by Reed, Autumn
Well, that speech was a considerable improvement from the pathetic apology I received on the infamous Lying Bastards night. And I had to give them credit, Shane especially, for having the balls to show up unannounced for Christmas and ask for a second chance. Yet, I remained hesitant.
Shane finally broke our silence. “What are you thinking, Emma?”
“I accept your apology, but I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Why not? If we’re all in agreement, where’s the harm?”
“Because it’s a disaster waiting to happen. I already let my curiosity override my better judgement once. I’m not sure I should let it happen again.”
“What do you mean?”
“I may not have known about the bet initially, but I was certainly suspicious that something was going on. I knew the three of you were business partners before you even asked me out. And, although you may find this hard to believe, I don’t usually date more than one guy at a time.”
“Big deal, Emma. If anything, that proves that you’re neither gullible nor risk averse.”
I laughed. “I guess, but I feel like I was dishonest.”
“Okay, maybe a little.” Shane winked. “But did you enjoy being with us? Were you honest about that much?”
I nodded.
“Then that’s all that matters.”
“Shane, how long have you been friends with Cole and Nicholas?”
“Cole, since high school, and I met Nicholas my freshman year of college at USC.”
“And how important is their friendship to you?”
“Very. We may joke around, but they are like family.”
“Okay, like family. And, you’re in business together. Either of those on its own would be bad enough, but together . . . this could be catastrophic! I don’t want to come between the three of you.”
“You won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, but we agreed that we can handle it. Just give us a shot—you know you want to.” He nudged me with his shoulder.
“Isn’t it a tad hypocritical to expect you to date me exclusively when I’d be dating the three of you simultaneously?”
“Emma, seriously. We all agreed to this; stop over-thinking it.”
“Fine.” I sighed dramatically, although I couldn’t fight a smile. “I can tell you’re not going to let up anytime soon.” If they were all encouraging this, who was I to stand in the way?
“I’m glad you realize that and have now come to your senses. You may call me successful Shane. Sexy is also acceptable.”
“Nope. I believe you have officially lived up to your stalker Shane nickname.”
“We can agree to disagree.”
“For now,” I said, standing from the bed. “This has been quite the eventful day, and I’m ready for bed. If you want to change and brush your teeth, the bathroom is down the hall.”
“You’re letting me stay?” He sounded genuinely surprised.
“Yes, sneaky Shane, you’ve left me with no other option. You’ve met my mother and seen what she’s capable of. I can’t let her think we had a lover’s quarrel on Christmas Eve.”
“No, we definitely can’t have that,” he said with mock seriousness before sauntering out of the room.
When Shane returned, I couldn’t help but smile at the change in his appearance. Compared to his usual buttoned-up business attire, the pajamas coupled with his rumpled hair and boyish smile was adorable. I excused myself to the bathroom, thankful I packed decent pajamas.
I found Shane lingering in front of my bulletin board. “Is this you and Matt?” he asked, pointing to a photo of when we were about ten.
“Yeah. Much as I hate to admit it, he was a huge part of my life.”
“But he’s not anymore?”
“No.” I laughed darkly. “We broke up at the beginning of the summer, and I had no idea he was coming tonight. That was all my mother’s doing.”
“I’m sure it’s frustrating to have a meddlesome mother, but I’m guessing she just wants what is best for you.”
“That’s what she told me, almost verbatim, when we were alone in the kitchen.” I ran my hand through my hair. “I just wish she’d respect my decisions and treat me like an adult.”
“At least you know she cares. You could have a mom that only participates in your life when it’s convenient or beneficial.” His tone was bitter.
“I’m sorry, Shane. You said your dad raised you, but I didn’t realize . . .”
“It’s fine. Money has a way of revealing a person’s true colors.”
We were silent for a few seconds before I moved to the bed and pulled back the covers. Shane hesitated, then climbed in beside me. Once we were both lying on our backs, I couldn’t help but glance over at him.
“Shane?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for taking my side at dinner and later stepping in with Matt. It was nice to feel like someone had my back.”
“What are fake boyfriends for?” he teased. “Are you still pissed that I crashed your Christmas?” He shifted onto his side facing me.
“No, I’m finding your presence quite useful.” I rolled toward him, tucking my hands beneath my head.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Shane ran his fingers through my hair, then trailed his hand over my shoulder. All the while, his blue-gray eyes stared into my own. “You are so beautiful, Emma. And I’m still dying to kiss you.”
Shane didn’t wait for a response, and the moment his lips touched mine, it was like a fuse had been lit. There was nothing slow or sweet about his kiss; it was demanding and insistent. He wrapped an arm around my hip, pulling me closer until our bodies pressed together. I felt consumed by him as his tongue drove into my mouth.
Digging my fingers into his hair, I couldn’t get enough of him. Our kissing became even more feverish, and he rolled so I was sitting on top of him, straddling his body. When the bed beneath us squeaked, I panicked. Oh shit, we’re at my parents’ house.
I bolted upright, placing my palms on his chest, my hair hanging around my face. Shane looked as dazed as I felt and attempted to pull me back to his lips. Eyes locked, nose to nose, I was tempted to let him.
“Shane,” I whispered between ragged breaths, “what are we doing?”
“I believe you were getting acquainted with seductive Shane.” He shot me a cheeky smile, and I attempted to move away, but he held my hips firmly in place.
“As much as I like seductive Shane, should we be doing this?”
“I certainly can’t think of a compelling reason not to.”
“I can think of two—Nicholas and Cole.”
“Emma, when we agreed that we would all date you, we accepted everything that entails.”
My heart raced with excitement, but I refused to let his words give me a free pass to be reckless. I was still getting used to the idea of dating all of them for real.
“Okay, but I need to take things a little slower, especially since my parents are down the hall.” I gave him a somewhat restrained kiss before carefully maneuvering a safe distance away.
Shane groaned, but his eyes glinted with amusement. “You’re killing me here, enticing Emma.”
“Would you rather sleep on the floor?”
He muttered an unintelligible curse, then hauled me up against his chest. Reaching over me, he turned off the bedside lamp and tucked the covers securely around me. “Sweet dreams, beautiful.”
Chapter 10
My stomach lurched as the wheels of the plane touched down with a jolt. It wasn’t the landing that had me on edge, it was the nervous-excitement coursing through me at the thought of seeing Cole. Since Shane returned home yesterday, Cole insisted on picking me up from the airport, and I couldn’t refuse. Apparently that was a common theme for me when it came to Shane, Cole, and Nicholas.
When I caught sight of Cole approaching in baggage claim, a huge smile on his face, I felt all the worry and fear fade away.
He confidently strode toward me, his jeans slung low on his hips and his dark leather jacket only adding to his allure. Without warning, he wrapped me up in a big hug, lifting my feet off the ground. Instinctively, I buried my face in his neck, his scruff prickling my cheek.
He released me, his smile fading into an expression more hopeful than anything. “Can you forgive me? I’ve felt sick ever since you left the bar.”
Tears threatened as I was reminded of how hopeless our situation felt that night. Was I doing the right thing by giving them another chance? Looking into Cole’s remorse-filled eyes, I wanted to believe that I was.
Not trusting words, I nodded.
His posture instantly relaxed, and within seconds, playful Cole reappeared. “How was Christmas in the frozen tundra known as Indiana?”
“Dramatic.” How much had Shane told him? And should I avoid talking about the other guys when I was with one of them?
“How was Christmas at Loft25?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.
“Fun and surprisingly busy.”
“That’s great. You didn’t mind working, then?”
“Nah. Being at the club rarely feels like work,” Cole said as he lifted my bag into the back of his black 4Runner. I was surprised he didn’t drive something flashier, but the more I thought about it, the SUV seemed fitting. Even though he easily assumed the role of a playboy, I sensed there was a more down-to-earth side to him.
“Where’s your chauffeur?” I teased, thinking back to our outrageous date that ended with a helicopter ride.
“I gave him the night off,” he said in a nonchalant tone, opening the passenger door. “What are your plans for the evening?”
“I’m all yours. Are you hungry?”
“I like the sound of that.” Cole’s grin was mischievous.
I punched his shoulder playfully. “I meant for dinner.”
“So did I,” he answered with too much innocence.
After we dropped off my luggage at my apartment, we walked to one of my favorite local haunts, a family-owned Italian restaurant. When faced with a long wait, we decided to order our food to go and eat it back at my place.
“Did your family come to visit for the holidays?” I asked, setting the table while Cole removed delicious-smelling food from takeout containers. This felt so domestic, so normal. It was like we were any other couple sitting down to dinner, except for the minor detail that I was also dating his two best friends.
“No, we uh, don’t keep in touch anymore.”
“I’m sorry.” As much as my mother drove me insane, I couldn’t imagine completely cutting her out of my life.
He twirled spaghetti on his spoon, staring absently at the table before speaking again. “My family always struggled financially. Needless to say, when Strike became successful, everyone was ecstatic. At first, I was more than happy to share my good fortune, but over time, my family’s requests turned into demands.
“Nic and Shane told me for months that I needed to cut my family off, or at least adjust their expectations. So, when my brother called out of the blue expecting me to give him $10,000, I decided enough was enough. Unfortunately, my mom took his side and stopped talking to me after I wouldn’t reconsider.”
“$10,000?” I nearly choked. “Wow, you’re so unreasonable,” I said sarcastically, but I was genuinely saddened for him. “Seriously, though, that’s terrible.”
“At least I still have Nic and Shane.” He smiled. “And I know they’re not after my money; they have plenty of their own.”
“What about me? I could totally be a gold digger.”
“Somehow I doubt that. In fact, I think that’s a big part of why the three of us are drawn to you.”
“And that doesn’t sound like a problem to you?”
He shrugged. “At the moment, you’re all mine.”
How can they be okay with this? I debated pushing the issue when I felt Cole’s hand on mine.
“Emma, we’ll be fine. Our friendship has survived tougher tests.”
“If you say so,” I answered, my voice laced with skepticism.
“Shane has always had my back and I know he always will. Same for Nicholas.”
“You and Shane have been friends since high school, right?”
“Yeah. Freshman year, I was invited to attend a fancy prep school on scholarship. Basically, they wanted me to bump up their test scores and were willing to give me free tuition in return. I was a scrawny nobody that no one wanted to be friends with.”
I laughed, trying to imagine that.
“One day, some of the lacrosse jerks ganged up on me, the usual stupid high school shit. Shane jumped into the fray, and, together, we got a few good hits in before the principal broke up the fight. We ended up in detention, but we became best friends, so it turned out okay.”
“Let me guess . . . by senior year, you guys were running the school.”
“Pretty much.”
I rolled my eyes. “And Nicholas?”
Cole chuckled. “Ahhh, Nicholas. He was an uptight prick when we first met him. Not that I blamed him. His family was running every aspect of his life, and that mother of his is a piece of work. She makes mine look sweet. Anyway, things finally changed when Shane and I goaded him into a bet, knowing he was super competitive and couldn’t refuse.”
“So, that’s where it all began—the outrageous bets?”
Cole nodded thoughtfully. “I guess so.”
“And that’s all it took? To get Nicholas to loosen up, I mean.”
“No, but it was a start. I’d say it took about a year under our tutelage to reform him.”
“You mean corrupt him,” I teased.
“Oh, please. Nic may come off as the dutiful golden boy, but he has a wicked side.” I hope so.
“Sounds like you were busy, between ‘reforming’ Nicholas, developing a successful app, and still graduating with honors.”
“I see someone’s been doing her research.” He shot me a cocky grin.
“Nothing a basic internet search couldn’t reveal,” I said in a bored tone.
“Mhmm.”
“Why a dating app? Have you ever used it yourself?”
He shrugged. “Everyone’s looking for love.”
“Or a hookup,” I interjected.
“Or that,” he laughed. “And, no, I’ve never used it.”
“Do you have any other apps, besides Strike and the pet locator?”
“I always have ideas in the back of my mind, but for the past year, my focus has been on opening the club. Besides, I can’t take all the credit for the pet locator; it was the brainchild of the PAWS director. She had a rough idea of what she wanted, and I translated it into something more useful.”
I opened my mouth to ask another question, but Cole spoke first, his gaze heated. “Alright, Sherlock, if you keep that up, I’ll have to do some interrogating of my own.”
“Interrogating?” I gulped.
“Yes,” Cole said, clearing the table. “And I have very effective methods of persuasion.”
“Is that so . . .” My imagination went wild, and I nearly blushed at the thought of Cole tying my hands above my head, teasing and torturing me. Of taking me to the edge before finally giving me the release I craved. Oh, good god.
“I have to head to the club in a little while, but do you want to watch a movie?”
Relieved he’d left me off the hook, at least for now, I said, “That sounds like a great idea.”
About thirty minutes into the comedy, I was about to lose my mind. Isn’t “watch a movie” code for “let’s make out”? We had gone the whole afternoon and evening without a single kiss. Instead, we sat on the couch, his arm around me and his fingers toying with my shoulder, slowly, sensually. I felt like I was going to combust, and yet, the few times I glanced over at him, he appeared irritatingly calm.
Just when I was debating if I should turn up the heat to encourage Cole, he got up and retrieved something from the fridge.
&n
bsp; “You better be willing to share,” I said, pointing to the container in his hand that I knew held tiramisu.
“Maybe,” he said flippantly, before grabbing a fork and returning to the couch. He dug the fork into the dessert and then took a bite, drawing out the moment. “Mmm, this is absolutely delicious.” His eyes darkened as he looked at me, licking his lips.
“You’re such a tease.”
He prepared another bite, then held it to my lips, his gaze fierce. I opened my mouth and let him feed me the tiramisu, closing my eyes the instant it hit my tongue. “Mmmm.” Tiramisu was one of my favorite desserts; I adored the sweet flavor of mascarpone mingled with bitter espresso.
Before I could reopen my eyes, Cole’s warm lips pressed against mine, his fingers tangling in my hair to pull me closer. This kiss was insistent and all-consuming, nothing like the tender one in the back of the limo. When his tongue demanded entrance, I opened to him, the taste of Cole mixing with the sweetness of the dessert. Fisting his T-shirt in my hand, I felt like I was losing control in the best possible way.
I wanted, no needed, more. I tugged on the hem of his shirt and he tore it over his head, revealing chiseled abs and toned arms. He frantically unbuttoned my top and shoved it off my shoulders before finally breaking off the kiss.
His eyes devoured every inch of my exposed skin and blush pink lace bra. “Damn, I thought you looked good in red, but pink may be my new favorite color.”
“Cole,” I said, panting. “We should . . .” He kissed me again. “We should . . .”
“Keep kissing,” he said against my lips, interrupting my statement and train of thought.
“. . . probably slow things down a notch.”
“Oh, I can take things slow if that’s what you want, sweetheart,” he said, intentionally misinterpreting my meaning as he guided me into a horizontal position on the couch. “Tell me exactly what you like.”