“That’s because he used to fuck them,” Dylan piped up. He found this entire conversation highly amusing, and he had to wonder if Savannah would issue the same threat to him when she learned he was sleeping with Aidan too.
“Excuse me?”
Claire sounded so displeased that Dylan couldn’t help but turn around again. Sure enough, he noted her shoulders had gone rigid.
Chuckling, he repeated himself, slower this time. “He used to fuck them.”
The unmistakable jealousy burning in her big brown eyes told him that had Matt and Savannah been in the SUV with them right now, Claire would’ve clawed both their eyes out.
“It was just an occasional thing,” Aidan said sheepishly.
“Besides, doesn’t it make you feel better about the whole threesome thing?” Dylan added. “Everyone we know has ’em. It’s the norm in our circle.”
“Well, I hope you’re not planning on paying them a visit anytime soon,” she told Aidan, her voice tight with irritation.
“Aw, she’s jealous,” Dylan teased.
Aidan caught her eye in the rearview mirror and put those dimples of his to good use. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere. I’m right where I want to be.”
Dylan wholeheartedly agreed. This time with Claire and Aidan had been so amazing he still couldn’t believe he wasn’t dreaming it. He was so ashamed of his previous attitude toward Claire—she was not at all what he’d thought her to be, and the more he got to know her, the harder he fell.
Claire McKinley was smart, gorgeous, sarcastic, compassionate. And open. So fucking open. She spoke her mind, never tried to hide what she was feeling from him and Aidan, and he loved and appreciated that about her. A lot of women expected a man to be a mind reader, but hell, a little guidance was nice, and Claire was a master of honest communication.
She was also the hottest, most passionate woman he’d ever met. Her sexual appetite was voracious, and Dylan knew he and Aidan appealed to the wild side she’d been forced to hide growing up. They fueled it, fed it, and damned if they weren’t having a good time doing it.
Ten minutes later, Aidan pulled into the underground parking of their building and the three of them made their way upstairs. The condo board had a strict rule about keeping the hallways decoration-free, so there was nothing Christmasy about the corridor as they crossed the cream-colored carpet toward their apartment.
Inside was another story. The tree was lit up and the ornaments were twinkling, giving the room a holiday feel that the hallway had lacked.
When Dylan moved to flick on the light, Claire intercepted his hand. “No, don’t,” she urged. “Look how pretty the room is with just the light of the tree.”
He couldn’t deny there was something magical about it. The red and silver ornaments shone like little gems, the glow from the strings of light creating a romantic ambience.
“You guys want some coffee?” Aidan asked.
“Fuck, yes,” Dylan answered. “I’m drowsy as hell from all that turkey.”
“None for me. I don’t want to be up all night,” Claire said. “But…hey, do you have any hot chocolate?”
With an indulgent smile, Aidan leaned in and brushed a kiss over her cheek. “I’ll see what I can do.”
As Aidan headed for the kitchen, Dylan led Claire over to the couch and pulled her down beside him. He wrapped his arm around her and planted a kiss atop her head, inhaling the sweet lavender scent of her hair.
“I’ve been wanting to hold you all night,” he said gruffly. “I thought I would explode from not touching you.”
She nestled closer, her loose auburn tresses tickling his neck. “Me too.”
He ran his fingers up and down her arm, his calluses scraping along the soft wool of her green sweater. “I hope Savannah didn’t upset you.”
“Nah, like I said, she was just looking out for Aidan. I totally understood. And by the end of the night, I kinda warmed up to her. She’s pretty hilarious. And I adored Jen. She’s so nice.” Claire paused. “And beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that good-looking before.”
Dylan shrugged. “She’s okay.”
Ha. Fine, so he was lying through his teeth—Jen was drop-dead gorgeous. But he was scared that if he acknowledged her beauty, Claire might pick up on the fact that he knew Jen as carnally as Aidan knew Savannah, and no way did he want to see Claire’s look of cloudy displeasure directed at him.
Unfortunately, he underestimated her. He was no mind reader, but clearly she was.
“Oh, for the love of God,” she groaned. “You too?”
“Me too what?” he asked innocently.
“‘She’s okay?’” Claire mimicked. “Dylan, that girl is more than okay. She’s movie-star beautiful. Argh. You totally slept with her, didn’t you? And let me guess, Cash was there too.”
He sighed. “Yeah.”
A note of challenge crept into her voice. “Out of curiosity, who else at that dinner have you slept with?”
“No one but Jen,” he assured her. “And Cash. Well, kind of.”
“Kind of?” She looked amused.
“I blew him.”
After a beat, Claire burst out laughing. “Well, at least you’re honest.”
“To a fault.” He smiled. “But I promise you, I’ve only been with Jen and Cash. And Aid has only been with Savannah.”
“Good.”
She placed a possessive hand on his thigh, eliciting a rush of satisfaction. Damn, he loved that Claire was staking her claim.
It really had been pure torture not being able to touch her tonight. Every time he’d looked at her, he’d had to battle the overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless, but he hadn’t wanted to embarrass her in front of the gang. His friends would never be openly rude or judgmental, or probably even care that Dylan was with her, but he couldn’t deny that Claire jumping into bed with her ex-fiancé’s brother so soon after the break-up didn’t look great.
The funny thing was, the fact that Claire had almost married Chris didn’t bother him in the slightest anymore. No, what bothered him was that he wasn’t bothered by it. Because…why the hell not? His brother had lived with this woman for more than a year, had nearly made her his wife, for fuck’s sake. So why didn’t he feel like he was betraying Chris? Because his brother was a jerk? Because he’d known from day one that Claire wasn’t right for Chris? All of the above?
Aidan returned to the room with a tray of steaming mugs, officially putting an end to Dylan’s internal self-examination.
“Hot chocolate for the lady.” Aidan handed Claire her mug. “And coffee for the gentleman.”
Dylan gratefully accepted the coffee and blew on the hot liquid to cool it. As Aidan settled in the armchair, Claire glanced over at the small stack of gifts beneath the tree.
“So when are we opening presents?” she asked. “My parents and I usually do it on Christmas morning, but I know some people like to do the whole gift thing tonight.”
“My dad and I do it tonight,” Aidan said in a gruff voice. “When he doesn’t bail on the holidays, that is.”
“At my house we do both,” Dylan told them. “We each open one present on Christmas Eve, and the rest in the morning.”
“Oooh, I like that idea,” Claire said. “Can we all open one tonight?”
He and Aidan both shrugged as if to say, “Why not?”
Beaming, she hopped off the couch and made a beeline for the tree. “Can I pick which ones you open?”
Aidan smiled at her. “Go for it.”
As Claire rummaged through the presents, Dylan had to wonder what the heck she’d bought during her numerous trips to the mall last week. They’d agreed to get each other only one or two things, and stick to a limit of a hundred bucks, and although all the packages she’d come home with were fairly small, there were quite a few of them.
She stalked back to the couch and handed each of them a present. “Now be warned, these are my joke
gifts,” she said with a grin. “I’m saving the good ones for tomorrow.”
He and Aidan glanced at each other. “You first,” Aidan said graciously.
Dylan quickly tore the wrapping to reveal a Cliff Notes study guide to the novel War and Peace. He laughed in delight. “Best gift ever,” he told Claire.
Aidan went next, unwrapping his present to find a narrow cardboard box. He flipped it open and pulled out a black ballpoint pen, then raised his brows and glanced at Claire.
“Oh, it’s not just an ordinary pen,” she informed him. “It’s the kind that has invisible ink. You know, so when you’re jotting down your super-secret spy notes, nobody will see what you’re writing.”
Aidan threw his head back and laughed. “I love it.”
Claire was already moving back to the tree. “Okay, which one should I open?”
“The blue one,” they answered in unison.
Her soft laughter floated in the dimly lit room. “Is this the joint gift you two were teasing me about?”
“Yup,” Dylan confirmed.
She returned to the couch, resting the large rectangular-shaped box on her lap. She stared at the green bow taped to the center of the plain blue box, then gave them a dry smile.
“This is your idea of giftwrapping, huh?”
“Wrapping paper is overrated and unnecessary,” Aidan replied. “Sort of like clothes.”
Dylan nodded. “Exactly like clothes. Especially your clothes, honey. I don’t know why you bother wearing any, if I’m being honest. Now open our beautifully wrapped box.”
She lifted the lid, and a moment later, she was laughing again. “Of course. Why am I not surprised?”
Dylan and Aidan exchanged grins as Claire held up the sheer, red merrywidow and matching G-string.
“So let me get this straight, this is a present for me? Because it seems to me like it’s more of a present for you guys.”
Aidan’s voice lowered to a smoky pitch. “Trust me, you’re going to get as much enjoyment from it as we are.”
“How do you figure that?”
“You’ll really enjoy the way we tear it off you,” Dylan said helpfully.
“Hmmm. Let’s see if you’re right.” She tucked the lingerie under her arm and stood up. “Give me a few minutes.”
After she hurried away, Aidan joined him on the couch and flashed his dimpled grin. “Good call on the lingerie.”
Dylan grinned back. “I thought so.”
It felt like an eternity before they heard her footsteps. They were both fidgeting with impatience by that point, Dylan’s cock straining against the fly of his khakis. A glance at Aidan’s lower body showed him to be in a similar state, sporting a bulge beneath his gray wool trousers.
They both hissed when Claire stepped into view.
Dylan couldn’t tear his gaze off her. The lacy red outfit hugged her mouthwatering curves, making her look like she’d just stepped out of a Victoria’s Secret catalog. Her full breasts were pushed up and practically pouring out of the built-in bra, and the little black center bow looked so naughty Dylan wanted to rip it off with his teeth.
“C’mere,” Aidan growled.
With an impish smile, Claire took her sweet time sauntering over to them. “How do I look?”
Dylan licked his lips. “Good enough to eat.”
She did a little spin, showing off the dental-floss-thin strip of lace nestled between her firm ass cheeks.
“Holy fuck, get over here,” Aidan burst out.
Dylan laughed as Aidan stuck out his arm and grabbed hold of Claire’s hand. He yanked hard and she fell into Dylan’s lap, her back colliding into his chest with a thud.
He wrapped his arms around her to keep her in place. She shivered when he nuzzled her neck, then moaned as Aidan swiftly bent down and kissed one rigid nipple through the lace.
Dylan chuckled. “I think she likes that.”
“Not half as much as I do,” Aidan muttered before tugging on the lacy cups to expose Claire’s breasts.
Aidan’s mouth closed over a rosy nipple. His throat worked as he suckled her, and Claire made a happy purring sound that brought a smile to Dylan’s lips.
Aidan’s dark lashes fluttered as he peered up at her. “You okay there, baby?”
“Uh-huh.”
Dylan amused himself by playing with her silky red hair, and watched as Aidan feasted on those delectable tits. Damn, there was nothing hotter than the sight of Aidan sucking on those stiff nipples, squeezing those full mounds, kissing the creamy valley between her breasts. His cock strained against Claire’s ass, his heart beating dangerously fast as his arousal levels skyrocketed.
“Put your mouth on her pussy,” he muttered. “I wanna see you fuck her with your mouth, man.”
Claire moaned again.
With a mischievous smile, Aidan slid down her body, grabbed the flimsy waistband of her G-string and ripped the straps. Then he threw the torn panties aside and buried his face between Claire’s legs.
Turned on beyond belief, Dylan grasped Claire’s chin and forcibly moved her face toward his. When he kissed her, she instantly parted her lips and granted his tongue access, and he plunged it into her mouth, exploring every sweet crevice while Aidan lapped at her pussy.
Claire began to whimper and squirm in his lap, rocking her hips against Aidan’s face. All that squirming succeeded in turning his cock into an iron spike. He thrust upward, grinding against Claire’s ass, the mind-blowing friction bringing him to a new level of hardness.
When Aidan slipped two fingers inside her, she shuddered and squeaked with delight. “Oh God, that’s good.”
Dylan laughed again and resumed sucking on her neck, angling his head so he could watch Aidan’s every move. So fucking sexy, seeing Aidan’s tongue slide over that wet pussy.
“You like the way he eats you, honey?” Dylan’s tongue skimmed up the curve of her jaw toward her ear. He took the delicate lobe in his mouth and sucked.
“Uh-huh.” Her breathing had become labored.
“How much do you like it?”
“Mmmmmm.”
“How much, Claire?”
“I…um…oh God. I’m going to come.”
And then she did, trembling wildly in his arms and pressing her face into the crook of his neck. When she bit into his flesh, Dylan felt the first tingles of release in his balls.
Fuck. Fuck. He tried to stop it, clamped his teeth over his bottom lip to stave off the climax, but it was too late. Not since he was thirteen years old had he come in his pants. But tonight, on Christmas Eve, at the age of twenty-nine, he shot his load like an inexperienced teenager as the soft, warm woman in his lap shook with an orgasm of her own.
When both he and Claire recovered, Aidan rewarded them with a mocking laugh. “All right. Claire? I understand, what with me licking her up. But you, bro? Where’s that famous SEAL endurance?”
“Dude, if you were in my position and she was grinding all over your cock like that, you’d shoot your load in your pants too.”
“Maybe. But lucky for me, I get to come on her tits.” Dark eyes gleaming with purpose, Aidan stood and unzipped his pants.
He positioned himself in front of Claire, widened his stance, and started pumping his cock. His hand moved over his shaft in fast, furious strokes, the fire in his eyes darkening, burning, until finally he let out a hoarse cry and came apart. His come sprayed Claire’s breasts, and her moan of pleasure echoed in the living room and vibrated through Dylan’s body.
Aidan’s chest heaved as he caught his breath. A moment later, he stumbled out of the room, then returned with a wad of paper towels in his hand.
As Dylan kissed her neck and breathed in her addictive scent, Aidan gently wiped Claire’s breasts, then dropped a soft kiss on her lips, showed those sexy dimples, and said, “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
15
Three days. She was going back to San Francisco in three days.
Saying goodbye to Dylan and Aidan.
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In three days.
Claire couldn’t help but feel like she was walking the plank, about to meet an awful, painful fate—in this case, saying goodbye to the two men she’d come to care deeply about.
The two men she was falling for.
Which was insane. The thought of desiring two men had shaken her up and made her feel like some sort of deviant, but falling for them? For both of them? Was it even possible to be in love with two people at the same time? And was this even love? Could she be mistaking a case of extreme lust for love?
Her head was a jumbled mess of endless questions, so when her phone vibrated, it was a much-needed distraction.
Since it was her boss’s number blinking on the display, she wasted no time in answering. “Hey, Barb, Happy New Year’s Eve.”
Barbara Valentine responded with a throaty laugh. “I’m pretty sure it’s New Year’s Day that matters, darling. Do you have a moment to talk?”
“Of course. What’s up?”
“Are you booked on a flight home yet?”
“No, I was actually just about to do that.” Her gaze drifted to the open laptop sitting on Dylan’s bed. She’d left him and Aidan in the living room and ducked in here to book the flight, but she’d been procrastinating from the second she’d turned on her computer.
Because she didn’t want to go home.
At all.
“Don’t,” Barb told her.
Claire wrinkled her forehead. “Don’t what?”
“Book a flight. I need you to head to Oceanside.”
“What for?”
“The firm just got contracted to do an assessment for a software company there. Since you’re already down south, I’m going to put you on it. Spend as much time as you need on site, but realistically, the job shouldn’t take more than two or three weeks. Can I count on you?”
Excitement sparked in her belly. Two or three weeks. And Oceanside was less than an hour’s commute from San Diego. She could stay here at the condo and easily make the drive to the company’s headquarters every day, and all her reports could be prepared off site.
Out of Uniform Box Set: Books 4-6 plus 2 Bonus Novellas Page 46
