by Ann Grech
Katy wrapped her arms around Levi and kissed him soundly. “That’s so sweet, thank you.”
“Anytime, sugar.” Levi motioned to the bags Con dropped on the couch. “What’s in there?”
“A few treats.” She was being coy, but she didn’t want to ruin the surprise.
“Urgh, fine.” He pouted, letting her go. “Go relax. Con and I are cooking. Hope you feel like a barbie.” With a finger under her chin, he tilted up her face and kissed her softly, his lips lingering on hers.
She cupped his face and leaned in close. “Love you, babe.”
“Love you too. Now go. Outta my kitchen.”
Katy laughed. It was anything but Levi’s kitchen. He could cook two things—barbecued snags and toast—and usually both were burnt. She slapped his butt playfully and ducked out of his reach before he could tickle her. Picking up her bags from the couch she poked her tongue out at him and ran out of the room, avoiding Con’s outstretched arm.
He followed her into her bedroom. Standing there, leaning on the doorframe he looked effortlessly sexy. Katy’s heart flip-flopped and took a nosedive when she thought of him being with Miranda.
“I got a message back from Addy, my friend. She said she’d be happy to come over.” At Katy’s blank stare, he continued, looking sheepish, “Adelaide, the one with the toys.”
“Oh, really?” Katy was stunned. “Okay, um... now what?”
“Call her up.” He handed her a black business card with The Warehouse printed on one side of it in silver block lettering. On the other was a mobile number. “She’s free on Saturday night. Give her your address and she’ll come over.” He shrugged. “Other than that, be honest about what you want to experience. Let her help you choose. It’s what she does.” She’d looked at Adelaide’s website with the login details Connor had given her a few days earlier. Her range of toys on the public part of her website was only the tip of the iceberg. She held private tutorials on their use, which were perfect for inexperienced users like herself. Adelaide did couples coaching too—some with physical disabilities, others with relationship problems and some who just wanted to explore a kink in a safe environment. One of the kinks she’d found information on was threesomes. And by the looks of it, they were one of Adelaide’s specialist areas. The images were graphic, but inspiring. Katy had spent hours analyzing every one, imagining exactly how her, Levi, and Con could fit together like the trios in the pictures. Katy would love to speak with Adelaide about the possibility, but she was clueless on how to raise it with her boyfriend.
At least she knew that Adelaide could help if they ever decided to explore that option. In nearly all of the images on her website, she was in the room, observing the couple or trio, guiding and praising them. She and Levi already had a pretty damn amazing sex life, but… what if?
“What about you?” she asked hesitantly. She wasn’t really sure whether she was asking Con to go out or stay. She wanted him there, wanted him to be a part of them, but...
“What about me?” Con asked, confused. “I’ll go out,” he said as if it were a no-brainer. “I wouldn’t want to cramp your style with me being in the other room.”
The fact that he’d spoken to his friend suggested something so out of the box in the first place and had done it all for them, made Katy’s heart expand. But there was a tinge of disappointment too, knowing it was another thing Con wouldn’t be a part of. Not that Levi would go for that. She was sure that her growing feelings for Con were as transparent as glass to Levi. There was no way he hadn’t figured out that she was falling in love with him. He had quickly become as dear to Katy as Levi was. Her love for Levi hadn’t lessened—he was the love of her life and always would be, but she couldn’t deny it anymore. If she was truthful, she’d always wanted him. Katy was attracted to both of them the minute she’d met them. Years ago, she’d thought it was mutual—she’d seen Con staring at her and had mistaken it for desire. It was so intense, so raw that his stare had taken her breath away. But then he’d looked at Levi the same way. And Con was as straight as an arrow. There was no way that look he’d cast their way was desire. It couldn’t have been. And then he’d left, and her heart had broken. A piece of her soul went with him to the Middle East, but now that he was back, she couldn’t help but hope. Of course, she had no idea what she was hopeful of, but as long as it involved Con in their lives, she’d be happy.
“I’ll probably have a gig anyway,” Con said jarring her back into the present.
“Wait, what? A gig?” He filled her in on his impromptu concert at breakfast that morning and how after speaking with the owner, he’d lined up a trial which, if he could pull it off, would possibly turn into a few gigs a week. Katy squealed and jumped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist. Levi jogged in withconcern on his face.
“What’s going on?”
“Connor’s new job.” She couldn’t help the excitement in her voice.
“What new job?” He looked between them, confused.
“You didn’t tell him?” she asked incredulously, squeezing Con tighter. She could smell his aftershave, feel the ripple of lean muscle along his chest as he tucked her under his arm, holding her close. She patted his stomach and added, “He’s auditioning to play at a few pubs and cafes between here and Byron. Isn’t that fantastic?”
“Dude, that’s great.” Levi stepped close and wrapped an arm around Con. The other one found her, pressing against the small of her back. Being enveloped in their arms, their strong embrace protective and loving, Katy was at home. All the pieces clicked into place. She wanted both of them. Would Levi be enough? Always. But with Con, that missing piece, the extra part of them which had been torn away when he’d left, leaving a gaping chasm in their hearts, slotted back into place. She pulled back, extracting herself from the midst of the hug to watch the two of them together, and damn.
Seeing them together, in something as simple as an embrace, had Katy wishing they were into each other—the three of them could be together then. Imagining Levi’s familiar bulky shoulders and sculpted chest sliding against Con’s leaner one, their bodies aligned and their tongues tangling as they kissed, they would be beautiful—like two caged wild animals, ferocious yet graceful in the most primal of ways. They could help each other too—Levi’s passion would show Con how much he was loved, and Con would encourage Levi not to focus so much on living every second of life as the perfect Boy Scout. The morals clause in his contract with the studio had him second guessing so many of his actions that Katy wondered sometimes whether he needed the rush from the work he did to feel alive. But would they be happy? The two men had been friends since they were five. They’d grown up together. They’d shared everything. After Con’s deadbeat dad had gone and got himself killed, Con had even lived with Levi’s family. They were closer than brothers—best friends forever, minus the tackiness. If they found each other, if they fell in love, why would they need her? They wouldn’t need or want her. She’d be in the way and would lose both of them. As the realization hit, Katy dropped her arms and stumbled back. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Their being together was a pipedream, one of those ridiculous notions that would never happen. She had to repeat the mantra to herself. The thought of losing the love of her life and her best friend to each other would be too painful to bear.
“When’s your first gig?” Levi asked.
“Thursday night.” He looked nervous. It was endearing when he shrugged his shoulder and flashed a sheepish smile her way. “Wanna come?”
“Are you kidding? We wouldn’t miss it.” Levi paused and asked quietly, “Will Miranda be there?”
“I dunno. Do you want her there?” The question was directed at both of them. She hated watching Miranda falling for Connor, but she couldn’t—no wouldn’t—stand in the way of his happiness. If he wanted her there, she had to encourage him.
“Sure, I don’t mind.” She was sure they’d pick up on the hollowness of her tone.
“Okay.” Con no
dded, but the look on his face—the resigned pull of his mouth, his lacklustre eyes—said it all. He wasn’t happy. Would it be too much to hope for him not to invite her along? “I’ll think about it. I dunno whether it’s a good idea for her to be there when I’m tryin’ to get the job.”
FOUR
Levi
C onnor’s fingers worked the guitar as if he were caressing a lover. His voice, like warm caramel, curled around them and created an intimate little bubble where it wasn’t hard to imagine that he was singing just to him and Katy. Swaying to Connor’s voice, Levi held Katy close on the dancefloor of the pub. It overlooked the river, a giant Bali hut with a bar at one end and a stage at the other. High tables surrounded this area, the picnic tables spread further out on the grassy slope went almost all the way down to the water. A breeze wafted through, the smell of rain in the air. Dim lighting in the gardens created shadows in the high palms, and the small spotlight on Connor had everyone’s focus on him.
Levi closed his eyes and ran his fingers through Katy’s long silky hair. She smelled of vanilla and chocolate, his favourite scent. Her warm skin was baby soft against his palm and her curves tempted him. He wanted to lay her down and make love to her right there on the stage next to Connor.
“This is my last song for the night. It’s a smooth one so grab the hand of your guy or girl and love ‘em.” Connor smiled and began strumming the opening chords for Sam Smith and John Legend’s “Lay Me Down.” Looking directly at them, Connor sang about missing a lover and being heartbroken. Part way through, he paused and reached out for Katy, pulling her up on stage with him. Levi let her go, but when Connor motioned for him to get up too, Levi smiled. Hardly missing a breath, Connor kept singing and shifted his gaze to Levi. His heart stuttered. Is he singing to me too? It’s a love song. Part of him hoped so. But mates didn’t sing each other love songs, did they? Confusion reigned supreme in his head, so Levi just let it go. It was easier not to think about it, easier to just live in the moment.
When Connor finished singing, he leaned in and kissed Katy softly on her lips. Seeing it was like a shot of lust-fuelled adrenaline straight to his bloodstream. He struggled to breathe through the instant haze of desire filling every pore in his body. Instead of pulling away, Con reached out, his firm touch on Levi’s shoulder drawing him in. In Connor’s embrace, Levi held him just as tight, the other man’s breath tickling Levi’s throat. He’d never had the urge to before, but he did then—he desperately wanted to kiss Connor. He wanted to haul the other man against his body and crush their lips together, to taste him, to caress him. Goddamn it, I can’t do this. What am I thinking? What the hell would Katy think if I did that? I can’t hurt her like that. Con kissing her is different—it’s hot, but she’d probably think that he and Connor making out was a total turnoff.
Connor pulled into the drive and lifted Katy into his arms. Drunk, she’d fallen asleep curled around Levi in the back seat. He was going to hurt the next day—his head, his gut—Levi groaned already feeling it. He watched Katy wrap her arms around Con’s neck, resting her head against his shoulder still asleep. Before he fell asleep himself, he dragged his arse from the back of the car and staggered after his friend. Levi fumbled the keys when he tried to open the front door; he was distracted. Katy had nuzzled her face into the crook of Connor’s neck and was licking and kissing him there, sucking on the sensitive skin above his collarbone. He should have been jealous, annoyed that his girlfriend was kissing another man—logically he knew that—but he was glued to the sight of his best friend’s eyes rolling back in his head. The gravelly moan that rumbled out of Con was doing things to Levi he didn’t want to admit. His cock straining against the zipper of his jeans, salivating over the beautiful woman in his best friend’s arms. Levi had to get Katy naked. Knowing she was the one making Connor moan like a man desperate for release had every possessive instinct rearing its head in him. But in the opposite way to what logic would have dictated he should react—he wasn’t jealous, wasn’t wanting her to stop. He wanted her to keep going, to give Connor what he needed. How screwed up is that?
By the time Levi stumbled into the bedroom, Con had already laid Katy down and taken off her four-inch heels. Still wearing her dark, low-cut skinny jeans and a silver top that was all tiny straps and low-cut necklines, she was stunning—all curvy and luscious. Levi licked his lips. Burying himself inside her until she was blissed out sounded perfect right about then.
Katy lifted her arm and covered her face blocking the light spilling in from the hall, rubbing her legs together as she did.
“What’s up, sugar?” Levi asked. “You feeling okay?”
“No,” she whined. “I’m fucking horny. I need you inside me, Lee. Con, tell him—he needs to.”
“You heard the lady, Lee. Hope you’re up for it.” Connor turned away, and Levi reached out but let his hand fall away before he could grasp onto his friend. Instinct screamed at him to draw him close, to comfort him, to tell him… what? He wasn’t sure. He’d seen something in Con’s eyes—a momentary flash, but it was definitely there. Vulnerability? Loneliness? He wasn’t sure.
Katy’s frustrated growl made him laugh. “I can’t get my damn pants off. My fingers aren’t working anymore.”
“I’ll give you guys some privacy. Night.” Con flashed a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes, before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Torn between checking on his friend and looking after his girl, Levi stood there hesitating. His decision was made for him when Katy sat up and reached out for him, tugging him onto the bed.
“Levi,” she breathed before she kissed him. Her lips soft against his, her tongue tracing the seam of his lips had him moaning. “Stay with me.”
She needed him, and he’d never leave her hanging. Levi tugged the straps of Katy’s top down, exposing her breasts to his hungry gaze. “Need you, Katy. Need to taste you now.” He bent and captured her tight nipple in his mouth, tugging on the tender flesh with his teeth, making her cry out.
“Oh fuck, babe, yes,” she hissed. “Please.” Her begging sent a shiver through him. Levi moaned and ripped open the button fly of his jeans, palming his cock before tugging down her jeans. Burying his face in her pussy, he licked and nipped her sensitive skin. Her spicy-sweetness met his tongue, and he lapped it up, never getting enough of her taste. Levi lanced two fingers into her pussy and curled them, massaging Katy’s G spot while he worked her clit between his lips. Over and over he thrust into her, working her up until she shuddered and went rigid, moaning her release as her inner muscles clenched around his digits. Levi knew exactly what it was like to have those muscles tensing around his shaft, pulling him into orgasm too. He couldn’t wait anymore, couldn’t stand the gap—although minimal—between their bodies. He crawled up and held himself over her, kissing her hard, their tongues tangling together as he ground against her.
Using her toes to push down his unbuttoned jeans, she ground out, “Fuck me, Lee. Hard and fast.”
He loved her reactions, was addicted to the little sighs she made when he was hitting just the right spot, got off on seeing her eyes roll back into her head as he slid into her wet heat. Thrusting slowly, he prolonged his entry, teasing and tempting her with glimpses of what she’d asked for until he was eventually buried to the hilt. When Levi’s balls were pressed up against her tight little arse, her legs wrapped tight around his hips, he withdrew and slammed back in, taking her in exactly the way she’d begged him. Kissing her, nipping her bottom lip, then soothing it with licks of his tongue as their lips melded together, Levi took her to the edge again, riding a fine line to hold off his own orgasm. The unstoppable tingle at the bottom of his spine had started. Levi clutched the sheets in an iron-fisted grip, desperately trying to hold off until Katy came again. Flutters in her pussy, quivers that quickly morphed into tight squeezes of her muscles around his cock, and her silent scream had Levi tumbling after her, coming so hard he saw stars behind his closed eyelids.<
br />
Connor
Connor lay on the living room couch drinking his first coffee of the morning when the message from the pub owner came in. He had to read it a few times before he believed it—he’d gotten the gig. Four nights a week, three different locations. He’d be making more than enough to support himself, even if he was renting a place on his own. He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. That was until the unmistakeable jingle of Katy’s alarm on her phone sounded, followed shortly afterwards by Levi’s phone ringing. He glanced at where they sat on the kitchen bench and winced. He didn’t want to wake them up, especially with the killer hangover they’d probably both have.
He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. At least they’d had a few more hours sleep than him. After the ruckus the two of them made the night before, he guessed they’d passed out. But Connor had no hope of sleeping. Listening to the gasps and moans coming from the bedroom next door had him fisting the sheets to physically keep him connected to the bed; otherwise, he’d have been through their door in a shot, rolling around naked with them. Finally unable to resist it anymore, he’d given into temptation to relieve the iron rod tenting his boxer shorts. But jacking off hadn’t taken the edge off. Instead, having his hand on his cock while letting his mind conjure up pictures to match Levi and Katy’s gasps and moans had Connor imagining exactly what it would be like to be between them. He tugged on the piercing at the base of his balls before letting his fingers drift lower to rub his hole, while he worked the other lubed up hand over his aching dick.
His inevitable orgasm had barrelled towards him in record time when he’d lifted his legs and pressed a finger inside the tight pucker of his arse. He’d never had a cock up there—not a real one anyway. Connor’s last hookup had begged him to try it. He’d always been curious, had heard about the magic bundle of nerves that could shoot a man into orbit. She’d found it, and he’d come so hard, he’d passed out. The memory of the fullness, the stretch and burn were almost enough. He’d breached himself with two of his fingers, pumping in and out while he’d gripped his dick. The overload of sensations pushed him past the edge, the tingle at the base of his spine gathering momentum quickly and spreading outward until Connor shot his load. Breathing hard, his fingers still stretching his ass, the cum cooling on his chest and chin, Connor had let his eyes drift closed. God, he’d wished, wished so hard, but it was absolutely pointless. And didn’t that knowledge suck.