by Ann Grech
Katy pulled back and looked him in the eye. “Okay, so Adelaide owns a mobile adult store. She’s come here because I asked her to help us choose some toys that we might have some fun with. I thought you’d appreciate being discreet about it rather than going into a store somewhere. And given we’ve got no idea what we’re doing, she can instruct us on how to use them properly, rather than just buying something random online.” She was rambling adorably and the relief of knowing he hadn’t screwed up their relationship too badly filled him. That was until thoughts of that movie filled his brain and made him cringe.
“Um, okay,” Levi hesitated. “What sort of toys are we talking about?”
“I have everything available that you’d find in an adult store. Obviously, I’ve only got a few samples here and some new products that I can leave with you tonight, but if you find something specialized that I don’t have on me, I’ll order it in and deliver it to you. My most popular products are vibrators, plugs, cock rings, lube, and cleaners for the toys.”
Okay, this doesn’t sound half bad. Hella good actually. Levi nodded, smiling when with a hint of excitement in her voice, Katy asked, “What would you recommend for beginners?”
Adelaide’s friendly smile had him at ease. He was comfortable with her already. When she unzipped the bag, flipping open the lid, Levi couldn’t deny he was curious. Peeking inside he saw that it was packed full of neatly stacked boxes, satin bags, and bottles of all sizes. She moved a few of them around and lifted some out. “Okay, so if you haven’t played with toys before I’d recommend a starter pack of sorts; something for each of you.” She took out a smooth purple vibrator. “This is one of my favourites.” After describing all the features, she handed it and a few others to Katy who turned them on, playing with the different speeds.
“I like that.” Katy put the purple one down then reached out for it again, before pulling back.
“It’s okay,” Adelaide encouraged. “Play around with them, get to know them and how they feel. The more you check the products out now, the more likely it is you’ll be happy with your decision.” Seeing Katy handle the vibes of all different shapes and sizes made Levi want to toss her over his shoulder caveman style and carry her into bed, not leaving until she’d come so many times she couldn’t see straight. He discreetly adjusted himself while the ladies were absorbed in the different vibrators, pulling his hand away just as Adelaide turned her attention to him.
She smiled, this one knowingly. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you. I’d recommend one of these for you.” She pulled out what looked like a silicone ring with a bullet in it. “It’s a vibrating cock ring. Safe to wear with or without a condom, depending on whether you two use them or not. As long as you’re using lube, there’s no pain getting it on or off. It can be used during masturbation, oral sex, vaginal, or anal sex.” Anal sex. With Connor. Heat flared in him, desire roiling low in his gut. Never mind the semi, he was at full-mast now. She handed it to him and he turned it over in his hands. What would it feel like to use it with them? “It’s intended to be snug. It’ll delay orgasm but not prevent it…” Adelaide kept talking but Levi’s thoughts had drifted. The what-ifs circled around his head just out of reach, taunting him. The thought of losing Katy almost killed him. He wouldn’t hurt her, but his absolute visceral reaction to even the thought of what sex with Connor would be like, had him sucking in a breath staving off the light-headedness.
When there was silence, Levi looked up at both of them. “Levi, are you okay?” Adelaide asked, her head tilted to the side. It was as if she had him under a microscope. The room suddenly became too hot and he wanted to flap his collar just to get some damn air flowing. He could hammer nails with his boner, and he was sure she could see straight into his head and the dirty fantasy highlights reel he had spinning around in his psyche.
“Yeah, um,” he stalled. “I like this one.” He picked one of the random cock rings and thrust it at her.
She took it and looked around the room, her gaze snagging on the pictures hanging on the wall. She studied them intently before doing a casual perusal of the rest of the open area. She again paused at the back door. He knew what was there; Katy had complained more times than he could count about his and Connor’s thongs being left near the door. “You’ve got a beautiful place. Did you renovate it yourselves?” The random subject change away from sex toys had Levi reeling, but it hadn’t fazed Katy. She filled Adelaide in on what they’d done, finishing with the wall in front of them.
“You know how a place suddenly feels like home when you’ve got all your stuff unpacked and in the right spot. That’s what it was like when we put our photos up.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I can see.” Adelaide nodded and her gaze bounced between the two of them. Pausing, she picked up another box and flipped open the lid. “Okay, the final toy that you might want to consider tonight is an anal plug.” Lifting it, she showed them the array of five different sized plugs, the largest one easily the size of his fist. She selected that one and held it up, Levi’s eyes going wide. With a grin, she added “This is for experts, not you guys. In fact, the only one that would be appropriate for you is this small one.” She set it aside and picked up a plug that was a little thicker than his thumb. Neither he nor Katy spoke. Levi dared not look at her either. He couldn’t bear it if she was horrified. Adelaide launched into a description of why they might want to explore anal sex and how to prepare for it. With every word she spoke, Levi’s breath quickened and his heart pounded. Closing his eyes, he tried to get his over-eager dick under control, but instead couldn’t help but imagine Connor spread before him, Levi’s fingers—or better yet, his cock—sinking into his depths.
“If one of you wears it while having sex, it will simulate a threesome.” You could have heard a pin drop in the room. He couldn’t even breathe, but unable to stop himself, Levi swept his gaze over to Katy, staring at her wide-eyed as she flushed but turned away. Guilt hit him with the force of the five-thirty express from the city. Here he was imagining being with Connor when his beautiful girl was sitting next to him. Self-doubt and disgust in himself and his lack of consideration for Katy gnawed at Levi, deflating his tenting erection quickly.
“I’ll go get my purse,” Katy said, suddenly breaking the silence and racing out of the room. She had him scrambling to compose himself. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he could feel Adelaide’s eyes on him. He knew she was watching them, her gaze assessing him. Adelaide placed a gentle hand on his arm, stilling his movements. In a quiet but confident voice, she murmured, “You know, Levi, there’s nothing wrong with what you’re feeling. There’s nothing wrong with taking some time to figure out something that’s got your head spinning.”
“Yeah, I….” He didn’t even know how to respond. She was clearly good at reading people—she’d managed to latch onto his secret desires pretty damn quickly. He knew if he tried making up some bullshit excuse for his reaction to the butt plugs, and how the idea of a threesome tempted him like nothing else, she’d see straight through him.
She continued, “Being in here with the two of you, it’s obvious. Looking around the room, I can tell. Look, Levi. Really look at who is in front of you. Reach out and grab hold or you won’t find your happiness. None of you will.”
“Katy and I are solid. We’ve had a rocky week, but we’re strong enough to survive a few bad days.” Levi wasn’t sure if he was explaining it to Adelaide or trying to reassure himself. A bit of both, perhaps.
“Yeah, I know you two are.” She gave him a small smile. “But there’s more to you than that. Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourselves.” She leaned in and squeezed his arm before dropping her hand, whispering, “Bye, Levi,” before moving over to where Katy stood in the doorway. He watched in stunned silence as they spoke in hushed tones and she hugged his girlfriend and made her way to the door, letting herself out.
When the door clicked shut, Katy asked quietly, “Was that okay? That was fun, wasn’t it?” The
uncertainty in her tone wrecked Levi, utterly gutted him. She was usually so confident, but not then. He’d been so self-absorbed, so selfish that he’d been blinded to Katy second guessing herself, and he hated himself for it. Levi couldn’t keep the distance between them anymore. Taking her into his arms, he nuzzled her hair, breathing her in. His uncertainty, his inability to get his head in the right place melted away, and he held her tighter, wanting—no needing—the connection with her.
Levi whispered, his voice rough, “You did good, sugar. I love you.”
“So, you wanna head out and grab a late movie?”
“You don’t want to try what we bought?” he asked, confused.
The grin she threw his way was wicked. “My toy needs charging. Few hours and we’ll be sweet.” She nodded towards the door. “Come on, let’s go.”
The stars in the night sky were bright. They always were in that quiet stretch of white sandy beach on the Broadwater. Levi shifted the take-home packs of ice cream, the remnants long since melted, and stretched out his leg. They’d ended up skipping the movie in favour of dessert on the beach. They’d walked the length of the kilometres’ long path, finishing the decadent mango and double chocolate tubs.
Now, wrapped in a blanket, holding Katy in front of him, Levi looked across the smooth waters. On the other side of the inlet lay The Spit, a long peninsular protecting the Broadwater from the pounding waves of the Pacific. Beyond that to the south, the towers of Surfers Paradise lit the night sky. To the north was South Straddie, a giant sand island covered in lush forest that lay dark in the pre-dawn. Katy shifted, having long since fallen asleep in his arms and Levi leaned down to kiss her, breathing in the sweetness of her skin. As he sat there, watching the tide change and the water lap against the sand, Adelaide’s words replayed over and over in his head. “Look, Levi. Really look at who is in front of you.” She wasn’t fooled when he’d tried to play off her comment. It scared him knowing she could read him so easily. Was he really that transparent? “Reach out and grab hold or you won’t find your happiness. None of you will.” That’s what scared him. Wanting the impossible didn’t make for a happy life—that much he was certain of. All he had to do was look back on the last week, and it was obvious. But what was he supposed to do?
SIX
Connor
N erves skittered through Connor as he stood at Miranda’s front door. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to be there or not. No, that wasn’t quite right. He liked Miranda. She was sweet and funny, a great girl, but he wasn’t sure how far to take things between them. They’d only been on a few dates, so it wasn’t like they were in a relationship and they certainly hadn’t talked about being exclusive. But it still didn’t sit right with Connor to start anything physical between them when he was unsure of how in to her he was. And knowing how fucked up he was about what’d gone down after Levi’s party and the strain it’d put them under was doing his head in. He couldn’t focus long enough to make a decision. Was he happy to go out, leaving Katy and Levi to indulge in their shopping expedition? Or did he want to crawl into a hole? God, what if they ask for a tutorial? What was I thinking? It didn’t matter though. There was no way his crush on his best mate was reciprocated—Levi had made it clear enough when he’d stumbled back off the bed and looked at him horrified—and as if it would have been anyway. Connor had to suck it up and move on.
He raised his hand to knock, but before he connected with the dark timber front door, it swung open. “Hi,” Miranda greeted him. “Were you planning on standing out there all night or were you gonna knock? I don’t bite you know.” Her smile turned wicked, and she wiggled her eyebrows. “Most of the time.” Connor couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey, Miranda. Thanks for the invitation.” He held up a bottle of wine. “Wasn’t sure what we were ordering for dinner, but this is a good one.”
“I’ve cooked. We’re not ordering.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “Come on in, and you can pour me some while I finish dinner.” He followed her through the living room into the kitchen, and she pointed out the cupboard where the glasses were to him. Connor poured two while Miranda finished cooking on the stovetop, then dished up two plates of grilled chicken, salad, and crusty bread. The crisp white he’d brought over was a pretty decent match to their meal.
Conversation flowed easily while they ate and long after they’d finished the cherry chocolate mousse, they still sat at the table talking. He was having a good time, and that surprised him more than it should have. Miranda was great; he liked being around her. He could definitely see them being good friends, especially with so much in common—music, food, movies, and she was a runner too.
“Want another glass? You don’t have to drive home tonight, do you?” Miranda went to the fridge and pulled out another bottle, and Connor stood as she left the table.
“You want me to stay the night?” he asked, uncertain of how he should answer. His feelings were still up in the air, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her.
Returning to the table with the bottle, she looked up at him. “Hey, I like you. I think you like me. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to hook up. I’m good with casual for the moment, but if it turns into more, I’m fine with that too.”
Connor smiled, relief coursing through him. He might not be ready to hand her his heart, but a night with her certainly wouldn’t be a hardship. Reaching out, he took her hand and squeezed. “I’ve had fun, Miranda.” He’d barely uttered the words before she was stepping forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her mouth to his. Connor swiped his tongue across her bottom lip, and she opened to him. Deepening the kiss, Connor surrendered and enjoyed the touch of the first woman he’d been with in far too long. He directed Miranda to the couch and guided her down onto the soft cushions. Propping himself up so his weight didn’t crush her, Connor looked at her and found himself wishing he was with Katy. He closed his eyes and forced the thought from his head. He couldn’t go there—it wasn’t fair to Miranda, and he had to face the fact that Katy would never be his, that Levi wouldn’t be either.
Connor leaned in again and nipped Miranda’s throat before kissing a line down to her collarbone and back up to her mouth. He let out an “oomph” when Miranda pushed him off her and straddled him, tugging off his Henley and tossing it aside. Chest to chest, arousal flared inside him. Kisses and teasing licks against his throat had him shifting, rocking his hips to get some friction against his painfully rigid length.
Miranda hopped off him and slid to her knees before him. After pulling open his button fly, she curled her fingers around him. Her hand on his dick, even with the thin barrier of his boxers between them, had Connor thrusting into her grip. He hissed when cool air hit his heated skin as she yanked down his underwear exposing his cock. Her startled, “oh,” had him cracking open his eyes. She was eyeing his piercing thoughtfully, biting her bottom lip. He was beyond the point of caring whether she liked them or not—if she wanted his Prince Albert gone, he’d take it out. He’d do almost anything as long as she put her hands back on him.
Connor arched into her grip as she curled her hand around the base of his cock and stroked him, leaning down to tentatively lick along his length. A strangled moan left his lips when hers closed around the head of his shaft, and her tongue flicked the ring protruding from it. Soft fingertips trailing down under his sack, brushing up against the barbell piercing, had Connor shuddering. He involuntarily punched his hips forward as Miranda massaged his balls, forcing himself deeper into her mouth. Connor balled his hands into fists and fought off the orgasm threatening to erupt from him, and the raw need to pump into the hot, wet cavern engulfing him while he chased his orgasm. He had to be gentle, logically he knew that—his piercing could easily chip a tooth—but goddamn he was so close. So. Fucking. Close.
Picturing the old lady from There’s Something About Mary pulled him back from the edge—the dog licking into her mouth was enough to make him gag, to pull him back from teetering on
the precipice. A memory of Katy’s reaction when he’d told her and Levi how he stopped himself from coming popped into his head. Connor gasped, an electric shock pulsing through his body with the thoughts of the beautiful woman he’d been lusting over for years and her hot-as-sin boyfriend. Images of them filled his mind’s eye, flashing before him. Katy’s smile. Levi’s laugh. Katy dancing as she cooked. Levi lifting weights. Katy sleep ruffled and in need of coffee. Levi sprawled out, naked on his bed, fast asleep. Connor moaned, the pictures of them turning erotic: Katy kneeling between his legs sucking his cock and palming his balls; his lips on her pussy, licking and spearing inside her with his tongue until she came, while Levi pressed into him from behind, sliding his cock deep inside, anchoring Connor with strong arms against his broad chest. “Fuck, Lee. Gonna come.” His balls drew up tight, the tingling heat at the base of his spine unstoppable as his cock throbbed, cum erupting from him in thick white ribbons across his abs. The waves of Connor’s orgasm crashed over him and he cried out.
“Lee, Katy.”
Where a second before there were warm bodies pressed against him, cold air filled the space. Boneless and still humming from his epic orgasm, Connor cracked his eyes open and tried to figure out where they went. But Miranda standing rigid and shaking had him scrambling to sit up. She looked fucking furious—her jaw was clenched, and anger flashed in her eyes.
“Get out of my house you piece o’shit.”
“What?” He blinked, totally surprised at her outburst. What had he done wrong?
“I won’t be some ruse for you to hide behind.” She pointed to the door and in a deathly calm voice added, “Get the fuck outta my house.”