by Mari Carr
Casey’s elation wavered. “Cool.” His tone was quieter, not completely convincing.
Gabriel turned back to the statue. “You are too.”
His friend spoke so softly Casey wasn’t sure he’d heard him correctly. Regardless, he was too afraid to ask him to repeat himself.
Gabriel walked toward him. “Keep going on the statue. It’s really good. I told Jordan I’d pick her up at six thirty for the party. I’ll have the limo swing by here at six. You’ll ride with us.”
Casey shook his head. “No. It’s your date.”
Gabriel put his hand on Casey’s shoulder. “No way. I’m not doing this ‘taking turns’ routine with her. You’ve thrown out an option. We should test the waters.”
“The sculpture is a fantasy. What you’re suggesting is way more intense than that. You really want to have a threesome? You, me and Jordan?”
Gabriel shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. And if we do end up in bed together, just don’t fucking look at me, man, or I might lose it.”
Casey burst into laughter. “Goddamn, Gabe. You’re insane.”
“If I am, it’s your damn fault. You planted the seed with your art. I think we should go out with her together and see how it feels.”
Casey went numb. Gabriel wasn’t going to let this go. “How it feels?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re suggesting we play this by ear. Go with our gut instincts. That’s your big plan? Really?”
“I suspect by the end of the night we’ll know whether or not it would work.”
Casey crossed his arms. “Is there going to be some sort of signal?”
Gabriel grinned. “Nope. I like the element of suspense.”
“Of course you do.”
“So it won’t be my date or yours. It’ll be ours. See you Friday.”
Gabriel let himself out while Casey reeled over his friend’s unexpected comment.
Ours?
Casey glanced at the statue, at the three lovers. He hadn’t said anything to Gabriel, but he knew how it was going to feel.
Incredible.
Gabriel was right. The sculpture was beautiful. He let the image soak into his skin.
Ours.
Chapter Seven
Jordan watched the first couple take to the dance floor as the band began playing. Gabriel and Casey were talking to an older gentleman about the chandelier in the ballroom. She’d been shocked when they had arrived at her apartment together to escort her to the party.
Strangely, it hadn’t felt odd in the least. They were all friends, so the conversation flowed easily in the limo and continued through dinner. She’d laughed more in the past few hours than she had in months. Both men were charming, witty and, if she wasn’t mistaken, flirting with her. The weird part was whenever one made some sexy innuendo or touched her lightly, the other man watched without a spark of jealousy or concern.
It was driving her nuts. And making her horny as shit.
“Jordan, do you mind if we leave you alone for a few minutes? Mr. Porter wants to see the electrical setup for the room.”
She lifted her wineglass and smiled. “No problem. I’m fine here.”
All three men walked away. Jordan didn’t bother to hide the fact she checked out Gabriel’s and Casey’s asses. Both men were extremely handsome, though their appearances couldn’t be more different. Casey’s golden-blond hair and tan seemed even lighter next to Gabriel’s dark hair and complexion.
If you really want to shake things up, fuck both of them at the same time. How freaking hot would that be?
Jordan squeezed her legs together and silently cursed Stephanie for daring her to dream such an impossible dream. Last night, her fantasy had continued to evolve as Casey took a turn between her legs while Gabriel sucked on her breasts. She’d brought herself to climax twice before she finally managed to sleep.
Sophie had suggested it would be easier for her to decide between them after a few more dates. Unfortunately, tonight only made that choice more impossible.
“Argh!”
Speak of the devil.
Jordan grinned when Sophie plopped down on a seat recently vacated by a man who’d headed to the bar for a refill. “Is something wrong, Soph?”
“Not something. Someone. Marc Garrett.”
“Oh wow. Is he here? Where is he?” Jordan had heard the man’s name several times over the past few months—each time spoken with more venom. She was dying of curiosity to see what the man who gave “unflappable Sophie” fits looked like. Marc had become her friend’s archenemy, though Jordan couldn’t figure out exactly why. All she knew was whenever Sophie’s path crossed Marc’s, things quickly went south.
Sophie waved her hand over her shoulder but didn’t turn to point out the free-aid lawyer who irritated her. “Over there somewhere. I should have had security escort him out. Arrogant jerk.”
“Damn. What happened?”
Sophie opened her purse and pulled out a mirror to check her still-perfect hair and makeup. Jordan could have told her she looked fantastic, but Sophie didn’t appear to be looking at herself. Instead she was using the mirror to glance at the crowd behind her. Jordan studied the group of men gathered around the stage, but none of them stood out to her. Then a handsome, dark-haired man turned and looked toward their table. Jordan couldn’t be sure, but she thought he winked.
Sophie quickly snapped her mirror closed and put it back in her handbag.
“Why do you talk to him if he bugs you so much, Soph?”
“It’s not like I seek him out. Asshole cornered me in the coat-check room.”
“What did he say?”
Sophie shrugged and stood. “Nothing. He never says anything important.”
Before Jordan could ask for more details, Casey and Gabriel returned to the table.
“You and your committee did a fantastic job planning this event, Sophie. You should be very pleased. Bridget told me you’ve already surpassed your contributions goal.”
Sophie smiled. “It’s been a terrific night, Gabe, but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking the success had anything to do with the party. It was kind of you to allow us to host it here as your grand opening for the inn. The tickets sold out in record time because half of Portland was dying to see inside this place. The remodel is incredible.”
Gabriel put his hand on Casey’s shoulder. “That’s because of this guy. He’s an architectural genius.”
“Christ. Don’t go spreading that lie around, Gabe. Someone might hear you and believe it.”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “Modest ’til the end. I have to go check in with the band’s manager. Make sure they have everything they need. You guys get Jordan out there on the dance floor. She has a tendency to play the wallflower at parties. I’m counting on you to prevent that tonight.”
Casey gave her a salute. “Aye, aye, captain. We’re on it.”
Sophie quickly walked toward the stage as Casey and Gabriel reclaimed their seats.
Gabriel pointed to Sophie. “I swear that woman could win the Boston Marathon in those high heels of hers.”
Jordan agreed. “I’ve told her the same thing several times. I can’t even walk in shoes that high and she spends hours dashing from one end of the bar to the next in them.”
Casey sipped his water. “After watching her in her country-club-party-planner glory, I have a hard time remembering Sophie waits tables at Books and Brew for a living.”
“Well, she does more than wait tables. She’s our marketing person too. I swear she could sell eyeglasses to a blind man. She’s incredible. As soon as this event is over, she’s already warned me she has a big thing planned for the store. Some sort of bachelor auction.”
Gabriel winced. “If she thinks she’s going to rope me in to something like that, she’s nuts.”
“Well,” Jordan drawled. “I do remember your name being mentioned.”
Casey laughed. “I think you should go for it.”
“I wouldn’
t laugh, Mr. Woods. She has your name on the list too.”
“Fuck,” Casey muttered. “Save us, Jordan.”
She took her napkin off her lap and put it on the table. “How am I supposed to do that?”
Gabriel stood up and grasped her hand. Rather than answer, he pulled her close to him. “It’s getting warm in here. You want to take that tour of the place now?”
“Sure. I’d love that.”
Casey hesitated. “You want some company?”
Jordan started to reply, but she realized he had directed the question to Gabriel.
Gabriel nodded. “Yeah. I think the three of us should take this tour.”
Casey smiled. Jordan studied both men’s faces, sensing an odd undercurrent to the conversation.
Casey grabbed the bottle of wine from their table. Jordan followed him out of the ballroom, Gabriel holding her hand.
They walked to the lobby, the sound of the band receding in the distance behind them.
Gabriel blew out a relieved breath. “Finally. Peace and quiet.”
Jordan expected Gabriel to release her hand and was foolishly relieved when he didn’t. “I thought the band was pretty good. But yeah, you’re right. Too loud.”
Casey waved his hand toward the fancy foyer. “Guess we can start the tour here.”
For the next hour, Casey and Gabriel led her on a tour of the old house, discussing the history of the authentic furnishings, the old photographs Casey had found in an upstairs attic and framed, and the intricate woodwork he’d restored. He pointed out how he’d used color to lighten or enhance certain areas. Jordan was blown away by Casey’s attention to detail.
“Is it any wonder why I hired him for the job?” Gabriel asked. “The guy brings it all to the table—the artistic eye, the architectural training and magic fingers when it comes to making something beautiful.”
Jordan acknowledged the truth of Gabriel’s words with a smile, but her inner voice started talking again. Even though Gabriel had held her hand throughout the tour, a part of her couldn’t let go of the suspicion he was trying to set her up with his friend. It was confusing as hell.
“Here’s my favorite spot,” Gabriel said, when they reached the end of the upstairs hallway. “It’s the largest bedroom. I suspect there will be lots of weddings held at the inn and this will be the honeymoon suite.”
He opened the door and Jordan gasped at the luxurious, huge bedroom. “Oh my God. It’s gorgeous.”
Jordan tried to take it all in, but there were too many pretty things—the large canopied bed, the walnut furniture, the ornate mirror that covered nearly one whole wall. Her eyes had trouble focusing on anything for long before something else equally amazing caught her attention.
“We sort of strayed from the script in here, installing a lot of modern comforts along with the antiques and period furnishings. Plus, as Gabe said, it’s probably going to be used as a honeymoon suite most of the time, so we threw in a dash of the romantic.”
“More than a dash,” Jordan said, running her fingers along the plush, deep-red duvet.
Gabriel walked up behind her and tugged down the corner of the comforter. “Silk sheets.”
Jordan stroked the silk and closed her eyes, imagining what it would feel like to slide between them. “So nice. I’ve never slept in silk sheets.”
“Never?” Gabriel asked.
She shook her head. “I’m more a cotton-in-the-summer, flannel-in-the-winter kind of girl.”
“That’s a shame.” Gabriel leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
Jordan’s heart raced at the brief contact and it suddenly became difficult to catch a breath. Was that a friendly kiss? Did he remember Casey was in the room too?
She turned quickly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Both men were looking at her with what her overwrought mind thought was undisguised lust.
“Jesus,” she muttered. Was she in one of her fantasies? Had she had too much to drink? Was she seeing things?
Gabriel looked concerned, but Casey grinned. “We’re freaking you out, aren’t we?”
She nodded.
Gabriel ran a hand through his hair. “Crap. I’m sorry, Jordy. Casey and I had a chat last night.”
“About what?” she asked.
Casey walked toward her, plopping beside her on the bed. “About you.”
“I knew it.” Heat crept into her face. She’d made a complete ass of herself. They were both too nice and now they were going to try to let her down easy. “You don’t have to say anything. This is all my fault.”
Gabriel frowned. “What’s your fault?”
She stood up and started pacing, her nervous words falling out faster than her brain could process them. “I was an idiot to think either one of you would want to date me, let alone both of you. I mean, you guys could have any woman in town. Someone beautiful, smart, more interesting than a bookkeeper. I’m just an insane, extremely horny woman who’s been thinking with her hormones, not her head. I didn’t mean to throw myself at you guys. So I’m letting you off the hook. I’m going to go home, drink a bottle of wine—maybe two—and pass out, and in the morning can we all please just forget this ever happened? I’d really like to maintain the friendships. I hope I didn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”
Casey looked at Gabriel. “What the fuck is she talking about?”
Gabriel shrugged. “I don’t have a clue.”
Casey stood up. “Jordan, I think we’re going to have to talk about your self-confidence issues.”
Now it was her turn to be confused. “I have issues?”
Casey crossed his arms. “Oh hell yeah. Lots of them. Apparently you’re under the mistaken impression that we aren’t attracted to you, that you aren’t smart, funny and fun. All that bullshit.”
Gabriel took her hand. “Did you really think we brought you up here to tell you we didn’t want you? Why would we bring you to a bedroom to break news like that?”
“You brought me up here for a purpose? I thought this was just part of the tour.”
Casey scoffed, running his hand through his hair. “Jeez.”
“Wait. Why are you both here?”
Gabriel squeezed her hand. “We both want you.”
She closed her eyes, her heart aching. Sophie was wrong. She didn’t have time. “God. You want me to choose, don’t you?”
Casey stepped closer. They were both taller than her, muscular and broad. She marveled at how comforting their nearness was. She should have felt trapped, suffocated, but instead she was warm, happy.
Casey ran his hand along her bare arm. She’d felt ridiculous in the strapless dress Sophie had loaned her, until Casey and Gabriel arrived to pick her up. Their widened eyes and approving grins had made her feel special, beautiful. “Yeah. There’s a choice to be made, Jordan, but it doesn’t have to be the one you’re thinking of.”
She shivered with desire at his simple touch. “What do you mean?”
Gabriel lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the base of her palm, letting his mouth linger over the pulse point at her wrist. There was no way he could miss the pounding beat. “We want you to choose us. Both of us.”
She fought to understand. “Both?”
“We don’t want to fight over you any more than you want to choose between us, Jordy. Casey and I talked last night about the possibility of sharing you.”
“Taking turns?”
Gabriel shook his head. “No. If you agree to our proposal, it’ll be all three of us climbing between those silk sheets. Together. Have you ever been part of a threesome?”
Jordan burst into laughter. “Oh yeah, sure. Loads of times. Why just last night, I—”
“We’re not kidding, Jordy.”
Gabriel’s words stopped her. “You’re not?”
Casey shook his head.
“That’s insane,” she whispered.
Casey shrugged. “I said the same thing at first. Then I thought about it. It really could work.”
“Jesus,” she repeated, remembering Stephanie’s suggestion that she go for a threesome. At the time it had seemed as likely as walking on Mars. She needed to sit down. She reclaimed her spot on the edge of the bed. “Have you guys ever—”
“No,” Gabriel interrupted. “Never. It’s definitely just been a fantasy up until now.”
“I always thought a guy’s ideal ménage was with two women who were making out with each other as well as him.”
Casey laughed. “Yeah, well…”
Her eyes widened as another thought crashed in on her. “Um, are you guys interested in each other too? I mean, are you going to—”
“Holy fuck, no!” Gabriel’s vehement reply set that record straight quickly. “In fact, I’ve already told Casey he can’t look at me if we do this.”
Jordan’s leg began to bounce nervously. They were serious about this. They’d discussed having sex with her. At the same time. “I’m not sure I’d know how to even go about this.”
Gabriel gently put his hand on her knee. “There’s definitely going to be a learning curve here.”
She giggled nervously. “You’re not kidding. I haven’t had sex in over two years. I think that might technically make me a virgin again.”
Casey cupped her face and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Awesome. We’ll be your firsts. What do you say, Jordan? You game to try?”
“Yes.” The answer so came quickly both men laughed.
Gabriel tugged her up and toward him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I appreciate you taking the time to think it over.”
“If I think it over, I’ll freak out and leave. Believe me, it’s better that I go with my gut instinct here.”
Casey ran a comforting hand along her back. “I’m good with gut instinct.”
Gabriel loosened his hold and led her to the bed as Casey walked over and locked the door.
“You’re sure it’s okay if we stay here?” she asked.
“I’ve got an in with the owner,” Casey joked.
Gabriel pulled back the duvet. “Actually, I already booked this room with the hotel manager. Told him I’d be staying overnight.”
“Cocky much, Lawson?” Now that she knew they wanted her, the insecurities of the past few days melted away and she felt more like herself.