Dear Rose 3: Winter's Risk

by Mechele Armstrong

  She tried to get a peek.

  Quinn gave her questioning glance. “What’s wrong?”

  “Condoms?” She felt silly for asking. But she wanted to be safe and sure. She had a feeling they wouldn’t mind the question. They’d rather she be satisfied than not.

  “Both of us already have them on.” Quinn patted her shoulder.

  She hadn’t even heard the packages open.

  But she did hear the click of Zach opening the lube. He slipped toward her rear. She felt the liquid go against her back hole.

  Quinn got her attention. “I want you to focus on my face.” He stared her full in the eyes and kissed her thoroughly. “Keep your focus there and on what I’m doing to you.”

  “Okay.”

  Zach began to slide something into her. His finger. Her hole was tight around it as he maneuvered it inside.

  Quinn continued to kiss her and play with her front, touching her breasts and making her breathless.

  It kept her from being too concerned with what was Zach was doing. He was prepping her. Opening her up. Getting her used to the pressure. Each time he added a finger, she could feel that much more, even with the distraction of what Quinn was doing to her.

  What Zach did didn’t exactly cause pain. It was more widening pressure. And there was pleasure. More than she’d thought there would be.

  She wasn’t sure how many fingers he had in her. But it was more than one. And he continually added more lube. And went slow.

  When Quinn shifted up, Zach moved behind her.

  Something bigger than a finger rested at her back hole. Zach’s cock. She couldn’t see it, but she could feel it pressing against her.

  Here we go.

  Quinn bore into her. He moved slower than he had before. Was that to accommodate Zach’s movements?

  Oh yes.

  Zach pressed against her in the back. His tip slid just inside.

  God, the pressure was intense. It was like he was ramming her. And he wasn’t even moving fast. Yet there was a warmth that spread from her bottom all the way up. There was no pain. And desire spread throughout her whole being.

  As Quinn drove into her, Zach slipped out. They worked in tandem, taking her. Moving the exact opposite of each other, they took her together.

  In and out.

  Until Quinn was fully seated. He rested a moment with his cock all the way inside her.

  Zach was two strokes behind him. He too stopped a moment, fully encased in her.

  She had one cock lodged in her pussy. The other lodged in her anus. Her body shuddered around these new experiences.

  She was stuffed to the brim.

  And she wanted more.

  She wanted them to move. To bring this to a head. To slip into her and back as they worked together again.

  She couldn’t articulate anything. Couldn’t speak or move. Nothing would drop from her dry lips.

  But they seemed to know. They started to move like before, in tandem. She was being split asunder.

  And she liked it.

  It was the most intense thing she’d ever done. The pressure built up the sensual feelings like a dam. And when it broke, there would be an explosion.

  Her entire being swirled up into colors that flew down around her like confetti. Her nails tore at Quinn’s shoulders. She had no control over any of it.

  Quinn’s body suddenly shuddered, and he tightened. He called her name. Zach’s name.

  Zach was the last to climax. His body straightened against her and pounded for the first time. He slapped against her, calling her name and Quinn’s.

  They all lay in a puddle of body parts for a few minutes until Zach and Quinn both eased out of her. Then both men took off the condoms, and Zach washed up while she rested in the bed. Her legs felt like noodles. Zach brought a washcloth and cleaned her off as Quinn headed for the bathroom.

  When they both came back to her, they wrapped themselves around her and snuggled. It was the warmest she’d ever been. The safest. The most loved.

  “From now on, we fuck and sleep in this bed,” Quinn said sleepily. “It’s the only one big enough for all of us.”

  “Agreed.” She nodded. There would be time to work out more specifics later. For right now, she’d enjoy their bodies against hers.

  Who would have thought a risk would pay off so well?

  Epilogue

  Rose hesitated outside her dressing room at Temples. She hadn’t seen Carl since the threesome had come in holding hands and beaming. They had to be together. For the first time ever, she wasn’t sure she wanted to see Carl. She wanted to run a hand through her hair but was worried she’d disrupt her wig. And she didn’t want to go back through the process of wig glue and placing it back on.

  What would happen now?

  She’d been successful just like she’d always known she would be. She’d brought three relationships together.

  Yet she didn’t feel as if she was the victor at anything.

  Why doesn’t he want to show the world he’s committed to me? She closed her eyes. Didn’t have an answer besides the fact Carl was private and he was new to this gay-rights thing.

  “Rose.”

  She turned to face Zach, who looked as if he’d eaten not only the canary but the whole fucking flock. “Hello, Zach. You’re a much happier soul since I last saw you.” She blew out a sigh. Least someone was happy.

  “I am. And your advice to each of us was spot-on.” He shook his head. “You were even right about the fact you can’t make someone do something they don’t want to do. They have to come around on their own.”

  Rose blinked at him. “I said that?”

  “Yes. You did. And it made so much sense to me that day I was here before Josie and Quinn found me. It helped me accept I wasn’t making them do anything. That they’d come to the decision.” He clapped Rose’s shoulder. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it. Glad I made sense to someone.” She watched as Zach headed back to the bar.

  They have to come around on their own.

  She’d been dispensing advice and hadn’t even been listening to herself. If she had, she would have realized why this felt like such a hollow success to start with. It wasn’t just that Carl was reluctant. There were other reasons as well.

  She was making Carl do this. And it wasn’t something that could be made to happen. Fuck, but she’d been dense.

  She was a genius and didn’t even realize it. Of course she was also an idiot.

  She stalked into her dressing room.

  Carl sat at Rose’s small mirror and desk she referred to as her dressing table. But it was just a desk. “Hey, Rose.” He exuded sadness. His body was tense.

  “Hey. I guess you saw the happy threesome.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I did.” He blew out an unhappy breath and looked churlish. “Rose, I…” It had never been this tense between them.

  She shook her head and shot him an expression that stopped him from speaking. “Don’t.”

  “Don’t?”

  “I realized just now, I was wrong.” These were words Devyn hardly ever said, and Rose had never said before.

  His eyes widened to a size she wasn’t even sure was possible. “Come again?”

  “I know. Record it, right?” Good thing Carl didn’t have a tape recorder, or he might try. Rose could be happy for one small wonder—that Carl didn’t have a recorder.

  “For posterity. That’s something I’ve never heard before.” Carl shifted in the chair. “Go on.”

  “I shouldn’t have put marriage in the bet. It wasn’t fair. This should happen because we both want it to. Not because of some silly bet. You can still grow your hair long. I’ll do that concert of Aretha I was going to do anyway. But I don’t want you to propose to me like this. I want it to be because you want to.”

  Carl sat forward and stopped moving. “You’d give up making me marry you? Despite the fact you won.”

  She nodded and tapped one finger on her other hand. “I don�
�t want it that way. I want you to propose because you need to and want to. Not because you have to. So no, I won’t marry you on a bet.”

  Carl seemed to think it over. “Are you sure? I know you want this.”

  She did. But not like this. “I am. You’re absolved of that part of the bet.” She came over and placed her hands on his shoulders. She settled down in his lap, the evening gown going over his knees. She ran her hands through his hair. “You in long hair will be enough for this one.”

  A smile. The first one she’d seen in a while. “You did it, Rosie. You brought three relationships over the edge of getting together. And made seven people happy. You’re going to be great as an advice columnist.”

  “Damn straight I am. Like there was ever any doubt.” She shook her head like any thought she wouldn’t succeed was impossible.

  He cupped her ass in his hands. “How much time do we have before you go on?” He had that glimmer in his eye.

  The one she’d seen often. “Not that much. Unfortunately.” Rose shifted off his lap and smoothed down her dress. “But Devyn says you better eat your protein tonight. Because you and he are going to celebrate.”

  “It’s a date.” Carl got to his feet. “See you in the audience.”

  It hadn’t exactly gone the way she wanted, but she was happier than she’d been in a long time.

  As she headed out to the dance floor, her phone rang. It was her dad. For the first time in years. She answered it in Devyn’s voice. “Hello? Dad?”

  “Yeah, I wondered if we could have lunch tomorrow.” No gear up or small talk. Right to the issue.

  “I don’t know, Dad.” Rose wasn’t about to get lectured on her lifestyle. If that was all he wanted, he could fuck off.

  “Ben has been missing you.”

  “And I’ve been missing him.” His throat caught at his little brother’s name. For the first time, he realized Carl was now standing nearby. He must have come back to find Rose because she wasn’t on cue. Rose never missed a cue.

  “I still don’t agree with what you are. I’m not excusing it by any means.” His dad’s voice was gruff. “But his momma”—who would be Devyn’s stepmom—“says I can’t cut you out of Ben’s life for things I don’t agree with. And she’s been saying for a while now I need to let you see him. And he’s been asking. And crying over some rough stuff. We’ve been in counseling. He’s almost a teenager now. I think he needs you. Despite what you are.”

  It was the longest Devyn’s dad had talked to him since he’d found out Devyn was gay. And it was life changing. “I’ll be there tomorrow, Dad.” He gave Carl a thumbs-up. His dad would never accept him. But it sounded like his stepmom and Ben might. And that was something.

  “We need to set some ground rules. I ain’t having you visit him while in a dress. Or acting fruity.”

  Dev could handle that. “I’m in a relationship, Dad.” He mentioned what would be a sticking point.

  “Long as you don’t jump bones in front of the boy, I guess I’m okay with that. His mom…my wife…she’s on me to set this right, along with some other things. And she don’t care about you being that way. Long as you’re a good person.”

  Devyn closed his eyes. He was going to see his little brother. And who knew, maybe it would open doors between him and his father.

  “Bye, Dev.” His dad clicked off.

  Rose held the phone up to her forehead. It might not be divine intervention, but it was close. “I’m having dinner with my dad tomorrow.”

  Carl seemed as discombobulated as Rose felt. “Wow. That’s amazing.”

  “It sure is.”

  “Are you going to be able to go on? You missed your cue.”

  Rose pulled up her evening gown. “The show must go on. Of course I’m coming out. Don’t let them take the spotlight from me. I’m ready.” She used her best drag-queen-goddess voice.

  Carl rolled his eyes and walked back out to the front of the stage.

  Once Rose reached the area on the floor they called her cue spot, she stood waiting for the music to sound.

  “And the diva of divas…” The DJ played it up. “The sexy. The sultry. The siren of Temples. Miss Rose Winter.”

  Rose sashayed out and climbed up the step to the stage. “How’s everyone doing out there? Come on, bitches, I know you can do bettah.” She walked the stage like she owned it. Looked out and saw Neo and Phil catching a kiss before Neo had to change for the show. Saw Josie between Zach and Quinn, who’d better be getting his late ass backstage to change like Neo. Rose saw Tucker with his arm around Ally. She’d been successful. She’d taken a risk, and it had paid off in spades.

  Even if she couldn’t fix her relationship.

  Carl might never ask her to marry him now. Her or Devyn. But she would be okay with that. She loved what she had with him. She’d take it as it came. And they would be fine. Maybe there was nothing to fix.

  She had picked an appropriate song to start out with even before this epiphany went down. “Stronger,” originally sung by Kelly Clarkson. The first chords of the song blared from the speakers. Rose sang it to the rafters. She’d started to wail it, to rock the song, when she noticed something she hadn’t before.

  Carl was at the edge of the stage. With a rose in his hand. He waved it around at Rose.

  Carl had brought Rose flowers before when she’d been onstage. Rose hadn’t expected them tonight. That was odd. How had he known Zach, Quinn, and Josie would finish off today? Rose hadn’t been giving him updates. Hell, she hadn’t even known it was close to fruition. She’d expected it to be another day or so before it reached the happy-ending stage.

  Rose sashayed over, and Carl waved the flower at her again. And he stepped up onstage.

  Her Carl. The one who didn’t like the spotlight. Several hundred eyes were watching.

  The music stopped. Not anything Rose expected either. After all, the show didn’t stop for anyone. Not even when she’d had a wig fall off or tripped after getting a little tipsy one night.

  Her mouth dried out. Something was up.

  “Even before you were tapped to be an advice columnist in the local paper…” Carl then spoke to the audience. “Yeah, folks. Rose will soon be dispensing relationship advice as Dear Rose. Some of you have already benefitted from her expertise. You know who you are.”

  Yes, the seven whom she’d had a hand in bringing together all gazed at their significant others. Kisses were exchanged.

  The audience exploded into applause.

  Which was wonderful but explained nothing about what Carl was doing up here. Rose tried to ask with her eyes but got nowhere.

  “Where was I? Oh yeah, before it was official you’d be taking on Dear Rose and having some personal matters cleared up…” Leave it to Carl to mention it for her benefit but not fill everyone in.

  Ally looked like she was going to burst onstage and ask. Tucker was the only thing holding her back. Devyn would have to fill her in later or face the wrath of Ally.

  “…I planned this. I should have done it a long time ago, but I’m slow. You know that. You know me. I have to do things in my time. I came to be gay in my time. I came to be yours in my time. And I had to do this in my time.” He handed her the rose and slid down on one knee.

  Slid. Down. On. One. Fucking. Knee.

  “Oh God. You don’t have to do this. I called off the bet.”

  Carl stared up at her, and his eyes glistened. “I know. This is not part of the bet. I had no idea it would resolve tonight. I’m doing this because I want to. And because you need it and so do I. If I’m in love with you, I need to do this. And I am.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m finally ready after all these years. I can’t lose you, and I need to make this permanent. The fighting we’ve done over this showed me the way, because we so rarely fight and I realized I might lose you over this. That I needed to be with you with a forever commitment.” It was the most talking Carl had done in a while. He let out a tight smile. “
So you can’t get away, Rose Winter.”

  He pulled out a box from his pocket. Black velvet.

  Rose brought her hand up to cover her mouth. She could feel tears brimming in her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. And yet here they were.

  “Devyn Matthews. Aka Rose Winter. Will you marry me?” Carl flipped open the box to reveal a mannish set of wedding rings. There was something that appeared like Norse inscriptions on them.

  Now she was crying. And her false eyelashes were starting to unstick. She’d be a mess. Her makeup would run. And she didn’t give a fuck.

  The audience held its breath.

  Carl had done this on his own.

  “Of course I’ll marry you.” The tears were streaming freely, and the eyelashes were everywhere down her face. She looked crappy, and she didn’t care.

  Neither did Carl, because he jumped to his feet and slipped a ring on Rose’s finger. “These are promise rings for now. I’m promised to you and you to me. In a few weeks, when we hold our reception at Maymont, which I’ve already scheduled, they will be official wedding rings. We can plan it together.” A few glances were exchanged. “And some have thought about taking the plunge with us. Two other relationships plus one, maybe, to be exact.” From the gazes exchanged, Rose could bet what three he was talking about. “Which is fine with me. As long as it happens on that day with us.”

  It was to show Devyn, aka Rose, Carl was on board with this. Despite the fact it still wasn’t legal in their state.

  One day. One day.

  For now, one step at a time. He pulled Carl in for one long, passionate kiss that curled his toes even in high heels.

  Rose had taken the biggest risk of all, and now she was reaping the rewards of all she’d put on the line.

  And it was good.

  Loose Id Titles by Mechele Armstrong

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  Another Dream, Another Reality

  Another Night, Another Dream

  Be My Moon

  Desert Surrender

  Dinah’s Christmas Desire

  Dinah’s Dark Desire

  I Heart That City: Body Shots

  Solstice Spell

  Veterans: Nothing to Lose