“Hell yeah, I got off.” He set his coffee aside and, stepping forward, gripped her arms. “It was fucking hot.”
“Let me go,” she whispered as tendrils of heat slithered through her body at his touch.
He just pulled her closer. “Did I jerk off? Yeah. The look on your face while you came was gorgeous and pushed me right over the edge.”
Her clit pulsed as he talked, and Shannon sucked in a deep breath, inwardly groaning when the scent of his soap invaded her senses.
“You shouldn’t have watched, Zac,” she said lamely.
“Why are you so upset?” He ran his hands up and down her arms. “Is it because I watched or because the fact I watched makes you hot as hell? And it does—I can see it in your eyes. Knowing that I watched Nate take you on that table has you wet and aching, doesn’t it?”
She shook her head. Damn it, she wouldn’t admit that to him, to anyone. She was in love with her husband, for God’s sake! What the hell was wrong with her?
“Did you tell Nate about yesterday? Did you tell your husband that his best friend came on to you, talked dirty to you?” He lowered his head and nuzzled along her ear, igniting her nerve endings with the light, yet erotic, touch. “Did you tell him I made you wet and made you imagine all kinds of naughty things?” He straightened and released her. “You didn’t. Why not?”
Shannon watched him amble over to retrieve his coffee. Mug in hand, he crossed the room and lowered himself into one of the chairs at the table.
“I don’t want to ruin your friendship. I told you that. You mean a lot to Nate. That’s why this—” she gestured between them, “will never happen. Ever. Get that through your head. This stops now.”
“You aren’t protecting our friendship. Quit lying to yourself.”
Shannon shook with hot anger. “How dare you? You don’t even know me. I love Nate, and he cares about you—though I’m finding it very hard to understand the more I get to know you. I don’t want him hurt by this.”
“You didn’t tell him because you’re afraid of his reaction.” He smiled.
She wanted to go over and smack the smug look off his face. He was so infuriating. “I’m not afraid, because I didn’t do anything wrong. If he gets mad at anyone, it’d be you. Not me.”
“No, darlin’, you aren’t afraid that he’ll be pissed. You’re afraid he won’t be upset.”
“That’s ridiculous. That’s just…just…stupid.” She took a few steps and picked up her purse and briefcase she’d left on the counter the night before. “I sure as hell hope you’re looking for a place to stay, because I want you the hell out of my house.”
She spun on her heel and strode to the door that led to the garage. She paused when he spoke.
“Tell him, Shannon. Tell him everything.”
Closing her eyes briefly, she inhaled and told herself to get a grip. She pushed aside her rioting emotions—the arousal, the guilt, the anger, and yes, fear—and left the cause of them behind her. Even if only for a few hours.
* * * *
Nate Delaney sat in his favourite restaurant, sipping a glass of ice water as he waited for his wife to meet him. It would be nice to have lunch, just the two of them. Their schedules lately hadn’t allowed them to meet as often as they normally did, and with Zac staying with them, meals weren’t a cosy twosome. Add in the constant tension between the other man and Shannon, and it could be downright awkward. Shannon was like a skittish doe around Zac. Nate just hoped Shannon would relax and be comfortable around him soon. He knew better than anyone that Zac could be more than a little intense.
“I’m so sorry I’m late!” Shannon rushed towards him, her wavy, red hair bouncing on her shoulders. She pressed a kiss to his lips before sitting. “I’ve had a hellish morning and fell way behind. Have you been waiting long?”
“Don’t worry about it.” He smiled and reached for her hand. “Sorry you’ve been having a bad day. Wanna talk about it?”
Shannon’s face flushed, and she lowered her green eyes . “No…no, it’s nothing. Just distracted by some things and had a hard time focusing on what I needed to do. No biggie. Um, how’s your day been going?”
Nate wondered about her sudden nervousness and change of subject, but let it go. “Great. We won the bid for the big job I was telling you about. We’re going to be very busy the next couple months. I wish Zac would agree to come to work with me.” Both he and Zac had engineering degrees, and he’d invited his friend to come on as a partner in his consulting firm, but so far, Zac had refused to commit to anything.
“Speaking of Zac, do you know if he’s found a place yet? Or has any prospects?”
Nate frowned. “Not that I know of. Why? Is there a problem with him staying with us? There’s plenty of room in that big house with just the two of us.”
Shannon didn’t answer right away, and Nate inwardly questioned her silence. He’d seen the two of them talking at the picnic the day before. The conversation looked pretty heated—an argument, even—though he’d pushed that thought aside when Shannon didn’t bring it up with him. Now he wondered if more had happened than he realised. He knew his friend, knew what he wanted. And God help him, he wanted it too. The thought of Shannon between the two of them… He shifted in his seat to alleviate the pressure on his hardening cock. Yeah, the prospect of fucking his wife while Zac fucked her was enough to nearly make him come in his pants. But he would never force that on Shannon, ever. He’d come to terms with the fact that fantasy would remain just that—a fantasy.
“Shannon?” He squeezed her hand gently.
“No, there’s no problem with his staying at our house. I just figured a single guy like him would want his own place, that’s all.” She shrugged.
Nate’s response was cut off when the waiter approached to take their order.
“Nate, can I ask you something?” Shannon asked, once the waiter left.
“Of course you can. Anything,” he encouraged.
“Do you miss it? The things you used to do with Zac? The—” she lowered her voice, “sex games, sharing women?”
Nate released her hand and sat back. Now he knew something had happened between her and Zac. It was the only thing that explained why she’d bring this up.
“Baby, I told you you’re the only woman I ever want to be with. I wouldn’t have asked you to marry me otherwise,” he stated firmly. “I don’t want anyone else. Just you.”
“But…” she pressed her fingertips to her eyes briefly, “you don’t miss sharing a woman with Zac? You don’t want that again?”
Nate pushed back the niggling anger rising and struggled to hold on to his patience. They’d gone over this time and time again before they were married. He thought they were past all the bullshit.
“What’s really going on, Shannon? Why are you asking about this?”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and stared at him. “With Zac,” her voice broke, “with him around, I just wondered if you missed things. That maybe seeing him reminded you of what you had before.”
He studied her carefully, from the nervous fidgeting to the growing blush on her cheeks. Her eyes were bright with… God, why hadn’t he seen it before? She wasn’t nervous around Zac because he was intense. It was attraction. “You want him.”
“W-w-what?” Her eyes widened and her brow furrowed.
“You’re attracted to Zac. That’s what this is about. Did he come on to you?” he asked quietly.
“No, no, of course not,” she said hurriedly. “Nate, how could—”
“You need to be honest with me. Stop questioning me, and tell me if anything has happened between the two of you.”
“Nothing happened. I wouldn’t let anything happen. I promise.”
“But you are attracted to him?”
“I-I-I just…” She closed her eyes for a moment before meeting his gaze. “I’m not attracted to him. I’m not.”
Her initial hesitation had told him all he needed to know. Hurt and anger
flared inside him at the dishonesty of her reply. Deep down he understood, he really did, but he couldn’t make the emotions disappear.
“Who are you trying to convince there, Shan? Me or you.” He stood. “Maybe instead of questioning my wants, you should figure out what the hell you want.”
“You’re mad? I told you nothing happened,” she said, frantically shaking her head.
“I get pissed when my wife lies to me. Figure out what you want, Shannon. Be honest with yourself. Then we’ll talk.”
* * * *
Nate let himself in the house, headed straight to the fridge and pulled out a cold beer. He popped the top and drank. It’d been a helluva day. He glanced at the clock and realised Shannon would be home any minute.
They needed to talk. He regretted walking out earlier. It hadn’t solved anything, though it had given him a chance to get a rein on his emotions. He’d overreacted, but damn it, he wanted honesty from her. Did she think he’d flip out if she admitted she was attracted to Zac? Hell, would she flip out when she learned that just the opposite was true?
He sighed and took another swig. Well, they’d figure it out. Together.
“Hey, man.” Zac walked in from the garage, holding several take-out bags. “I picked up Chinese for dinner. Wanna grab me one of those?” He nodded towards the beer as he started emptying the bag.
Nate opened the fridge and got another beer. He handed it to his friend and went to the cupboard for plates.
“We’ve got sweet and sour chicken, beef lo mein, dumplings, and spring rolls.” Zac took the plates from Nate and placed them around the table. “Is Shannon home yet?”
“Not yet.” Nate grabbed some silverware to dish out the food, then sat and stretched his legs in front of him.
“Is she going to be late or should we wait for her?” Zac questioned, lowering himself into the chair next to Nate.
“She didn’t call to say she’d be late, but then I wouldn’t expect her to.” Nate chuckled humourlessly.
Zac lifted a brow in question.
“We had lunch and I walked out,” Nate explained.
“Why?” Zac held up a hand as soon as he asked. “Was it about me?”
Before he could answer, the door opened and Shannon stepped in. She stopped just inside the doorway when she saw them at the table. The inquiring look she gave him made Nate shift guiltily in his seat. Damn, she was an expert at making him feel like a heel, he thought with an inward chuckle.
“Hey, baby. Zac picked up Chinese. You hungry?” he asked.
She gave him a small smile as she set her briefcase next to the door. “Yeah.” She sat between them and reached for a container. Peering inside, she hummed. “Beef lo mein, my favourite.” She scooped some onto her plate and glanced around the table. “Chopsticks?”
“Right here.” Zac held them out to her.
Nate watched as Shannon reached for the wooden utensils. Zac’s fingers glanced over hers as she grasped them. Her breath quickened and yanked her hand away quickly, dropping the sticks in her haste.
Zac chuckled and picked them up. “Careful, darlin’.” He laid them on her plate, then reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her hair.
Shannon frowned at him before glancing nervously at Nate. Her little pink tongue darted out to moisten her lips. Nate groaned, and nearly laughed when he heard an identical sound come from his friend.
“Um, I actually have some work to do, so I’m just going to take this into the office and eat while I work.” Balancing the plate of food, she stood, grabbed her briefcase and rushed from the room.
“You’re pushing too hard,” Nate told Zac as he began to eat.
“You’re not pushing hard enough,” Zac countered.
Nate sighed. He knew how Zac was—when he wanted something, he pursued it single-mindedly.
“I’m not forcing her into anything. I told you that. If anything is going to happen, it has to be because Shannon wants it a hundred percent. Otherwise, no deal.”
Zac’s jaw tightened as he studied Nate. Finally, he spoke. “I would never force her, or any woman for that matter. You know that. But how the hell is she supposed to decide on anything when she doesn’t know the options? Unless,” he tilted his head to the side, “you’ve decided you don’t want to share her.”
Nate snorted. “Don’t be an idiot. It doesn’t suit you.”
Zac shrugged. “Hey, if you decided against it, I’d totally understand. I’d be disappointed as hell, but I’d understand.”
Nate met his friend’s gaze. “I haven’t changed my mind. Not about wanting to be together, the three of us, and not about insisting that all three of us are into it completely.”
“Hey, I don’t know what you’re thinking, man. Maybe you changed your mind about the whole thing. Maybe you have someone else in mind to be with the two of you.”
Nate burst out laughing. “Is that what this is about? You gonna be a whiny little bitch who needs reassurances that you’re the only one I’d want with my wife in our bed?”
“Fuck you,” Zac drawled before shoving sweet and sour chicken in his mouth.
Nate chuckled as he turned back to his meal. After a few minutes, he looked at his friend. “In all honesty, other than you, I’d kick any man’s ass who even thought of touching my wife.”
Zac nodded. “Good to know.” He stood and brought his plate to the sink. “Glad my ass is safe, because from the looks I’ve caught, I’m pretty sure your wife likes my ass just the way it is.”
Chapter Three
Shannon sat on the edge of the bed, hands clasped together, waiting for Nate to come out of the adjoining bathroom. She cursed her nervousness, but it wasn’t everyday you admitted to your husband that you were attracted to someone else. Logically, she knew that being attracted didn’t mean anything. There were a lot of good-looking people out there. She was sure there were women Nate found attractive. Of course, the thought of that made her want to hurt those women, but that was neither here nor there.
After Nate had walked out of the restaurant, she’d had a lot of time to think. He was right. She should have been honest with him. She would expect that from him. So she was going to admit she was attracted to Zac and tell him everything that had happened. She didn’t know what to expect once it was all out there, but she’d…they’d deal with that.
She looked up as Nate came out of the bathroom, nude. Her mind went blank for a moment as she watched his muscles move under sleek, tanned skin. He crossed the room and sat beside her.
“I’m sorry about earlier. Walking out was inexcusable.” He grimaced.
“No, it’s okay. I understand.” She took a deep breath and forged ahead. “I should have been honest with you. I guess I was just… I don’t know, scared of your reaction.”
“You can always be honest with me, baby. Always.”
“I know. I just forgot that for a minute.” She smiled even as her stomach jumped with anxiety. “You were right. I am attracted to him, to Zac. I tried not to be, and it doesn’t mean I don’t love you or that I’m not attracted to you. I am—as much as I’ve ever been. I don’t know why he affects me the way he does. It’s maddening really.” She stopped and inhaled deeply.
Nate cupped her face and met her gaze. “I never doubted your love. Wanting him doesn’t make your feelings for me disappear.”
Relief filled her, spreading through her like a balm. Of course, now came the really hard stuff. “That’s not all. Zac did come on to me. Sort of. I mean, it wasn’t your typical come-on. He talked about being with me…with you. The three of us together. I should have told you right away, but it just freaked me out, I guess.”
“Why?” he asked quietly.
“Why’d it freak me out? Because he’s your best friend.” Wasn’t that obvious?
“And because the thought of being with both of us turned you on.” He didn’t ask—he stated it as fact.
Shannon jumped to her feet and began pacing the room. “What do you want m
e to say, Nate? That it did turn me on. That I started fantasising what it’d be like to have both of you in my bed?”
“If that’s the truth, yes.” He rose and stopped her movement by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him.
With a sigh, she laid her cheek against his warm chest. She closed her eyes and listened to the thumping of his heart, enjoying the feel of his embrace. They stood silently for a few moments, wrapped around each other. Shannon’s thoughts raced. She really didn’t know what to say. The thought of being with Zac—with Nate and Zac—overwhelmed her. She wondered what it’d be like to be pressed between their bodies, to be filled by both of them. But to put those thoughts into words, to say them to Nate was hard as hell.
“Baby, listen. Turnabout’s fair play, so here’s some honesty from me.” He released her and returned to the bed. “The thought of watching you with Zac makes me harder than steel. I can imagine what he’d do to you, how good he’d make you feel, and that’s fucking hot. Now, imagining fucking you while Zac fucks you… It’s almost enough to make me come just thinking of it.” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to speak. “I’d never, ever consider it with another man, Shannon. I trust Zac, always have, always will. I know it’s hard for you to understand. I don’t want to share women with him. That was over long ago and put to fucking bed when I married you. I want to share you with him. Me, you, him—it’s the only mix that I’d ever consider.”
“You want that?” Shannon backed up a step and rolled everything he said around in her mind. “The three of us…sex…”
Nate chuckled, though it was hardly a happy sound. “Only if you do. If you don’t want this, it won’t happen. I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything. It’s your choice. Period.”
“And if I said no way in hell? You’d be okay with that?” Shannon watched as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, and doubt filled her. If she said no, would that ruin her marriage? But saying yes to sex with another man? Wouldn’t that hurt it?
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