by J Cartwright
Both Chris and Taylor stood there, looking incredibly handsome as they delivered a little speech. They thanked everyone for their effort and hard work, and in their usual style, everyone was hooked.
Never in my life had I encountered two people like them.
It always surprised me how easily they got people on side, how commanding they could be when they wanted to be.
That speech did things to me, leaving me trembling in anticipation as I sat there with my eyes glued to them.
By the time they’d finished, the team roared with applause which was cut silent moments later by Taylor.
“We aren’t the ones who deserve it. Come on up again Emma, you’re the one who made today such a massive success.”
I was blushing like an idiot as I stood up and walked over to stand with the guys. They stood beaming at me, clapping their hands as the rest of the team joined in, and for the first time in my life I felt like I was exactly where I belonged.
This place was like a family, it was my home, and these two men had created that.
Chapter 9
Chris
“I’m really impressed with how well Emma did today,” Taylor said as we walked into the gym. “Seriously, she’s been worrying about that all week.”
Smiling, I nodded along. Taylor had been gushing over how well Emma had done all afternoon, although I had to agree with him.
It was one of the things that surprised me, how shy Emma could be at times, but whenever she began coaching, a different side came out. She took control, really leading people to be their best, and today that side of her had really shone.
The way she handled the entire team was incredibly impressive, keeping the session flowing from one activity to the next.
“She did great,” I said, walking beside Taylor into the changing room. “The team really enjoyed it and I feel like we are really getting close to a break through.”
Taylor nodded, the excitement obvious in his eyes.
“It’s all coming together now mate,” he said, clapping me on the arm.
Grinning, I began getting changed into my gym gear, stealing a look at Taylor as he pealed his shirt off.
The guys was incredibly toned, his body smooth and athletic unlike mine. I was broad, my arms and chest covered in dark hair.
“You checking me out again?” Taylor teased as he pulled on his t-shirt.
“Caught me red handed,” I chuckled. “Just can’t resist you.”
He grinned, not knowing the half of it.
Without another word we hit the gym, the pair of us completing our usual routine. Once we were about half way through, Taylor disappeared, leaving me alone with the weights.
I watched him go, that odd feeling creeping back into my mind.
Ever since spending time with him and Emma the other night, I’d felt weird around them. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something had changed and I had no idea what to do about it.
I’d had a thing for Emma from the first moment we’d met. She was incredible, absolutely beautiful, but it was her personality that had me hooked. She was easy to talk to, and always made me laugh.
When she was around, things just flowed, and I could tell that Taylor felt exactly the same.
He was the odd one, the thing that didn’t make sense.
We’d been friends for such a long time, and in that time I’d always found him attractive, but that was it. I’d never wanted more, knowing what it was we shared, but now the desire within me was shifting.
Suddenly I couldn’t stop thinking about him, about Emma…
Maybe it was what he’d said about the two of us being there for her, or some of the other things we’d joked about, but now I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘what if’?
It made absolutely no sense, and I wasn’t about to go acting on it, but it was definitely playing on my mind. The more I tried to stop myself thinking about it, the more I did, and that was just making things worse.
Hitting the weights hard, I tried my best to get them out of my mind. My arms burned and soon enough I was drenched with sweat, exhaling loudly with the last curl when Taylor walked over.
His eyes were fixed on me, blazing like the sun. I hated how good he looked, but more than that, I hated how much I was into him right then.
It made things weird in a way that had never been there before, but there was no denying, that right then, I had a thing for him. His handsome good looks were far more appealing to me than ever, and he was no longer just something nice to look at, he was someone I actually wanted.
“Still going?” He asked, his hair still damp from the pool. “Plenty of stamina I see.”
He winked playfully at me and then sat down on one of the nearby benches.
“I need it to put up with you,” I breathed, my chest aching from the workout.
Grabbing for my towel, I wiped away some of the sweat from my brow.
“Trust me, you could never keep up with me,” Taylor laughed. “You might be stronger big man, but I can definitely go for longer.”
“Maybe,” I said. “Who knows, maybe one day we can put it to the test.”
My best friend looked at me long and hard, his eyes burning as they met mine. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he never did.
“What?” I pushed when he stayed silent.
“The other night when we were joking about both being with Emma, is that actually something you would do?”
The question caught me by surprise, but I definitely wanted it.
“You’re the one that brought it up in the first place!” I said, trying to evade the question.
“Stop dodging,” Taylor shot back, standing up so that we were face to face. “Is that sort of thing something you’re in to?”
He looked deadly serious, so I decided that it was time I finally came clean.
For whatever reason I’d always kept my sexuality to myself, never admitting it to him. I wasn’t sure why I did, I wasn’t ashamed, but part of me worried that if he knew that it might change things between us.
“Yeah, I guess so. Might get a bit weird for you though since I’m bi and all.”
His eyes went wide, his mouth moving slowly. For a second I wasn’t sure he would say anything, but finally he managed to find his voice.
“You are? What the hell? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I shrugged. “Not sure. Guess it just never came up.”
“It never came up!” He sighed, running his fingers through his dark hair. “Well, now I’m even more intrigued!”
That caught me by complete surprise. Taylor was always so laid back, taking everything in his stride, but I’d expected him to be a little more animated about this.
“Intrigued?”
He nodded. “Yeah, do you find me attractive? I mean, you surely do.”
Laughing, I shook my head and let out a sigh. “Yeah, you’re attractive mate, but you’re an absolute ass.”
Taylor barked a laugh and threw his arm over my shoulder, leading me away from the weights and toward the changing room. His warm, damp body pressed against me, the smell of him making my head spin.
“Fair enough,” he chuckled softly as we walked into the changing room. “So, would this really be something you wanted to try?”
“You and Emma? Yeah, but it would get far too messy and we can’t let that happen. There’s just too much at risk. Think about how awkward it would get.”
“You’re right about that, but it’s a nice thought isn’t it? Can you imagine, the three of us, it would be hot.”
Letting that image run wild in my mind, I watched as Taylor walked over to the showers. He was taking this far better than I’d expected, but as always, nothing seemed to phase the guy.
Chuckling, I watched him disappear around the corner, and decided that my imagination was the furthest this would ever go.
Chapter 10
Taylor
I was still a little shocked about what Chris had confessed, but it didn�
�t actually come as much of a surprise. He always liked to think he was mysterious and good at keeping things to himself, but we’d known each other long enough that I could see through him.
I’d had my suspicions about him, the way he looked at other guys giving him away multiple times, but because he hadn’t said anything I just figured there wasn’t anything to say.
Now it was out in the open made me question all sorts of things.
He wanted the same thing I did, to be with Emma, and by the sounds of it, he wasn’t put off by the idea of us sharing. It seemed ludicrous, but if I had half the chance I already knew I would jump at it.
The biggest surprise was that Chris’ revelation about his sexuality made me curious. I’d always wondered what it might be like to be with another guy. I mean, I’d had more than my fair share of women, and I wasn’t afraid of exploring in the bedroom, so this seemed like it could be fun.
It wasn’t just that though. I got on so well with Chris. We connected in a way that I’d never connected with anyone else before.
So many times in the past I’d thought about how much easier it would just be to be romantic with him, joking to myself, but part of me had always been serious.
It made sense!
Now that I was thinking about it, it only made me want it. Suddenly it wasn’t a curiosity, but something so much more.
This is mad!
It was, but it didn’t stop me from wanting it.
After I finished up in the shower I strode out and grabbed my clothes, getting dressed when Chris joined me. The towel around his waist did little to hide his body from view, and for a moment I took some time to really admire it.
Chris was huge, broad and muscular in a way I could never hope to be. His arms were thick, and his body was totally ripped. As I looked at him I felt my excitement swelling in my pants and for the first time, I was glad I was dressed before he joined me.
Had he emerged from the shower just a few minutes earlier, then he would have been able to see my excitement.
Prying my eyes from his hard body, I looked at his handsome face.
Chris was always well presented, his brown hair cut short, and his strong jaw clean shaven. His deep brown eyes flicked up to focus on me, his lips forming a smile that made my heartbeat quicken.
“Good to go?” He asked as he pulled on his shirt.
I nodded, not really knowing what to say. For the first time in years I was completely speechless.
A short walk later and we were settled down at our usual table in one of our favourite bars, Chris ordering our food and bringing a drink over for us both. I took the beer gratefully, letting out a long sigh after the first drink.
Music played softly, and I was tired after a long day, hell, a long year.
“Sometimes it shocks me just how much we’ve done recently,” I said, almost to myself.
Chris nodded slowly. “You’re telling me. It feels like just yesterday that we started out on this adventure, and now look at where we are.”
Things had just spiraled out of control, our company taking off far faster than either of us could have anticipated.
We’d gone into this just doing some basic designs for our clients, revamping the point of sale and online presence, but that had very quickly grown into something different.
As our relationships with clients grew, we found more opportunities to help their business grow in the modern age. There were so many places that still didn’t have a strong social media presence, that were still relying on the high street for survival, but we enabled them to get online.
To help with that growth we’d taken on new team members, renting a smaller office once we outgrew my place, but then we’d gone all in.
It had been my idea to rent the building and renovate it, taking on a whole new team, and Chris had run the numbers and built a plan. Right now it was all or nothing, but we were willing to take the chance.
“That’s why we can’t do anything with Emma,” Chris said, leaning across the table. “It might seem like a bit of harmless fun, but in the end, someone is going to get hurt, and then this all falls apart.”
He was giving me that look, the one he gave me whenever he expected me to argue, but I knew he was right about this. It was one of the reasons I never tried it on with anyone at work, clients or our staff.
“I know,” I said. “Seriously Chris, I know. Just the joking kind of feels a bit more serious now.”
He nodded. “Yeah, it does, and I feel it too, but it can’t happen. Even if it does somehow work out, imagine how weird things would get between you and me.”
Thinking it through, I knew that nothing would ever get in the way of us.
“Never gonna happen,” I said, my voice full of confidence. “Nothing could ever get in the way of what we’ve got going on.”
Our eyes met, and I knew that he felt the same.
“Yeah, you’re right, but it doesn’t mean anything can happen with Emma.”
“I guess we are both agreed on that,” I said. “Shame though, it would be crazy hot.”
Chris laughed, his voice deep and rumbling as he folded his arms across his chest. As he did, my phone pinged, an email landing in my inbox.
Pulling it up on my display, I regretted the choices I’d made that had led me to this place. What seemed like a good idea at the time suddenly seemed like a very bad idea now.
“Listen, Chris, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”
He just stared at me, folding his arms across his chest, waiting for me to explain.
Blowing out another breath, I almost told him about my mistake, about the business deal I knew was wrong for us, but then I stopped myself. At the last minute I made up a silly story, shying away from the truth, and I hated myself for it.
Chapter 11
Emma
It had been four weeks since my breakup with Brad, and since then I’d done everything that I could to help take my mind off it.
As I sat through my blind date, I stared at Thomas, wishing that the evening would come to an end.
He wasn’t a bad looking guy, but he just didn’t do it for me.
We’d been sitting there, having dinner for the best part of the evening, and he hadn’t once made me laugh. He just droned on, talking about himself, and I just wanted to escape.
This was the second blind date I’d agreed to go on, and it was definitely the last.
Karla had set me up in an attempt to distract me from Chris and Taylor, knowing all too well that I was getting in far too deep. I’d tried to keep my distance from them, but we all worked closely together, and it felt like the more time we spent together, the harder to resist they both became.
We’d gone out for drinks together after work at least once a week since I’d broken up with Brad, and it was those evenings out I looked forward to the most.
Karla kept on telling me off for not going out and meeting people, but I just couldn’t resist them. My life was on hold again, and we both knew I was holding out for something I could never have.
All I was doing was torturing myself, but I couldn’t help it.
Gritting my teeth, I did my best to make it through the evening, being as polite as I could. When the ordeal was finally over I got away as fast as I possibly could, needing to put as much distance between myself and Thomas as I could.
On the way back to my flat I checked my phone, scanning the group chat I had going with the guys.
“How was it?” Chris had written.
“Did he have a face? He wasn’t better looking than me was he?” Taylor followed up.
Giggling, I fired a message back, telling them how awful it was.
After about a minute my phone pinged again.
“My place for drinks to wash away the shame? Chris can pick you up at yours.”
I read Taylors message again, watching as Chris started typing, and then stopped, and then started again.
“Thanks for pimping me out as a taxi service Tayl
or! I can pick you up if you want though Emma? Evening’s still young.”
The invitation was one I knew I should refuse. We’d spent time outside of work together, but it was always at one of the local bars, or a cafe. Being at Taylors was more than a little appealing, and the way I felt about them was crazy inappropriate.
Still, I couldn’t turn it down.
It wasn’t as if anything would actually happen between us. It was just me who felt this way, not them.
A little while later I was back at my apartment, thankful that Karla was out for the evening. If I told her what I was planning to do then she would have been all over me, trying to talk me out of it.
Rushing through my flat, I darted into my bedroom, quickly checking myself in the mirror. I neatened up my hair and got myself looking as good as possible, wanting to look my best for the guys.
Never in my life did I expect to want to look good for two guys at the same time, but lately it was all I could think about
It didn’t matter that it made no sense, or that they were my bosses, I craved them like crazy.
“Outside now,” the message on my phone read.
Taking a deep breath, I left the safety of my room behind and went downstairs to meet Chris.
This is a very bad idea!
After the blind date I’d just had, I didn’t really care. The last thing I wanted to do was sit around my apartment and dig into another tub of ice cream, well, maybe not the last thing.
The guys were just being friendly, there was nothing more to it. Spending some time with them wouldn’t hurt, it hadn’t already.
Walking out of my apartment I saw Chris standing a short distance away. He looked gorgeous as always, his striking good looks and dashing smile leaving me a little dizzy.
Our eyes met and I felt my stomach go tight, those butterflies going wild inside me.
OK, this is a very bad idea.
What the hell was it about him that made me so mad for him? It was driving me crazy, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it.