“How’d your night go?” Serenity asks, taking my coffee and sipping it.

“You know, the usual...” I grin at her.

“You’re a whore, Muff!”

“Only to the best ladies.”

She slaps my arm. “Jackson is too tired to get it up this morning, so I’ve been harassing everyone else.”

“For sex?”

She rolls her eyes. “No, you tool, for company.”

I chuckle, and tug a lock of her hair. “Well, maybe they’re all wanting to have sex and you’re ruining it for them.”

She pouts. “Do you want me to leave, Muff?”

“Never, princess.”

I hear the door close, and look over to see Jaybird isn’t in the kitchen anymore. Where did she go? It’s freezing outside. Something doesn’t feel quite right, so I buck my knees and drop Serenity off my lap before getting to my feet.

“We’ll be over for breakfast soon,” I say, walking toward the kitchen. “Make sure you get everyone up. Go and jump on Spike. He’s a morning person.”

Serenity laughs. “On it.”

She disappears out the front door, and I peer out the back door to see Jaybird disappearing into the trees wearing only a light jacket and jeans. Is she mad? I pull on a thick coat, and I head out after her. What’s going on?

~*~*~*~

Janine

I can’t help the ping of jealousy that rises in my chest as I walk through the trees.

I’m a jealous woman. No one said it was right.

I felt odd in there, when Serenity was on his lap. They were happy, laughing and teasing each other. They were so comfortable together. Almost too comfortable. Suddenly I felt odd. I could just ask Muff if there’s something still there, but do I really want to know the answer? If he has something for Serenity, or even the idea of a relationship with Serenity and Jackson, then I have a problem, and I’m not sure I can deal with that problem right now.

God, I’m being such an idiot.

Aren’t I?

I find a bench in the trees and sit down, tucking my legs up. Muff and me, we’re barely even a couple. He jumped fresh out of bed with Serenity and Jackson, right into a boring old vanilla relationship with me. Maybe he wants more, and he’s too scared to say so. Maybe that’s why he held back. I know the sex with me is good, sure, it’s explosive, but is it enough?

“What the fuck, Jaybird?”

I turn and see Muff walking toward me, hood over his head. I’m shivering—my teeth are chattering together. I didn’t realize how cold I was until I stopped thinking. Muff reaches me, and his eyes fill with worry.

“What the fucking hell are you doin’ our here, dressed like that? Shit, Janine.”

He called me Janine. He’s mad.

“I was just...”

“You were just what?” he barks. “Trying to kill yourself?”

“I’m s...s...s...sorry.”

“Come here,” he says, his voice gruff. He leans down and scoops me into his arms.

He turns and heads back up the path, his strides quick.

“You’re fucking freezing,” he growls. “Silly girl.”

“M...M...M...Muff?”

“Baby, don’t even ask. I’ll only tell you you’re wrong.”

“You d...d...d...don’t even know w...w...w...what I was g...g...g...going to ask.”

“You’re going to ask if I care about Serenity.”

Shit.

“And I’ll tell you, I don’t. I told you that last night. I know why you ran. You were hurtin’ seeing her on my lap, you were wondering if I maybe have feelings for her, or maybe I want to continue in a ménage relationship...”

“I...”

“I don’t. Do you hear me? I care about Serenity. Spending the night with her and Jackson, it was hot, but that’s all it was. It was just a fun moment. It was just a night of passion. I don’t want her. I don’t wish I was the one who got her, nor do I wish to be in a relationship with them. I want you, Jaybird. More than I’ve ever wanted someone in my life. I was insensitive of that inside before, I shouldn’t have let her behave that way, harmless or not.”

My heart melts.

“I’m s...s...s...s...sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he murmurs. “I know how it must have looked, and I’m sorry. I forget that you know what happened between us, and I forget that her behaving like that might look bad. But it’s just friendship, I swear it to you. I wouldn’t lie...not to you, angel.”

He gets back to our cabin and walks right to the room, flicking on the fire. Dropping to the bed, he strips me out of my clothes, and then quickly discards his own. Then he pulls back the covers and tucks me under them. My teeth are still clattering together, and when his warm body presses against mine he hisses, but he doesn’t let go. He wraps me in his arms, and he holds me.

He just holds me.

And I know he’s letting me know...that this is far more than we both expected it would be.

I think I’m in love with Muff.

~*~*~*~

Janine

“Oh God that was good,” I groan, rubbing my belly after finishing plate two of bacon and eggs.

“Damn, I can cook.” Spike grins.

“Knew you had to be good at something,” Ciara says, jabbing his side.

“So, what’s on the agenda today?” Serenity asks, tucking herself onto Jackson’s lap.