by A. J. Downey
“We’d collect on that debt, believe me,” Cell echoed the sentiment and his voice was as chilly as the winter wind outside.
I bowed my head feeling equal parts ashamed and loved and Blue reached over under the table beside me and gathered up my hand, giving it a squeeze. I sighed and held back the tears, still having to sniff. My dad’s face crumbled a little bit and I asked, “Can we please pretend this conversation never happened and just have a nice dinner?”
“Sure.”
“Yeah.”
“You bet.”
“Thank you.”
The mood was heavier and quite a bit more sullen than it had been before my dad’s outburst. I understood it, but it didn’t make me feel any less awful for Blue or Cell. After dinner, Cell and Blue helped me clear plates. Cell stood with his hands braced against one of the counters, leaning back into it while I packed up some food for each of them to take and Blue helped me do the dishes.
“Well that was awkward,” Cell said with the ghost of a smile on his lips. One that didn’t or couldn’t reach his eyes.
“I am so sorry,” I murmured.
“Not your fault, little one.”
I nodded and Cell said, “Seriously, he’s just a dad, being a dad.” I looked up at him sharply and saw just the tail end of something passing between him and Blue. My heart swelled for the both of them that they would worry about my feelings after having been so heartily offended by my father.
My dad stepped into the kitchen and threw his empty bottle away. He got into the fridge and pulled one out twisting off the top and held it out first to Cell then to Blue. Both of them politely declining.
“Look, I’m really sorry,” he said chagrined, now that he’d had time to think about it.
“Don’t be,” Blue said back. “We understand.”
My dad nodded and rubbed the back of his neck and I set one of the final dishes into the rack.
“I’d really like to show the guys the bookstore window. I’m nearly finished now.”
“Yeah, sure,” my dad said.
Cell went up and shook his hand and Blue followed suit.
“You guys have a good night,” my dad said and they nodded and the knot of tension between my shoulders and dread in the pit of my stomach loosened.
I led them out the back door and across to my studio, ushering them in before closing the door tightly behind us. Cell was the first to grasp me and pull me into his arms, crushing me to him, his mouth over mine. He kissed me fiercely, pressing so hard I resisted slightly out of unease and maybe a little fear at how intense he was.
He pulled his mouth from mine and said honestly, “Your daddy pissed me off, can’t say I’m sorry about wanting to defile his little girl in all the best ways possible.”
I blushed deeply and laughed nervously, “Can’t say that doesn’t sound appealing,” I said truthfully. “But not tonight.”
“Damn, can’t blame a guy for trying,” he said with a smile and I smiled a bit ruefully in return.
He passed me to Blue who showed all the gentleness that Cell could not with his temper up like it was. Blue, though, held me close and kissed me sweet, massaging the nape of my neck with sure fingers.
“So let’s see this thing,” Cell said and I sighed a bit.
“It’s not a ‘thing’ it’s a window.”
I led them over to my work table and showed them the mostly complete window. Cell let out a low whistle. It was the first time he’d ever been in my workspace and I had to admit my nervousness. He let out a low whistle and said, “You did all this?”
“Mm-hm.”
“It’s nice work, how do you do it, though?” I smiled genuinely pleased he would ask.
“Well, first you draw the design…”
I spent the better part of an hour explaining the intricacies of making one of my designs, of tracing the space meant for any glass piece onto plain white computer paper and using the same old glue sticks we used as kids to glue it to a piece of the colored glass you desired. I showed him how to use the scoring tool, and how to snap the piece off. I showed the proper way to tape the edges with fine copper tape, and how to smooth the edges down perfectly, and then I showed him how to paint the flux and tack weld the piece in place with solder.
“Then you solder along the entire length of the join and ta-da. Rinse and repeat; slide the next sheet of paper under the glass and trace along the edge and the rest of the design and go to the next until it’s done.”
“You got more patience than me for this kind of thing. This is totally more Blue’s speed.”
Blue smiled at me and I smiled at him, saying lightly, “That’s okay, I’m just glad you let me show you.”
“Sure thing, sweet thing.” He winked at me and I laughed, and the mood was much lighter than it had been before. It wasn’t too long after that they had to go and that was disappointing. I always hated watching them leave.
When I went back inside, the living room was dark, the kitchen light the only light left on… my dad had gone to bed. Likely to avoid the uncomfortable conversation about the uncomfortable conversation and I couldn’t say I was sorry about it. I was honestly tired and more than a bit emotionally drained. Totally ready for bed, myself.
The diner may have been closed today, but it would be open tomorrow and it was sure to be a long, dragging day with few customers thanks to the post-holiday shopping madness.
At least it was Friday, though.
Chapter 23
Blue
Christmas had come and gone, the New Year had come in with some serious partying and even though it was only February, it felt like spring was pretty much just around the corner. All and all my life was pretty fucking perfect lately. Today was no exception. We’d spent almost all day together, shopping a little, seriously affectionate and finally had ended up back in my room for an hour or more of lovemaking.
Now, Hayley lay against my chest, and I cuddled her close. Cell had gone off on his own earlier in the day and hadn’t come back yet. I don’t think that Hayley was too terribly disappointed about it, and I felt like we’d turned a corner in our relationship where we were all more comfortable just being… Like the tack welds had set and the line of solder holding us together in a stronger bond was being laid.
We hadn’t had sex, the three of us together yet, but I was thinking we were close to clearing that last hurdle. It felt like a big one.
Thanksgiving had been interesting, and we’d avoided her dad for the most part. She wouldn’t say anything about it, but I was pretty sure they’d had a fight. The outcome was that she was still with us, so I would have to say that meant she’d won.
Tired of thinking about it, and marveling at how we were still managing to pull this off after so long, I decided it was time for less thought and some more action.
“Mm,” I growled and turned her on her back, wedging one of my knees between hers and nudging her thighs apart.
She laughed, a joyous sound and asked, “Still not enough?” as I nuzzled the side of her neck.
“Never enough.”
I licked along the side of her neck and nipped lightly, tracing my lips along the delicate slope of her shoulder, down her chest, pausing to pay particular attention to her nipple. I sucked the delicate nub into my mouth and rolled it, capturing it between my teeth in a light grip. She arched, her fingers twining into my hair as she gave a throaty moan, eyelashes fluttering with the sensation as she closed her eyes and relished the sensation.
I loved how responsive she was to my touch. Every movement honest, organic, and letting me know just what she liked and didn’t like.
I moved down her body even more, light touches of my lips against her warm, soft skin punctuated with the occasional taste of her. A light, unexpected flick of my tongue that left her gasping or giggling, unless I placed it against a known ticklish spot. Then she would jerk in my grasp and squeal, a delighted sound that I don’t think I would ever hear enough of.
Those gasps an
d squeals turned into passionate and throaty moans, the closer I got to my goal. I trailed light fingertips down her skin, tracing where my lips had been until I reached the apex of her thighs. I went down on her, gladly, pressing my middle finger up inside her and coaxing her body into writhing for me.
She watched me with heavy lidded eyes, passion and naked want radiating from her and she was so beautiful to me in that moment that it hurt. A very physical pain as my heart squeezed down tight in my chest as if gripped in a fist. Only, I would give anything to make that pain a permanent part of me because it was just that damn good.
I put my mouth to her most sensitive parts and lapped at her, teasing her clit with strokes of my tongue, and her g-spot with strokes of my fingers. She gripped the sheets at her hips with her fists and would have arched off the bed completely if it weren’t for my arm barring across her hips, pressing her down into the bed; holding her there so that I could torture her as sweetly as she tortured me with that look in her eyes.
I loved the way she was looking at me, down the length of her writhing body, between the valley of her breasts, chest heaving as she tightened down around my fingers in that way that told me she was close, so very close… She threw back her head with a sharp, impassioned cry and jerked wildly as her nerves overloaded and she came hard around my fingers and against my mouth.
I let up, knowing how sensitive she got, and knowing that a certain amount of a lack of control tended to frighten her. Unlike Cell I pushed Hayley’s limits slowly. I didn’t want to burn her out or overwhelm her to the point she felt she couldn’t handle us anymore. Never mind that she hadn’t handled us together yet.
I wasn’t sure why. It just hadn’t come up yet.
I knelt up between her legs, her whole body limp as she floated in the euphoria of her afterglow. I reached for a condom, my dick impossibly hard, and tore open the little foil packet. She watched me, chest heaving with deep, quick, breaths.
“You okay?” I asked with a smile, knowing the answer already even as I rolled the condom on. She watched, and the look in her eyes always entertained me. Something about the act of putting the condom on myself always got her, always made her go still and the look in her eyes made me feel like a man on top of the world. Like I was the hottest thing she’d ever seen.
I tipped forward and braced a hand on the mattress over her shoulder. The other hand I was using to guide myself inside her.
God, she felt so good. So wet I glided inside with very little effort. Her hips jolted slightly, as they always did when I first pushed inside her and I just kept going until I was flush against her body with mine; in as deep as I could go.
She looked up at me, raw with emotion and I smiled, bringing up my other arm and lowering myself over her until our bodies touched before I drew back and thrust forward again. She sighed, her eyes slipping closed and she just melted beneath me. It was the sweetest and hottest thing I’d ever had a woman do and I loved it. I loved even more when she arched a little to put our bodies back in contact. I loved it even more than that when her hand gripped my ass, nails digging slightly into my flesh as she pulled me back inside her, her other hand warm on my shoulder.
I loved her, and making love to her was the greatest privilege I’d ever known.
“Blue,” she whimpered, and I closed my eyes, relishing the sound of my name on her lips.
“I love you,” I murmured and covered her mouth before she could reply, fearing her response and not wanting to ruin this perfect moment any further than I feared I may have just done.
Her arms went around me and she pulled me down tight against her, her legs wrapping around my hips, pulling me all the way in and holding to me so tightly I couldn’t pull out if I wanted to.
She kissed me back with such fervor, I felt my spine go liquid with relief at the weight that’d been lifted from my spirit. She loved me, too and just when I didn’t think life could get any better, the door to my room burst open and Cell called out, “Player three has arrived!”
Hayley jumped, squealing and burying her face in the side of my neck, laughing when she realized it was her other lover… our other lover.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked, shutting the door behind him and shirking off his jacket and cut.
“Lose the clothes first,” Hayley said dryly and I thrust into her, glad to hear it. She sucked in a sharp breath and I kissed her, a tingling enveloping my back as Cell swept his gaze over it.
“Well alright then,” I heard him say, and the tongue of his belt loosen out of its buckle. I kept it up with Hayley, working my way in and out of her wet and ready body while Cell got himself ready to join us. He walked up, nude and perfect and stopped by Hayley’s head, already semi-hard. I pushed up to my knees and worked in and out of her, but no longer caging her with my body, she was free to do more, which she did, by reaching out and stroking Cell with her hand.
He picked up a condom and got up onto the bed beside her. She turned her head for him and he slid his cock into her waiting mouth. He smiled at her and slid himself back and forth over her tongue, between her petal pink lips carefully. Finding that partnership and rhythm that allowed her to catch breaths as he backed off. Hayley’s face radiated perfect calm and perfect trust while Cell’s maintained control.
More relief washed over me, while I worked to please her even as she worked to please him. A task that was growing a little more difficult as his erection grew. Finally, Cell tipped his head back and let out a shuddering breath saying, “God, baby, yes… that’s enough. That’s enough, now.”
He pulled back and ripped open the condom with his teeth. Watching her face as he rolled it down his thick length. He put a hand on my shoulder and got off the bed, coming around behind me. Hayley looked up curiously at the both of us but Cell shoved me forward, back over her and I put my hands to either side of her head, above her shoulders.
“It’s okay,” I murmured as he grabbed the lube and got onto the bed behind me. Hayley’s eyes widened and I closed my eyes, even as she stroked the side of my face.
God, I wanted this. I wanted this so bad… I wanted them both, to know her body and his and be the bridge between them. Cell pressed against my asshole and I shuddered. I cradled Hayley close and had myself all the way in her while Cell took his time, drawing this out, torturing me, knowing how much I craved the sensation of having him inside me while I was inside her.
“Dammit,” I muttered and laughed nervously. Hayley smiled and laughed a little too, nervous and a bit on edge, all of this outside of her wheelhouse, but if I’d learned anything about our girl it was that she would try anything at least once. If she didn’t like it, she wouldn’t do it again, but if she did…
I bowed my head, pressing my forehead between her breasts as Cell thrust into me. I about died when she scratched her nails lightly over my scalp and tightened her pussy down around me. She seemed determined to make this good for me and that screamed volumes about just how much she loved me.
I was all the way inside her, Cell doing most of the work for the three of us, his rough thrusting pushing me that little bit extra, into her body her back arching, her gasps coming in ragged pants, the three of us riding it out on a cloud of euphoria losing ourselves completely in the sensations of each other. The course of our pants and gasps, the sound of our heavy breathing just serving to turn us all on that much more, raising us up impossibly high. She came first, her body flaring around mine, gripping me then letting go, tossing me to the four winds of my own orgasm even as I heard Cell cry out distantly. The power of that moment explosive, mind blown right along with our bodies as all three of us came essentially in unison.
Hayley pulled me down on top of her as I went limp; languid with relief and overridden with pleasure so hard that I didn’t think I would be able to move for days. Cell pulled out of my body and sat back on his knees so as not to crush us, his uneven panting and harsh bark of a laugh telling me two things.
One, it had been just as good for him as it
’d been for us, and two… he wasn’t done yet. I was okay with both of those. Of course, it’d be interesting for all three of us what tomorrow would bring.
Chapter 24
Hayley
I lay, skin slightly dewed with sweat and watched Cell’s face over Blue’s shoulder, the memory of Blue’s face as he’d both made love to me while Cell had been inside him is one that would forever be burned to memory. In fact, I think that it would be one of my favorite memories I would ever have to keep and to cherish. I don’t think I had ever, or would ever see Blue that happy again.
“Do me a favor?” I asked them both and Cell laughed a little.
“After that? Anything, just name it,” he said panting.
“Kiss each other… for me… I want to watch.”
Cell and Blue exchanged a look and Blue gave an awkward one shouldered shrug. Cell reached out and pulled Blue’s back against his front and said, “I’m no fucking faggot, but she asked nice, and I’m in a good mood.”
He put his hand beneath Blue’s chin and pressed his head back into his shoulder bowing his head and covering Blue’s mouth with his own.
Blue seemed surprised, his gray eyes going wide before he relaxed against Cell, eyes closing and let the kiss settle and become as natural as breathing.
It was so hot to see I felt my body throb with an aching want. Cell pulled back and pushed Blue off him. Blue caught himself with a hand to the bed and looked at me, a raw emotion I had no name for in his eyes.
“Right, out of the way, dude… You’ve had your fun.” Blue got up and stretched his legs, pulling the sagging condom off his cock and throwing it into the trash by the bed. Cell handed his own condom off to Blue and crawled up my body to lay his mouth onto mine.
I cradled his face between my hands and kissed him as deeply as he kissed me. Not even thinking about anything else but the feel of his hard body against mine. My mind couldn’t hold onto anything the way he kissed me and I moaned into his mouth as he slid himself into my sopping pussy.