Three Way, the Novel

by Olivia Hawthorne

  He laughed and got into bed on the other side. He turned out the light and I heard his breath grow steady as he headed to sleep.

  “Sweetheart,” he said after few moments.”

  “Yeah?” I asked.

  “The way I see it, Ryker’s not here. We don’t know where he is. So if you want some physical comfort, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  I wanted physical comfort, but I couldn’t cheat on Ryker. Then again, he had told me to turn to Quinn in my time of need and god how I needed it right then.

  I sighed and hugged my arms against my chest and rolled away from him. “Fine, you can hold me but nothing else.”

  “That’s enough for me,” he said and pushed the pillow wall away, leaving the space between us wide open. He rolled over and pulled me into his huge arms, let me settle in against his wide chest and held me like that until his breathing deepened and he fell asleep.

  “I’m so weird,” I said to nobody in particular.

  “Why’s that?” he asked and I started. I’d thought he was sleeping.

  “This, what am I doing?”

  “Ryker and I have shared everything our entire lives,” Quinn said with a sleep voice. “This is natural.”

  As much as I wanted to disagree with him or beat myself up for finding comfort in the arms of another man, I just couldn’t.

  It felt so right to be there in his arms, and Quinn seemed to be a different side to one person. He and his brother were so similar and yet so different…and I was deeply attracted to each of them for different reasons.

  How could I contain what my heart felt, especially when Ryker had left me without a trace? How could it be that life would bring both men into my path without meaning for me to have both of them?

  Quinn mumbled something in his sleep and drew me closer to him. I felt his body heat melting away any tension or guilt I had and I convinced myself that this was enough for the two of us, this was the only line we would cross.

  But I’d lied to myself before, and when I woke with his hardness pressing into my back and his hands sliding along my stomach, I knew I’d lied to myself again.

  Chapter Twenty One

  I felt the wall of pillows kicked down to the bottom of the bed and leaned down to try and rebuild it so I could wiggle away from Quinn’s incredible body and that hardness that seemed to burn into me even through the layers of our clothing.

  It wasn’t easy, Quinn’s arms were still wrapped around me and I didn’t exactly want that to end.

  But I squirmed forward, reached down and dragged a couple pillows up to jam into the space between us.

  I could hear him breathing though, a steady rhythmic reminder that Ryker’s gorgeous and unbelievably hot brother was just a couple pillows away from me.

  I sighed and punched my own pillow, fluffed it up and closed my eyes. I could see Ryker’s face every time I did; he still stayed with me me in my quietest moments.

  I missed him so hard it ached. My heart clenched when I thought about him and how I’d had him and he’d left me.

  Why had he left and where had he gone? The questions drove me nearly crazy and wouldn’t stop rattling around and around inside my head.

  I kept going over that last night with him and wondered if I’d missed some clue that I’d upset him. But his note didn’t seem to be about me at all.

  What if he was in danger because of the club? Had the Hell’s Warriors done something to him? Had one of those guys hurt him or had the rat that Sergei mentioned done something to him?

  I tossed and turned, my body twisted up with concern over the man who had stolen my heart right out from underneath my nose.

  I’d never intended to fall for a badass biker dude, but here I was, all ate up over the fact that he’d left.

  “You gonna roll around all night, sweetheart, or do you want to climb on my dick and get this over with?” Quinn’s deep voice rumbled from the other side of my pillow wall.

  “Get over yourself, I was thinking about Ryker,” I snapped and jerked away from the pillow pile.

  “Close your eyes and call me Ryker,” he chuckled. “I don’t care, but stop moving around and sighing dramatically. We’re supposed to be on this trip to get your mind off my brother, not have you losing sleep over him.”

  “Fine, I’ll go to sleep,” I said in a harsh whisper.

  Moments later I heard him start to snore lightly again and there in the darkness he could have been Ryker. They sounded the same.

  I closed my eyes, ignored the images of Ryker dancing across the back of my lids, and forced myself to breathe deeply and slip back into sleep.

  ***

  I woke with a huge headache and an even bigger ache in my heart. I felt around, the wall of pillows was gone but the bed was empty.

  “Quinn?” I asked in a panic and sat up. One brother had already abandoned me in the middle of the night; I didn’t want to make it a double. “Quinn? Are you here?”

  I stood up and tapped lightly on the bathroom door and it swung open. He wasn’t in there either.

  I rushed to the side of the bed where my phone was charging and checked it. There was a text from Quinn.

  We missed breakfast so I went to get something, wanted to leave you sleeping, beauty. See you soon. Q

  I didn’t know if he went for breakfast for himself or for the both of us. It was hard to tell if he was being a selfish jerk or super sweet.

  I decided to err on the side of caution and land on selfish jerk. It felt like I’d keep a better eye on my heart if I assumed that about the men in my life.

  I ran myself a hot bath in the over sized claw foot tub in the bathroom. It had a huge one-way window that overlooked the beach and the ocean and all the way to where small island dotted the horizon.

  It was stunning and the day seemed okay but I could see dark clouds rolling in.

  I took off my pajamas and slipped into the hot water. I was generous with the luxurious bubble bath and inhaled deeply the scent of lavender. A hot bath had been exactly what I’d needed and I cursed myself for not thinking of it earlier. I should have been having one every day since Ryker left.

  Or hell, two a day even.

  I drained some of the cooling water, dumped the last of the bubble bath under the tap and turned it on again. Scalding hot water topped up my bath and I actually groaned at how nice it felt.

  I leaned my head back on the little inflatable pillow and let my worries soak away.

  “Oh sweetheart, why didn’t you wait for me?” Quinn’s voice broke into my daydreaming.

  “Quinn!” I shrieked and sat up, covering my breasts with my hands. “What are you doing in here?”

  “I brought you breakfast,” he replied with a cocky smirk, holding up a paper bag from a bakery. “I could bring you…dessert first if you want.” He said that with a suggestive wink that made me heat up more than the bath water.

  “I think not,” I replied, still covering myself. “You need to get out.”

  “As you wish, sweetheart,” he chuckled. “Your bagel will be on the table out here when you’re ready.”

  “Thanks,” I stuttered and watched him leave, taking a moment to appreciate the way his gorgeous ass filled out his jeans. I was used to seeing Quinn in a suit for his work at the family business, but I could get used to casual Quinn. It suited him, and gave me something to look at.

  I finished up my bath but didn’t stay in the water too long. Quinn had kind of broken my relaxation and my stomach was growling too loud to soak for long.

  I toweled off and pulled on my pajamas again. I’d forgotten to bring my clothes into the bathroom with me so they would have to do.

  I opened the door and found Quinn lying on the bed with a bagel in his hand and a grin on his face.

  “Yours is there,” he said, nodding towards the side table against the window. “There’s cream cheese too, I didn’t know what you liked so I got savory and sweet.”

  “Thanks,” I replied. “That’s really n
ice of you and I didn’t mean to be so cranky in there. I’m sorry.”

  “Hey it’s okay, I get it. You’re missing my brother and it’s natural to attach all your horny feelings to me since we look so much alike.”

  “That’s not what I meant!” I protested and glared at him as he laughed and took a big bite off the bagel.

  He watched me as I spread strawberry cream cheese around mine and nibbled it gently near the window. I was looking out at the beach and thinking I’d like to get a walk in before the clouds hit us and we were pelted with rain.

  I glanced back at Quinn and he had finished his breakfast but was staring at me like a starving man. Naked hunger covered his face and I was immediately struck by how unbelievably hot he was. I felt my own raw desire rise up inside of me and I had to look back out the window and take a big bite of bagel to keep myself from saying something I’d regret.

  Like come over here, or let me ride you.

  God, I was like a bitch in heat, I couldn’t control the lust that was growing in my heart. I loved Ryker, I knew I did, but I couldn’t deny my feelings for Quinn.

  And Ryker had told me to turn to his brother for comfort if anything ever happened.

  What would it be like to be with Ryker’s brother? Would he fuck the same? Would he feel the same inside of me? Would he taste the same when we kissed?

  These questions dominated my mind’s landscape and knocked any melancholy thoughts of Ryker right out the back door.

  “You want to go for a walk?” Quinn asked me as I finished my breakfast. I took a sip of the orange juice he’d brought for me and thought about it.

  “I do, but maybe alone,” I said. “I need to clear my head.”

  “Ain’t gonna happen,” he said, shaking his head. “I told Ryker I’d keep watch over you if he had to go away. So I’m keeping watch.”

  “He didn’t mean literally I’m sure,” I argued.

  “He did, I know him.”

  “How about just ten minutes and I’ll be right back?”

  “It’s going to rain. I booked this room for another night if you’re up for sticking around and exploring the town, but we ain’t gonna be doing much today. I don’t feel like driving in the coming storm either so let’s go stock up on some supplies and prepare for the rest of our day together.”

  I sighed and realized Quinn was as stubborn and single minded as his brother. Once they got an idea in their heads, there was no luring them off the beaten path.

  “Fine,” I said, “come with me but don’t get in the way.”

  I stood up, grabbed my clothes and headed to the bathroom. I got dressed and walked out to find Quinn waiting, his arm out for me to hook my hand on. He was ever the gentleman, even if he was kind of an arrogant asshole every once in a while.

  Well, a great deal of the time.

  We strolled along the street and looked for little shops to purchase food and entertainment. There was no TV in the room so we bought a deck of cards and I picked up a trashy romance novel at the drug store.

  We picked up some pastries at the same bakery Quinn found earlier, a few bottles of good wine at the grocery store and some snacks for later. The bed and breakfast hosts had told us about dinner that night so we’d most likely join them if we felt like it.

  I surprised Quinn by breaking free from him on the beach and running down the sand against the wind. The rain hadn’t started yet, but the wind in my hair made me feel wild and powerful and I laughed at him left behind with all the grocery bags in his hands.

  He watched me as I frolicked in the waves, as much as my shoes would let me and was waiting for me when the rain did start and I ran to him on the sidewalk.

  “Did you get it out of your system?” he laughed as I ran up, just beginning to get soaked.

  “Yes, we need to go!”

  “Are you sure? You don’t need to kick up your heels one last time?”

  “No, I promise!” I yelled and grabbed his arm, tugging him towards the bed and breakfast across the road.

  It amazed me how quickly the streets and beach cleared the moment the storm started.

  We raced into the bed and breakfast and up the stairs to our room. I opened the door and Quinn brought the groceries in and for a moment I felt like we were married and on our honeymoon.

  There with Quinn like that felt shockingly normal and right. It felt like I could be with him as his wife even just for a short time.

  I vowed to erase all thoughts of Ryker from my head while I was with Quinn and live in the moment.

  The rain pelted our windows and Quinn cracked open the first bottle of wine and we toasted to new beginnings.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  “Never have I ever had sex in an elevator,” I said and stared at Quinn waiting for his answer.

  We were playing Never Have I Ever and I was losing badly. Or winning, depending on how you looked at it. I had barely taken any drinks of wine and he was already halfway to drunk. He had way more sexual experience than I did.

  He gave me a lopsided grin and brought his glass to his lips and took another sip of wine.

  “Are you kidding me?” I laughed. “Is there anything you haven’t done?”

  “What can I say, I’m a curious sort,” he chuckled and raised his brow. “Now let me see. Never have I ever kissed a girl.”

  He took a drink and I hesitated. I sighed and thought about a couple crazy nights with my best friend back in high school. Did that even count? We’d been playing spin the bottle a couple months before graduation and ended up kissing.

  There’d been barely any tongue and it was mostly done for the guys.

  But still, I could finally have a drink and seem a little more daring than I actually was.

  I smirked, looked at Quinn from under my thick lashes and brought the glass to my lips.

  “No way!” he exclaimed as I sipped my wine and licked my lips. “You have to tell me all about it!”

  “Why don’t you tell me all about your experiences kissing a girl?” I laughed.

  “Then we’d be here forever,” he winked.

  “You’re incorrigible,” I sniffed.

  “I never said I wasn’t,” he smiled. “I think I’ve had most of the bottle so you need to catch up.”

  He poured the rest of the bottle into my glass and set the bottle back on the table. I settled back onto the sofa and held my glass up to look at the light glinting through. I sipped some more and looked at Quinn.

  “Why don’t you tell me about Ryker’s escapades?”

  He looked visibly uncomfortable and gave me a cheeky grin. “I know he’s pretty head over heels for you.”

  “Yeah? How?”

  “He doesn’t bring girls home.”

  “Never?”

  “Nope, never. You’re a special girl, Margot. No matter what happens, always remember that.”

  “Then why did he leave me?” I asked, my voice hitching into a sob.

  “I can’t answer that,” Quinn replied, looking over my shoulder out at the darkening night and rain beating against the window.

  “You can’t or you won’t?”

  “A little of each maybe.”

  “This isn’t fair!” I exclaimed and gulped the last of my wine.

  “Life isn’t fair, sweetheart,” he said and got to his feet. “We should get downstairs if we want any dinner though.”

  I wasn’t that hungry but I could feel the wine sloshing around in my empty stomach. If I didn’t eat, it would go straight to my head.

  “Fine,” I said and stood and almost fell back again. The wine had gotten to my head more than I’d thought.

  “Easy, sweetheart,” Quinn said and his hand shot out to hold my arm and keep me steady. “You’re a lightweight, hang onto me when we head downstairs.”

  “I’m not a lightweight, you’re just a big old horn dog with way more experience than me,” I said but I took his arm as suggested.

  “You might want to stop drinking now or you will be climbing
on top of me tonight. Ryker told me how excited you get when you drink.”

  “He told you what?” I squeaked. “Why would he tell you that? And there was only that one time—“

  “I was kidding,” he laughed and shook his head.

  “You ass,” I grinned and we almost tumbled down the stairs into the dining room. We interrupted the other guests with our loud talking and hushed laughter, but settled in and managed to maintain some modicum of civility until we could head back upstairs.

  It wasn’t that dinner was awful, it wasn’t. The owners of the bed and breakfast, Shannon and Rob, were really nice people and so were the other guests.

  It was just that we apparently didn’t realize how much wine we’d consumed until we were forced to interact with sober people.

  And it wasn’t that much fun.

  So we wolfed down some roast beef with potatoes, skipped dessert and headed back up to our room.

  As we left the dining table, I heard Shannon remark, “I miss those days. They’re on their honeymoon and can’t keep their hands off each other. Young lovers are so inspiring.”

  Once inside our room Quinn locked the door and I broke down laughing.

  “Was it just me or was that awkward as fuck?” he asked and joined me in laughter.

  “It was awful, I kept feeling the room spinning and I thought getting something to eat would help but I swear I’m drunker than before.”

  “Only one thing to do then.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Make a toast!” he declared and opened another bottle of red wine.

  I groaned but happily held out my glass. “Did you hear what Shannon said as we left?”

  “No, I did not,” Quinn replied and set the bottle down.

  “She thinks we’re on our honeymoon,” I giggled. “She called us young lovers.”

  “I could see why she’d make that mistake,” he said with a wolfish grin.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because she can tell how much I want to fuck you,” he replied in an even tone, his gaze burning into mine.