Evidently, Severin thought he was.
With new eyes, she watched the two of them interacting, then remembered the statement Loïc had made about Rodrigo loving Severin. She’d blown it off at the time, deciding he’d just been trying to bait her.
“I’m...sure it’s not like that,” she said, thoughts racing. Was it possible?
He grunted, still glaring at the two of them standing together. Loïc put his hand on Rodrigo’s shoulder then dropped it again, and Minnow could feel every muscle in Severin’s body humming with rage. Shit. Severin’s reactions to things were often over the top and sometimes inexplicable, but this had him on edge like the old days.
What if Loïc had noticed something she hadn’t?
Had she been so dazed by orgasms that she’d missed something that obvious? Hell, she was bisexual – how would she have missed her lovers not only being bisexual, but interested in each other?
She would have noticed heated looks being exchanged, right? Maybe there had been some, but she’d thought they were about her. But they were naked together all the time! Something would have happened between them while she was there, if they were interested in each other.
But then, Severin’s reactions to Rodrigo and Loïc being chummy felt a lot like an insecure lover’s jealousy.
Feeling dizzy, she laid her hands flat on the table. What if it was true and they did like each other that way?
Well...so what? It was hot. She’d fantasized about watching them together often enough.
But what if she was just a beard for their relationship? Panic set her stomach roiling. They were her entire fucking life. What if...
Rodrigo grinned at Loïc, the two of them looking every bit like wealthy businessmen in the middle of a friendly deal. Maybe a bit too friendly. They were both drunk. Severin was drunk. She’d opted to stay sober, considering how insistent Loïc was getting with his flirtations. It had been a relief when Loïc had focused his attention on Rodrigo tonight, until she’d realized it might mean the end of her and Severin’s relationship with Ro.
A relationship.
That’s what it was, wasn’t it? Even though no one had said the words. She kind of took him for granted, but Rodrigo was often there for her when no one else was. He was there for both of them, but didn’t get any say in their relationship even though he was more or less living with them now. He had all of the responsibility of a relationship but none of the advantages, other than the sex. Maybe it wasn’t fair.
Severin had more or less moved him in after his blackout, and there was no talk about him leaving again. He was a hell of a lot more than stunt cock in their relationship now, but she wasn’t sure they’d ever told him that. What if he decided a real relationship with Loïc was better than being a third wheel with her and Severin? A feeling of loss swept over her.
“Mister Leduc, if you don’t want him to mess around with Loïc, maybe you should tell him that.”
“I shouldn’t have to tell him that.”
“Does he know how you feel about him?” she chanced.
Severin cut her a murderous look. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Loïc leaned closer to Rodrigo, saying something that made Ro laugh.
Okay, that was looking undoubtedly flirtatious, at least on Loïc’s part, but Rodrigo wasn’t putting any distance between them and he didn’t seem uncomfortable about the attention.
Loïc cast a look their way and raised his glass to Severin as though thanking him for sharing Rodrigo, his usual mocking smile seeming much different under the circumstances.
Severin pushed to his feet and stalked toward them, his big hands balled into fists.
Shit.
Minnow scrambled after him. “What are you going to do?”
Rodrigo’s head came up as though he could feel Severin cutting a swathe through the crowd. He stepped between Severin and Loïc, stopping Sev in his tracks.
“Out,” Rodrigo barked in Severin’s face, surprising the hell out of Minnow. Loïc looked completely bewildered, as though he hadn’t sensed the danger he was in.
Severin turned and strode out the door, forcing people to move quickly out of his way. Bull in a fucking china shop. Rodrigo strode in his wake, body language aggressive. This was going to come to blows.
Minnow followed them out, but gestured for Loïc to go back to their table.
Rather than stopping right outside, Severin took off down the street and turned into an alleyway. It was dark, deserted, maybe dangerous, and Minnow would never have gone into the alley if the two biggest men she knew hadn’t preceded her.