Menage on 34th Street by Elise Logan Page A

“I didn’t...shit. I didn’t think about it that way.”
    Silence fell over the table. When Kat spoke again, her voice had lost some of its razor edge. “No, you didn’t. That’s why you can’t make decisions for other people. You can’t know everything. No one can.”
    He opened his eyes and gave her a wry smile, though it hurt. “I guess that’s your way of telling me I’m not omniscient?”
    “No. It’s my way of telling you to stop making decisions for other people.”
    She was going to forgive him. If she were going to cut him loose, she wouldn’t bother laying down the rules. The last of the tension slid away.
    “You’re a tough lady.”
    “I’m right . You just don’t like it.”
    “This is why I don’t fight with her,” he told Hunter.
    Kat frowned. “We rarely fight.”
    Liam nodded. “Yeah. Because you win. And I really hate losing.”
    Hunter barked out a laugh. “Yeah, you do.”
    She frowned at both men before pointing one perfectly manicured nail at Liam’s chest. “I’m forgiving you, but you can’t do this again.”
    “Yeah.” He rubbed his palms over his knees under the table. He felt like he needed to reaffirm his connection to her, but he wasn’t sure how to do it. “Thanks. I love you so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you, K-K.”
    “Let’s hope you never have to find out.” Kat looked away from Liam and spoke to Hunter. “I do know what I would do without you but I don’t want to do it anymore. I don’t know if I even can go back to that after tonight. If you’re not going to stay—to be with both of us—you have to go. Liam and I are a package deal. But I believe you’re meant to be part of our package, too. It’s your choice to make. You can’t turn around down the line and accuse me or Liam of manipulating you. So...choose. Choose now. I’m going to make coffee.”
    Kat picked up her plate and carried it into the kitchen, leaving Liam and Hunter staring across at each other.
    Hunter spoke first. “What just happened?”
    “She put her cards on the table. It’s good that she’s talking. It means she’s not supremely pissed anymore.” Liam thought about asking Hunter to lay his feelings out there, too, but decided he’d pushed enough for one night. Since Hunter hadn’t immediately bolted when Kat told him to choose, Liam held on to a measure of hope that Hunter shared their desire and willingness to explore their potential.
    “Yeah. How did you do that, by the way?”
    Liam frowned as Hunter brought him back to the moment. “Do what?”
    Hunter jerked his head toward the kitchen. “Defuse her that way.”
    Liam thought about it for a moment, listening to the sounds of Kat brewing coffee. The clatter of china told him she was getting the mugs down. “She’s not a bomb. I was wrong, I copped to it and apologized. Like I said, she’s usually right when we argue, so I try to avoid it.”
    “Seems like there should be a trick to it. Most of the married guys I know have to beg or bribe.”
    “No one ever said we couldn’t sweeten the pot with a little bribe.” Liam smiled slowly. “Employ that Marine self-control of yours and you might even get some begging, if that’s what you’re after.”
    Hunter cocked his head to the side. “What did you have in mind?”

Chapter Six
    Kat loaded the mugs along with sugar and cream onto a small tray. Playing hostess gave her something to do and gave her some time to process. The magnitude of her relief at hashing things out with Liam told her something important. Despite his lie, despite his manipulation, she wanted their marriage. She’d known when she married him that he had a wide controlling streak that manifested in maneuvering people around him to suit himself. Given the chaos and disorder of his childhood, it wasn’t exactly shocking that he’d become so adept at it. With that need for control, it shouldn’t surprise her that he needed a more stable arrangement than their current