by Suzan Butler, Emily Ryan-Davis, Cari Quinn, Vivienne Westlake, Sadie Haller, Holley Trent
“Aren’t you going to eat?” She asked as she saw the two plates on the table.
“Nah,” he said. “It’s for you guys. I gotta go to town and get some stuff.”
“Wait.” It was Garrett that grabbed his arm this time. “We need to talk.”
Leo shrugged. “Nothing to talk about, G.”
“But—”
“I made you guys breakfast. I’m not really hungry, so I’m going to take advantage of the time and run into town to get some extra food. I heard on the radio that the storm might snow us in. I need to make sure we have enough food.” He turned away, hoping to make it to the guest bedroom to change before they said anything.
“Are you afraid of me, Leo?” Bri’s quiet voice broke the silence he’d hoped for. “Is that why you didn’t come to bed with us last night?”
Leo froze, still facing the bedroom, only a few feet from safety. Slowly, he turned toward the two of them. Bri’s eyes were pitiful, like she already knew what he was going to say. Garrett’s were full of disapproval and anger. They didn’t understand.
“It… no. I’m not afraid of you.”
“Then what is it?”
“I can’t do that with you, Bri.”
“Why? It’s not like we weren’t already in bed together.”
“Look, last night was your first time, Bri. Garrett and I… we’ve done this before. You need to… you and Garrett need to do couple things and figure out how you feel about what happened. This can get really complicated, really fast. I don’t want to be the reason you and Garrett have issues.” How much of a fucking gentleman was he? He sure as hell didn’t want to be.
“I want both my men with me, Leo.” Bri said.
“I’m not your man,” he shot back. Silence exploded between them, tension thick in the air. Had he gone too far? Or had he finally managed to make his point.
From her stunned expression, that wasn’t what she’d expected to hear. But if that’s what it took for her to understand, then that’s what it took. It didn’t make him any less an asshole in his mind. He stepped back to the kitchen, taking slow, deliberate steps. “Garrett is. He’s your husband. That already makes me the third wheel here.”
“Leo…” Garrett’s voice was growly and possessive. He put a hand on Bri’s shoulder. Protective. Just like Garrett. She leaned toward him automatically, a silent plea for support. If that wasn’t proof enough… She’d never lean on him for support like that.
“No, Garrett,” Leo shot out. “I’m not giving on this. You know the rules when we share. You take the girl to bed afterward and I go to sleep on my own. That’s how it’s always been.”
“That’s not how this is.” Garrett snarled.
Brianna stood up slowly and put her arm on Garrett for a moment. It was such a subtle gesture, but Leo caught it easily, especially when Garrett visibly relaxed. “Is that how you really feel? Is that how you see me? I’m just another girl?”
He knew he’d pissed her off. He could tell by the glare in her eyes and the way her jaw set. “Yes.”
Shock slammed into her expression, rage seeping in nearly as fast on its heels. “How dare you, Leo.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “How dare you compare me, as if I were nothing to you. You and I both know this isn’t just any other tryst for any of us. This means something!”
Leo swallowed hard. This was the hardest part. Because he was completely lying and he knew it. “No, Bri. This is just sex. This is just a way for us to have a little fun together. It means nothing.” He met her eyes and slowly reiterated. “This means nothing.”
Her hand flew to her mouth, tears in her eyes. She leaned back against her husband, again seeking that support he wished he could give her. He glanced back at Garrett. The scowl on his face told him everything he needed to know. He was being an ass. But at least they were getting it now.
“I didn’t agree to be part of your little relationship, like a fucking pet you keep around.” Leo picked up the pan he’d been using and tossed it angrily into the sink. A pile of dishes awaited him, but he wasn’t in the mood.
“I’ll clean up later.”
Leo knew as he walked away he was taking the coward’s way out, but they didn’t need him. He needed them more than they needed him, but they couldn’t know that. Angrily, he shoved his arms through his jacket and slammed the front door shut him.
For ten years, he’d watched them together, wishing that he could have been a part of that. Now that he’d had a taste, he didn’t think he could go back to seeing them without touching. But he didn’t have a choice. He didn’t belong with them, as much as he wanted to.
~*~*~
Garrett pulled Brianna into his arms as the tears started to fall. Leo had been downright venomous, but they hadn’t exactly been honest with him. He couldn’t blame Leo for his resistance, once he’d figured out what they wanted.
What Brianna wanted, he reminded himself. He’d only agreed to sex this weekend. He hadn’t realized his lovely wife had had other ideas. He could have told Brianna Leo would be a little resistant to it. The man had a sports career to think of. But at the same time, Garrett was pissed that he’d treated Brianna so harshly.
In true Leo fashion, just like he had ten years ago, he’d run.
Brianna’s arms squeezed his torso tightly as he smoothed her hair down. Her body convulsed with light little sobs. He kissed the top of her head. “Come on, honey. Let’s go get dressed.”
“Don’t… want… to… go…” she hiccupped.
“Come on,” he said, lifting her into his arms. She wrapped hers around his neck and buried her head against his chest.
She shook her head, but didn’t fight him as he took her into the bedroom. “It couldn’t mean nothing, Garrett.”
“It doesn’t,” he told her softly. He kept his voice soft, but inside, he was viciously pissed. Leo was a firecracker sometimes. It was what made him a great hockey player. But that didn’t give him the right to speak like that to Brianna, who was sensitive by nature. “He’s just scared. He took it out on you. I’m sorry, babe.”
“I don’t understand. Why is he scared of me?”
“It’s not just you.” Garrett’s voice was soft enough to soothe the tension from her body. “He thinks he’ll be the outsider with us.” He paused. There was something in the way she was upset that was strange. And there was something in the way the anger had grabbed her. “Bri, honey, are you saying you want Leo around permanently?”
“I thought—” she hiccupped. “I don’t know. Maybe.” Garrett kissed the top of her head, his arms around her like they were a safety net. He never wanted her to hurt. When she did, his chest hurt like fire burning, especially when he couldn’t do anything about it. But he could do something about this one.
“We’ve been together for ten years. He’s not been part of that.” He hadn’t realized that Bri had thought that this would end up permanent. Hell, he’d never even considered it. There was as strange part of him that did miss his best friend, and wanted the same things Brianna wanted.
“Don’t you want it too?” She glanced up at him, her teary eyes red.
How could he tell her what he thought? He and Leo had considered the idea a long time ago of being romantically involved. But in the end, his career would never have allowed it. He would have suffered for it. How could he do that to Leo?
“Come on, then. You were up way late last night. Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll tuck you in.”
“I just woke up,” she giggled in a half-hearted way. “Will you watch TV with me?”
“If we can get it. Looks like the snow is getting heavier.”
She glanced over at the window. Something sweet came over her expression. She wriggled out of his arms and sauntered over. The tree stood proudly in front of the large bay window, twinkling lights reflecting softly over her skin.
She smiled as she watched the lights on the tree. She did love Christmas. There wa
s something about the festive atmosphere that always put her in a good mood. She touched one of the ornaments on the tree, a silver hockey stick he recognized.
“Remember this?” she asked.
“Yeah. Leo’s draft year.”
“And this one?” She held out an anchor ornament made out of brightly-colored stained glass. He grinned. He remembered that one. The three of them had made it the first time they’d come out to the cabin. It matched the tats he and Leo had, though. It hadn’t been an accident. The anchors were special to him and Leo, because they’d met on a ship. It was just a cruise-line, and they were kids then.
She looked over the ornament, an understanding of what she was finally seeing coming over her face. He stepped toward her as her gaze fell to his arm, down to his wrist. “I’ve missed so much between you and Leo.”
“We lied to you.” Garrett’s admission hurt, because he’d never wanted to lie to his wife.
“You did.” She released the ornament, watching it swing from side to side on the tree. She sniffled, the remainder of her sobs coming in uneven breaths.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”
“You’ve always told me the truth, Garrett. This is the first time I’ve ever seen you do this. I had my suspicions. I knew you guys were closer than other guys would be.” She shook her head, a sad smile on her face. “I guess I didn’t want to think about how you might not love me like you do him.”
“Oh, Brianna, love.” He caressed her face with his thumb, following the lines of her bone structure. “I love you. Never doubt that. Leo and I… yes, we had a thing. But we both knew it would never work out.”
Saying the truth out loud was agonizing, painfully squeezing. Leo was a public figure, a role model for young hockey players everywhere. He was climbing up the charts, making a name for himself. A relationship with a man could ruin his public image.
Brianna looked at him so uncertainly it tore him to pieces. He didn’t want her to ever think that she was second-rate. No matter what Leo was to him, she was still his wife. He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off her feet easily with a swoop of his arm under her knees. Her legs dangled from his arms as he brought her around to the couch and settled on the cushions with her in his lap. She curled up on him, burrowing her way into the warmth of his body.
“I love you.” The slight hitch in her voice tugged at his heart and made him want to go all “Hulk Smash” on the nearest target. He never wanted Bri to hurt. Ever. She deserved so much better.
“I love you too.” He stroked his fingers along her hip, each movement throwing kindling on the fire building inside him. Leo could be stubborn. He could be an ass. Garrett’s temper flared inside him, burning like a Roman candle, ready to explode. When he got back, he’d let Leo know that Brianna Zane never hurt for anything. That it was their job to protect her, not hurt her.
Chapter Six
The snow had fallen steadily for hours, making it difficult for even his four by four to make it through. When he made it back, he knew he was stuck there for possibly days. He’d considered not coming back. But they wouldn’t have enough food to last them. They were his friends. He couldn’t’ do that to them.
Dread filled him as he opened the front door, halfway expecting the two to be standing on the other side. But the living room was deserted. He’d been gone hours. At close to dinner time now, he couldn’t imagine what they were doing now. Their bedroom was shut. Even the bathroom door was shut.
He’d never felt truly alone in the cabin before. Miserable and guilty, he rubbed his chest, over the anchor tattoo. Fuck, even when he was upset, he reached for something that reminded him of Garrett. He grabbed several bags from the back of his truck and brought them inside. Unloading the truck only took a few minutes. He restocked the kitchen with his newly bought groceries. The weather forecast called for the snow to continue for hours, maybe days. The roads would close in about four more hours if the snow continued this way. At least that’s what the police had told him on his way back up the mountain.
Normally, being trapped in a cabin with his best friends wasn’t a big deal. Last time, they’d stocked up the firewood and gas and had a good time with movies and long talks about random shit by the fireplace.
Things had changed.
The cabin was quiet, so he figured that Bri and Garrett were off doing couple things or maybe napping. Who the hell knew? They weren’t around, which he wasn’t sure if he should be thankful for or terrified of. While it disappointed him that they weren’t close, being a couple was something that they needed to do. They needed to reaffirm their relationship.
He rolled his eyes at himself. Relationships. Reaffirmation. Next thing he knew, he’d be all Stuart Smalley in here. What the hell was happening to him? He leaned against the counter and listened to the quiet of the cabin. Frustrated with himself, and his inability to deal with the emotions he had churning inside, he went to his current bedroom, shutting out the rest of the world.
The door burst open, bright light flooding his still darkened bedroom. Garrett’s large body shadowed over him and then he was airborne. His back slammed into the wall and shock had him crumbling to the floor.
“Get up, asshole.”
Leo sluggishly slid his body back up to a standing position, his back biting with pain.
“Garrett, what—”
Stars burst in his vision as Garrett’s fist slammed into the side of his face. Leo stumbled to the side with the force.
Damn, Garrett packed one hell of a punch. He grabbed Garrett’s swinging arm, covering the anchor tattoo with his hand and deflected the next punch. He jumped back, and pressed his fingertips to where Garrett had hit him, just at the corner of his left eye. “What the fuck, man?”
“It’s one thing to be fucking scared, dude,” Garrett growled. “It’s another to hurt my wife in the process. I won’t let you.”
Leo balanced his hands on his knees, half bent over to keep the room from spinning. Hockey fights were one thing. There was only so hard a person could hit on the ice. This was the punch of a man who was utterly, completely pissed off. And really, he didn’t blame him one freaking bit.
“It’s better this way, okay?”
Garrett came at him again, his fist coming for his gut. Leo sideswiped him, deflecting yet again. “Fuck, stop, already!”
“Tell me why I should, you asshat!” Garrett hauled Leo up by his arms and pushed him into the wall. “You’re so fucking skittish of letting go of your precious little heart. Did you ever think about anyone but yourself?”
“Sure, I did!” Leo yelled back, breaking Garrett’s hold on him. He shoved him back. “There’s you and Brianna, Garrett. There’s no you, Brianna, and me! It’s not possible!”
“Why not?” Leo froze at the sound of Brianna’s voice in the doorway. Garrett slammed him back against the wall, his forearm digging into his throat. Leo glanced toward the door. She only wore a tee shirt, and her hair was mussed, like she’d been sleeping. Nipples stuck out underneath the fabric, reminding him of the precarious position he’d been put in.
“You’re my best friend’s wife.”
“Do you love me?” She asked quietly.
“Bri…” He didn’t want to say. Because the truth was, he’d been in love with her since day one. Same as Garrett. He never said it because he couldn’t act on it.
“Do you love Garrett?”
“He’s my best friend. You know I do.”
“You love us both. We both love you. Why can’t it work?”
Brianna stepped further into the room. The tee she wore exacerbated the need he already had for her. Her slender legs drove him crazy. The gentle curve of her hips made him dizzy. Even with Garrett’s forearm in his throat, he couldn’t help but imagine those legs wrapped around his waist, or that ass presented to him like a gift.
“I thought you were sleeping, sweetie,” Garrett said, releasing Leo from his hold.
“He hurt you,” Garrett replied simply. He glared at Leo.
Brianna’s eyebrow cocked upward at Leo.
He shrugged. “I deserved it.”
“Guys,” Brianna shook her head. She pinned Garrett with a stare that would have frightened Godzilla. “Garrett, go get some ice.”
“Bri—”
“Now, Garrett, before this swells more,” she ordered. He growled but left the room. Leo didn’t say a word, and neither did she. Somehow, having her upset with him, was even worse than having Garrett pissed. The air of disappointment surrounding her suffocated him.
She turned back toward Leo, fury in her eyes. “Did you really think you were protecting me?”
“Who said that?” Leo asked.
“Don’t give me the bullshit, Leo. I know better.”
“I don’t belong with you and Garrett, Bri. Three’s a crowd.” Leo’s voice was barely above a whisper. He needed her to understand. There was no room for him. “I just thought you would need some time to process what we’ve done. We’ve changed things by having sex, much less having a threesome. Garrett and I… you didn’t even know that Garrett had bisexual tendencies.”
“I’m not stupid, Leo.” As Garrett came back in, her eyes flittered to him then met Leo’s eyes again. Her dark almond eyes were confident and sure. “I know my husband and I know the way he acts around you is different than the way he acts around his other guy friends.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not oblivious. I had my suspicions. But… you two needed to be the ones to tell me, not have me grill you about it. Both of you are horrible liars and even worse at hiding how you feel about each other. So, of course, yes, I knew.”
Retrieving the bag of ice from Garrett, she sat Leo on the edge of the bed and knelt next to him. He still towered over her. Half-lidded eyes that reminded him of chocolate peeked at him. She placed the bag over his injured eye. He winced, both at the cold and the sensitive prickling of pain in his face.