by Shaw, Leia
“You’re half naked. Don’t wiggle too much, or you’re going to have another hard-on to deal with.”
“That wasn’t so bad.” She looked at him, amused.
“Most straight girls don’t like doing that, Scarlet.” He sounded impressed. “You didn’t even spit.”
“Lucky for you we’re not straight girls then.”
“I’d say,” he agreed. “We need to put a bandage on your tattoo now.” He didn’t move a muscle, except to pull the girls tighter. Reece had squeezed in beside them. Scarlet wondered if the chair could support three people. Hopefully Mal would give them some warning if they were above the weight limit. She needed them close right now.
“What do you say we get cleaned up and go somewhere more comfortable?” Reece suggested, working free from their embrace.
“My thoughts exactly.” The rumbling of his hard chest when he spoke felt nice. Scarlet looked down at Malachi. Their gazes met and a soft, contented smile creased the corners of his eyes.
“Are you even going to look at your tattoo before I bandage it?” Now he was laughing at her.
“Fuck. I almost forgot!”
He gave her a hand-held mirror and led her to the full length one on the wall. She moved the hand mirror around until she had a good view of it. Her jaw dropped. “How is this even prettier than it was in your picture?” She turned back and forth, watching the way it rippled as she moved her shoulder. It wasn’t just a tattoo. It was art.
Reece looked at it and grinned. “Can you believe it felt that good and it looks that awesome? You’re going to be inked all over in no time.”
“All over?” Malachi smiled. “I volunteer.”
***
Giggling, they climbed the stairs to their condo hand in hand, Malachi following behind. Scarlet was still wound up and she wondered whether she’d have the energy to get off again before they went to sleep. She was surprised it was only nine thirty. The bone-tired feeling was the same as how she felt after Malachi gave her a really good beating.
She fumbled for the key, blinking at the keyhole. It was a good thing Malachi had driven home. It was like being drunk.
Success didn’t come immediately, but when it did she moved inside and threw her bag on the table. The other two hadn’t followed. She went back out to see what was keeping them. They were having a stare-down in the hallway. Had Reece been mouthy? Suddenly, Malachi grabbed Reece around the waist then swallowed her squeak of surprise with his mouth. She was about to laugh and tell them to get a room when she noticed movement behind them.
Her heart dropped into her shoes. “Oh... Hi, Mom.”
Reece and Malachi broke apart and stepped awkwardly away from each other – Reece’s face was a bright crimson red.
“Hi baby,” her mother said uncertainly. She was looking at Malachi, aghast. A second later her features had smoothed to a calm indifference. “I just came to drop off some of the cereal I got on sale. I guess I should have called first.”
“It’s okay. Mom, this is our friend, Malachi. Mal, this is my mom, Jorah.”
Her mother nodded to him stiffly then handed the bag of cereal off to Scarlet. “Nice to meet you Malachi. Hi, Reece, that’s a very pretty skirt.”
Scarlet bit her lip when she remembered that she hadn’t let Reece put her panties back on, and they were now in her bag. Reece mumbled a thank you, but didn’t look her mother in the eye. Awkward.
Her mother squeezed her hand and backed a few steps. “Give me a call when you get a chance, Scarlet. I haven’t seen you lately.”
She waved and was in the stairwell before Scarlet could respond. Shit. What must her mother be thinking? Probably, that she’d been right when she’d warned Scarlet not to let this guy hang around Reece. Or maybe just that that they were sluts.
Here she’d been wondering vaguely how she’d tell her mother if it ever came to that. Now, instead, she’d be playing twenty questions while her mother tried not to think of the corresponding visual.
“Oh my god, Scarlet. I’m so sorry.” Reece pulled her close and Scarlet leaned against her.
“There was no way for you to know she’d be here at this time of night.” Scarlet reassured her. “When you show up at people’s homes unannounced, sometimes you get a surprise.”
“Yeah, surprise!” Malachi grimaced, then ushered them into their condo before any other shit hit the fan.
Chapter 15
The last thing Reece expected to find sitting on her couch after a day of shopping with Sabrina was Malachi.
She froze in the doorway, bags hanging from both arms. “What are you doing here?” The words came out harsher than she’d intended and Scarlet frowned at her.
Malachi only shrugged and resumed his game. “It’s Call of Duty day.”
“Oh.” She set the heavy bags on the floor, avoiding eye contact with Scarlet, who’d scold her for sounding so rude. But she hadn’t thought through the fact that he’d still come over every Friday and Tuesday to play games with Scarlet. If she’d known that, she might have stayed out longer. Having to see his face, hear his voice twice a week and knowing he wasn’t hers would be difficult. They’d all agreed to stay friends but maybe a clean break would’ve been better.
“Hey, Scarlet,” Sabrina said, pushing past Reece. When she spotted the couch inhabitant, she gave Reece a look then said, “Oh, hi, Mal.”
“Hey, Sabrina,” they both mumbled, keeping their gaze on the screen.
Reece had just explained the whole mess to Sabrina at dinner. She’d told her how she’d come to care for him and how much it hurt to lose him. And now here he was, sitting on their couch like he had so many times before – like the stray dog that just wouldn’t leave. Her chest started to ache.
Retreat! Her instincts screamed.
“What are you doing with all these bridal magazines?” Sabrina asked from the kitchen.
Was she going through her mail? “Picking out wedding stuff, nosy.”
Scarlet jumped in while pressing buttons furiously. “She’s been obsessed with weddings since she was a little girl. She’s picked out, like, a thousand dresses already. Haven’t you, kitten?”
She chuckled. “Yes. But I think I have it narrowed down to three.”
“Shouldn’t someone propose first?” Sabrina asked, coming into the living room, magazine in hand.
“You’d think,” Scarlet answered.
Reece flipped a hand in the air casually. “Details, details.”
Sabrina ran her fingers over the magazine cover longingly and frowned.
“Are you sad you couldn’t have a traditional wedding, Sabrina?” Reece asked her. She’d never thought of that before. It was hard enough for families to accept a lesbian relationship, but add polyamory to that and minds would be blown. It was asking a lot for people to not only accept it but to come to a wedding and celebrate it. No wonder Jude, Q and Sabrina had opted for a small commitment ceremony with only close friends.
After a moment, Sabrina shook her head. “No. Big weddings are a waste of money. Besides, if we want an excuse for a party, we have a million reasons with Zen.”
Reece sighed. “Yeah.” A wedding then a baby. It was the natural progression of things. Of course, they’d have to get creative about making a family. They’d talked about adoption before but they had to get through the wedding first, then a bigger house. “It’s complicated for you guys. I admire you. I definitely couldn’t skip a wedding and I have no idea how you co-parent with three people.”
Sabrina shrugged. “It’s not so bad. It’s kind of nice actually. The whole takes a village to raise a child thing. It’s really true. The more people that love Zen, the better.”
“Make sure you tell her I love her the most cause Auntie Reecey buys her the most clothes,” she teased.
Her friend laughed then handed the magazine over. “Speaking of that... Zen is probably still awake, waiting for Mommy to tuck her in. I should go.”
“Okay.” Reece reached out and hugged
her friend.
“Bye, Scarlet and Malachi. Have fun with your little game.” She smirked and opened the door.
The two game addicts barely looked at her as they mumbled goodbyes. Reece spared a glance at her two Doms, er, two used-to-be-Doms then decided to make a quick getaway to her office. Just before she reached the door, Malachi called for her.
“Come play with us, Reecey.” He grinned when he used the nickname.
She rolled her eyes. “Not today.”
“Come on,” Malachi said. “You’re a natural. You almost won last time.”
“All I did was press buttons randomly.”
“Sit with us at least,” Scarlet insisted.
“No. I have work to do.”
“Kitten –” Malachi started but she cut him off.
“I’m not your kitten,” she snapped. “Not anymore.”
Just before she shut her office door, she caught a glimpse of Scarlet’s puzzled expression. She’d have questions later. Maybe it was time to come clean and tell her the truth. She was so deeply in love with Malachi, she couldn’t bear to see him anymore.
***
“Reece,” a soft voice eased her awake. “Wake up, baby.”
“Hmm?” Her eyelids felt glued together but she managed to open them. The office wall was sideways and her cheek was pressed up against something hard. She lifted her head and a piece of paper stuck to her face.
Scarlet chuckled from behind her then pulled off the paper. Reece rubbed her eyes and yawned. She must’ve fallen asleep while she was working.
“What time is it?” she asked.
Scarlet came around to her side. “One thirty.”
“It’s late. What are you doing up?”
Grabbing her hand, she pulled her to stand. “I’m off tomorrow. I can sleep in. Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”
Too tired to argue, she let Scarlet lead her out of the office to their bedroom. She groaned as she rolled her head and stretched her neck. “Remind me never to do that again. I’m gonna need a chiropractor tomorrow.”
The bed looked so cozy, she stripped down to her underwear and climbed in without bothering with a pajama top.
“We need to talk,” Scarlet said. “Either now or in the morning. You pick.”
Playing dumb seemed a good idea for the moment. “What do we need to talk about?”
Scarlet pulled on a tank top and boxer shorts then slid into bed next to her. “Why you were so rude to Malachi tonight.”
Reece rolled onto her side so she could avoid eye contact. “I was just in a bad mood, that’s all.”
It was quiet for a moment. She stiffened, waiting for Scarlet to respond.
Finally, Scarlet sighed. “Why are you lying to me, kitten? We tell each other everything.”
The hurt in her voice made Reece feel like shit. Scarlet was right. They had always told each other everything. But when she opened her mouth to answer her throat closed up and she couldn’t find the words. How did you tell the one you love that you love someone else too? Tears pricked her eyes.
Scarlet began stroking her hair softly. “Do you have feelings for him?”
A tear fell as she nodded.
“I do too.”
What? She rolled over to face Scarlet. “You do?”
Her girlfriend’s nose was pink, like she was holding back tears too. Reece flung her arms around her neck and pulled her down so Scarlet’s face was nuzzled in her neck. “But that’s a good thing,” Reece said. “Maybe he wants us too. Maybe we can be like Jude and...” She trailed off when she felt Scarlet shake her head.
After a deep breath, Scarlet tugged out of her embrace and lifted her head. “He’s getting back together with Ivy. He told me tonight that he’s going to ask her to move in with him again.”
“Ivy? Didn’t she break his heart?”
She nodded and sat up then looked down at Reece. All evidence of crying was gone like she was trying to put on a strong front for Reece. “But you know he loves her. He told me tonight she visited him and begged him to take her back. He decided to give it another chance.”
Reece’s heart jumped in her throat. “But she’s bad for him! We’re better. We make him happy. Our kinks line up. We’re good together.”
“I know. But he loves her. Really, really loves her, and has for a long time. We can’t mess up this chance for him. If we get in the way, he’ll never know if it would’ve worked with her.”
She scowled. “She doesn’t deserve him.”
Her girlfriend flopped down onto her back with a sigh. “If we love him, we’ll let him go.”
Reece turned and rested her head on her elbow to look at Scarlet. “And if he comes back, we know he’s ours? Isn’t that a little Hallmark for you, Romeo?”
A hint of a smile played at Scarlet’s lips. “Smartass.” Without warning, she swung her body onto Reece’s and straddled her hips.
When Reece sighed and went to push her off, Scarlet grabbed her wrists and pinned them on either side of her head.
“Not tonight, Scarlet. I’m too tired and sad.”
“Mmm,” she purred. “But I can cheer you up.”
Mind on everything but sex, she shook her head. “How are we gonna handle hanging out with him twice a week just as friends? I could barely look at him tonight without bursting into tears.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she mumbled sadly then pushed away. “I have a feeling once he’s back with Ivy, that’s the last we’ll see of him.” Scarlet lay back down next to Reece but pulled her against her chest and wrapped her arms around her.
“Really? But he seemed so adamant about staying friends.”
“Think about it.” Scarlet ran her fingers through Reece’s hair, making her eyes drift shut. “What woman would be okay with their man hanging out with two kinky bi girls he’d played with numerous times?”
“Oh.” She yawned. Part of her wanted to pound her pillow as she screamed then collapse onto it and sob, but she was too tired for such theatrics. Maybe tomorrow she’d dredge up more emotion. This wasn’t over, she knew that much. The pain was just beginning to surface. As the realization that he was truly gone struck fully, there’d be more tears.
For now, Scarlet’s petting lulled her into a deep sleep.
Chapter 16
Malachi chewed the last bit of the burger, swallowed, balled up the wrapper, and batted it into the garbage can a few feet away.
“Score. You get a big gold star, boss,” Jake said lazily, checking out the situation before he went back to working on the angel wings on his client’s back. She was another customer from off the bus who had come in at lunchtime.
“Gold star, huh?” Which, of course, reminded him of Scarlet.
Sabrina had once told him about how she and Q joked about getting a fondue set if they converted straight girls to bi. What would he get if he converted Scarlet to full-on bi? Fondue wasn’t his thing. A new tractor for the farm would be a helluva lot more useful. Not that it was likely to ever happen. They were done with him, weren’t they, and vice versa?
He ran his tongue under his lip, thinking.
The way her mother had eyed him when he and Reece had been caught kissing... He shook his head. Scarlet had dismissed the whole incident, but he’d wormed more info from Reece later on. Her mom was worried he’d break up the girls. After she’d told him, Reece had shot him a dubious look, like she’d said more than she should have, and she’d clammed up.
He didn’t want to have that on his conscience. Those girls were as in love as anyone could be. Like Cross and his girls, or Jude and his. Or him and Ivy? Damn.
He scrubbed his goatee – a little angry even. It had been frustrating, going from Dom of the month to the man who was supposed to be invisible, and back and forth, like some yoyo. Lost cause. He should forget them.
He pulled out the white envelope, turned it over a few times then drew the letter out. When he’d opened the shop on Monday there’d been this envelope on the floor
– slid under the door by someone. There was no name on it or the letter.
This had hammered the first nail in the coffin of his hopes. He’d thought to pull away and give them some space while they all sorted out their feelings. He’d been ready to gently ask them to sit down and talk with him if, after a week or two, he’d still felt any hint of promise for the three of them.
But the next nail had been Reece and her talk of weddings. The girl was set on marriage to Scarlet. Who the hell was he to mess up her dreams? His big fat male ego had no right to squash her hopes for a wedding and a normal life.
But this, this fucking letter, had set him on the path to seeing how wrong he might be.
He unfolded the paper and reread, though half the time the words blurred.
The note was typed.
To Malachi,
Reece and Scarlet have a very special love. Please, you seem a genuinely nice person, don’t interfere with what they have. Neither of them are mean enough to tell you to leave them alone. So it seems to be up to me.
Please, leave them be. Just by being with them, you’re destroying something that is so right and so good.
There was no signature, but a few damp blotches at one edge made him think someone had cried over this letter.
That morning, he’d cycled from annoyance to anger to sadness to...regret. But, was this person right? He wondered if it was Scarlet’s mom. She’d been shocked when she’d seen him kissing Reece.
His text alert beeped.
He pulled out his phone and checked the screen. Ivy. The sigh that came out shocked him. He didn’t want to read whatever she’d sent. He had to though. Man up.
Got a minute?
He tapped it out. Sure
Have you thought about it? Us getting back together?
He had but he hadn’t decided, because the girls were on his mind so much. For a long time he’d thought he had a chance. Now, though, it just wouldn’t happen. Not ever.
He’d told Scarlet he was getting back with Ivy. A white lie because they all needed to get their shit together and move on. Maybe that had been his subconscious telling him what he needed? Ivy? He used to think she was the girl of his dreams. The one. Why was he hesitating? Had he changed that much?