Micah. He reached for his hand but stopped himself before their skin met. Pulling his hand back as nonchalantly as possible, he cleared his throat. “Why don’t we go somewhere we can talk?” Micah stared at Caedon’s hand hanging at his side. The thoughtful expression on his face wasn’t one Caedon was familiar with. It was as though he’d wanted him to touch him. But that couldn’t be the truth.

He’d never wanted it before. He wouldn’t want it now.
You act as
though you tried before, bonehead.

Caedon hadn’t touched Micah before—not with any sexual intent.

Even their purely platonic touches were occasional at best. Although, Caedon now feared that might be an issue. Every instinct he possessed screamed to touch this man, to love him. How in the hell would he be able to control himself?
I’ll find a way. I won’t give up
Ella. And I won’t give up Micah, even if I have to settle for a
bromance.

With a sigh, Micah raised his eyes to Caedon, momentarily stunning him with the emotional turmoil in the blue depths. “I would love that.”

“Me too.”

Three Rings and a Rose

79

Twenty minutes later, Micah shoved open the door to Serenity’s most popular pub, Her Majesty’s Pleasure. Without glancing back to see if Caedon was following behind him, Micah breached the entryway and walked inside. He scanned the interior of the dimly lit bar, knowing immediately that he’d chosen the right place to talk with Caedon.

With the bar still in the middle of remodeling, it was nearly deserted, which was exactly what he’d been looking for. He needed a place they could talk where no one could interrupt them or hear what they had to say. Other than a couple of people nursing their drinks at the bar and a few more scattered sporadically at tables throughout the large room, there was not much likelihood of peeping eyes or prying ears.

“You think we can talk privately in a
bar
?” Caedon asked incredulously as he moved in behind Micah, his body so close that Micah couldn’t think straight.
How embarrassing. I’m supposed to be
pissed at him, but all he has to do is get close enough to touch me
innocently, and I’ll forget the reason why.

When Micah didn’t say anything, Caedon butted his shoulder with his much larger one, jostling Micah’s upper body. “Micah?” he asked.

“Are you in there?”

“I’m here,” Micah croaked, hating the hoarse hitch he heard in his voice. “I was just looking for a quiet place to sit.”
Yeah, that sounds
like an appropriate answer.

Micah searched the bar again, seeking out the quietest place to sit.

Zoning in on the far corner, he noticed a shadowy booth that was
80

Mia Ashlinn

surrounded by empty tables. Jerking his head to indicate where he was heading, Micah murmured, “Over there.” Not waiting for Caedon’s okay, Micah strode across the dusty hardwood flooring, leading the way to the darkened booth. He hadn’t made it far before he spotted Leila Schilling coming out of the restroom and racing toward them. The Bitch, as other girls in town called her, was directly in their path, and he knew that neither he nor Caedon would be able to avoid her.
Shit.

Shaking his head, Micah peered over his shoulder. “Watch out.

That one is trouble.”
Big trouble.

Caedon grinned, his cocky smile that made most people on the planet melt. And that’s what Micah did. He dissolved into a puddle at the man’s feet.

Forgetting Leila, losing track of everything other than this man, Micah’s cock responded, twitching then springing to life in his snug jeans.
I’m hopelessly fucked. Loving this man and lusting after him is
a dead end, but I just can’t seem to help myself.

Distracted by the lust liquefying his body like steel shoved into a furnace, Micah nearly missed the preying piranha’s approach. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here,” Leila murmured with a saccharine-sweet smile that didn’t fool Micah for a minute. She might look like an angel, but she breathed fire like a demon. “Micah Blaylock and Caedon Asher are together again.” Standing several inches shorter than his five foot eleven, Leila looked like the epitome of a Stepford Wife-in-training. She was disgustingly perfect, if a man was into a flawlessly proportioned face, a pert nose, and a well-placed beauty mark. And if a man desired a woman with rich mahogany hair that fell down her back in waves without a single glossy strand out of place, gray eyes that smoldered like a dwindling fire, and creamy, unblemished skin, she was the one for him.

Three Rings and a Rose

81

Of course, Leila didn’t interest Micah in the least. Social-climbing, opportunistic witches didn’t do a thing for him, especially not ones that mistreated his Ella.

“Blaylock?” Caedon asked, his question a whisper.

Frowning at Caedon over his shoulder, Micah explained, “Micah Gunner is my pen name.”

“Interesting choice,” Leila murmured, her obvious insult thinly hidden in her words.

“What do you need?” Micah asked, not even attempting to keep his distaste for her out of his tone. “We are in the middle of…something.”

Leila licked her full lips, obviously attempting to appear seductive, as she batted her long, dark eyelashes at Caedon. “I’d love to be in the middle of something with him,” she purred softly, quiet enough that Caedon probably couldn’t make out what she’d said but Micah could.

Skirting around Micah, Leila introduced herself. “Hello, Mr.

Asher. I’m Leila Schilling.”

Shifting to the side so that he could keep a watchful eye on the gold-digging whoreasaurus, Micah grunted his irritation. But Leila paid no attention to him. She continued on as though he were not even there. “I’m such a”—halting, she raked her gaze up and down Caedon’s sexy body before finishing—“fan.” Micah examined Caedon, observing the tall, good-looking man’s response. Not surprisingly, he left his charm on full blast. However, Caedon’s eyes reflected his annoyance by the shrew’s overt flirting.

He was clearly being polite, nothing more.

“Hello,” Caedon said with a nod of his head. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Micah didn’t miss the fact that the other man hadn’t touched Leila, and an irrepressible grin kicked up Micah’s lips. “Leila, it’s”—

Micah cleared his throat so he could utter his next words—“good to
82

Mia Ashlinn

see you, but we must be going. We’ve not seen each other in a couple of years and would like to catch up.”

Caedon slid his shocked eyes to Micah, but Micah pretended not to notice. “Yeah,” Caedon agreed. “We need some privacy to talk.”

“So what’s a big shot like you doing in my town?” Leila asked, blatantly disregarding their brush-offs. “Not that I mind, of course. I would love to show you around.”

Caedon’s smile froze in place, his congenial expression fading slightly. “I’m visiting friends.”

“Oh really?” she asked. “You have friends here? Who?” Micah ground his teeth together in annoyance. “I think that would be obvious.”

Leila glanced at Micah, giving him a once-over then dismissing him with no more than a moue of displeasure. “Anyone else?” Caedon’s friendly demeanor disappeared. He obviously didn’t appreciate her coldness toward Micah. “I’m here to see Micah and Ella.”

“Oh,” Leila replied. “I thought you and my dear friend, Ella, had broken up.”

Micah snorted. “Your friend? Since when?”

Scowling at Micah, Leila boldly lied. “Yes, my friend. I’ve known Ella for eons. She’s such a lovely lady.”

Right. Ella’s never been a lady
. Apparently, Caedon wasn’t falling for Leila’s bullshit either because he chuckled. “Yes, she’s a very lovely lady. I’ve missed her.”

“That’s so sweet,” she drawled as she laid a viperous hand on Caedon’s chest, her perfectly manicured red nails looking like blood next to his plain white T-shirt. Without a moment’s hesitation, Caedon stepped back. He frowned, but she continued driveling on.

“It’s great that you two can still remain friends considering your difficult breakup. Not to mention, Ella’s notorious serial dating. I would have a hard time continuing a relationship with someone like…that.”

Three Rings and a Rose

83

Leila sighed before touching Caedon again. This time she caressed his thick arm, kneading the big muscles there. And for the second time, Caedon pulled away from her. “It shows how strong you are,” she purred.

Infuriated by the gall Leila had insulting Ella and laying a grimy hand on Caedon, Micah’s heart accelerated. “Leila,” he gritted out.

“Caedon and I are going to go sit down. I suggest you either leave or find some other poor sucker to hit on.”

Leila thrust her bottom lip out and pouted. “But I wasn’t done with Caedon.”

“Well, I was done with you,” Caedon countered. Then he seemed to realize how short he’d been with Leila, and his face thawed—

marginally. “It was nice to meet you and all, but I’m not interested in anyone other than Ella.” He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say more, but he quickly snapped his jaw shut and cleared his throat.

“We’ll see about that,” Leila whispered low enough that she probably believed no one could hear her, but Micah still did.

Clenching his fists, Micah warred with himself to keep his mouth shut. It wouldn’t do a damn thing to argue with her, no matter how much he wanted to.

“Well, I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Leila murmured, still using what she clearly thought was a sexy voice, as she adjusted her Louis Vuitton purse on her shoulder. “I hope to see more of you around town, Caedon.” Puckering her lips and blowing Caedon a kiss, she slipped between them before strolling out the door.

“Wow,” Caedon breathed. “She was…something.”

“You have no idea what Leila is capable of,” Micah spat. “When she wants something, she’ll do whatever she can to get her claws into it. And now, she wants you. You might want to watch your back. I know I’ll be watching mine and Ella’s.”
And yours, too.

Caedon shrugged. “I’m not worried about her. We need to talk about our woman, not that one.”

84

Mia Ashlinn

* * * *

Monkey’s butt. Did I really just say, “our woman,” to Micah?

Seriously? We haven’t decided anything. Yet here I am, shooting off
my mouth as though our sharing is a done deal. I’m going to fucking
run him off before he talks to me.

Cursing himself, Caedon picked up their path where they’d left off. He hauled himself toward the booth Micah had suggested before slipping inside the shadowy interior and sinking into the vinyl seat cushion with a groan.

At the same time, Micah copied him on the other side of the table.

“Are you thirsty, Caedon?” he asked as he leaned back and crossed his arms, the hulking muscles rippling with his abrupt movements. “I can grab Sam’s attention, if you are.”

Caedon didn’t hesitate with his response. “No. I’m good,” he said.

Only he really wasn’t. His hammering heart and sweaty palms were flustering him. Despite his former playboy ways, he was acting like a lovesick schoolboy, and he didn’t enjoy it one bit.

“How about you?” Caedon inquired, hoping that he came off calm and cool when he was anything but. “Are you good?” Micah nodded roughly. “I’m fine.”

A strained silence settled over them. Caedon wanted to talk, but he didn’t know where to start. And even if he did, Micah’s intimidating scowl was more than enough to keep him quiet. The other man might have agreed to come and talk. However, he gave the distinct impression that he wasn’t particularly open to conversation at the moment.

Sucking in a breath, Caedon ordered his mouth to work and make insipid small talk. “So...how have you been?”
How have you been? I’m such an idiot.

Micah stared across the table, his clear eyes piercing Caedon.

“Fine,” he growled.

Three Rings and a Rose

85

“That’s good to hear,” Caedon replied, shifting in his seat nervously. He smoothed his hand down his thigh to his knee and held his bouncing leg still. “I’ve been busy.”