by Jess Dee
“Yeah, I’ve heard of you. Lily over there tends to spend a lot of time and money surfing your site.”
Lily grinned at them, took Angus’s hand and schlepped him over to join Blake. Blake introduced the men, and then turned to Violet. “Lil, this is Violet, Tori’s friend.”
Tori. That explained Violet’s frown earlier and the sudden tension that had Declan stiffening his shoulders.
“Oh, I adore Tori. She’s told me heaps about you,” Lily said. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry we couldn’t join you for lunch last Sunday. Angus had promised his mum we’d help with some stuff around her house. We couldn’t let her down.”
“No worries,” Violet reassured her. “We can do lunch another time.” She smiled at Angus. “So you’re the miracle landscaper?”
Angus dipped his head in answer.
Blake’s face shone with pride. “Take a look at our garden. Every flower you see, every blade of grass around us, it’s all thanks to his brilliance.”
“And to think you almost didn’t do the job.” Lily looked up adoringly into Angus’s eyes. “Lucky Blake and I convinced you, isn’t it?”
Angus shrugged. “I s’pose.”
“You suppose?” Lily grinned at him. “Admit it was the best decision you ever made.”
“Duchess…”
“Go on. Admit it,” she coaxed.
Blake sighed patiently. “Better answer her. You know she’s not going to quit until you do.”
Blake and Angus shared a knowing smile. An intimate smile that didn’t escape Noah’s notice.
“Yeah, Duchess. It was the best decision ever. Satisfied?”
Lily’s smile was dazzling. “Supremely.”
“We’ve been enjoying the wines here,” Noah said conversationally.
“They’re good wines,” Blake agreed, “and a part of the reason I purchased the hotel. The land and winery came with the deal. As did the indispensable teams who tend to the vineyards and make the wines.”
“I love your labels,” Violet enthused, “and the names for all your wine. Whoever’s in charge of marketing is a genius.”
“I’m no genius,” Lily said, “but the labels are my baby. The names too.”
“They’re a masterpiece. Every one of them.”
“Lil’s an artist,” Blake told them. “The rolling hills on the label come from one of her paintings we’ve hung in the winery. You should go have a look. Take a tour of the winery while you’re at it.”
“I’d love to,” Violet said. “It’ll give me a chance to order some wine to take home. I do have one complaint though.” She smiled, telling them all she wasn’t really complaining. “You should have printed my name under the Meant To Be Moscato. That wine was meant to be mine.”
Noah pointed out the empty bottle lying on the grass. “Considering how Violet took ownership of the wine earlier, she might be right.”
“Glad you’re enjoying it,” Blake said with a laugh. “I’ll make sure to have a couple more bottles sent up to your room. Compliments of the three of us.”
“Uh-oh.” Violet gulped. “There goes my sobriety for the rest of the weekend.”
Noah looked at Declan, wondering what he thought about having an inebriated Violet with them for the next two days. The idea held endless appeal for Noah.
Dec’s face was a mask, devoid of emotion or expression, and the blankness on his face sent an uneasy chill up Noah’s spine.
They made small talk for a few more minutes before Angus, Blake and Lily left. As they walked off, Lily still holding Angus’s hand, Blake put his arm around Lily’s shoulders. Her laughter echoed across the water.
“Well.” Declan shoved his hands in his pockets and watched them until they’d disappeared from view. “That was fun.” His tone was a vivid contradiction to his words. “A friend of Tori’s?” he asked Violet.
“Blake is Andrew’s business partner,” Violet explained.
“Andrew is…?” Noah asked for clarification.
Declan clicked his jaw and said, “Tori’s boyfriend.”
“Ah. Right.” The tension that thrummed through Declan was tangible. Violet had also stiffened, and the languid sleepiness that she’d almost surrendered to was gone. In its place stood the professional Violet he recognized from work. “And Blake, Lily and Angus…?”
“They’re together,” Vi confirmed what Noah suspected. “The three of them.”
“Interesting,” Noah murmured, and though he could no longer see them, he kept his gaze pinned on the spot where they’d disappeared from view.
Very interesting. Noah had never met anyone involved in a committed three-way relationship before. Blake, Lily and Angus seemed content with their arrangement.
More than content. They seemed happy.
And wasn’t that Noah’s intention? To create happiness for him, Dec and Vi?
His lips twisted in a frown. They’d been well on track to achieving that happiness until Violet recognized Blake. And just like that, Declan’s past had intruded on the space they’d created together. Without even being present, his ex-fiancée had disrupted their intimacy.
Chapter Nine
The incidental meeting with Blake, Lily and Angus left Violet feeling awkward and uncomfortable. She couldn’t force herself to relax after running into them at the lake.
As amazing as the moments preceding their arrival had been, the moments following were unbearable. Declan retreated into a shell that Noah tried repeatedly to crack—without success.
The text message Declan received minutes after returning to their suite didn’t help matters. As soon as he read it, the carefree man, willing to answer whatever questions were thrown his way, vanished. In his place emerged the shadow he’d become since his aborted wedding. Aloof, sad and gloomy.
Though Violet was curious to know what was in the message, she didn’t ask. It was none of her business. Besides, she suspected her own behavior was no more amenable than Declan’s. How could it be, when guilt ate at her insides?
She’d had sex with her best friend’s ex.
Okay, maybe not sex sex, but they’d done things to each other no woman should do with her friend’s ex. Especially a friend who’d been so devastated by that ex’s actions.
Attempting to redeem herself, professionally at least, Violet brought her iPad along to the restaurant Noah drove them to for dinner. The food at Il Cacciatore was delicious and the setting terribly romantic, but Violet couldn’t appreciate it.
Her meal sat like a lump in her belly, and the pretty pond outside went mostly unnoticed by her and Declan.
Her mind was in turmoil. No matter how bad she felt about betraying Tori, Violet couldn’t deny her attraction to Noah and Declan. She’d slipped and fallen hard for them both once again, and given half the chance, she could fall a lot harder.
Declan wasn’t giving her the chance. Not with his aloof distance.
Even though he’d tamped down his sensuous side, now that Violet had experienced it personally, she couldn’t pretend it didn’t exist. And every time he spoke, she remembered his mouth on her pussy, his tongue delving inside her, bringing her intense pleasure.
And then there was Noah, who just by breathing turned her on. She’d had his dick and his tongue in her pussy, and she perspired every time she remembered the delicious sensations.
Quite apart from their physical antics, Violet had connected with the men on a deeper lever at the pond. A more emotional level. Declan had revealed his innermost secrets. And in doing so, he’d created a bond between all three of them that hadn’t been there before.
A bond Violet cherished, no matter how guilty she felt.
Astonishingly, she managed to focus all three of them on work, and by some small miracle—perhaps aided by the notable absence of wine at the table—together they outlined a comprehensive marketing and advertising plan for EOL for the next year.
Dinner took hours, but Violet was satisfied with their accomplishments by the end of it. Professionally speaking,
anyway.
The minute they got back to the hotel, Declan excused himself and disappeared into his room for the night. Violet, pleading exhaustion, did the same. She had no idea how to relate to Noah without Declan around. Not after everything they’d done today. And though she figured neither she nor Noah would waste time talking if they were alone, she wasn’t up to physical intimacy without Declan.
While the privacy and time alone were a welcome relief and gave Violet time to pull her thoughts together, it was achingly lonely without the men. As fraught with tension as much of the day had been, she’d loved spending time with them. And she’d loved how easily they got her rocks off.
The two of them could get her rocks off anytime they wanted.
Anytime.
It took forever for Violet to drift off, and when she did, her sleep was patchy at best and her dreams tumultuous, filled with erotic visions of her, Noah and Declan.
Violet woke at sunup, aroused and fidgety. The night had not been restful.
A quick shower failed to wash away her lethargy and lust, and the thought of using her finger to relieve herself appealed not at all. Not after everything she’d experienced at the hands of Noah and Declan.
Dressed in jeans and a T, she made her way into the lounge, where she found Noah sitting on a couch, the telly on in front of him. He wasn’t watching. He seemed to be staring at nothing in particular.
The door to Declan’s room was open, but he wasn’t around.
“Morning,” she said.
Noah turned his gaze to her, and Violet’s heart skipped a beat. God, he was gorgeous. Just looking at him, dressed in a pair of gym shorts and nothing else, made her pulse race. His chest was immense, packed solid with hard muscle. His arms the same.
“Vi.” He held his arm open at his side, inviting her to take a seat beside him.
Who could resist a chest and arm that size? She was sitting before she realized her feet had even crossed the room.
Noah pulled her in close, tucking her into his side. She immediately felt safe. And petite. She nuzzled her nose into his neck and inhaled his earthy, masculine scent, stunned by how right it felt to be held by Noah.
He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Sleep well, baby?”
She was sure he could hear her heart pounding. “Okay, I guess. You?”
“Yeah. Unfamiliar bed. I tossed a lot.”
“Me too.” More from the erotic dreams than the unfamiliarity of the bed. “Where’s Dec?”
Noah shrugged. “He was gone when I woke up. Think he went for a run.”
A shiver of alarm rushed through her. “Will he come back?” She wasn’t sure. Not considering how distant he’d been last night.
“If he went for a jog, I’d hope so.”
“And if he didn’t go for a jog? If he left us and went back to Sydney?”
Noah sighed. “He didn’t. His gear is all still here.”
“You checked?”
“I did.”
The shiver was back. “So you also thought he might have left?”
“The possibility occurred to me.” Then he smiled. “But I drove yesterday. Dec doesn’t have a way to get home.”
“He could have taken your keys.”
“He could have,” Noah acknowledged. “That’s why I hid them in the drawer next to my bed. Figured Dec wouldn’t come looking for them there.”
“Is it terrible we both feared he’d deserted us?”
“Realistic. Not terrible.”
“Running into Blake freaked him out.”
“It did.” Noah nodded. “It freaked you out too.”
Violet let her eyes close for a long moment. “Blake’s Andrew’s partner. Andrew’s Tori’s boyfriend. Tori’s the common link between us. As soon as Blake appeared, I was reminded of Tori and then couldn’t stop thinking about her. I’m pretty sure Dec couldn’t either.”
“So Tori freaked you out?”
“I freaked me out. I did stuff yesterday, with Tori’s ex. Not just any ex. Not some arbitrary guy she hooked up with. Tori was going to marry Declan. She was seriously in love with him. Planned her future around him. I know, because I was by her side the entire time. From the minute she met Dec until the minute she cried her last tear over him.” She looked up at Noah, imploring him to understand. “A girl can’t fuck around with her bestie’s ex. It’s just not cool.”
“And you think that’s what yesterday was all about? Fucking around with Tori’s ex?”
Violet let out a strangled laugh. “Hardly.” Fucking around implied she’d had a little meaningless sex. The emotions Violet felt around Noah and Declan were far from meaningless. She wanted them both with a desperation that frightened her. Needed them more than she needed her next breath. It was the intensity of her emotions and reactions that worried her the most.
If what she’d felt for Noah and Dec had been nothing more than a hookup for the weekend, she’d have been able to push them away. She could have said no. In which case, she’d have put Tori first and never let her down.
She hadn’t.
Instead, she’d gone and lost her heart to her friend’s ex and his partner—again.
“Yesterday was…” God, what did she say? “Yesterday was amazing, Noah. I, uh, I loved every minute of being with you and Dec. I felt things…” She clamped her mouth shut, breaking off the sentence before she gave away too much. “What we did wasn’t just fucking around. You have to believe that.”
“I do, Vi.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. A gentle, tender kiss that had Violet sighing out loud. “I felt the same way. I think Dec did too and it scared the crap out of him.”
“I can’t say I blame him,” Violet empathized. “He acknowledged a lot yesterday. More than he’s acknowledged in years, I suspect.”
“He did. Thank you for that.”
“For what?”
“For getting him to remember he loves me.”
“He never forgot,” Violet said confidently. “He’s just trained himself to ignore his deepest emotions.” Kind of like she had over the last eighteen months.
“Well, it was good to hear him voicing them.”
“What happened between the two of you?” The details of their relationship were sketchy, and suddenly Violet wanted to know all of them. Now that she’d spent time with the men together, their loving each other seemed as natural as breathing. But before yesterday they’d hidden their past so effectively she’d been oblivious to it. “How did it start? How did it end? Why did it end?”
He shot her a bemused smile. “Nosy today, are we?”
“You would be too, if you discovered two people you lo…lusted over were in love with each other.”
Noah leaned back, resting his neck on the top of the couch. “It started the minute I laid eyes on him. Final year of my undergrad course. He was in one of my classes. We were together, on and off, for years after that.”
“On and off?”
“It was the nature of our relationship. We’d get together, things would be intense for a while, then Dec would freak out and end it.”
“Sounds…rocky.”
“It was. But we couldn’t seem to stay away from each other. Didn’t matter how many times Dec broke it off, a few months later we were together again.”
“It didn’t worry you that he kept calling the relationship off?”
“Not really. I wasn’t ready for a commitment back then. His erratic behavior kind of suited me. I got everything I needed when we were on, and was happy to play the field when we weren’t. And it didn’t matter if we were bedmates or not, Dec and I were always friends. We always worked well together too.”
“You never wanted anything long term with him?”
“I did.” Noah’s voice was tinged with regret. “The last time we were together, three years ago, I wanted a full-on commitment.”
“Yet you let him go.”
“I wasn’t what he wanted. He longed for a wife and kids.”
“I don’t believe tha
t. He loves you.”
“He does. But it’s like he said. He never saw his future in me. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“When Dec gave up his dreams of having a wife and kids, he couldn’t come back to me. No matter what he felt—or still feels—I’m not enough for Dec. I never was. Alone, I can’t give him everything he desires from life.”
“That must have hurt.”
“It did. For a long time it got me just here.” He tapped his chest with his fist.
Violet followed her instinct to ease his pain. “He wants you, Noah. He aches for you.”
“He does.” Noah accepted her words with an affirmative nod. “But just like Dec’s future with Tori would never have panned out, one with me wouldn’t either. When it comes to him, three’s the magic number, baby. I knew that all along, and you discovered it yesterday.”
“A ménage. Like Blake, Angus and Lily.”
“It’s his ideal. Him, me and a woman we could both love.”
“So how did you reconcile that with what you wanted?” A twosome, with just him and Declan.
“I couldn’t. Not for a very long time. I was greedy back then. The concept of a threesome never held any appeal. Not if it meant I had to share the man I love.”
And yet Noah had been perfectly willing to share Dec with her yesterday. Twice.
Declan and Noah’s cryptic conversation played through her mind, the one they’d had minutes before they’d blown her senses apart with their mouths on her pussy.
“I love you,” Dec had said. “I have for a long time. But you have to understand—”
“I do,” Noah had cut him off. “I didn’t before, but I do now. It took a while, but I finally get it…” And then Noah had said, “I want it too.”
Violet’s heart skipped a beat. “How about now?” Her voice trembled slightly. “Does the concept still hold no appeal?”
“Now…” Noah’s gaze locked with hers. “Now I want that threesome with every fiber of my being.”
Violet licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry.
“I never used to,” Noah said softly. His eyes were doorways to his heart, and in them Violet saw raw honesty. Noah had opened himself up to her completely. The knowledge both humbled her and brought a lump to her throat. “And then you walked into our office.”