Erica's Choice

by Sami Lee

  Glancing across the space that separated them, Corey thought he saw the ghost of a smirk on the other man’s face and knew he was right. He also wondered if Griff’s silence wasn’t a tacit invitation for he and Erica to continue what they were doing as though he wasn’t there.

  Corey murmured, “Erica, how far away is your place?”

  “I’m not sure.” Erica blinked dazedly and glanced beyond him to the cityscape whizzing by.

  “Five more minutes.” Griff’s voice was a thick husk, tinged with impatience rather than the amusement Corey would have expected. He gestured to the car in front. “Ten if this guy doesn’t get a wriggle on.”

  Corey wondered if Griff was pissed off at him. “Are we bugging you, Griff?”

  Griff flicked a glance his way. In the red-tinged glow from the traffic light, his eyes burned like lava. His jaw was set in a tense line that belied the lopsided grin he offered. “Not bothering me at all.”

  Something hot and prickly chased itself over Corey’s already sensitive flesh. Griff was tense, but anger wasn’t the cause. Was it possible…?

  Erica settled her face into the curve of Corey’s neck and swirled her tongue over his skin. As the car eased through the suburbs, Corey was now peripherally aware of his friend’s presence. Of his friend’s interest. He wondered if Erica was. If so, it did nothing to subdue her wild responses to his kisses. Neither did she stop him touching her breasts. And if Griff wasn’t forced to concentrate on driving, he’d be able to see everything they were doing to each other.

  Sure as anything, he could hear it.

  “Corey, I want your hands on my skin.”

  God, he wanted that too. Corey wondered if she’d let him undo her blouse. If she’d let him part the fabric and unhook her bra right here in the car with Griff beside them.

  The idea didn’t horrify Corey. He could barely speak over the shock constricting his throat. “Now, Erica?”

  “Yes, now.”

  The ugly sound of grinding gears punctuated Erica’s plea. Griff was always so careful with his precious car that realization hit Corey. He wanted this. Griff wanted Erica too, so much so he was driving like someone on their learner’s permit.

  After Griff maneuvered into the correct gear he moved his hand off the shift…and settled it on Erica’s leg.

  Erica didn’t object when Griff gave her thigh a squeeze. Corey stared at the sight and wondered why he didn’t object, either. When Griff started slowly stroking his hand up and down, Erica caught her breath and glanced over at Griff.

  Griff met her gaze. “Sure this is okay?”

  Erica nodded, gasped again when Griff trailed his touch higher on her thigh. As Griff steered them through the maze of Friday-night traffic, Corey’s gaze remained fixed on the sight of his friend’s hand massaging Erica’s leg, shifting her skirt upward, exposing the pale column of her thigh. Griff slipped beneath the shroud of grey material.

  Erica said, “Oh God.”

  Inwardly, Corey echoed the sentiment. Griff was touching Erica’s most intimate place. Stroking her and making her hips rock in helpless response.

  Corey wondered why he didn’t stop this, why he wasn’t angry. Erica was shocked but not surprised by Griff’s advances, giving Corey the distinct impression they’d hatched this plot together. He’d wanted to make Erica his, but at some point Corey’s plan had been snatched out from under him. He should be seriously pissed at Griff for intruding on the intimacy he wanted to create with Erica.

  Yet he wasn’t. He was too turned on to think, so caught up in the unexpected, dirty beauty of watching Griff finger Erica that objection was the last thing on his mind. Perhaps he was in shock, or so swamped by arousal nothing else could penetrate his lust-fogged mind. All Corey knew was that he wanted to watch Erica come. This way, he’d be free to see every beautiful expression on her face while she lost herself at Griff’s hand.

  Jesus. He was thinking threesome and he’d never done anything like it before. Corey knew Griff had—with two women. Had he ever done it in this combination?

  Griff’s apparent self-assurance told Corey the answer was most likely yes. But Corey had no clue how something like this was supposed to play out. Suddenly, he felt as unsure as a virgin.

  “Number eighteen, right?” Griff asked.

  At Erica’s nod, he swung the car to the left, into the driveway of a Queenslander-style house. He had to release Erica to power down the car. Completing the task in record time, Griff unsnapped his seat belt and turned.

  In the dim light from the dash instruments Griff had left on, Corey recognized the heated glint of pure lust in his eyes. He reminded Corey of a tiger. The shadows slanted across his face, dissecting the amber coloring of his hair and the topaz glimmer of his eyes. He all but growled, “It’s too bloody late to tell me to stop, Cor. I have to make your girl come now.”

  Corey closed his eyes on a groan. Despite what Griff said, it wasn’t too late. Griff would back off if Corey asked him to.

  Beside him, Erica squirmed. “Please, Griff.”

  Hearing her utter another man’s name like that stung. But lust acted like a buffer, protecting him from the worst of it. Corey wanted to see Griff make Erica come more than he wanted her to himself. He clung to Griff’s words, how he’d referred to Erica as your girl. When this was all over Corey swore he’d make that happen, he’d make Erica his. Somehow.

  Right now, she was theirs.

  Chapter Three

  With a minimum of preamble, Griff slipped his hand back beneath Erica’s skirt to touch silken skin. She had one foot on each side of the gearstick already, but her thighs fell apart farther when he traced the edge of her cotton underwear.

  She was all sultry heat and yielding softness, the embodiment of feminine temptation. Burying his face in the sweet-smelling curtain of her hair, Griff pushed his finger inside her slick channel and groaned at the ease of his entry. “You’re so wet, Red. Tight and soft, just how I want you.”

  Her words were a breathless accusation. “You made me this way.”

  Griff chuckled and brushed his lips over Erica’s earlobe. “Corey started it, but you liked knowing I could hear everything that was going on. It made you hotter, didn’t it? It made you all slippery and ready for my touch.”

  When she didn’t immediately respond, Griff gave her earlobe a sharp little nip. She gasped and thrust her hips into the steady motion of his hand. “Yes,” she admitted. “It turned me on. I like you being here too.”

  Corey emitted a guttural noise. There was helpless arousal in the sound, with an underpinning discontent Griff couldn’t deny. Corey had wanted Erica to himself tonight, but here she was wedged between the two of them because Griff had been—face it—a bit of a selfish prick. He’d made sure he got what he wanted, no matter that it usurped Corey’s plans. The fact that Erica wanted this too didn’t nullify what it cost Corey to give up the alone time with Erica he’d been aching for.

  Griff had no intention of stealing Erica out from under his friend, even if she was turning out to be a sexual firecracker, a forceful woman capable of ensuring her needs were met. In other words, much more Griff’s type than he’d realized.

  He pushed aside the inkling of regret that surfaced at the idea of giving Erica up after only one night. “Corey.” Griff waited until Corey tore his eyes off Erica’s face to meet his gaze. “It’ll be all right. It’s like a treat for her, both of us wanting her so bad, making her feel good. Just this once.”

  “Yeah, I get it.” Despite the words, uncertainty remained in Corey’s expression. He licked his lips in a nervous gesture. “What do I do?”

  Oh fuck. A thousand possibilities flitted through Griff’s mind, at least half of them things that were definitely not on the menu. His cock jerked inside his jeans. His heart became a wild, hammering thing in his chest.

  All because Corey Wachawski had licked his lips and asked for instructions.

  Holy shit.

  Erica whimpered in disappointme
nt, making Griff realize he’d stilled the motion of his finger. He returned his attention to her, trying to wrestle his unwelcome Corey-related urges back into the lockbox they’d been stuffed in for going on five years now. Firmly reminding himself that they belonged there, always, because Corey’s sexuality was not a malleable thing, the way his was.

  “How about it, Red?” His voice was thick, his query slow in coming. Desire seemed to have swollen his tongue. “Do you want Corey to kiss those pretty tits of yours?”

  “Yes.”

  Corey was working at the buttons of her blouse before the word was out of Erica’s mouth. Griff saw the other man’s fingers trembling as he parted Erica’s blouse and shifted her bra cups aside, exposing her breasts. The full globes were just visible in the scant light from the dash instruments, but Griff’s breath caught.

  Corey sighed. “Erica, you’re perfect.” Then he bent his head to her.

  The soft sucking sounds Corey made as he gave Erica’s breasts their due attention made Griff’s cock buck and weep inside his Levis. “That’s it, Cor, suck those tasty nipples. Make her squirm.” Griff wasn’t even sure Corey heard him because his voice was so raspy. He whispered in Erica’s ear. “You like it, Red? You just about ready to come?”

  Her incoherent moan wasn’t clear, but the hot spill of her feminine juice on his fingers screamed yes. She was close to losing it. Hell, Griff was close to losing it himself, merely from the sound and smell of her—of both of them.

  The metallic noise of Corey’s zipper being lowered rent the claustrophobic space of his car’s interior. Griff squeezed his eyes shut, as though that could somehow lessen the impact of the knowledge that Erica was blindly reaching into Corey’s open jeans and fondling his cock.

  “Erica, I can wait.”

  “No,” Griff found himself saying. He nipped at the tender flesh of Erica’s earlobe and touched his thumb to the swollen nub of her clit. “Do it, Red. Take Corey’s hard cock out and stroke it. Get him off while I’m finger-fucking this tight, juicy cunt of yours. I want to see you both come.”

  Corey offered a weak protest, but Erica followed Griff’s commands without question. Griff heard the telltale sound of her hand working on the stiff flesh of Corey’s hard-on. It mingled with Corey’s groan of delight as he all but fell back against the passenger door and let her pleasure him.

  Griff kept nipping at Erica’s throat, kept thrusting into her with his finger and circling her clit with his thumb. He didn’t look at what she was doing to Corey. He couldn’t look and maintain any semblance of restraint.

  Christ, he thought he could have an uncomplicated three-way with these two without wishing it could be more. Without wishing Erica wasn’t the only one making Corey come. Without wishing Corey was the type to let him go that far.

  Apparently not. Damn it all, he wanted Corey too.

  Griff tried to tune out those desires, rasping into Erica’s ear. “How does that feel? Good?”

  She nodded. “Yes. So good.”

  Her obvious need egged him on. “How about Corey’s dick? How does it feel to hold him in your hand?”

  “Oh, he’s so…”

  “Tell me.”

  “So big.”

  Shit. He so did not need to know that.

  “Erica.” Her name was a tortured moan on Corey’s lips. “I’m going to lose it if you don’t stop.”

  “Don’t stop, Red,” Griff said. “Make him come. Now.”

  “Griff.”

  Corey stared at him, his expression tense. His lips were parted, his breath falling out in rapid pants. “Erica.” Corey spoke her name but didn’t take his eyes off Griff. “I can’t stop, I’m going to come.”

  Griff swallowed a curse, helpless to do anything but watch as Corey arched his hips, blowing all over Erica’s proper-looking skirt and blouse. He almost lost it himself but held back with all he had in him, concentrating instead on adding pressure to Erica’s clit, shafting her as deep as he could with his finger. He tongued the shell of her ear and murmured, “Your turn, gorgeous. Come for us now.”

  A sob choked out of her and she convulsed around him. She tried to slam her legs together but couldn’t because of the gearstick, so Griff kept the pressure on to help her ride it out, talking her through it with gently cooed words until her writhing body sagged against the seat, spent.

  “Erica, I am so sorry.”

  Regret and embarrassment mingled in Corey’s apology, but Erica’s response was nothing but dreamy awe. “Don’t be. Nothing like that’s ever happened to me before.”

  “Oh, baby.”

  Griff withdrew from Erica’s body, turning away, as the two of them kissed. He ran a hand through his hair, only to realize it was shaking. The need for air had him yanking on the door handle and all but stumbling into the darkness.

  The suburban street was quiet. A half-moon formed a white semi-circle in the black sky, a smattering of stars twinkled like shattered glass. Griff stared up at the universe, willing his heart to slow and his body to cool.

  He should not have started this. He was at risk of repeating past mistakes, and Griff really wanted to be too smart for that. Yet right now he felt as stupid as he had years ago when he’d first realized his lovers, Anna and Jack, saw him as an add-on to their life, not an integral part of it.

  “Griff.”

  Griff turned to find Erica studying him, her dark eyes fathomless in the moonlight. Her lips were swollen and still wet from Corey’s kisses, which only reminded Griff he hadn’t even tasted them. Kisses weren’t for him, because he wasn’t part of the main couple. He was the third wheel—again—which granted him access only to what was left over.

  Which, he reminded himself, could amount to a hell of a good time.

  Having a good time here, that’s all.

  Griff reached up to trail his knuckles over Erica’s cheek. “How are you holding up there, cute stuff?”

  She lowered her head, a show of discomfiture. “I didn’t even say thank you.”

  “Jesus, you never have to thank a guy for that.” He wondered if her limp-dick professor had made her think she was some kind of tedious responsibility, and figured he’d smack the guy’s face with relish should the two of them ever meet.

  Corey emerged from the dark to stand behind Erica. He slid his arm around her waist and drew her back against him. As though she were his, and only his.

  Dale Griffin, you need to get back in your car and drive away, as fast as you can.

  Griff didn’t listen to the sensible inner voice but instead did the least sensible thing possible. He stepped forward and took Erica’s face in his hands, drawing her mouth to his.

  Sealing his lips over hers had a predictable effect on his libido. His cock stretched even more painfully, his blood pumped with renewed impatience through his veins. Less predictable was the way her soft lips and luxurious sigh made his gut clench. There was a vulnerability in her kiss that contradicted the boldness with which she threaded her fingers through his hair and offered herself. The sweetness of her belied the wanton way she arched into him, pressing her breasts to his chest.

  Her blouse was still open from their activities in the car. Griff could feel the heat of her flesh permeating the fabric of his shirt. He also felt Corey holding her more tightly to him, brushing his lips over her temple as Griff played with her mouth.

  It would be so easy to lift his head and pull Corey in too. To kiss that fucking sexy mouth of his while one of them—both of them—reached up and caressed the body between them, toying and teasing and tweaking until all three of them were reckless with lust once more.

  Griff wrenched his mouth away from Erica’s before he did something really stupid. Her aloof veneer had been completely stripped away, leaving an expression of raw need and tender fragility. That expression caught him in the chest and held tight. Corey’s girl had a powerful effect on him, not all of it sexual. He should leave. But he couldn’t, no matter what he risked by staying.

  “L
et’s get you inside, Red,” he said, “Before I do something nasty to you on the hood of this car.”

  Erica’s bathroom was redolent with the aroma of lavender. When Griff turned on the shower taps, steam billowed out of the long, narrow stall like sweet-scented smoke. It wrapped around the three of them, shrouding them in a sultry mist.

  Griff threaded his fingers through Erica’s hair and gently tipped her head back so he could place a trail of wet kisses along her throat. “Corey made you all sticky, didn’t he, gorgeous? We’re going to wash you off now.”

  Corey felt his cheeks heat at Griff’s words. If he’d made her “sticky” it was at least half Griff’s fault. He’d egged Erica on. And he’d stared at Corey the whole time, with such a searing, hot expression that Corey had been unable to temper his response. He’d come, forcefully, without ever tearing his gaze from his best friend’s.

  At the time it hadn’t seemed like a monumental thing. Now, as Erica helped Griff out of his T-shirt, Corey’s heart thundered in his chest. Anticipation dried his mouth as Griff’s golden skin was revealed, inch by inch—his ripped abs, his taut chest, and the armband tattoo that encircled his left biceps.

  Erica trailed her fingernails over it, clearly fascinated. Griff smiled. “Not the kind of girl who dates guys with tattoos, are you, Red?”

  “No,” Erica admitted, almost bitterly. “I’m the boring, cautious type.”

  “Not from where I’m standing.” Griff reached up and tweaked her nipple through the thin silk of her bra to make his point. “Nothing boring about you. Right, Cor?”

  Griff turned Erica in his arms so her back was pressed to his chest. Then he unhooked her bra and let it fall to the tiled floor. In the scant light of the car, Erica had taken Corey’s breath away. Now, he thought he might have a heart attack. “You’re very exciting, Erica,” he croaked.

  “He’s been eyeing you from across that pub for months, trying to find a way to talk to you. You’ve got her now, mate,” Griff pointed out. “So come and play with her.”