by Sabrina York
If Rex objected, he’d give him equal time when he woke up.
“Okay,” she whispered, crawling to the foot of the bed, giving him a mouthwatering view of the moist paradise between her legs. He considered just staying where they were.
But his friend needed his rest, and Paul congratulated himself for his consideration and offered Andie Rex’s T-shirt. She grabbed her panties from the floor and pulled them on under the shirt. He tugged on boxers and preceded her down the ladder, standing at the bottom to admire the view of silky calves and help her to the floor.
“You really want cocoa?” She eyed him, lifting one straight, dark brow.
“Do you mind making it?” He headed toward the kitchen. “I will, if you want.”
She beat him to the refrigerator. “Oh, God, no. Rex would be sure to wake up when the smoke alarm went off.”
He pouted. “I can handle a small kitchen fire.”
“You know that from experience.” Andie drew out a quart of milk and a can of whipped cream then bumped the fridge door closed with her hip. “I’ve always wondered if you became a firefighter to learn to put out the fires when you attempt to cook.”
“That’s not very nice.” He fought the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. She had him dead to rights, as usual. Nothing had changed.
She dropped the dairy products on the counter and reached for him, wrapping her arms around his waist and tipping her head up for his kiss. Lust surged in his belly. Okay, maybe some things have changed.
After a long, dick-hardening kiss, she broke away, brought out the cocoa and sugar, set them down, and went for the vanilla extract. He sat on one of the counter stools and watched her as he had a thousand times. Except this time, something was missing. He waited and it came to him. “Andie, why aren’t you singing?”
Standing at the stove, she expertly whisked the cocoa and sugar with a little water and shrugged. “I don’t know.” Reaching for the glass bottle of milk, she paused. “You aren’t sorry, are you?”
She’d given them the most precious gift she had to give—the one they’d never dreamed of being worthy of receiving. She wasn’t sorry, was she? She’d just kissed him….
Please don’t let her regret it—us. He steeled his nerves to keep his voice steady. “Never. Do you?”
She took two mugs from the row hanging below the cabinets and filled them with steaming hot chocolate, topping them with a flurry of whipped cream. “No, but I was so pushy. I thought you might have just gone along with it. You know, so you wouldn’t hurt my feelings.”
She had to be insane. Paul was on his feet and at her side in a split second. “Did I come in an embarrassing two minutes to avoid hurting your feelings?” He turned her to face him, appalled at her pale cheeks and the single tear clinging to her lashes. “And when Rex was hard again the minute we were done…also to be considerate? What are you thinking?”
She stared and he loosened his grasp on her shoulders. How the hell would she know how these things worked? He took a deep breath. Rex was the sensitive one; he on the other hand, handled comic relief. How had he ended up trying to fix a broken virgin?
He had snuck her downstairs for hot chocolate and whatever other goodies he could get. And now, with Sleeping Ranger upstairs no help whatsoever, he’d have to deal.
“Princess, let’s go sit and have our cocoa and talk.”
Holding her Santa mug in both hands, she trailed after him toward the fire. The crackling flames and the multicolored bulbs on the Christmas tree lit the room; the darkness outside reflecting and enhancing the intimacy, as if the three of them were alone in the world. Paul hit a button on the CD player and White Christmas began to play.
“Let’s sit on the rug and have our drinks, okay?”
She nodded and dropped to sit cross-legged on the deep sheepskin, its soft fibers caressing her bare legs. She stared into the fire and a moment later Paul joined her.
“Look what Santa left us.” He waved a bottle of brandy at her. “I think we could both use some of this in our cocoa.”
She held up her mug. “Without a doubt.”
When she was sipping her drink, he drew a deep breath, glanced up toward the loft where Rex slept, and began. “There are some things you should know.”
Rex sat on the loft floor and leaned on the railing. Their words floated up to him, soft but clear. Paul had stepped up to the plate, and he didn’t regret pretending to nap. He’d heard every word. A virgin. His chagrin fought with pleasure that she’d waited for them. Had they been gentle enough? She’d been shy at first, but never seemed in pain.
Hi goofball friend, lover…explaining with great patience how they’d fallen for her when they were all too young to even know what it meant. He didn’t know Paul had it in him. Usually he stuck with making jokes, uncomfortable with expressing emotions even in their own relationship.
“And I never made a move because I always thought Rex was better for you. With him always getting us out of scrapes, I thought he’d take better care of you. You deserve the best.”
You’re the best…you both are. Yes, he was protective, but only because Paul could be careless in his enthusiasm, and with Andie sometimes lost in her own world, they needed someone to watch over them.
She laughed, a deep, sensuous sound that went right to his cock. Ready, again. “But you came up with all the best games, the wild ideas. Why, without you we’d never even have played midnight freeze tag.”
Paul shifted away. “You fell in the pond and nearly froze to death.”
“True, it might have been a better summer game.” She moved closer and laid her head on his shoulder, the dark against the light. Paul’s blond hair glowed in the firelight, a misplaced halo.
“And Rex saved you.” He stayed put, but the straightness of his posture gave away his discomfort.
She got up on her knees and stared into his eyes. She murmured something and Paul nodded. Rex fought a quick pang observing the two of them without him. A trio would have a hard time—maybe he should step aside and….
“Rex.” Andie said, her sweet dimples denting her cheeks. “Are you going to join us? Or were you planning to watch all night?”
“That’s right, partner.” Paul leaned against the recliner, pulling her onto his lap, facing the fire. “Because if you want a show, I think we can accommodate you. I enjoyed watching you two earlier.” He reached for the hem of the shirt she wore and lifted it, revealing her ivory body outlined by the firelight. “I’ll owe you for these.” With a sharp tug, he tore away her panties. “Remember when we put on those shows when we were kids? I have a different kind in mind this time.”
All the blood and good intentions left Rex’s head and went to his lap. He stumbled to his feet and down the ladder. “We always put on those shows together. As I recall, you were the producer and Andie and I were the talent.”
Paul lowered her to the floor and lay half on top of her, kissing his way past her collarbones and toward her breasts. “I think this time we can all be stars. What do you say, princess?”
She reached for Rex. “I want you both. Now.”
So assertive. Hard to believe she was the same shy maiden of a few hours before. Still when she threw a leg over Paul’s torso and sat astride him, Rex had to step in.
With her perched atop his groin, Paul didn’t look capable of stopping anything.
“Slow the boat down, honey.” Rex settled beside them. “I am not sure you’re ready for another session with the two of us quite yet. Aren’t you at all sore?”
She wriggled and Paul groaned. “I don’t think so.” Then she paused. “Wait…why should I be sore?”
“Honey, I heard it all.”
Her mouth gaped and she flushed, but allowed him to lift her away from Paul and settle her on the soft rug between them. “I think I’m fine.”
“You probably are, but no point in rushing things. Then we have something to share.”
Her eyes gleamed. “Is it a Christmas prese
nt?”
“More like a Christmas surprise.” He winked at her, although his stomach turned at the thought their secret could, if she was shocked by it, ruin the tentative new bond they’d formed. But he couldn’t keep their relationship from her anymore. Still, just in case, he wanted a few more moments of Andie time first. “Now, lie back and let us take care of you.”
She dropped back, chewing on her lip. She hated being kept in the dark about anything, which made it fun to do—usually. Very unlike her to give up so easily. But her graceful limbs glowed in the flickering firelight, and he refused to miss any time with her or ask questions that might end their night prematurely.
She looked like an offering to the Yule gods, hands open at her sides, knees parted. So sexy with her rounded thighs and full breasts. Rex wanted to give her pleasure the best way knew how. Patting her legs, he urged them farther apart, stroking the soft skin of her calves then kissing the insides of her thighs. Soft and warm, she drew him, stoked his hunger to taste her.
“Wider, honey.” He draped her legs over his shoulders and surveyed the feast before him. Tracing her lips with a finger, he gave thanks for the current fashion that had even a virgin getting waxed.
Paul took over the upper half of her body, playing with her breasts and kissing her sweet lips. Rex wanted those too…wanted all of her at once. And forever. His cock rubbed against her calf, and he slipped a finger inside her, just one, not wanting to hurt her. She’d already had the two of them pounding away. A miracle they hadn’t damaged her. She rocked against him, pressing her softness into the heel of his hand. Her gasp didn’t sound like pain.
God, is it always this good? She gasped and rested her back against Paul’s warm chest, arching her hips as Rex inserted another finger and curled them inside her, sending jolts of pleasure rocketing through her.
She shuddered and her eyelids fluttered closed. Paul’s hands were everywhere, leaving a trail of goose bumps, his cock separated from her ass by the thin fabric of his boxers. He was ready for more. If Rex’s fingers slipping through the wetness between her legs were any indication, she was ready to take anything they cared to give her.
Paul nuzzled and nipped at her throat, pinching and rolling her nipples, sending electricity right down to where Rex…she jerked.
“You bit me!” She shivered, looking down the line of her body at his heavy-lidded eyes and lazy smile.
“Mmm, you’re like a Christmas cookie. I needed a nibble.”
Despite the teeth marks marring her thigh, she laughed. “Maybe you need some cocoa with that.”
“Good idea,” Paul said, handing him one of the mugs.
Rex’s smile grew and he took a sip and swallowed. “Not warm anymore, but perfect with this.” As she watched, fascinated and uneasy, he dipped his head between her legs and nuzzled her slit. Another first for her, but one she could get used to. His dark head bobbed as he did things to her that sent a hot spiral from her core to the nipple Paul tugged and back again.
“Oh, I think, I don’t know, I—” There were no words. Just the endless rise and fall of pleasure, warm lips on her neck and her pussy, nibbling, licking. When Rex’s third finger joined the first two, stretching her, she grabbed him by the ears and dragged him up her body.
“Rex.” Paul’s clipped tones startled them both, but he just tossed him a foil square, and Rex nodded, resting back on his heels. Before she thought it possible, he was back, easing inside her. She waited, but none of the discomfort of the last time occurred; his fingers had prepared her. Only an amazing friction that pushed her to the edge without any warning.
She bucked and rocked into the orgasm, riding its peaks and valleys until she lay still again. Rex shuddered and dropped to her side.
“Andie, what do you do to me? What was that, barely two minutes?”
He rested his head on her chest and she stroked his hair, utterly content to be between the two men. Maybe they did have a future. Paul said he…they…loved her, and she believed it, but did he mean they wanted a relationship with her? Both of them? The town they lived in would crucify them all.
A chef could work anywhere, but Paul’s job with County Fire and Rescue, and Rex’s position with the Forestry Department might not be as easy to change.
Crazy thoughts. Why would they consider giving up their jobs, their families just to run away with me? Sure they love me…but….
“If I am not getting another turn to play…can I at least have dinner?”
“Typical Paul.” Rex pulled away with a groan. “No sooner is the sex over than the other urges come to the forefront.” He reached down and pulled her to her feet, then headed for the ladder. “I’m going to get dressed.”
Paul hopped up and followed him. “Me, too. Want us to bring your clothes down, Andie?”
She didn’t answer, just watched them scramble up the ladder, two big, handsome men with… matching tattoos. Oh crap. How long had they been lovers? And kept it from her while she worried about which of them she should pick? They’d already picked each other.
She tried to recall—how could she have missed it? With all the time she spent, practically living at their house. They’d always been so welcoming. The one night with the crazy bad rainstorm when she’d stayed over—and Paul offered to double up with Rex so she wouldn’t have to sleep on the “uncomfortable couch.”
Had they done it then? While she stayed in Paul’s oddly impersonal bedroom? God she was so stupid.
Now that the idea occurred to her, she could remember many shared glances, and once they’d jumped up when she wandered unannounced into their place…what had she interrupted?
And here I am, stepping in where they’d already made a choice. Sure, they loved her. They loved their sisters and mothers, too. But they were each other’s partner. Ink was a mighty permanent statement.
God, I want to die.
How could her best friends not tell her something so important? The heat in her cheeks deepened. How…could they?
“Why don’t you take a few minutes and get each other off before you come back down?” she called up the ladder. Something in the loft crashed to the floor and two shocked faces peered down at her through the railing. “Because I still have to reheat the veggies and get all the food out. No hurry here.” If she hadn’t been so upset, it would have been funny. She grabbed for Rex’s shirt and put it back on. And even if she was mad and scared, his scent on the shirt still made her sigh.
Chapter Five
Two quiet men sat across the table from her, eating with less appetite than she could remember. But still eating. Feeding them had been her biggest pleasure for a long time. She’d even dreamed of making a home for them. What a fool she’d been.
Bing Crosby still crooned from the CD player, one sweet, happy Christmas song after another while Andie’s world crumbled into the worst holiday of her life. And the best. While she pushed potatoes around on her plate, she tried to take stock, to assess the situation in a less emotional way.
One, they loved her. Two, they loved each other. But how did those things stack up? And why had they kept that from her? Every day, not just while in bed with her. The tension rose until she blurted out what she’d tried to hold in.
“If you didn’t want to make love with me, why didn’t you just say so?”
They gaped.
“I told you, we love you,” Paul finally managed.
“Why would you think that?” Rex asked.
Her lower lip trembled and she brushed at the tears that dared to fall when she needed to be strong. She had nowhere to go, and she had to get through tonight. Then the rest of the week. She winced. No plane leaving, no ground transportation, and no way to pay for another room. And she’d be damned if she’d ask them for any money.
“Because you two are a couple.” Simple enough.
“We are together, true.”
“And you never trusted me enough to tell me. You have each other, you don’t need me. Then I show up here and expect you
to hop in bed with me.”
They stared at her as if she might explode. She supposed she looked like she might.
Finally, Rex licked his lips. “We weren’t sure how you’d react.”
“After all our years together? You thought I’d judge you because you’re gay?”
“It’s more complicated than that, prin—” She glared and Paul changed direction. “Andie, we thought we’d lose you because we wanted each other, but wanted you as well.”
“And even though you’re lovers, naked and having sex, you didn’t even so much as kiss in front of me? I can only think that’s because this was a one-time thing, for whatever reason. Pity for the wallflower? Have sex with her but not with each other, and she’ll never know the difference.” Pressing her palms on the table, she stood. “Dammit, I’m confused.” She faced the fire, the maddening tears streaking down her face. “And I’m stuck with the two of you for the entire rest of the week.”
They leapt to their feet and thudded to her side. Rex grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
“I’ll admit we were stupid not to share our relationship with you, but, baby, we thought it was a one-time thing, and we weren’t going to do anything to mess up our ultimate fantasy.”
Paul spun her to face him. “How many times do we have to say we love you before you believe us?” She sniffled and he softened. “I love you. We love you. Hell, we want to keep you forever, if you’re okay that we love each other, too.”
“Are you kidding me?” She shook her head in amazement then narrowed her eyes. “Kiss.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“The two of you, kiss. Right now.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot while they moved together and, with a nervous glance in her direction, kissed. In a moment their chaste peck moved into a deep soul kiss that made Andie’s heart pound hard. The two most beautiful, amazing men she’d ever met loved each other. And her.