by Jeffe Kennedy, Christine d’Abo, Elise Logan, Emily-Ryan Davis, Jodie Griffin
“You need to keep your finger on the pulse of the relationship. To ensure that no one is burying shit.”
Kat mulled Hunter’s assessment for a moment. “That’s probably about right. Honesty is necessary for this to work. We have to be open and clear about what we want and need from each other.”
“I can get behind that, Kitty-Kat,” Liam said slowly. “You aren’t asking for quantity so much as quality.”
Hunter nodded. “I can’t guarantee when or if I’ll be able to text or call. But I can promise to put it all in when I’m here.”
“You’re going to have to do more to stay connected to us.”
“I can try. Email is a bit looser. The PDA rules would still apply, but more substantive stuff could move through there while I’m deployed.”
“I can live with that.” Kat rubbed her fingertips on the table. “The only other hard limit I thought of may not apply, but I want to at least put it out there.”
Hunter raised his brows. “Go ahead.”
“Liam and I are used to bringing others into our relationship, but that was when it was just two. I don’t know how I’d feel about bringing another person in. I think if anyone is thinking along those lines, we need to talk about that.”
Hunter’s face shut down, going blank. “I’m going to draw a hard line on that one. No. Just no.”
Liam pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t...I can’t say it’s a hard line, but I don’t want anyone else in here, and I can’t imagine that changing.”
“Then we’re agreed? No bringing anyone else in, at least for now?”
Hunter nodded curtly. Liam inclined his head in a gesture of agreement.
“That’s...all I have. At least for now,” Kat repeated.
“I’ll piggyback on the last bit, then,” Hunter cut in. “I’m already taking a huge risk with my career with you two. I’m not opening that up to more shit by dragging other people into it.”
“I think we’re all clear on that,” Liam said evenly.
“Good. The rules for me are what we said before. No PDA, nothing overtly sexual in word or deed in public. I’ve worked too hard to blow off the Corps. Beyond that, I like being a Marine. I like what I do. No, I fucking love what I do. So I need you to respect that.”
His vehemence was so at odds with his lack of expression that it took a moment for what he said to sink in. When it did, it was a shock. “We respect that, Hunter. If we didn’t we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“I need you both to understand that this isn’t just a job that I can quit if it isn’t going my way. It isn’t the civilian world, and neither of you has any real experience with what this will mean. It isn’t that I don’t want to be with you—with both of you—it’s that I simply can’t give you the kind of time someone else can. Military families take the hardest hit, and you won’t even have the usual ways to deal with those hits. I said it before, but I really want you to think about it. It’s going to suck.”
Liam unfolded his arms and leaned forward. “This isn’t news. We’ve gone over this ground before and I’m not going over it again. Some things we’re just going to have to take as they come. We can’t know how we’re going to react to every situation. But unlike most military spouses, Kitty-Kat and I have each other. We worked it before you came into this situation, and we’ll work it when you have military shit to do.”
Kat knew her eyes widened. This didn’t need to be a confrontation, but both men were pushing at each other like boys on a playground. “Both of you need to chill. This isn’t a pissing contest. We can figure this out without beating each other up.”
“Tell that to Mr. Testosterone here, who’s all in our face over shit we can’t even see yet.”
She sent Liam a look meant to cut him off. Not helping.
“Shit,” Hunter muttered, running a hand through his short-cropped hair. “He’s right. I’m being a dick. I want this to be easy, and it pisses me off that I can’t just make it work. It’s not your fault or his, and I need to get my shit together.”
Liam froze, going absolutely rigid. Even as she noted her husband’s reaction, shock slowed her thoughts as she processed that bit of information. “What do you mean?”
“I make shit happen. It’s what I do. Mostly that’s blowing stuff to hell, but I make it happen. When I went up for gunnery sergeant, I made it happen. I worked my ass off, jumped through the right hoops, did what needed to be done to get it. The thing is, it’s not like civilian promotion. From here on out, every time I go up, I have to clear a selection board, and they aren’t just looking at my fitreps.”
Kat frowned. She wasn’t sure what a fitrep was, but she got the idea. “I think we understand that. It isn’t just about what you do in uniform, but out of it that affects promotion potential.”
Hunter shook his head sharply. “Not just promotion. If they wanted to, they could drum me out of the Corps with a dishonorable discharge.”
Liam cursed under his breath, but the buzzing in Kat’s head muffled the sound of it. She’d realized Hunter was taking a risk with his career, but she hadn’t realized the results could be so catastrophic. Being forced to leave the military was one thing, but a dishonorable discharge was something else entirely.
“Do you want to walk away from us?” God it hurt to offer him that option. It hurt to think, after one very uneven week, of letting him go.
“No.” His response was immediate, reassuring. It let Kat breathe again. After a moment, he continued, “That’s my problem. I knew the possible consequences when I made this decision, so I’m not going to back off now, especially not when I have strong feelings for you. For both of you. But I don’t want to fuck my career, either. So I’m pissed at the situation, which is making me act like a dick.”
Relief flooded her and she sagged in her chair, followed by alarm. Yes, she wanted them to be together, but she didn’t want to ruin his career, either. There had to be some way to reconcile those two goals.
Liam rubbed a hand over his face. “What do you want us to do?”
“I need you to understand how serious this is. I’m not just jerking your chain. This is a hard limit not because I don’t want you grabbing my ass in a restaurant. It’s a hard limit because grabbing my ass in a restaurant shows that you not only don’t respect my limits, but you don’t respect my being a Marine.”
“Shit, Hunter,” Liam muttered. “We aren’t out to make this harder. If you’re willing to take the risk, then I’m willing to keep it on the DL. I have no issue with that.”
“Absolutely,” Kat agreed. “I love that you are so committed to being a Marine. It’s made you who you are. I don’t want that to change. I just want to know you.”
“Yeah, well, then, that’s fine.” After a long pause, Hunter met Kat’s eyes. Whatever he wanted her to see, she didn’t yet understand. Finally, he shrugged uncomfortably. “That’s all I have.”
Caught by his discomfort, Kat cocked her head. Wait a minute. “No physical limits? No rules for what we can or can’t do?”
A corner of his mouth quirked in acknowledgement, and Kat knew she’d hit it right. They were both thinking back to Christmas morning when she’d pushed his limits. To when she’d asked him to think about pushing them more.
“No. I can’t guarantee I won’t decide I don’t like something, but right now, I don’t have hard limits.”
Kat’s breath caught. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? She opened her mouth, then closed it again. She wasn’t at all certain she wanted to force that into the open now. Better to deal with it a bit at a time.
“That’s good to know,” Liam said.
The very casualness of the delivery cued her in that he’d caught the implications of Hunter’s statements just as quickly as she had.
“Like I said, I can’t guarant
ee anything.”
Liam lifted a hand in acknowledgement. “Any other limits we need to discuss?”
Hunter shook his head slowly. “Not from me.”
“Kat?”
“No. We covered mine.”
“Then we’re to me. And I do have some limits. They aren’t things that really came up when it was just me and you, K-K,” Liam explained. “It does come into play now, though.”
Perplexed, she studied him. She was glad it wasn’t something that had been festering between them, but...
“Let’s hear it,” Hunter prodded.
“We’ll do physical first. No hitting and no bondage without discussion ahead of time.”
She jerked in her seat. Where had that come from? “Of course no hitting. Is that even a question?”
Hunter glared across the table. “I don’t hit women, man. What the fuck?”
“I don’t just mean Kat. I mean no hitting me, either. You could do serious damage.”
“What the fuck?” Hunter repeated. “Why would I hit you? That’s a dick move beyond dick move.”
“Then it shouldn’t be a problem for you to agree to that,” Liam said firmly.
Kat gaped at her husband. “I don’t have a problem with that rule, but, Liam, where did that come from?”
Liam shrugged. “I just want it out there. I don’t really think Hunter would abuse anyone, but I have to make it clear. And I’d point out that you hit Hunter earlier.”
The lightbulb suddenly switched on in Kat’s head. This wasn’t about Hunter at all. It was about his earlier talk with Jen. Talking to her always dug up old hurts, and this was no exception. If he needed the reassurance that the past wouldn’t repeat itself, she could live with that. Hunter would have to live with it, too.
“All right,” Kat murmured. “I don’t think it’s truly necessary, because I trust Hunter and I trust you, but I agree it’s a good rule.”
“Damned right it’s a good rule,” Hunter snapped. “It shouldn’t need to be a rule. But if it makes you feel better to have it out there, fine.”
Liam cleared his throat.
Visibly irritated, Hunter glared across the table at the other man. “What?”
“I can’t be bottom all the time. And, yeah, you’ve gone down on me a couple of times, but even then, you’re driving. I need to be able to control the action occasionally.”
Kat blinked. It shouldn’t surprise her anymore that their thought processes ran so parallel. She might not have been really willing to push that issue now, but she would have pushed it later. Liam just moved up the time table.
“What are you talking about? You set this up from the beginning, so what the hell do you mean?”
He was right, but Kat was pretty sure that wasn’t what Liam meant. “Physically, Hunter. I think Liam means you have to let him be in charge of the action, not just setting up the situation.”
Hunter frowned. “Is that it? Do you mean I have to let you fuck me? I don’t know about that.”
“No. I’d certainly enjoy that, but if I can’t make you enjoy it too, that’s a non-starter. Kat’s right. Yes, one or both of us may start something, but when it comes down to who is fucking or sucking, you are in control. Sometimes I need to be in control. This isn’t an issue with Kat because we naturally swap. But you’re used to being in control, to being the one in charge.”
“So what does that mean, exactly?”
“It means you have to let me and Kat tell you what to do, to push you to do things that you might not be thinking of doing right then. Even if you aren’t sure how it will go, you need to be willing to at least try.”
“Hey, if you don’t like what I’m doing, all you have to do is tell me.”
“Don’t be deliberately dense. You know that isn’t what I mean.”
“I don’t know if I know how to do what you’re asking me to do. I’m not really sure what you’re asking.”
“It’s easy. Let go a little,” Liam suggested. “Ease up on having to be in command all the time.”
“You’re asking a lot. I like being in the driver’s seat, sure, but when it comes to sex, I’ve never just let it happen.”
“Not true,” Kat murmured.
“Excuse me?”
His tone was so offended it almost made her smile. Almost.
“In the shower Christmas morning. For a little while, at least, you let me have control.”
He looked as if she’d told him the moon was made of green cheese and Milk Duds: completely blindsided.
Liam studied her with interest. “Did he?”
“Yes. Not for very long, but he did.”
“That’s a step in the right direction. I can take that as a down payment. If it becomes a problem, we can deal with that later,” Liam offered.
“Hunter?”
“What? Oh. Yeah, we can work on that.”
He seemed out of it, and she waved a hand in front of his face. “Hey. Earth to Hunter. You in there?”
He shook his head as if to clear it. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m here. Just got distracted.”
“Must have been some distraction.” Liam smiled.
“Yeah. I was just thinking about an idea Kat had while she was being in control.”
Kat’s pulse thickened. That certainly shifted her focus. And gave her an idea. She cleared her throat, pushing back the sexual tension. “Any other issues?”
“No, I’m good for now,” Hunter shrugged.
Liam shook his head slowly. “I’m done.”
Kat didn’t think they were done but she did think they had hit a wall. As much as she wanted to back up and talk about Hunter and Liam standing together against her, she didn’t want their first relationship meeting to devolve into an argument.
Hunter started to stand but stopped halfway out of his chair. “Kat? Do you have anything else?”
“No...nothing else to say, anyway.” Admiring the way cotton stretched across his flexed pecs, she relaxed in her chair. The first meeting was done and hadn’t been a disaster. Hopefully that meant future meetings would be similarly disaster-free. Though, of course, they’d have their issues.
Liam cleared his throat. “Do you want me to clear out for a while, babe?”
“Nope.” She tore her gaze away from Hunter’s chest and shook her head.
“Why don’t you go up and shower,” Liam suggested.
Kat let the last of her irritation go. It wasn’t productive, especially when she could think of better things to do than stew over something that wasn’t going to be fixed today. “Sure. I’ll get cleaned up and you two can come upstairs and get me all dirty again.”
Liam’s eyes widened slightly before he grinned at her. “That sounds like a plan to me. Hunter?”
They both switched their attention to Hunter.
“That works for me. I need to be back for an early call, so I can’t stay tonight.”
“All the more reason to enjoy the time we have,” Kat said firmly.
“I’ll second that,” Liam agreed.
“Then you’d better hurry up with that shower, kitten, or you won’t get one.”
She hesitated a moment, gave them both a flirty little wink, then headed upstairs. It didn’t take her long to scrub off the attic dirt, but she lingered over making sure she was smooth and soft for her lovers.
With the steam from the bath still clinging to her skin, she stood in front of the dresser. Hunter’s chunky, utilitarian watch was placed neatly on top of his wallet, his cell phone tucked neatly beside it, his dog tags forming a small pile behind. It contrasted with the messy tray, which held the haphazard collection of items from Liam’s pockets and her own purse.
Seeing his things with theirs made her happy. She wanted more of that. His T-shirts in
the laundry, his boots by the door, his damp towel over the towel bar. And she didn’t want those things in the guest bedroom or the guest bath. Eventually she would have to re-introduce the matter of their living arrangements. She didn’t want Hunter to be a come-and-go booty call who carried a change of clothes in his car. He belonged in the very center of her life, the same way he belonged in her heart.
“You’re thinking too hard, Kitty-Kat.” Liam’s teasing words pulled her from her mental wandering. She blindly chose a filmy negligee from her lingerie drawer and, tucking the gown against her chest so Liam couldn’t see it, smiled at him over her shoulder. “A sharp mind is a sexy mind.”
Liam stood just inside the door, his jeans riding low on his hips and clinging to his lean form. His blond hair caught the light from the bathroom and for an instant, her world just...stopped. A moment later, everything resumed, and he stared at her quizzically. “Kat?”
She shook her head, more at herself than at him. “Sometimes you just hit me, Liam, and I remember all the reasons I married you.”
His expression softened. “Aw, K-K.”
Hunter stepped around Liam into the room. “You guys want me to bail?”
The words were casual, but the tension underlying them was not. Hunter wore only his boxers and his rigid muscles gave him away. Kat told herself someday they would all find a comfortable dynamic and Hunter would be able to read her and Liam as easily as they read each other, just as he’d found his oasis of order amid the chaos of their dresser. Likewise, she and Liam would develop more refined sensitivities to Hunter’s needs. But they weren’t there yet.
She glanced at Liam, who raised his eyebrows a fraction. Well?
“Not at all.” Kat rubbed her fingertips over the silk she held. “That wouldn’t be at all what I had in mind.”
“What did you have in mind?” Wariness and curiosity twined together in Hunter’s question, and the idea that she made him nervous soothed her ruffled ego.