One More

by Daisy May

  “You want coffee?” Jasper asked after he was done with the batter.

  “Of course he does.” Charlie slapped his forehead. “He works at a damn coffee shop, and we didn’t make him coffee. I knew I was forgetting something, I’m sorry.”

  I gaped. That had to be the first time I’d heard those two words come out of his mouth. If anyone had asked, I would’ve bet they weren’t even in his vocabulary.

  Jasper immediately figured out my line of thinking. “He does say sorry sometimes,” he told me, “if he’s done something terrible enough.”

  Snorting, Charlie went over to their coffee maker. “What kind do you drink, anyway? We have original, hazelnut, French vanilla…”

  Even from my seat at the table, I could see they had one of those horrendous pod machines. “I’m fine, actually. I don’t drink a ton of coffee myself. Usually just lattes and that kind of sugary, froufrou thing.”

  Charlie raised an eyebrow as he returned to the frying pan. “You sure? We kept you up pretty late last night.”

  “Yeah, but I slept very well after.” I gave him a wink.

  Were we flirting now? No way was I flirting with Mr. Angrypants. Somehow that seemed even harder to believe than the three of us going at it for hours last night.

  Jasper made coffee for the two of them, and after a few minutes, we were all seated with a stack of pancakes in front of us. I glanced longingly at their cups while I sipped my water. I honestly could’ve used the caffeine, but no way was I drinking that pod-brewed chemical stew.

  Aside from tasting like crap, those machines were also unhealthy and terrible for the environment. This definitely wasn’t the right moment to start a discussion, but I’d have to bring it up later. Maybe Charlie and Jasper would be open to a traditional coffee machine. If I got them some nice beans and a grinder, they’d see the light about freshly ground coffee. Or I could try to get them into cold brew…

  But no. What was I thinking? This was it. No matter how comfortable and cozy I felt in their presence, I knew that after today, we’d never talk again.

  I poured maple syrup over my pancake, then sliced it up. “Do you always make pancakes for your hook-ups?” I asked, looking at my plate rather than at either one of them.

  The long silence that ensued made me eventually glance up. They were frowning at each other, and when they saw my curiosity Jasper finally spoke. “We don’t do this often enough to have a routine. Not that we haven’t done it before, but… it’s been a few years.”

  They didn’t do this regularly? Why had they chosen me, then?

  Asking would’ve felt too vulnerable, so I didn’t. “Hope it was worth it,” I said as casually as I could.

  “We had an amazing time,” Jasper said. “Both of us.”

  Charlie grunted an agreement, looking as content as I’d ever seen him.

  “Me, too. It was everything I was hoping it’d be.” I pulled another pancake onto my plate. “Sorry I stayed over. I know I wasn’t supposed to.”

  Jasper shrugged. “Not a big deal. It’s nice having you here.”

  “It is?”

  “We don’t usually get to demonstrate our cooking skills.”

  We finished eating, and then Charlie started giving Jasper the eye. I knew what that meant, and I got ready to excuse myself politely. After welcoming me into their bed, they were probably dying for some couple time to reconnect one-on-one.

  But instead of kicking me out, Charlie reached for my hand. “Stay,” he murmured.

  I wasn’t about to argue.

  Jasper

  A week after our hook-up, Reuben was still the only thing on either of our minds. Charlie and I had thoroughly enjoyed making all of our fantasies come true. Except now that we had, I was suddenly coming up with more and more things I wanted to do with Reuben.

  Not that I’d lost interest in Charlie. Not by a long shot. He was extremely present in these fantasies, too. Things wouldn’t have been the same without him.

  We’d had such a great time with Reuben, both in and out of bed. He was as amazing as I’d originally guessed. Sweet and thoughtful, with a keen sense of wit and a shining intelligence. Charlie occasionally tested his patience, but they were already getting used to each other. I could see it.

  And I could see it would be a waste to let this connection slip away.

  When Charlie came up to our bedroom on Friday night, I was curled up with a brand-new copy of The Ethical Slut. I shoved it under the covers as soon as he came in. He gave me a kiss and grabbed for the book. I wrenched it away from him.

  Any form of wrestling always turned both of us on, and in a minute we were both panting with hard-ons. I still had the book, though, and I was determined to keep it away from him.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, seeming as confused as he was titillated.

  “Nothing.”

  “You reading some filthy porno magazine? I’m not going to be offended.” He frowned. “Unless it was scat, but I’m pretty sure I’d have an idea if you were into that by now.”

  “I’m not!” I pulled away from him, grimacing at the idea.

  “Then what’s so embarrassing?” He angled for the book again, and I shoved it up my shirt. “If you don’t tell me, I’m going to assume you want me to poop on you.”

  “I don’t!”

  “You want to poop on me, then?”

  “Ugh!” I handed him the book.

  He studied the cover. The subtitle had to be jumping out at him: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, and Other Adventures. The book explained all there was to know about non-monogamy.

  Back in the day, the authors had helped me cope with my feelings of jealousy at seeing Charlie with another man. Now I was kind of wondering if their words could help both of us into a whole new kind of relationship. But I wasn’t completely sure yet, and until I was clearer on what I wanted, I didn’t plan to suggest anything to my husband.

  “What’s so horrible about me seeing this?” he asked. “You read this years ago.”

  “You remember that?”

  “Of course,” he said with mock indignation. “I always pay attention to what you read.”

  I smiled. “I just didn’t want you to think I was getting too hung up on our threesome.”

  Even if I kind of was. Even if I was spending all my mental energy trying to figure out a way to make that night happen again… and again… and again.

  “The fact that you’ve talked about him every time we’ve had sex could’ve been a hint,” he said dryly.

  “I have not.”

  “Yes, you have.” He climbed into bed and flipped through the book’s pages. “So what’s up? You want to bring Reuben back for more?”

  “I don’t know,” I murmured. “I know we've always stuck with one-time things, but the night we had with him was great. And the day together was even better. I don’t feel like we’re done with him yet.”

  “You have some more plans for him?”

  “Don’t you?”

  “I could think of another thing or two I’d like to try.” He laughed softly. “Or if we just repeated what we’ve already done, that’d be okay too.”

  “So you’d be willing to see him again?”

  “Well, you know… sex is nice and pleasure is good,” he quoted from the book.

  We smiled at each other and shared a quick kiss. “He won’t come between us,” I told him. “After everything we’ve been through together, I’d never let that happen. You come first for me, always.”

  “I know.” He smirked. “So we’re agreed? We’ll get Reuben to come back and poop on both of us?”

  “You’re disgusting.” I shoved him.

  With his size, I had no hope of actually moving him anywhere—but he fell out of the bed on purpose and laughed at me more from the floor.

  “What if he doesn’t want to join us again?” I asked when he’d stopped laughing and gotten back under the sheets.

  “He will,” Charlie said. “Did
you miss how turned-on he was? There’s no way he’d turn us down. He enjoyed every minute of that as much as we did.”

  “Still… he’s a good guy,” I said. “Having him around was actually nice. Not just the bedroom activities. I mean when we were hanging out with him, too. I’d hate for him to think we’re just using him for sex.”

  Charlie gave a slow shrug. “It is what it is.”

  Except for how something deep inside me wished it could be something more.

  Charlie

  Some men might’ve been jealous, knowing their husband was fantasizing about another person. Me? I was relieved Jasper was thinking along the same lines as I was. I hadn’t been able to get my mind off Reuben all week.

  He could be annoying, and I still thought he whined too much about my unfriendliness at his work. But goddamn, when he was in my bed, the three of us were the hottest combination ever.

  So as I drove by Cup of Joy on my way home from work, I decided to see if I could put things in motion. I swung my wheel sharply, earning a honk from behind me as I turned into the coffee shop’s parking lot.

  I pushed the door open, preparing my facial muscles for an unaccustomed smile. From the conversation we’d had with Reuben, I knew this barista behind the counter was named Hannah. When she caught sight of the attempt at friendliness, she screwed up her eyes at me. “You can’t come in here, remember?”

  “Listen, I don’t need any coffee. I’m here to talk.”

  Hannah pointed at the door. “Out.”

  “No, but I’m here to talk to Reuben.”

  “What part of banned do you not understand, dude? Get out!”

  My forced smile disappeared altogether. “Is Reuben even working today?”

  “Did somebody say Reuben?” The man himself popped out of the back room, looking good enough to eat in his olive-green apron that set off his hazel eyes. Eyes that bulged out of his head when he saw me. “Charlie?”

  “I was just telling him to leave,” Hannah said immediately. “I’m not going to let him stay and bother you. Although…” She looked from him to me, and back again. “When did you learn each other’s names?”

  Reuben opened his mouth. “Long story,” I said, cutting off whatever he’d been planning to say. “Do you have a moment to chat?”

  “Uh, we’re a little busy right now,” he said.

  I glanced around. I was the only customer in the place.

  “Okay,” he sighed. “I’ll sit down with you.”

  “Seriously?” Hannah asked. “Is something going on here? I need an explanation for why you’re suddenly all buddy-buddy with Mr. Angry—I mean, Charlie.” She gave me a less-than-subtle up-and-down look.

  “Just take care of whatever customers come in, would you?” he said. “And get Charlie his usual. On me.”

  She gave a curt nod and went to work on an Americano. Meanwhile, Reuben slipped off his apron and came out from the counter. The two of us sat at a table, and he crossed his arms.

  “So? What’s going on?” he asked.

  If I’d known my reception would be so hostile, I might not have come here. “I came to see you,” I said. “I wanted to say hi.”

  “Really?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “What? That’s not a good enough answer for you?”

  “Not exactly.” He huffed. “I thought we all agreed that was a one-time thing. I know we had fun fucking out our animosity, but if you’re here trying to cheat on your husband with me, I’m not interested.”

  “I’m not.” His words took me by surprise, and I barely glanced at Hannah as she set the coffee in front of me. Remembering my manners, I muttered a “thank you”—then wondered how much of our conversation she’d just heard.

  “Why are you here, then?” Reuben asked.

  “I’m here on behalf of Jasper, too.” I saw the surprise in his eyes, and it made me smile. “We both want to see you again.”

  That made him hesitate for a long moment. “You could’ve texted me,” he finally said. “Now my coworker’s going to have a million questions that I don’t particularly want to answer.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it. It won’t happen again.” I leaned in. “But you didn’t answer me.”

  “I know I didn’t.” His lips twisted. “The thing is, I’m not really in the market for a fuck buddy. Or two of them, even. You’re both amazing, but I don’t think I’m built for the casual sex thing. You two want to hook up one more time, and then what’s to stop you from wanting one more time after that?”

  “Oh.” I hadn’t really thought about it like that before. “I can’t read the future. I don’t know how many times we’ll want to get together.”

  “Exactly.” His eyes hardened, yet the effect was surprisingly vulnerable. “I know I’ll keep wanting more. If I go back one more time, I’ll be addicted. But you two are the ones deciding whether you want to see me or not.”

  “Right now you’re deciding whether you want to see us.”

  “True, but it’s not the same,” he said with clear sincerity. “You guys have each other, don’t you see? At the end of the day, you’re together and I’m here alone.”

  “I guess I get it.” I stood up heavily, taking the Americano —even with the drama of the situation, I wasn’t going to leave a good coffee behind. “If you ever change your mind, we’re here.”

  “Hey.” He jumped up, following me to the door. “I didn’t say no. I guess I just want, like… clearer ground rules, or something.”

  Maybe we could agree it was okay for him to stay overnight. “That would be fine.”

  “Yeah?” His eyes shone. “Then maybe the three of us could discuss it all together. When are you two free?”

  “Whenever you are.” I permitted myself to lean in and touch my lips to his the way I’d been dying to since I’d seen him. “We’ll clear our schedules for you.”

  “That’s a dangerous promise to make,” he said with a smile.

  I got in my car, my heart still throbbing from the brief kiss.

  Everything about this situation was dangerous.

  Reuben

  I wanted to talk through everything with Jasper and Charlie. I really did. I wanted to sit down and hash things out until we came to an agreement featuring the minimum and maximum amount of time this arrangement could last, how many times a day we could contact each other, and what we’d do on the occasions when we saw each other in public. Essentially, I wanted to know exactly what role I was going to play in their lives.

  But when I arrived at their place and they started touching me and kissing me, and Jasper murmured something in my ear about how happy he was to see me again… well… heading to the bedroom just felt right.

  We sat on the bed, me sandwiched between the two of them, Charlie’s hand on my knee and Jasper’s teeth on my neck. I tried to say something about the status of our relationship, but those words strangled in my throat as Jasper nibbled lightly on my skin.

  Whatever we were going to say, whatever we’d end up deciding… it could wait until after we’d all gotten off. I wasn’t going to take the chance of ruining this with any rash words.

  Working in unison, the two of them got me naked and laid out on the bed. “What are you thinking tonight?” Jasper asked, drawing his fingernails down my chest. “I’m kind of craving option two.”

  “I was thinking maybe option thirteen,” Charlie said, stroking all around my groin without touching my cock.

  My rock-hard, throbbing cock. I arched against the mattress, wishing one of them would touch me there already. “What are you talking about?” I asked desperately. “What are these options?”

  “Oh,” Jasper said, looking almost embarrassed. “We use them as shorthand for the things we do most often in bed. Option two is Charlie fucking me doggy-style.”

  “And option thirteen is Jasper fucking me against the wall.”

  My throat tightened. “Cute.” It was too cute, actually. The two of them had been together for so long, t
hey had their sex life down to a science. When was I going to be the one making lists of options with someone else?

  “I think we’re going to need to add some new options,” Jasper murmured. “The amount of combinations is going to grow exponentially, actually.”

  “How are we ever going to remember them?” I asked.

  “Practice.” Charlie gave me a devilish grin. “Lots and lots of practice.”

  Although my heart still felt a little left out, my cock definitely liked the sound of that. And for the moment at least, my cock was the one in control.

  I grabbed Jasper’s hand and guided it to that part of my body. “What option number is this?” I asked.

  “We could call this option forty-seven.”

  I hummed in pleasure as his hand made its way expertly up and down my shaft. My hips ground into the mattress, then pushed my length up and into his fist. Charlie leaned across to kiss me, and his lips made the sensation a million times better.

  Which gave me an idea. “What about this?” I asked, reaching for Charlie’s neck.

  Without the slightest complaint, he dropped his head between my legs. I gasped out as his mouth surrounded my tip. His tongue was so warm and slick against my shaft, and he gulped almost all of me down without even a pause.

  Jasper did a quick calculation. “This would be option thirty-seven.” He watched us with obvious interest. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see drool dripping from his mouth—but I settled for seeing a generously-sized tent in his pants instead.

  “What’s thirty-eight going to be?” I asked, forcing the words out carefully as Charlie bobbed up and down.

  “Thirty-eight would be me jerking you off,” he said. “We can skip that one for now since you’re enjoying thirty-seven so much.”

  “Mmm… as long as I get to try it later.” If there was a later, I sniped silently at myself. “But maybe you could give me a quick taste of forty-six.”

  He tapped his husband’s shoulder. “You heard the man, Charlie. Back off and let me show you how it’s done.”