Checking It Twice

by Jodi Redford

  Out of all the insane possibilities she’d been cooking inside her head, that one hadn’t even been a blip on her radar. Her fanny plopped back on the table in perfect synchronicity of her jaw dropping on the floor. Suddenly her theory of Nick using some Jedi mind trick to fish out Kevin’s deepest, darkest secrets didn’t seem so loony. Not compared to this. “You what?”

  “It was a long time ago.”

  She held up her hands. “I’m not judging. It’s just…freakin’ shocking. I can’t wrap my head around Kevin…and you…manwiching some chick.” Okay, not entirely true. She’d certainly come plenty of times to the fantasy of them manwiching her. Right on cue, an image popped into her mind of Kevin grinding into her pussy while Nick shafted her ass. Oh God. She barely caged her whimper as her clit tingled.

  Nick stared at her intently for a long moment. A sizzling spark of heat shimmered in his eyes. She wondered for an awkward second if he’d somehow plugged into her thoughts. Dropping her focus to his chin, she licked her lips, willing her nipples to behave and not rat out her lusty musings. Assured she was as composed as she could be under the circumstances, she returned her gaze to Nick’s. The sizzle was no longer there. Hmm. Maybe she’d only hallucinated it.

  “Why does it surprise you?”

  She hugged her chest. “I just never pictured Kevin swinging that way.” Wrong. Two seconds ago she’d most definitely visualized him swinging his cock away. Inside her pussy. A delicious shiver tripped over her flushed skin.

  “You’d be amazed by what people will do when they let go of their inhibitions.”

  The husky quality of Nick’s voice was as seductive as her mental manwich. She swallowed, acutely aware of the damp, tormenting glide of her thong along her sensitive labia. Figures the one rare occasion she wore underwear would end up biting her in the ass. Or flossing her in the ass, in the case of this damn thong. “So Kevin lets go of his sexual inhibitions and hang-ups by having threesomes? With you?”

  “He used to, yes. Back in college, I would occasionally bring a date to my and Kev’s dorm room. Privacy was nonexistent, as you can imagine.”

  She blinked as Nick’s meaning became clear. “Holy shit balls. You screwed your dates in front of him?”

  Nick’s mouth quirked. “Trust me, they didn’t mind. As for Kev…well, I quickly came to realize that watching me and those girls having sex aroused him. After I discovered it was a way I could help Kev break through his intimacy blocks, I did whatever I could to encourage him to join in on the action with the handful of my dates who enjoyed being pleasured by two men at once.”

  Her innate curiosity—and okay, nosiness—perched in rapt fascination, dying to know more. To know all of it. Well, maybe not everything. If Nick provided too descriptive of details, she’d probably seethe in jealousy and consider tracking down and clocking every lucky bitch who’d been the happy filling in Kevin and Nick’s manwich. “How did you do it?”

  Nick frowned. “Are you asking how we fucked a woman together? Or how I broke through his blocks?”

  Holy shitzoid. She so wanted to see what was behind door number one. The visual of her hands choking the life out of some faceless bimbette with a perfect, airbrushed, centerfold body prompted her sigh. “Door number two.”

  Nick’s linebacker-sized shoulders hitched in the faintest shrug. “Mostly I just enticed him with the things that turn him on.”

  Her pulse went up-tempo. To be privy to Kevin’s innermost fantasies—a part of them, even. Pandora’s box wouldn’t hold a candle to that baby. Unconscious of what she was doing, she leaned closer to Nick, enthralled. “Specifics?”

  His lips hitched at one corner. “Why do I get the feeling anything I tell you will potentially put my best friend’s sanity at risk? And potentially mine too?”

  She tried for an innocent shrug. “Only taking notes.” That I may or may not use for future missions.

  “Uh-huh and nuh-uh.”

  “Is that Native American? Because I’m not familiar with the tongue.”

  He chuckled. “Your persistence is commendable, but I’m not breaking my man code and spilling all of my secrets, sweetness.”

  She huffed in frustration. “Look, it’s extremely unfair to drop the bombshell you did and not give me some freakin’ details.”

  “Kev’s going to kill me as it is for telling you what I have. Not exactly conducive to my goal of mending fences with him.”

  Again with the mysterious strain on their friendship. What could have prompted two men who’d been close enough to share women to grow apart? “Can you at least tell me what caused the rift between you two?”

  Nick remained quiet for a long spell before combing his fingers through his glossy black hair with a resigned exhalation. “About a year after we graduated college, Kev hooked up with one of our old classmates. At first it gave me hope that he’d slain his private demons and was well on his way of living happily ever after with Heather.”

  “Private demons?”

  A shuttered look locked over Nick’s face. “There are things in Kev’s past that have contributed to his intimacy issues. They’re a big part of the reason why he’s always felt threatened by his voyeuristic needs. Why he considers his voyeurism the enemy.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would he think that?”

  “Because he’s been made to feel ashamed about it.”

  Indignation reared to life within her. She was all too familiar with the labels and snide comments narrow-minded assholes loved flinging around. She personally knew that a lot of those sticks up the butts had a shitload of kinks in their closets—literally—but God forbid they should ever own up to it. “By who?”

  “Jana, I can’t get into that. Suffice it to say they’re all just pieces of the puzzle that make up Kevin’s issues and led to his breakup with Heather. And our friendship.”

  The mention of the mysterious Heather caused Jana’s stomach to knot. It was ridiculous to be jealous of a woman from Kevin’s past, but knowing that his heart had belonged to Heather, even if only for a moment, was too depressing to contemplate. “What happened?”

  “He invited me into their bed.”

  Okay, not what she’d been expecting. She frowned as she mulled over his admission. “Wait, if you and Kevin had always shared women…?”

  “Why would that time be different?” Nick supplied before grunting. “Because Kev did it to emotionally disconnect from Heather. Too bad I didn’t know it when he presented the offer. He told me he wanted to make Heather happy, give her something she’d confessed an interest in, with someone he trusted. By the time I figured out there was something more going on with him, it was too late. We’d gone too far with it.”

  “How do you mean?”

  Pressing a thumb into his temple, Nick eyed her. “The danger in threesomes is that emotions can get sticky. Especially when someone falls for the wrong person.”

  She easily interpreted the cause for the heavy cloud cover of regret suspended over Nick. “Heather fell in love with you.”

  He inclined his head in acknowledgment. “It wasn’t supposed to happen.”

  “You can’t control who you fall in love with.” She knew that all too well.

  Nick scratched the dark beard scruff gracing his jaw. “Yeah, I know. But I still should have known better than to get involved in a situation I damn well should have seen was doomed.”

  “Why did you? Agree to the threesome, I mean.”

  “I wish I could say it was strictly because I would do anything for Kev. But truthfully, I was a horny fucker back then.” His mouth slid into a lopsided grin. “Though the more time I spend around you, I wonder how much I’ve truly changed.”

  The ever-present electrical charge of awareness snapped between them again. Any more sizzle and her damn store would erupt in flames. Attempting to ignore the tight ache in her nipples, she cleared her throat. “I take it Kevin wasn’t so thrilled about Heather falling in love with you?”

  “Not in the w
ay you think.” Another weighty, gloomy silence descended on Nick. “During Heather’s confessional of her feelings, she told Kev that she was drawn to me because I didn’t distance myself from the sex like he did. She accused him of holding back, of shutting her out. He took that as a sign that I could give her something he couldn’t.” His expression still haunted, Nick wearily rubbed his brow and shook his head. “He was dead wrong, of course. But nothing I said would convince him otherwise. Then he decided the best thing for him to do was pack up and leave. We got into an ugly fight, and the next morning Kev was gone.”

  An alarming twinge of recognition shuttled through her. So much of Nick’s story mirrored hers. She’d pursued Kevin—hard—the past several months. A few nights ago she’d broken past his walls of resistance enough to earn herself a doozy of an orgasm. And now he was moving.

  Shit. He was running away from her. An awful queasiness sloshed in her stomach. Nick must have read the agony on her face because he closed the short distance between them and tucked her into his arms. His lips brushed her forehead, offering comfort. She automatically leaned into him, for once not letting the guilt over her attraction for him eat away at her. After the day she’d had, she was damn well going to take all the hugs she could get.

  Snuggling against him, she couldn’t help thinking of the numerous times she’d sought a similar solace in Kevin’s arms. It was crazy, really, how similarly she responded to him and Nick. They were the only men she’d ever had this instant connection and chemistry with. Figures she would fall for two men who were so alike and yet so different. For cripes’ sake, they were even both chefs. One worked with food, the other edible lube.

  Despite her misery, her laugh tumbled loose, muffled by Nick’s coat. His fingers grazed along her hair, a silent question. She lifted her head and gave him a wavering smile. “You really should consider renaming yourself the Sex Chef. It has a nice ring to it.”

  The corners of his eyes crinkling, he chuckled. “Talk about a random thought.” He smoothed her hair back, his fingertips lingering on the sensitive hollow behind her earlobe. She shivered. His attention drifted to her lips and she waited, breathless, her nipples contracting in anticipation of his tongue once again gliding hot and coaxing along hers. The tension in his frame palpable, Nick released her and took a cautious step back.

  She wanted to scream in frustration but settled for an anguished glare instead. The battle for his self-control boldly displayed in the dark, tortured gaze staring back at her, Nick sucked in a breath and released it in a ragged stream. “Jana, Kev loves you. I have absolutely no doubt of it. Don’t give up on him.”

  Her heart and her stomach rolled in tandem. She’d give anything to put stock in Nick’s declaration, but she’d held so long to that invisible filament of hope, she didn’t know what to believe anymore. Then there was Nick, standing in front of her—a tangible possibility of a future, if they made that leap of faith. But even now the ghost of Kevin was present between them. If she acted on her desire for Nick, made love with him like she craved to do, she’d feel like she’d cheated on Kevin. And it was all too apparent that Nick felt the same way. Yeah, it was stupid. God, was it stupid. But there was no denying it.

  Colossally messed up as things had been before, they didn’t hold a candle to the epically FUBAR state of their situation now.

  Chapter Six

  By the time Jana pulled into the driveway of her tiny bungalow, fat snowflakes were beginning to pirouette from the sky. Sending a heartfelt thank-you to Mother Nature for waiting to start the snowpocalypse until she made it home, she nudged the Mustang’s door shut with her hip and hurried toward the entrance of her house. It was still a little odd thinking of it as hers. Shortly after Lacey moved in with Bram and Ry, Jana had scraped together enough cash for a down payment to purchase Lacey’s home. The price had been too good to pass up, and she’d been more than willing to say adios to her cramped, overpriced apartment. Not to mention her next-door neighbor and his strong love affair with bad country music and burning everything he cooked. Leaving that stench behind certainly hadn’t been a hardship, and the joys of being a homeowner more than made up for the additional expenses that showed up in her mailbox every month.

  With the front door secured behind her, she shrugged from her winter gear and stashed everything in the hall closet before starting up the gas fireplace in the living room and plugging in the Christmas tree lights. The festive, multicolored sparkle show shimmering off the fragrant balsam branches and pile of presents didn’t immediately lift her spirits.

  Deciding her mood needed a stiff boost, she trudged to the liquor cabinet. While she rummaged for drink fixings, the doorbell rang. Her heart leapt in traitorous hope, only to plummet a second later when she realized the odds of her visitor being Nick or Kevin were slim to none. Nick didn’t even know where she lived. As for Kevin, not too likely he’d show up with the way he tore out of her parking lot like a bat out of hell.

  Snuffing her disappointment as best she could, she went to answer the door. Her glum mood evaporated when she spotted Lacey standing outside stomping snow from her boots.

  “What are you doing here?” Jana glanced past Lacey to the accumulating blanket of snow on the front lawn. “I can’t believe you were driving in this, you crazy blockhead.”

  “You really should consider becoming a writer for Hallmark, what with your gift for flowery endearments.” Rolling her eyes, Lacey brushed some of the powdery stuff from the sleeves of her coat. “I heard about what happened this afternoon. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  It took a moment to realize Lacey was referring to the scene at the Dockside, not the infinitely worse one at Wicked Delights. “Did Bram crab to you about me?”

  “No, he’s worried about you too. We all are.” Lacey shivered, drawing Jana’s attention to the fact they were standing around talking in the cold like a pair of idiots. Make that soon-to-be-frozen, popsicle-ized idiots.

  Snagging Lacey’s cuff, Jana dragged her inside and closed the door, sealing off the chill. “I was just about to make a cocktail. Care to join me?”

  “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

  “Why? You preggers?” She grinned at the joke, but Lacey remained quiet. Suspiciously so. Her mouth dropping open, Jana stared at her friend. “No. Freakin’. Way.”

  Lacey grimaced. “I wasn’t going to say anything until my doctor confirms the at-home pregnancy tests I took.”

  “Well, how many did you take?”

  “Five. They all came back positive.”

  “Girl, I’m pretty sure that means you’re pregnant.”

  “I know. But I want to be sure.”

  She scanned Lacey’s expression, looking for any clue regarding her emotions. “So, is this a good thing?”

  “I admit to being a basket case at first. I mean, I recently got on the Pill to not get pregnant.” Lacey blew out a breath before smiling sheepishly. “But now that it’s had some time to sink in…yeah, I think it is good. My parents are ecstatic, if you can believe it.” Lacey’s cheeks pinkened. “Although I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. They were a lot faster at accepting my unusual relationship than I was initially.”

  It’d taken Lacey almost a month after moving in with Bram and Ry to come clean with her parents. Recalling all the late-night phone calls spent calming Lacey’s nerves, Jana squeezed her friend’s hand. “What do the boys think?”

  Lacey’s face immediately glowed at the mention of her men. “Bram and Ry are excited beyond words. They’re already picking out paint chips for the nursery. You’d think they’d at least wait until we find out if it’s a boy or a girl.”

  “Are you…?” Ah hell, just spit it out. “Are you going to do a DNA test once the baby’s born?”

  “No. Far as we’re concerned, the baby is a product of all of our love. Ry and Bram are equal daddies in this.”

  Jana shook her head. “Wow, you’ve come a long way since last year.”

  “I finally rea
lized what was important.”

  Taking in the undeniable happiness radiating from Lacey, Jana squeezed her in a tight hug. “I’m so happy for all of you. But I’m especially happy for Baby Embryo—because he or she is getting the world’s most awesome auntie.”

  Snorting, Lacey unwound her scarf. After stashing that and Lacey’s coat in the closet, Jana led the way into the living room. Lacey plopped onto the overstuffed club chair, her gaze sweeping the room. “I really like the changes you’ve made in here.”

  “I was thinking of painting the wall behind the TV a chocolate brown.” Or maybe cocoa, to match Nick’s eyes. Then again, green was also a dreamy color. If she could find the perfect complement to Kevin’s hazel—

  A pointed cough issued from Lacey, breaking through Jana’s mental color swatching. “Kevin mentioned he was going to stop by your store.”

  “Yeah, he did. About an hour ago.”

  “Did you two get things worked out?”

  “Not exactly.” Reminded of the torment in his eyes while he’d stared at her and Nick, she swallowed hard and trekked to the liquor cabinet. She poured a double shot of apple brandy and took a swig, willing the warm buzz trickling through her veins to speed up enough to numb her heartache.

  “He cares for you,” Lacey said gently. “A lot. Take it from someone who spent fifteen years hiding from her feelings.”

  “Apparently tonight is all about people sharing Kevin’s feelings for me.” Everyone except Kevin. Grunting, Jana kicked back the remainder of her brandy.

  “He hasn’t left for Vegas yet. Who knows what could happen between now and then?”

  Swiveling, she gave Lacey a squinty look. “That almost sounded like a dare.”

  Lacey offered an innocent smile. “Double dog ya.”

  The mention of double brought her thoughts careening back around to another of her enormous dilemmas—her mutual attraction for Kevin and Nick. Pursing her lips, she crossed to the couch and perched on the arm, absently rubbing the base of her glass along her knee. “How do you deal with being in love with two men?”