“Hey, Jeremiah,” Jessica had slurred. “Can my friends and I come in for a few minutes?”
“Jessica,” he had said with disapproval, “What are you doing here?”
“Can’t a girl at least go to the bathroom? Please?”
“Come on in.” He opened the door and let the trio in. “Bathroom’s down the hall to your left.”
“Thanks.”
Justin had been in the kitchen and stuck his head out. “Hey, we got company?”
“It’s Jessica with her friends.” Not having been introduced, he just looked at them.
“I’m Amy and this is Dan.”
Amy looked to be around thirty with dirty-blonde hair. She had a slim build and looked like she had seen a few too many late nights. However, she did have a nice smile. Dan looked about the same age. He was tall, thin, and slightly balding. He shook their hands. Thankfully, Jeremiah thought to himself, they didn’t appear to be ax murderers.
Jessica came out from the bathroom completely naked. She did a little twirl. “Remember me, boys?”
“Jesus, Jessica,” Jeremiah cursed. “What the fuck are you doing? Go put your clothes on.”
“But I don’t want to.” She pouted, running her hands over her small breasts. “I want to have sex with you both again, and my friends want to join in, too.”
“Excuse me,” Justin came out to where Jeremiah was standing next to Amy and Dan. “You mean like an orgy? Because we don’t do orgies, do we Jeremiah?”
“No, that’s not our style.”
“Hey,” Dan said, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Jessica led us to believe that you like to fuck a woman together. I’m into that, too. I’m not gay.”
“That’s right, don’t you think it would be fun for you three to fuck the two of us? You want it, too, don’t you, Amy?” Jessica eyed the brothers, pulling on her nipples.
Amy smiled. “They look mighty fine to me. I’m game.”
Jeremiah glanced at Justin and could tell they were in sync. This didn’t feel right. It wasn’t their scene.
“Thanks for thinking of us, Jessica, but the answer is no. We don’t want to offend any of you, it’s just not for us.” Jeremiah glanced back over at Jessica. “You should get dressed.”
“Damn you, Jeremiah. You don’t know a good time when it lands in your lap. It’s your loss.” With that said, she turned back toward the bathroom. When she returned, she was dressed. “Let’s go. These guys are no fun.”
When Jeremiah thankfully shut the door behind them, Justin just shook his head. “You know there’s a saying, you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. You ever heard of that?”
“Yeah. You’re right, that was stupid. I can’t believe she got my address and showed up at my door.”
“And not alone, I might add.”
“I promise, from now on, no girls from the office. I won’t let that happen again.”
From then on, any encounters they had with the opposite sex were with girls they met in private bars that catered more to their tastes. And that’s the way it had stayed. That is until now with Kat. Would she want all three of them or even one of them for that matter? For all he knew she would look at them like perverts or worse. He didn’t want to think about that, but it was a possibility if she didn’t trust them enough to open herself to the pleasures she had most likely never thought about in her wildest dreams. There was something so wonderful about the three of them loving a woman, and with Kat he could only imagine what heights of passion they’d climb together. It never felt as good as it did when they shared. He couldn’t explain it, but he knew his brothers felt the same way.
The next morning, he took his shower and dressed. Justin had woken up and was making breakfast. “How’d you sleep?”
“I slept okay, but not great. I think I may need to get one of the PM pills that put you out for the night.”
Justin laughed. “She’s really gotten to you.”
“And she hasn’t gotten to you?”
“There are pills in the medicine cabinet in my bathroom. I picked them up yesterday.”
“You son of a gun.” Jeremiah laughed, shaking his head. “And here you were making me think you were a man of steel.”
“We need to do whatever it takes to stick to the plan. Just be careful not to take them every night.”
“I’d like to think we’re keeping her up, too.” Jeremiah grinned.
Time will tell. If she starts developing bags under her eyes, I’ll know we’re getting to her. Unless of course,” he said sadly, “it’s her grief that’s keeping her from sleeping.”
“Damn, I’m a horse’s ass sometimes. I wasn’t even thinking about that. She’s been through a lot. At least she seemed happy with us. We just have to keep her busy.”
“That shouldn’t be too tough, since I’d like to spend time with her morning, noon, and night.” Justin smiled, handing Jeremiah his plate of eggs.
“Does this mean we have to remain celibate?” Jeremiah knew the answer. “I highly doubt that Jarred will do the same.”
“No, of course not. I’m not your keeper. I just don’t want to see anyone else, that’s all.”
“Look, Justin.” Jeremiah sighed. “I feel the same way. Even though it’s not my style to go without sex, I owe it to all of us to find out if this thing I feel with Kat is the real deal. I really don’t know. This is uncharted territory for me.”
“For me, too.” Justin shook his head as if to clear it. “I’ve heard about love at first sight, but damn if I thought I’d ever experience it. It’s the craziest thing, but waiting for her is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done and the best thing I’ve ever done. However, until Jarred has actually met her, we can’t expect him to feel like we do.”
Jeremiah nodded. “Jarred’s a hard sell.”
“Kat doesn’t have to sell herself. If this thing we feel extends to him, he’ll be onboard without thinking twice about it.”
“I guess we can’t have her over for dinner tonight again, can we?”
“I thought about that, too, and I think we need to at least wait until the weekend. Maybe entice her with another game of poker and then who knows, maybe we’ll move on to Yahtzee.” He laughed.
“Playing games might be okay for a while, but I think we’re going to need to get Jarred out here earlier. He’s his own boss. He comes and goes as he chooses.”
“I was thinking the same thing. It’s March now. I say we get him out her by the beginning of June at the latest.”
“I’ll leave that up to you, Justin.”
He drank his coffee and ate the scrambled eggs Justin had made for him. The sooner Jarred came for that promised visit, the better. Kat was a beautiful woman that made him hard just thinking about her. He would stick to the plan, but he was only human. Thankfully Justin would be around to make sure he behaved.
Chapter Eight
Katlynn had just finished her final round of edits for a new personnel manual she was working on with Melanie Andrews, the director of Human Resources. At first it had been like pulling teeth to extract the most up-to-date information from the woman. However, once she and Melanie met face-to-face a few times, everything started to flow. With a happy sigh, she pressed the send button to what she hoped were the final edits. She checked the rest of her e-mail before she left her desk and headed into the bedroom where, exhausted, she collapsed on her bed. Not just from work, but from the late hours she had been keeping since Justin and Jeremiah had come into her life.
It had been two months since their first dinner. Time had flown since the brothers had decided to take her under their wing. Not a day passed that she didn’t see one or both of them. The old Katlynn would have tired of being in the company of anyone that much, but for whatever reason, she couldn’t seem to get enough of Justin and Jeremiah, whether it was for dinner, playing cards, taking in a movie, or just relaxing and watching television together.
Most of the time she went to their house, but at least once a
week she invited them over for dinner. There was a great specialty food store not too far from them that prepared entire meals for takeout. Although they told her it wasn’t necessary, she didn’t want to feel like a moocher. Regardless of how close they had become, friendships were not her strong point, and she didn’t want to do anything that might weaken the bond she had made with them.
In the beginning she had begged off a few of their invitations thinking they were feeling sorry for her. However, she learned quickly from their relentless pursuit of her company that they really did want to spend time with her. In turn, she found herself enjoying their time together more than she could have thought possible. The only problem was she couldn’t decide which one she liked better. She was more than attracted to both of them. Sometimes when she was at her keyboard, she couldn’t help daydream about what it would be like to have their strong arms around her, caressing her breasts, their lips trailing kisses over every inch of her body. It was crazy to want to be so close to two men. She had thought she was on the undersexed side since she had never been consumed with the need to be with any one man or had trouble letting go when the time came to say good-bye. And now here she was having erotic thoughts about two men, and she had no intention of letting either one of them go.
She liked the feel of Jeremiah’s and Justin’s eyes following her movements to admire the swing of her hips when they thought she wasn’t looking. She would toy with the idea of what it would be like if either one of them did more than just look. She also liked the way Jeremiah held her hand when they walked out of a restaurant or how Justin’s arm would slip itself around her waist so easily for sometimes no reason other than to bring her close enough to whisper an insignificant fact in her ear. They both made her feel safe and secure and yet, more so lately, her need for friendship had turned to a hunger that craved fulfillment in the most decadent of ways. She knew she would never allow herself to follow through for fear either one of them would reject her advances.
They were never overt in their attention, but there were times that she could have sworn she saw the same hunger reflected in their eyes. If she weakened and crossed the line that led to going to bed with one of them, which one would she choose? They could both end up hating her or each other. She never wanted to come between them or chance losing them both. She had no choice but to find a way to maintain a friendly balance between the three of them. What else could she do?
Hopefully it would be easier to maintain the balance she knew was necessary once Jarred arrived. He might be just what was needed to diffuse the sexual tension she was experiencing. She anticipated that with Jarred’s personality added to the mix, her daydreams would be replaced by a good healthy dose of common sense. From what they had told her, they adored him, and when he arrived, she was sure their time with her would be cut down considerably. As much as she hated that thought, she knew it would be for the best. The more she saw of them, the more she wanted to be with them, and that only made her more vulnerable to the desire she needed to stifle, not encourage. They must never know how she really felt.
Justin was picking Jarred up at the airport late on Friday night, the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. They had already asked her to a barbecue to meet him on Saturday night. Justin said they had thought of having her over for breakfast on Saturday but wanted to give Jarred a chance to acclimate himself before she met him. She understood completely and told them as much. Besides, she was going into the office Saturday morning and planned to do some shopping afterwards. She was being given a new project, and the only time her boss, Tom, could spare to see her was just prior to his departure to their Midwest office located in Chicago. The meeting time, instead of being inconvenient, had now worked out well. It would give her the perfect opportunity to buy a new dress. It wasn’t like she didn’t have something she could wear, it was just that she desperately wanted Jarred’s first impression of her to be a good one.
It was obvious that both Justin and Jeremiah adored their older brother. Every time they spoke of him, it was with admiration and love. The way they spouted his praises to her, she was beginning to wonder if they were trying to set her up with him. However, if that was the case, instead of sharing their excitement, it just reinforced that they really did only see her as a friend. The pressure of meeting him mounted when she wondered what would happen if he didn’t like her. Would they think less of her? The thought of losing their friendship made her physically ill. At some point during the last couple of months, she had become far too dependent on the two brothers. When she wasn’t working, she was with them. It was no surprise to her that when Saturday morning arrived, she woke up with a knot in her stomach and a feeling of dread that stayed with her throughout the day.
She didn’t want to be late for her meeting with Tom. Dressing quickly, she found her car keys, and grabbed her notebook before running out the door. She hesitated at the top of the steps and glanced over with trepidation at Justin and Jeremiah’s front window. The blinds were still drawn. They probably had a late night catching up with their brother, not that she had heard them. Most of the time she was grateful that the builder had used quality materials to make their homes as soundproof as possible. However, she hated to admit that she would have sunk to an all-time low by placing a glass tumbler between her ear and their shared wall if she thought she could have heard anything.
When she arrived for her meeting, Tom was already there and to her surprise, David was sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. They both stood as she entered. David looked directly into her eyes. There was no sign of the animosity he had shown toward her the last time they had seen each other. Hopefully it was behind them.
“Katlynn.” Tom reached for her hand across the desk. “Thanks for coming in today. I hope it wasn’t too inconvenient.”
David shook her hand next. “Good to see you again.”
After they had all sat down, Tom began. “I have a project that I want you two to work on. It’s a problematic account, a lot like the one you worked on before. It’s for one of our insured who’ve experienced an inordinate amount of losses connected with their fleet of trucks. Too many accidents that in the end have proven to be driver error. They’ve agreed to let us help them instead of raising their premiums through the roof. You’re both going to need to meet with management a few times and also with the risk-control specialist who handles the account. Although it’s David’s task to come up with a plan of action, I want you both to meet with the insured because I think it’s important they get to know you, too, Katlynn.”
Katlynn sat very still. She didn’t want to work with David. She could still remember his look of total frustration and anger when she had said she didn’t think they should see each other anymore. She hadn’t anticipated how strongly he would react since, to her, their relationship had been over long before the actual words were spoken. He had called her a few choice names that had prompted her to leave the restaurant before he could embarrass her further. She had thought they were both on the same page concerning their relationship, but she had obviously been wrong. Even now, many months later, the thought of working closely with him was the last thing she needed or wanted. However, she was a professional and to say that to Tom would only result in a negative that could impact any future promotions she might be in line for—so she just nodded and smiled.
“Katlynn.” Tom focused his attention on her completely. “Your expertise lies in writing a manual that is easily understood without being condescending to your audience. It’s imperative that both you and David work closely to make sure the insured is not only happy with the final product but that we in turn see results as quickly as possible.” He smiled. “David will take the lead on this. I’m especially interested in what you come up with for an incentive program. I’m a little tired of the keychain safety awards. David feels together you two can come up with some fresh ideas.”
“It sounds like you and David have already talked about this.”
“Yes
, I needed to get him onboard before I spoke to the two of you together. Is there a problem?”
“No. Not at all. I look forward to working with David, and the project sounds interesting.”
“Good. That’s settled. I’ll leave you and David to work out the details. Oh, and by the way, we need this project completed within the next three months.”
For the first time since Tom started talking, David spoke up. “I’m looking forward to working with you, too, Katlynn. You’ll still be able to work from home for the most part. We’ll come up with a schedule concerning meetings with the insured and meetings here at the office to go over details that are easier done in person.”
“Of course. Just let me know and I’ll make it fit on my calendar. However, even though I just completed one large project, I still have a couple small ones that I’m working on.”
“This project takes priority, Katlynn.” Tom interrupted David who was about to speak. “If you’re having any problems meeting your target dates for the other two projects, just let David know.”
“Will do.” Katlynn pasted on a smile. Tom stood up. Katlynn and David followed his lead. The meeting was over.
Outside of Tom’s office, David stopped her. “I know you must be feeling a little apprehensive about us working together again. But please don’t. I’m seeing someone else now. The past is past. Okay?”
Breathing a sigh of relief, she said, “I’m happy for you. We worked well together before. I see no reason why we can do the same again.”
“Great. I’ll send you an e-mail early next week after I’ve talked to the safety officer at Hayward’s Trucking about scheduling the meetings. His name is Kyle Landau. He’ll be our liaison with management.”
Seeing David again, although it made her initially uncomfortable, had turned out to be okay. His anger seemed to have dissipated. He had tried to be gracious. But then again, he was the one up for promotion. It would certainly be to his advantage to try and put her at ease. The last time they had worked together they had both reported directly to Tom. The shift of power from Tom to David for the project’s success had been more than evident in everything Tom had said to her. She could have easily handled all aspects of the project, but Tom had seen fit to give that responsibility to David. He was no better at setting a plan of action than she was which she had proven on other projects that she had worked on. The only difference between her and David was that he knew how to schmooze with the boss and his coworkers. She on the other hand did her job but had little time for office politics. Obviously, it was something she would have to change if she were ever going to be considered for promotion.
Alexander, Kalissa - Katlynn in Training (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6