by Kiel Nichols
Tom pulled into Starkey’s parking lot and turned toward her with a sigh. “There are just some things about Derek that you don’t know, honey. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Lily pondered that statement for a moment. She knew that Derek had never told his best friends about his bisexuality, but it sounded like Tom might have guessed. Hmm, she couldn’t help but wonder what Tom knew.
She decided to tread cautiously. “Derek’s been one of my best friends for a lot of years, Tom. I’m guessing I know as much, if not more, about certain aspects of his life than you do.”
Tom flushed and looked angry for it. “Look, you’re an adult, and he’s an adult. What you guys do together is none of my business. I just don’t want you getting hurt.”
Lily hugged Tom tightly. “I’m not in a romantic relationship with Derek, Tom. I don’t know why you would be so against it if I were, but I’m not.”
“There are just things about him you don’t know,” Tom repeated.
Lily reached for the door handle. “You know what, Tom? I’m not the ignorant one in this scenario.”
Then she got out of the car and slammed the door.
Tom watched her go, wondering what in the hell that meant.
* * * *
Lily figured she wouldn’t see Jake two nights in a row, so on Saturday night, she decided to go on a fishing expedition with Derek. She wanted to know what was up between him and Tom.
She knocked on Derek’s door, a bottle of wine in her hand.
He opened the door and raised an eyebrow at the bottle. “What’s up, doll?” he asked.
“Do you have any plans tonight?” Lily asked, shaking the bottle.
Derek opened the door wide, a smile on his face. “Not only don’t I have plans, but I have two more bottles if you want to get snockered.”
Lily laughed. “Just a couple of glasses.”
“So how did last night go?” Derek asked as he opened a drawer for a corkscrew.
When Lily stayed silent, Derek turned to her. “Not the details, love,” he assured her, “just the highlights.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Lily laughed. She couldn’t help it. “I’m not telling you about it.” She blushed, her face turning as red as her hair.
“A couple of glasses of wine, you’ll tell all.”
Derek poured the wine and led Lily to the couch in the living room. He put the baseball game on the big screen as background while they talked.
They chatted about casual things through the first glass of wine. By the end of the second glass, everything was funny. Derek had to open another bottle of wine so that they could each have a third glass.
“So,” Derek finally asked. “How did it go?”
Lily sighed.
“That bad?” Derek asked, surprised. He had always figured that Jake would be a great lover. He had never gotten a chance to see him in action. He didn’t share women with Jake like he did with Tom. Derek slammed the door shut on that thought.
“No, it was great,” she said. “Just a little embarrassing.”
“Darlin’, if you were embarrassed, he didn’t do something right.”
Lily flushed partially with embarrassment, partially because of all the wine. She leaned toward Derek, swaying slightly. “The sex was awesome, so much better than doing it myself.”
Derek laughed and hugged her. “I would hope so. So what was embarrassing?”
Lily knew she should never have said she was embarrassed. Derek was a good enough friend that there was no way he would let it go without an explanation. “It was just that my monthly friend came a week early.” Then she frowned. “I think. It seems to have already stopped.”
* * * *
Derek felt an overwhelming tenderness. “Lily, you know that you’re going to bleed a little the first time.”
“I shouldn’t have,” she said. “I’m twenty-six years old. And I definitely shouldn’t have the second time.”
Derek knew he should have been embarrassed himself talking about this, but this was Lily. She was his best friend.
“Lily, you’re a tiny, little thing. I know that Jake’s hung like a horse. The second time would be worse than the first.” Derek frowned. “Jake should have known that and left you alone.”
Now Lily blushed hotly. “I, um, sort of woke him up with, um…”
Derek stopped her before she could go on. “Ahhh. No need to say more, doll.”
“Then Tom showed up early,” Lily said.
Derek stiffened. “He did? What did he say?” He tried to sound casual and drained his glass. He got up unsteadily and refilled it then topped off Lily’s glass.
“He didn’t catch us or anything,” she said. “He was hung over and didn’t even question why Jake was there.”
She slid her slightly blurry gaze toward Derek. “He did ask about you though. I guess some girl told him I was teasing you.”
“Gillian.” Derek said flatly. “Yeah, she tried to get me to go home with them last night. When I didn’t want to, she told Tom that I must have been pining over you. They left about ten minutes later.”
“Why would she think you’d go home with them?” Lily asked.
Derek cleared his throat. “She knew someone that Tom and I, um, spent some time with.”
“Together?” She sounded shocked. “I thought I heard Jake mention that at the bar, but I didn’t realize he meant you sleep with a woman at the same time.”
Derek slapped his wine glass onto the table, the liquid sloshing precariously close to the edge. “We didn’t sleep with her, Lily. We fucked her. Until I got stupid.”
Deflated, he hung his head. He was clearly drunker than he’d realized because he told her the truth. “Tom and I used to share women all the time. The last time was six months ago.”
“What happened?” Lily whispered, putting her glass down and hugging Derek.
He laid his head on her chest, just like he had when he was a nervous college kid trying to explain his sexuality to a sixteen-year-old girl. “I touched him.”
Lily took a deep breath. “What did he do?”
“I don’t think he realized I was touching him. I mean, she was riding me and sucking him off. He was kneeling right by my head.” He hesitated, suddenly realizing that Tom’s sister wouldn’t want to hear all the details.
“It’s okay,” she said. “Keep going. I think you’ve held this inside for too long. For tonight, we’re going to pretend he’s not my brother.”
Derek needed to talk. He needed to have someone who really knew him listen. “His head was tilted back, and he wasn’t looking at her. I reached over and slid my hand up the inside of his leg. By the time I reached his balls, he was coming. I let go, and that was it.”
“Why don’t you share women anymore?” Lily asked. “Tom doesn’t know what you did. Or if he knew, he didn’t mind.”
Derek raised his gaze to her. “The woman saw what I did,” he whispered. “And worse, I know I won’t be able to stop with a touch next time. I’ve loved him since we were teenagers.”
“Oh, Derek,” Lily said, holding him close. “Maybe—”
“No.” Derek voice was gruff but absolute. “I know Tom is completely straight. I’ll be fine.”
They were silent for a few minutes. “Lily?” Derek asked. His voice sounded sad and insecure. “Can we just lie down for a while?”
“Sure, sweetie,” Lily said.
She lay down, and he put his arm around her waist. Derek pulled the throw blanket over them, and before either could think it through, they slept.
Chapter 8
Jake was worried and pissed. Where was Lily? He knew she was too sore to have sex, but did that mean she didn’t expect him to come just to spend time with her? He waited at her house until after midnight.
At six the next morning, he was back there again. Her car still wasn’t in the driveway, and there was no answer at her door. Where could she have been all night?
He called Tom.
�
��What?” Tom answered, sounding like the call had woken him but also alert. It must have been the years in law enforcement.
“Lily’s missing.” Jake tried not to sound like an alarmist, but he was alarmed.
“What do you mean, missing?” Even the trace of fatigue in Tom’s voice was gone now.
“She’s not home. She wasn’t home last night either. Is she at your house?”
“No.” Jake heard the sounds of Tom dressing. “Did you check at Derek’s apartment?” Tom sounded pissed.
“No,” Jake barked. “Why would she be there?”
“Fuck, Jake. I don’t know. I didn’t think Derek would betray our friendship by sleeping with my little sister but we need to find out. If she’s not there, I’ll have to see if I can put a BOLO out on her.”
Jake jumped into his truck and headed toward Derek’s house. He heard Tom get into his car. He pulled up in front of Derek’s house, right behind Lily’s car. “It looks like she’s here,” Jake said.
Tom sucked in a breath. “Fucking bastard,” he muttered. “I’ll be right there. Don’t go inside.” Then he hung up.
Jake waited, leaning against his truck. He clenched his jaw so tight he thought he’d crack one of his molars. On one hand, they hadn’t discussed being exclusive. On the other hand, she had been a virgin just two days ago. He’d never thought she’d have sex with him then jump right into another guy’s bed. Besides, wasn’t she supposed to be too sore to be with him for a few days?
Jake suddenly felt ashamed. Maybe he had really hurt her, and she went to Derek for sympathy.
And maybe he’d given her more than sympathy.
Jake was pissed again. By the time Tom pulled up behind him, Jake had a silent head of angry steam on him.
Without a word, the two men walked up the outside stairs to Derek’s apartment. Although they both had a key, neither bothered to go for it. Derek always forgot to lock his door.
Not even trying to be silent, Jake stalked in. He found them on the couch. Derek was behind Lily, his face buried in her soft, fragrant hair, his hand on the strip of skin revealed between her sweatshirt and her jeans. While they watched, Derek stretched, his hand flexing on Lily’s abdomen.
Tom punched Derek on the shoulder. After a jaw-popping yawn, he opened his eyes. “Hey, guys,” he mumbled. “Fuck, my head hurts.”
At his grumbling, Lily also woke up. When she saw Jake and Tom looming over them, she blinked owlishly and said, “What’s going on?”
Tom crossed his arms over his imposing chest. He was glaring at Derek. “That’s a good question, Lil. What the fuck is going on?”
Lily sat up and pushed her curls out of her eyes. “We fell asleep.”
Derek sat up as well. “Not surprising since I think we killed two bottles of wine.” He cracked his neck, wincing at the sound.
Lily got up. “Hey, Derek,” she called. “Do you have any ginger ale and V8?”
“No,” Derek said with a shudder. “I don’t have it and wouldn’t drink it even if I did.”
Lily said, “I’ll find something,” and headed for the kitchen.
Jake followed her.
In the kitchen, Jake grabbed Lily’s arm. “What are you doing?”
“Just getting something for my hangover. Really, Jake, what do you think I’m doing?” She turned to look him directly in his eyes, daring him to say something stupid.
Jake immediately realized he could be making a huge mistake. If he didn’t want to screw this up, he needed to go slowly. “I was worried that you didn’t come home last night.”
“I had too much to drink to drive home, obviously.” Lily leaned against the counter. “Did you think I would have sex with Derek the night after sleeping with you? Did you really think that, Jake?”
She sounded so hurt.
“No,” Jake said, reaching for her. “Of course not. It’s just that we didn’t talk about the ground rules of this type of relationship.” He looked over his shoulder and let her go. “And now’s not the time.”
“No,” she said. “Now’s not the time.”
She started to walk toward the refrigerator then whirled. “Just for your information, we got drunk and fell asleep. We didn’t have sex, touch inappropriately, or do anything else. We may not have discussed the ground rules of our ‘relationship’”—she made air quotes with her fingers when she said the word—“but I don’t have any intention of having sex with anyone but you until we’re done with each other. For health reasons, if for nothing else, I expect the same from you.”
Jake pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry if I seem like I don’t trust you. I just didn’t expect to find you here. You have such an”—he paused looking for the right word—”intimate relationship with Derek. I don’t understand it, so it makes me wary.”
He was laying it on the line for her. Despite the fact they’d both said this wasn’t the time, Lily squeezed him. “I don’t want to be with Derek in that way. He’s my best friend.” She paused. On one hand, she didn’t want to betray Derek’s confidence. On the other hand, she needed to put Jake’s fears to rest. She decided on a partial truth.
“Derek is in love with someone else. He would never jeopardize that relationship or betray our friendship by hitting on me.”
Before Jake could ask, Lily said. “And no, I won’t tell you who he’s in love with. He’ll tell you if and when he’s ready.”
* * * *
Derek just sat on the sofa, holding his head in his hands, trying to stop the throbbing.
“What the fuck are you doing with Lily?” Tom asked in a furious whisper.
“Nothing.” Derek’s voice was flat. “We were sleeping off a lot too much wine.”
“Bullshit,” he said. “You had your hands on her.”
Derek got to his feet. If he were going fighting with Tom, he’d do it standing up. “I had my arms around her so she wouldn’t fall off the couch.”
It seemed to him the only way to push through Tom’s anger was to directly address what Tom obviously thought had happened. “We didn’t have sex.”
Tom didn’t seem to hear him. “I don’t want you having that kind of a relationship with Lily. I know what you like, and I don’t want her with somebody like that.” Tom was clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides.
Derek felt his face flush hot then go totally pale. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you share women with other men. You like to fuck them up the ass. You like to touch…” He stopped abruptly. “I just don’t want her with someone like that.”
“You hypocrite! You do all those things just like I do.” Derek purposely ignored his last comment about touching. He also felt himself get hard at the reference to what he and Tom liked to do together.
“Yeah, and would you want me fucking your sister?” Tom retorted.
“Let me just say this once,” Derek replied hotly. “I am not fucking Lily. I will never fuck Lily. I love her, but not in that way.”
“Are you trying to tell me you don’t want her?” Tom said, pointing to the erection Derek was obviously sporting.
Derek flushed but hardened further at the hot look Tom gave his crotch.
Tom continued. “I talked to Lily yesterday, and she implied she knows about what you like sexually.”
“What did she say?” Derek asked, shocked.
“She said she knows more about you than I do.” Tom’s voice sounded a little hurt.
“She does,” Derek said, thinking of what he’d told her the night before.
He didn’t even see the fist coming.
* * * *
When a loud crash sounded, Lily sprinted for the living room. She found a lamp broken and Derek half sprawled on the side table. He was holding a hand to his mouth.
“I’m not going to fight you, man,” Derek was saying. He stood up with his arms by his sides.
Tom pulled his arm back as though to punch him again, and Jake stepped in front of him. “What the fuck, Tom?
Since when do you hit someone who isn’t fighting back?”
Lily started toward Derek, and Tom grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
At her gasp, Jake tried to push him away. Tom was holding her arm so tightly that his backward step pulled her farther away from Derek.
“Let her go,” Jake said in a voice Lily had never heard from him. The tone must have gotten through because Tom let go of her arm.
He rubbed his hand over his face. “I’m sorry, Lily. Did I hurt you?”
Lily didn’t rub her arm like she wanted to. “Of course you didn’t hurt me.” Almost in a challenge, she plucked a tissue from the box and stepped to Derek’s side. She started to blot his bleeding lip.
Derek stopped her by stepping back. “It’s fine, Lily.”
Lily stood in front of Derek and turned to her brother and Jake. “I’m telling you right now that Derek and I don’t have the type of relationship you think we do,” she said, looking at both of them but speaking primarily to Tom.
“Evidently you are under the misapprehension that I cannot make sexual choices for myself.” She saw Tom wince and Jake’s jaw tighten. “I know that none of you are choir boys. You have no right to judge me for who I choose to sleep with.”
“I’m not judging you, sprout. I just don’t want you getting hurt.” Tom sounded weary.
“Are you saying I would hurt her, Tom?” Derek stepped around Lily and stood directly in front of Tom. He stood intimately close.
Jake looked at Lily sharply, shock and realization in his eyes.
Tom didn’t even seem to notice how close Derek was standing. “Not on purpose. You just need more than I think Lily can give you.”
Maybe Tom wasn’t as clueless about what Derek felt as Lily thought he was. He seemed to be aware of Derek’s sexuality.
Derek sucked in a sharp breath.
“And Lily needs someone gentle,” Tom finished.
Jake winced.
Lily had a bad feeling that, if she didn’t stop this, Tom was going to talk Jake out of being with her. Not that his intention was convincing Jake. “I’m not fragile,” Lily said hotly, breaking the spell and causing Tom to step back.