by Sarina Wilde
“And what if it becomes public that the surgeon who lives with him faces charges for sexual harassment? You don’t think that’s going to be a problem?”
“Christ! What a mess.”
Mike expelled a breath. “Go home, Chas. You’ve only got an hour left anyway. I’ll cover for you if something comes in. Take a couple of days off while I try to talk to our girl. In the meantime, if you’ve got an attorney, I’d go ahead and retain him.”
“Shit, Mike. Surely this will just go away?”
“Play hardball up front. It’ll be easier to scale it back than ramp it up. You don’t want to be scrambling. I’ve already taken steps to secure scheduling records, and security tapes.”
After disconnecting, Chas stared blindly at the wall where his medical licenses and his degrees hung. He loved his job. Sure the hours sucked a lot of the time, but when he was in the operating room, knowing he was making a difference, making life better? That was cool. The thought some vindictive bitch could take it away from him made him want to puke.
Mike was right. He needed to go home. He needed to see Liam, Wyatt, and Greer. That was normal. That was good. Right now, he needed a big dose of everything right in his life, followed by a good night’s sleep. Monday morning, he’d get on the phone to his attorney.
* * * * *
“Here, Wyatt.” Liam plopped a generous dollop of clay in front of his son. “You can sit across from Greer while you both work with the clay.”
Greer stared at the lump of brown dirt in front of her, not at all certain what she was going to do with it. From her high school days, she recalled learning coil and slab techniques for building pots and other useful things. But that wasn’t what she wanted to do. She needed to find a way to get what was inside her head out through her hands. And ever since the accident, painting and sketching hadn’t been enough.
Maybe Liam was right. Maybe she needed to try three dimensions. She looked over at Wyatt. He was having no trouble at all pinching off pieces of his clay and rolling it into little balls which he flattened into blocks. Once he had several of those, he began building a lop-sided stack of them.
Slowly, as she watched Wyatt, her fingers kneaded and pushed the clay in front of her. As she shaped and cupped and cut with the tools sitting next to her, Greer realized something was taking form. Even more, she realized manipulating the clay was easing the tension in her shoulders and helping her focus as she’d been unable to do in quite some time.
The back and forth rasps of Liam working on his Children’s Museum sculpture faded. She was absorbed by what she saw inside her mind. Periodically, she glanced at Wyatt to make sure he was all right. When he caught her, he would grin at her, a dimple peeking out in his cheek, and go back to making and building with his clay blocks before smashing and starting again.
“Good Lord, Greer,” Liam said, having approached her without her realizing it. “You’ve captured Wyatt sleeping to a T.”
“I wanna see!” Wyatt scrambled from his chair, coming around to where Liam stood. After he scooped up his son, Liam held him so he could see what Greer had made without being able to get curious fingers on it.
She sat back, giving what she’d completed a critical eye. “It needs work.”
“It needs a different medium.”
She glanced at him. In addition to the warmth that had been there since yesterday, she now saw artistic interest. “Like what?”
“With the lines you’ve created, it would lend itself to stone either at its current size, or much larger if you wished to go there.”
“I’ve never worked in stone.”
Liam’s mouth lifted at one corner. “Fortunately for you, I have. Would you like to try?”
The challenge was there. She could accept it or simply go on playing. Greer knew Liam wouldn’t judge.
“I want to try it.”
Now he smiled. “Fantastic. We’ll start looking for just the right stone tomorrow.” He glanced at his watch. “Chas will be home shortly.”
Greer covered her work in a damp cloth and stood. “I’d better get cleaned up and get inside. He’ll probably be starving when he gets here.”
Liam stroked a finger down her cheek in a featherlight caress. “For more than just food, I’m sure.”
She started to follow Wyatt outside, but Liam put a hand on her arm. “Greer, are you happy here?”
Surprise stopped her. “Yes.”
Liam raked his fingers through his hair. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he was nervous. “We’ve already told you we’re attracted to you. Are you still okay with that?”
She stepped in close to him and touched his cheek, slightly rough with beard growth. Stomach fluttering, wondering where he was headed, she nodded. “More than okay.”
Liam smiled. “I want you to stay, not just because you earn a salary, not just because of Wyatt. We want you here.”
“Chas too?”
“Both of us. Say you will.”
She thought about what her parents’ reaction might be, but dismissed it. They loved her. They’d support her even if her decision was out of the norm. Good grief. What hadn’t been out of the norm since her accident? She hadn’t felt this good about herself, about her life, since long before then. There was only one answer.
“I’ll stay.”
* * * * *
The scene greeting Chas as he pulled his car around the back of the house had two equal and opposite effects on him. Seeing Liam with Greer walking next to him and Wyatt running slightly ahead was exactly what he needed. It washed away some of the dirt Samantha Marlowe’s complaint had spattered on him and his career. It also made him worry he was putting all three of them in a precarious position.
Sure, he would talk to Liam and Greer about what was going on, but he could almost predict their reaction. They’d stand by him, even if it cost them both in the end. He just prayed things didn’t deteriorate to that point.
The moment Wyatt spotted him, he changed the angle of his running and headed straight for Chas, catching him just as he emerged from his car.
“Chas! I made blocks.”
“Cool, dude. Out of clay?”
Wyatt nodded. “Greer made stuff too.”
Chas lifted his gaze and found her blushing. So Liam had gotten her to work in the studio. He wondered if he’d discussed posing with her, but could see he hadn’t when his gaze shifted to Liam and he got a slight shake of the head. It would happen. He knew Liam too well, and he would never give up now the idea had implanted in his brain.
“So? How was your venture into the three dimensional?” Chas set Wyatt back down and tucked a strand of hair behind Greer’s ear. Impulsively, he leaned in and gently brushed his lips across hers before stepping back.
She smiled. “It was all right. Liam wants me to try stone.”
“Of course he does. He likes hard substances.”
Liam cleared his throat and rolled his eyes over to Wyatt.
“Oops, sorry.” He was trying too hard to be cheerful. It might be fooling Greer and Wyatt, but he could see from the searching look Liam was giving him it wasn’t washing with him.
“Greer,” Liam caught her attention. “Why don’t you take Wyatt in and get him a snack. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
To her credit, she didn’t ask awkward questions, though she did glance back and forth between the two of them. “Not a problem. Hey, Wyatt? You want a snack?”
“Snack! Snack! Gol’fish and juice?”
“Sure, but let’s add some cheese, okay?”
They moved away, out of earshot. Chas dug his hands in his pockets.
“The bitch is causing problems, isn’t she?” Liam growled.
“Oh yeah. I called my chief after talking to you. Sent him an email detailing what had gone down, but it gets worse.”
“How bad?”
“She’s filed an official complaint saying I tried to force myself on her after demanding she come to my office.”
“Fuck!” Liam swiped his hand back through his hair, his movements abrupt and irritated. Eyes narrowing, he asked, “You’re home early. Your choice or theirs?”
“Theirs, but not for the reason you think. I’m not on leave.”
Liam simply stood there with his arms crossed over his muscular chest and waited. Chas stared off beyond his shoulder before finally meeting his sharp gaze again.
“It’s been suggested I find an attorney.”
“Christ.” Liam opened his arms. “Come here, man.”
Oh yeah, feeling that embrace was what he needed. The only thing that would make it better was having both Liam and Greer wrapped around him. It would be easy to just sink into Liam’s strength. Way too easy because he was tired and hungry and so fucking pissed.
Expelling his breath, he eased back. “Thanks. I needed that. Look, can we talk about this later? I’m so tired right now I hardly know where I am.”
“Busy night?”
“Wreck in Spaghetti Junction, plus the usual cuttings and shootings.”
“No problem. Wyatt needs to go down for a nap anyway, then we’ll take him out for an early dinner to one of those pizza places.”
“Thanks.”
As Chas stumbled through the kitchen, he stopped first to wrap Greer in a hug.
“Do you know how special you are, sweetie?” he murmured and simply inhaled the clean fragrance of her skin and hair. If he weren’t so tired, he’d like nothing better than to sit with Liam and Greer, to feel both of them and draw comfort from them, but he was exhausted. With a soft squeeze, Chas let Greer go, stopped to ruffle Wyatt’s hair and give him a kiss on the cheek then headed upstairs.
As soon as he entered the room, he smelled Greer and smiled. She and Liam had slept together. Christ, he couldn’t wait to get between the sheets. Stripping as he went, he pulled the covers back and fell in, burying his nose in a pillow rich with her delicate floral scent and the spiciness of Liam’s.
If he couldn’t have both of them actually there, this was so exactly what he needed to ease him into sleep.
When he awoke, the sun was setting. These weekends made it hard to readjust. As Chas lay there, he listened for other sounds in the house. Down the hall, he heard the splash of someone in the tub followed by laughter. Wyatt and Greer. So it must be close to the boy’s bedtime.
The creak of the stairs alerted him to Liam’s arrival just moments before he entered the darkened bedroom. Chas shifted and turned on the bedside lamp.
“Feeling better?” In one hand, Liam carried a plate with a sandwich and in the other, a tall glass of iced tea. “Figured you might be hungry.”
“Thanks.”
While Chas ate, Liam sat at the end of the bed. His dark hair looked windblown and he smelled slightly of horse.
“Did you go riding?”
“Yeah. After we got back from pizza, Greer and Wyatt wanted to swim, so I took the opportunity for a little gallop through the woods.” Liam turned, meeting Chas’ gaze. “She’s putting Wyatt to bed right now, so I’m going to get in the shower. When I’m through, we’d like to be with you, Chas.”
Warmth eased some of the tightness in his chest. “Your idea, or Greer’s?”
“Both. We were together last night. I think you should know that.”
Chas’ mouth quirked. “I could tell. I’m okay with that.”
Liam stood, stopping by Chas to lean down and kiss him. “Finish your food and stay right there.”
He tracked Liam into the bathroom, enjoying the show as Liam stripped off his shirt to reveal those broad, muscled shoulders and narrow waist. If someone had told him he would fall for an artist, Chas would have laughed. He would have picked some super macho career where he’d envision a guy built like—hell, like Liam. Except Liam wasn’t a firefighter or a cop or any of those careers that just screamed testosterone. He was an artist, and who would have guessed he would be built like such a flipping Greek god.
As Liam shucked his pants, Chas set his plate to one side and let his hand slip under the sheet to where his body was already letting him know what he wanted. When Liam bent over to pick up something from the floor, Chas groaned. He had a perfect view of his lover’s ass with his sac and his dick dangling between his powerful thighs.
Damn, he knew Liam liked being top, but when Chas got a view like that, all he could think about was slipping up behind him, running his fingers between his butt cheeks and spreading him wide so he could…
“I could help.” Greer’s voice was a husky murmur.
Chas knew he must have a look that screamed busted, but when he looked at Greer, it wasn’t his face she was eyeing. Instead, her hot expression was all about the tent pole he had going beneath the sheets and what his hand was actively engaged in.
“Wyatt asleep?” he managed to choke out.
She shut the door behind her. “Out like a light. Need some help?”
“Christ. I’d love some help, sweetie. You wanna take those clothes off for me?”
Greer blushed, and oh that was such a turn-on. Chas settled back against the pillows, his hand slowly stroking his hard shaft as she unbuttoned the tiny fastenings down the front of her blouse. After easing it from her shoulders to reveal the lacy little scrap of bra, her fingers deftly flicked the front closure open and she shrugged from it at the same time she let the shirt drop from her shoulders.
Her gaze met his, and the warmth he saw there made him catch his breath. Sweet heaven! Did she feel what he was feeling?
“You’re so pretty,” he murmured. He let the sheet drop so his erection thrust between them. “See how I want you?”
Her teeth nibbled at her lower lip and then she was undoing her shorts and letting them fall to the ground as well. Her underwear was pink lace and barely there. When she started to hook her thumbs in it, he shook his head.
“Leave it. Liam and I will take it off.” He motioned to her. “Come here. Lay with me. He’ll be here in a moment, but I want to feel you alongside me now.”
She scooted along the bed, stopping as she reached his cock and dipping her head to take him in her mouth.
“Aw, sweetie. That is exactly what I need.”
She worked him with her tongue and her fingers, her delicate touch sliding down his balls to the sensitive skin between there and his anus. He stretched to the side and handed her some lube. “Finger me while you suck.”
The smile never left her face, and she slowly teased around the opening of his ass. “Liam played with me here last night. We used toys. He said he wanted you to be my first.”
Chapter Ten
Chas’ heart lurched. Twining his fingers in her short hair, he tilted her face so he could look into her eyes. “You’ve never had someone in your ass?”
“No. Liam used butt plugs last night then fucked me while I had one in.”
“How did that feel?” He needed to hear about it. Her telling of it was ratcheting up the heat in his body to the point he thought he might shoot a load just from her play. But that would be okay, because the way he felt, he knew he would be good for several orgasms.
“Amazing.” She licked around the head of his cock at the same time she slipped her finger inside him. Chas closed his eyes, just absorbing the feel of her mouth sucking the sensitive head while her finger pumped back and forth in his ass.
“I want to take you like that, Greer, but I want your pussy too.” And her heart. He needed her and Liam. They fit. They made him feel whole. He needed to tell her. “Greer—”
“You two are so fucking hot together,” Liam growled, dropping the towel he had on and coming over to kneel on the bed next to Chas.
He would tell them both later. Liam’s cock was already swelling and rising, its head twitching. Chas shifted, grasping it in his hand and ducking to take Liam between his lips.
What a sensation. Greer sucking and fingering him while Liam fucked his mouth, but that wasn’t how he wanted this to end. Chas released Liam’s cock and looked at him.
With Liam on one side of him and Greer on the other, Chas felt the knot of tension still hammering in his head begin to slack off. He rolled to face Greer. She twined her arms around his neck and lifted her face for his kiss. His cock twitched, but it was more than just lust. The warm sensation in his chest confirmed it. As their mouths met, he felt Liam nestle in close to his back, hard cock brushing his ass.
Chas laid his forehead against Greer’s and felt Liam’s cheek against the back of his head.
Throat tight, Chas whispered, “You have no idea how much I need this right now, feeling both of you next to me.”
Greer’s slender fingers pressed against his mouth. “Let us love you, Chas.”
She kissed his cheek then leaned around him to kiss Liam too. As arms wrapped around him from both sides, they managed a three-way kiss, tongues touching and tasting. Greer broke off first, her mouth sliding over his chest to tease his nipples. When her teeth nipped him, Chas gasped, feeling the tug all the way to his aching cock.
“Ah, sweetheart. So good. Keep going.”
She licked him then let her tongue glide over his belly until she teasingly circled his cock. Behind him, Liam went still. Chas knew he was watching Greer’s every move. Chas raised his leg.
“Slide between my thighs, Liam, so she can touch us both.”
Liam moaned, drawing an answering one from Chas as he felt Liam’s cock bump his nuts. While Greer used her hands and her mouth on both of them, Liam whispered in his ear.
“I want you to fuck her, Chas, feel how tight she is. Think about your dick in her pussy and then my mouth. I’ll lick her juices off you before you dive back in for more. Would you like that?”
Greer’s mouth sucked hard on him. Chas wasn’t sure he’d last long enough to do that.
“Yeah.”
Liam reached around to tweak a nipple.
“Let’s get her ready for us.”
They pressed Greer back, moving around so she lay on her back between them. Chas’ hands trembled slightly as he tugged her pretty pink panties down her hips and thighs until they were free. As they parted her thighs to reveal the glistening moisture of her swollen pussy lips, Chas met Liam’s eyes. The expression he found there was different, no longer just lust, the three of them were making love. He pushed forward and slowly ran his tongue from her clit to her vagina, lapping her honey before locking lips with Liam.