A Daring Journey

by Jeanne St. James

  “Gia?”

  “My friend.”

  “But she’s not the one in the threesome, right?”

  “No, but she’s in town and staying with her brother’s family right now. It’d be a perfect time to visit again before she leaves and... and... observe? I’ve known her brothers since Gia and I were in college together, so maybe I can ask some questions.”

  “Like how great the sex is?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe not that one.”

  “It would be a good one to ask.”

  “I wouldn’t ask something I wouldn’t want to answer myself.” Maybe she could talk to Paige in private or even go to dinner at Gryff’s and speak with Rayne. Because there was no point in starting something if it was doomed to fail.

  She was considering getting entangled with a man she’d known for about an hour and another who, while she’d already had sex with, only known him for about a week.

  She’d had a long dry spell, was that why she was so enthused about this scenario? Two men...

  Okay, Mac, it doesn’t mean you’ll ever have sex with both at the same time. But the option might be there if everyone agreed.

  Shit. “Aren’t we forgetting something important?”

  Trevor’s brows knitted together. “What?”

  Not something, but someone. Someone who had no idea what her and Trevor were planning and might not even agree to it. “Damon.”

  Chapter 12

  She had put off talking to Damon later on Saturday by making excuses via text. After contacting Gia, Mac had been invited over to Grae’s Sunday night for dinner. Or she invited herself, more like it. By that time, Damon would be back in the air.

  She and Trevor decided she would gather some facts, then they’d huddle and plan before approaching Damon together.

  If Damon balked at the whole thing, then they were wasting their time, but at least she’d have an excuse to see Gia. She wasn’t sure how long the woman was staying in town to assist with the twins.

  Though, when she talked to Gia on the phone, her friend sounded a little frazzled. But that could have had something to do with the two crying infants in the background. She was watching them while Grae and Connor were out doing whatever they were doing as the men of the house, and Paige was taking a badly-needed nap.

  Due to the screaming babies, Gia cut the call short and hadn’t had time to get nosy about why Mac asked to join them for dinner. Lucky for Mac, since Gia was relentless in her pursuit of Mac’s private business.

  But now, as the front door opened to the Ward’s mini-mansion, she faced her friend who wore a suspicious expression. “Why did you want to come here for dinner? You know my brain has been spinning with possible reasons since I talked to you yesterday. You’re lucky I had my hands full with my niece and nephew.”

  “Well, hello to you, too,” Mac said dryly, pushing past her into the large two-story foyer.

  “You don’t need a reason to come visit, but, damn...” Her nose wrinkled. “Something is stinky in Denmark.”

  “That’s not the saying.”

  Gia waved her hand around. “You got me, anyway.”

  Yes, she got her meaning.

  “So, spill.”

  Gia saying that made Mac think of Trevor. Her heart fluttered a little at the reason she was there. Besides visiting her best friend, of course.

  “If possible, I need to speak to Paige.”

  Gia pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “She’ll be at dinner.” Then she turned and headed toward the back of the house.

  “Alone.”

  Gia slammed on the brakes and Mac ran into her. “Will you stop doing that? You need a set of taillights.”

  Gia spun on her. “I need tail. Period.” She waved her hand around again in the air. “But let’s not get off track. Why do you need to speak with Paige? Are you thinking about having twins?”

  Her friend was now being a smartass.

  “Yes, I made an appointment at a sperm bank because there’s nothing I want more than two screaming babies with shitty diapers while projectile vomiting at the same time.”

  “Amen,” Gia muttered. “As soon as I get back to Arizona, I’m getting my tubes tied.”

  When Mac tried to push past Gia to continue down the hall, Gia blocked her with an arm. “No. Uh uh. You go no further than this. I’m the gatekeeper of all things Paige at this very second. You must tell me what the hell’s going on before I allow you to pass.”

  “You’re messed up.”

  Gia plucked at her shirt near a dried stain. “You see this? Do you know what that is? Spit up. So yes, I am messed the hell up.”

  “Do you think I can get a few moments alone with Paige?”

  Once again, Gia’s eyes narrowed. “Not without me.”

  Mac sighed. “Fine. The three of us. That would give us a good excuse to get her away from her men. A girl chat.”

  Gia’s dark brown eyes widened and she bounced on her toes, clapping her hands. “This better be a good girl chat. Are you holding out on me? Wait! Does it have to do with that pilot?” She gasped and slammed a hand over her mouth. “It does have to do with the pilot. Oh, is he naughty?”

  “Take a breath, please. And yes, it has to do with Damon.”

  “Yesss. Brother Damon of the dark variety.” She licked her lips, then her eyes narrowed again as she tilted her head, staring at Mac. “Still... I don’t understand why you need to talk to Paige. Does it have to do with the,” she spun a finger in the air, “swirl thing? Is this your first swirl?”

  Mac frowned. “Swirl?”

  Gia rolled her eyes. “You know, chocolate and vanilla swirl? And that answer better be yes, because I don’t remember you ever telling me otherwise.”

  Heat rose up Mac’s throat. “It’s not.”

  Gia gasped again. “You’ve been holding out!”

  “Have I ever been with anyone worth talking about?”

  Gia tapped her bottom lip and looked toward the ceiling. “Um. No. But you haven’t had much luck with men of any variety.”

  “And you have,” Mac said flatly.

  “Don’t project your issues on me. You’re the one who keeps picking these alpha-holes, as you call them. Is Damon an alpha-hole?”

  “If he is, he’s hiding it well.”

  “Then he’s got promise. So, again, why do you need to—”

  “Gia!” came loudly from the other room. “You need to get in here to help.”

  Gia rolled her eyes at Grae’s demand and grumbled, “Nothing but a housemaid. They better watch it, or I’ll be on the next flight back to Phoenix.” She pointed a finger at Mac. “We’re not done talking about this.”

  “We can talk about it more once we’re alone with Paige.”

  Gia harrumphed loudly and headed to the kitchen with Mac on her heels. “I’ll work my magic.”

  Mac smiled.

  Trevor accepted a sweating glass of iced tea from Mac. Not for the first time since he walked into her condo, he caught himself letting his gaze roam over her red hair, her freckles and her slender hips that held just enough curve.

  Yep. He and Damon had the same taste for sure. Like Damon, he also preferred men over women. But he had enjoyed a few women before meeting and getting serious with Damon. And afterward...

  Afterward, anyone he was with wasn’t for real pleasure. It was just to satisfy that abnormal craving.

  But since giving her the massage Saturday and seeing her subtle reactions to him—the ones she tried to hide but failed—he had opened his mind to the idea of the three of them.

  So, here he was again, in her home, speaking with a woman Damon wanted and had no idea what was going on behind his back.

  This could certainly backfire. For both of them.

  At worst, he hoped that Damon would at least date them both, even separately for a while, then go from there.

  Unconventional? Yes. But there were plenty of couples out there that were non-exclusive or had an open relationsh
ip and, while they had their “main squeeze,” dated other people.

  For the past three days, Trevor could think of nothing else. With every client he had on Monday and today, he found his thoughts drifting off and imagining what it would be like to have a threesome with Damon and Mac.

  While he and Damon had joked about it, they never seriously considered it. Damon had never been looking to add anyone to their relationship. Trevor wasn’t sure if adding a third might have prevented his downward spiral. Most likely not.

  Mac grabbed her own glass of iced tea and leaned back against the counter next to Trevor, until they were hip to hip. She lifted her glass and he tapped his to hers.

  Without giving it too much thought, he reached out and twisted a strand of her hair around his finger, studying the color. Since she was only wearing a royal blue camisole and a pair of white cotton shorts, he couldn’t miss her nipples pebbling under the elastic fabric.

  “That blue really sets off your hair,” Trevor murmured. He had the urge to touch more than her hair. “And your eyes.”

  She lifted her glass to her lips and said, “Have you been thinking about this as much as I have?”

  Trevor took a sip of his tea, put his glass behind him and turned to face her, leaning his hip against the counter.

  “Truth?”

  Mac nodded, avoiding his eyes. A blush was already rising from her chest. She was so fair-skinned it didn’t take much.

  “I can’t think of anything else. Not only have I had a perpetual erection, I massaged one of my client’s left foot for twenty minutes straight instead of the five I was supposed to.”

  Mac laughed and finally looked at him. “Why didn’t she say anything?”

  “She fell asleep.”

  “You have that effect on people.”

  “Are you saying I’m a snoozer?”

  She grinned. “I’m saying your hands are magic.”

  He smiled back. “I guess you won’t turn down another massage.”

  “Put me on your schedule for once a week.”

  “You got it. I look forward to putting my magical hands on you again.” He wiggled his fingers.

  She put her glass down and turned to face him but said nothing for a minute.

  He raised his brows in question, then swallowed hard when her eyes dropped to his lips. He automatically licked them.

  “I have chemistry with Damon,” she said.

  “I know.”

  “Before we proceed to speak with him, I think we need to discover if we have it, too.”

  “Is that what your friend said?”

  She nodded, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

  “Should I kiss you?” he asked cautiously.

  She nodded again and released her lip, running the tip of her tongue along the seam.

  Heat shot through Trevor and landed right in his balls at that. He could pretty much guess that they were going to have some sort of connection, even if it was just sexual.

  He slowly reached out and ran his thumb over her bottom lip, then slid his hip along the counter until he closed the slight gap between them. “Then I’m going to kiss you,” he warned her, their gazes locked.

  She nodded again, still not saying anything.

  Was she nervous?

  Hell, he was nervous. They were sailing into unchartered territory. Last thing either of them wanted was to hit an iceberg and alienate Damon.

  Her lips parted just slightly as he slid his hand along her jaw, cupping her face and tilting it up. He never broke their gaze as he lowered his head, whispering, “Ready?”

  A warm shot of her breath hit his lips right before he took her mouth. Her lips were soft and she tasted like sweet tea as he swept his tongue inside.

  As a moan rose from her, he deepened the kiss and his blood began to race south to pool in his cock. She could probably feel it against her lower belly.

  It had probably been at least a year since he’d been with a woman and he was surprised to find how much Mac turned him on. How soft her lips were, the press of her breasts against his chest. Man or woman, while he liked both, each sex had something different to offer.

  He didn’t want to push it... Okay, he did want to push it, but he knew it wasn’t the right time, so he struggled to keep his wits about him. As much as he wanted to touch her everywhere—and not during a massage—he knew it was best to wait. Damon needed to be involved. Hell, he needed to be aware. And he wasn’t.

  Trevor broke off the kiss, finding himself as breathless as Mac.

  Her flushed cheeks made her eyes sparkle. Not only was she adorable, but she was sexy. And a great kisser.

  He reluctantly stepped back, his fingers itching to adjust his erection, which was caught crooked in his boxer briefs.

  “Now what?” she asked, sounding a little out of breath.

  “Now we discuss how we’re going to approach Damon. We both clearly enjoyed our kiss. I wanted more, did you?”

  “Yes.”

  “And what did you find out from the threesome you went to speak with?”

  “I only spoke to the woman in the relationship.”

  “And?”

  “Well, here’s the thing with Paige. She was married to Connor when they went looking for a third. They already had a connection, a relationship in which they wanted to explore. We’re not like that. You had a relationship with Damon, but that has been broken. I’m the new person in the equation.”

  “Because it’s been broken, is it like we’re starting from scratch?”

  “I don’t think so. Even though you’re not together, you two still love each other, you still have feelings for each other, even if Damon tries to fight them. No matter what, I guess I’m the third wheel. She suggested we—and when I say we, I mean the three of us—have dinner with Gryff, Rayne and Trey.”

  “Who are they?”

  “Paige’s in-laws. Gryff is Grae’s brother. From what Paige and Gia stated, he started a relationship with Rayne and Trey close to the same time.”

  “None of them were in a relationship prior.”

  “No.”

  Interesting. “Do you think they’d be willing to meet with us, so we can see the dynamics?”

  “Yes, I think so. Gia was calling her brother to explain the situation. But they aren’t the only ones who need to be willing.”

  “Right. There’s still one person who is clueless about all of this.”

  “And if he says no...” Mac let that drift off.

  “Then he says no. And my relationship with him is forever broken and the relationship I hope to develop with you will be non-existent.”

  “You want to develop a relationship with me?”

  Trevor stared at his feet for a few seconds as he gathered his thoughts. He needed to be careful with how he worded what he was about to. “I want to repair my relationship with Damon. If that means it includes you, then I’m willing to try that. But, the truth is, I’m attracted to you, as well. And what I find the most surprising is that I feel no jealousy when it comes to you and Damon being together.”

  “None?” She didn’t believe him.

  “None since Saturday. I got to know you a little bit. I got to see what Damon sees in you. And I haven’t felt any jealousy coming from your direction, either.”

  “That’s because I have no reason to be jealous. Damon and I have known each other just over a week. We...” She drifted off and a flush filled her face so brightly that it even reached the tip of her ears.

  Trevor moved closer again, tucked his hand under her chin and lifted her face. “Mac, you get embarrassed way too easily. I know what happened Friday night between you two. No reason to be embarrassed. And while I was a little put out about it on Saturday morning, I’m okay with it. Honestly, I have no choice.” He brushed a thumb over her chin. “I probably should be jealous, but not about you being with Damon. Or about Damon being with you. Since Saturday, I’ve wanted to experience that myself. And if Damon doesn’t agree, then I may ne
ver get to do so.”

  “Unless he runs away from both of us for having such crazy thoughts.”

  He laughed. “True. He could very well do that. But I hope he doesn’t,” Trevor finished in a whisper.

  “I hope he doesn’t, either,” she said just as softly.

  “And we won’t know his reaction until we tell him.”

  “Which will be when? Gia stated she was going to see if Gryff and his partners were available this weekend.”

  “Then we do it when Damon’s stretch is over.”

  “Tomorrow, he told me.”

  Tomorrow. Both excitement and dread swept through Trevor. He blew out a breath.

  His ass began to ring. He pulled out his cell phone to send the call to voicemail when he saw who was calling.

  Shit.

  He turned the phone so Mac could see whose name came up on the screen.

  “Shit,” she echoed his thought.

  He lifted a wait-a-minute finger and put the phone to his ear. “Day.”

  Trevor’s brow furrowed when Damon’s angry voice came through the phone. “I’m parked behind your car. Why, Trevor, is your car in Mac’s driveway?”

  Trevor took a breath to answer, but Damon didn’t stop.

  “There better be a very good reason for it. A very good reason. Tell MacKenzie to answer her door and you both had better be dressed.”

  The phone went quiet. Trevor pulled it away and saw he’d hung up.

  Then a pounding started on the front door.

  Shit.

  “Shit,” Mac echoed his thoughts again. “Is that him?”

  Trevor nodded, feeling the blood flee his face. “He’s not happy.”

  “Doesn’t sound like it. How does he know where I live?”

  Their gazes met. “Google!” they both shouted at the same time.

  Mac pressed a hand to her forehead. “Gah! Google!” Her wide eyes met his. “Should I answer it? We’re not ready.”

  “I guess we’re going to have to wing it.”

  “Are you sure we want to propose this to him?”

  “Are you?” he asked in turn.

  Her answer to his question was her rushing toward the front door.

  Shit.