Page 30 of Unlocked Desire: Vol One

I focused on the bruises on his face, the black eye, the busted lip, the scrapes on his face, his broken leg, and the bandage wrapped around his head. "You're seeing a shrink."

Jack frowned. "I don't need to see a shrink."

"You do. You needed a shrink when you were four. It’s been a long time coming. You need help that Joey and I can’t give you. We can love, support, and be there for you in every way, but you need a professional."

JACK

Lip wanted me to see a fucking shrink. He wanted me to sit in some office on a brown leather couch and tell a complete stranger what a horrible childhood I'd had. I had enough fucking issues talking to Joey, a woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Still, as I lay there, bruised and broken, looking at the two people I loved more than my life, I knew he was right. The fucker was always right.

"Okay," I relented. "I'll go."

"Thank you," Joey whispered. "I love you."

She kissed me, her lips soft and tender like her heart. Joey always saw the best in us, the parts of us no one else saw. She was pure goodness, and I wasn't sure why she'd stayed with us, with me, for so long.

"I love you too, sweetheart. So much."

Joey turned to Lip with a mischievous smirk. "You just gonna stand there? Kiss the man."

Lip and I stared at each other. We’d only kissed that one time, and we'd done it to please Joey. We discovered a while ago that when she was turned on, so were we. There wasn't much we wouldn't do for her sexually. But that kiss had been more than simply pleasing Joey. It was when I realized I loved Lip not only as a man but as a lover.

I looked at Lip, unsure if he felt the same way. But then he pressed his lips to mine. An aggressive kiss full of need, desperation, and acceptance.

"We fuckin' love you, you idiot. Don't fuck up again," Lip ordered.

"I won't. I love you." I turned to Joey, holding my hand out to her. "Both of you. You're my family, my home."

"When did they say we can bust you out of here?" Lip asked.

"The doctor told me they needed to run a few more tests, and if those all check out, I can get out of here. So hopefully, a few days tops."

"When can you have sex?" Joey asked.

Lip and I burst out laughing.

"You horny, sweetheart?" I teased.

Joey turned a deep shade of red. She was so damn cute. "No, it's not that. This is a new beginning, the three of us together for real. I want to be close to both of you and have you close to each other. I'm sure I'm not explaining it well, but you and Lip have finally realized what I knew all along. What works isn't just me in the center but the three of us together."

"Let's take it one day at a time," Lip said. Then he smirked. "But we need to get a bigger bed."

Chapter 9

JOEY

"I've got news," Jack said, barreling into the kitchen and lifting me off my feet as I was about to take the casserole out of the oven.

"Put me down, you lunatic. Did you even see what I was about to do? We could’ve both ended up in the hospital."

Jack smirked. "You're fine, and better yet, so am I."

Lip smiled at me from the doorway before moving behind me and lacing his arms with Jack's as they held me in place.

"Why are you two so happy?” I demanded. “Can you both let go? I'm not getting hot and bothered when I know I can't get any. We decided to wait until we could all participate, remember?"

"Good news, baby, You don't need to wait anymore," Jack said, a sly grin plastered all over his smug face, a face I loved.

"You got the all clear?"