Chapter 52: Renee

I woke early for work the next morning, still curled warmly in Aaron’s arms. His gentle, familiar snores nearly lulled me back to sleep, but I knew I couldn’t be late for work. With a heavy sigh, I slipped out of bed and got dressed as Aaron slept, careful not to wake him as I tip-toed out the bedroom door and made my way downstairs to start a pot of coffee. Out the front living-room window, Jake’s car was parked in the drive. He must have gotten home late last night, but I was pleased to see a sweet note sitting next to the coffee pot that was already filled with fresh grounds and ready to brew. He always did that if I didn’t see him when he got home late; it was kind of our thing, and I adored him for it.

With a grin, I clicked on the coffee maker to brew and then continued to get ready, slipping on my sneakers before pulling my messy red hair into a bun on top of my head. As I waited for the coffee to finish brewing, the soft sound of footsteps on the stairs drew my attention in that direction. When I glanced over, I found Jake ascending the steps. His dirty blond hair was mussed with a restless night’s sleep, and he was dressed in only boxer shorts, displaying an impressive canvas of chiseled abs.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, wrapping muscular arms around me from behind. I melted into the warmth of his body with a soft sigh, closing my eyes as his familiar scent cacooned me.

“Good morning, handsome,” I murmured, turning my body so I could kiss him. “How was work?”

“Uneventful,” he said, his eyes twinkling as his lips teased mine, hands roaming up and down my back, teasing me. I knew he was probably full of it—Jake’s job was hardly ever uneventful—but over the years he’d learned not to give me too many details because it always ended up stressing me out and scaring the crap out of me. It seemed like more often than not he was in the middle of some sort of intense danger, and that terrified me.

“What time did you get home last night?” I asked, untangling myself from his arms to go to the fridge for the creamer as the coffee maker beeped.

“Sometime after two,” Jake said with a yawn. “Lots of paperwork to get done.”

I grabbed a travel tumbler for me and a cup for him, pouring hot coffee into both mugs before sliding his to him across the island. Black, just as he’d always liked it. He picked up the mug and took a sip before setting it down and rounding the island to take me into his arms again. He nuzzled my neck, his breath warm on my skin, and I closed my eyes, letting him hold me, feeling his muscles tense and relax against my bare skin. He trailed a finger up and down my bare arm, making me shiver in pleasure, and his free hand reached down and caressed my ass as his lips met mine, forcing them apart. A slight moan escaped my lips as Jake kissed me, cupping my behind as he lifted me off the ground and placed me on the island countertop, forcing my legs apart as he continued to kiss me, gently at first, and then with more desperation. I groaned, allowing my fingers to tangle themselves in his disheveled hair. Between my thighs, I felt him harden for me, and just as I had the bright ideas to kick off my pants and let him fuck me right there in the middle of the kitchen, a noise from the bottom of the steps startled us both into silence.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Aaron said, stepping down from the last step as his eyes studied us between two tiny slits. I automatically started to push Jake away, but he resisted, smirking at Aaron instead as he kept his position between my legs. I could feel the heat rising to my neck and cheeks, but I wasn’t sure why. “I just wanted to tell you to have a good day,” Aaron continued, walking past us to grab his own cup from the cupboard. He poured some coffee, adding sugar and cream, then leaned back against the counter as he sipped it, his eyes darting between Jake and me.

“Thank you,” I said, pushing gently against Jake’s chest until I had enough room to hop down from the counter. My skin was still on fire, and I found I couldn’t meet either of their gazes as I topped off my tumbler and went to the closet for a jacket, zipping it to my chin. Jake and Aaron were busy staring each other down, but not a word was uttered between the two. The tension in the air was palpable, and I felt like I was walking on a pond of thin ice as I gathered my bag and slipped my cell phone into my pocket.

“I’m—off,” I said awkwardly. I briefly considered slipping out the door before either of them could say anything, but I didn’t want to piss anyone off, so I stepped in front of Jake and kissed him lightly, just as I always did, before circling the island and doing the same to Aaron. Neither of them seemed to even notice, as they were still staring each other down, sizing the other one up. I cringed inwardly as I made my way to the front door. “Love you!” I called over my shoulder, but neither of them responded. Deciding not to push the bitter mood, I stepped out and closed the door behind me, relieved to pull in a lungful of fresh, bitterly cold air.

Jesus Christ. What was happening to us?

My short drive to work was uneventful, and I was able to relax a bit being away from the guys. I hated this, I hated how tense things had become in the last month or so. It felt as if we were all drifting apart, resenting each other for reasons I still didn’t understand. I figured it was about time to have an intervention of sorts, where we could all sit down together and openly discuss the issues and insecurities.

That is if any of them would even agree to that.

My thoughts were still swimming as I arrived at work and made my way into the ER for the start of my shift, waving hello to my coworkers and friends who were already there filling out paperwork and tending to patients.

“Good morning, Ren,” my friend and fellow nurse, Elena Serrano, said brightly as I plopped down in my chair in front of the nurse’s station. She had a smile on her face per usual, dark hair tied back in a ponytail that bounced when she spoke and moved.

“Morning,” I said, glad to see a smiling face that wasn’t glaring. Sometimes, the boy’s brooding was too much to take.

“Hey, sis, you okay?” Elena asked as I tossed back the remainder of my coffee and shoved the empty tumbler aside. “You look tired. Or tense. Or both.”

I forced a smile and shrugged. “Drama at home,” I told her honestly. “It’s been kind of ridiculous.”

When I first started my job as a nurse practitioner in the Denver ER a few years ago, I’d been hesitant for anyone to find out about my relationship status. I was afraid of being judged, and for good reason. I knew the relationship I had with Matt, Jake, and Aaron was taboo, but it didn’t take long for it to become obvious, anyway. After all, when you were dating both a firefighter and a cop who frequented the ER during their shifts, it was impossible to hide forever. Fortunately, we had nothing but support from most people, and that was the biggest relief of all.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Elena said, leaning her forearms on the desk to grin at me. “I can’t juggle one man, let alone three.”

“It used to be easier,” I muttered. “Time hasn’t been good for us.”

“Jealousy?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Seems like it.”

“I’m surprised it took this long, honestly,” she said with a shrug. “Men are naturally jealous beings.”

I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face, feeling a headache coming on. I had a shit ton of work to do today, and it was time to buckle down and begin. As I reached for the stack of paperwork to start, the sound of sirens interrupted my plans, and I glanced out the ambulance bay just in time to see a firetruck pull up.

“Speak of one of the devils,” Elena said with a laugh. “Good luck, senorita.”