by Ruby Rowe
Once I’m naked, he grips my hips and walks forward with me until my back is against the wall.
“I want to make love to you right here. I’m going to do it nice and slow while I’m staring into your gorgeous eyes; they’re those dark portals that always leave me wondering what you’re thinking.”
“I’m thinking about how much I’d like that,” I whisper. He slides his hands up my arms and into my hair before he brings my mouth to his.
His tongue slips in delicately, the strokes more of a feathery touch than the usual demanding prequel of his taboo desires. At the same languid pace, Elliott plays with my hair, and our kiss is oh … so … tantalizing.
As his tongue explores my mouth, I feel as if I’m floating above the water. He rests his head against mine while his fingers continue to massage my scalp.
“I love you, Sailor. I didn’t think I’d ever experience happiness in my life since I didn’t think I’d ever have you. I might get grumpy at times, from all the baggage I’m carrying, but I never take you for granted. I know how lucky I am, and I’ll spend the rest of our lives thanking you for it.”
“All my wishes came true… I’m the lucky one.”
CHAPTER NINE
Jake
“I feel like the luckiest man on earth one minute and the most fucked the next,” I say to Thatcher as we sit in his family room. I went back to his place after we had dinner at our grandparents.
“Instead of talking to me in circles, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong? You said you needed to talk, so do it before you’ve had too many beers to form a sentence.”
“I might as well tell you since you’ll hear about it soon enough. My parents are so pissed at me.”
“Yeah, I picked up on that at dinner. They weren’t cooing over their baby boy like they usually are.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’m kidding, cuz. I only wish my dad paid that much attention to me.” Thatcher leans over and flicks his cigarette into an ashtray on the coffee table. He needs to stop that habit before it catches up with his health. “Money doesn’t replace that shit, you know?”
“I’ll take some off your hands then,” I say.
“Spill it, asshole.”
“Fine.” I lift my head off the sofa to look at him. “Elliott and I are both in relationships with Sailor. I guess you could say the three of us are in a relationship.”
He chokes on his scotch. “What happened to no sword fighting?”
“Our junk hasn’t touched. Focus, man.”
Turning to face me better on the sofa, Thatcher glides a hand through his light brown hair, and I can tell he’s itching to hear the dirt.
“Elliott and I are not messing around. We’re only sharing Sailor, and it’s not like I’m living out some fantasy 24/7. It’s growing more complicated by the day.”
“Yeah, but you’re still having threesomes with the gorgeous Sailor Lockwood. Am I right?” He grins. “I mean, I would prefer to bang her and another chick over Elliott, but whatever gets your dick hard.”
“Douchebag, I don’t want to talk about the sex, and if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll beat the shit out of you.”
“Fine. What’s the problem?”
“Sharing her outside of the bedroom is the issue. I thought I could deal with the repercussions, but Mom and Dad’s disapproval is affecting me more than I expected.”
“Screw them. Do whatever the hell you want, but deep down do you approve of this arrangement?”
“I thought I did, but now I’m having doubts, and the problem is, it’s this or nothing.”
“Sorry, but it sounds like Sailor’s an entitled bitch.”
I punch him hard in the shoulder. “Don’t call her names. This was my idea after she couldn’t choose and dumped us both. Elliott and I convinced her to do it.”
“What the hell for? You were getting plenty of pussy before she came along.”
“I love her. She’s a fucking angel in a human suit.”
He rolls his eyes. “I think you’ve had too many beers, but if you want her, then lock that shit down. Stop watching Roberts slap his balls behind your girl.”
“You’re such a dick.”
“No, I’m honest. You wanted to talk, so I’m giving it to you straight. Either share Sailor and stop crying in your beer like a whiny bitch, or go take what’s yours. She’ll respect the confidence.”
“You don’t know Sailor. She’s too sweet to ever hurt Elliott. She loves him, too.”
He takes a drag off his cigarette and reveals a shit-eating grin.
“Who knew you were the freak in the family? I’m telling Grandma.” He bursts out laughing, so I punch him again.
“Shut up, dickwad.”
“Where are they now?”
“California. Elliott took her there for Christmas.”
Shaking his head, he puts out his cigarette.
“Cuz, that’s fucked up. At least if you’re going to do this, you should be there, too.”
“We agreed to have time alone with her. I had her with me the last couple of days.”
“Well, don’t she just have the best of both fucking worlds?”
“Stop hating on her. This is my fault.”
“Then be a man and fix it.”
Sailor
Elliott leaves me alone in bed to go answer the door. It should be the takeout we ordered. I’m exhausted after the last few days of socializing, our pool sex and the trip here. Neither of us was in the mood to cook or go out to dinner.
Realizing this would be a good time to check on Jake, I grab my phone from the nightstand.
Me: Hi. How was Christmas with your mom’s side of the family?
Jake: Could’ve been better.
Me: I’m sorry. I heard Jeanine was angry.
Jake: Yep.
Me: What are you doing?
Jake: I’m hanging out with Thatcher.
I bite my lip. I bet he’s talking about us, and I don’t know how I feel about it. One minute, I think I don’t give a damn what other people think, but there’s something unsettling about Jake’s family, and everyone on the Upper East Side, knowing I’m sleeping with both men. They’re only going to see me as a slut since they don’t understand how much I love Jake and Elliott.
Me: I miss you.
Jake: Same.
“Who are you texting?” Elliott asks after carrying in two plates of food.
“I was checking on Jake. I hope you don’t mind. I needed to know how he was doing after his talk with his mom.”
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist.”
“Are you mad?” I ask as I take my container of sushi from him. Elliott’s only in a pair of jeans, and I can’t resist examining his superb body.
“No, we’re a family, right?”
“His texts were short. I think he’s upset with me. Elliott, I want you to know that when I’m with him, I think about you, too. I mean, not every second, but there are many times I wish you could be with us. It’s not fair that I’m the only one never excluded. I feel shitty about it, and I think Jake’s mad that I left today.”
Setting his food down, Elliott clasps my chin.
“Stop feeling guilty. If you want to talk to Jake, talk to him. I understand, and he should be understanding, too.”
I lean over to kiss Elliott’s lips. He’s been extra sweet lately, opening up to me more, and I love it.
He cups my breast, somehow knowing my robe fell open, and I’m already turned on again. Sushi and sleep may have to wait. Elliott and I still have a lot of time to make up for.
Elliott
I play with Sailor’s silky hair as she sleeps next to me. The moonlight is shining through the vast wall of glass spanning one wall of our room.
It’s too bright for me to sleep, and it doesn’t help that I’m dwelling on how worried Sailor seemed about Jake. It must be the holidays making me soft this week, but I keep feeling this impulse to do something that I can’t believe I’m
even considering.
Let it go, Elliott. This is your time with her. Jake’s the one being an asshole right now. But … maybe I could stop him from totally fucking up.
Finding my cell phone in my jeans pocket, I leave Sailor in bed and walk onto the upper balcony off the living room. I begin Googling flights to Los Angeles, wondering again how I got so damn soft. It’s getting late in New York, but Jake’s going to do what I tell him before he ruins everything.
“Hello,” he answers.
“It’s Elliott.”
“What’s up?”
“Pack your shit and be at the airport at 4:00 a.m.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I booked you a flight to Los Angeles. It’s too late for you to make a red-eye, so that’ll have to do.”
“Did something happen to Sailor?” he asks anxiously.
“No, she’s fine, but you need to come here so you can remember why the hell we decided to share her. Besides, she misses you, so I want to surprise her.”
“I have to go back to work the day after tomorrow, and I’m not even home. I’ve been drinking at Thatcher’s, so I was going to crash here.”
“I know you have vacation you can take. Call a taxi, grab your shit, and head to the airport. With the time difference, you’ll be here by lunch.”
“There’s no way in hell you want me interrupting your time with Sailor.”
“I do if it’ll make her happy. Like I’ve told you before, I’m going to give her whatever she wants until the end of time, so get on that damn plane. You should have an email with the ticket info.”
CHAPTER TEN
Sailor
Eager to walk the beach, I fiddle with my tangled hair and take the last sip of my warm detox tea I brought with me.
“Are you finished yet?” I ask Elliott. He’s about as slow as a sloth eating a carrot. He’s been picking at his French toast for twenty minutes while I sit next to him on a high back barstool at the kitchen island.
“We’re on vacation. We’re supposed to be relaxing,” he replies.
I poke his leg under the counter with my foot.
“You sure didn’t seem interested in relaxing when we got here, or last night … or an hour ago when we woke up.” I snicker, waiting for him to give me that look of warning. “Who stocked this place with food?”
“The property manager.”
“For a price I’m sure.”
“It was worth it.”
“Oh, talking about money reminds me that I haven’t given you your Christmas present yet.”
I admire his handsome, sleepy appearance as he reaches over and squeezes my hand on the island.
“You’re my present. I don’t need anything else.”
“Too bad. I’ll be right back.” Smacking a kiss on his cheek, I practically skip to the master bedroom to find his gift in my heavy purse.
I’m in a great mood today, determined to make the most of our trip and not dwell on how Jake seemed short with me last night. OK, I’m dwelling a little, but I’m not going to let it spoil my day.
Pulling up my loose pajama pants, I hurry back to the kitchen and place the square box in front of him.
“What’s this?”
“Open it, silly, and you’ll see.” Picking up the box, he rests back on his barstool and seems uncomfortable to even have the gift in his hands.
“I only need you.”
“Geez, it’s a good thing I didn’t get you my original idea.”
He smirks and takes the lid off the ruby box as I stand next to him. Removing the wrapped surprise, he folds back the layers of tissue paper to have a look.
“A coffee mug,” he says.
“It’s not just any mug.”
He reads the writing on it. “Clever.”
“I want to hear you say it out loud.”
“Ask Me About Sailing, but someone has marked out the ing in sailing and made it into the word Sailor.”
“It’s a conversation starter. You can take it to work, and your coworkers in the doctor’s lounge will ask you about sailing, which you love, or they’ll ask you about Sailor, who you love even more. You’ll have so much to talk about.” I wink at him.
“I was going to get you a sailboat, but then when you told me not to give Jake something expensive, I figured the sailboat was a little much, especially compared to the watch I’d bought him and returned. I’ve also been thinking a lot about material possessions, and do we really—”
“Wait, hold up. You were going to buy me a what?”
“A sailboat. You know, the one you want. I had a copy made of the blueprints you have hanging on your bedroom wall, and I was going to have it built for you.”
Slipping his arm around my waist, he pulls me onto his lap, and he almost falls off the stool with the both of us. I squeak as he regains his footing.
“You are one crazy woman. Do you have any idea what that sailboat costs?”
“Yes, and that’s why I didn’t do it. Not because I don’t have the money. We both do, but I knew it was an extravagant gift, and that’s not what matters. I’ll admit, though, that it was hard not to surprise you with something that I knew would make you super happy.”
Nuzzling his nose in the curve of my neck, he sighs.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. So, you don’t mind my lame gift?”
Lifting his head, he gazes at me with soulful eyes, and they tell me that what he’s about to say will be the absolute truth.
“I’ll get to use this mug more often than I would a sailboat, so that means I’ll get to think about and talk about you way more often, too. There’s nothing lame about that.”
The grin I’m wearing might be permanent. I don’t see how I could feel more special than I do at this moment.
The doorbell rings, and I jump in Elliott’s arms.
“Who in the world could that be?”
“Hmm … you better let me go see.” A smile teeters on his lips as I hop off the stool so he can get up. I’m examining his mug when I hear a voice I recognize.
Jake.
I walk briskly from the kitchen into the large open great room, and there he is … at the door with Elliott.
“Jake! What are you doing here?” Running, I leap into his arms and wrap my legs around his waist. He holds me up with his beefy muscles as I hug him hard, and his citrusy scent makes California feel like home.
“It’s good to see you, doll.”
“Why are you here?”
“Elliott missed me.”
Elliott.
Scurrying off Jake, I step away from him and look at Elliott. He’s all smiles, and messy blond hair, staring back as if he can’t wait to see my reaction.
“You did this?”
He only grins wider, and I realize he brought Jake here for me, to comfort me and ease my mind. Even though he probably wouldn’t admit it, I bet he did it for Jake, too.
I hurry to him next and sling my arms around his neck.
“I don’t deserve this, but thank you.”
“Baby, you deserve the world.”
Jake
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Sailor says.
“I am, too.”
“Elliott and I are going to the beach. Want to come?”
“Uh, I had a half dozen too many beers last night with Thatcher, and I haven’t been to bed, so I think I better stay here and rest. We’ll definitely hang out later.”
“I’m going to go change,” Elliott says. “Good to see you, bro.” He gives my shoulder a squeeze before he walks out of the room.
“I feel bad leaving when you just got here.” Sailor frowns.
“It’s cool. I need some sleep.” Wrapping her arms around my neck, she stares up into my eyes, and from the seriousness in them, I know what’s coming.
“I thought you were mad at me.”
“Why would I be?”
“Because I left with Elliott after the perfect couple of days you and I sha
red, or maybe because your mom saw Elliott and me kissing.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m not mad at you.”
“Jeanine’s angry, though, right?”
“My family doesn’t understand, but I’m hoping that’ll change with time.” I sigh. “I don’t want you worrying about it, especially here. Now, go get ready for the beach.”
“OK. I’ll show you to one of the guest rooms so you can get some sleep.” She gives me a kiss before I follow her to the stairs, and it frustrates me that I feel like a guest.
Apparently, Elliott says jump, and I ask how high? I feel like his bitch, and I wanted nothing more than to tell him to kiss my ass last night when he called, ordering me around.
But, at the same time, I knew he was doing something he didn’t normally do. He could’ve kept Sailor to himself for several days, but he made the decision to have me here with them, and seeing my girl’s excitement has already made the trip worth it.
My girl… I want to fight to make that true, but at the same time, I don’t want to damage my friendship with Elliott. We’ve grown closer because of Sailor, and I can’t imagine taking her from him. I get the impression he can’t imagine doing that to me, either.
My family’s words replay in my head, and it confuses me further. My parents haven’t been this angry and disappointed in me since I was a pain-in-the-ass teenager, but I feel like I deserve a free pass after the crime Marcy committed. I guess they only want me to be happy, and I am. Most of the time, anyway. Maybe that’s enough.
Elliott
Once Sailor and I spend a few hours at the beach, we head back to the house to shower. As soon as we walk in the door, I spot Jake on the balcony, staring out at the ocean.
“I’m gonna go talk to Jake,” I say.
“I’ll get ready for dinner. I hope he’s feeling better so we can have some fun tonight.”
She begins to walk away, so I grab her hand and pull her back to me.
“Fun? What kind of fun are you thinking?” As I grin, she lowers her gaze, and her face turns a deep crimson in the process.
