by Tabatha Kiss
“Fancy dinner? A quiet night here afterward with massages and champagne?” he suggests. “Try and chill her out a bit before tomorrow.”
I nod. “You noticed, too, eh?”
“Yeah. She’s stressed and I don’t like it. A relaxed Pheebs is a happy Pheebs.”
“I agree.” I sit up in my chair. “I should be able to get us a table at Kitano’s. Doesn’t get fancier than that.”
“Perfect. She’ll love that.”
“For the lady,” I say.
“For the lady,” he repeats.
We hang up. I zip my pants, pausing a moment to tuck in my shirt, before walking across my office to the door.
“Hey, Erica,” I say, sticking my head out.
“Yes, sir?” she asks, glancing up at me.
I pause as I make eye contact with Sally Sweet. She slows her pace as she passes by, her lips curling, but I give her no attention other than that. Knowing her, she’s probably raging on the inside. Not that I care, obviously.
I lower my voice. “Give Yoko a call for me, would you?” I ask Erica. “See if I can get a table for three at eight.”
“For three?”
“Yeah, three.”
She nods and reaches for the phone. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.”
I turn to glance over my shoulder as Sally disappears behind David’s door.
Thirty
Thad
I step out of the bathroom and sigh with disappointment. “Hey…” I point a finger at Phoebe as she zips up her jeans. “What are you doing? Did I say you could get dressed?”
“No,” she answers, “but I am a strong, independent woman and I do what I want.”
“God, you’re sexy.”
She laughs and bends down to pick up her shirt. “I know. I also still have work to do today, so…”
I throw up my hands. “Fine. Going back into the office?”
“No, actually.” She gestures to her bag by the coffee table. “I brought it all home with me.”
“Good.” I cup her face, burrowing my fingertips in her hair. “I want to spend every possible moment with you while I’m home.”
Her lips twitch. “Home?”
“Yeah.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “Home.”
“I thought the sky was your home.”
“So did I.”
She smiles and pushes up onto the tips of her toes to kiss me. I feel the urge to pick her up and carry her back to bed with me but she squirms out of my grasp, giggling playfully. I reluctantly release her and turn around to search the floor for my clothes.
“So…” She chuckles as she wipes the edge of her mouth. “This is the first real moment alone we’ve had since…”
I look over at her as her voice falls. “Since…?”
“… Since you left me that shot glass.”
My eyes flick to her bedside table. The glass — I noticed before but didn’t say a word about — is still there. All by itself. Empty and clean.
“Did you like it?” I ask.
“I did!” she says. “Thank you. That was really sweet of you.”
“You’re welcome.” I pull up my pants. “Figured you’d get a kick out of it.”
The silence stretches between us and I wonder just how long she’s going to let it go on for.
“You wrote me a poem, too,” she finally says.
I grin. “I did.”
“It was beautiful.” Her eyes shine. “Thad, you’re really talented.”
“No. I’m not, really.”
She steps closer. “Well, I think you are and I kinda do this for a living sometimes, so…”
“Well, I think that one little writing sample isn’t enough to properly judge that,” I say.
“Does that mean you’ll let me read more?”
“It might.”
She smiles. “Good.”
I can’t help it. I wrap one arm around her and pull her close to me again. She sways in, guided by the sweep of my palm, and doesn’t fight it as I tilt her up to kiss her. I take the moment to shut out the world with closed eyes. My chest clenches amid the endless touch of butterfly wings. I don’t want this to end. I don’t want her to step away, taking her sweet taste and pleasant scent along with her.
Phoebe pulls back but I don’t let her go. “Thank you,” she whispers to me. “I really think it’s beautiful.”
“Me, too,” I say, my eyes never leaving her face. Gray eyes and pink cheeks. How could I have ignored this woman for so long?
I kiss her again, inhaling as much of her as I can before she steps out of my arms.
“Okay…” She exhales. “For real this time. I have a few hours to kill before Max gets off work. I need to go over the book one more time…”
She walks over to the couch and leans over to pick up her notes with her back to me.
My tongue twitches between my teeth. “Phoebe…”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
She pauses in place for a moment before slowly turning around. “Oh,” she says.
“You can ignore and disregard that, if you’d rather,” I say, swallowing the panic down my throat. “I’m an impulsive guy. Just felt like a good time to say it, that’s all.”
She nods, her face free from expression. “Okay,” she says.
I bend down to pick my jacket up off the floor.
“Thad…”
I look into her blank eyes. “Yeah?”
“Did you mean it?”
“Did I mean it?” I repeat.
Her face screws up. “Because you also said that it just felt like a good time to say it. So, did you say it because you really meant it or because the moment traditionally would call for someone to vocally express affection or did you say it because—”
“Phoebe.”
“What?”
I bridge the gap between us in a few quick strides. “You talk too much.”
I kiss her and she falls into my embrace as she drops her notes to the floor.
Thirty-One
Phoebe
Thad drags his finger along my hairline, soft and slow, as I nearly fall asleep on his chest.
“Mmm,” I murmur. “That feels good.”
He chuckles and kisses my forehead. “That’s the idea.”
His heart thumps in my ear, steady and strong. It’s safe and warm here. I could lie forever in his arms. I’m almost tempted to.
Someone knocks on the door and my eyes open. The light coming in from the windows is a bland orange. I glance at the clock. Just after six.
I lie still. “Oh, no…”
“What?”
“We’ve been here all day.”
“Yes, we have,” he whispers.
“I don’t want to get up.”
“Then, don’t.”
“But that’s probably Max,” I say.
“Yeah, probably…” He raises his voice. “Max, it’s open! I think…”
I laugh, still refusing to raise my head.
The knob turns and Max steps in with a bouquet of roses in one hand. “Thaddeus…” he scolds, “I asked you to keep her warm, not kill her.”
“I couldn’t help myself, Maximillian,” Thad replies. “She’s just so adorably killable.”
I push myself to sit up, revealing my naked skin but I don’t even think twice about it. These are my boys.
I reach out to Max. “I’ve still got some life in me for you…” I say.
He steps over to my side of the bed and leans down to kiss me. “Have a good day?” he asks.
“Yes.” I kiss him back. “Just got a little better, too.”
He smiles and lays the flowers on my lap. “These are for you.”
I pick them up with a wide grin and bury my nose in the fragrant petals. “I love them… but why?”
“Why not?” he asks, nudging my chin.
We kiss once more and I lie back with my prize. “Works for me.”
Thad wraps an arm aroun
d my shoulder. I push the flowers up and he takes a long breath to smell them, too. “Did you get it?” he asks Max.
Max kicks off his shoes. “I did,” he says, reaching for his tie.
I squint. “Get what?”
“What time?” Thad asks.
Max flicks the buttons on his shirt one-by-one. “Eight,” he answers.
“Perfect.”
I look between them with nervous eyes. “Okay, what’s going on?”
Thad kisses my cheek. “We’re taking you out tonight.”
“Oh, you are?”
“Kitano’s,” Max says. “Table for three.”
“Then,” Thad adds, “maybe a quick stop by Marion’s for a drink and some dancing.”
“Dancing?” I ask.
“Yeah, dancing,” he says.
“You dance?”
“Of course, I dance.”
“Well, I don’t.”
He kisses my neck. “You do tonight.”
“I don’t know, guys…” I think twice. “I should really go over that book again—”
“No.” Max drops his shirt to the floor and unzips his pants. “You’ve gone over it enough. You’re not making it any better the night before. Believe me.”
Thad’s lips glide along my neck again. “Tonight is about relaxation and celebration.”
“There’s nothing to celebrate,” I say, trembling. “I haven’t been promoted yet.”
Max slides under the covers beside me. “You will be.”
He takes my hand and Thad lets me go to him. I kiss Max, feeling his growing erection dig into my hip. Thad slides in behind me, sandwiching me between them, and kisses the back of my neck.
“Okay…” I say, smiling. “I guess I can take one night off…”
* * *
My body tingles from head-to-toe. My belly is full of delicious food and potent saké. My face hurts from laughing so hard.
It’s been a good night.
A really good night.
Music blasts from the speakers surrounding us. I sway in Thad’s arms — which is about all the dancing I know how to do. He tries to move me around a little more but my embarrassment bleeds through my cheeks. He laughs with me every time and a little more confidence grows in me.
I look to our table and make eye contact with Max. He instantly smiles as he raises his glass to take a drink. I kiss Thad on the cheek and mime a cup in my hand. I pour it down my throat, signaling a heavy need for hydration. He nods and takes my hand to lead me through the jumping crowd.
I stand over Max and reach for my glass. “And what exactly are you staring at over here?” I ask him.
He takes my arm and pulls me onto his lap while Thad takes the seat on the bench beside him. “You,” he says.
His erection digs into my rear. “Oh, I can tell,” I say with a laugh.
“Yeah?” He bucks his hips once and I grip the table to keep from sliding off. “Are you going to save a dance for me?” he asks.
“Sure,” I answer. I lean in to kiss him as a hand takes hold of my wrist. Thad pulls me over to steal a kiss from me. Max tugs me back over and crushes his mouth on mine.
“Boys, boys…” I say, leaning away. “Get ahold of yourselves…”
Thad’s fingers curl around mine. “I’d rather get ahold of you,” he says.
Max keeps his firm hands on me. “Me, too.”
Fresh heat throbs in my core. I kiss Max again, tasting his sweet tongue on mine. He pulls me onto the bench between them. They lean in and I feel their hands on me.
“Guys…” I warn, glancing around the crowded club. Our corner is dark and obscured. No one looks over as they both grip the bottom of my skirt and raise it up to my knees.
Thad kisses my neck, his tongue tickling my skin from my collarbone to my earlobe. I shiver between them as Max does the same. Their hands crawl between my thighs. They both put pressure on me, forcing my knees a little wider apart. I scan the room with open eyes, searching for onlookers but no one seems to care about our little corner of the world.
Two fingers slide between my folds, one from each of them. I push my knees farther apart, giving them free reign to do what they want while my heart pounds in my chest.
Max draws circles around my clit while Thad goes straight for my pussy. He teases the outside and I feel myself growing wetter with each passing second.
Thad pushes one finger in and I gasp. Max covers my mouth with his to keep me quiet and I part my lips for his ever-probing tongue. He puts more pressure on my clit while Thad fucks me slowly.
I start shaking, fueled by the adrenaline of possibly being watched. My hands roam beneath the table, creeping up their pant legs to their groins. They’re both hard and their cocks twitch the moment I touch them. I turn away from Max’s kiss to take one from Thad. He grunts in my mouth as I stroke him through his pants. He fucks me faster in gratitude and I feel Max abandon my clit. He moves his hand down and slides in a second finger.
I gasp, feeling them both inside of me. They sync their thick digits, taking me together. I squeeze their cocks as I gasp for air. They crush their lips on my neck, groaning loudly in each ear. It’s almost too much but I don’t dare give a damn who might see us anymore.
I come hard on their hands. My deluge coats their thrusting fingers. I let go to keep from hurting them. I grip their thighs instead, digging my nails into their muscles.
Max and Thad take turns giving me long and smooth kisses. Their fingers slide out of me, making me twitch and moan. I lay my hands on the table to keep myself from collapsing on it as I catch my breath.
They stick their fingers in their mouths to suck them clean, forcing even more blush to invade my face.
I chuckle. “I need to use the ladies’ room.”
Max shifts to the right and lets me out. “Hurry back,” he says.
“Please,” Thad adds.
I nod, barely able to speak. I step into the crowd, trying to breathe, but the air is thick and warm.
Oh, my…
My knees wobble beneath me as I move toward the bathrooms. The door swings open as I reach it and several women pass around me. For a second, I wonder if my orgasm is still written all over my face. But, then, I think…
Who fucking cares?
I’m a boss-ass bitch.
I walk in and take over the nearest empty sink. Water is the only thing that will cool me down after that. My entire body burns for them. For my boys. I want to take them home with me right now and let them fuck me until sunrise.
“That… was disgusting.”
I raise my head as a chill grates on my nerves.
Sally Sweet steps into the bathroom. The door closes behind her and she stands in front of it with her arms crossed over her chest. Her classic battle pose. Some things really do never change.
“Sally...” I turn off the water. “Hey.”
“I knew there had to be a reason why Max wouldn’t touch me again.” Her nose shrivels upward. “Just never thought it’d be you.”
I yank a paper towel free to dab the moisture on my brow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“David told me a bit of water-cooler gossip about the two of you but I didn’t believe it. Had to see it for myself.” She exhales an icy breath. “I thought Thad was just the third wheel but I guess he and Max have always done everything together.”
“Excuse me—”
I take a step forward but Sally slams her palm against the door to hold it closed. I try to stop my limbs from shaking but the sinister triumph in her eyes turns me cold.
“Sally, let me out,” I say.
“Not until you say thank you,” she says.
“For what?”
“Oh, come on…” She smirks. “You know damn well.”
“I really don’t.”
She tilts her head. “You really don’t, do you? Thad and Max didn’t tell you?” She ticks her tongue in fake disappointment. “I guess boys will be boys, after all.”
&
nbsp; My stomach churns. “Tell me what?”
“The reunion, you stupid bitch.”
I recoil as her laughter echoes through the bathroom. “You know what happened at the reunion?”
“Honey, everyone who was there knows what happened,” she says. “But did you know that they were trying to sleep with me that night but they lost a bet… and had to take you home instead? It was a classic Belle and Switch. You’re welcome.”
I force myself to inhale a breath but it just rattles around my chest for a second before getting locked in my throat. “Is that true?”
“What?” She throws on a mocking pout. “Did you really think they fucked you because they wanted to?”
My mind goes blank as my eyes fill with tears. I hold them back, determined to the grave to never shed another tear for Sally fucking Sweet.
Sally pushes off the door and grabs the handle. “Have a good night, Peepee.” Her wide grin cuts through her chin, sharp as a knife plunging into my gut.
The door closes behind her. I stand still, listening to the thumping bass pounding on the walls around me, matching the rapid beat of my heart in my chest.
Every moment feels worse than the last as it all seeps through my skin. I feel dirty. Every pore on my body begs to be scrubbed with an iron brush. Is this true? Was that night together all because of some stupid bet? Who am I kidding?
Of course, it was.
I walk on shaking knees from the bathroom back into the dark bar. My eyes land on our table across the room. Max and Thad sit there, chatting over their drinks as they patiently wait for me to return. I want to move toward them and forget everything I just heard but I can’t. I can’t even bring myself to take a single step.
My eyes swell with desperate tears. I turn around and walk to the exit to go home alone.
But that’s just something that happens to me a lot.
Thirty-Two
Phoebe
I should have known.
Scratch that. I did know. I heard them all laughing at me but I ignored it because Max flashed me a wink and smile with those big, dumb, green eyes.
I knew. They didn’t want to talk to me. They didn’t want me at all. They did it to entertain Sally Sweet. How could I have been that stupid? And why are they still with me? Is this some advanced form of torment? Fuck it. I don’t want to know. I had the chance to step off the train track. Instead, I waited until the speeding locomotive careened into me and I have the audacity to be surprised.
