by Tara Rose
“I don’t seem to have too many patients today. Was thinking of closing up early. Want to grab an early dinner at Nan’s?”
Chad nearly dropped his cell. He’d expected Dustin to be surly and evasive, at best. “Um, sure. But I think we should talk privately. Any objections if we just get something to go and talk at your place?”
“That’s a good idea. Want me to pick something up for you and you can just come over here?”
“Sure. Okay. How about if I come over around four? I’m finishing up paperwork, but otherwise things are pretty slow today.”
“Okay. See you at four.”
Chad stared at his cell for a long time after disconnecting the call. Could it really be that easy, or was Dustin waiting to get him alone before going in for the kill? A text from Annalise snapped him back to the present.
I’m off Thursday. Any chance you can play hooky from work and spend the day with me? I thought we’d start at Tye Me Up…
She’d stuck a winking emoticon at the end of the message, and there was no doubt about what she’d meant by suggesting they visit Tye Me Up. Chad’s dick jumped until he realized it was a group text. She’d sent the same thing to Dustin as well. Well, at least now he knew. Annalise was fine with this ménage arrangement. More than fine with it, apparently. He wondered what Dustin was thinking right now as he read the same text.
* * * *
Dustin didn’t text Annalise back right away. He wanted to wait and see what Chad had to say first. She’d sent the same text to him, so unless Chad replied to her separately, any text he sent back would come to him as well. But what if Chad did text her back separately? How would Dustin ever know? Maybe he should text her back now before Chad had a chance to do so first?
This is insane. Dustin shook his head, disgusted with his train of thought. He might as well be back in middle school watching girls pass notes back and forth in class and wondering if they were about him. He was acting like a damn fool.
When Chad had first called to ask if they could talk, Dustin had nearly whooped for joy. That was exactly what they needed to do. Now, he wasn’t so sure that he could handle it. If a simple text message sent him into a spiraling drama about who might answer her first, how the hell would he react when confronted with a room full of sex toys and an endless day stretched out before the three of them?
How did Adison and Noah handle this with Kari? How did Chase and Luke keep from killing each other over their time with Alexa? And Maddox McCree was sharing Julie Carruthers as a sub with Sean Brennan. That was the big one, right there. The grand ménage of all ménages that Dustin would never in a million years have believed could work. Right now, Dustin wished he’d kept up his friendship with Maddox after Susan had left Racy with Todd. He could use some firsthand perspective on this, especially from Maddox.
He paced his tiny office until three-thirty, and then stuck a hand-printed sign on the door asking people to call his cell only if they had a true emergency. It was an unusual thing for him to do, but these were unusual circumstances. The residents of Racy would just have to deal with it today.
He walked into Nan’s Place, waved at everyone he knew, and tried to not picture the entire town passing by as he’d sat on the stoop of Annalise’s apartment building last night. He didn’t want to think about how many people might have seen him and Chad exit her building early this morning. He tried to imagine the gossip that would surround such events, but had to stop the thoughts because they were crossing the line into absurd.
“Early dinner or late lunch?” Emma gave him a big smile, as usual.
“Neither. I’m picking up food to go for two.”
“Oh? Hot date?”
Dustin winced inwardly as Emma laughed at her own joke. He forced a smile to his face. “Chad and I are planning our world takeover, and we want some privacy while we do so.”
Emma chuckled and shook her head as she walked away to give his order to her cook. Dustin was grateful that she had enough common sense to accept his attempt at humor without asking more questions. He sat at the counter and drank a glass of water while he waited for the food, trying not to guess what Chad might say to him when he showed up.
Annalise would be at work by now, and he wondered if she was thinking about both of them, or whether she was upset that he hadn’t yet texted her back. He didn’t want her thinking he wasn’t interested in spending an entire day with her. He wanted to spend every day with her, and every night. He hadn’t wanted to be with a woman this much since he and Susan had first met.
That realization had him gulping the rest of his water and glancing around for Emma, hoping like hell his order would be ready soon. He needed to get out of here. The air was suddenly hot and stifling.
Emma finally brought his food and he couldn’t pay her and get out the door quickly enough. Once he was safely in his apartment above the clinic, he opened a bottle of rum and mixed himself a drink. The last time he’d had a drink at four in the afternoon had been when his divorce had become finalized, but this seemed like as good an occasion as any. How the hell was he going to do this?
Chapter Thirteen
Chad sipped the drink Dustin made him and wolfed down the cheeseburger and onion rings. He was getting too old to eat this shit every day, but he loved the taste of it. And right now, it wouldn’t matter if Dustin had brought cardboard back from Nan’s Place. Chad would have eaten it. Anything to postpone talking about this.
They’d engaged in chitchat about nothing while finishing their meals, and Chad was on his second drink. Dustin had downed two rum and Cokes since Chad had arrived twenty minutes earlier. He wondered how drunk Dustin would have to be before they started talking about Annalise. Chad leaned back in his chair and crossed one ankle over the opposite knee. He’d been the one to initiate this meeting, so he supposed it was up to him to get things started.
“We need to talk, Dustin. What are we going to do about this? How do we handle it?”
Dustin finished his drink and closed his eyes for a second. The man looked exhausted. Had he slept at all last night? “I think it’s safe to assume neither one of is going to just back off.”
“Safe assumption.”
“Then we have to share her. Seems to me she won’t mind that.” Dustin opened one eye. “Did you text her back?”
“Did you?”
“No.”
Chad breathed a sigh of relief. “Me either. But that brings us right back to where we started. I’m not going to lie to you, Dustin. It was difficult watching you make love to her. I don’t seem to be as…um…as open to that as I know you are.”
“I know. But maybe if we both just concentrate on making Annalise happy, we’ll be able to handle it. I don’t know, Chad. I don’t know what the answer is. I’m not sure there is one, at least not a sane one.”
Chad nodded and finished his drink. He considered getting another one, but he didn’t want to get drunk. He wanted to figure this out. “I have no frame of reference here. I’ve never been in a situation like this before.”
“I know you haven’t. Hell, you’ve barely dated. You live like a monk in that big rambling house. Even after all these years I don’t understand how you can live there. The memories must constantly haunt you.”
Chad scanned Dustin’s face. He was being sincere. Dustin didn’t bring up Chad’s past very often, and Chad knew he was only doing it now because he’d probably had one too many drinks. “If I haven’t exorcised the ghosts by now, I never will.”
Dustin took their plates into the kitchen, and Chad listened to him fixing another drink. When he returned, he took his seat again. How many had he had so far? His eyes were bloodshot. Chad hadn’t seen him look like that in over ten years. “Don’t you think you should slow down a bit?”
“Last one.” Dustin raised his glass and took a large sip. “All right. Forget your house for now. Let’s talk about your lack of a dating life. You’re a hermit.”
Chad bit his lip to stop the smile. Dustin ha
dn’t dated anyone since his divorce, as far as Chad knew. He had no room to talk. “Well, I’m not anymore. And you haven’t exactly been burning up your bed sheets, Dustin. At least, not until you met Annalise.”
Dustin’s eyes grew wide as if he’d just realized they both were in the same situation. Now he knew Dustin was drunk. Chad put down his own glass and leaned forward, choosing his words carefully. “Look, I’m your best friend and I don’t want to do anything to hurt you. It’s either the worst luck in the world or fate that we both finally decided to take a chance on a woman after all these years, and it happened to be the same woman.”
Dustin placed his glass on the coffee table and leaned back in his chair, his eyes more focused now.
“The way I see it, Dustin, is that we only have two choices. Walk away—both of us—or give her what she wants and see where it leads us.”
“This is what she wants, isn’t it?”
“Well, I’m not sure it started out that way, but it seems to be what she wants now. I think the text she sent both of us proves that, don’t you?”
Dustin sat forward and put his head in his hands. “I wish I could talk to someone about it. Just to hear how they handled it.”
“Like who?”
“Any of them. Noah, Adison, Chase, or Luke. I’d even be comfortable talking to Sean or Maddox, although I’m not sure if Maddox would give a shit.”
Chad hadn’t considered that before. It was a sound idea and a logical one. Get some advice straight from the men who had gone through this doubt and confusion and came out the other side. “Have you talked to Maddox at all since your divorce?”
Dustin shook his head. “Only if I happen to see him in town, and then it’s a quick hello.”
“He knows you don’t blame him for what happened, Dustin. You know that, right?”
“I know it. It’s just awkward now because so much time has passed.”
“Well, I can certainly talk to Sean. Maybe he’d talk to both of us? Want me to ask him?”
“Would you?”
This time Chad did laugh. He couldn’t help it. The look on Dustin’s face was nothing short of awe. “Calm down, dude. Yes, I’ll talk to him. Right now let’s each text Annalise and let her know Thursday is a go. That is, if you can tear yourself away from this clinic for one day.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. I need some help here. I do too much on my own. It never mattered before, but it does now. I actually felt guilty putting that sign on the door downstairs before I went to get this food.”
“So hire someone.”
“I’m working on it. I have some contacts through the Alumni Association, but it’ll take time.”
“Okay, but on Thursday you’ll have to put a sign on the door again. And I can trade shifts with Sean for that day. I’m sure he won’t mind, especially when I tell him why.” Chad took out his cell. “I’ll call him right now. And then we’re going to text Annalise before she thinks neither of us wants to see her again.”
* * * *
Annalise asked to meet Chad and Dustin at Tye Me Up instead of having one of them pick her up only because she wanted to start Thursday with a clean slate, showing no favoritism toward either man. They’d both texted her in reply to the group text she’d sent Tuesday morning, indicating they’d love to spend this day with her. Then they each texted her separately, offering to drive her to Tye Me Up.
She knew they had talked with each other since leaving her apartment Tuesday morning because she overheard Marisol Santiago gossiping with Ria at work last night. Apparently Marisol and Ria had been in Nan’s Place Tuesday afternoon when Dustin came in and bought food, and they’d overheard him say something to Emma about him and Chad plotting to take over the world and wanting some privacy. Annalise had laughed when she’d heard it, because she could actually picture Dustin saying that, and also because she’d been so relieved to know the two were obviously still on speaking terms.
By meeting them here at Kari and Alexa’s shop instead of choosing one over the other to drive her, they’d start fresh with both men on equal footing. She got out of the car and admired the house from the end of the driveway.
Kari had moved back home to Racy in July, bringing Alexa with her from Manhattan. Now, almost a year later, she and Alexa had transformed a century-old home that had been scheduled for demolition into a treasure. Alexa now lived upstairs with Luke and Chase, and Kari had since moved into Noah’s condo ten minutes away, along with Adison.
Annalise glanced down Lawnview Drive but didn’t see Dustin’s car or Chad’s truck yet, so she strolled up the front steps and into the shop. She’d never been in it before but had heard so much about it from the guys and others in the bar that the inside felt familiar already.
The mahogany floor and countertop gleamed like someone had just polished both. Soft dance music pulsed in the background, and the shop had been painted in bright, inviting neon colors of purple, turquoise, lime, and bright pink. Every imaginable toy and sex aid lined the shelves and hooks. One room off to the left contained what appeared to be clothing, and Annalise spotted another alcove lined with shelves of DVDs and Blu-rays. They’d thought of everything.
“Annalise, how are you?” Kari walked over, her curly hair wild and hanging loose. Annalise always loved the way Kari dressed. Today she was in a tight gray henley that showed off her curves and a long, flowered skirt. Her trademark boots clacked on the wooden floor as she walked.
“I’m great, Kari. How are you?”
“Fabulous. Business is good and life is better.”
To say Kari glowed was an understatement. A quick flash of jealousy shot through her. Annalise wanted what Kari had with her Doms. She missed the closeness of a relationship with a man, and she wondered if there would ever be any way she could have that bond with Chad or Dustin, or both.
“What can I do for you today?”
“Well, actually I’m meeting Chad and Dustin here.”
If Kari was surprised it didn’t show. Her face remained neutral. “Oh, okay. Well, feel free to look around until they get here, and if you have any questions let me know. Alexa and I can order anything you don’t see here, so just ask.”
Annalise didn’t have to wait long. She heard the bell on the door clang and turned around from the display of floggers she was drooling over to smile at Chad and Dustin, who had just arrived together. They exchanged a glance and then walked toward her.
Every nerve ending was on fire. She hadn’t seen them since early Tuesday morning, and any doubt she’d had about whether or not she wanted to spend the day with both of them faded before they reached her.
Dustin’s dark eyes were full of lust and humor as his gaze roamed first over her, and then over the floggers on the wall. “Have you picked one out yet?”
Annalise drew in a sharp breath as his scent washed over her. She couldn’t even think straight when she looked into his eyes. What would it be like to have him use one of these on her? “Not yet. Do you think color matters?”
“Not a bit,” said Chad, massaging her shoulders as his gaze roamed down to her cleavage. She’d worn this top on purpose. The draped neckline showed off her assets, but it was casual enough to pair with jeans and boots. She’d considered wearing a skirt, but it was still a bit chilly out and so she’d compromised by wearing the sexiest bra and panties she owned.
“Well then, which one should I choose?” Chad’s blue eyes shone with happiness and lust, and Annalise suddenly realized both guys had missed her as much as she’d missed them. This was really going to happen. They were going to choose sex toys from this shop and then spend the day together. How had the guys managed to come together like this? Had they talked since Tuesday morning? Should she ask, or should she just go with it and see what happened?
Chad picked up a red and black leather flogger with thin straps. “This one would sting a lot whereas one with thicker strips would feel more like bricks hitting your ass.”
Annalise laughed out lou
d at his description, glancing around to see if anyone else had heard him. A woman Annalise didn’t recognize walked in and strolled over to talk to Kari. Movement caught Annalise’s eye and she turned to watch Alexa descend the sweeping staircase, laughing on the arms of Luke and Chase.
Another wave of jealousy coursed through her body. She knew more about the relationship Luke and Chase had with Alexa than she knew about Kari’s with Noah and Adison, only because Luke talked about Alexa so much. To say the man was totally smitten was a gross understatement.
Alexa was so damn pretty that it was difficult not to watch her. Her long blonde hair bounced as she walked, and her eyes were a deep shade of blue, similar to Chad’s. She smiled warmly as she spotted Annalise, and came bounding down the rest of the stairs. “Hey there. It’s so good to see you three in here. Do you need help picking out a flogger?”
Annalise was always amazed by the openness of the residents of this town that were in the lifestyle. She’d expected Racy to be straitlaced and conservative, and in many respects it was, but when it came to discussing sex toys and Maddox’s club, no one hid behind their hands or spoke in whispers. Then again, they were standing in a sex shop.
“Annalise wondered if color mattered,” said Chad, winking at her.
“Oh no, not a bit,” said Alexa. “But the thickness of the straps does, and so does the material they’re made from. These are all leather, but we can order other materials if you have something special in mind. We carry these because they’re relatively inexpensive, but they still get the job done.”
Alexa gave them a ten-minute discourse on materials used to make floggers, whips, riding crops, and paddles, and the subtle differences each could produce. By the time she finished, Annalise’s pussy was soaked from imagining Chad and Dustin using each of the toys she described on her, and she wondered if they could just buy one of each thing that Alexa and Kari had in the shop.