by Mari Carr
“Are your neighbors okay with it?”
Lily nodded. “We’re very good friends with our neighbors. Occasionally we babysit for Jules.” Lily pointed to indicate Jules lived to the right. “She’s going through a tough divorce and sometimes she needs a break. Gonna be hard for her, raising three rambunctious boys by herself, but that was a welcome alternative to doing it with an abusive alcoholic.”
Lauren nodded. “And she’s okay leaving her kids here? How does she explain there are two guys living with you?”
Lily laughed softly. “Her kids are all under the age of eight and I’m fairly certain she doesn’t go into much detail about our sleeping arrangements. Besides, as I said, they’re all boys and they love it here because they have two grown men to pitch them baseballs, toss around a football and wrestle with. Those boys love Justin and K. They’re kids, and kids tend to like adults who are genuinely nice.”
“Yeah,” Lauren said. “That’s true. And your family is okay with it? I mean, I know Killian’s pop understands, but do your parents?”
Lily took a sip of her wine and frowned. “Do my parents understand?” Lily shook her head. “No. I don’t think they do. However, they love me and so they’ve accepted it. As I said, time has made things easier. Justin and Killian have gone with me to visit my folks and, well, what’s not to love about my guys? They golf with my dad, watch sports, hang out. My parents know I love Justin and K and as time passes, I think they’ve come to love them too. They’re part of the family now.”
Lauren sighed. Everything Lily said made sense, but there was one nagging concern that wouldn’t let go. “No one has ever said this is wrong? Weird?”
Lily looked at her for a very long time before answering. “Yes, Lauren. There have been some snide, rude comments, some hurtful remarks. I’ve learned to ignore them. There are some people in the world who simply cannot accept anything that doesn’t fit into their perception of normal. But I love Justin and K, and they love me. When I remember that, the cruel comments sort of lose their sting. Can I ask you a question?”
Lauren waited for the inevitable, nodding slowly.
“How long have you been sleeping with my brother and Sean?”
Lauren looked down at her wineglass. “Since Sunday.”
Lily laughed. “Funny. I would’ve thought the three of you would have given in to your feelings a long time ago.”
“Nice to know I’ve been so good at hiding my feelings.” She was starting to feel like an open book to everyone she’d ever met.
Lily smiled kindly. “You’re actually better at hiding the vibes than Chad and Sean. It was the way they acted around you tonight that clued me in to the fact the status quo had changed.”
Lauren couldn’t repress her true anxiety any longer. “I’m studying to be a psychologist. So is Chad. Who’d come to see a doctor of mental health who was living in a committed threesome?”
“I would,” Lily said. “I don’t want doctors who are perfect. I want doctors who are human.”
Lauren blinked quickly as tears filled her eyes. Lily’s words flowed through her like salve on an open wound. “Really?”
“Lauren, I told you. My bosses know about my home life, but they also know I’m a good employee and that I know my stuff. When all is said and done, that’s the bottom line. Not how many bodies are in my bed at night. Is there anything else stopping you from continuing to explore this relationship?”
Lauren considered the question. She didn’t mention Sean’s feelings for Chad. She knew that until those emotions were discussed and resolved, there wasn’t a relationship. But that wasn’t her secret to reveal.
Instead, she lied. To Lily and to herself.
“Nothing’s holding us back,” she replied with a feigned smile. “Absolutely nothing.”
God. If only that were true.
* * * * *
“Mother fucker,” Chad yelled. “What the hell is wrong with that goddamn goalie?”
Killian slammed his fist against the arm of his recliner. “Jesus Christ. They need to pull the inept asswipe outta the game.”
Sean glanced at Justin, who rose from his seat laughing. “Shit. This isn’t going to end well. I’m gonna head outside and check the spark plugs on my truck. It was making a funny noise this afternoon.”
“Need any help?” Sean offered.
“Sure. If you don’t mind. It’s cold as a witch’s tit out there.”
Sean looked over at Chad and Killian as they cursed the goalie, the coach, the refs and pretty much every resident of New York City. It was a foregone conclusion his wager was lost. “Cold sounds pretty good right about now.”
Justin hit the front porch light then rummaged around in the garage for some tools and a flashlight. “Mind holding this so I can see what I’m doing?”
“No problem.”
Justin popped the hood and started digging around. Sean had been looking for a way to pull Justin aside since they’d arrived for dinner. While he loved his brother, Sean knew this wasn’t a discussion he could have with Killian. Justin was the more liberal-minded of the committed threesome and he hoped Justin could give him some badly needed advice without freaking out over what he was about to reveal.
“Um, listen, Justin, I was hoping to have a chance to talk to you. I’ve sort of got a problem.”
Justin looked up. “Sure thing. What’s up?”
“When you and Killian and Lily are in bed—” Sean began.
Justin cut him off. “Jesus. You don’t need the sex talk, do you?”
Sean gave him an annoyed smirk. “Very funny. I’m twenty-four years old, asshole. I’m pretty sure I know what goes where.”
Justin chuckled at his joke. “Just making sure. Continue.”
Sean swallowed heavily, wondering if talking to Justin was such a good idea. He was too much like him. Too impulsive, with a wicked sense of humor. Maybe his advice wouldn’t work on a regular guy like Chad. “Have you and Killian ever touched?”
Justin had been loosening a spark plug but paused in mid-twist at the question. He put the tool down as his gaze traveled to Sean’s face. “Touched how?”
Sean shrugged. “Intentionally. Sexually.”
Justin leaned against the truck and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, that’s a hard question to answer, Sean. I mean, obviously when we’re all in bed together, it’s inevitable that K and I are gonna bump into each other occasionally.”
“Bumping into each other isn’t intentional.”
Justin nodded. “You’re right. It’s not. No. We don’t touch.”
Sean fought the unexpected disappointment that washed through him. He wasn’t sure why he’d needed to hear differently. Maybe he was looking for validation. If Justin and Killian touched, than there was no reason why he couldn’t touch Chad. Because God help him, he’d never make it through another Sunday without touching him. “Okay,” he answered weakly.
Sean was ready to change the subject but Justin didn’t seem content to let the conversation die. “You slept with Chad and Lauren, didn’t you?”
Sean nodded. He was finding it hard to talk about this—a new experience for him. Usually his life was an open book, especially with his family.
“And you wanted to touch Chad?”
Sean looked away. He couldn’t answer that question. He’d never said the words aloud to anyone in his family.
He was bi. He’d known it forever. Usually he preferred women, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t experimented with other guys. A few kisses, some touches, a couple of quick blowjobs with a gay friend.
“Sean?”
He nodded quickly, hoping Justin would get the message without having to say the actual words.
“I see.”
Sean turned to face him. “You’ve never wanted to touch K? Never?”
Justin shook his head. “No. We’re just not wired that way.” He quickly raised his hands and imitated Seinfeld, a typical Justin habit. “Not that there’s anything wro
ng with that.”
Sean laughed. Justin was an expert at breaking the tension.
“Does Chad know about this?”
“Fuck no,” Sean replied.
“Don’t you think he should?”
Sean ran a weary hand over his face. He’d spent four sleepless nights since Sunday trying to figure out what he was supposed to do next. “I can’t…not again.”
Justin stood quiet for a long time. “Not again?”
Sean fell mute, refusing to reveal the ancient secret.
Justin seemed to understand his silence. “Okay. What if you planned a bit of a sneak attack?”
“A what?”
“What if one night, in the middle of,” Justin waved his hands around, “doing it, you just sort of snuck in a little kiss or touch or something?”
Sean laughed, long and loud. “I think that’s the worst advice anyone’s ever given me.”
Justin grinned. “Maybe so, but it’s the best I’ve got. You’ve kinda thrown me for a loop here, man.”
Sean put down the flashlight, tucking his hands under his arms for warmth. “Yeah well, unfortunately it’s also the only advice I’ve gotten.”
“So you’re taking it?” Justin asked.
“God help me,” Sean sighed. “I think I am.”
* * * * *
As the commercial break began, Killian relaxed in his recliner. “Tris is gonna gloat over this one for a while.”
Chad agreed. “Yep. Asshole got you. Definitely sets him up for bragging rights.”
“Since you avoided the bet, I was thinking…what if I just give you my payoff tonight? You could deliver it for me next time you’re at the pub.”
Chad laughed and shook his head. “No way. Chicken shit. You make the bet, you pay the piper.”
Killian gave him a wounded look Chad knew was all show. “We’re practically brothers, man. I’d take a bullet for you.”
Chad rolled his eyes, though the idea that Killian considered him a brother made him feel better than he would have imagined. He’d always been jealous of Sean’s close relationship with his brothers. Much as Chad adored his sister, he’d always wanted a brother growing up.
As he looked at Killian, Chad realized that was something else Sean had given him—brothers. He certainly considered Sean a brother, and by extension, Killian, Tris and Ewan. Lily had added Justin to the mix.
“Yeah, well, much as I appreciate the sentiment, you’re gonna have to save that line of bull for the next sucker. The ass-kicking Tris would give me if I deprived him of his gloating would feel worse than a bullet.”
Killian gave him a sullen hmpf, muttering, “You’re probably right,” before turning back to the TV.
Chad glanced over his shoulder. He could hear Lauren and Lily chatting quietly in the kitchen, and every now and then, their light laughter drifting out. He looked at the front door. Chances were good Justin and Sean would be in soon. It was freaking cold and, busted truck or not, there was no way they’d stay outside much longer.
“Killian,” he said.
“Yeah.”
Chad ran his hand through his hair. “I was wondering something.”
“Yeah,” K repeated. “What?”
“When you and Justin and Lily told the family you were an item, what did your pop say?”
Killian looked at him. “You know what he said. You were there.”
Chad shook his head. “No, I don’t mean what he said right away. I know your pop and I know he pulled you aside at some point to talk to you alone. What did he really say?”
Killian grinned. “He caught me about a week later. J and I were celebrating sweet Thursday at the pub. He pulled me upstairs to the apartment to look at some problem he was having with a kitchen drawer.”
“Let me guess, no broken drawer.” Chad smiled. When Sean’s pop set his mind to speak his piece, he could employ devious means to get his victim alone.
“’Course not,” Killian confirmed. “We get to the kitchen and he sits me down. Asks me how things are with Lily and J.”
Since sleeping with Lauren and Sean, Chad had seriously started thinking about the long-term. One of the main things holding him back was the reaction of their families. His folks and Sean’s pop would no doubt take it better than Lauren’s parents because they already had one working threesome in the family. Regardless of that fact, he was still nervous about announcing their unconventional relationship to the world. Part of him was hoping Killian would give him some excuse that would give him a justified out.
Killian continued talking. “I told Pop things were great and then he asked me if I was happy. Really happy.”
“That’s all he cares about, isn’t it?” Chad asked, wondering if there was a better man on earth than Patrick Collins.
Killian nodded and smiled. “I told him I was in love with Lily and lucky enough to be able to share the most beautiful woman on earth with my best friend.”
“What did he say to that?”
“Said what you just said. The only thing he ever wished for his kids was love and health. Said if I was happy, he was happy.”
Chad leaned forward. “And that was it?”
Killian nodded. “That was it.”
“That was too easy.”
Killian laughed. “It’ll be that easy for you three too. You just have to persevere.”
“That obvious, eh?”
“The three of you are reeking of sex and cheerfulness tonight. I’m happy for you.”
Chad scowled. “You don’t wanna sort of punch my lights out? I was a prick when you and Justin hooked up with Lily. I know I was a pain in the ass for a while.”
Killian’s grin betrayed his words. “Nah, it’s just enough for me to sit here and gloat about what comes around, goes around. Sort of makes losing to Tris more tolerable.”
Chad laughed. “Glad I could help you out.”
Lily and Lauren came out of the kitchen just as Justin and Sean returned from the driveway.
“Get your truck fixed?” Killian asked.
Justin shook his head. “Too fucking cold. My fingers were numb the second I popped the hood. I’ll take it in to Jim’s shop tomorrow. Let him look at it.”
“You guys ready to head home?” Lauren asked.
Chad rose and nodded as Sean turned to grab their jackets from the coat rack by the door. “Yep. Gotta be on the worksite at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Working for these two slave drivers,” Sean joked.
Justin slapped Sean on the back and gave him an encouraging look Chad couldn’t decipher. “You don’t have to be there at dawn. Seven is early enough.”
Lauren feigned a shudder. “Seven? Yikes. I thought seven was dawn.”
They all laughed and said their goodbyes. Sean opened the passenger door for Lauren then climbed in the backseat as Chad started the car.
Chad pulled out onto the street. The ride home was silent and he sensed Lauren and Sean were as lost in their own thoughts as he was. He’d been trying to find some tiny thread to grasp, some reason why a committed threesome couldn’t work because, as much as his mind rebelled against the idea, his heart desperately wanted it to work.
Chapter Ten
Lauren sighed but kept her eyes closed, savoring the morning air. She felt very much like a child on Christmas morning. It was Sunday. While it had been a busy, sometimes stressful week, she’d been impatiently waiting for today.
A body brushed against hers from behind and a strong arm wrapped around her waist.
Sean.
“What are you doing here?” she asked with a smile.
“It’s Sunday, and Chad and I were lonely.”
She opened her eyes and spotted Chad sitting in a chair by her bed. He held a large plastic shopping bag in his hands and he gave her a wicked grin.
“What’s in the bag?” She wanted to be apprehensive, but she knew without a doubt whatever the bag held, it would have her exploding like a fireworks display on the fourth of July.
“To
ys.” Chad grinned when her eyes widened.
“What sort of toys?”
“The best kind,” Sean replied. “Sex toys.”
“Oh.”
Chad laughed at her nervous reply. “Time to get serious. Last week we only scratched the surface of your submission. Today we thought we might up the intensity a bit.”
“If you up the intensity any more, I’m likely to give myself an injury.”
Sean chuckled. “We’ll take it slow but, sweetheart, we’re definitely going higher.”
“Take off those pajamas. You’re through with clothes for today,” Chad said, rising from the chair and approaching the bed.
She sat up and complied, pulling her T-shirt over her head. Sean helped her shed her lounge pants and panties while Chad emptied the contents of the bag on the bed. She tried to repress a shudder at the sight of all the items, but failed. “That was some shopping spree.”
“Yep,” Sean said. “Turns out Chad and I have a lot of dirty fantasies stored up when it comes to you. Since you insisted on putting a time limit on our ménage, we thought we’d better get busy.”
She grinned at Sean. “We could always just negotiate for more time.”
Sean seemed more than willing to wheel and deal for added time, but Chad changed the subject. “Get on your hands and knees, Lauren.”
His voice was firm and Lauren felt a gush of arousal coat her pussy. She never would have anticipated responding to sexual demands like this, but the cold, hard fact was she loved when Sean and Chad went all Dom on her.
She turned, pointing her ass directly at Chad, wiggling it slightly as a taunt.
Chad laughed and slapped it. “God, you’re a tease.”
Sean moved in front of her, giving her a quick kiss. “And we love it.”
She heard Chad rummaging through the goodies on the bed and she started to turn to see what toy he’d picked, but Sean stopped her. “Nope. Eyes front. In fact…” He reached behind him for something on the nightstand.
She shivered when she spotted the blindfold. “Sean,” she whispered, excited by the prospect they were offering.
Sean covered her eyes, tying the scarf tightly enough to block out all her vision. The world went totally dark.