“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve eaten here, but I remember the steak being good.” The Italian grill restaurant had some Italian staples, but they also had a variety of other things that made it a good date restaurant.
Which was why it was packed on a Friday night. I was a genius.
“That sounds good.” Scott relaxed a bit more and focused on the menu. “There were too many options.”
“I can understand that. Sometimes it helps if someone narrows down the options or gives boundaries before you have to make a decision.”
And they both froze.
How did they not see it?
Ryan found his voice first. “Yeah, especially when there’s so much on the menu that looks good.”
Not really what I’d been hinting at, but I had a feeling they both knew that too.
Scott’s tension slowly eased out of him again, and he nodded. “The steak sounds good. I haven’t had one in ages.”
“You guys don’t barbecue?”
They both shook their heads, but Scott seemed to have found a topic he could talk about because he kept going. “The apartment complex we live in doesn’t allow grills on the patios. A few years ago, some guy did major damage to one of the other buildings when he left his alone too long. It was before we moved in, but they’re not taking any more chances.”
“That’s crazy. I hope no one was hurt.”
Scott set the menu back down. “No, just damage to a few of the patios and the outside of the building, but it’s made the management a lot more cautious.”
Ryan snorted. “Yeah, overly so. All hell breaks loose if you even burn toast now.”
“I bet that’s a good story.” I grinned as Scott chuckled.
“No, well, the firefighters were hot, so it wasn’t all embarrassing and frustrating.” Ryan seemed to have a sense of humor about the whole thing, so I didn’t feel bad about teasing him.
“So I should be careful around you in the kitchen?”
Scott laughed and nodded. “Especially around small appliances.”
“I’m not that bad. Even the firefighters said the alarm was too sensitive.” Ryan huffed but didn’t seem upset, so I had a feeling it was a running joke between them.
Scott chuckled. “What about the coffeemaker?”
Shrugging, Ryan played off the disaster. “You buy cheap appliances.”
How were they not already together? They were like an old married couple. If it weren’t for the quick heated glances and the text messages they’d sent me, I might have felt like a third wheel. They weren’t a bicycle, though. They were a tricycle who was just figuring out they needed the third wheel to work.
I couldn’t stop smiling around them. Turning to Ryan, I grinned widely. “So you just sit down in the kitchen looking sexy while Scott does all the cooking?”
Scott nodded earnestly. It was Ryan’s turn to look embarrassed, but I had a feeling it was mostly over Scott agreeing that he looked hot. Scott either missed that part or didn’t mind admitting it because he spoke up again. “I always make the coffee. It’s safer that way.”
“What about the half-dressed eye candy? Or is he one of those frustrating types that sleeps fully clothed?” They both started coughing and trying not to look at the other.
It was too good to let them off the hook. “You both do it? That’s just tragic. I’ve been having fantasies about you two lounging around half-naked in just tight little briefs, and you’re telling me I should have been picturing flannel and T-shirts instead? You shouldn’t ruin a man’s fantasies like that.”
If they thought I was going to let them run around fully clothed in the morning, they were crazy.
One step at a time, though. Dates first, then sexy fantasies.
They were saved from having to respond when the waitress walked up behind me. I wasn’t sure how much she’d overheard, but she was professional and didn’t say anything, so I didn’t worry. By the time she’d taken our food and my drink order, the guys had calmed down. I personally liked the sexual tension that built up when they were thinking about fun things, but I wanted to actually get to know them too, so I told myself not to push it too far.
It would be hard, though.
Watching them squirm and blush made me want to climb all over them. But I had to keep reminding myself that they weren’t ready yet. Not until we didn’t have to play word games and pretend we were all fairly vanilla.
When we were alone again, I turned to Ryan. “How was work?
He groaned. “Boring. I’ve really got to figure out if this is what I want to do.”
Ryan had described his job as a paper pusher in a bank. He seemed good with numbers and could read the financial charts but hated being stuck in a cubicle all day. Unfortunately, he couldn't figure out what he really wanted to do.
“I keep telling you that you should come to work for my company. I think you’d do great at picking stocks and designing portfolios. Half the people I work with have no idea what any of those spreadsheets and financial documents mean.”
“But then I’d have to sell things.” He grimaced. “No thanks.”
I wasn’t sure how a shy guy like Scott managed to be a top salesman, but Ryan said he was like a completely different person at work.
Scott laughed. “It’s not that hard. It’s like being back on the football team.”
I’d never been into sports as a kid, so I wasn’t sure what he meant. Good things and bad ran through my head, and I couldn’t sort through them. Did he enjoy the teamwork and camaraderie or was it like being back in the closet?
His expression was happy, and he was clearly loving being able to tease Ryan, but I wasn’t sure if the road to a relationship with Scott had just gotten a lot more complicated.
Chapter 6
Scott
Most awkward first date ever, and I’d had a lot of them.
I wasn’t sure where the fabulous chemistry had gone, but it was completely different than our first meeting at the bar. Hell, even our text messages had more passion and connection than the date we were on.
I couldn’t help but think that Ryan and I were to blame.
I’d always heard the expression it takes two to tango…well, three in this case…and I didn’t fault Dare. He’d been honest about what he was looking for and how he wanted to get to know us. Ryan and I hadn’t been as honest.
Pretending Ryan didn’t know what I wanted wasn’t making the date easier and him pretending not to know only seemed to be making it harder on him. Neither of us were this awkward, and I knew a huge part of it was all the things we weren’t willing to talk about.
That didn’t mean I was going to bring it up at dinner, though.
If we somehow got a second date with Dare, things needed to change or we’d never see where it could go. He’d made it clear he only wanted to dominate someone who was willing, and I probably didn’t seem very willing at that moment.
We…
I glanced over at Ryan who was sharing a story about one of his coworkers. “I honestly think the guy’s drunk. I’m not sure what to do about it. He gets nothing done and is constantly losing his mind over stupid shit, but lately he’s smelled like booze at eight AM. I don’t know if my boss is just ignoring it or is too clueless to figure it out. Stepping in the middle of it seems like a bad idea, because how can they not know?”
He already knew my feelings on it, so I let Dare handle this one. Maybe Ryan would listen to him. As I listened to Dare commiserate but tell him yes, he really did need to go to management, my mind started trying to sort things out again.
We…
I’d said it several times, to myself, and to Ryan when we were getting ready for the date. We were dating Dare…as long as dinner didn’t scare him off out of pure boredom. But he was smiling and he’d leaned forward to talk, so that had to be a good sign. It was one of those tells that I looked for in new client meetings, so I kept reminding myself he wasn’t expecting crazy and fabulous on a first date.
>
Especially, a first date with people who’d never had a threesome and where one was hiding something.
I was going to have to talk to Ryan. There was no way around it.
I just wasn’t sure how to tell him. Hey Ryan, do you remember how Dare was flirting in the club…well he was talking about my wanting to be dominated in bed.
Yeah, that would go over brilliantly.
No, Ryan had never been the type to criticize other people for what they wanted, and I couldn’t see him starting to just because I’d confessed something…different. Well, not that different. I might not have been the typical image of someone who wanted to submit, but it wasn’t that outside the box anymore.
At least, that was what I kept telling myself.
After another minute, Dare pushed back from the table and said he needed to use the bathroom. As Dare walked toward the back of the room, Ryan leaned back in his chair and sighed. “We’re really boring. Why does he want to date us?”
“Because he finds attractive, awkward guys hot?” Aside from the submissive thing, which I wasn’t ready to talk to Ryan about, I wasn’t sure why Dare was settling for us. There had to be other guys who caught his eye.
Ryan snorted but nodded in agreement. “You’re probably right.” Then he grinned. “But I think that’s the first time you’ve called me hot. I like it.”
I tried not to laugh, but he was too full of himself not to. “You live just to annoy me, don’t you?”
“Of course, what are friends for?”
“Being my wingman instead of the competition?” That would have been so much easier.
Ryan didn’t take offense. “I’m not sure it’s competition when he wanted us both. Besides, this way we won’t fight over who gets him.”
“He’s not the last Oreo in the package.” Ryan had proven to be a thief when it came to food.
He rolled his eyes, but didn’t seem sorry. “You are going to harp on that forever.”
I nodded, not even bothering to deny it. “Yep. You still haven’t bought me more like you keep promising.”
He smiled and gave me a goofy-looking wink. “If we’re dating, I think I’m supposed to bring you chocolates or flowers, not cookies.”
No. “I just want my Oreos. And who’s to say I shouldn’t be buying you flowers?”
Ryan laughed. “I think Dare’s going to be bringing us both flowers. He seems…to know what he wants.”
That pause…was it Ryan’s way of finally acknowledging what I wanted with Dare?
Thinking back over the sentence, I had to admit it was probably just something innocent because he’d included himself in it. “Yeah, I like that I don’t have to guess what he wants.”
Ryan smirked. “Yeah, ’cause we’d have never guessed a threesome.”
“Shh, someone’s going to hear you and kick us out.” I glanced around, but the room was loud enough that people weren’t paying attention.
“You worry too much.” But Ryan dropped his voice quieter so I relaxed again. Just because I worried didn’t mean I was wrong.
Before I could say anything else, Ryan pulled out his phone. I didn’t care about that…it was the wicked grin on his face that made me nervous. “What are you doing?”
Ryan was usually laid back, and I could normally trust him not to do something stupid, but every once in a while he’d have an I’m not an adult yet moment and do something ridiculous. He always wore the same grin.
“Ryan?” As he started to type he shook his head, ignoring my question.
“Who are you texting?” Were we telling people we were dating the same guy?
I’d thought we’d be keeping it quiet until we figured out if it would work or not, but maybe Ryan hadn’t seen it the same way. It was one of the things I probably should have thought to talk to him about before we’d agreed to the date.
Finally, Ryan set his phone down on the table and looked up. “Okay, you were saying?”
“Don’t give me that shit, Ryan. What did you do?”
Chuckling, he turned in his seat and glanced toward the back of the room. “I sent Dare a note apologizing for us being boring and asked if he still wanted to date us both.”
I groaned and told myself that crashing my head into the table wouldn’t be reasonable behavior for a nice restaurant. Or a grown adult.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear his response. Ryan’s message was probably meant to be funny, but what if Dare took him seriously? I wasn’t sure I wanted to give him an easy out. Not yet at least. “I don’t even know…did he…does he?”
“Yes. He does.” Dare’s voice coming from behind me made me jump. I would have frowned, but Dare’s low chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. Then Dare leaned in close and dropped his voice low, whispering in my ear. “I can’t wait to get to know you better. Shy and sweet in public and wanting to do wicked things in bed is a tempting combination.”
Ryan’s eyes widened as my face turned red, and I could see curiosity spring into his eyes. Dare laughed low, sending a shiver through both of us, and walked around to whisper something quietly to Ryan. He didn’t blush, but his eyes widened, and he seemed to hold his breath for a moment before Dare finally stepped away to go back to his seat.
He smiled and shook his head at both of us. “Perfect first dates where it leads to the perfect relationship only happens in movies. In real life, when the first date is too perfect it means people are lying to each other or not being themselves. I’d rather have cute and awkward now and perfection later.”
I could agree to that…as long as there was a later.
“Makes sense.” It wasn’t much of a response, but my mind was still back on the wicked things Dare had whispered about.
How wicked was he thinking?
Laughter shined from Dare’s eyes, but I could see desire as well. What had he been imagining when he whispered to me?
Ryan’s brain was working a bit better, because he grinned. “This must mean we’re meant to be together for decades then.”
Dare chuckled and glanced back and forth between us. “I don’t see anything wrong with that picture.”
I’d seen articles online about people in polyamorous relationships and a few had even seemed to be real stories, but I’d never pictured myself in one. I’d had a hard enough time picturing myself in a relationship with a Dom, much less two men.
I glanced over at Ryan to see him looking at me, a quizzical expression on his face. I had a feeling his thoughts mirrored mine. Could I see myself in a relationship with him for years?
Part of me said yes immediately. I’d already been in a relationship with him for years. We’d talked and goofed off together…we’d even lived together for several years. We just hadn’t slept together.
Dare always seemed to be able to read us, because he nodded to himself and shrugged. “From what you’ve both said, all that’s missing is the label—and sex, if that’s what you both wanted—with everything else, you’ve already been a couple.”
He was right. But I had a feeling we’d have never seen it if it weren’t for him.
Ryan was more able to say the words. “You make us see things a different way.”
Dare grinned. “I make things understood and clarify the confusion. What can I say?”
Ryan and I both groaned, but smiled too. “I think you’re describing your job…not a relationship.”
“It’s both. I’m a man of many talents. I can see through hidden things and pick out the perfect men in a crowd. Call me the superman of dating.” Dare’s grin was contagious.
“I’m not calling you Superman,” I deadpanned.
Ryan snorted out a laugh, but Dare just wiggled his eyebrows. “I bet you would with the right…incentive.”
What kind?
I had a dirtier mind than I realized because suddenly things like spankings and every punishment scene I’d ever seen in porn flashed through my brain. My face grew redder and my pants suddenly fit tighter.
Dare obviously lo
ved the reaction, but what surprised me was Ryan. He didn’t tease or say anything, he just shifted in his seat like he found the idea erotic too. Before I could think about his reaction, or what Dare had meant, our waitress came back with the food.
I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or disappointed.
I wondered if texting him about what he’d meant would be reasonable since he was sitting right in front of me. Probably not. But I had a feeling he’d find it cute so the idea suddenly sounded more logical. Watching his eyes darken and the way desire would flood through them as that dominant side of him took over was incredible.
“Here you go, gentlemen.” As she set the plates down, my mouth started to water. It looked delicious.
We’d all decided on steak based on Dare’s recommendation, and it looked like he hadn’t steered us wrong. Even the pasta I’d ordered as a side made me want to dig right in. My two dates had the same idea because they started in on their food and the conversation lulled while we ate.
I’d been on some dates where the silence felt weird, like I was supposed to be constantly entertaining them. Dare didn’t make me feel that way and Ryan never had, so it was a nice change for a date.
Ryan and I could hang out for hours just watching a game and talking occasionally without it feeling forced. I wasn’t sure if would be the same with Dare, but even when he was watching me it was with a tender humor that didn’t make me uncomfortable.
He was just Dare and seemed to want to take care of me even if it was by teasing me or just letting me think things through. It was nice. Uncomplicated, even though it wasn’t anything I’d ever expected.
I wasn’t sure what it said about me or the situation in general, but I liked it.
I liked Dare.
It could have been the break when the food arrived or just getting the admission of how awkward everything was, but after the first rush of hunger was satisfied, the conversation flowed smoother. Dare clearly wasn’t afraid to push things, and I knew he’d be more open to laying everything out on the table, but it didn’t frustrate him that I wasn’t ready.
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