"You make me feel hot and superhero-like."
I felt myself flush. "Well, that would be accurate. Glad to know what I'm putting out there is what I was thinking." That earned me a kiss.
"What did you need to talk about?"
I bit my lip. "Well, it's not all that important really...."
He stopped me with a hand to my chin. "You came here out of the blue. You bought me my favorite protein drink—thank you, by the way—with your coffee. And you bit your lip. It's important. You're important."
Well hell, I’d wanted to avoid crying.
He put our drinks down and swallowed me in a hug, shushing me with soothing tones. "Lovely, please, what's wrong?"
"You're not going to believe me now, but nothing, honestly."
"You're crying in my office and telling me nothing is wrong."
"I mean it, seriously. I wasn't upset, I was...these are just silly emotional tears, that's all. Because of the nice things you say."
"So...these are kind of happy tears?"
I laughed. "They are surprised-by-kind-words tears and I've-never-felt-important-to-anyone-before tears." I really needed to get a grip.
He kept me in the circle of his arms and I indulged. There was something about putting my arms around his strong body and being able to rest my head on his chest that just made me feel like I was home.
"I will work every day to make sure you always feel important."
I raised my head up and guided his lips to mine. Man, they were always so soft.
"That's kind of why I wanted to talk to you." I pulled away from him a little bit so I wouldn't be so distracted and like...jump his hard body. "I couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong last night or this morning between you and Jay. Was that accurate?"
"No, there's nothing wrong."
"Really? It felt like there was tension between you."
"I can't speak for him, but as for me, I'm fine." He smiled that special smile. The one that took my breath away with how sunny it was and that damned dimple of his.
I had to physically shake my head to clear it from all the dreamy things that I wanted to do to him and his body. "Okay. I just know that I haven't been the best at reaching out and letting you know how I felt, but I wanted you to know we could talk about these things."
He cupped my face, his gentle fingers brushing against my scalp. "And how have you felt?"
"Special. And I want you to feel the same."
He closed the space between us and drew me in for a kiss. So soft and sweet, it threatened to squeeze my chest in.
"That's exactly how you should feel."
"Okay."
"Now, can I fuck you already, or do I have to wait?"
I burst into laughter. "You had two ridiculously awesome sexy times sessions last night and this morning!"
"And that was last night and this morning. I can't go back in time to re-experience your body." He pressed against me, and he was indeed sporting a raging hard-on.
"I have to be somewhere soon, or you know I would."
"Lovely, you can't come here and cry and tell me how I make you feel special and how you want me to feel secure and wanted and not expect me to want to fuck you senseless." He groaned and I laughed at his pain.
"Oh, poor undersexed hottie,” I said in a mock pout. “Whatever are you going to do?"
"Sigh, maybe just jack off in the bathroom like I have to whenever I think of you too much during the day."
I bit my lip at the thought. He was kidding, surely. "Oh well, we can't have that." I grabbed his hand and led him to his private bathroom, which was more like a lounge. I made him sit down.
"What about your meeting?"
"You're horny, right?"
"I think we both know that I am."
"This won't take long."
"Hey!"
I slapped him on the arm. "I meant that in the nicest, most honest way possible! Now, pants off."
He got comfortable and I took him in my mouth. "You need to touch yourself. I need you to feel good, too," he said with a groan.
I did as directed, thankfully. Because I came as quickly as he did. In no time, he was coming in deep spurts in my mouth.
He wanted to return the favor. "You know I get antsy when you come but I did nothing to cause it."
He was rather paranoid about that. But I didn’t have time to worry about that now.
"Darling, why don't you just take me extra hard tonight? Okay? I gotta go!"
When I left, I couldn't help but still feel a little unsettled.
CHAPTER 8
AFTER A FULL DAY OF work writing words that just bled together, running down one phone call after the other, and arranging appointments, I was finally done.
I wished OG-1 would get himself a new assistant.
He’d seemed to think I could do anything ever since I turned the company around and into some profitability, all thanks to my work with local businesses. It had turned out really well for me, of course, but I loved that it also helped him out.
Ampersand was the first major publication to take a chance on me, and I appreciated all the help that they had given me starting out as a newbie writer.
I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and busted out just one more story.
At a knock on my door, I looked up to see Jay standing there. I blinked a few more times before my brain clued into the fact that he really was there.
He tilted his head to the side, more amused than concerned. "If this is a bad time, lovely, just let me know."
I shook the cobwebs from my brain. "No, of course not." I got up and gave him a relieved hug. Whatever I needed to write, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. The words were lost.
All I wanted to do was write a few stories for my blog readers at Mia Culpa. Those were the stories that interested me right now, not reasons why local residents needed to go to such-and-such restaurant or bistro. I enjoyed reviewing, but I wanted to spend time researching stuff I loved.
Or talking about people I lov—er, sort of liked.
My heart felt like it would beat out of my chest. I didn't want to say love. Love didn't exist here. This was just fun.
Fun.
"What're you doing here?"
He looked at his watch. "It's six o'clock, lovely. I thought we were going to dinner."
"Six? Already?" I smacked myself on the face.
He kissed my forehead. "Someone needs an alarm clock set on her phone or computer or something."
I let out a deep sigh. Deadlines.
"Look, how about you get food, since you probably haven't even eaten anything, yeah? And then write from the comfort of your home." His thumb trailed over my cheek.
"Yeah, I know what that means. Write from home equals lots of sordid sex between slapped-together words that make barely any sense."
"Or it could mean that you’ll be comfortable and fed with plenty of good coffee nearby, and whenever you need one, you get a massage break."
I just looked at him. "I know you. And Xavier. Both of you are in business. You could sell sand to desert nomads."
"Scout's honor that you’ll just have a good, supportive environment where you can work."
I chewed the inside of my cheek. The last time I worked really hard, they hadn't seen me for a week straight. I really needed to balance out my time. This would be a better, healthier way to do it.
"Okay. Dinner first. Then home so I can get comfortable. Except..."
“Except?”
“Except my place really isn't big enough to accommodate all three of us. Plus I need to spread out.”
"We could go to my apartment, see if Xavier would be okay with it?"
I remembered this morning’s conversation at the gym. Maybe Xavier would prefer that we spend time in his apartment. I mentioned it.
"Oh, that's cool too." Jay smiled, but he had a pained look on his face. Like he was trying to figure out what he wanted. Like he wanted to say something.
I decided to
just ask. "Are you all right with dinner at Xavier's? I mean, we already stayed at your place for a few nights."
"Yeah, of course. I was just thinking of efficiency and comfort for you, is all."
His place was closer and some of my stuff was already there. But no. I’d told Xavier that I wanted him to take me hard tonight. And he would be in a better state of mind to do that at his own apartment.
Besides, I just missed him being one hundred percent happy. He always seemed so at ease and that was had bothered me lately. The fact that he seemed so unsettled. I’d only known him for a few months, but you got to know people really quickly when you promised that you’d be honest and communicate. And I didn't have just one person to contend with, but two.
I smiled at Jay because he’d started to furrow his brow. I hadn't seen him do that recently, not since we’d decided to work things out slowly with the three of us. Trailing my finger on his forehead to smooth it out, I smiled for him really big. "Thanks for trying to accommodate me."
That did it. He smiled, and it was the intense one that promised a thrilling ride later. "Anything for you, lovely."
AFTER GETTING MY STUFF so I could work remotely, I sent a quick text to Xavier to let him know that I wanted to drop things off at his house before dinner. He was happy about that and said that he'd meet us there.
Dinner went well, and I was able to try out a variety of stuff from a new Mediterranean restaurant. I actually preferred their club, The Multiple, but they weren't seating for dinner tonight, only the burlesque.
"Okay, so I hope you don't mind that I work for a bit," I said as we left.
"Lovely, you really need to relax. We don’t expect you to be available for sex 24/7."
"Yeah, more like 12/7." Jay winked at me.
I snorted. "Well, as long as I get my work done, that wouldn't be too bad."
Xavier's apartment was neat and comfortable. Whereas Jay had the designer furniture that made it look like he was hosting a museum tour, Xavier's place had more of a sports club feel with forgiving leather furniture, a big entertainment center, and an open kitchen with deep pantries.
I went right to the spare bedroom, where I just dumped my office mess so that it didn't bother his study or bedroom. Early on, I’d realized something about both of them: Even though they were extremely male, they were also neat. Like, they abhorred clutter. The only place there was ever a mess with them was whatever space they were currently working at. Otherwise, everything was what my parents called "show ready." Like they were ready to show off their apartment at any moment.
As I thought of it, I recalled that Jay actually had been featured in some architectural digest kind of thing, and Xavier had appeared in a men’s magazine about being a bachelor.
And then there was me. I could cry just thinking about it.
I quickly changed into something more comfortable: linen pants and a soft cotton yoga tunic that was lighter than air. I made sure my laptop was fully charged, then fired it up.
I was neck-deep in a story when I felt the bed give way.
"Hey, lovely."
I kind of grunted in response, distracted by trying to figure out another word for pu-pu platter.
I sighed when Xavier massaged my tight shoulders, and that was when I fully realized he was there. "Oh, hey."
I blinked repeatedly, trying to get my bearings. "Oh my gosh! We were supposed to have after-dinner drinks or dessert or something, right??"
He laughed, the sound of it doing things to my body. "No worries, lovely. We figured when you didn't come out after five minutes that you had gotten distracted by work." As he spoke, he pecked little kisses down my neck. He continued massaging.
It felt really good. Really good.
"You keep making noises like that and I'm going to have to leave."
"Hmm? What?"
He kissed me senseless. "We both promised to let you work. But you're so damn sexy. If you want to keep working, I'll leave."
I blinked again. I was sexy and distracting? I didn't see it, but then again, I hadn't from the get-go.
Jay appeared at the door with a bottle of lemon water. "Hey, I thought she was working?"
Xavier sighed. "She is. I was just leaving."
Jay almost pouted. "Oh. Okay." He placed the bottle of water on the stand beside me. Xavier had left his place by my side. Jay leaned in to kiss me on the cheek, too.
"Work hard. We'll be waiting for you whenever you're done, okay?"
“But no pressure.”
I nodded at them. "Okay."
And then they left and closed the door.
It was odd to say the least. I decided to shrug it off and finish my assignments.
It wasn't until my alarm sounded that I realized another hour had passed. Wow, an hour was really easy to blink and miss! I decided to save and log off, feeling very productive at last.
I went out to look for them and they were being very cool, playing pool. I couldn't believe Xavier had a playroom with all these gaming tables.
Xavier saw me first. "Hey, look who's out and about."
They made a show of looking at their watches. "And it was only another hour. See, it wasn't that bad."
Jay hugged me to his side. "Didn't I say you were going to be so much more productive with food and a nice environment?"
I didn't want to tell him that I hadn’t quite finished. Most of it, yes, but not all. At least enough to finish the current workload that was due tomorrow. All the other things lined up for the rest of the week, let alone for the rest of the month? It would take two solid work days to even plan it out!
Jay pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Uh-oh, we're losing her again."
I shook my head and smiled up to receive a proper kiss. "I'm sorry. Yes. Thank you. I really appreciate it."
They had stopped their game because of me and I didn't want to interrupt.
"Don't ever think you're an interruption! You were what we were waiting on, this was just us killing time." Xavier came over and kissed me, a lot deeper than I expected. Jay moved behind me and I was sandwiched between them.
I gasped at their eagerness. I was still trying to catch up. A few minutes ago, I was writing about architecture, art, and other random things, and they'd been fixated on the idea of sex.
"Wow, you guys weren't kidding." Their raging erections pressed into me, and just feeling them against my body made me hot.
They maneuvered me to the pool table where they laid me out, my bottom balanced right at the edge.
"I've been hungry for this since you stopped by the gym earlier." Without further words, Xavier buried his face between my legs and licked.
I was so sensitized I was panting for air almost immediately.
Jay supported my back, lifting my top away from my body so he could suck on my nipples. I was done for.
As soon as X slid his fingers inside of me and pressed against my walls to find my spot, I was a goner. The pressure built and built until a fine tremor rolled over my body. It was a slow burn of an orgasm that built up from his tongue and fingers, heat creeping up from my core until I dropped my head back and moaned. What I said next was incomprehensible, but I kept going, screaming and crying out as the waves of orgasms racked my body.
"I need to fuck you now." He dropped his pants and plunged into me, so smoothly that he rode one of my orgasms up. I couldn't breathe as he kept pounding into me until he was out of breath.
Then Jay took up his position and pulled me so that I was bent over in front of him, where he could take me from behind. His fingers delved into my juicy slit, rubbing my hot sex while he rammed me with teeth-jarring strength.
I swore I saw stars.
When I screamed again, he gripped me with both hands and drove into me harder than I thought was possible. That would leave marks on my skin for sure.
And then his hand came clamping down securely on the back of my neck, and he finally, finally growled out his orgasm.
WHEN WE WERE ALL CLEANED up, ta
lking about dessert and deciding to recreate a movie sex scene, they mentioned they had something to discuss with me. I realized I needed to clear the air before anything else happened. My previous attempts hadn’t been enough.
"So, can you both please tell me what it was that you were talking about the other night? I promised I would be honest and communicate what I felt. I think that should be both ways, don't you?"
"What do you mean, lovely?"
"Come on. You're never upset, X. Never. The world is always this beautiful place for you. And Jay, I don't know what, but there's something going on. Like tension. I’ve never been in a relationship like this before, but I think if it's going to work it needs to be even more ridiculously honest than a traditional relationship, right? I mean, I was looking and waiting for something like guidance here. You've been in something like this before, haven't you?"
Funny. They were both looking like they had their hands caught in the cookie jar. Combing his fingers through my hair, Xavier answered first. "Lovely, this is the first time we've been in any kind of relationship like this."
I blinked. I’d been so sure when they came after me and invited me to the spa that first night that they had definitely had some kind of ménage relationship experience. At least, they seemed like they’d done this before.
"We've been friends for a long time. That's all. Business partners. And yes, we've picked up other women to join in with us from time to time. But never for more than a night.”
“And definitely not like this," X said.
Oh. My.
"That's like the difference between a one-night stand and a marriage. You are not a one night stand by any stretch. Even the woman I was with before you, she was basically the first semi-committed relationship I'd had, but..." Jay didn't finish the thought.
I knew a little bit about Jay's past. He was my blind date from hell, but only because he was coming out of that horrible relationship with a person who had stabbed him in the back and badmouthed him to their circle of friends. At the time, he didn't know if he could trust anyone ever again.
I didn't want to think about how well I knew them; all these friends they had mentioned in passing could be ghosts for all I knew. I didn't pry. I didn't even bring up my own friends, though they had kind of met them individually.
Sharing Mia (Mia and the City Book 2) Page 5