The Lovers: Cards of Love Series

by Cole, Fiona

  Jake was looking at me with that same look he'd had when I had knelt before him earlier. Swallowing hard, I shed my pants and climbed in behind Carina. I rested my hand on the indent of her waist, but she gripped it tight and pulled it up to her chest. On one side was her soft breasts. And on the other was the rough hair of Jake's chest.

  The contradiction left me content. Content enough to let my exhausted body drift off to sleep. But before I did, a much larger hand worked up around mine. My eyes snapped open to find Jake staring over Carina's shoulder at me, linking his fingers with mine. I waited for Carina to say something but was only met with her deep breathing.

  I almost choked on my tongue when Jake leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to my knuckles before closing his eyes and going to sleep.

  Thank God, because I didn't want him to see the wetness burning my eyes.

  I'd been alone so long that all of this felt too big. I'd been without Jake for too long that any contact, let alone such perfect affection, felt like a dream.

  A dream I was too scared to hope for, but one I couldn't stop from wanting.

  13

  Jackson

  The bright light was my first clue that I wasn’t in my own bed. I always kept my blackout curtains closed, and my bedroom window looked down on an alley. Then there was the feminine smell greeting me. Lastly, it was the heavy male arm thrown over my abdomen that sealed the deal. I never brought anyone back to my place because it wasn’t exactly an apartment that screamed romance.

  The events of the night floated behind my eyelids making me want to keep them closed a little longer. But then the arm moved, and I needed to see that more than anything.

  And damn, it didn’t disappoint. The black ink etched into Jake’s skin stood out against my bare stomach. I followed the geometric design into a forest hidden with dates, a crossword puzzle, and bits of color all the way up to his rounded shoulder. I wanted to trace the patterns with my tongue, asking him what each one meant along the way.

  I continued my trek until I reached his face, the thick stubble a darker blond than his hair. It matched the dark crescent of his eyelashes resting along the apples of his cheeks. He was so damn beautiful, it almost hurt to look at him. My heart thudded steadily against my chest, and I felt lighter than I had in years, like I was going to float away in my happiness.

  I was happy.

  I breathed a laugh just at the thought, smiling like a loon. If Jake opened his eyes right now, he’d jerk back and think I was crazy.

  I could hear sounds of Carina moving around the kitchen and I took the moment to just enjoy sharing a bed with the man I cared so much for. The man who’d made my life last night. Unable to hold back, I reached my fingers out to touch his hair. I promised myself then and there, if he woke up and wouldn’t meet my eyes, if he woke up and kicked me out, then I would be okay.

  I would give him the space he needed and be grateful for last night, cherish it with every part of me. The image of his lips wrapped around my cock, of him staring at me over Carina’s shoulder as he kissed my hand, was mine forever.

  Not caring how selfish it made me, I leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead before rolling out of bed, already missing the heavy heat of his body. If he was going to kick me out, I wanted to talk to Carina first and preferred to be rejected with my pants on. With my jeans fastened, I looked back over my shoulder one last time at his sleeping body, more relaxed than I’d ever seen him.

  Carina was perched at her dining room table where it all started, her hair piled atop her head, a pen in her mouth as she hammered away at her keyboard. She looked adorable with her thick rimmed glasses and furrowed brow. I wanted to go over and press my lips to the spot until it went away.

  “Morning.” I ambled over to her cautiously, unsure of what the early hours would hold.

  She jerked, not having heard me walk in, but then looked up with a broad smile. Her blue eyes shined just as brightly as they had last night. Add in her blushing cheeks and I was sold on her all over again. She was absolutely gorgeous.

  “Morning. Coffee is in the kitchen. Mugs are above the pot.”

  I guessed I was staying. This was turning out better than I could have imagined. Now we just needed to make it through Jake’s reaction and I’d be solid.

  When I walked back into the room, I gave in to my urge and pressed a kiss to her forehead, enjoying the way she leaned into me, before grabbing a seat at the table.

  “Just let me finish this up real quick,” Carina said, typing away.

  “No rush. Don’t let me interrupt.” Drinking a sip of my coffee, I prepared to ask if she really wanted me to leave. I didn’t want to ask, but I had to know if she was just being polite. “I can leave if you want me to. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

  She stopped typing and looked at me with wide eyes, then she proceeded to laugh. The sound was just like her: bold, but soft, and feminine in every way. “I don’t think you could ever overstay your welcome. After last night you’re welcome whenever you want.”

  “That so?”

  “Yup.”

  “So.” I cleared my throat. “Does that mean you’re okay with everything?”

  “Okay?” Her eyebrows rose up to her hairline. “More than okay. I want to do it over and over again.” She moaned, reminding me of the intoxicating sounds she’d made last night. “God, it was so hot.”

  I raised my cup to her. “Good to know.”

  Carina finished up whatever she was working on, and I snagged the newspaper from the corner of the table, flipping it to the crossword puzzle. I was about halfway done when Carina said, “Jake loves those things.”

  “Yeah.” I smiled at a memory of us racing to see who could finish first. “We connected over our love of crosswords when we were in college.”

  She smiled at the information before taking a drink of her coffee. When she set it down, she gave me a long assessing stare, and I tried to prepare myself for whatever she may ask.

  “What happened between you two? I mean, I know that…things happened. But why weren’t you guys friends after college?”

  I stared down into the black liquid, trying to figure out how to explain it. If I should explain it. I wasn’t sure it was my place to tell Jake’s fiancée about our downfall. Also, I didn’t want to give too much of myself away.

  To Carina, I was Jake’s friend from college who was sexually adventurous and carefree. If I talked about Jake, would she be able to see how deep my feelings ran for him? How much I longed for him more than just an adventurous trip into my bisexuality?

  Not wanting to lie, I kept it close to the truth, but vague. “He was drunk and freaked out after what happened. Then life just kind of got busy.”

  She chewed her plump lip. “I can see that from him. I had a lot of questions about myself after my experience with that girl. I mean, I’ve always identified as a straight woman, but there I was, enjoying sex with a female.”

  “I think sex is sex and experimenting with someone else, living a little out of your comfort zone and enjoying it, doesn’t all of a sudden change who you are.” I laughed. “Don’t I sound so wise? Like I didn’t struggle with myself for years. I guess I’ve just had almost fifteen years to accept it.”

  “Do you think he’ll panic again after last night?”

  My heart jumped up in my throat at her words. She hit my fears right on the head and threw them out there. Forcing me to roll the idea around in my head, I really thought about what may happen next.

  “I don’t think so.” The answer was honest and hopeful. I really didn’t think he would bolt on me. Last night was too much to just ignore. “I think with you, he’ll feel more comfortable with what happened. You’re like his neutralizer to the situation. It wasn’t a gay experience, it was a threesome with his fiancée.”

  “Well, I’m happy to be that,” she said, tapping her mug against mine.

  “The real question is do you think he’ll be as eager as you
for a repeat?”

  “God, I hope so. What about you? Are you eager for a repeat?”

  “Carina, I’m ready any time you are.” I gave a wink with the words to lighten them up because, in my head, I was screaming to do it again. With Jake involved, I wasn’t sure there was much I wouldn’t do.

  “Can I ask you a serious question?” She looked down at the table where her thumbnail scraped across the surface of the wood.

  “Anything.” I’d done wrong by Carina, by kissing Jake in the kitchen at the bar and not regretting it. I wanted to give her as much honesty as I could. I liked her and liked seeing her happy. Even if seeing her happy with Jake felt like a band squeezing my chest.

  “Would you want a repeat just for Jake? Am I just an obligation to having him? I know you guys were friends and you don’t know me as well as him, but I just needed to know if I’m … extra baggage.”

  My heart thundered in my chest. Of course, I wanted all of it to be with Jake, but I enjoyed Carina too. Seeing her vulnerability knocked the wind out of me and I hated it. Sitting up, I reached across the space and rested my palm on her much smaller hand, halting the movement of her thumb. She looked up from under her lashes, her eyes wide and nervous.

  “Never. You are never anything but a prize all on your own. I’m honored you let me into your bed with him and find you unbelievably sexy. I loved being with you last night.”

  Her shoulders rose as she inhaled deeply, nodding her head. “Thank you. I enjoyed you too.”

  I gave her hand one last squeeze, smiling at the tension leaving her face.

  “Okay, enough of that. Tell me about you and your family.”

  She tapped her finger to her chin and shrugged. “Not much to tell. There’s my dad, who is the co-owner of Wellington and Russo. My mother disappeared as soon as I was born, and my dad tells me nothing about her. But I have my four aunts who are enough estrogen for ten of me. They never made me feel like I was missing a female role model in my life.”

  “Oh, man. Your dad had four sisters? That had to be interesting for him growing up.”

  She shrugged. “I guess. You’d think he’d be more into female empowerment.”

  Her tone held resentment. “Does he not support you? You do amazing work for the company. Surely he sees what an asset you are.”

  She scoffed. “He thinks the business world is for men, and women aren’t taken seriously. Not that he thinks I can’t handle it, but he tends to put me behind the curtains and lets the men deal with the meetings.”

  “Well, obviously he hasn’t seen you run a meeting. You took control of Daniel and that’s a feat.”

  That got a smile out of her. “Thank you.”

  “Doesn’t he have plans for you to be at the helm of the company at some point? Keep it in the family and all.”

  “Oh, he’s fully banking on Jake taking over the company. Our marriage is a weight off his shoulders, because now he can pass everything off comfortably to a man he trusts. If it wasn’t Jake, he’d probably start setting me up with other men he approves of to take his place. Like I’m a mare to be sold off in exchange for ruling my family’s company.”

  Each word came out angrier than the last, and my eyebrows rose at the anger contained in such beauty.

  “If it makes you feel any better, I think you’re amazing. You’ll be able to bring any man to his knees in any meeting. They’ll be groveling to be a part of whatever you’re offering.”

  Her hands unclenched from around her mug and she smiled at me.

  “What does Jake say?” I asked.

  “Jake says to ignore my dad, so we can rub it in his face when I’m the one bringing in the big clients after he retires. He says he’s just going to sit back and let me rule our empire.”

  My jaw clenched at the image she painted. A king and a queen destined to be together while I fill a space for a limited time.

  “I have no doubt you’ll be at the top.”

  “Thank you, Jackson.”

  “What are we thanking Jackson for?” Jake strolled into the room wearing only sweatpants, and I had to make a conscious effort to keep my jaw sealed shut to stop from drooling. He looked over at me as he approached Carina and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. His eyes were impossible to read, and I was desperate to know what he was thinking, so I decided to poke the bear a little.

  “She was thanking me for sucking your cock so well last night. That way she didn’t have to.”

  If anything, his face became more blank.

  Carina choked on the laugh she’d been trying to hold back behind her hand. Jake looked down at her, and she mumbled ‘sorry’ before more giggles slipped out.

  When he turned back to me, there was such a familiar look, I sank into my chair, relief making my muscles go slack.

  One side of his lips ticked up and his hand moved to cup his crotch. “Any time, man.”

  My dick jerked behind my pants, my blood setting on fire watching him shake the bulge gripped in his palm. “Promises, promises.” He rolled his eyes and I poked again, just to see how far I could go. “Only if you promise to wrap those pretty lips around my cock, too.”

  “Fuck you,” he said, the light laughter in his voice like music to my ears.

  “You have to earn that.”

  “Oh my God,” Carina cut in. “You two are too much this morning. Put your cocks away and don’t pull them out again until I say so.”

  I looked away when Jake leaned down to kiss her again. “Love it when you’re bossy.”

  “What time is dinner at your mom’s again?” Carina yelled when he was out of the dining room.

  He appeared a moment later with a coffee cup in hand and sat across from me.

  “Six-o-clock.”

  “Perfect. I’ll have time to pick up some wine before we head over.”

  “How is your mom?” I asked.

  “She’s good. She struggled the first year after Dad’s death, but she threw herself into charities, keeping herself busy.”

  “That’s good. I always liked your mom. She always referred to me as your most handsome friend.”

  “I think she started going blind before she met you. Couldn’t see you too well.”

  “Ha. Ha. She loved me, and you know it.”

  Jake spoke to Carina. “My mom loved him because he kissed the back of her hand and called her beautiful.”

  Carina laughed and rolled her eyes at me. “Always the flirt.”

  I shrugged, unapologetic.

  “You should come to dinner with us tonight,” Carina invited before turning to Jake. “She always loves more company, and I’m sure she’d love to see Jackson again. He can flirt and bring a smile to her face. She’ll love it.”

  Jake took a moment to drink his coffee, assessing me over the rim of his cup. I tried to keep the hopeful look off my face. I’d love any excuse to see more of them tonight. To be a part of Jake’s life a little longer.

  He set his cup down and just stared. “Sure. She would love to see you.”

  “Okay. I’ll be there.” I stood from my chair. “I better get going so I can shower and pick up some flowers. Can’t show up empty-handed, and Carina is already bringing wine.”

  I was pulling on my shirt when I walked back into the living room. Once my head popped through the hole, I found Jake staring at my chest and when he looked up to find he was caught, I blew him a kiss. He just shook his head at my antics.

  “Text me the address and I’ll meet you there.”

  I walked over to Carina, feeling Jake’s eyes on me the whole way. Leaning down, I intended to kiss the crown of her head, but she tipped back and arched up to press her lips to mine. The kiss was soft, a thank you filled with promises and hope of more to come. I didn’t know how Jake felt about us kissing, so I pulled back slowly without pushing it further.

  She nibbled her puffy lips and smiled. I looked over to see Jake and his eyes seared my skin. I had to get out of here before I stripped naked and demanded a repeat.
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  “Don’t forget to give Jake his goodbye kiss, too,” Carina murmured, her voice husky and full of desire.

  Jake’s jaw clenched, but his eyes were still fire on my body. So, I walked over and took my time leaning down, waiting until the last minute to close my eyes. My lips pressed to his and his hand came up to the back of my neck to hold me tighter, to turn the kiss into an aggressive assault on my mouth. It took all I had to hold back the moan building in my throat. To not grip his jaw and move him how I wanted.

  I settled on pulling back enough to nip at his lips, hard.

  “Ouch,” he muttered, licking the assaulted skin. “Asshole.”

  I did it again, softer this time and licked it myself to soothe the ache. Knowing Carina was watching, I decided to pull back before my control snapped. Or worse, before I showed her the raw emotion clawing to be set free.

  I rubbed my hand through his hair roughly and blew Carina a kiss. “See you two later.”

  14

  Jake

  After all the errands throughout the day, it wasn’t until we were in the car on the way to my mom’s that we were able to talk. Imagine Dragons and the hum of the engine mixed with the pounding anxiety of how to start the conversation. Because we did need to have a conversation about what happened last night.

  “Are you okay?” I blurted like an idiot.

  Carina, the wonderful woman she was, just laughed before turning to look at me. “How long have you been sitting there wanting to ask that question?”

  A laugh escaped me too. She knew me so well. “A while. I was trying to figure out the best way to bring it up.”

  She faced forward again and took a deep breath. “I’m fantastic. Last night was fantastic. And if we’re being honest, which we always are, I want to do it again.”

  Wow. I took a moment to let that sink in. I figured she was okay, but I hadn’t known what her thoughts were about what happened next. My heart pounded in my chest, and I wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or nerves. I think I wouldn’t mind doing it again either.