by Leigh Lennon
Turning the corner to the living space that was now a makeshift dining room, the number of people shocked me. But our little group, the family I chose, was growing by the second. Andrew was there with Brock Spaulding. From the second Brock began as the new CFO for the company after Spencer Alders died, he’d had his eye on Andrew. At first, Andrew denied all his advances. Andrew hadn’t wanted anything steady. He was into one-night hookups—something to do with an old boyfriend of his. Jordan and Andrew alike were very hush-hush about it. Even Elliot didn’t know what it was about. So if Andrew brought him here for the night, it signified the seriousness of this new relationship between the two men.
Kayla, who had moved to Chicago before school started to be with her new girlfriend who was transferring to the city next month, was a bright spot in my day even though her third degree was a little taxing. But she was protective as fuck of both her brothers. I understood it … a little. I’d be the same about the two men in the room who I called my brothers.
And before I knew it, I saw Arden’s doppelgänger, his little brother by only three years. He’d transferred from Springfield to the police department in Chicago. Our little dinners were getting bigger by the second. It was okay because I’d never say no to more family. I could use it. I never understood what I missed until Arden and Daimen had welcomed me with open arms.
Jordan was in the main living space with his sister. I didn’t miss the way Garner’s eyes followed her everywhere. Every once in a while, he’d tease her, and she’d turn around to flip him off.
“Kayla, if you’d go out with me, I’d show you a real man. You’d never go out with a girl again.” And I knew Garner well enough to know he was not diminishing her sexuality. He loved to mess with her.
She turned one time as we made our dinner plates. “Yeah, the only problem is a guy like you is the reason I fell in love with pussy to begin with.”
Most of us, who’d been drinking wine or beer, spit out our drinks at her comment. I turned to Ell. “What the hell is up with those two?”
She shook her head. “A long fucking story. Believe me, this looks funny, but it gets old really quick. I wish they’d just fuck like rabbits and get it out of their system.” Ell got closer to me and whispered, “Is my brother behaving himself around Jordan?”
She knew Levi as well as I did. Hence, she laughed at her own question.
“Not even a little,” I replied, and she shrugged.
“Do you think Jordan cares for him?”
When I nodded my head, she smiled. “Yeah, I figured. Fuck, I can read it on him. Of course, I denied it, too, but it was different for me. I didn’t have my own sexuality to face. It was two men, which I’d always known loved each other. But hell, I get it. He’s letting the world dictate his happiness like I did.”
She told me nothing new, but yeah, if anyone understood Jordan’s plight, it was Levi’s twin sister. But before I knew it, my men were on either side of me, making me their priority, and as shitty as my past had been, I would take it and never question it.
My apartment was in the same building as the one the guys and Ell owned, so we chose to stay at my place for the night. With just enough wine in our system, we were overly handsy on the elevator ride down to my place.
Jordan was in front of me, kissing me as if his life depended on it, and Levi was behind him. I knew there was video feed in the hallways and elevators, so the security was getting a front row seat to our foreplay. But that was all it was because the second we exploded into my apartment, both sets of hands were on me, almost tearing off my skirt and blouse.
“Fuck, Scar. I can’t wait. We aren’t getting to the bed right now.” Levi lifted me up, placing me on my table like I was merely a feather.
“Glad I bought an extra sturdy table.” I was pleased I opted against one with glass.
“Yeah, you and me both.” I watched him turn to Jordan. “Doc, pull down your pants. Let her take you all in.”
This was how I found myself scooting to the edge of the table to where I had access to his cock. The table was just the right height that not only did I have the ability to suck Jordan’s thick erection, but Levi was also at the right height to have easy access to my pussy.
“Fuck, Scar, I think we need one of these tables at my place along with the good doc’s house. What do you think, Doc?”
I looked up from where I was taking all of Jordan’s large cock. His eyes rolled back into his head, and I understood I was achieving what I set out to do.
Between the pleasure I was giving one of my men and the pleasure my other man was heaping on me like it was Thanksgiving dinner, I was just given an extra slice of pumpkin pie. I was letting myself go, ready for the whipped cream that was sure to top my metaphorical piece of pie.
With one last thrust from Levi, I came the same time Jordan let go and exploded in my mouth. It was harmony, and we all worked together, causing the melody to play in each of our hearts, making us get lost in one another at the same time.
With both men on either side of me, I floated to sleep, feeling their love and devotion at the same time. It was something I hadn’t experienced in the past, not like this. Levi’s calloused fingers I loved so much were on my ass, and Jordan’s delicate surgeon hands were on my back.
All of a sudden, I threw my body up in a sitting position from a deep sleep as tears pooled in my eyes. It had been years since I’d had a nightmare like this. Ms. Maizie was in front of me in my dream, telling me my parents had died. A social worker was yanking me from the comforting arms of my surrogate grandma while I screamed. Then the sequence of the dream moved quickly to my twenty-second foster home. Yeah, I kept track of the thirty-one homes I’d been in, plus a few group homes along the way. Being taken from the one home, my twenty-second home when I was twelve, the only home I’d ever been loved was what woke me up.
Before I realized it, both the calloused hands of my fireman and the delicate hands of my doctor had me encased close to both of them. Yeah, it didn’t take a Freud to figure out I’d dreamt this particular dream because I was afraid these two would be yanked from my life.
23
Levi
The days when I was off and I surprised Scar were the ones I looked forward to the most. Well, of course, I included the “friendship outings” the good doctor and I went on, too. I didn’t know what to call them, but they were a way we could get to know one another. Plus, I thought he liked them just as much, especially as he used the time to bitch and complain about something I had done—he had deemed inappropriate. And nine times out of ten, he was right, and I pushed a little too much. But at those times, I saw something—he wanted to reach for me as much as I wanted to reach for him—but he stopped right before he followed through. His rational and stupid thoughts got in the way of what could be the three of us. I’d texted him earlier, inviting him along to surprise Scar. I’d never heard back but hoped he’d show up to take Scar out for lunch.
The elevators opened to the offices of Torano, Blakely, and Arnold, LLC. The first thing I saw through the glass partitioned doors was the straight shot of Scar sitting at her desk. My mind focused solely on her, and I didn’t see anyone else until a voice from my past pulled me from my thoughts. “Levi Arnold, is that you?”
I turned to the side, and he was older but still as handsome as ever. Standing right smack in front of me was Dane, Dane Gregory. His hair had a sprinkling of gray, and the sexy bastard was in glasses and a three-piece suit, but shit, this was the same man I’d fallen in love with all those years ago.
“Come here, you good-looking asshole,” I exclaimed, opening my arms as we’d embraced. “Shit, it’s been, what …?”
“Seven years,” he answered, and my arms were still on his. It’d been a long time since I’d loved Dane Gregory, but seeing him brought back the memories of the first time I’d been with a man. Plus, he was part of my first committed triad.
“Are you still one of those smooth-talking lawyers, you handsome devil?�
�� I wasn’t flirting with Dane, but because of the relationship I’d had with him, it was easy to remember why I had loved him at one point.
Nodding his head, he said, “Yep, I’m still working for the devil as you called it all those years ago.” He holds up his ring finger. “And Cami and I are still together. Two kids, Maggie and Bridget.”
I shouldn’t ask, but I did. When we ended it eight years ago, after being in a committed relationship with him and Cami, I wasn’t ready for the forever like they were. I bowed out, and they understood. They were a good seven years older than me, and they wanted more, needed more. I’d run into them a year later, and even though it hurt to see them, they were happy in a committed triad with someone willing to say forever like they had deserved.
But I couldn’t help myself. After all, this was Dane and Cami. If I was just a little older, done more things, and experienced life, it could have been very different. So I asked anyway. “And Jack?”
He looked away and shrugged. I shouldn’t have asked. “Yeah, well, Jack—after Bridget, our youngest, was born, he said he wasn’t cut out for family. He never wanted to commit to us. It was like he regretted it. When we’d talked about children, he was adamant he’d never be the biological dad, and he never bonded with our girls.” Dane’s face grew pale. I’d known him so well and for so long that this was his sign of hurt, and it was evident on his face. “So two years ago, he left us.” He placed his hand on my chin and rubbed it. “Fuck, we miss you. Any chance …?” I didn’t let him finish because there wasn’t.
I mimicked the gesture with my hand on his cheek. “I’m in love. It’s not what I expected or wanted, but I am.”
He smiled, shaking his head. “Should have known.” His touch on my shoulder was intimate but not over the line. We’d been lovers, so of course, a little bit of the spark was still there. “So tell me? He? She? Both?”
There was not a clear, easy answer, so I gave the standard, “It’s complicated.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Doc open the door from the stairs. Of course, the crazy heart healthy doctor climbed thirty floors, and the handsome jackass was probably not even winded. His eyes locked on mine with Dane’s hand on my shoulder. Shaking his head in disgust, he turned back to the stairwell. “Ah, shit, Dane, one of those complicated situations just got the wrong idea,” I started. “Can we get together? I’d love to see Cami and meet the girls.”
I was rushing to the stairwell when Dane called out, “Yes, Arden Blakely’s secretary has my phone number.”
I shouted behind me, “Ah, good. That’s my girl.”
“You don’t do easy, do you?” It was what he’d always said to me in the time we were together.
I waved as I opened the door to the stairwell. “You know me, have I ever?”
I saw Jordan, already three floors below me. “Doc, wait.” I knew the bastard could hear me because it echoed like crazy in here. “Listen, you got the wrong idea. Just stop.”
“Why? You don’t owe me anything. Certainly not an explanation!” he yelled when he finally stopped. If this was not him being mad, then I didn’t know what was. “And me being upset over you touching another person is not for me; it’s Red I worry about. What if she were to see you?”
I did this weird thing with my lips when I internally questioned how I could respond to people in an adult way. I pursed them as I moved them to the left side, gently biting the inside of my cheek. Doing this, his eyes narrowed on me, and I wondered if he got it—that I was officially pissed off. He might in the tone I was about to unleash on him. I got close to him, very close for him to understand my words.
“Well, Doc, I actually hope that if Scar questions my commitment, she’d come to me, like I wish you’d done. All this shit would have been a lot less dramatic.” Oh, he got that I was pissed. But in his eyes, I saw his own anger brewing. “Listen, what you witnessed was a man I used to love sharing five minutes of his life with me. Just because I loved him once doesn’t mean I still do. And just like anyone I care for, I’ll be there for them, as I’m now with you—trying to resolve this before it gets out of hand.” When I reached for his hand, he didn’t pull it away. “Doc?” My hand rested in his palm, and his touch, though different from Scar’s, did the same thing to my body. “Are we cool?” I asked.
“Yeah, we’re cool.” He pulled his hand away, heading back upstairs. I stood dumbfounded. We were sharing a moment, and he bailed on me. “Coming, LT, so we can take our girl out for lunch?”
He was a fast son of a bitch, already an entire floor above me. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” I answered and wondered what in the world happened between us right then.
“Did I see you speaking to Dane Gregory earlier?” Her question was innocent while she took a bite of her chicken salad sandwich at a diner down the block from her building. Jordan’s intense stare could not be ignored, but Scarlet had no idea the can of worms she had opened with her question.
“Yeah, I know Dane. We go way back.”
Jordan choked a little, and I knew it was forced. “Oh, yeah, way back? Like how?”
Scarlet still had no idea of the tone in which Jordan was baiting me, but as I’d known earlier, this bothered him too much. Oh, he wanted to act as if this truly didn’t upset him, but I would mess with him so hard.
“He was the first man I ever fucked.” I didn’t have to be so crude, but for some reason, using the word fuck got his attention. It was then, Scarlet understood the conversation affected him deeper than she’d seen at first. But I wasn’t done. “He tried to turn me from pussy to dick, which I always thought was sort of funny because he loved pussy as much as I did. Then we were a package deal, and we started dating his now wife. They’re older than me and were ready for that American dream. But me—not then. So they started a life, and I wished them the best.”
Scarlet continued to eat her sandwich with a small smile pasted on her face. If we could have talked telepathically, she’d say, “I know you’re messing with him, but pull back a little, though this is funny as hell.” My response would be, “Yeah, he’s so fucking cute when he’s jealous. Just let me have a little more fun with him.”
Jordan threw a french fry down on his plate. “Well, he sort of seemed like a douche.”
I raised my one eyebrow, almost silently questioning him. “You mean, for all of the ten seconds you watched us what, talk? And then hug?”
I had rendered him speechless. It was yet one more indication he was fighting what was clearly there between us—all three of us.
24
Jordan
He tried to walk with me, but I increased my pace, and somehow, the fucker kept up. It shouldn’t surprise me. After all, he was in tip-top shape as a fireman. But I didn’t want to talk to him after lunch. Sure, I put on a happy smile for Red, but I’d iced him out. I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and left immediately, but the asshole had caught up to me.
I had my keys in my hands, hoping to slip into my condo before Levi could join me. No such luck. As I opened the door, he barged in with me.
“Jordan, what has climbed up your ass?” he asked.
“You.” And as soon as I answered, I regretted it.
An incredulous smile plastered on his face told me what he was about to say. “Yeah, I only wish. And quite honestly, Doc, you do, too.”
We were only in the entrance of my place when I turned and grabbed him by his jacket, pushing him up against the wall. “This shit stops now, Levi.”
He didn’t fight me, and I didn’t expect him to. This was his MO, the way he was. Laid back in a way, pushing the boundaries. Oh, that was Levi, for sure.
“What stops now? The fact you’re jealous of a previous boyfriend of mine. You watch my dick slide in and out of Scarlet’s pussy. You get as close to me as you can, yet you never touch. You watch my ass as I leave the room and adjust your hard-on when I accidentally touch you when Scar is nowhere near us.”
His hand moved down my arm, down my stomach, toward my crotch. “
Who’s this for right now, Doc? Because I’m the only one here, and your jolly roger seems like it wants to come out and play with my Peter Pan.”
“You’re ridiculous.” I let him go, but his hand had not released my cock. “Unhand the family jewels, will you, asshole?” I instructed, but his hand remained on my dick.
“You think I’m ridiculous, Doc?”
“Yeah, I know you are.” It was not very convincing, but fuck, I needed away from him before I did something I’d regret, so I wiggled out of his grip.
As I walked away, he continued, “Well, if you want to prove this to me, pull down your pants.” I was close to the kitchen when his instructions stopped me in my path.
“You’re out of your fucking mind, LT,” I began, intending to put space between us. But he was behind me with his hands wrapped around my waist.
“Prove it, Doc.” His whisper in my ear had my skin breaking out with goose bumps.
Twisting my head to his face, I squirmed out of his reach. “I don’t have to prove shit to you.”
He allowed my freedom from him for a moment, but then he grabbed my head with so much force, I couldn’t stop him. He kissed me on the cheek. “Keep telling yourself that, Doc. You’re only punishing yourself by not being honest.” He walked past me. “Want a beer?”
As though this was a normal occurrence, he was back in front of me with a brew. Making himself comfortable on my couch, he turned on a Cubs game. “Come on, Doc. Stop contemplating the world, take a load off, and watch the Cubbies with me.”
As if the past five minutes of him cupping my dick or kissing me or causing my jolly roger to harden hadn’t happened, I sat down a good arm’s reach from him to watch the baseball game like it was any typical day.