Dare to be Three (Dare Menage Series Book 3)

by Jeanne St. James

  Paige snorted. “Logan is plenty, thank you very much. And I’m younger.”

  Graedon laughed. “I already knew that answer, so I get a freebie.”

  “Fine,” she said, shrugging.

  “Why are you interested in me?”

  Paige gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter. Within thirty seconds, they finally reached the farthest edge of the property, and she stopped the UTV along the line of maple trees that butted up against the field. She shut the engine off and took a couple of soothing breaths before turning in her seat to face him.

  When she met his gaze, she was swallowed up by the serious look in his eyes. She caught her bottom lip in her teeth.

  Graedon reached out and pulled on her lip, brushing his thumb across it before moving away.

  That small touch shot lightning through her.

  “You haven’t answered the question,” he prodded.

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure why. I saw you and something just pulled me. I can’t explain it.”

  He nodded slightly as if he understood. Maybe he’d had the same sort of instant attraction to them as they’d had with him. “Your husband seemed to like watching our interaction the other night.”

  Paige shrugged nonchalantly. “Yes, he did.”

  “Is he a voyeur?”

  Paige laughed softly. “No, he’s an active participant.”

  “But he’s heterosexual?”

  Some male partners liked to watch the females in the relationship have sex with other men. Connor said he wouldn’t mind watching, but that wasn’t his goal. He loved sex, the intimacy, the physical connection as much as Paige.

  “Umm.” Paige sucked in a deep breath. There was no reason to beat around the bush. She had him out in the middle of a field, at least a mile from his car. He couldn’t escape anywhere. It was kind of the perfect situation to lay their desires out in the open, per se. “You didn’t notice how he looked at you also?”

  “I noticed. I wasn’t sure what to think,” he said softly. At least, he hadn’t run through the fields screaming. So far.

  Cautiously, she asked, “Did it bother you?”

  “Should it have?”

  He was hard to read. She couldn’t tell if the idea was not to his taste, or if he felt curious. “You’re answering a question with a question.”

  His words were extremely firm when he said, “And you’re not being straight with me.”

  She felt slightly admonished by his tone. Clearly, this was a man who didn’t like games. “Sorry. It’s sticky.”

  Graedon brushed away a lock of hair that had blown across her cheek. “It doesn’t have to be. Just spill it.”

  Once again, her body reacted to his simple gesture. “Connor is bi-curious. He’s had a thing for Ty since they met. Ty would have been his first if Logan wouldn’t have killed Connor and buried him out in one of these fields. Logan is very possessive of Ty. Quinn too, of course.”

  “That’s to be expected.”

  Paige shrugged. “Sometimes it’s a bit much.”

  “Men want to protect what’s theirs.”

  Not all men. And men aren’t the only ones. There were many possessive women out there. Dangerously so. “As long it doesn’t become smothering.”

  He didn’t seem to agree or disagree with her, which made her wonder how possessive he could be. “So, back to your husband.”

  Right. “Even though Connor is curious and attracted to men, he’s never had the opportunity to hook up with the right one.”

  Graedon’s eyes widened, and he leaned back in his seat. “Are you suggesting that I’m the right man?”

  “I don’t know. Are you?”

  He stared at her and said nothing as he searched her face. Paige sat very still, trying not to reveal her desperate hope that he was the right one.

  “What gave you the inkling that I had even a remote interest in men sexually? Or even threesomes?”

  Paige’s stomach dropped.

  Then before she could answer, he continued, “And you are clearly not talking about a ménage à trois with two women.”

  “No.”

  “Do you really think I’m here today to tour a bunch of grass fields?” He cocked his eyebrow.

  Nobody in their right mind wanted to look at boring sod. “No.”

  “So why would you think I’m gay since the tour was just an excuse to see you again?” He reached over and slid his fingers along her jawline until he buried them into her hair.

  His palm felt warm against the side of her face. “Not gay,” she murmured.

  “Definitely not gay. I have a great interest in the woman before me.” He leaned towards her while pulling her closer. He held his lips above hers, barely a breath between them. “So, is it a package deal? I can only have you if I have Connor too?”

  She wanted to say no because she wanted nothing more than him at that moment. He mesmerized her, put her in some sort of corporeal trance when he got this close. His eyes made unwavering contact, his voice, low and deep, his breath a warm breeze over her lips. She willed him to close the gap. Though, the true answer to his question was yes. And no matter how much she desired this man at this second, she could never forget about Connor. Never would. She blew out the breath she held. “You want one; you get both. No compromise.”

  “I see.” He released her and sat back in his seat, putting some distance between them. “Have you done this before with someone else?”

  “No.”

  “Was this an impulsive decision?”

  “No. We’ve been talking about this for a while now. We see what Ty, Logan, and Quinn have together. And what Ren, Eve, and Cole now have. Do you know them?”

  “Yes, I know Renny and Cole well. I’ve only met Eve once. They have quite the chemistry.”

  “Then you know what we’re looking for.”

  His brows pinned together. “Not quite. Are you talking a serious relationship? Or are you looking for someone for Connor to experiment with?”

  Paige didn’t know what their final destination would be. She and Connor had only wanted to test the waters first. See if it would even work for them. Three people in one relationship took more work than the typical couple. And a lot of couples weren’t even successful, so the failure rate for a threesome was extremely high. Especially, if there was any sense of unevenness or jealousy involved. It could even end up that Connor found men weren’t for him and he might shut the whole idea down. Yes, he was attracted to certain men, but when it came down to the nitty gritty…

  However, Paige was walking into this situation knowing what would be involved. She’d watched the other threesomes’ relationships develop and grow. It wasn’t for everyone, that was for sure. Her only fear was if the third person would come between her and Connor. It would be the last thing she wanted. “Is that what you’re looking for?” she asked him.

  “You’re the one opening the door. I’m just the person on the other side waiting to be invited in.”

  She thought about the meaning of what he just said. He seemed very intelligent, and she couldn’t imagine him mincing words. “Well, it’s not like I wanted to come out and ask your sexual preferences. That would be rude.”

  “But you’re asking me now. Just in a more convoluted way. So, you don’t think it’s rude at this point? Do you think we suddenly know each other well enough?”

  Heat crawled up Paige’s neck into her cheeks. She placed her palms on her face, trying to cool her skin.

  “Sorry. I’m being blunt.” He pulled her hands away from her flushed face. “I’m attracted to you, Paige, and I know you’re attracted to me, which was apparent the other night. There is nothing I’d rather do more right now than pull you out of this vehicle and take you completely in that soft grass. In truth, that was my intention when I came. But you know nothing about me. We’ve known each other for…” He glanced at his watch. “For maybe an hour total.”

  “We could get to know each other,” she suggested.

  “Which is why I am here.”

  “But you still haven’t indicated if you’re interested in Connor, even in the slightest bit.” Maybe they’d been grasping at straws, maybe Graedon was one hundred percent heterosexual. But something niggling at the back of her mind made her think otherwise. Perhaps it was his lack of reaction at her mention of taking them as a couple, and not just her. Most heterosexual men would have reacted differently. Wouldn’t they?

  “I am friends with everyone you mentioned earlier, all in multi-partner relationships. It doesn’t bother me. I see how when it’s great, it’s spectacular. But I’ve also known people in polyamory relationships where it went horribly wrong. Are you willing to risk your marriage? Because that’s what you’d be doing.”

  “Honestly, I’m hoping to enhance our relationship, not damage it. I’m not the only one who is interested it this. Connor needs no convincing. If he weren’t the one who suggested looking for a third, then I never would have even considered it.”

  “But you are a willing participant.”

  She nodded. “Very much so.”

  “The two of you caught my attention the other night, whether you know it or not. I saw you from the other side of the room, long before I talked to Logan. In fact, I queried Logan who you were.”

  Paige felt surprised. Logan had given no indication of this. Though maybe it was because Logan had become less protective of her, once Connor had entered the picture. It was like her older brother had handed over the reins to her husband. It was now Connor’s job to keep her safe. “Just me? Or me and Connor?”

  “Both. You two left no doubt you were a couple. And I would never approach a woman who wasn’t single without some indication it was welcomed by both parties. I was pleased when you two showed interest.”

  “So wait…” Paige scrubbed her face with her palms. Was she hearing him clearly? “You are interested?” She dropped her hands into her lap. Was this really happening? Holy shit.

  Graedon picked her hand up and examined it, tracing his fingers over hers, sliding a thumb across her palm. “Yes, I am.”

  Paige’s brain spun like a hamster on an exercise wheel. Deep down she really never thought he’d agree. It seemed like a long shot with horrible odds. But he said yes.

  He said yes.

  She had no idea how to approach the situation from this point on. Though, his next three words made Paige’s stomach drop.

  “Under one condition...”

  Paige realized she had been holding her breath. She released it in a rush.

  “I’m allowed to have sex with you without Connor being there, and the same would go for him. If I want you on a Sunday at midnight, I get you at midnight on Sunday. Understood?”

  Paige’s heart raced. Would Connor agree to that? “And the two of you? Would you want to have sex without me?” She couldn’t imagine Connor having sex with another man without her. But she couldn’t be sure.

  “That option could be explored later. It may never even get that far. If Connor is bi-curious like you say he is, then this sexual experimentation of his may quickly change his mind.”

  Damn, she hoped not.

  Maybe she was just being selfish, but the thought of her being spoiled sexually by two men was a hell of a fantasy. The image of this man and Connor being those two men made her pussy clench. “Do you want to explore right now?” She had a hard time keeping her voice from shaking with anticipation.

  “I would like nothing better, but I think we should wait for your husband.”

  His use of “your husband” should have disturbed her, but it didn’t. It excited her more. She whispered, “I already got permission from him. I would never be with another man without him okaying it. I love him too much.”

  Graedon raised his eyebrows. “You two have a weird relationship.”

  “That may be so, but it works for us.”

  “I see. I would love to have the two of you over for dinner. We could get to know each other more and then proceed from there.”

  “We would love that.”

  Chapter 3

  Connor rang the doorbell as they stood outside of Graedon’s front door. “He didn’t say if he was bi, or gay, or whatever?”

  “Connor, you’ve asked me this a hundred times. No,” she whispered loudly.

  Paige tried to have patience, but Connor acted so nervously and fidgety… like a kid who ate a pound of candy and then was told to go to sleep.

  Connor was mouthing, “This house is really nice,” when the door opened and the man who had invaded her wet dreams the past few nights stood before her, the glow from the foyer backlighting him, so he appeared as a dark silhouette.

  “Come in.” His deep voice resonated through the early evening air.

  The sound made her shiver. With a wide smile, she shoved Connor through the door and followed him into the house.

  “Good to see you again,” Graedon said as he shook Connor’s hand, then took their coats.

  Paige kicked her shoes off.

  Lowering his gaze, he regarded her discarded heels on his spotless ivory-colored marble floor. “You don’t need to remove your shoes.”

  She could have sworn he’d said, “Make yourself at home.”

  No? Oh, well.

  “Oh, yes I do. If I could go through life barefoot and braless, I would. Nasty torture instruments made by someone without a vagina.”

  Graedon cocked a brow and glanced over at Connor, who just shrugged and said, “Women.” As if that explained everything.

  Graedon nodded and hung their coats in the foyer closet. Paige thought she heard him chuckle softly when his back was turned.

  “You’ve got a beautiful house.” She surveyed the wide stairs flanked by wrought iron handrails leading up to the second floor and the crystal chandelier hanging from the vaulted foyer ceiling. She moved to the right and peered into a room. A large stone fireplace with a huge flat-screen TV over it was the centerpiece of the wide room. Football players scurried across the screen until a whistle blew.

  Graedon swept by her, grabbing the remote. “I apologize. I was catching up on some game film. Attempting to find a diamond among chunks of coal.”

  Connor held up his hand. “Wait. Don’t turn it off yet. What game was that?”

  “State versus Clemson.”

  Connor nodded his head, and settled on the couch, his eyes never leaving the screen. “Yeah, I remember that game.”

  “Are you a college ball fan?” Graedon asked, studying Connor’s face.

  Connor paid the other man’s scrutiny no mind. So much for him being nervous. “I watch some. I prefer NFL games.”

  “Who’s your favorite team?”

  The question was weighted, but Connor answered without thought or hesitation, “The Bulldogs, of course.”

  “Of course,” Graedon murmured. “Can I offer you two a drink?”

  “Just one?” Paige joked.

  Graedon shot her a wide smile. “You may have as many as you’d like. As long as you’re not driving.”

  Good point, but a little bossy. Paige chewed her bottom lip.

  “Don’t.” The word was sharp.

  With a start, Paige released her lip. What. The. Fuck.

  Connor looked up confused. “Don’t what?”

  Graedon waved his hand. “Nothing. Sorry. What would you like?”

  “A beer, if you have it.” He went back to watching the taped game.

  “And a gin and tonic for you, Paige?”

  His suggestion lessened her tension. “Oh, yes. I’d love one.”

  A chuckle rumbled from deep within his chest. “Why don’t you accompany me and I’ll give you something you’ll enjoy. We’ll be right back, Connor.”

  Paige glanced at her husband who looked way more relaxed than he had all day. All it took was a little football. Men.

  With a quick shake of her head, she wrapped her hand around Graedon’s offered arm. She marveled how small her hand actually looked on his arm. He wore a thin emerald green V-neck sweater that, once again, emphasized every muscle above his waist. She gave his bicep a squeeze as he led her out of the living room into a game room off of the kitchen.

  A beautiful, carved wood pool table sat front and center, a bar lined the back wall, and, in one corner, was a poker table. Another huge TV hung from the wall. A pair of French doors led out to what appeared to be a deck. It looked too dark outside for Paige to be sure.

  Without warning, Graedon backed her against the wall, placing both palms flat on either side of her head. She smothered a surprised gasp as he leaned in, his chest pressing against hers. She could feel the rise and fall of his breathing. Being so close, she inhaled nothing but his scent. Sandalwood, maybe. And testosterone. Her nostrils flared as her body recognized the latter and it warmed her core.

  Without her heels, she felt even smaller next to him. He could overpower her, make her his, and she would be unable to do anything about it. The thought hardened her nipples to painful peaks and her breathing shallowed. She wondered what it would be like to just let him have all of the control.

  “Are you ready for this?” he asked, his voice deep, growly.

  “Dinner?” she whispered breathlessly. “Sure.”

  “No. This.” He cupped her cheek in his hand and closed the slight gap, his lips taking hers. They were warm, broad, and silky soft, but oh-so-demanding. He kissed with the same confidence he exuded. He tilted his head for better access while pressing his large, solid body even tighter against her. His tongue teased along her lips, coaxing them open. And when she obliged, he took her mouth completely, wreaking havoc on her senses. She groaned into his mouth, and he tangled his tongue with hers, demanding her total attention.

  He released her lips abruptly, pulling back just enough to say, “I can’t wait to slide inside of you, give you everything you want, desire, and beg for.” His eyes were dark, his pupils wide.

  Her chest rose and fell quickly as if she were starved for oxygen. She swallowed hard as she trembled, on edge.

  She couldn’t wait either.

  A clearing of a throat brought her back to reality, but Graedon didn’t push away. He continued to stare into her soul, making her squirm.

  -->