He shut the door and leaned against it. They’d become friends over the course of the investigation. Since Evan was a shifter and they’d spent several hours together in the last few days, Josh found they’d had a lot in common. Evan was nearly the same age, only a year younger. He hadn’t been to The Gathering in several years, stating the same reasons as Josh, school, time, commitments, lack of interest in mating just yet. Josh thought given the right opportunity, they could be good friends.
What a clusterfuck.
An hour ago when Josh had woken up, he’d not pondered this scenario. A fight? And he damn good and well had been the instigator. Now, his mate of three days was pissed, and she’d left. She wouldn’t be back either. Not without a lot of groveling on his part. And he couldn’t blame her. What the hell had he been thinking?
He pushed off the door and headed down the hall to get ready for work. His office was on the opposite end of downtown St. Louis from Samantha’s. He’d not be able to catch her during the day. He figured she needed time to let the anger dissolve a bit before he hunted her down anyway.
And, well, shit. She wouldn’t even want to see him until he worked out his issues with Nathan.
Damn. Why had this morning’s actions gotten under his skin? It wasn’t Nathan’s fault. The man had graciously made coffee and grabbed the paper. Josh should have been thankful. Instead all he’d seen was what women would probably consider a sexy hunk, ambling down the driveway for the morning paper, giving everyone in the vicinity the wrong impression.
And who the hell cared what anyone thought? Josh was going to have to face the fact he was now in the most unconventional relationship of his life. Could he get over himself? Ugh. That’s the question of the day.
Chapter Thirteen
At noon Nathan finally threw his pencil across the room at the office door and leaned back in his chair. He couldn’t concentrate on anything…at least nothing related to law. He couldn’t not concentrate on his personal problems.
He was in a bind unlike any other. While regular humans had occasional fights with their girlfriends and laughed about it in the lunch room, this didn’t jive with shifters. And for newly mated shifters it was worse. Besides feeling like dog poop for arguing in front of Samantha, he couldn’t stand being separated from her. He physically ached from her absence.
New mates didn’t stray from each other for long periods of time. As their bodies aligned, they craved the other’s touch. Nature had a way of making shifters the horniest bastards on the planet when mating. Going an entire morning without Samantha was torture.
And the peculiar emotions he felt toward Josh were even worse. He recognized somewhere deep inside he and Samantha weren’t whole without Josh. They were a unit. Assigned by destiny to work this out together.
Maybe he’d been too hard on Josh this morning? Ya think?
After all, Josh was only concerned about his neighbors. There wasn’t a whole lot they could do about it in the long run. However, it wasn’t unreasonable for Josh to be freaking out this morning over the abrupt way others on the street might see a strange half-naked man getting the paper. That was insensitive of Nathan. Truth? He would have been a little pissed if Josh had done that at his house.
Nathan moaned. He hated being wrong. Apologizing wasn’t his specialty.
He grabbed his cell from the desk and typed another message to Samantha:
“I’m so sorry. Please text me back so I’ll know you’re okay.”
Ugh. That was the third similar message he’d sent this morning. He knew she wasn’t in court. Neither of them could have pulled that off today if it had been on the docket.
She was ignoring him.
Next he texted Josh:
“Sorry. Dinner?”
After hitting send on that one he felt like an idiot, but one of them had to reach out or they were doomed. If Nathan had to go home to his empty apartment tonight and sleep alone… Nope. That was so totally not an option. One way or another they had to straighten out this mess.
So, that made twice in one day he’d used the word sorry. Time to grab his tail and make nice.
•●•
Four agonizing hours passed before Nathan’s phone pinged with a text. He grabbed it off the desk. Josh. Not his first choice, but better than nothing.
“Sorry too. 6?”
A long exhale made Nathan relax. At least they were both even. Then a second text came through. Josh again:
“Been w/ patients all day. Didn’t c your text. Not ignoring you.”
Nathan smiled. “U could work? I’ve been staring at the wall.”
“It wasn’t easy.”
Josh added the name of a restaurant and Nathan set the phone down.
It was a start.
After a full day of plowing through briefings, Nathan began to stuff his briefcase. It was Thursday. He was glad it was almost the end of the week. He needed two days in bed both sleeping and fucking. Assuming Samantha consented to letting him back into her life. And she sure wasn’t taking him back without Josh, so the hard work started at six.
In no time, Nathan exited his office, stepped into the elevator, and headed for his car. The drive to his apartment took only ten minutes. Nathan chuckled. It was early. No one left their office this early. In fact, several people had stared at him when he left. But, hell, Nathan never did anything this unexpected. After two days of not showing up at all, he’d given everyone he passed a jaw-dropping shock. They must think him severely ill.
Back at his apartment, he jumped in the shower. Even cool water did nothing to alleviate the stiffness of his dick. He shampooed his hair and grabbed the bar of soap, unsuccessfully trying to ignore his erection. After rinsing, Nathan leaned his forehead against the wall. He grabbed his cock with one hand and moaned as he closed his eyes and savored the contact.
He wished his hand was Samantha’s, or her mouth, but his imagination would have to suffice for now.
Nathan gripped the wall with his free hand, as much as one can get a hold on smooth, wet tile. He had experience Samantha’s mouth. He pictured her lips around his cock, sucking, licking, tasting…
A louder groan filled the room as his balls drew up tight. He widened his stance, hoping to steady himself. His knees threatened to buckle as he visualized Samantha with him.
Her tiny hand, several shades lighter, grazes over my length, her fingers gripping the skin tightly.
Nathan shivered.
She licks her lips and stares up into my eyes before kneeling before me and breathing against my shaft. Her warm breath makes my cock spring forward of its own accord. When her tongue darts out to lick the precum off the tip, I can’t take another moment of the torment.
She’s entirely too slow, savoring the taste of come with a moan.
With a firm grip, he squeezed his cock at the base. When had he ever come so fast? He was right on the edge. Less than a dozen strokes and only the use of his imagination behind his eyelids, and he was about to shoot like a teenager.
The water sluiced over his skin, cooling his heated frame deliciously. Giving up the fight, Nathan let his palm slide to the tip of his dick and back down. One more pass and he stiffened his entire body, letting the orgasm consume him as he would in Samantha’s grip.
Nathan leaned heavily against the wall, exhausted, and yet not satisfied. He needed more. Evan had been right. Nothing would suffice in place of his mate.
He stepped from the shower on shaky legs, dried off, and grabbed clean jeans and a T-shirt. Darting around the room like a crazed chicken, he grabbed random items and stuffed them in an overnight bag. One way or another, he wasn’t sleeping here in this apartment alone tonight.
Back in the bathroom. Tooth brush…razor…deodorant…
He zipped the bag.
If he had to grovel and beg and plead, he would. He inhaled deeply as he considered the full ramifications of his every move this evening. Even with Josh. He needed to make nice. Josh was a good guy. Someone Nathan would n
ormally be happy to call a friend. He liked him. Genuinely enjoyed the man’s company. But, circumstances weren’t “normal.” They were extraordinary. And Nathan hadn’t been permitted to choose Josh as a friend. He’d been flung into bed with him to share a woman. In fact, Josh had been wearing a towel when they’d met.
Nathan set his bag by the door to the apartment and plopped onto the couch. He had a few minutes. He ran his hands through his still-damp hair and stared at the ceiling.
Deep breaths.
He couldn’t sit still. His knees bounced. He wrung his hands and then squeezed them into fists. He had to move. Even if he got to the restaurant early, he didn’t care. He could get a beer and wait in the bar.
Heaving himself up, he straightened his shirt and then wiped his palms on his jeans. He felt like he was on his way to a blind first date instead of dinner with the male half of two people he’d already mated.
Getting to the car was easy. Getting the keys in the ignition with his hands shaking was not. He laughed at himself as he drove the short distance to the Italian place Josh had suggested.
It was only five-thirty when he walked in. He didn’t even look around. He was too early. Instead, he headed straight for the bar.
And there stood Josh, grinning and shaking his head. “Guess we aren’t that different after all.” He reached with his free hand and shook Nathan’s firmly. “Joshua Rice. Nice to meet you. Beer?” Josh nodded toward the bartender.
“Love one.” Nathan loosened up. He smiled at Josh’s attempt to start over.
Moments later after a nod from Josh, Nathan had a cold beer in his hand. When he tipped it up, it tasted like gold. Cold. Fresh. Sharp. Perfect. Just what he needed.
“I put our name in,” Josh said.
“What name was that?” Nathan asked, hoping Josh could hear the teasing lilt to his voice.
Josh laughed, a hearty deep sound that calmed Nathan’s nerves. “Josh Craig.”
A grin spread across Nathan’s face until it ached. If that wasn’t a lifeline he didn’t know what was. Tacking Nathan’s last name onto Josh’s first was a well-thought-out peace offering.
“Craig, party of two.” The voice over the speaker squeaked at that exact moment.
“That was fast. What if I hadn’t been here yet?” Nathan asked.
Josh started toward the front, angling his head over his shoulder. “I knew you would.”
Nathan shook his head as he followed the slightly taller man into the dining area. Surprise surprise. It wasn’t a stretch. They both already knew from what little time they’d spent together that Samantha was the laid-back member of the trio. The men were both type A. And even if they hadn’t been quite that similar, eagerness would have been the rule of the evening. The stakes were important.
“What’s good?” Nathan asked after the hostess had handed them menus and left them to ponder the choices.
“The manicotti here is excellent. If you like cheese. The lasagna is too.”
“Sounds excellent.” Nathan closed his menu and leaned on his elbows. “I’m sorry about this morning. You were totally right to be frustrated. I’d have done the same thing if the roles had been reversed.”
Josh shook his head. “No. I shouldn’t have jumped down your throat for grabbing the paper. I guess I hadn’t sufficiently paused to ponder the repercussions of our strange mating and the sudden realization made me snap. Naturally, I can’t hang on to my old life and we’re going to have to be public and open for this to work. Otherwise, feelings will get stepped on.”
“True. It’s going to be tough. The road won’t be easy. Hell, even our families will have a difficult time understanding.”
Josh set the menus to the side as the waitress appeared. “We’ll both have the lasagna please.”
The waitress nodded. “Salad?”
Nathan shook his head, as did Josh.
“That’ll be right out,” the chirpy twenty-something brunette declared as she spun on her heel and nearly skipped to the next table.
“I think we’re going to be all right. We just need to keep our communication open and take one day at a time.” Josh leaned on his elbows. “You and I are clear on our role here. We shouldn’t be wasting time worrying about our intentions toward each other. Neither of us is gay.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t mean it.” Nathan flinched.
“I know you didn’t. For whatever reason, Fate decided Samantha needed us both. And that’s what we have to give her.” Josh paused. “You know, the hottest experience of my life to date has been watching her with you. I can’t explain it, but there’s something unbelievably sexy about seeing her writhe in pleasure under your hand. It drew me in. Captivating. Mesmerizing. She’s a gem. We can’t fuck this up.”
“I agree. I felt the same about her interactions with you. Some spark. Nothing that would be acceptable with any other man, just you. It’s a puzzle. We know what the three pieces are, we just need to figure out how to arrange them so the picture is clear. Does that even make sense? Sappy, huh?” Nathan leaned back and took another sip of beer.
“Not at all. I know exactly what you mean.”
Chapter Fourteen
Samantha slammed dishes into the dishwasher so hard it was a wonder they didn’t break under her wrath. She still seethed with anger even though she had little right to the feeling at this point in the evening. After all, both men had texted their apologies numerous times throughout the day and she’d made the definitive choice to ignore them and essentially deny their regret.
That had been her call. But she’d wanted them to think about this long and hard. No way was she going to listen to them squabble all the time over something none of them could do anything about.
She prayed they managed to find each other this evening and work out their problems. She also prayed they each felt half as horny as she did. If so, they’d show up even without her answering their texts. If not? Well, then, she was doomed to a long night of writhing in bed alone, trying to abate the need between her legs.
Damn wolf-shifting hormones.
The doorbell rang. Thank you, God.
As angry as she’d been earlier, and childishly ignoring both men’s attempts at contact, she was through with her tantrum now. She just wanted them to fuck her.
She opened the door to two very sheepish expressions.
Nathan leaned on the frame, practically falling into her apartment. “We’re sorry. Can we come in?”
She smiled. They looked sincere.
“Super sorry,” Josh added. He cocked his head and plastered a fake pouty look to his face, his bottom lip sticking out for emphasis.
Samantha pulled the door open and both men entered.
As she shut and locked the deadbolt behind her, she looked around. “I’m not very tidy,” she apologized. Papers and law books littered the living room. There were even shoes and a few sweaters strung around. This was Samantha. They had to take it or leave it. “I would have cleaned up this afternoon, but then you would have had a false impression of me.”
She stepped around them and lifted several things off the couch so they could sit.
Josh took one end of the couch. “I saw your office and then you did the same thing to my house in less than an hour. I figured.” He grinned as he grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him.
Nathan sat on her other side. “Josh warned me about you.” He kissed her forehead, lingering with his face in her hair.
Samantha cleared her throat. “You know this isn’t going to be easy. There will be disagreements, as with any relationship.”
“Yeah, we were talking about that at dinner,” Josh said.
“Ah, you guys went to dinner together?” She dripped sarcasm. “How sweet.”
“Hardy har har.” Nathan threaded his fingers with hers and pressed her back into the couch so they could both look at her at once. “You’re gonna get whiplash.”
“Anyway, the difference is, this isn’t like any other rela
tionship. It’s not possible to break. We can’t get ‘divorced’ so to speak. We’re stuck together, so we have to talk things out and find a happy medium for all of us.”
“Yeah, Nathan said that too.” Josh smiled and set his forehead on hers. “We decided to fight at least once a week just for the makeup sex though.”
Samantha gasped and pushed him back.
Nathan laughed. “He’s kidding.”
“Don’t even tease about that,” she said. “I get enough disagreement every day at work. When I come home I want harmony.”
Josh squeezed her thigh, making her wish he would inch a little higher. “Any particular brand of harmony you prefer?”
Please. The sexual kind. “What are my choices?”
Nathan lifted a hand and began numbering off options. “Let’s see. We could watch a movie. We could play monopoly. We could clean the oven. Or, hey, we could get this skimpy outfit off you and make you squirm.” He flicked the strap of her tank top with a finger and trailed it down to her chest. “Do you always run around the house wearing nothing but tiny shorts and spaghetti straps?”
“Why? Does it bother you?” She raised her eyebrows.
“No. It’s perfect.” Nathan slid off the couch and knelt in front of her, pushing her knees apart to nestle between them. “I especially like the fact you aren’t wearing a bra and I can see your nipples poking through this tight thin material. Do they make this in white?” He spread his palms on her belly and skimmed them up over her breasts.
Samantha moaned. What was the question?
Josh tangled his hand in her hair as her head rolled back against the seat and her eyes fluttered shut.
Too damn many hands on these two men.
Josh whispered in her ear. “We’re sorry. I mean it. Won’t happen again.” He licked the edge of her lobe, sending a shiver down her neck.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she mumbled, rolling her head his direction.
“Good point.” Josh licked her bottom lip. “I’m sure there will be issues, but we won’t scream and slam out of the house. We’ll address them like adults.” He took her mouth in a kiss, reaching inside with his tongue, demanding she open for him.
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