A Little Harmless Scandal

by Melissa Schroeder

  “Them? As in both of them?”

  “Yes.”

  She whistled and Serenity had to hold the phone away from her ear. “Good lord, you know how to go all out. No dates for months, then you take on both men?”

  She chuckled. “Believe me, I've had the same thought more than once, but...there is just something about them.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It's like, with them, I kind of feel complete.”

  “Wait. Are you playing with both of them at the same time? In bed together?”

  “Yes.”

  “Look at you getting kinky.”

  “It’s more than just being kinky. I know it sounds kind of corny, but together we seem to make sense.”

  Another beat of silence.

  “Nicola?”

  “Oh, sorry, I was just thinking.”

  “That’s usually a bad sign.”

  “Shut up.”

  “Sorry.”

  “No, I was just thinking that I understand the situation.”

  “You understand the situation? You haven't even met them.”

  “Believe me, I will meet them in a few weeks. And I will get their last names from you so I can run a background check.”

  “You will not.”

  Another snort. “Try and stop me, little girl.”

  “Nicola.”

  “You know I am going to do it, but I will only look for criminal behavior.”

  Serenity rolled her eyes. “Okay.”

  “I was thinking about you though.”

  “Something about me screams ménage?”

  “Don't be an idiot. Now, I don't want you to get irritated with me, but I always thought you were starving for love.”

  “Starving for love?”

  “We talked about this before.”

  Nicola had been a sober companion and it spilled over into her personal life at times. “I had love from a lot of my fans.”

  “But not from the people who should have offered it up unconditionally.”

  Her parents. Her father had disappeared and her mother had used Serenity to make herself rich. In fact, she couldn't remember ever hearing her mother tell her she loved her.

  “Serenity?”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Go on.”

  “You need a man who is going to love you to pieces, and getting involved with two men makes sense to me.”

  She rubbed her neck. “I don't know.”

  “What's wrong?”

  “They overwhelm me at times. They've been together for over five years. Sometimes I feel like an interloper.”

  “Has either of them said anything to you about that?”

  “No. It all happened so fast.”

  “Tell me about them.”

  “Mick is sweet. Well, as sweet as a former special forces guy who now works security can be.”

  “Jesus, you know how to pick them. And Adam?”

  “Not as sweet, but there is this thick layer he uses to hide his vulnerability from the world.”

  She didn’t say anything for a long time and that was a bad sign.

  “Nicola?”

  “Hmm, sorry. I was thinking.”

  “Thinking about what?”

  “How long have you known these guys?”

  “Over a month. Why?”

  “You're in love with them.”

  Panic reached up and clawed at her throat. “I am not.” Was she?

  “Yes, you are. You know them better than that one dude you dated for six months.”

  “Huh. I hadn't even realized.”

  “That's because you're spending so much time falling in love.”

  “I don't like that.”

  “What?”

  “Falling in love.”

  “In general, or with these two men?”

  “General, or both. Dammit, I don't know.”

  “Seri, don't panic.” Her calm voice sent another wave of anxiety rushing through her.

  “I'm not.” Not really. Her heart was just beating a million beats per minute and she felt slightly ill.

  “You're in love with two men who apparently like you.”

  “Yeah.” She started to bite on her thumbnail as her mind began contemplating all the problems with being in love with two men.

  “Serenity Jones,” Nicola said in her drill sergeant voice.

  “What?”

  “Don't overthink this and don't freak out.”

  “I am not freaking out.”

  But she was. What if she was in love with them and they weren't in love with her? What would happen then? She would have her heart broken while they still had each other.

  She sighed. “You are, but I know there is nothing I can do about that. At least not all the way over here. Just don't make any rash decisions. This isn't orthodox, but then, you never have been. As I said, these men might give you just what you need.”

  “I'll try.” She sighed. “They like to play a bit too.”

  “Lord, two men, former special forces, and Doms? You definitely know how to take the leap, woman.”

  She chuckled. “True.”

  “Have you engaged?”

  “No, not yet. They want to take me to some place called Rough ‘n Ready.”

  “Yeah, good club. Micah Ross, the owner, is great. Jensen is a member too.”

  “Too? That means you’re a member?”

  “I was thinking about it. I mainly get a day pass most of the time. But, you’re interested?”

  “Yes. I’ve been reading a lot.”

  “Good. It’s good for you to try new things, and it sounds like you trust these men.”

  Before she could work through the bombshell Nicola had just lobbed at her, Nicola said, “Okay, I have to go.”

  “I told you Jensen would come back.”

  “Ha, no. I have a friend who lives here. We're going to play a bit since I have the night off.” Knowing Nicola, she had men all over the world just waiting for their favorite sub to return. “I'll call you with our itinerary when I get it. And Seri, call if you need to talk. Any time of the day or night. You know I'm here for you.”

  “I do. Thank you.”

  “Love you.”

  “Love you back.”

  They hung up and Serenity picked up her coffee again, only to find it cold. She went into the house to pour another cup, the conversation playing over in her mind. Nicola was right. She had always been starving for attention and love. It was what had led to her drinking and out of control behavior. More than one person had used her to get things they wanted, whether it was her connections in Hollywood, money, or just free crap. She had been so damned desperate to be accepted, she would have done anything at that point.

  Since then, she'd been very careful not to let people know how much she needed that in her life. If she fell in with those people, she might lose control of her life again. This time she might not be able to come back from it whole.

  Still, she didn't want to panic. They were having fun, and she was enjoying two interesting men who apparently found her interesting. She'd worry about the future later.

  Nicola was right. She did trust them. From the very first, she had never felt threatened or used in any way. It’s why she had been drawn to them to begin with. There was a solid core of good in them. She could depend on both men, no matter what.

  And she wanted to find out what submission with these two men would be like.

  With that thought, she sat down at her desk and started working on the pictures she had taken the week before. They wouldn’t be back until tomorrow and she would tell them then.

  Chapter Twenty

  The day after they returned from Kauai, Mick was awake before the sun. He hadn’t slept well, even with Adam beside him. He knew the reason.

  As he poured his coffee, he glanced out the window toward Serenity’s house. He had known she was special the first time they'd been together, but she was getting under his skin. After she had told them she w
anted to sleep in her own bed, Mick and Adam had returned to their house. Neither of them had been happy about her decision.

  She wasn't there and there was something missing.

  It had never happened in their relationship. From the time they had moved into a sexual relationship, they enjoyed women, but they could also be together by themselves. Less than a month with Serenity, and they both felt the void.

  “You're up early,” Adam said.

  He glanced at his lover. Sleepy eyes, bed head, and wearing nothing but a pair of board shorts. It was usually enough to get him going. But now, he wanted to share that with Serenity. She had become a part of their lives and now he was scared he'd made a mistake.

  “Uh oh. That's a serious look.”

  “What's that mean?” Mick asked.

  “It means that you're the pretty one. You don't worry.”

  He knew Adam was joking, but he couldn't help but feel irritated.

  “And what are you?”

  “The smart one.”

  When he didn't respond, Adam stopped. “What's up, babe?”

  He shrugged and left the kitchen, walking out onto the back lanai. Adam soon followed, his coffee cup in hand.

  He came up behind Mick, and rested his chin on his shoulder.

  “Spit it out.”

  “What?”

  “We have the day off together and I want to relax. I don't want this issue rearing its head. Whatever it is.”

  He sighed. Mick could fight him, then they would argue. In the end, he knew he would end up telling Adam.

  “I think I'm getting too hung up.”

  “Understandable. I'm hot.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Now is not the time for you to get a sense of humor.”

  “See. I’m the smart one.”

  “Fuck,” he said and sat down in one of the three chairs on the lanai.

  Adam said nothing for a long moment, and it was the right thing.

  “Sorry. Just...I didn't think she'd become so important so fast.”

  “Ah.”

  “Ah, what?”

  “Listen, I'm worried about that too. But, with our relationship, it happened slowly. We knew each other years before we took that leap--thanks to a bottle of whiskey.”

  Adam smiled, thinking of their first night of R & R. They both had known each other were bisexual and after months of dancing around the idea, they had indulged. They had been together ever since.

  “So?”

  “While you like to pretend you are a free spirit, you're not. The idea of Serenity being a part of our lives scares you shitless.”

  “I am a free spirit.”

  Adam snorted. “Son, you are the farthest thing from it. You like to keep things light, but that doesn't make you a go with the flow type.”

  “And what type am I?”

  “Home and hearth and happily ever after. With me, you knew you had it right off. Now, you aren't too sure. You love her, but there are no guarantees even after telling her. That makes you nervous.”

  Because he was a little too close to the truth, Mick rose out of the chair and walked to the railing. Yes, he was nervous but there was something under it that he wasn't comfortable with. Fear. His gut coiled. He was afraid that she would walk away. It would be easy for her. They had just been having fun, a little fling. But now, his heart was starting to engage.

  Adam sighed behind him. “You've got to snap out of this funk, Mick.”

  He turned around to face Adam. From the moment they’d met, they had been fast friends. It had deepened into love. That part hadn't taken so long.

  “I can see those wheels turning in your head.”

  “It doesn't bother you?”

  “What?”

  “Waiting around, knowing she could just walk away?”

  “Yeah, it bothers me, but I think because of my childhood, I handle it better.”

  An abusive mother, absent dad, then a string of foster homes had been his entire childhood. No security and no long-lasting relationships.

  “So, because I had a good childhood, I can’t understand?”

  He chuckled as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his legs.

  “In a way. I view life as temporary. This great life we built, it could all disappear.”

  “Damn. That's cynical.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. But see, you had those parents of yours--”

  “Ours.”

  He smiled and nodded. “Ours. They were there all the time.”

  “Dad was gone a lot.”

  His father had been a Green Beret, and he'd been deployed.

  “Yeah, but they were there. And even if something happened to him, you knew your mother was going to be there for you. I never had that.”

  “And now you are a cynical bastard.”

  “Yeah, but there's something else. I've had to learn how to go with the flow more than you.”

  “You plan every damned minute of the day.”

  “No. I do not. I would not have ended up at Serenity's house last week. Completely unplanned. I plan, because it gives me comfort. Still, there is always a part of me that thinks it could all be blown to smithereens at any moment.”

  “You're all right with that?”

  “No, but I know how to deal with it. Someone's been pulling the rug out from beneath my feet since birth. You, on the other hand, are a whiney ass titty baby, who had been treated like a prince for most of your life.”

  Laughter filled his voice, pulling a smile from Mick.

  “Okay, yeah, I was a bit of a Mama's boy.”

  “I was thinking that maybe we should play tourist today.”

  “Sure, what do you have in mind?”

  “Maybe some time at the beach. Get some shaved ice.”

  “We haven't been to Waikiki in a while.”

  “Oh, yeah. Lalani Coffee house for some pancakes, then beach time?”

  Mick nodded. “Wanna ask Serenity?”

  He nodded. “I think that's an excellent idea.”

  * * *

  Serenity dug her toes into the sand and sighed. It was just after eleven. Her belly was filled with pineapple pancakes and coconut syrup. There was a gentle trade wind keeping her cool, and the sun felt good on her flesh.

  Oh, yeah, and she was with the two hottest guys on the beach.

  “I can't remember the last time I came down here for a day of just sitting on the beach,” she said.

  “What are you usually doing?” Mick asked.

  “Taking pics. I rarely miss an opportunity to work.”

  “That's a shame. You live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. You need to make sure to enjoy it,” Adam said.

  She knew he was right, and she did have some breathing room. With her online sales doing well, along with her possible book deal, she felt secure with her income. Granted, she still had money from her acting days, but she was careful with it.

  “You're right. I tend to worry about missing something, but it is pretty near perfect almost three hundred and sixty-five days a year.”

  She picked up her sunscreen, but Mick took it out of her hands.

  “Let me.”

  Oh, God, not good. He was going to drive her insane by touching her in public.

  He settled in behind her and she listened as he squirted some of lotion on her back. He set the bottle down and started to rub it in. Just that simple touch had her nipples hardening. She was right. They had both turned her into some kind of a nympho.

  “Adam told me he talked to you about Rough ‘n Ready.”

  She nodded, unable to speak. His talented fingers slipped over her skin with all that lotion...well, there was only so much a girl could take. She drew her legs up and rested her head on her knees. She just thanked god she had her glasses on. Closing her eyes, she bit her lip to keep from moaning. Mick kept rattling on about the club and how they would get her a pass for the night, and she just wanted to turn around and jump his bones.

  “Aren't y
ou Kayleigh Rose?”

  She straightened and looked at the young man. He was probably a decade younger than she was, skinny enough a strong wind would blow him away, and he had the tell-tale sign of a haole with a new tan.

  She looked up at him trying to ignore the dangerous man behind her. Both men had straightened up and had their full attention on the newcomer.

  “Kayleigh who?”

  “You know, the Daughter Knows Best show. You are her.”

  “Nope. My name's Serenity Jones. But it happens a lot.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She opened her mouth to respond, but, apparently, Adam had had enough.

  “She said she isn't her.”

  The young man took a step back. Smart kid.

  “No worries. I get people who think I am her all the time. Now if it came with perks, like free drinks, I might go with it, but I rarely get any offers.”

  “Oh, okay. Sorry.”

  “No problem,” she said to his retreating back.

  “You two should be ashamed of yourselves.”

  Adam barely glanced at her, then back to the young man, who was now halfway down the beach. “You need to be more careful. I didn’t know you were that well known.”

  She shrugged, knowing she had left that part of her life out of most of their conversations on purpose. Apparently, the guys had decided not to snoop. “Not really. I haven't had an incident in years.”

  “An incident?” Mick asked as he started to rub lotion on her again.

  “Yeah. When the show was doing really well, I would have to fight to keep my privacy. I had one person follow me into the bathroom and stick their camera under the stall door.”

  “Jesus.”

  “That really happened?” Adam asked.

  She nodded. “It was not fun. It was one of the reasons I walked away from it all.”

  “But there were other reasons?”

  She hated talking about it. Maybe that was why she rarely had close friends these days. Acquaintances didn't like to ask.

  This was different. She was involved with them, and while she had a right to say no, she wanted them to know about that other life. She had kept it to herself for a long time, so it took her a moment or two to gather her courage to talk about it.

  “Privacy was one big issue. I also saw the writing on the wall with my career.”

  “How so?” Mick asked, finishing off her back then taking his place beside her.