Fever (Breathless #2)(44)

Ash leaned forward, his arms planted on the desk. “I know I asked this but now I really have to ask. If you felt this way about her, then why the hell didn’t you just tell me? That night should have never happened. For God’s sake, why did you let me f**k her?”

Jace closed his eyes briefly and when he reopened them Ash was staring a hole through him. There was genuine confusion in his friend’s eyes. And regret. As though he feared that night was forever going to be a bone of contention between them. Jace didn’t want it to be. Maybe he was being naïve. It was fact that Bethany and Ash would cross paths again. If she was going to be a part of Jace’s life—and she absolutely was—then she and Ash would see each other a lot. He wasn’t about to turn his back on a friendship that was as deep as any blood tie. But what if it made things forever awkward?

Ash could deal. Of that Jace was positive. But the unknown in the equation was Bethany. How would she react to Ash? Did she have feelings for him? Did she still desire him? It was obvious she had been turned on by both men when they’d had sex with her. Would Jace have to always worry that Bethany would be looking in Ash’s direction or that she’d even pursue him?

It was enough to drive him crazy and it was stupid to dwell so hard on that. He wasn’t being fair to Bethany. It was obvious she was freaked out by that night and the fact she’d had a threesome with him and Ash. He couldn’t assume the worst about her and be suspicious before he ever gave her a chance. Their relationship would be doomed by jealousy and mistrust before it ever had a chance to get off the ground.

“Jace?” Ash asked in a quiet voice. “Why’d you let it happen, man? I don’t get it. You have to know I would have understood. I would have been surprised as hell, but I would have absolutely backed off. I’d never let a woman come between us.”

But Jace had. Hell, he’d put Bethany between them because he’d been desperate and he’d seen her waver. He’d been so afraid of having her walk away that he’d hastily agreed to something he was vehemently against.

It hadn’t been fair to Bethany and it sure as hell hadn’t been fair to Ash.

“I f**ked up,” Jace said in just as quiet a voice. “It was completely my fault. I thought at the time it was what I had to do. Before I could step in and put an end to it, she agreed. And once she agreed, I didn’t feel like I could say never mind, we’re not having a threesome, but oh by the way, I still want to take you home and f**k you. And then she seemed to have second thoughts and I panicked because I didn’t want her to walk away. It was all so goddamn f**ked up and it got out of control before I could fix it. And I regret every single minute.”

Something flickered in Ash’s eyes and he went silent. He settled back in his chair and looked away.

“Is this going to change things?” Ash finally said. “Between you and me? You sound like Bethany’s going to be around a long time. What does that mean for us because of that night?”

Unease crawled over Jace’s skin. If only he could go back to that night, he’d never say a goddamn thing to Ash. He’d have never brought Bethany to his attention. And he damn sure would have never f**ked her with Ash.

And now Ash was voicing the same concerns that Jace had himself. This was huge. He could not let his relationship with Bethany ruin his relationships with the people who meant the most to him. But neither could he let her go. He had to make this work, which meant handling the entire situation as delicately as possible.

“All it changes is that you’re not sleeping with her again,” Jace said with more confidence than he felt. He hoped to hell he wasn’t deluding himself. “I’m sure the first couple of times that we’re all together will be awkward. But it’ll only stay awkward if we make it that way. You’re both in my life, man. I’m not choosing between you. I hope to f**k I never have to. All we can do is make sure it doesn’t become an issue. But I need your help. Your . . . support.”

Relief simmered in Ash’s eyes. “You going to name your first kid after me?”

“Jesus. Now who’s moving fast? Pump the brakes, Ash. I’m not marrying her.”

“Yet,” Ash muttered.

“There’s a hell of a lot we have to work out,” Jace said in a grim voice.

“Anything I can help with? You asked for my support, but man, you gotta know you have that. You’ve always had it. That’s not going to change.”

Jace hesitated for only a moment, relief buzzing through his blood like potent alcohol. Then he related the entire chain of events involving Bethany from start to end. When he finished, Ash’s face was contorted into a fierce scowl.

“Motherf*ckers,” he swore. “They beat up a helpless woman because her ass**le brother borrowed money he had no way of paying back? And the little bastard hung her out to dry? Jesus, my family may be batshit crazy but they’ve never sicced a bunch of street thugs on me.”

Jace snorted. “Not yet, anyway.”

A glimmer of amusement lighted Ash’s eyes. “True. Give them time.”

There was a lengthy pause. Silent understanding.

“I don’t like you getting involved. I know some people. I can get them on it. Make sure the ass**les get their money and a message not to f**k with Bethany again,” Ash said. “That is, if that’s the way you want it to go down. I assume you want that debt paid.”