Free Love of Steel [The Callens 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Melody Snow Monroe

looked rather perplexed. “For my phone? It was never lost.”
    “Oh, so your phone is working?”
    His head lifted as if he finally got what she was saying. “It’s a two-way street, you know. You have my number.”
    “True.” Getting into a debate wasn’t on her to-do list. “I have the balconies in my truck and need to find two strong men to help me carry them in.”
    “Let’s get them!” Parker said.
    All three went out to her truck and carried in the set. The men spread them out on the floor.
    Parker studied them. “These are wonderful, but is there any way you can add a few more scrolls on this second one?”
    He had to be kidding. “I’m swamped right now. I’m sorry.”
    Logan moved next to her, wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, and squeezed. “You know, darlin’, if you married a wealthy man, you wouldn’t have to bother taking on projects that don’t interest you just to make money.”
    His lame comment came out of nowhere. “I don’t need to get married to do what I like. I need another assistant.” She pulled out her cell phone to check the time. “I know you both have a tight schedule, and I have to work on another piece. We’ll be in touch.”
    She balled up the bottom of her top, spun on her heels, and walked out as evenly as possible.
    Why don’t you marry a wealthy man? Her mom had fallen for a wealthy man and look what she had to show for it—nine kids and years and years of constant cooking and cleaning. No thank you. Her mom had no me time.
    The farther Jade got from the theater, the more pissed she became. Both Parker and Logan seemed to have the same attitude about her job. She took pride in running her business. Maybe she wasn’t the best at managing her time because she kept agreeing to help people, but she did make a living at what she loved. Did they really think she needed a man to support her? They sure as hell didn’t know her very well. Hard work brought satisfaction. Of all the people she knew, those two should understand about sweat equity.
    Stupid men .
    She parked in the back of her place and entered through her workroom. She wanted to let Dakota know she was back and entered the store. A customer was leaving.
    “Hey.”
    Dakota spun around, a frown marring her pretty face. “What are you doing back so soon?”
    “I just had to drop off the ironwork.”
    “Wasn’t Parker there?”
    Her hidden question came out loud and clear. Why wasn’t there a long, intimate conversation or perhaps a quickie? “Logan was there.”
    Her eyes brightened. “All the more reason to hang around. Did they talk about joining forces?”
    “Not directly.” She told her about Logan’s demeaning comment.
    “Holy shit.”
    Thank goodness she understood. “Exactly.”
    “No. I mean, he’s thinking about marriage.”
    “Not to him.”
    She tugged on her spiked hair. “How did you come to that conclusion? I think he was testing the water to see whether you were interested in a long-term relationship.”
    Jade shook her head. “I have no objection to marriage, but I do to being someone’s little woman. I take pride in my accomplishments, even if my dad thinks all I do is tinker.”
    Dakota slapped her hands on her thighs. “You have no clue what you want.”
    I want Logan and Parker on my terms . “Maybe not.” She didn’t have to time to talk about this. The wound was still too sore. “Listen, sweetie. I really have to get back to work. I’ll check back with you at the end of the day.”
    “Sure. Go bury your head in the sand. What you need to do is spend some thinking about those men and how they light your fire, both in your head and in your body. A relationship takes compromise. If you ever hope to be with anyone, you’ll need to cut back on your workload in order to get some good loving.”
    “Will do.” Just not today.
    Jade headed upstairs to change. She wanted to give a few hours to working not only on the Fitzpatrick chandelier but also on her