“Why not?” Aidan said quietly. “You’ve always wanted to go solo, and now you’ve got the chance. You have the experience, you have the contacts. Why not give it a shot?”
She bit her lip. “Well, I guess I…I mean, I do have enough money saved up, not just in terms of capital but also to support myself for a couple of years if I’m unemployed…”
Her voice trailed off, and Aidan could see that sharp brain of hers kicking into gear, working over the idea. A spark of pride ignited in his chest. Goddamn, this woman was incredible. It was impossible to knock her down.
Or at least that’s what he thought before Claire’s phone rang.
She leaned forward and grabbed the phone from the coffee table, then frowned. “It’s my dad.” In the blink of an eye, her face went a shade paler. “You don’t think…he wouldn’t have…?”
Without finishing, she answered the phone with a quick, “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
When she gasped, the answer to the questions she hadn’t been able to voice became clearer than a Times Square billboard.
Would Chris go to Claire’s parents?
Yes, he would. And yes, he had.
Aidan suddenly felt sick. He couldn’t hear a word Claire’s father was saying, which reminded him of what she’d said about Ron McKinley’s tendency to talk in a scarily quiet voice when he was angry.
“Dad—”
Whatever her father cut her off with brought a flash of panic to Claire’s eyes.
Her voice trembled as she tried again. “Dad—” She paused, then made a strangled sound. “Fine! Yes, it’s true. Is that what you want to hear?”
Aidan’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. When he glanced over at Dylan, he saw deep distress digging a groove into the man’s forehead.
“Can I please talk to her? Please, just put Mom on the phone.” Claire listened for a moment before her entire face collapsed. “Can I at least come home so we can talk about it?” Ashen, she awaited a reply. Her eyes welled up with tears. “I can’t do that, Daddy…No, don’t say that…I—”
She halted, then turned to Aidan in shock. “He hung up on me.”
He tried to pull her close again, but this time she rejected his comfort. She jerked up to her feet, two trails of moisture sliding down her porcelain cheeks.
“Chris showed up at their house and told them about us.” A splash of bitterness crept into her tone. “I don’t know why he decided to wait two weeks to drop the bomb, but apparently this has been a busy day for him.”
Dylan stood up slowly. “What did your father say?”
“He said he’s disappointed and horrified by my behavior, and that he’ll never approve of what I’m doing.” She brushed away her tears with her knuckles. “He ordered me to end it. I said I couldn’t do that, and that’s when he told me that as long as I’m involved with the two of you, I’m not welcome in his house.”
Aidan’s heart throbbed with agony. Shit.
He took a step toward her, as did Dylan, but she held up one trembling hand to stop them.
“No. I can’t do this right now. I know you guys want to help, but…I…” She took a breath. “But I just need to be alone.”
She hurried out of the room, leaving him and Dylan standing there helplessly.
* * *
Hands-down, this was the day from hell. A never-ending nightmare. She’d gotten fired, her dad had disowned her—what was going to happen next? Was a meteor going to crash into her rental car? Would the ceiling cave in on her head? Would the dog she didn’t own get hit by a car?
Oh, hush. Self-pity doesn’t become you.
Claire inhaled a long, deep breath and sat on Dylan’s bed. She’d gone into his room rather than Aidan’s because she hadn’t wanted to see the tangled sheets on the king-sized bed she’d been sharing with her men.
Yep, her men, as her father had referred to them.
If you don’t end it with your men, you’re not welcome in my house, Claire.
Blinking through a new onslaught of tears, she keyed in the password to unlock her phone and quickly brought up her mother’s number. Her dad had refused to give her the phone, but Claire prayed her mom would at least answer her cell.
To her overwhelming relief, Nora’s voice came on the line. “Claire! What on earth is going on over there? Chris came by and told us the most disturbing things.”
“Where’s Dad?” she asked. “Why didn’t he let you talk to me before?”
“He’s upset, sweetie. I didn’t want to force the issue when he refused to give me the phone. But he went to take a walk to clear his head, so we have some time.” Nora paused. “Your father said you confirmed everything Chris said. Is that true?”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
“You’re involved with Chris’s brother, then? And…and his roommate?”
“Yes.”
There was another pause, followed by a heavy sigh. “Oh, sweetie, what are you doing?”
“I…” Her voice cracked. “It’s complicated.”
“It’s wrong, that’s what it is. You need to stop this. Put an end to it now.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Just come home, Claire. I know the breakup with Chris was difficult, and obviously it had more of an effect on you than we thought. You’re confused and you’re not thinking clearly.”
“I’m not confused,” she said softly.
“You need to pack your bags and leave. Your father is very upset about this, but he’ll forgive you, as long as you break it off with those men and come home.”
“I can’t do that. Mom…I think I love them.”
Silence. Lasting so long Claire thought her mother had hung up.
“Mom, are you there?”
“Claire, this is crazy. Do you realize how crazy that sounds?”
“I know it’s crazy,” she burst out. “But it’s real, damn it! I have feelings for them, for both of them. Real, strong feelings, and I can’t walk away from that.”
“Your father will never accept this.” Her mom hesitated. “I don’t know if I can accept it.”
Pain jolted through her, but Claire wasn’t about to back down. “Mom, I love you and Dad, but this is my life, and I live it for me. You don’t have to agree with all my choices, and if you and Dad are willing to cut me out of your lives because of this, then that’s on you. I’m sorry you don’t approve, but like I said, I’m not walking away from them.”
“Even if it means your father will never let you come home again?”
Her throat burned with regret. “Even then.” She let out a wobbly breath. “I’ll give you some time to digest this and call you in a few days, okay? Just…please try to keep an open mind. At least meet Dylan and Aidan before you write me off forever.”
A distressed sob met her ears. “Claire, just come home.”
“I can’t.”
“Claire—”
“Bye, Mom.”
She hung up, feeling bruised and beaten and so very tired. Her eyes hurt from all the tears she’d shed, and her face was still damp, prompting her to leave the room and duck into the hall bathroom, where she gasped at her reflection in the mirror.
Her mascara had run like crazy, glaring evidence that the word waterproof on the applicator was pure and total bullshit. She looked like a madwoman—streaky black lines on her cheeks, red-rimmed eyes, splotchy skin.
And yet neither Dylan nor Aidan had commented on it. They’d held her and comforted her and whispered reassurances without once pointing out she looked like a rabid raccoon.
As she left the bathroom, there was an unexpected spring to her step, which was damn peculiar considering she’d just lost her job and probably her parents. She was giving up everything for these men—why wasn’t she more freaked out about it?
She got her answer the moment she entered the living room and saw both men leap off the couch, their eyes shining with concern.
She belonged here with them. She belonged to them.
And they belonged to her.
“Are you leaving?” The gruff inquiry came from Aidan.
With the slight shake of her head, she walked toward them and said, “I’m not going anywhere.”
18
“So a little birdie told me you and Dylan are both dating Claire.”
Aidan rolled his eyes. “And does that little birdie go by the name Seth?”
Chuckling, Matt rested his elbows on the iron railing of the second-floor balcony and glanced over. “Actually, it was Cash. He said Dylan told the boys about it the other day when they were chilling by the pool.”
Aidan wasn’t surprised that McCoy had shared the news with his roommate, but he’d been hoping to be the one to tell Matt. He and O’Connor were tight, had been ever since they’d run into each other on the base several years back, and other than Dylan, Matt was Aidan’s closest friend. The two of them had indulged in a shit-ton of threesomes, including some seriously hot nights with Matt’s fiancée.
“So it’s true, huh? You’re both dating the same woman?”
After a beat, Aidan nodded.
“And how’s that working out for you?” Matt asked in a careful tone.
“Pretty damn good,” he admitted.
“I see.” The other man’s skepticism was unmistakable.
Aidan didn’t blame Matt one bit for being skeptical. He still couldn’t wrap his head around it, either. A relationship between three people? He wouldn’t have ever dreamed a scenario like that could actually work, and yet it did. At least for them.
“Okay, I don’t see,” Matt blurted out, retracting his previous remark. “I mean, I get it in the sexual sense—you know how much I love a little variety in the bedroom. But romantically? I don’t get it.”
Aidan moved away from the railing and swiped his beer bottle from the small table before sinking into one of the plastic chairs. Matt flopped down in the other chair, mystified.
“Seriously, dude, you’ve gotta explain it to me.”
“It’s just like any other relationship, except there’s another person in the mix. I care about Claire, and so does Dylan. And she cares about both of us.” He sighed. “I still feel guilty as hell, though.”
Matt furrowed his dark eyebrows. “Why?”
“She lost her job because of us, and her parents aren’t speaking to her.”
His throat clogged at the memory of Claire in tears. That had been three days ago, but just as she’d promised, Claire hadn’t gone anywhere. She was as committed to their unconventional arrangement as he and Dylan were, a fact that continued to floor him.
Claire McKinley was so fucking incredible. So smart, and so sweet, and so passionate she blew his mind. He couldn’t believe a woman like her actually existed. A woman who was willing to welcome two men into her bed, into her heart. A woman who was willing to accept that those two men also desired each other.
“That’s rough,” Matt said sympathetically. “Is she looking for a new job in San Diego?”
“She’s actually thinking of starting her own business. She’s doing some research to see what it’ll take, and hopefully that works out for her. She’s damn good at what she does. The last thing I want is for her to settle for a job she’s not passionate about.”
“What about her parents? You think they’ll come around?”
“I hope so. It would be a damn shame if they don’t.”
“So you’re really in this for the long haul?” Matt asked.
“Yes,” he said quietly. “I know it doesn’t make sense to you, but I’m happy, man. This…this thing we have, it’s exactly what I need.”
Matt went silent for a moment, then threw out a curveball that made Aidan’s mouth go dry.
“You’re screwing Dylan, too, huh?”
His hand froze before he could bring his bottle to his lips. “What makes you say that?”
“Oh, come on, man, I may be from the south but I ain’t slow,” Matt drawled. “And for someone who works in intelligence, you’re mighty transparent sometimes. You and Wade were dancing around each other all summer. Whenever you were in the same room together? I’d get a fucking hard-on. I’m serious—major sexual tension, Aid.”
He had to laugh. So much for thinking he’d been stealthy about hiding his attraction to Dylan.
“Am I right?”
“Yeah, you’re right,” he confessed.
“So this is, like, a true three-way, huh?” Matt sounded intrigued. “You’re dating both of them.”
“Yes.”
“And it’s actually working out? No jealousy or arguments or one of you feeling left out?”
“Nope.” Aidan grinned. “Claire and Dylan bicker like children, but I’m there to turn them over my knee if need be.”
Matt laughed. “You were always damn good at spanking. Remember that night you got Savannah’s ass nice and pink?” His green eyes smoldered. “Fuck, that was hot.”
As the SEAL took a long swig of his beer, Aidan noticed the man looking a wee bit flustered. His grin widened as realization dawned.
“You miss me,” he said in delight.
Matt set his bottle on the table and ran a hand over his shaved head. “Sometimes.”
“Sometimes? Nuh-uh. I think you and Savannah are totally jonesing for some Aidan.”
He got a middle finger in response, but then O’Connor let out a breath and flashed a sheepish grin. “Fine, we miss you. That’s why my girl got all bitchy when she saw you kissing Claire on Christmas Eve. We were planning on inviting you over that night.”
Aidan raised his eyebrows. “What happened to the whole, We’re engaged now—it wouldn’t be proper to fuck you anymore?”
“We realized that being engaged doesn’t mean we’ve gotta turn into a boring married couple who only fucks in the missionary position every night.”
“Every night?” He snorted. “Do boring married couples even have sex that often?”
“Ask Carson and Holly. Those two fuck like every five minutes. I’m pretty sure they ducked into the bathroom on Christmas Eve to get it on.”
“Oh, they did,” came Seth’s voice.
Matt and Aidan glanced at the open sliding door, where Seth’s big frame had appeared. Beyond Seth’s broad shoulders, Aidan glimpsed Cash shrugging out of a brown leather jacket.
“You’re back early,” Matt remarked. “I thought you were catching the eight o’clock screening.”
“Sold out,” Seth grumbled. “Everyone and their fucking mother decided to buy tickets for the movie, so we figured we’d come back here and watch Die Hard. You guys in?”
“Hell yeah,” Aidan said. “I was trying to convince Claire to watch it the other night, but she’s all about the shitty rom coms.”
Seth flashed a cocky grin. “Miranda hates rom coms. She says they’re too unrealistic.”
As the three of them headed inside, Seth picked up the previous subject. “Anyway, Carson and Holly totally got it on Christmas Eve.” He scowled. “And you want to know the worst part, other than having to picture my LT going to town on his wife? Having to explain to the rugrats why they heard, and I quote, ‘farm noises’ coming out of the bathroom.”
Aidan and Matt burst out laughing.
In the living room, Cash loaded up the movie while everyone got settled on the two couches with their beers. But before McCoy could press play, Seth turned those shrewd gray eyes on Aidan and said, “So the relationship ménage is still going strong?”
Aidan met his gaze head on. “Sure is.”
“I still don’t get it.”
He shrugged. “You don’t have to get it. Not your life, remember?”
“He’s just jealous because his life isn’t as interesting,” Cash spoke up with a grin. “He’s got two kids to raise. You get to have kinky three-way sex every night. No contest.”
“Miranda and I have kinky sex,” Seth protested.
“Uh-huh,” Aidan said indulgently. “So how does that work with the twins constantly running und
erfoot? Do you get to fuck her on the kitchen counter every morning?”
“After the kids go to school,” Seth answered smugly.
“Does she suck your dick in the shower?”
“When the rugrats go to bed.”
“Hmmm.” Aidan offered a cheeky smile. “Does she moan like crazy when you’re fucking her pussy and another cock is buried in her ass?”
Matt choked out a laugh. Cash looked envious.
And Seth just sighed. “Fine, I guess my sex life isn’t as kinky as it used to be. Hey, where’s the D-Man, by the way? He’d be all over Die Hard.”
“When I left him, he was involved in a serious COD battle with Jackson,” Aidan said. “Claire and I couldn’t take it anymore so I dropped her off at Savannah’s for girls’ night.” He turned to Matt with a warning look. “And I swear to God, if Savannah threatens my girl again, I will kick her ass.”
Matt raised a brow. “You’ll have to go through me first.”
“Is that supposed to scare me? I could kick your ass any day of the week.”
Seth clapped his hands together. “Shit, now that I’d love to see.” He glanced at Cash. “A death match between O’Connor and Rhodes?”
“I’d fucking pay to see that,” Cash retorted. “My money’s on Matt.”
“Forget that—I’m all about Aidan. Didn’t you snag an invite to that heavy-duty boxing camp during your navy training?”
Aidan found himself under Seth’s scrutiny again. “Sure did,” he confirmed.
Matt rolled his eyes. “I’m a SEAL—there’s no way in hell Rhodes is kicking my ass.”
Seth and Cash exchanged a look, which led to Aidan and Matt exchanging a look of their own.
“Don’t even think about it,” Matt warned.
But the two men were already hopping off their respective couches and beginning to drag the coffee table out of the way.
“This is so happening,” Cash announced. “I’ve got a hundred bucks on Matt.”
Seth grinned. “Get ready to lose some money then.”
Despite himself, Aidan had to laugh. “What happened to Die Hard?”
“Fuck that. Live action is so much more rewarding.” Cash crossed his arms over his broad chest. “So are you two gonna pussy out, or do we have ourselves a fight?”
Out of Uniform Box Set: Books 4-6 plus 2 Bonus Novellas Page 51
