by Opal Carew
After she’d hurried from the store, she’d realized she’d left them behind. Not wanting to go back, she’d called the store on a hotel phone, and they assured her they’d handle getting the packages safely to her suite. Then she’d taken a long walk outside to clear her head.
“They already arrived,” Austin said. “I put them in the bedroom.”
“Thank you.” She felt stiff and distracted. Not quite sure what to do with herself.
The fact that Maurice had tried to contact her had shaken her more than she would have thought. She was over him, but the pain of his betrayal still left her devastated.
“April, is there something wrong?” Austin asked.
“No, nothing. I’m just … tired.”
Her phone chimed, and she opened her purse and pulled it out. She felt the blood drain from her face when she saw that it was Maurice calling her. She ended the call with a jab of her finger and shoved the phone back in her purse.
“Who was that?” Austin asked.
Nervously, she glanced at Austin’s concerned expression. She did not want to tell them about Maurice trying to contact her. They’d want to talk about it, and she just wanted to put it behind her.
“No one. Just one of those spam calls.”
Quinn leaned forward, his midnight-blue gaze locking on her.
“You’re sure there’s nothing wrong? Did something happen while you were out?”
“I’m fine. Really.” She stood up. “As I said, just tired. I think I’ll take a nap before dinner.”
* * *
April sipped her drink, waiting for Quinn and Austin. They’d been out playing golf this afternoon and had arranged to meet her in the lounge overlooking the garden. She wore one of her new dresses, a slinky red strapless that made her feel sexy.
Over the past several days, she’d immersed herself in enjoying her time with them. They were both very attentive, and Quinn had a glow in his eyes whenever he looked at her. She could almost convince herself that he was falling for her all over again, but she knew that was just wishful thinking. He was just relaxed and enjoying the free and easy sexual relationship the three of them were sharing.
Her stomach tightened. A relationship that would be over all too soon. Then she’d be on her own again and have to figure out what she was going to do next. How she would start over again with nothing.
A waitress walked toward her table with a smile. “Ms. Smith, I have a message for you.”
Panic raced through her. “I’m sorry, if it’s from Mr. Dubois, I don’t—”
“No, ma’am. It’s from Mr. Wright. He said you left your cell phone in the suite. He said to tell you the game went late and asked that you meet them in the casino in about ten minutes. He said you’d know which one.”
“Oh, thank you.” Her racing heart slowed.
“Would you like me to let him know you’ll be there?”
“Yes, that would be great. Thanks,” April said.
The waitress placed the bill on the table before she left.
Damn it, just because Maurice had tried to have a message delivered to her, then attempted to contact her a couple of times, was she going to jump every time hotel staff approached her?
She added a tip to the total on the bill and signed, then grabbed her purse and headed to the casino.
* * *
Quinn walked into the living room as he finished knotting his tie. He’d just showered and shaved and was looking forward to the evening.
“That was a great game.” Austin was sitting on the couch tying up his glossy black shoes.
“Better for you than me since you won.” Quinn grinned. “Now we’re going to that poker game tonight where you’ll be the biggest winner at the table, I’m sure.”
Austin chuckled. “You do all right. And you love the rush as much as I do.”
“To tell the truth, what I’m really looking forward to is getting my arms around my wife and enjoying another kind of game. One where I’m sure I’ll be a winner.”
“Hey, she’s my wife, too.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t going to win, too. I think it’s safe to say all three of us have been winners in this particular arrangement.”
Instead of laughing, Austin’s expression grew serious. “I’m not so sure about April.”
Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I know she’s enjoying the sex. It’s just that … haven’t you noticed that she’s been distracted the past few days? Withdrawn. Something’s definitely bothering her.”
Quinn had noticed. He’d felt a growing distance between them and wondered if she was pulling away so she didn’t get too attached.
Although he needed time to get used to these new feelings for her and for her to see that his attitude about her had changed, he wished he could tell her how much he cared about her. He would have loved to buy her flowers or other gifts to show her, but he knew that would make her uncomfortable, so he’d focused on showing her as best he could in bed.
“She’s been through a rough time,” Quinn said, “and I’m sure she’s worried about what’s going to happen at the end of the month.”
“I wish there were some way we could reduce her anxiety,” Austin said.
Quinn glanced at his watch. “One way is not to keep her waiting in the casino.”
Austin stood up. “Don’t forget to grab her phone.”
Quinn strolled to the counter and picked up April’s cell phone. As he walked across the room, following Austin to the door, the phone beeped. He glanced down to see a text message display on the screen.
I really am sorry. We need to talk. Call me.
Quinn’s gut clenched. “Fuck.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a text from her ex. He’s trying to get her back.”
19
After sitting through a few games of roulette with Quinn and Austin, April walked with them to the suite where the exclusive poker game was to take place. As soon as she stepped into the room, she saw Sarah and Jon. Austin and Quinn followed her gaze and spotted them, too.
“We can leave if you want,” Austin murmured in her ear.
She straightened her back and held her head high. “No. I made you miss one of these games because of them. Not tonight. I’m not going to run every time I see a friend of Maurice’s.”
Austin and Quinn sat down at the table, and April sat in a chair behind them since she wasn’t playing. Sarah glanced her way, and their gazes locked briefly. Instead of the look of scorn April expected to see, Sarah’s expression was subdued.
Sarah and her husband sat farther down the table, so April chose to ignore them. Everyone anted up, and the game began. After about forty minutes, Austin’s stack of chips had doubled. Quinn had lost several rounds but was still ahead.
A waitress took April’s empty glass and asked if she’d like another. April shook her head, and as soon as the current hand was over, she leaned in to Quinn.
“I’m going to the ladies’ room. I’ll be back in a minute.”
He glanced her way and smiled, then took her hand and pressed it to his mouth. The gentle contact paired with the complete and focused attention he gave her left her knees weak.
“Don’t be too long. I’ll miss you,” he said.
Her heart pounded as she stood up. His attitude toward her had changed radically since that first day. Gone was the distrusting, angry man. He was so relaxed around her now. And wonderfully attentive.
She didn’t allow herself to read anything more into it other than he was enjoying their sexy arrangement.
She stood up and made her way to the door. There were washrooms just off the atrium outside the suite. She walked into the sumptuous room with potted plants, large mirrors, and black sinks embedded in granite countertops, then stepped into one of the stalls with solid wood doors. After she was done, she walked to one of the sinks and washed her hands, then opened her purse to retrieve her lipstick.
As she gazed in the mirror to put it on, Sarah entered and stepped behind her.
“New dress? It looks very nice,” Sarah said.
April frowned as she turned to face the other woman, not in the mood for any nasty games.
“What do you want, Sarah?”
“I want to help, actually.”
“Help? I don’t understand.”
Sarah’s disapproval had been wholly evident, and it made no sense she’d suddenly change her mind about April.
But Sarah’s expression was genuine.
“You’ve been through a terrible experience with the wedding, and … well, Maurice contacted me and told me what really happened.”
April’s eyebrow quirked up. “He did?”
“He said that it wasn’t you who’d cheated on him. It was the other way around. That when you walked away, he panicked and his ego got in the way. He knows what he did was wrong and that blaming you was unforgivable.” Sarah stepped forward and took April’s hand. “But, dear, he does want you to forgive him. He wants you to give him a chance to make it up to you. He says you won’t take his calls, so he contacted me and asked if I’d talk to you.”
April shook her head. This was crazy.
“I know he doesn’t deserve it,” Sarah continued, “but he really does love you. And from everything I’ve seen over the past two years, I believe you love him, too. I totally understand why you want to walk away, but I urge you to at least listen to what he has to say.”
* * *
Quinn smiled at the huge stack of chips in front of him. Both he and Austin had done exceptionally well tonight.
He turned to April and took her hand. “You are a great lucky charm.”
Austin settled their winnings as Quinn drew her to her feet and hugged her tightly. Her body stiffened, and he drew back.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you.” He smiled encouragingly and tipped up her chin. “Does it have anything to do with the fact those friends of your ex’s were here? Because they left over an hour ago, so you can relax and enjoy your husband’s attention.”
Austin stepped beside her and leaned in with a grin. “If we go back to the suite, you can enjoy both your husbands’ attention.”
Quinn loosened his hold on her, and the three of them strolled to the door.
They walked through the atrium and took the elevator down. Soon they were in the hustle and bustle of the main level, with shops and restaurants around them and a steady flow of people, even at midnight.
“I would love to buy my beautiful wife a diamond necklace or at least a big bouquet of roses to celebrate our winnings.” Austin glanced at her with a smile. “What do you say?”
Her lips turned up in a wistful smile that tugged at Quinn’s heart. He wanted to give her the world but couldn’t even suggest it.
“No jewelry,” she said. “But maybe I’ll accept one of those.”
She pointed to a woman carrying a basket of roses, and Austin grinned and waved her over.
“But just one,” April said firmly.
Austin purchased the rose and handed it to her. A soft blush set her face aglow as she pressed her lips to Austin’s cheek in a light kiss. Jealousy washed through Quinn—not directed at Austin but because he wished he’d been the one to give her that small joy.
They reached the elevators that would take them to their floor, and soon they were inside the suite. Austin pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Quinn watched her fingers stroke through Austin’s sandy-brown hair, and his heart ached. Then he heard the sound of her zipper unfastening. Austin’s hands stroked up her sides, and he leaned back to gaze at her lovely body, then eased her strapless gown downward until it tumbled to her feet, leaving her in a stunningly sexy red-and-black lace bra and panty set.
She turned to Quinn and stepped close, then glided her hands over his chest, and around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and captured her lips. The sight of her exquisite body had caused his groin to tighten, and now with the warmth of her curves against him, his cock swelled.
Once he got her in the bedroom, he could barely control himself. He stripped off her lingerie and stood admiring her naked body. She unfastened his zipper and reached in to find his cock, but when she crouched down to take it in her mouth, he drew her back to her feet.
“No. I want to be inside you. I want to make you come.”
He shed his clothes and backed her up to the bed. Austin was there, too, naked. But all Quinn could think about was being with April. Giving her pleasure.
Their lovemaking was sweet and tender. And absolutely breathtaking. Quinn made her come. Then Austin did, too. The three of them collapsed under the covers in a tangle of limbs, and Quinn watched her in the moonlight as she fell asleep.
* * *
“Maurice?”
April stared at her ex-fiancé, her stomach coiling into knots at the sight of his handsome face, his lips turned up in that charismatic smile of his.
“I want to win you back. I want to start over. I want you to be mine.”
She stepped back. She was a challenge to him. That’s all. He wanted to own her. To control her. She shook her head, continuing to back away from him. Then she bumped into something. She turned to see Quinn standing there, his eyes glowing with love.
“Come to me, baby,” Quinn said. “I’ll take care of you.”
He opened his arms, and she surged into them. They closed around her, and she felt safe in his warm embrace. Protected.
He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll love you.”
She smiled and gazed up at him. “Yes.”
“For a month,” he continued. “Then it’s over.”
Her chest compressed. She stared at him, shaking her head.
“But I love you.” Tears streamed down her face as she stared into the depths of his midnight eyes.
He continued smiling, his eyes still glowing with warmth.
How could he look at her like that, his face filled with love, oblivious to her pain? How could he love her and yet exile her from his life?
Her heart sank as she realized it was because he didn’t really love her.
* * *
Quinn’s chest ached as he stared at April’s face awash in the moonlight. He’d fallen asleep with a smile on his face, watching her. Feeling close to her.
Then he’d awakened to her murmurs. She’d become restless, then she’d shocked him by uttering her ex’s name clearly. She’d shifted and turned in her sleep, then cried out, “But I love you.”
Fuck, could it be that she still had feelings for that jerk, despite all he’d done to her?
His stomach knotted. She had been with the man for two years. The guy might have treated her like crap, but if she had genuine feelings for him, if she actually loved him …
Quinn knew that Maurice was actively trying to get her back. If she loved him, he might be able to convince her that he would change. That he’d be faithful to her. Because sometimes love is blind.
April shifted again, then rolled toward him. Her hands glided over his naked chest, sending tremors of need through him, then she snuggled in close and sighed. He closed his arms around her, unable to resist.
But when her lips trailed across his skin in soft kisses, he stiffened.
“Is something wrong?” she murmured.
“Do you even know whose arms you’re in right now?” He rolled away from her. “Do you even care?”
Fuck, she’d just told another man that she loved him. Sure, it was in her dream, but that didn’t make Quinn feel any less rejected. In real life, she had chosen Maurice over him once, and it looked like she was going to do it all over again. She was going to break his heart all over again.
She stared at him, confusion in her eyes. “I don’t understand.”
He just shook his head and pushed himself from the bed, needing to get away from her.
20
Hesitantly, she shifted on the bed, but his hand grasped hers.
“I don’t know what started all of that,” he said, his voice raspy from sleep, “but I suggest you let him stew for a bit. He probably had a bad dream that put him in a mood. Better to see how he is in the morning.”
She lay down facing him. “I’m worried that maybe he’s jealous. He seems to like the three of us being together, but … I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t like that I like it so much.” She bit her lip. “Maybe his suggestion that you two share me was supposed to be a punishment of sorts.”
“Do you think it’s a punishment being with me?” His tone was serious, but there was a teasing glitter in his teal eyes.
“No, of course not. I’m really enjoying what we’re all sharing together. But I was nervous at first.”
He slid his arm around her waist and leaned forward to kiss her lightly. “I think the two of us sharing you is a huge turn-on for him, so I wouldn’t fret about it. If it’ll make you feel better, though, I’ll talk to him.”
“I don’t want to do anything to hurt your friendship.”
He pulled her close to his hard body and stroked her hair. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to work out fine.”
She relaxed against him, listening to his steady heartbeat. Letting it relax her. But she couldn’t help gazing back at the door, hoping Quinn would return soon.
* * *
“Hey, sleepyhead. Time to get up.”
April opened her eyes and stared bleary-eyed at Quinn’s cheerful face as he stared down at her. Sunlight filled the room, and she blinked a few times.
“It’s a beautiful day, and I think we should go for a swim,” he said.
He wore his swim trunks, leaving his sculpted chest and arms naked to her appreciative view.
