“You’d do the same for me.”
“Except you don’t fall into debilitating spirals of doubt.”
“But I am an inconsiderate dick sometimes, and you tend to be pretty reasonable, as long as I don’t push my luck.”
“I love you.” She hadn’t missed when he said it earlier. “I never stopped, and I don’t ever want to.”
He smiled that stunning, heart-stopping smile she adored so much. “I’m going to try not to give you any reasons to change your mind.”
“I’m not giving up Dylan, though.” She didn’t want to bring it up now, but it needed to be out there.
Josh shrugged. “Me either. Since that seems to be an all-around sort of consensus, we’re good. Hell, I’d say we’re pretty wonderful.”
With each moment that passed, she felt better. She led Josh to the couch and snuggled into his arms. This was comfortable and right and something she’d missed terribly. She was happy to stay here, curled up against him, feeling him run his fingers through her hair.
When the door opened a short while later, she didn’t stir.
“Can I get in on that?” Dylan asked.
Sydney was great with that. “Of course.”
He planted a kiss on her lips, and then Josh’s, before dropping next to Josh. He tugged Sydney so she was lying across both their laps.
It was just awkward enough to make her giggle. That felt good. She tried to make it work, but gave up quickly. “I appreciate the sentiment, but nope. Not comfortable.”
“We’ll figure it out.” Dylan spoke with so much confidence, she didn’t question him.
She wanted to cuddle longer and maybe more. However, an edge of doubt lingered. She didn’t want sex to become a way to mask her insecurities. That, and she wanted to find out what happened today with her contract.
“We should get to work.” It took more effort than she expected, to say the words.
“All right.” Dylan sounded as reluctant as she felt. They untangled themselves, and he grabbed the bags he’d brought back. He set one laptop next to Josh and shouldered the other one.
He set up in the kitchen and flipped his computer open. “Wi-Fi password?”
“You’re asking me to make a big commitment with that,” Sydney teased.
“I know. And I’m cocky enough to believe we’ve reached that stage in our relationship.”
Sydney grinned. “I’m good with that.” She gave him the login info.
“I don’t get it,” he said, as he studied his screen.
“There’s nothing to get. It’s a random mishmash of letters and numbers.”
“So weird. I love it.”
With him at the kitchen table, screen facing away from them, Josh and Sydney set up in the living room. It kept them all within view of each other and let Dylan hide sensitive information.
Dylan was certain about what they’d find, but Sydney had her doubts. If something like this was happening on a wide scale, someone would have uncovered it already.
She searched anyway. First for Aaron Jorgensen. Which, thanks to the Internet assuming she misspelled something instead of wanting exactly what she’d typed, returned pages of personal listings, social media accounts, everything—for anyone whose initials were A.J.
“Clients next,” Josh said.
They used the list that was public on the firm website, to make sure he wasn’t violating any NDA’s. Those were the bigger-name companies anyway—the businesses more likely to have dozens of dealings, and several of them with smaller groups.
Sydney felt frustration sinking in. Everything out there was standard complaint stuff. A massive corporation pissed off a little guy as part of their business model, and the little guy was going to tell the world.
She wanted to reach out to every single one of the people who’d written the blog posts and social media posts, and tell them, Me too. I feel you.
And then she hit something that sounded suspiciously like her situation. A person who swore they’d read the entire contract, and when they signed, it wasn’t the same.
Then there was another example, and another.
Josh fed the names to Dylan, who used them to focus his search.
It was dangerous, but Sydney felt a spark of hope glowing inside. “What does this mean for me? I might get my game back if this is happening, right?” She felt giddy, speaking the words.
Josh and Dylan’s winces mirrored each other.
That was a bad sign.
“Best case scenario, you have your game back tomorrow.” Josh’s voice was strained. “We call Aaron and the publisher on this, and they say, Our bad. Let’s cancel that whole deal. It’s doubtful they’ll still go through with the original terms, but they may.”
Her heart sank. “What are the realistic scenarios?”
“Looking at the publisher records, this isn’t the first time they've done this,” Dylan said. “They’ll deny any claim you make. And this will be tied up in court for months.”
She could put pieces together from there. “So I can’t touch the money, because if lose, I won’t get to keep it, and I can’t sell my game, because the rights are currently in question.”
The downward spiral was rushing back, full force, squeezing like a fist around her lungs and stealing her rationale.
Dylan frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“We’re here for you, however you need us.” Josh rested a hand on her thigh.
“I need to not lose the only source of income I have.” She needed to not freak out again, but she might not be able to control that any more than the rest of this.
“Hey.” Josh kissed her. “We’ll figure it out.” His touch silenced some of the voices, but it wasn’t a solution.
“We’ll take this back to Laurie and see if she’s willing to discuss things,” Dylan said.
Sydney didn’t like that plan. “What are the odds she’ll hear you out?”
“We can proceed with or without her. Dylan and I can file the complaint against Aaron. Her life will be easier if she listens and acts appropriately.”
Sydney wasn’t assured. Laurie obviously had a different definition of professionally appropriate than Sydney did. “And if she doesn’t see things that way?”
Josh’s laugh was strained. “Then she’s almost prophetic. She told me you would ruin my career. Not listening to you—to us—could destroy her firm.”
“She said that about me?” The ache in Sydney’s chest grew. Everything they were doing was supposed to help, but she was feeling shittier and more helpless with each passing moment.
Josh cupped her cheek and held her gaze. “I told you, I choose you.”
“Which is why you quit, which means she was right about me.” Sydney clenched her jaw. She didn’t want to cry. “I don’t want to ruin anyone’s career. Except the assholes’ who screwed me over. I just wanted more of your time.”
“I know.” He stroked his thumb along her jaw. “This was my decision, not yours. You can’t take the blame for it.”
Experience said she could, and she would, but Josh made his argument sound so logical...
“I sent Laurie an email.” Dylan’s tone was kind. “I copied her assistant and asked to get on her calendar tomorrow morning. All of us. I made sure to tell her it was critical.”
All of us. That terrified Sydney. At least the fear pushed her clawing doubt aside. “I’m not going to be able to sit still until then.”
“Fucking is a good outlet for unspent energy,” Dylan said playfully.
She appreciated his levity. She must not be as far down in the pit as she feared. “For the next sixteen hours?”
“Of course not.” Dylan shook his head. “We’ll need some sleep, and to shower before the meeting. Though, with that shower of yours...”
And she was smiling again. “I’m going to need a little more seduction and foreplay. And I still need answers about what I’ll do if I can’t have my game back.”
“Make a new one,” Josh said. He of
all people knew that wasn’t so easy.
“I signed away a lot of my intellectual property in that contract.”
Josh shrugged. “But not all of it. There are things they can’t touch, and you happen to be tight with the guys who can tell you what those things are.”
“It’s still not as simple as make a new game.” She hated to point out the obvious. Mostly because his idea was a nice fantasy, and she’d rather sink into it.
“But you have concepts.” Enthusiasm bled into Josh’s voice. “Dozens of them, and a lot of them are solid enough to grab and build on.”
She loved that he remembered that. “I don’t know how objectively good any of them are.”
“Fortunately for you, you have a test audience.” Dylan closed his laptop and joined them in the living room.
“You’re so biased,” she said.
He settled on her other side from Josh. “I’m glad you know that. We also want you to succeed. Tell us what you have, and let’s make this work.”
She twisted so she was half-leaning on Dylan, and Josh tugged her legs up, to drape over his. This worked much better than what they tried earlier.
For the next several hours, they bounced around a huge swath of ideas. Sydney wrote everything down. They’d build off a tangent, and then loop back to a previous idea. From fractured thoughts, a discernible image began to emerge.
Sydney found herself laughing more than not. It was easy to fall into this. The entire setting felt natural. How had she gone without this kind of support for so long?
“What about a sex game?” She tossed the idea out. It wasn’t a real suggestion, but things were getting silly.
Josh raised an eyebrow. “Like those dice they sell?”
“But more intimate.”
Dylan scrunched his face up. “It won’t work with just two people, if it’s DM driven.”
She loved that he was thinking along those lines. “We have three people.”
“Do I get to roll the dice, to see if I can enter your love tunnel?” Josh asked.
She winced at the bad phrasing, but she couldn’t stop laughing. “With your spear of penetration?”
Dylan gave an exaggerated cough. “You two are horrible. It’s obviously a pleasure cave.”
“I don’t know...” Sydney tried to look serious for half a breath, and failed. “Your barbarian strolls through my pleasure cave, doesn’t sound quite right.”
Dylan drew his fingertips lightly up her arm, to caress her neck. “Because you’re putting too much thought into it.” His voice dropped an octave. “I think it sounds incredible.”
She could argue, but she didn’t want to. His touch sent too many delicious thoughts racing through her head.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Josh was surprised when Sydney pressed a finger to his lips, and pushed him back from kissing her. He quirked an eyebrow in question.
She was smiling though. That delicious, mischievous smile that had earned the nickname Tink all those years ago. She looked like a playful fairy waiting to stir up trouble and fun. “If I’m the DM, this is my story.”
“So, is that a no on the love tunnel?” Josh asked.
“It’s not. But I want something else, first.”
“Like what?” Dylan looked as curious as Josh felt.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love being on display, but I figure there’s got to be something to watching, too.” Sydney snapped her fingers. “So... get to it.”
Josh stared at her in disbelief. “I’m sorry, what?” He finished the question with a laugh.
She waved her hand. “I want to see you two be all sexy and stuff.”
“Sexy and stuff. Is that the clinical term?” Dylan untangled himself from the three person pile and stood.
Josh needed to put a little more thought into it. “Not that I ever would argue about fucking Dylan—sorry, getting sexy and stuff—but I’ve really got you on my mind, Tink.”
She ducked her head, but couldn’t hide her flush. “Then I guess you have to get creative about how you use your spear of penetration.”
Josh could do creativity. He stood, gripped Dylan’s shirt in his fist, and kissed him hard.
Dylan pressed back with enthusiasm, biting Josh’s bottom lip, and holding his head captive.
Sydney’s breathy gasp was the perfect accompanying music. Josh could see why she liked this being watched thing. At least, with the right audience.
As he deepened the kiss, need snaked along his skin, and chased away the lingering shadows of stress. He raked his nails down Dylan’s chest, and received a low groan in return, that hummed against his mouth.
He loved having Sydney back in his life, but just as much, he adored that things were right with Dylan again. Better than right. The way they should be.
Dylan cupped Josh’s semi-erect cock through his jeans. He stroked, and Josh hardened under his touch.
Some days, Josh was up for long make-out sessions. He could swap gropes and slide into mutual masturbation, and enjoy every drawn-out moment.
Right now, too much desire flooded his senses. He wanted to be immersed in everything at once.
Josh undid Dylan’s pants as he knelt in front of his boyfriend—fuck he liked the sound of that. He worked Dylan free, drawing another delicious groan. When Josh licked along the head of Dylan’s cock, he bucked against Josh’s touch.
Josh’s dick strained against his zipper, begging to be free. He needed release, but it would wait.
He took Dylan in his mouth. Layers of pleasure overlapped, from being responsible for Dylan’s moans, and because he could almost feel the touch of lips on his own skin.
He wrapped his fist around the base of Dylan’s shaft, pumping in time to the thrust of hips against his face. He flicked his tongue out every few seconds.
As Dylan’s thrusts became more insistent, Josh responded with increased enthusiasm.
Dylan gripped the short strands of Josh’s hair tight. He fucked without hesitation. He was lost in the pleasure, Josh could tell from his grunts and lack of abandon.
Josh stroked Dylan’s sack. Dylan wouldn’t last much longer.
Dylan tightened his hold on Josh’s hair. Yanking. Pulling. He thrust hard, and a salty spray hit the back of Josh’s throat.
Josh continued to lick and suck, until Dylan slowed. He eased up and pulled back, licking Dylan clean as he pulled away.
Dylan pulled him to his feet, still holding his head, and kissed him hungrily. Driving their tongues together. Molding their bodies into each other.
They finally broke apart. “How is that always incredible?” Josh asked.
Dylan chuckled. “Pretty sure that’s my line.”
“Was that what you were hoping for?” Josh turned to Sydney, who watched them with hungry eyes, her shirt pushed up above her breasts.
She licked her lips. “So much better than. I think we’ve got a lot of experimenting to do.”
“Good thing we’ve got time.” He and Dylan knelt on either side of her. Josh claimed her mouth, and Dylan lowered his head to her breast.
Sydney’s whimper was delicious torture to Josh’s already aching cock. He glided his hand down her stomach, under the waistband of her sweats. He nibbled her lips and dipped under her panties.
She was slick and wet when he slid between her folds.
“You didn’t take care of this while you watched?” he murmured against her lips.
“I was holding out for something to do with a spear of penetration, and a pleasure cave.”
Fuck, he loved this woman so much. “I remembered the condoms this time.”
“No.” She kissed him again. “You don’t need to. Neither of you.”
They’d had that in their relationship before. Both of them were clean, and she was religious about taking her birth control.
And Josh knew what kind of trust she was offering up in making the decision again.
Josh wasn’t sure how they managed it, but her sweats and his jeans ca
me off, while he and Dylan continued to cover Sydney with kisses.
She straddled his legs, and her gaze met his.
“You’re so amazingly beautiful.” He stroked her cheek.
She tried to look away, but he held her chin up, needing to see her eyes. “You’re just saying that because you’re getting laid.”
“No.” It was true, that feeling of being a third wheel was gone. But as long as he had Sydney in his life, he’d make whatever concessions he had to. “I’m saying it because it’s true. You’re beautiful and brilliant and loving and everything incredible.”
She kissed him in response, devouring his mouth. He poured every bit of love he had into returning the feeling.
When she lowered herself onto his cock, he groaned and dug his fingers into her thighs. Feeling her wrapped around him, warm and tight... this was more than sex. He’d spent so many nights building up what they’d had to this impossible pinnacle.
And this moment was nothing like what he’d imagined. It was better. More pure and complete. It was perfect.
SYDNEY WAS DROWNING in attention, in the best possible way. Dylan kneaded her breasts and sucked on her nipples. Josh slid inside her, rocking slowly. She didn’t know where to turn. There was so much to taste and feel.
Josh pulled her face to his for another desperate kiss. It was like he couldn’t get enough of her lips, and she was good with that. While he devoured her, Dylan nibbled on her ear, and dragged his fingers up her spine.
He broke the kiss to crush his mouth to Josh’s. The sight, and the adoration that flowed between them, sent a spike of desire that tugged in her heart and pulsed between her legs.
Dylan turned back to her, nipping her lips before licking a path back down to her chest.
He slid his fingers around her clit, and she moaned at the new intensity that surged inside. He stroked her swollen button, and scraped his teeth over her nipple.
His touch, combined with the steady thrust of Josh inside her, sent her reeling toward climax. She tumbled into orgasm without warning, gasping at the onslaught of everything.
She didn’t know if she wanted to squirm away, or take more, until it was too much.
Roll Against Betrayal Page 16