by Wendi Zwaduk
A Total-E-Bound Publication
www.total-e-bound.com
Tangled Up
ISBN # 978-0-85715-445-3
©Copyright Wendi Zwaduk 2011
Cover Art by Natalie Winters ©Copyright January 2011
Edited by Stacey Birkel
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2011 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.
Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.
TANGLED UP
Wendi Zwaduk
Dedication
For my editor Jess, who encouraged me to write Arran’s story
To MW – for our conversation about the order of arrangements
To CM and EH who helped me get this into shape
To JPZ, there’s no one else I’d rather be Tangled Up with
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Gremlin: American Motors Corporation
Volvo: Ford Motor Company
Chapter One
“I know you don’t want to hear from me, but pick up the phone, Min. I need you on our day. I just—need you.”
Arran Mayes dropped his cell phone into his lap and hung his head. The message sounded lame. Sad. Broken, like his heart. He missed his wife—the only woman who knew him. Talks on an almost daily basis weren’t the same as holding her…feeling her beside him. Despite the rocky break-up, she’d remained a confidante. She got along with Sav as if they’d known each other for years. But the extra nudge, the passion between them, had dimmed. No wonder March the twenty-third sucked ass. His wedding anniversary.
At least it wasn’t snowing.
He hadn’t planned on dialling her number. Not even close. He’d planned to press the first couple of numbers of her cell and wimp out. He’d left her, not the other way around, so why would she even want to take his call? Why would she care about their ninth wedding anniversary?
Because she never totally gave up on me.
Blame it on the bourbon and the time of the year. He rubbed his eyes. How many had he downed? Three? Four? Six? Fuck, he wasn’t sure. But each March the twenty-third, he got drunk and Mindy was the first person to come to mind. His heart ached. Damn, he just wanted to hear her voice.
Arran looked up when his boyfriend, Savion Welles, strolled into the bedroom, hands in his trouser pockets. “It’s that day. I assume you called her? You did last year and the year before. She’s a good woman. She’ll call. Always does.” The man reminded him of old Hollywood. Polished, poised and domineering in the bedroom. Whenever Sav batted his mocha eyes and smiled his dimpled smile, Arran melted.
“It went to voicemail. If she saw my number, she got smart and let it ring. She wouldn’t drive in this shit. Winter in Ohio sucks no matter how much she might still care about me.” Arran squared his shoulders. Was it fair to want the person in front of you in the same room while lusting for another at the same time? Probably not.
“You’re afraid we’ve pushed her too far each time we’ve threatened to smother her with love, and now she won’t want anything to do with us? Come on, she makes dirty jokes better than anyone. And it was her idea to flash us on New Year’s Eve after we made out. Nice view, I might add.”
“I want to believe she’ll come through for me, but fuck if I know.” But he wanted to know—badly. “How many times can we entice her before she decides either she wants to be with the both of us or she wants nothing to do with us?”
Sav sighed and slid to the ground next to Arran. “Jokes and double entendres aside, you want her, don’t you?” He placed his large tanned hand on Arran’s thigh. Tingles shot straight to Arran’s groin, making him moan. “You want me to want her.”
“I want the both of you.” Arran swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I love you, Sav. You’re the man in my heart. But I still love Mindy. She’s the only woman to make my battered soul shine.”
There. He’d said the words deepest in his heart. He’d admitted to his lover he wanted his wife back. He needed both of them to make him whole.
“I want to hate you. To tell you I’m not interested because I don’t want to be replaced,” Sav said in an even tone. “But there’s no crime in admitting the truth—I like her. The three of us might work.”
“I don’t want to lose you, but Nate was right. I never should’ve sent the papers for the divorce. I wanted one more chance, one more time to be serious and say I might have fucked everything up.”
“Arran…”
“It’s the God’s honest truth. Sav, I do this every frickin’ year—well the last three anyway. I’ve never been able to forget her, no matter how many times we club, go to dinner, sit and talk. I mean, damn. Through my stupid reckless phase in college, she was there. Through the bullshit with my folks, she stood by me. She’s no saint or angel, but she deserved better than my worthless ass and she married me anyway.”
“Do you still love her?”
“Yeah, but she’s got to have given up on me. Damn it all anyway.” Arran forked his fingers into his hair. “It’s just a hard day for me. I’m sorry I acted like a shit to you. Without you, I’m nothing, Sav. I love you, even if I have a piss-poor way of showing it.”
“You didn’t act like a shit. I know you’ve had this on your mind for the last two weeks. But it sucks, the not knowing part, right? Not being sure she’s moved on when we keep pulling her back to us.”
Arran nodded. “I keep wondering if I made a mistake. What if I’m—we’re meant for more than just those six years?”
“I wish you’d been honest with me earlier and saved the drama.” Sav squeezed Arran’s leg. “Until she calls, let me help ease the tension and show you how much I love you, too. We’ll make it our own celebration.” Sav inched closer and trailed the backs of his knuckles down Arran’s cheek. “If something’s meant to happen, she’ll call.”
Sav eased his hands under Arran’s T-shirt and roved the taut skin of his chest. He loved every ripple, every bit of muscle on Arran’s body. When they kissed again, heaven shone down on him and his cock sprang to life within his khakis. He needed Arran like the blood flowing through his veins.
Yet every year on March the twenty-third, Arran called her.
Mindy.
The idea of his lover being with someone else irritated Sav—unless that someone was Mindy. He knew damn well things weren’t perfect between him and Arran unless she was there to laugh and joke…to balance things. The idea that Arran had left his wife to be with him didn’t sit well. The papers had been drawn up for the dissolution. Mindy Mayes deserved better.
His breath caught in his throat. If she did show, would she take them up on their open offer to join in? Something deep within his b
eing clicked into place like it did every time they were together as three. Yeah, he wanted her to watch. To pleasure herself as he pleasured Arran, then join in, bringing all three of them to climax. He shivered. If there was a woman out there to convince him he was bisexual, Mindy was the woman.
“Kiss me.” Sav dipped in for a kiss. God, he loved the feel of Arran’s lips on his, so supple, yet masculine. The moment Sav’s mouth met Arran’s, he groaned.
Arran wound his fingers into Sav’s hair and broke the kiss long enough to gasp, “Sav.” His breath radiated over Sav’s skin. “Fuck me.”
Sav eased his hands under Arran’s long-sleeved T-shirt and roved the taut skin of his chest. He loved every ripple, every bit of muscle on Arran’s body. Arran writhed his hips against Sav’s erection. “God, yes, Sav.”
Pleased, Sav broke away from Arran’s embrace and patted the bed. “Climb up and undress.” He watched as his lover slid the cotton shirt up over his head and tossed it across the room. Sav’s mouth watered. Arran reminded him of a marble statue come to life with spiky, coppery blond tresses and piercing blue eyes. His heart belonged to no one but Arran. He couldn’t say the same for his lover. Despite Arran’s professions of devotion to him, Sav wondered, did Mindy know just how much her husband pined for her?
Sure, Arran said he loved Sav, but what if she did indeed show up? The jealousy he expected didn’t rear its head. Mindy had Arran first and still carried his last name. Hell, they’d all gone to the clubs together and celebrated major holidays. He genuinely liked her as a person. Call him a sucker for green eyes and blonde hair. As a threesome, they’d never taken the next step to making the mutual friendship physical, but the idea of her spicing up their love life had its advantages. If Arran wanted her back in his life permanently, then maybe a threesome wasn’t such a bad idea. Hell, it might be the missing piece.
Arran popped the button on his jeans, and scurried out of the cumbersome denim. “There’s no one here except you and me.” He cast the jeans, boxers and socks aside, grabbed the lube from the bedside stand and crooked his finger. “What do you want me to do?”
Sav licked his lips. “Suck me, nipples first.”
“Yes, sir.” Arran crawled, bare-assed, across the expanse of the mattress. He ran his fingers down the front of Sav’s dress shirt. The ping of buttons landing on the hardwood floor echoed in the otherwise silent room.
Sav cupped the back of Arran’s head, cradling his lover. His cock throbbed behind his slacks. “You’ll ruin yet another one of my good shirts, not that I mind.”
Arran hooked his thumbs into Sav’s waistband and latched onto his dark nipple, sending a rush of lust and desire spiralling straight to Sav’s brain. Swirling his tongue over the beaded nub, Arran’s eyes fluttered shut.
Sav chuckled. Yes, he’d ordered Arran to take his time, but no more. He needed to fuck Arran good and hard. To meld with him on a primal level until they both collapsed. He groaned. “Arran.”
Arran kissed Sav’s nipple once more before focusing his attention on Sav’s pants. “You want me to love you?”
With a shaky nod, Sav swallowed hard. “I want to feel your mouth on me.”
Arran winked. “As you demand.” He unbuttoned Sav’s slacks and yanked the boxers and soft cotton fabric past his hips. The cool air caressed Sav’s cock and he writhed within Arran’s grasp as his trousers pooled at his feet.
“Eager?” Arran’s purr rolled through Sav’s system like a tidal wave.
“For you? Always.”
Sav shoved his fingers into Arran’s short, ruddy hair as Arran took him to the back of his throat. The spicy scent of Arran’s arousal hung thick in the air. A bead of perspiration trickled between Sav’s shoulder blades as Arran massaged his cock with languid swipes of his tongue.
The orgasm built swiftly in Sav’s groin. He grunted, not wanting the euphoric feeling to end. He pumped in and out of Arran’s mouth and swore under his breath.
Arran stared up at him with fire blazing in his caramel eyes.
Enough. Sav pulled out of Arran’s mouth and curled his index finger under Arran’s chin. “Lay back. I want—no, I need to be inside you when I come.”
“We,” Arran corrected and added one last slippery lick to Sav’s shaft. He fell backwards onto the bed and spread out across the sheets. “I’m all yours.”
Drawing Arran’s calves over his shoulders, Sav positioned his cock at the tiny rosette of Arran’s ass. Arran flicked the lube towards him and bucked, giving Sav silent approval to proceed.
Sav shook his head and sucked his index finger into his mouth. He wanted Arran in the raw. He pressed his slick digit into the tight opening, pleased when Arran groaned.
“Fuck, yes, Sav.”
Amazed by the tight fit, even after so many years and explicit couplings, Sav eased his finger in and out of Arran’s body.
“Sav.” A long hiss passed between Arran’s lips. “Put it in me.”
Sav chuckled and withdrew. “Who’s eager now?” Before Arran could reply, Sav nibbled on Arran’s bare calf and eased his cock into Arran’s asshole. Once buried to the hilt, Sav held still to bask in the feeling of completion. A shudder racked his body. Sheer pleasure coursed through his veins as he started to pump into Arran. The throaty sound of Arran’s moans filled the air.
Nothing mattered except this moment, the experience of being with his soul mate.
Chapter Two
Mindy Mayes yanked the elastic from her hair and raked her fingers through the wave of gold falling across her eyes. All the times she’d hung out with Arran and Sav, she’d never imagined she’d be standing on his snow encrusted doorstep again, not with her heart lodged in her throat. His. Arran’s. Her heart flip-flopped as she caressed the black numbers to the left of the door. Sixteen-twenty-seven.
Though Arran had been the one to ask her to go, he held on to their friendship. The best times of her life since then had been with Arran and Sav. From the late night gossip-fests at the waffle house, to dancing dirty at the Studio 26 club, to the make out session on New Year’s Eve. Any time it was just Arran, she’d ignore his overtures, figuring it was a joke. He’d freaking sent her the paperwork for the dissolution.
Damn March the twenty-third.
Did Arran think he was the only person to find misery in the otherwise innocuous date? Seeing him around town with his boyfriend broke her heart. Knowing she was the wrong sex sank her spirit. Arran wanted her only as a friend when she wanted them to be more.
Just knock on the door.
She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek. Indecisiveness wasn’t her style. A chill danced up her spine from the twenty-degree weather. Fisting her hand, she rapped on the wooden door and replayed his voicemail message in her mind. There was something different in his voice. Something sad and withdrawn. Needy. She snorted. Arran wasn’t the needy type. Attention-grabbing, yes, but not dramatic. The Arran she remembered sailed through life without a care. Well, until his parents had insisted he marry a girl—a man wouldn’t do. He had to couple with a woman, despite his inclination for men, and have children.
His proposal came to mind. “Come on, Min. I love you, you know that. We might even make it work—if anyone can tie me down, it’s you. Plus we’ll have the best looking kids.”
She cringed and pulled her coat tighter around her. He couldn’t change who he loved no matter how she cared about him. She knocked again and tried the knob. The door opened easily. Unlocked.
Apprehension slid through her veins and panic flooded her heart. The last time he’d called and left the door unlocked, she’d found him sprawled on the bathroom floor in a drunken stupor. Granted, he’d been a senior in college, but the memory of his thin body growing pale seared itself into her brain.
She shoved past the door, slammed it shut, and stalked through the little ranch house. So the man was an attention-seeker—she still loved him. With all her heart.
Groans caught her attention and a chill pricked her skin. Min
dy raced towards the sound. Was he in pain? No, it sounded like pleasure.
“Arran! Arran! I came as soon as I got your message.” The last word faded as she burst through the bedroom door.
Her breath caught fast in her throat.
Arran wasn’t hurting or in harm’s way. With a lover’s caress, her gaze roved over both men. Only ten feet away from her, Arran lay beneath Sav, eyes closed, breathing laboured, clutching Sav’s forearms as Sav thrust into his body.
I should look away. Run away and leave them to their lovemaking. Her feet remained rooted to the hardwood floor. Conflicted desire rose within her. The sight of two men tangled up together, expressing their deepest desires for each other, had never turned her on before. However, with Arran and Sav in the leading roles, it did.
Slowly Arran’s eyes opened. A lazy smile curled the corner of his mouth and his voice came out in a husky whisper that vibrated her core. “We have an audience.”
Sav’s hooded gaze moved from Arran to her. Heat rose in her cheeks. Words formed on her tongue, but she kept her mouth shut. Sav’s olive-skinned body could easily grace the covers of romance novels, each muscle and sinewy line mouth-watering.
Arran held out his hand. “Join us?”
A shiver raced up her spine. How many times had she longed to hear him ask for her—to invite her back into his arms? And Sav. Who didn’t lust after him? Each time she saw him shirtless, the idea of licking his chiselled abs overwhelmed her. She shoved her fears aside and embraced the lust bubbling within her. Take the chance.
Sav nodded and reached for her. “Make us complete.”
Without thinking, she grasped for their outstretched hands. When they touched, tingles shot through every cell in her body, mixed with something else.