Cara nodded. "I accept your apology, not what you’re apologizing for but that you feel you need to apologize. The truth is, Max, your outburst snapped me out of my delusions. I deluded myself into thinking you’re both okay with what I’m doing, that I just needed a few hours more and I’d have finished my paper. A few hours turned into days and weeks and…" She shook her head, feeling her earlier remorse creep over her again.
"I went to the park after I ran out, to the lake and watched the swans swim. I was angry; I couldn’t believe you’d said what you did. But after I calmed down, I realized you were right. I didn’t contribute anything to this relationship--"
"I shouldn’t have said that," Max said earnestly. "Contribution isn’t what a relationship is about; it’s not a project to be graded."
"Not in that sense, perhaps, but a relationship also needs contributions from the participants or it dies. Just imagine if you give and give while the other just takes. Sooner or later, you’ll have no more to give, and what will happen? Love dies. The relationship shatters, and you’re left with two broken people."
She’d thought a lot while watching the swans. The tranquility of the lake and the fresh air making a thousand different thoughts swirl in her head.
"In the past weeks, I was too immersed in my dissertation and my work that I neglected you both, and for that I’m sorry. I didn’t do my part in the relationship, leaving you two to take up the slack that I’ve caused. I don’t blame you for exploding, Max. Those were words I needed to hear." She gave him a wry smile. "Lynne’s call yesterday afternoon also came at the right time. She told me how busy she and Mark were recently, what with her new job and his new project, and she kept on talking about compromise and how they took out one hour each night to reconnect. So that’s what I’ve decided to do as well."
"One hour each night?" Kyle asked.
Cara shook her head, smiling. "Compromise. My dissertation still has some weeks to go before I need to submit it, and I also realize if I keep on in this killer pace, sooner or later, I’d fall sick. At worst, if I can’t make the deadline, I’ll see about asking for an extension." She gulped in a huge breath. "And, our relationship is too important for me to throw it away just like that. Even if I’d gotten a gold medal for the doctoral thesis and a promotion at work, they couldn’t compensate if I’d lost both of you."
And because she couldn’t stand not touching them any longer, she gripped their hands in each of hers, holding on as though they were her lifeline. And perhaps they were. And perhaps because she also needed courage to voice out what she had decided earlier on. Once she voiced this out, the men would hold her to it. And she realized she needed that. She needed them to keep her in check, to prevent her from overworking and to make sure the elements in her life were oiled and in working order.
She needed them. Period.
They were as essential to her as breathing. That was what she had discovered while she’d been staring at the swans. She’d imagined life without them, and the picture scared her.
"How about I stop work at ten each night?"
"Nine," Kyle said.
She hesitated a bit. One hour each night would mean a lot of work done--
She suddenly realized what she was doing and laughed. Old habits die hard.
She also saw the salesman in Kyle rising to the fore, relishing the negotiation. Playing along, she said, "Nine-thirty."
"Done," Max said in a hurry. Guess he wasn’t taking any chances.
The arrival of the waiter with their food interrupted the conversation. Cara was glad they'd had the chance to clear the air, because dinner was once again the way it was when they'd first met--full of funny stories and easy laughter, tender affection and sizzling heat in every word and glance. Soft music and dim lighting contributed to the romantic, intimate atmosphere. Kyle's birthday celebration deserved to be a happy one, and she was truly grateful to Max for saying the right things to snap her out of her self-absorbed fog. She would show them exactly how happy and grateful she was later in bed.
Speaking of Max…
Cara chewed on her food as she slid a thoughtful glance his way. While relaxed and joking with them, Max however still gave off vibes of unease and agitation. She could see it in his posture, how he couldn't sit still and kept fidgeting. It would appear their talk wasn't over.
But she would have dessert first, as this restaurant was famous for its cookies-and-cream cheesecake. Double yum!
Fortunately, Kyle loved cheesecake as well.
When it was time, she signaled the waiter with a nod of her head, and soon, he arrived with a beautifully made, round cheesecake that had one lit candle in the middle.
"Happy birthday, Kyle!"
Whose green eyes were big and round in his face as he stared at his cake.
"Blow the candle. Oh." She fumbled with her bag and withdrew her phone, which she handed over to the hovering waiter. "Please take a picture of us."
Smiling, joyful faces behind a cake with one flaming candle.
Click!
Kyle blew out the fire…which flickered, then snapped back up into a full flame. He tried this several more times with the same result, while Cara repressed her smile and tried to keep a neutral face. Max caught on after the third time, and her peripheral vision showed his shoulders shaking. But she didn't want to look at him, because if she did--
Kyle turned an accusing look her way. "You tricked me!"
She didn't hold back any longer. Her laughter pealed out. When she could speak, she said in between gasps, "Technically, it's the candle tricking you."
A slight smile covered his face as his glance slid over to Max, who doubled over with mirth. "I remember when my dad did this. I was seven, and I was ecstatic with having to blow out the candles so many times."
Before Kyle could devolve into sadness, the way he always did at the mention of his father, Cara turned her phone screen face up toward him. "Look! Nice pic, huh. We can print this out later on and paste it inside The Memory Book."
Kyle had an ongoing scrapbook that he'd started when he and Max had left their hometown, and the book recorded every birthday celebration, holiday and special occasions spent together. Recently, Cara's pictures had gone there, too, pictures of that idyllic one week when they had toured the city during the day and made love at night. Kyle had mentioned that the scrapbook was so that they could look back on the important events in their lives later on, but Cara knew the real beneficiary was his father.
His mother having died when he was only five, Kyle was very close to his father. However, Robert Lockwood hadn't been able to take it that his son was gay and had cut him out of his life--one of the reasons why her lovers had originally left--but she knew Kyle longed for the day when his father would accept him as he was. When that time came, the scrapbook would catch Robert up on the important events and people in his son's life. Until then, Kyle was very meticulous about his documentation.
Finally, the candle was out and they devoured a slice each of the cake. Cara sat back in her seat and groaned, rubbing her belly. "Best. Dessert. Ever." The men looked on, amused. "I know it's not my birthday, but I felt like I was the one who'd gotten a present."
"Now that you mentioned it…" Kyle waggled his eyebrows.
"Oh. We need a bed for what I'm giving you."
"Why didn't you say so sooner?" He grabbed her hand and stood. "Let's go."
She resisted. Aside from not wanting to move just yet… "Aren't you forgetting something? We haven't paid."
"Oh." He sat back down, crestfallen and impatient. "Max?"
Who was already raising his hand.
She remembered his earlier agitation and her impression of a conversation unfinished.
"Kyle, dear," she said sweetly, "I know it's your birthday, but when the waiter comes with the bill, can you settle it first? I need to talk with Max."
Kyle grumbled, looking adorable, but agreed.
Max stared at her, mystified.
"Don't you
have something else to discuss with me?" she asked. "You looked like a man with something more on his mind earlier."
His expression cleared. "Ah, yes." A tide of red washed up from beneath his button-down. "Kyle said I must be wrong--and I'm not ruling out that possibility--but I have to say I was justified in thinking this from--"
"Max," she cut in. "Spit it out."
"Are you ashamed of us, Cara?" he asked bluntly. "Because we're gay?"
Chapter Four
CARA, KYLE AND MAX
That came so out of left field that she was stunned. "What?" She shook her head. "When have I ever given you that idea?"
"When you turned down my invitations to lunch. When you wouldn't come grocery shopping with us. When you wouldn't join us for dinner in restaurants--"
Incensed, she snapped, "I'm here, aren't I?"
"The one and only time," Max pointed out.
Her anger deflated, and she blew out a breath. She never thought her actions would be taken in another way by her lover, though in hindsight, she admitted that Max could've seen it that way, considering his past.
"Look, I meant what I said when we first got together. I wouldn't be in this relationship with two gay guys if I have anything against a man liking another man." She captured their hands in each of hers, and looked first at Max then at Kyle. "I'm proud of the person that you are, Max, Kyle, of what you have accomplished in your professional life, and of what the two of you have gone through in order to be together. I'm amazed by your courage and steadfast devotion to one another. And I'm not ashamed of being seen with you, as I hope tonight had proven."
Maybe she could prove it some more later on. The germ of an idea percolated in her mind.
"What do those refusals mean then?" Kyle asked, giving her hand a reassuring, bolstering squeeze.
"My dissertation, what else? I wanted quick lunches so I could use the remaining time to work on my paper. Same case for the grocery shopping and the dinners out." Cara released a bewildered sigh. "I hadn't realized how much it was consuming my life until you pointed it out."
"Are you overwhelmed, Cara?" Max's thumb caressed the bit of skin between her thumb and forefinger in what must be an absent-minded gesture, considering the entire focus of those gray-green eyes was on her. "Do you need help?"
"I would love to have someone talk things over," she admitted. "Aside from my advisor, I mean."
Max spread his free hand. "Well then."
"I can't," she protested. "You're busy adjusting to a new university, your classes, plus I know you're searching for a topic for your masteral thesis--"
"I'm happy to help, Cara," he cut in. "What are lovers for if you can't take advantage of them every now and then?" He grinned. "Anyway, I'm not having much luck with a topic, but if we discuss stuff, maybe I'll hit on one."
"Okay, you convinced me. As for your topic, why don't we make it a race?" She leaned toward Max, smiling suggestively. Her posture allowed him a good look down her considerable cleavage. His eyes glazed, and he swallowed hard. "If I'm able to come up with a topic first, I get to choose the sexual position. If you do, you decide. How does that sound?"
"What about me?" was Kyle's plaintive cry.
Both she and Max burst out laughing.
"You get the best of both worlds," Cara promised. "Enjoying whatever our devious minds come up with."
Kyle leered at them. "When you put it that way…"
She turned to Max. "Well?"
"You're on."
She sent him a blinding smile. Shifting her gaze to Kyle, she asked, "Ready to go?" Meaning, have you paid the bill?
"Yes," he replied in a fervent voice. "I can't wait to unwrap your present."
"You may not have long to wait," she replied, deliberately cryptic.
"What do you mean?"
"Let's get out of here and you'll see."
Hooking her bag over her shoulder, she held hands with her lovers as they walked out, putting her claim on them and warning the women off. She imagined them looking on enviously and smiled inwardly.
The night was clear and balmy, perfect for what she had in mind. Street lights shone at regular intervals, illuminating the parking lot with a soft, diffused glow. Car doors banged one row over to the right, and a couple emerged from within the vehicle and walked toward the restaurant.
"What a beautiful night," she exhaled.
"Just imagine how many such nights you missed out on," Kyle commented, an amused note in his voice.
"Never again," she vowed. "Where are you parked?"
Max chuckled. "Believe it or not, beside yours. A car was pulling out just as we arrived."
"Lucky," she said. Lucky for her indeed. Well…for all of them really.
They strolled toward their conveyances and engaged in light, desultory conversation. When they arrived, Cara slipped into the space between their cars and dragged her men along behind her.
"You know what?" Dropping her bag to the ground, she stepped close to Max. "I think I need to prove just how much I love being seen in public with you."
"What?" Max stared at her, a confused frown between his brows. "There's no need, I believe you--"
"Plus," she interrupted, "I can't wait to give Kyle his gift."
She gave them a few seconds for that to sink in and connect.
"We can't have sex in public!" Max exclaimed.
"Shh! We're not that exposed if we do it here, and only adults come to this place." She cupped his cock and squeezed, gratified to find it swelling in her caress. "If they do see us…maybe they'll be happy with the free, live porn." She giggled at that, totally destroying the sensual air she was going for.
"Oddly enough, I do want to receive my present here," Kyle chimed in.
Max groaned. "Not you, too. Am I going to be the only voice of reason?"
"You deprived me of it earlier."
"Oooh, prudish Max vetoed a public exhibition?" she asked, eager to hear the deets.
"In the car as we were going to the supermarket," Kyle answered, disgruntled.
"Well then, Max, this is your chance to make it up to the birthday boy," she urged, enthusiastic in her devil's role. "Be adventurous. We can make it quick if you're scared of being found out, and we don't have to remove all our clothes."
"Fine," he capitulated, capturing her mouth with his and flipping her around so that she was pressed against the car, his cock grounding against her.
Not quite… She hitched up one leg and hooked it around his waist. Yes, yes, there. She whimpered. There.
"I want in your pussy."
She wanted it, too, without the barrier of his pants and their underwear between them. "Now," she demanded.
The scene of the crime--the public parking lot where anyone could pass by--was also going to her blood, firing her up exponentially and soaking her panties. Her blood quickened and her breath sped up. Her heart pounded.
Max pushed away from her. She protested. But he was only putting some distance so he could suit up. Meanwhile, Kyle took Max's place and devoured her mouth. He lifted her skirt and, pushing aside her panties, he thrust hard into her.
Oh God. She screamed into his mouth. That was so so so good. And even better when he started pounding into her. Weeks of deprivation combined with the earlier foreplay and the public setting primed her and soon, she was convulsing in his arms, gripping tight to his cock, one leg about his waist.
Her back hit the car and she panted, gulped in air. Boneless satisfaction seeped through her, as well as a single thought of recrimination: Why, oh why, had she been stupid and exchanged this rush of joy for some dry paper?
Kyle withdrew, and she reached for him. He shook his head, smiling. "Max's turn. I want your ass."
Wordlessly, she stepped out of her panties and turned around, flipping up her skirt and bending over so that her ass was in the air.
"Pretty," Kyle breathed, moving his hand over one ass cheek in a loving caress before lifting his hand then bringing it down in one stingi
ng slap.
Amidst her moan, she heard an unknown male voice asking, "Did you hear that, honey?"
Kyle's hand immediately closed over her mouth. All three of them crouched down, their uneven breaths mingling. Even as fear shot through Cara--would they be discovered?--tingling excitement sizzled up her spine, and the heady mixture went straight to her pussy. She could feel her cream sliding down her inner thigh.
"I didn't hear anything at all," a female voice replied. They appeared to be some distance from where Cara and the guys were, but sound carried at night, so they could be anywhere.
"Hunger's making me imagine things."
The woman laughed. "You're always hungry. Hurry up then."
When the couple was gone, Cara blew out a breath of relief, stood up and sagged against the car. "This is too much excitement for my heart."
Max chuckled. "Ready to head home?"
"What? No way. You haven't fucked me yet." She presented her ass to Kyle again. "Hurry up, lover. I want to be the filling in the Kyle-Max sandwich."
Kyle palmed her butt once more. "Okay, Hot Blonde. I'll admire this ass in further detail later." So saying, he squirted a shot or two of lube into her hole--they kept lubes and condoms in the glove compartment for emergency purposes--and eased his cock into her. "Fuck," he groaned as he inched inward. "You're so fucking tight." He kept hitting some part of her that made her shudder with desire, and she clutched tight to Max, who'd moved in front of her. She buried her face in his crotch and grounded herself in his musky scent.
Finally, Max pulled her up and kissed her, while Kyle helped her to latch her legs around Max's waist. This opened her up so Max could push his cock inside her pussy. Her copious cream eased the way and soon, both men were sitting to the hilt inside her, making her feel full and complete. Their erratic breaths and pants circled the air, and anyone who came upon them now would know exactly what they were doing.
Threesome Bonds Page 3