Dear Rose 3: Winter's Risk

by Mechele Armstrong

  She still seemed uncertain, as though she didn’t understand what he meant. And she probably didn’t.

  Quinn knew Zach might bolt, because he was going to expose what Zach ultimately wanted. The man wasn’t stupid. Just unsure of his game.

  Josie still wore a puzzled expression.

  Both of them said, “Go on,” at the same time.

  How nice they were in sync. “If we liked dating each other and the intimacy we have, then we eventually become a threesome. And not just in name. But in body.” He shook his leg out, as it was getting numb from close quarters. “And, yep, I do mean we all three get together. Physically. Emotionally. Body and soul. That’s what you had in mind, didn’t you, Zach?”

  Josie’s eyes widened, and her mouth opened. “Quinn…” She clearly hadn’t expected that. “Can we do that?”

  Zach turned away. He didn’t meet either gaze or reply to Quinn’s question, which was an answer in itself. He’d known what was coming, even if he wasn’t going to propose it himself. He didn’t seem upset by the suggestion. But he wasn’t jumping in either, probably because he didn’t think it could last.

  “If we’re compatible, we can make that work. I know it will take some time to get there.” Quinn said the words firmly. “But I don’t want some half-assed attempt at being together. If we’re going to do this, we have to have it all out on the table. What we want. What we can’t handle. If there’s anything you can’t do, spit it out now. Otherwise we vow to eventually go for broke.”

  “Threesomes can’t marry.” Zach met his gaze full-on then and blurted it out. “There’s no legal relationship for two guys and a girl.”

  “Neither can fags marry here.” Yep, he’d used a derogatory term to make his point. Josie let out a gasp at that. “Last time I checked, sodomy was on the books in this state as an illegal activity. And lots of people who can marry never do. What’s your point?”

  “My point is, what kind of a relationship can the three of us have? It wouldn’t be the ideal.”

  “So? We could have a fucking fine relationship. We could all walk away tomorrow. Have you seen the percentage of divorces lately? Just because you get married doesn’t make it perfect.” About time Zach learned it wasn’t a flawless world. Quinn had always known that.

  “I know that,” Zach snapped, but Quinn had his doubts. “But fags”—Josie gasped again—“will get a chance to marry long before polyandry becomes something legal. I can use that word too, though it’s base.”

  “And it got my point across. That’s what people who make those laws think about gays.” He’d heard that term all his life. And heard people use “It’s so gay” as an insult too many times to count. “My use shows that we know all about how they think.” And he knew what others thought about bis and relationships with more than two people. Didn’t mean he cared. But he at least wasn’t surprised by anything. “She and I could marry. You and I can’t marry. The three of us couldn’t legally commit in any system in America. But who the fuck needs to if we are committed to each other? We could have a ceremony that means something to us if that’s what we want to do.” He shook his head. “Fuck the lawmakers and their fucking rules.” Repetition that should happen more often when it came to love between consenting adults and crimes that were only sanctioned by an unforgiving morality.

  “You think that will happen?” Josie’s voice was low. “That we can all be together?” She sounded unsure of herself.

  “Who knows? We may never reach that point.” Quinn reached over to squeeze her hand. “We play it by ear, and if we get there, we get there. If we don’t, we keep things at a level we can all deal with.”

  “So where do we go from here?” Zach hunched over, not at his full height. That he wasn’t running away was something. But it would take work and finesse. Something Quinn wasn’t great at. He hoped Josie was. “What’s next?”

  “We go on a first date. You and me, Army Man.” He rubbed his hands together, then angled to stare seriously at Josie. “Both of us have already been out with you for the first time. You keep dating us like you have been. With one major exception.”

  Josie appeared skeptical. “What’s what?”

  “You fuck us like bunnies.” And that ended the meeting.

  * * * *

  Quinn checked his appearance in the mirror by the door again. It had only been about a minute since the last time. Thankfully, he hadn’t grown horns or developed a big zit since the last time he’d seen his reflection. Although horns would be pretty cool… He was ready early for Zach’s arrival. A miracle.

  And he couldn’t sit still.

  Zach had sounded nervous when Quinn had called him earlier. He’d gotten Zach’s number from Josie. Because in order to date, he needed to contact Zach.

  “Hey, it’s Quinn.”

  “Yes.” A slight cough. “How are you?”

  “Great.”

  Awkward silence. Then they’d set a day and time to go out and gotten off the phone as quickly as possible.

  They hadn’t even talked about what they were going to do. And it was fucking early to be hitting a club. Zach didn’t ask for his address. Quinn assumed he’d be getting it from Josie as Quinn had done with the phone number.

  But what if he hadn’t? What if he wasn’t going to show? After all, it was obvious Zach was the reluctant one. Quinn hadn’t quite figured out why yet unless it was because Zach had been burned so many fucking times. Maybe he’d said he’d date Quinn to get them off his back and had no intention of ever following through. Maybe Zach was right now sitting at home alone playing some sort of elaborate game.

  The man’s muscular naked back.

  Quinn’s own mouth crept down centimeter by centimeter until he reached Zach’s hole and swirled his tongue around it. He’d dip in ever so slowly as his hand came up to fondle Zach’s heavy cock. He’d noticed Zach’s erection a few times under jeans. The man was ginormous.

  Focus.

  They had to get through a date first.

  Maybe they’d hang out.

  Maybe they’d go out to dinner.

  Maybe they’d bang each other over and over again until neither one of them could walk straight.

  Stranger things had happened.

  A knock nearly made Quinn jump off the floor, as he was standing by the door, still checking his appearance.

  Five minutes before seven.

  Had to be Zach.

  Quinn swung the door open. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

  Zach smiled and sauntered in. No other word for what he did. It was more a swagger than a plain walk. He moved like a predator rather than prey. He no doubt liked it when someone ran from him… “Nice.” He surveyed the living room.

  Quinn had picked up his place. He usually had papers and clothes strewn around. Those had been hidden in the spare room. He lived in the Fan, an older neighborhood that had a lot of rentals to support a local university. Where Quinn lived had a lot of old houses that had been turned into duplexes. He was on the bottom floor and another apartment was above him, currently occupied by a university student. The place had wooden floors and bathroom fixtures that were older than Quinn. He liked it better than Josie’s suburbia apartment, where every room resembled the other, except maybe flipped. The Fan had character, and the rent was a fuck of a lot cheaper because it catered to students. Which was why Quinn lived there. “Thanks.” He shut the door behind Zach.

  “I guess we should talk about what we’re doing tonight.” Zach turned to face him and went directly to the point. His gaze drifted down Quinn’s body almost like a touch.

  Quinn felt that hot, hungry look and shivered. His cock hung heavy, swelling under his tight pants. He swallowed, his throat dry. “I’m easy.” In more ways than one. Would answering fucking be a little too soon? Probably. Though he was ready to speed up the process between Josie, Zach, and him. He wanted to get to the good stuff. Only, as usual, he had to wait. The story of his life.

  He contented himself with
checking out Zach. Zach wore a brown suede coat and jeans. His blue shirt was buttoned from the second button to his waist. That little expanse of chest, for some reason, further revved Quinn’s motor. It was all about what he couldn’t see. And what he could see was delectable. Muscles and long limbs. Zach had a chest that made Quinn want to curl up in his arms and be held. Against that body. Naked.

  “I can’t stay out that late.” Zach looked apologetic then, not an expression Quinn would have expected from him. “I have to get up in the morning at six thirty to be at work.”

  “What do you do?” Small talk might help Quinn get to know Zach and learn what made him tick. That would help him get this relationship off the ground. Lots of details had been hashed out with Josie already. His and Zach’s relationship was behind the ball on this one. Being behind the ball would be a good thing. With his mouth about to close around it…

  “I’m an IT consultant and work on computer systems at my own office. I studied it after I left the military. The office is…small, but it’s a great place to go think, because it’s quiet. I work for several local companies.”

  Boy, Zach didn’t have the appearance of any computer nerd Quinn had ever met. “You were army, weren’t you?” He’d been calling Zach “Army Man,” and Zach hadn’t corrected him, so he assumed he had the division right.

  “Yes.”

  “Where were you stationed?” That would tell him a lot about Zach without Zach having to say many words. Likely the best way to pick up on things.

  “Germany. Then Afghanistan.” Zach said the words with little emotion. Seemed to be talking about anything other than having seen combat.

  Because if he’d been in Afghanistan, he more than likely had. Quinn nodded to show he’d heard. “Did you like the army?”

  Zach gaped at him as though he’d grown three heads, a look Quinn was accustomed to being on the receiving end of, though why that question would elicit that response, he didn’t know. Maybe it was because Zach assumed everyone would like the army? “I guess. It gave me the education I wanted.” He still seemed a little puzzled. Certainly not a usual guise for him.

  “So you figure out the dreaded machines. The dreaded fucking machines. The ones that piss me off regularly.” All Quinn had to do was touch one, and it seemed to go squirrely. It was a gift.

  “Yes. I keep them from taking over the world. So Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t have to track down anyone by looking in the phone book.”

  Quinn immediately starting doing a line from the film, and they both laughed at their Terminator references.

  It was the most Zach had ever said. At least to him directly. And Quinn got the allusion Zach had been trying to make. For once, being a movie aficionado had worked out. Before, it had just gotten Quinn snobby turned-up noses from literary elites.

  “So besides dancing for Rose, what do you do?” Zach fiddled with his jacket. Considering the heat was on because it had been cold lately, he was probably hot.

  “I’m a weekday assistant manager at a local grocery store.” Quinn eyed Zach. “You can take your coat off. Until we know what we’re doing.” Fuck, you could take everything off.

  Zach slid off his coat, his muscles rippling with the effort. “Thanks. So you keep the killer tomatoes from attacking?” He grinned, and it lit his whole face.

  “Oh my God, no one knows that movie. Are you a film buff?” Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was not well-respected cinema. But it was fun on a campy horrific scale.

  “When it’s late at night on base and all you have is donated DVDs, you’ll watch anything.” Zach shrugged. “It’s either that or polish off the donated jerky and Girl Scout cookies. And while the snacks are good, sometimes you want to watch something mindless. Get your brain away from where you are.”

  Quinn nodded. He wanted Zach to keep talking. This was a moment. And he didn’t want to interrupt.

  But as though he’d realized he was getting in too deep, Zach clammed up and stared off into space. They both stood there staring at each other. It was a strange silence that was overwhelming at the same time. It only lasted a few seconds, but it seemed like hours.

  “You wanna go out to dinner?” Of course, Quinn broke it by talking. He’d never outlast anyone, especially not someone like Zach. He’d bet Zach was patient to the nines. Even his sister, whose nickname was Chatterbox, could stay quieter than Quinn.

  “We can do that.”

  “Or we could get takeout. There’s plenty of places around. Hang out here. Maybe watch a movie.” Quinn did a mental rundown of everything he had in stock. “You could pick something mindless.”

  Zach nodded as if sizing up what Quinn had said. “We could do that.” He repeated the sentiment from before.

  “Or we could go downtown to a club. Just not stay late. I think Temples is even open on weeknights.” Though Quinn didn’t often go, because on the weekends it was his home away from home. He had sometimes done brunches in the morning after closing down the club the night before. Didn’t make him want to see it on his days off. But if Zach wanted to, he’d go.

  “We could do that.” Zach folded his tight arms over his chest. His face showed nothing. They might as well have been discussing the drying paint.

  “Or we could go to the Byrd Theater and see a movie in second run. I think they have shows every night, even weeknights. And it’s fucking cheap.” He’d have to find some show times and see what was playing. Where was his newspaper? Right, he’d hidden it in the other room with all the mail that had come in from the last week. He’d get around to opening it. Eventually.

  “We could do that.” Another repeat of the same statement. Said the same way. There was nothing to indicate which scenario he wanted.

  “Are you going to say anything beside that?” Quinn threw up his hands. What infuriation. “Geesh. I’m giving suggestions on what we can do. All you keep saying is the same thing. I mean, fuck. You could at least vary how you respond.” He moved around the living room and scattered a remote or two. “You could at least change your tone. Give me some sign what you want to do.”

  “Quinn.”

  “You’re supposed to be helping with this date. I can’t come up with everything.” He wouldn’t meet Zach’s gaze. Maybe this was all a big mistake, even though it seemed like the best opportunity for a relationship Quinn had had in a long time. “I could use some input here—”

  “Quinn.” The word was said more forcefully. Almost like an order. But it wasn’t shouted. If Zach had shouted, it wouldn’t have had the same impact as the quiet authority he projected.

  “What?”

  Zach set his coat down on the green sofa and stalked over to within a centimeter of Quinn. Their bodies were almost brushing against each other. All that hot hard body was within touching distance. Good touching. Maybe there was even leaning… Why did he have to think of While You Were Sleeping with the whole leaning conjecture that leaning your body into another implied wanting of that person? Quinn wanted Zach more than he could say. But Zach was pushing his body so near to Quinn’s all he’d have to do was tip a little that way, and there would be touching. Even as it was, he could feel the warmth pulsing from Zach like a sunburst.

  And needless to say, Quinn couldn’t talk then. He couldn’t manage even a peep. His mouth dried out. Not with that big body in his personal space. He could smell Zach’s scent. It was woodsy with a hint of something like sandalwood. It suited him.

  “I think there’s only one way to shut you up when you get like this.” Zach didn’t smile. Tenseness showed through every rigid muscle. He was much more stiff than when he’d come in.

  “What would that be?” Quinn stayed still, a wonder for him. He liked to be in constant motion. But he didn’t want to break whatever was going on here. This spell had him captured and seemed to have Zach’s attention, and Quinn wouldn’t be the one to stop it.

  “This.” Zach dipped his mouth and laid it across Quinn’s. He brought his hands up and shot his arms around Quinn
so fast, Quinn couldn’t have escaped.

  Not that he wanted to. Not hardly. No, he liked this just fine.

  He returned the kiss with all the fervor inside him. Zach’s mouth was the fire, and Quinn was the kindling. He caught the flame, and it burned inside him like the toastiest heat ever.

  Zach’s lips were limber, and they took as much as they gave from Quinn. They gave him no pause. Zach wouldn’t let Quinn pull away even for a breath. Apparently the man liked him against his body.

  And it was so good, Quinn felt as though he’d pass out. As though all the air had been sucked from his lungs.

  His cock strained against the confines of his clothes, wanting freedom.

  Steam must be rising from us. In the air.

  When Zach finally paused to take a breath, they both were panting. Quinn could feel the sweat on his body. Granted, his heat was on, and it was still fairly warm outside. The chill of the nighttime hadn’t taken over. But it wasn’t that hot. No, this was from the kiss. Just an embrace. They hadn’t even gotten naked yet.

  God help me when we do.

  Zach kept his forehead against Quinn’s for a few seconds. He kept staring in Quinn’s eyes as if searching for something. Whatever it was, did he find it? His next words gave an indication. “What I’d like to do tonight? I want to fuck you.” He didn’t show that he was sorry or wishy-washy. “That’s what I want to do.” He seemed surprised but calm at saying it.

  “I’ll get the condoms.” Quinn didn’t even pause. Why should he? This was what he wanted too. “And the lube. Don’t go away.”

  “Trust me. That ain’t going to happen.” And to further hurry Quinn along, Zach was undoing the top button to his jeans.

  Like he was going to miss that.

  Chapter Four

  Zach watched the man’s face in front of him. It was a fascinating prospect. The earnest lust the man displayed would have tempted a eunuch. And Zach was no eunuch. That was how he’d gotten into this situation in the first place.