The sloe-eyed woman looked to be in her mid to late twenties. She gave him a once-over before offering an inviting grin. “Welcome to McKinloch’s Pub. I’m assuming you’re here for the Gateway Athletic Club party, since that’s the only reason we’re open. Feel free to grab a drink at the bar, and I hope you have a happy holiday.”
“Thanks, and I’m sure I will.” Alec wondered why nothing appealed to him about the buxom woman with the welcoming expression. She was curvy and attractive; ergo, he should’ve been interested. So why did he find himself unconsciously comparing her to Thea?
I obviously haven’t gotten her out of my system. Probably because she hasn’t made a choice yet.
Alec turned in the direction indicated by the hostess and found himself staring into the crowded bar. The long, low space occupied the oldest section of the building and sat two steps below the restaurant. It was decked out in the usual holiday gore. Red ribbons, green foliage, all the stuff that reminded him of why he usually spent holidays parked in front of the television watching reruns of South American pro soccer games.
The tables were filled with soccer players who frequented the club rosters and several nonclub members he knew from the 3v3 tourney. Despite the sea of people and from across the room, Alec spotted Dom immediately.
He leaned against the bar, standing alone and casually holding the neck of a beer bottle in his right hand. The longer hair on top of his head was tousled, as if he’d done nothing more than run his fingers through it. His low-slung blue jeans barely sat on the tilt of his hips and were loose in the seat and legs. A simple long-sleeved black T-shirt showed nothing of the spectacular musculature Alec now knew hid beneath the innocuous exterior.
Dom shifted, and a hint of ink became visible at the base of his neck. Curiosity about the meaning of Dom’s tattoo rode Alec like a demon with spurs. His lack of interest in both flirting and women was all but forgotten. Alec walked straight toward Dom.
DOM WAS TRYING to remember why he’d come to the Christmas party to begin with. The bar was infested with gaudy decorations and populated by mostly drunk or totally wasted revelers. Christmas carols played in the background like the soundtrack to the most disappointing moments of his life.
“Who judged you?”
Thrown off balance by Alec’s sudden appearance, Dom gazed at his friend. He soaked up the familiarity of Alec’s presence and tried to decipher what might have brought on such a question.
“The ink on your back,” Alec said in a clipped tone. “What made you choose it?”
The tattoo was deeply personal. Had the situation in the shower not been so incredibly unusual, Alec would have never seen the design. But for some reason, Dom wanted to explain himself this time.
He searched for the words he wanted. “I didn’t get judged. I made a judgment about someone else. I turned my back on him when he needed me most, and he died because of it.”
Dom wasn’t certain what he’d expected of Alec. A flippant comment or a verbal dodge would have been typical. Anything but the bone-deep understanding in Alec’s eyes that suggested he knew that sort of pain on an intimate level.
Alec moved closer and rested his forearms on the bar. “Of all the people in my life, you and Thea are the only ones who have never judged me. I think that’s what draws me the most.”
“To what?” Dom struggled to make sense of what was happening. This didn’t feel like two guys hanging out and having a conversation. It felt like more. And deep down, if Dom could be honest, he wanted it to be more.
The corner of Alec’s mouth twisted upward. “To her. To you. I don’t know. I’ve spent more time with you guys in the last six months than I have with anyone else, even family.”
“And now we’re asking her to choose one of us.” Dom wondered if the words sounded as flat as they felt.
Alec snagged Dom’s beer from his fingers and took a long swig. “Yeah, that was one of our stupider ideas.”
“So maybe she doesn’t choose. Maybe we share instead.” The idea was beginning to take on a certain appeal. Probably because that solution didn’t hold any element of immediate rejection.
“Hang on.” Alec drew back, his dark brows coming together in a frown. “I’m not gay.”
Dom snorted. “That’s good because I couldn’t live the rest of my life with only you to fuck in the ass.”
The flare of heat in Alec’s expression caught Dom by surprise. Although it was no more shocking than the sizzling mental image now seared into Dom’s brain. Alec was a beautiful man. What would it be like to run a hand down his spine and see him arch his back and present his ass for penetration? Would he ever let Dom spread his hard cheeks and tunnel into his tight anal opening?
Anal was one of Dom’s favorite activities. He loved the clash of power and pleasure and the novelty it provided. He couldn’t imagine the erotic enjoyment of what it might be like to share that with Alec.
“Yeah, just so you know, I’m as much of a giver as I am a receiver, you arrogant bastard.” Alec finished what was left of Dom’s beer and then signaled the bartender for two more.
“You’re assuming I wouldn’t want what you had to give.” The words slipped out, leaving Dom to wonder if he’d said too much.
The excitement of a challenge lit Alec’s expression. He tilted his head and gazed at Dom with heavy-lidded eyes. “What if I wanted to give you something else? Would you kneel for me?” Alec glanced up to make sure the bartender was still occupied with getting their beers, and then he leaned even closer. “Would you welcome my hands cupping your face and my dick sliding between your lips? Would you enjoy my taste? Would it turn you on to have my cock plunging in and out of your throat?”
“Would it turn you on?” Dom forced himself to whisper, despite the burning lack of air in his lungs. He had to shift his stance to prevent his jeans from strangling his erection. He caught Alec’s gaze and held it. “Would you moan when you came in my mouth? Or would you rather wait until I claim that ass as my own and mark it with my cum?”
ALEC THOUGHT HE might go up in flames. Dom had just beaten him at his own game. He ground his teeth together to keep the moan from escaping his throat. His cock was an iron bar between his legs, and he couldn’t decide if he was glad or pissed.
“Cat got your tongue?” Dom picked up the beer that the bartender set before him and took a drink.
Alec couldn’t look at his friend without picturing every single act they’d just described. The two of them had been naked together only hours earlier, with Thea’s sweet body between them. The experience had been amazing, but what if there was a whole list of things they hadn’t yet explored?
Dom took a breath to speak.
Alec glared him back to silence. “One more word, and I might lose my head and kiss you right here in this fucking bar.”
Dom’s belly laugh made Alec smile. He didn’t hear his friend laugh all that often. It seemed like Dom was always determined to be serious about everything. Alec was going to comment on the refreshing change, but Jax Bequette chose that moment to stand up in front of the entire room, put two fingers in his mouth, and blow an ear-piercing whistle.
“Ladies and gentleman!” Jax’s voice was warm and welcoming. “Thank you all for coming to the party, and I hope you’ll feel free to hit the bar. The club would like to buy the first few rounds for everyone just to say thanks for an awesome year.” There was a hearty helping of applause. Jax grinned. “After that, you’re all on your own! But first, I want to present some awards to the top three teams in our Mistletoe Madness tourney.”
Thea appeared beside her brother, and Alec promptly stopped listening. He couldn’t devote any brainpower to anything but the sight of Thea in her strappy black cocktail dress. The sexual tension between himself and Dom was hot, but it was nothing compared to how it could be with Thea between them. Beside him, Alec sensed Dom’s focus going in the same direction.
Dom growled as they watched every male in the room give Thea an obvious once-ov
er. “I think I like her better in a soccer jersey.”
Alec grunted in agreement. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Chapter Four
The glares of the other women in the room made Thea want to fidget. It was hot in the bar, even in her decidedly skimpy dress. Hanging out at McKinloch’s with her brother and his friend Oz was okay most nights, but she didn’t want to be there for a stupid Christmas party. She was pretty sure her brother’s friend Oz McKinloch hadn’t been responsible for the decorations and greenery draped all over the pub. It’d more likely been the McKinloch women who’d taken such care to weave ribbons and lights into the spindles and wrap bright bows around the pillars.
Thea felt a moment of wistful longing. She publicly hated Christmas, but that was mostly because anger was a whole lot easier to handle than rejection. Since their parents’ deaths, Jax had tried to salvage their holidays together. It just hadn’t been the same. It never could be. How could you have a real Christmas without Mom’s sugar cookies and Dad’s ritual tree trimming?
A ripple of laughter startled Thea out of her dark thoughts. Jax made a few more asinine comments about everybody being a winner, blah-blah-blah, and then gestured for Thea to hand him the prize envelopes. The top three teams won prize money based on the number of entries in the tourney, minus the administrative costs and then split by some wonky math equation known only to Jax. He always said that adults would much rather win money than have a trophy to gather dust.
“If I could have my top five teams come up here, please.” Jax waved his arm to encourage them forward. “I’ve got some money to hand out.”
There was some loud ribbing between the players as fourteen people pushed their way through the chairs and tables. They gathered around Jax, jostling each other in a mostly good-natured spirit. The throng squeezed Thea to the fringe of the group.
She took a hasty step back to avoid getting her toes smashed and found herself pressed against a hard male body. She inhaled sharply and was surprised to realize she knew exactly who’d snuck up behind her. The clean sandalwood scent was all Dom.
He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “I’ve got you, sweetheart.”
“Yeah, you’d think these putos would let the first-place team stand in front, but no.” Alec appeared next to Dom and grinned down at her.
Thea soaked up the welcome sensation of acceptance and warmth. Awareness tingled in every nerve until her skin was practically humming with the knowledge that only hours earlier she’d been naked in the shower with these two gorgeous men. They’d pleasured her, and she’d pleasured them, and the experience was like a drug she couldn’t get enough of.
A chorus of shouts in the room yanked her back to the moment. She glanced at the friends and family of the players gathered to celebrate and caught the eyes of a tight-knit group of five women sitting off to her right.
Thea’s stomach twisted into knots as she watched them whisper. The alpha of the pack was a woman named Lacey, who’d been trying for months to snag Jax. Her girl pals Tysa and Jayden had shown some interest in Dom and Alec in the last few weeks. Thea had done her best to stay out of their way, but it was pretty clear they believed she was somehow cock blocking them. If women could even cock block each other to begin with.
Alec wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned in close. “What’s wrong, querida?”
There was another fevered round of whispers at Lacey’s table. Thea gave an internal groan. Why did some girls have to be so damn mean? It wasn’t as if Thea particularly cared whether or not Lacey slept with Jax. Thea obviously didn’t have her eye on him or anything. He was her brother, for fuck’s sake! Although, Thea was starting to think that if Lacey was serious about luring Jax into bed, she would have to invest in a gender change to accomplish her goal. Still, that wasn’t Thea’s fault.
“You might want to pay attention,” Dom murmured. “We’re up.”
“And let’s congratulate our top team: Dom Lopez, Alec Tavares, and Thea Bequette.” Jax handed three envelopes to Dom and then urged the crowd to give them a round of applause.
Thea blushed at the attention. She couldn’t help it. It made her uncomfortable as hell to have people focused on her. To her right, Alec raised his arm and basked in the glow of acknowledgment. To her left, Dom was utterly silent and stoic with a tight smile of acknowledgment on his face. Then Alec reached down and wrapped an arm around Thea. He lifted her effortlessly off her feet and put her on his shoulder. She wobbled, instinctively grabbing Dom’s thick shoulder to help balance.
The firm feel of Alec’s grip gave her chills. She forgot her self-consciousness when Dom turned his head and caught her gaze. She remembered the connection they’d felt earlier when she’d taken both of their cocks in her mouth and given them everything she had.
In that moment, she felt strong and powerful, as if she could take on the whole world and win. The edges of the ragged hole inside her were dulled by the freely offered acceptance of these two amazing guys.
She couldn’t help but laugh when Alec did a fist pump. Dom snorted at his antics. Even though Alec was making a spectacle of them, Thea was charmed by his exuberance. How on earth was she ever supposed to pick one of these men? Nothing good could ever come of a choice like that. They were friends. Choosing one meant leaving someone out, and Thea knew only too well what that felt like.
A prickle at the back of her neck burst her happy bubble. A few feet in front of them, Thea could see Lacey, Tysa, and Jayden scowling. Then they put their heads together and started arming for war.
Geez, I fucking hate Christmas.
* * * *
Thea pressed her back to the stone wall of the tiny alcove somewhere between the kitchen and the large dining room. She didn’t even entertain the notion that Jax would be ready to leave any time soon. He was at the bar watching his buddy Ossian deal drinks to customers, and chatting with whoever happened by. Thea would be lucky if Jax noticed her missing by the time New Year’s rolled around.
Lacey and her girl pals strolled through the dining room on their way back to the bar. Judging from the fresh war paint on their faces, they’d made a trip to the restroom. Thea pushed herself as far back into the shadows as she could possibly go. It was tempting to squat down in an attempt to hide more effectively, but she was afraid the movement would gain their attention.
Tysa tossed her long blonde hair over one shoulder and peered around the dining room. “Where did Thea go, anyway? I’m ready to give that bitch a piece of my mind. Who gave her the right to soak up the spotlight?”
“I don’t know where she went, and I don’t care.” Lacey paused in the walkthrough to stare at something around the corner. “Jax is up at the bar. I keep dropping hints that I’d like him to take me home, but he’s playing it cool.”
Jayden followed Lacey’s gaze and made a low sound of approval. “If I were you, I’d see if I could hook up a threesome with that hot bartender friend of his.”
“Screw that,” Lacey snapped. “The guy keeps giving me dirty looks when I walk up there. I’m about ready to complain to the manager.”
Thea put her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. She’d pay money to see Lacey try to lodge a complaint about Ossian McKinloch to one of his family members. They’d probably refer her back to Oz, since he was technically the boss in the bar area.
“Well, Dom and Alec aren’t being much friendlier,” Jayden complained. “The way they’re hanging all over each other and ignoring all the women in the room, they might as well be gay.”
Tysa snorted. “If you’d gotten stuck with Thea Bequette for a teammate, you’d decide you were gay too. The girl makes the whole gender look bad. Like all of us have shit fashion sense and no manners.”
In her shadowy corner, Thea felt naked and vulnerable. Why did they hate her so much? Sure she was awkward and tongue-tied when it came to the usual witty repartee these women seemed to thrive on, but she’d never said or done anything against them.
“Yeah, well, Thea had better steer clear of Alec and Dom now that the season is over.” Jayden put her hands on her hips and tossed her head, as though she expected a musical fanfare to accompany her declaration.
“Or what?” a deep voice asked.
The women gasped and spun around. Thea craned her neck to catch a glimpse, but she already knew it was Dom. She’d have recognized his voice anywhere.
“Dom, I’ve been looking for you.” Jayden sidled up to him and tried to nudge her way beneath his arm.
He casually rebuffed her. “No. I want to know. What are you going to do if Thea Bequette doesn’t steer clear of Alec and me?”
Jayden scowled. “You don’t know what she’s really like, Dom.” Tysa and Lacey were nodding emphatically for Jayden to continue. “She’s told everyone that she thinks she’s got you and Alec wrapped around her little finger. She’s claiming she’s sleeping with both of you.”
Tysa cast a sideways glance at Jayden. “We just don’t want the two of you to be treated like that. You guys deserve better.”
Thea’s head was spinning. Lies! It was all a pack of lies. She’d never once said anything about Dom or Alec to any of these women. She’d never talked bad about them to anyone else either. She didn’t gossip. Period. Her brother was the co-owner of the soccer club. He’d have killed her if he found out she was making trouble for him and his business partner, Brody Frost.
In fact, since Thea’s disastrous romantic advance on Brody, she hadn’t made a pass at anyone in or out of the club. She’d been too embarrassed by the dressing down she’d gotten from her brother and the accusations about her slutty behavior.
In her single-minded horror that Dom might actually believe the bullshit lies Tysa and Jayden were telling, Thea moved out of the shadows. She leaned forward to catch a better glimpse of Dom’s expression.
He looked utterly emotionless. His handsome face looked like a mask. Light from the dining room lent a sinister air to his features. The mouth she knew to be pliant and skilled was pressed in a hard line. Angular cheekbones set off the fierce line of his jaw, and his nose was like a blade. Everything about him was sharp. Even the hands hanging motionless by his sides seemed menacing.
The Gift of Three Page 3