He’d know her shape anywhere. He missed it, badly.
For the first time since he’d helped Parker move into the small house a few years ago, he pushed the doorbell. He’d always been able to walk right in, announcing himself as he opened the door. Now unsure of his place and feeling lost, he waited, hoping the door would open for him.
Birds chirped. A soft breeze ruffled tree leaves. What felt like hours passed as he waited to see if the man who used to be his best friend would even open his door. Parker spoke the truth when he’d said he’d cut them to the bone with no more than a couple of words. He couldn’t blame either one of them if they decided to pretend he never existed. It was the least he deserved.
A car drove down the street. A dog barked.
Fuck it. He was trying to do things the correct way, but he would have to make Parker listen. He reached for the doorknob only to have it move out of his reach as Parker finally opened the door. He stood there in nothing but sweats and a pissed off glower. Without a word he pushed the door open, turned his back, and walked away.
“Who just left?” He had to start the conversation somewhere and maybe a neutral topic would give him time to find his footing. He could hope.
Parker gave him a look that probably stopped criminals in their tracks.
“That was Carrie, Lacey’s friend. Apparently even though she wants nothing to do with either one of us, she still worries and asked her friend to check up on me. Carrie seemed nice even though she gave me some serious stink eye as she checked my staples. It’s hard to fault her when she’s only angry on Lacey’s behalf. She checked me over, glowered a little bit, and said she’d be back tomorrow after her shift. What do you want? Between the department stopping by with enough food to feed an elephant and Lacey’s worry, I’m smothered by goodwill. I’m good, so you can go back into your selfish hibernation.” Parker stalked to the far side of the room and leaned against the bar and crossed his arms over his chest.
He reminded Ryan of a caged beast, pacing, full of strength and energy and no way to expend it. Between his forced downtime and anger, his friend’s tension level had to be redlining it.
“I came by to apologize. You have every reason to be angry with me. I was, or still am, scared and reacted badly. I don’t want to lose your friendship. I met Dean for a late lunch and apologized to him. I sent Steve and Glen pizza from Angelo’s. I’m working my way up the long list of people who I hurt.”
“Fuck me, Ryan, you stomped on the heart of the woman I love. I could care less about mine, but you insulted and hurt Lacey in front of a group of men who were virtual strangers to her. I don’t know if I can forgive that. If you wanted to kick her out of your life, fine. Your loss. You drove her away from me with your stupid stunt. I want her back, Ryan. You want to kiss my ass, get her back.”
“Would you be willing to share her with me? I want a forever relationship and I think for it to work, forever, it’s going to take all three of us.”
“Yes, you douche bag, I’m willing to share her, but only on the condition that you stop being that douche and be the man I know is in there somewhere. If you man up and be the brother that I love, then hell yes, we can share her. We need to share her. With that soft heart and sweet ass, she needs two men to watch over her.
“How are we going to fix this? I want to bring home the girl, Ryan.”
“Me, too.”
He couldn’t help it. He was already on his knees. Why not?
He pulled his best friend into a long, tight hug. He’d almost lost him and there would never be another Parker. Parker returned the hug and slapped him on the back. Hard.
“Where’s my pizza?”
“I thought you said you had enough food to feed an elephant?”
“I do, but there’s always room for Angelo’s pizza and you’re groveling. I need beer, too. Imported.”
Chapter 25
She’d started her day in tears and it had only gone downhill from there. After her shower, she’d found her spare bedroom empty with the bed made as if Tate had never been there. The familiar hollow ache settled in her belly, the same way it did every time he left without telling her where he was going or when he’d be back.
She’d found a note in front of the coffee pot.
Sis,
I hate to skip out on you, but I promise to stay safe and check in as soon as I can. I’ve thought about your situation and as much as it pains me, I think maybe you should fight for your men.
If they’re what you want, who you love, then they’re worth fighting for.
So is your happily ever after. When you were little and I read to you at bedtime, you used to always tell me you couldn’t wait for your happily ever after. You deserve that.
But life’s not easy. You have to work hard for love and you’ll have to fight for your happily ever after.
And if they make you cry again, don’t be surprised if they disappear and their bodies are never found.
Love,
Tate
Of course it was okay for him to make her cry, just not anyone else. She’d cried all the way to work.
Now finally, after a long day shift, she headed out to her car. Instead of crazy busy, the day had passed slower than molasses dripping from a tree in winter. Everything she touched had turned into a complicated mess. All she wanted was to go home, curl up with a pint of ice cream and a good book.
She got to her car, unlocked it and opened the door and paused. A signature bag from Crave sat in her seat. How had they opened her door? She always locked it. It had to have been Parker using one of his police tricks. A fist squeezed her heart at the mere thought of his name. She didn’t dare look in the bag.
With an unsteady hand she picked it up by the ribbon handles and got inside. She set the bag in the passenger seat with her purse and started the car. With home calling her name, she pulled out and drove to her house. The bag’s presence loomed the entire way making the ten-minute drive feel like an hour.
Had it really been Parker? It had to have been. Ryan had proved he was finished with her and she was sure Parker could have gotten into her locked car. If security saw him, he could have shown them his badge and sent them on their way.
She was dying to know what was in the bag, but she knew it was best if she didn’t open it. She’d take it to work tomorrow and give it to Carrie. They were close to the same size.
She pulled into her garage and parked. She pushed the button to close the garage door and reached to pick up her purse. She picked up the gift bag instead.
She set it on her lap.
Damn him.
She opened the bag and pulled a card from the top. She knew it wasn’t fair to hold a grudge against Parker when Ryan had been the one to act like an ass. She’d come to think of them as a single unit. Her men. As odd as it might seem to others, she didn’t think she could be have a relationship with one and not other. They were two halves of one whole.
Knowing it would hurt, she opened the card.
Though we prefer to see your naked beauty, here’s something for those nights when you want to curl up with a book and relax. You deserve only the best.
Love,
Parker and Ryan
She pulled out the tissue wrapped package and untied the ribbon. Inside was a simple cotton nightgown in the palest shade of blue. The material was soft as silk against her fingers and the brand was one she both recognized and couldn’t afford.
Ryan. Did he really have a hand in this or had Parker just put his name on the card in an attempt to smooth things over for his friend?
She refolded the gown and put it back in the bag, grabbed her purse and went to go inside. She opened the door and found a large white box topped with a pink bow setting on the floor directly in her path. They’d been in her house? Crazy men.
She sat everything on the small dining room table and took a deep breath. Unable to resist, she opened the box. She found another card and tissue wrapped gift inside. She started with the card.
I know your old one was a favorite but maybe this one will work as well.
Ryan and Parker
She tore the brand name sticker from the tissue and found a large, designer leather tote. Soft as satin, dark chocolate-brown, the leather was supple and decadent. It was more class than flash which suited her perfectly. Large enough to hold her e-reader, a print book, and all her work junk, it was perfect. She’d never spent so much on a purse in her life.
Ryan. This was all Ryan and his expensive, understated style. It was a gift meant to replace her old quilted tote with the torn strap. She hadn’t had time to replace it yet and dumped everything in one of her even older bags right before she’d returned to work.
What was he thinking? Surely he didn’t think a couple of expensive gifts would make up for his nasty comments? An expensive leather bandage for the injury to her heart? She shook her head.
The doorbell rang, startling her out of her thoughts. She put the tote back into the box and went to answer the door. A pizza delivery man stood on the small porch holding two pizza boxes and white bag.
“Ms. Briton?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t order anything. You must have the wrong house.”
“Is this 4328 Lark Street?”
“Yes, it is, but there’s been a mistake.”
“Nope, the order was called in by phone and has already been paid for, tip included. It’s yours.” He gestured for her to take the food, and when she took them from his hands, he turned and ran to his car.
It had to have been the guys, again. There was no one else she knew who could be so considerate. So loving.
Those two words squeezed her heart.
But even a loving asshole, was still an asshole.
She set the food on the kitchen counter and opened the first box and found a large pizza from Angelo’s made exactly the way she liked it. The smell alone made her mouth water. She opened the bag and pulled out a large boxed salad and dressing, again exactly the way she liked it. She looked at the food spread out before her and wondered. Why? Enough food for a party lay in wait. Or more like enough food for one woman and two hungry men.
What were they up to?
Lured by the pizza’s scent, she grabbed a piece and a paper towel. She went to the refrigerator and paused. No, surely her fridge was safe. There’d be no surprises in her fridge. She opened the door and blinked. Sitting in plain view was a bottle of wine and beside it, sat the most delectable looking cake she’d ever seen. Mounds of fluffy frosting swirled over what must have been at least three layers of baked, sinful, goodness.
She removed a folded note card attached to the wine bottle. The handwriting was different this time.
Every woman deserves a little pampering, but a woman as sweet as you deserves to be spoiled every day for the rest of your life.
Had Parker talked Ryan into trying to patch up their relationship? He shouldn’t have wasted his time and money. She didn’t want to have anything to do with someone who didn’t want to be with her.
Even if it took a hundred years, she wasn’t settling for less than what she wanted and deserved in a relationship.
She’d wanted Ryan and Parker both, but she didn’t see how that could be possible when Ryan had let her and everyone else know he didn’t want her. He’d had his fun with her, made it clear that he didn’t consider her worthy of his dominance. He thought she played at being a submissive.
Maybe she wasn’t the textbook definition of a submissive, but she’d been honest about her desires and what she needed from a man, what she’d needed from her men. If they couldn’t provide that, no matter how badly it hurt, she needed to hold her head high and walk away.
That knowledge only added to the bittersweet feelings that came with their gifts. Clearly they knew her well and could be thoughtful and considerate when the occasion called for it, but there was no way she could stomach the pain that came with Ryan’s changes of heart. Her heart would never be safe. She might never be able to shake the doubt lurking in her heart. Love could only be built on a strong foundation of trust. Without it, even the most beautiful relationships would crumble.
She poured herself a glass of wine and went to draw herself a bath. She opened the door and turned on the light, then shook her head in amusement. Sitting on the counter was a basket loaded with bath goodies and another card. She started the bath, opened a bottle of bubble bath, and took a tentative sniff.
The scent was gentle and soothing, and something she could wear to work without overpowering her sensitive patients. She poured a small amount in the water and opened the card.
I’ll understand if you’re unable to forgive me for the hurt I caused you and Parker, but I beg you not to hold my sins against him. We’d both bleed for you, but he’s the only man I know who might be worthy of your love.
I’m an utter ass.
May the bubbles wash away any tears that I’ve caused you.
Love, Ryan
She stripped herself bare, and sank into the frothy bubbles and dropped her head to lie and her bent knees. What was she going to do?
The silky warm water may have soothed her muscles but couldn’t compare to the touch of Ryan and Parker. She missed the way Ryan had listened to her every word as if everything she said meant something to him. She missed Parker’s smiles and the way he held her as if she were the most precious woman in the world.
She missed them both with an ache that swelled, filling every empty cell in her body.
When the water chilled, she pulled the plug and stood. She turned on the shower to finish washing up and forced some steel into her spine.
Stepping out and toweling off, she gave into the temptation and dressed in her new gown. Soft and cozy, she knew it’d be her favorite for a long time to come. She decided to grab one more piece of pizza, put the rest away for tomorrow and even though it was still early evening, she’d go to bed and end this miserable day.
Pushing her bedroom door open, she frowned. She rarely closed it, living alone there was rarely a need to. The men had probably done something silly and covered her bed in rose petals or stuffed animals. A smile crept onto her face. There was no telling what the two of them had cooked up.
When she saw what was on the bed, she stopped mid-step and blinked twice.
Parker lay stretched out on his back in nothing but jeans with his arms crossed behind his head. His ankles were crossed and his foot tapped out a relaxed rhythm. A slow, sexy smile lit his face when she stepped in the room.
Her heart stuttered.
She couldn’t say she was truly surprised to see Parker in her bed. He’d demonstrated his thoughtfulness repeatedly. But apparently, he was also persistent.
But the last sight she expected to see was Ryan, on both knees at the foot of the bed with his head down, and palms up. Like Parker, he wore nothing but his jeans.
“Shit, baby, you look tired. Let us put you to bed and we’ll come back tomorrow. Come here. I promise to behave.” Parker sat up in the bed and patted the spot beside him.
“What’s going on here? And what makes you two think you can break into my car and my home anytime you please?”
“Dumbass, here, is making amends. He’s started at the bottom, apologizing to Dean and the guys in the department, then he came to me and groveled. Now he’s made his way to the top. You. He’s been on his knees for almost an hour now.”
“You really apologized to everyone?”
He finally raised his head and looked her in the eye. “I needed to make sure everyone knew that I’m the ass and wronged you two. I couldn’t come back to you, carrying that stain on my conscience. The guilt will never totally go away, but I needed to make certain everyone knew any wrongdoing was mine and you two were innocent.”
“Why are you on your knees? You don’t submit to anyone, remember?”
“I was wrong. For you, I’ll stay on my knees all night. You are the only person in the world I’d crawl for and I know you may never be able to forgiv
e me, and I deserve that, but I want you to give Parker a second chance. He needs you as much as I do and he’ll treat you right.”
“And what are you going to do?”
“The loss will gut me, but I’ll walk away and leave you two be.”
“Did you once, think to ask me what I want?”
“You need someone strong and stable to take care of you. Parker’s perfect for you.”
“I didn’t ask you if you knew what I needed, but what do I want, Ryan? Remember the dream man conversation? You look me in the eye and tell me that Parker alone can give me the dominance I need to feel fulfilled.”
When he stayed silent, she wanted to shake him.
“Parker is a brave, wonderful man and I’m glad to know him, but he’s only half of what I need in a relationship. I need you, too, dumbass.”
Pissed off, she stomped over to the bed, grabbed a pillow and turned on her heel to leave.
“What are you doing?”
“Since my room has been infected with the dumbass plague, I’m sleeping on the couch.”
As she shut the door to her room she heard Parker’s deep voice. “See, you don’t give her enough credit. She knows what she wants. She wants both of us and she shouldn’t have to settle. Why won’t you give her what she wants?”
“I’m not good enough for her. I’ve already put her life at risk, embarrassed her at work, and hurt her heart. I managed to do that all in one week.”
She’d had enough. She opened the door and stepped back in to give him hell.
“Number one. It’s not your fault Derrick is a whack job. He just is. Number two, what do you mean you embarrassed me at work?”
“When Rob confronted you in the ER, you were embarrassed. After everything else I’ve put you through, the last thing I want you to have to deal with is shame for being in a poly relationship.”
“I wasn’t embarrassed to be seen with you two! I was embarrassed by the stink Rob caused! Everyone in that department knows what a smarmy prick he is. The last thing I want at work is to be associated with him. I cringe when I think about what they must think of me for dating him.
Lacey Temptations [Crave 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 19