by _Anthology
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
Love Bites
BBA
An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers
PO Box 2545
Round Rock, TX 78680
Birds of a Feather Copyright 2008 by Dianne Fox, CatsEye Copyright 2008 by C.C. Bridges, Marked Copyright 2008 by BA Tortuga, Oliver's Famous Clam Chowder Copyright 2008 by Erin O’Riordan, Plus One Copyright 2008 by Camren August, Quittin Time Copyright 2008 by BA Collins, The Regular Copyright 2008 by Giselle Renarde, Tilt a Whirl Kisses Copyright 2008 by Vic Winter
Cover illustration by Stella Price
Published with permission
ISBN: 978-1-60370-414-4, 1-60370-414-0
www.torquerepress.com
All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Law. For information address Torquere Press. Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680.
First Torquere Press Printing: June 2008
Printed in the USA
Table of Contents
Plus One by Camren August - 4
Oliver's Famous Clam Chowder by Erin O’Riordan - 16 CatsEye by C.C. Bridges - 39
Birds of a Feather by Dianne Fox - 63 Tilt-a-Whirl Kisses by Vic Winter - 81 Marked by BA Tortuga - 94
Quittin Time by BA Collins - 110 The Regular by Giselle Renarde - 130 Contributing Authors - 144
Plus One Camren August
Prologue: Richard Banks stared at himself in the bathroom mirror, noting the scratches and bite marks on his chest and arms. He grinned ruefully as he reached up and wiped lipstick away from one of them. Looking closer, he thought he might even have a little razor burn on his chest and—he looked down—one thigh. Make up was definitely going to have to cover up some vicious hickeys. He looked like he'd spent the night fucking a pack of wild animals instead of just the two he'd left in the bed. He looked marked, claimed, owned, and he couldn't have been happier.
***
The door to the dressing room slammed open, banging against the wall.
"So, you're the son of a bitch that's gonna come between us!" Ritchie looked up to see a tall, thick-chested blond heading toward him with a frown. He froze for a moment, his mind running rapidly over ex-girlfriends, not that there had been that many. Then he realized who the guy was, a moment before the slender, dark-haired woman popped through the door, rolling her eyes as she took in the scenario.
"Oh my God! Please ignore him; sometimes he has problems with reality." He stood up as Antoinette ''Please, for the love of God, call me Toni" Dubon made her way over, moving between them and offering her hand with the same smile he'd found so captivating when he first met her that morning. He'd tested for the role with her reading opposite him, and it was easy to play lovestruck with her on the other side of the words.
"Ritchie, right?" When he nodded she continued. "It's nice to see you again. And this big lug with me is Trey Whitman." "Otherwise known as Carter Haywood, the guy whose wife you're going to be banging." There was a low drawl in his voice that reminded Ritchie of every cowboy movie he'd ever seen. As a matter of fact, so did Trey himself. Large-framed, tanned, and with a wide-open grin, he looked like he should be riding the range with Randolph Scott or something, not pounding the boards in New York City. Toni backhanded Trey in the stomach, drawing an 'oof' from him and a grin from Ritchie.
Ritchie held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "But only on the show."
Trey nodded, grinning as well as his large hand engulfed Ritchie's. "Damn straight!" That first meeting set the tone of their relationship. Toni and Trey took him under their weird, funny wings. They'd both been on the show for years, Toni since she was ten and Trey since he was seventeen. They'd also both left and come back several times, so they knew the ins and outs. Who to suck up to—the catering crew, make up and the writers; who to ignore—the bitchy diva that had been on the show since it started forty years ago; and who to watch his back around— the gossipy, cutthroat leading man. Ritchie appreciated not having to feel his way blindly along. He also appreciated making new friends so quickly. His college friends were scattered far and wide, making their way in the big bad world, and his New York friends had really been Sasha's, as he'd found out when they broke up.
Over the next few months, the three of them became pretty much inseparable. They worked their schedules to have lunch together whenever they could, met after work, and spent most weekends hanging out. On their show, Trey's character was mature and level-headed, and Toni’s character was a wild child, always coming up with crazy ideas and getting into trouble. In real life, Ritchie found it was just the opposite. It was always Trey with a new scheme or joke, the twinkle in his eyes inviting you to play along, and Toni with the voice of reason and caution. As scripted, however, he was somewhere in between, and somehow it worked for them. Ritchie hadn't fallen into such a quick, easy friendship since he was a kid.
***
"So, when are you going to ask her out?" "What?" Ritchie looked up from his script to frown at Trey. They were sitting, watching Toni weep on cue for the fifth time as 'Shara' confronted her mother about trying to sabotage her relationship, and waiting for their own scene. He got an exasperated sigh in return.
"Out. Date. The two of you?"
"I'm not."
"Why not? She's gonna say yes." "What are you? Her pimp? Look, I like both of you and no way I want to get in the way of this weird 'thing' you've got going on." Their 'thing' was a freaky off/on relationship they'd had since they were teenagers. According to Toni, when they were a couple, it was great except for the part where they fought like Democrats and Republicans, and made decisions just as bad. When they weren't a couple, they managed to be the best of friends.
Trey slapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, son. You have my permission." He let all of the good ole Southern boy he used to be slip into his voice.
Ritchie rolled his eyes. "I don't need your permission, 'Hoss'." "Well, apparently you do, because you haven't asked her out yet. Don't tell me it's because you don't want to. She's hot." He leered comically, his expression reminding Ritchie of the old cartoon wolf.
"You're a freak, you know that, right?" Ritchie shook his head and went to get a last minute touch up before the cameras rolled. He couldn't help thinking about what Trey had said while Cherry blotted and dabbed, though. He didn't need permission exactly, but Trey was his friend and he didn't want to mess that up either. Yeah, Toni was a hottie. He'd wanted her when he first met her, dressed in simple jeans and a tee that hugged her slender curves, and grinning up at him with bright, hazel eyes. He'd always had a thing for the girl next door look. So now, Trey seemed to be okay with it and he'd said that Toni would say yes. Ritchie just had to work up the nerve to ask her.
*** In the end, all his planning and cheesy pick up lines were wasted, because Toni asked him out. He wondered if she'd gotten the 'Trey Whitman seal of approval—so get off your butt and do it already’ speech as well. Whatever the case, before he knew it, they were a couple. Ritchie wasn't sure what he’d expected, but Toni was the easiest relationship he'd ever had. They went on a few traditional dates—dinner, the movies, that type of thing. But mostly the three of them still hung out. And Trey was true to his word, seemingly not bothered at all by the two of them as a couple.
Truthfully, things weren't that different from when they weren't a couple, except for the sex. There was lots and lots of s
ex, which was another surprise. It wasn't like he had a lot of experience—a few semi-serious relationships in college and Sasha, his 'New York' girlfriend, which was how he always thought of her—but he'd never been with anybody as enthusiastic about fucking, and hand-jobs and blow-jobs, and being eaten out, as Toni. There was a little part of him that couldn't help but wonder if she had been like that with Trey, couldn't help but think about what they had been like together—he mostly tried to ignore that part.
Ritchie was the only one without a roommate, so, even though his apartment was so tiny it didn't seem like it would fit one person sometimes, the three of them wound up spending most of their time there. Trey would camp out on the couch and Ritchie and Toni would be in the bedroom, frequently fucking as quietly as possible, so Trey wouldn't hear. Something about straining to be quiet while she swallowed his cock, or reaching a hand up to cover her mouth and muffle the moans when he slid into her, something about knowing that Trey was twenty feet away, maybe listening, made those nights especially intense.
*** Toni was already half asleep, stretched across the seat, butt in Ritchie's lap, and legs spread over Trey, when the cab pulled up to the curb. They'd had dinner, and then caught a late movie.
"Are you sure you don't want to come back with us?" Trey shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. I've got an early call in the morning. And no offense Ritchie Rich, but your couch ain't the most comfortable thing in the world. Besides, the two of you don't need me cramping your style." He grinned. "You might want to wrestle naked in the living room or something."
Toni opened her eyes, kicking at Trey with her bare foot, her shoes having bit the dust as soon as they got into the car. "Fine, go sleep in your comfortable bed, then. See if we care."
He laughed, shaking his head, and got out. He leaned back into the window. "Off you go, kiddies. See you tomorrow." Watching him get out and go up to his own apartment felt so weird—almost wrong—that Ritchie realized just how much time the three of them had been spending together. As Toni curled back into him and the cab took off, he closed his own eyes, trying to ignore the feeling that they were leaving something behind.
*** Ritchie flew back home for a couple of days for his mom's birthday, and spent most of the time on the phone talking to Toni or Trey or both. He missed New York, and them, more than he could ever have imagined a year ago. When they met him at the airport with a huge sign, balloons, and a stuffed gorilla, he felt more at home than he had returning to the place where he grew up. He laughed as Toni jumped into his arms, raining kisses over his face like he'd been gone months instead of days, and he was still laughing as Toni moved aside and Trey grabbed him up in a bear hug, actually lifting him off the floor.
It wasn't the first time Trey had touched him, he was always quick to throw an arm over Ritchie's shoulder or give him a friendly slap on the back. They'd never had their arms around each other, though, and Ritchie was surprised to find it gave him a strange thrill. He wasn't...didn't think about guys like that, but this wasn't a guy, it was Trey, one of his best friends, and maybe it should have felt weird, but it didn't. When Trey put him down and backed away, there was a look in his eyes for a moment that made Ritchie think he'd had the same experience, but then it was gone and they were back to normal. And it wasn't something he dwelt on, or even thought about after that.
A month or so later, they were in the dressing room they shared, running lines for a scene he had later. Toni was still on set and Trey was reading Toni’s part. She slipped in at some point, but she refused to step into Trey's spot, insisting on watching them instead, and heckling from the sidelines. When they got to the kiss, Ritchie leaned in playfully, and met Trey's lips in a brief peck. His mouth was warm, and softer than Ritchie thought another man's would be. Toni hooted from the corner. "Come on, you can do better than that."
He blushed but rose to the challenge, pulling Trey into the type of dramatic kiss that soap romances thrived on. One minute they were still playing, and the next, Trey was flush against him, devouring his mouth, and Ritchie's cock was getting hard, pressing against the other man's stomach as he gave as good as he got. He moaned low in his throat as Trey ground his cock against Ritchie's. It took the gasp from the other side of the room to pull him back to his senses. Trey's eyes met his for a moment, filled with confusion, and something Ritchie couldn't figure out, before he cleared his throat and looked away.
Ritchie stepped back, flushing, and ran a hand through his hair. He was feeling pretty confused himself. "Oh Jesus! I'm sorry. That was...."
"Hot!" They both turned to stare at her. Toni’s face was slightly flushed, her eyes bright, and she was breathing hard.
They all three jumped at the knock on the door, and Ritchie had never been so glad to be called to the set. Trey disappeared somewhere after he was done shooting for the day, which Ritchie was actually grateful for, since he'd spent the entire morning trying to keep from staring at the other man. Not exactly easy when they had scenes together, but every time he looked at Trey, he was back in the dressing room, the feel of Trey against his body, and the taste in his mouth.
They probably needed to talk, because he didn't want something stupid and minor to fuck up their friendship, but he was glad for the reprieve, and a chance to figure out exactly what was going on with him. This had been the airport magnified a hundred times, and it wasn't going to just go away this time. It wasn't like he'd never had a passing thought that a guy was attractive-their business was filled with gorgeous people—but it had never been more than a thought until now. Until Trey. So, he needed some time to work this out.
Only, when he went back to their dressing room that afternoon, Toni was waiting for him. Despite what she'd said earlier, he expected her to be pissed or at least upset. What he didn't expect was for her to practically jump him as soon as he got in. She locked the door behind him, and then shoved him down on the couch, making quick work of opening his pants and freeing his cock, which, happily ignoring any ramifications, got hard immediately under her hands.
Toni didn't bother to get undressed, just slipped her panties off and straddled him, sheathing his cock with a soft sigh. She was very wet, and as she began to rock against him, Ritchie groaned with pleasure. He slid his hands up to cup her breasts, thumbs rolling and teasing the nipples through the thin material.
"I've been so fucking horny all day, just thinking about it. You and Trey." Ritchie tensed, stifling a groan as his mind went back to that morning. For a second he could feel stubble under his hands and Trey's hard length against him again.
"I wasn't kidding, you know. Two guys, it's hot. All hard muscle and hard cocks, stroking each other, sucking each other." She began to ride him faster as her words excited them both. "Did you like it?"
"Yes."
She leaned in, nipping at his earlobe. "Were you hard?"
He nodded, groaning softly as she ground down against him.
"I want...." She trailed off as she clenched around him and shuddered to a climax. Toni lowered her head, leaning against his shoulder until she caught her breath, and then she began to rock against him again. She leaned in to kiss him, nuzzling his ear. "I want to see the two of you fuck."
He moaned and thrust one last time, coming in warm pulses, her words ringing in his ears.
*** Ritchie didn't take Toni seriously, figuring it was just sex talk, something to get them both off. That was a mistake. He didn't know what she'd said to Trey, but somehow they found themselves, all three, at his place the next Friday night.
They all stood there staring at each other, and Ritchie fought back the urge to giggle.
Toni sighed in exasperation. "Okay, this is ridiculous." She grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it on the floor.
She put her hands on her hips, full breasts jutting out, and Ritchie lost any desire to laugh.
"Well? Ante up, boys."
Trey shrugged and began stripping off his own shirt, and Ritchie swallowed hard and did the same. Aga
in they all stood there. He sighed. "Maybe there should be liquor involved."
Trey rolled his eyes. "Maybe this was a bad idea."
"Maybe you guys are pussies. Now get naked, damn it!" Ritchie found her demanding tone actually kind of hot. Of course, the sight of her standing there in just a short skirt might have helped. He stripped off the rest of his clothes, neatly folding them and putting them on the chair, while Trey did the same. Ritchie surreptitiously eyed the other man's emerging body, taking in the thick, muscular chest, flat stomach and light sprinkling of golden hairs leading between his legs, where his thick shaft lay. Like Ritchie, he was already partially aroused, and he grinned ruefully when he caught Ritchie's eye. It wasn't that he hadn't seen Trey's body before. They'd showered at the gym, changed in the same dressing room, but he'd never viewed it with the eye of a lover before. Even though he was nervous as shit, he'd had that firm body against him once, and shivered with pleasure at the idea of taking things all the way this time.
Ritchie sat down on the bed. Toni moved between his legs and pulled his head up for a kiss, her tongue running over his lips and sliding inside, and after a moment he relaxed into her. This was familiar. This was easy. The knowledge that Trey was watching only heightened all the sensations. He heard Trey move and opened his eyes, watching as Trey slid tanned hands down Toni’s back and around, cupping her breasts. She moaned softly, and Ritchie's cock, completely hard now, throbbed at the sound. He reached down and slid his hand up her thigh and under her skirt. Like the bra, the panties were a no-show, and his fingers delved, finding her already wet. She moaned again, bucking against him a little as he slid two fingers into her, thumb plucking at her clit.
Toni tilted her head back to meet Trey's mouth while he kneaded her breasts, pulling and twisting the chocolate-colored nubs. Ritchie continued to finger fuck her with one hand, but the other found its way to his own cock, stroking slowly as he watched them. He could feel her slick walls tighten around his fingers before she shuddered, and came with a gasp.