His smile falters, and something lights in his eyes as he steps closer. “Please tell me you’re not the kind of girl to tease and walk away.”

“I’m actually not sure what kind of girl I am, to be honest, but I’m not in a teasing mood,” I assure him.

He runs his thumb along my bottom lip, and though those sparks are absent, I still enjoy the comfort in his touch and the dreamy way he’s looking at me.

He’s totally in the pile of possible true loves.

“I like the way you talk,” he tells me.

Weird compliment, but sure. I’ll take it. “I like the way you talk too,” I decide to say, returning what must be a common courtesy, and his grin kicks back up.

He presses even closer, lining our bodies up as he starts to move to the music. The sexy song sets a rhythm for our bodies to move to, and his eyes stay locked on mine. He’s so tall and broad-shouldered that I can’t see around him to know if the guys have already taken the girl home, or if they’re still luring her into their trap.

It’s a welcome distraction.

My eyes flick to his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Would it be as powerful with him? No. I know that much, simply because I’m not on fire just from his touch.

But it’s only because I’ve fantasized about the guys so long that I’ve built up everything too much in my head. It’s a trick my brain is playing on me, telling me everything is better than it is to keep it from miserably failing to meet expectations.

His hand slides up and slowly pushes into my hair, tugging my head back, and I suck in a breath, because it looks like I’m already going to find out what that kiss feels like.

My eyes flutter shut reflexively, and as soon as they do, I’m stumbling forward as the loss of his body causes my eyes to fly open. Then they widen, because Neal is on the ground, looking dazed as he tries to get up.

Jude is glaring at me as he steps in front of me, and I feel Kai press against me from behind before I see him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I demand, looking up at Jude like he’s lost his damned mind.

“We decided we don’t want you touching anyone while you’re staying with us,” Kai supplies, still standing too close to my back.

“Oh? Well, does that mean you four will also refrain?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

Jude smirks. “No. But we’ll let you watch, and you can touch yourself.”

“Unbelievable,” I mutter, shoving by him.

Neal is just standing up when Gage and Ezekiel shoulder by him so hard it sends him to his ass again. Gage looks like he wants to kill me.

Ezekiel looks like he wants to kill Neal.

I give up. These guys are impossible.

And super selfish.

I change my direction, heading into the thick mass of people. I’ll go back to the bathroom and siphon myself to another club I’ve gone to with them before.

I shift directions again, staying low so they can’t see me, and finally come out to where Neal is. He gives me a surprised look when he almost runs into me.

“Boyfriend or brother?” he asks me, a nervous laugh following.

“Neither. Just a terrible roommate. Actually, four terrible roommates. I’ll ditch them if you want to meet me at the club down the street.”

His grin grows. “That sounds like a setup.”

I shrug. “Your choice, Neal. If not you, I’ll find someone else.”

He grabs my hand before I can turn away, and he tugs me back. “My place in an hour if you’re serious. We’ll skip the club and do Netflix and chill. You got your phone?”

I don’t have a phone, but I elect to be vague.

“Not on me.”

“It’s the Martine apartment complex on the corner of Lexington and Pike. 1501B. Just ring me and I’ll buzz you up.”

“I’ll be there,” I tell him with a smile, but my smile falters when I see Jude making his way toward us on one side, and Kai coming in from the other.

“Gotta go. I’ll see you there,” I tell him, then turn and dart away.

I’m looking behind me, checking for the two unpredictable psychos, when I slam into an unrelenting, hard body.

Cursing, I look up with dread, and find Gage as he snakes an arm around my waist and starts dragging me out. I’ll let them think they’ve won.

For an hour.

Then I’ll go see Neal and find out if he’s my one true love so I can just dive in and start my life.

Gage basically drags me out of the club, even as I struggle a little, putting on a show. He knows I can’t just disappear. I’m not supposed to draw attention to myself, and a girl disappearing will definitely raise a few eyebrows.

As soon as we’re outside, I jerk out of his grip, and glare at him.

“I’m not really sure you guys ever hear the stupid that comes out of your mouths. I can watch you? But I can’t touch anyone?” I ask, shaking my head.

“I didn’t say that,” he tells me as Ezekiel comes up and tosses me over his shoulder like a barbarian.

I’m going to smother them in their sleep tonight.

“If you don’t think the same way, then put me down. I can promise you I have no intentions of watching you four paw all over another woman, all while you tell me how toxic I am for you. I’m certainly not going to let you dictate whether or not my vagina gets christened or not.”

“Can’t do that,” Ezekiel growls, sounding much too angry. “I told you this would happen,” he adds, glaring back at Gage.

“This was Kai’s idea. We never considered she’d be this fucking annoying and shameless.”

“I’ve told you I lost shame a long time ago. I have the four of you to thank for that,” I remind them, groaning as Ezekiel continues to carry me.

As soon as we reach the park, he siphons us, and the next step we take is inside his living room. He dumps me to the couch, dropping me like it burns too much to hold me another second, just as Kai and Jude appear in the room.

“Unless we lock her up, it’ll do no fucking good to leave her here,” Kai gripes, apparently carrying on a conversation I’ve already missed part of.

“Can’t lock her up, jackass. She can just pass through walls. Not even soul stone keeps her in,” Jude growls.

“I can assure you there’s no way you can confine me,” I decide to interject, earning a murderous glare from Kai before he directs his attention to Ezekiel and Gage.

“I told you it was pushing her too far, but you had to be a dick,” Ezekiel says as he starts making a sandwich.

“I find this all utterly ridiculous and a complete double standard. Why is it okay for the four of you to take home another girl but I can’t bring home a guy?” I ask seriously.

“Because we’re guys. It’s allowed,” Kai states just as seriously.

“I’m going to pretend you’re not referring to archaic social proprieties, considering you have none, and try not to stab you for that completely chauvinist remark.”

They don’t even glance my way, as they continue talking amongst themselves.

“No girl or her. Those are currently our options if we expect her to stay chaste while we wait things out,” Ezekiel tells them.

I nod in agreement.

“She doesn’t have to stay with us, then we don’t have to see her with other men,” Jude bites out, even though he seems to say it with strain.

Kai disappears from the room, and I hear him cursing above us as heavy footsteps stomp around the second floor.

“You want me gone now?” I ask, my voice a little quieter as I look at Jude.

He gives me a look that has me flicking my flesh switch off so that I become untouchable.

“No. I unfortunately don’t want you gone. But for whatever reason, I can’t physically allow you to be with another man. At the same time, I can’t physically stand to be without the feel of a woman much longer, or I need to kill something to work off the steam. You’re driving us all crazy.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I blow out a frustrated breath. “I honestly don’t even know how to deal with you right now. Neal might have been my future true love, and I didn’t even get to tell him that I was looking forward to finding out. Instead, I ran off after you four morons barged in like cavemen.”

It grows quiet, and I look up to see the three of them just staring at me for a moment.

“You were going to tell him he might be your future true love?” Gage asks, studying me intently.

“Yes. In case you haven’t noticed, I like to be honest in my intentions from the start. If things change, I’ll inform him,” I state matter-of-factly.

Jude seems to fight a smile for no real reason. Their mood swings grew old months ago.

“Then I suppose we should let you do that,” Jude says, still fighting a smile. “You can go back to the club.”

“He actually gave me his apartment number,” I boast, feeling like I accomplished something, considering the very limited time frame I had to meet anyone tonight.

Ezekiel surprises me the most as he takes a seat. “Then I guess we shouldn’t stop you. True love is nothing to mess with,” he says seriously, though I swear I hear a hint of amusement.

In fact, they weirdly all look a little amused, when only moments ago it seemed like they were ready to kill someone.