by Tara Rose
Loreen smiled. “I’m not going anywhere.”
* * * *
Adam woke Sunday morning to faint sunlight peering in through the blinds he’d never bothered closing last night. His first sensation was that everything hurt. The second was that, despite the aches and pains, he hadn’t slept so well in years. Loreen was asleep next to him, curled up on her side the way a child might sleep. His dick grew hard just watching her.
He glanced around for Travis but he wasn’t in the room. The smell of coffee wafting up from downstairs drew him, even more than the urge to wake up Loreen and make love to her again. He’d have more energy to do that with caffeine in him first.
He stumbled down the stairs after pulling on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and then rubbing his face. He needed a shave.
Travis had not only made coffee. He was buttering toast. “Hey. Hope you don’t mind. I woke up at three freaking o’clock and thought I was late for a shift.”
Adam chuckled as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “Old habits die hard, don’t they?”
“Yeah. And then I saw Loreen and I knew if I stayed in that bed with her, you’d wake up to the sound of us going at it like monkeys.”
Adam faced him, sipping his coffee. “Really?”
“Well, a guy can hope.” Travis took a bite of his toast. “So, I crashed down here on the sofa. Then I woke up two hours later, so I made coffee and toast.”
“I don’t mind. How long should we let her sleep?”
Travis frowned and put down his toast. “Dude, what are we going to do here? Seriously? I mean last night was fun and all, but where are we going with this?”
Adam took another sip, trying to remember what they’d discussed last evening when they first arrived at his condo. Travis had been fine with it. What had changed? “I don’t know. But are you suggesting we drive her home and say, ‘Thanks for the crazy sex and play. See you around’?”
“No. That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean? My brain is a bit foggy this morning. You’ll have to be specific.”
Travis ran a hand through his hair. “This can’t work long term.”
“Why not? Others do it.”
“You’re serious.”
Adam drained his cup and turned around to pour himself another one. He was finally starting to wake up, and now he wanted to be back upstairs with Loreen, not having this odd discussion with Travis.
He shouldn’t be surprised. Travis had been this way ever since Lissa was killed. He was terrified, and Adam knew that and understood it. But if anyone should be afraid to get too involved with Loreen it was him. And yet, this morning, he wasn’t afraid at all. He’d never felt this free or happy before. How could this be wrong if it produced this kind of euphoria?
Once he’d poured the second cup, he turned to face Travis again. “Yes, I’m serious. I had fun last night. Hell…that’s not even the appropriate word. It was fucking fantastic. And unless I hallucinated, so did you. We have friends who make this work. What’s the harm in trying it, as long as Loreen is okay with it?”
Travis finished his toast without saying a word, but Adam could see the conflict on his face.
“What are you really afraid of?”
“Dude, don’t get all psycho-babble on me, okay?”
Travis didn’t know he was seeing Julie, so Adam let the comment go. “You and I have hidden away since Lissa died. You know that’s true.”
Travis averted his gaze. “Yeah. I know.”
“So maybe it’s time to give someone else a chance?”
He finally made eye contact again. “And you’re really okay with this? I mean the two of us, dating her at the same time? Sleeping with her at the same time? Topping her in play together?”
“Travis did I dream last night? You were fine. What the fuck happened?”
“Nothing. I was caught up in it. I mean…hell. I don’t know what I mean.”
Adam stared at him for a few seconds until understanding finally dawned on him. He’d let Loreen in already. She’d crawled inside his skin and walked around a bit, just as she’d already done to Adam. The only difference was, Adam welcomed her with open arms, whereas Travis was still afraid to take a chance on caring about someone.
Adam took a seat next to Travis and clapped him on the back. “Dude, let’s take it one day at a time. Okay? Can you do that? If we simply thank her for last night and drive her home, she’ll think we used her. She’ll be humiliated. Do you understand how much trust she placed in both of us last night?”
“Of course I do.”
“All right then. Do you want her thinking we took advantage of her, or that last night was just fun and games for us?”
He looked like Adam has just suggested they push her into the Iroquois river with cement blocks strapped to her shoes. “What a stupid question. Of course not.”
“Then let’s go wake her up, make her a real breakfast, and spend the day with her.”
Chapter Eight
Travis hated it when Adam was right. They locked horns at work too often because they usually worked on a trauma victim side by side, and they had very different approaches to patient care. Add to that the fact that trauma surgeons were held in higher esteem than orthopedic surgeons within the invisible hierarchy of physicians. Even though Travis knew that to be true, he also knew Adam respected and liked him as both a person and a doctor, despite their differences.
But right now, he felt as though they were in competition, and always would be.
How in the hell did men like Thayer and Evan do this without killing each other? Granted, the two had been friends forever. They’d gone to school together, and had designed and built The Fit bod together. Sharing a sub and a lover was natural for them.
But it wasn’t for him and Adam. How the fuck could they ever expect this to work? He and Adam had been equals in Iraq. But here in Racy, they weren’t. At least not in the eyes of the ER staff. And since that’s where Travis first saw more than half his patients, he had to deal every day with being the outsider.
Sure, he was a surgeon, but he wasn’t an ER surgeon. He didn’t triage them on a system-wide basis and sew up huge gashes or gunshot wounds. He got them after they were stabilized and able to withstand long, grueling surgeries that usually involved placing pins and rods into their bones. And when no one else was around to do it, or they were too busy, he put on temporary casts like he’d done Friday night.
But how could he compete with Adam in bed, or even in play? He saw the way women looked at him. Adam was the dark, quiet one. The one they wanted to unthaw, and do something to bring a smile to his face.
Travis was the joker. The clown who was always good for a laugh and a quick smile. But women didn’t see him as relationship material. They saw him as footloose and fancy free. Not the kind of man they could tie down.
The fact that he’d done this to himself wasn’t lost on him. He’d built up too many walls and hidden his pain behind jokes and casual flirting. He had never let anyone in long enough to give them a chance. It wasn’t that he’d never been interested. But he’d watched the pain Adam had gone through when Lissa was killed, and he’d reacted by making sure he never let anyone in that far. If he didn’t let them in, nothing like that could ever happen to him.
But now that he was back in Racy and away from the horrors they’d faced every day, he realized how ridiculous that was. All it had done was guarantee his isolation and loneliness. But he hadn’t wanted to get to know any woman as much as he’d wanted Loreen.
Last night had been the most exciting, erotic night of his life. Loreen was everything he’d ever fantasized about. Not only her body but her mind. He loved her sense of humor, and the fact that she could hold her own in a conversation. But was that enough to make a ménage relationship work? He and Adam were both Doms. They each needed to exert a certain amount of control. How could they both do that and not drive Loreen away in the process?
He followed Adam up the s
tairs, and when they entered the bedroom, she was still sleeping. They’d worn her out last night. And if Travis felt like a train had run him over, he imagined Adam did as well. But despite that, his cock jumped to attention as soon as he saw her, still curled up on her side where he’d left her hours ago.
He was in deep, deep shit here, and he had no idea what to do about it. All he did know for certain was that this woman had been in his fantasies for a very long time, and last night she’d touched his soul in a way no other woman ever had. He had no clue how he was going do this, but he had to try. He’d spend the rest of life regretting it if he didn’t.
* * * *
Loreen was so excited to find out that Panera Bread was finally open on Lawnview Drive that she’d begged Adam and Travis to go there with her for breakfast instead of cooking it at Adam’s condo. Travis had mentioned it being open in passing, and she was grateful he had because the tension in the air after the guys woke her up was thick and angry. She had no idea what had gone on while she’d slept, but she couldn’t picture sitting in the kitchen with them as though everything was grand and wonderful. She’d needed to get out of there.
They’d taken her home so she could shower and change clothes, and each man had gone to his own condo to do the same. When they returned an hour later to pick her up in Adam’s Infiniti, both had seemed a bit more relaxed, and she hoped whatever had been bothering them was gone.
They’d have to talk about the night before eventually, but right now she wanted to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and her food for a while. The winter had been long and brutal, and she was just as happy as anyone in Racy to see warm weather and green trees. She sipped her coffee, then took another bite of her sandwich. “It was a perfect idea placing it next to the park.”
The store bordered a small park that overlooked what was left of Skeeter McCree’s farm. It was a pleasant site, if a bit less picturesque than the large park that bordered the Iroquois River next to The Fit Bod.
“Yeah, it was,” said Travis, grinning. “I love to watch cows while I eat.”
She tossed a rogue piece of spinach that had fallen out of her sandwich at him. “Better than smelling them while you eat, no?”
“I’m immune to the smell of shit. All those years working in hospitals.”
She laughed and agreed with him, then turned her gaze toward Adam who was watching Skeeter on his tractor in the distance.
“It’s hard to imagine Ellis and Maddox growing up on that farm,” he said.
Ellis was Maddox’s cousin, and both boys had lost their mothers when they were very young. Their fathers, who were Skeeter’s sons, had brought them to their grandfather’s farm to live. “That must be why they each have a strong work ethic.” Ellis was the Racy building inspector and Maddox, even though he had no actual job, contributed to Racy in many ways by serving on boards and funding major projects.
The corners of Adam’s mouth turned up, and she had a feeling she’d just walked into an ambush. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Travis and I were discussing taking you to Maddox’s club sometime this week.”
“Were you now?” She sipped her coffee and kept her attention on Skeeter and his tractor.
“Yes. We were also thinking of taking you down the street to Tye Me Up so you can buy some club wear.”
Loreen envisioned being inside the club. She had no idea what to expect, but she imagined other Racy residents would be there, and they’d be naked and playing. Was she really ready for something like that? It both excited and terrified her. Then again, they’d both been there already so it’s not like all three of them would be walking in for the first time. What would be the harm in taking a look at it with them?
She finally glanced at them. “Do you want to take me there to play, or just to see it?”
“Maddox would give us a tour if we asked,” said Travis. “Then you could decide if and when you’re ready to play there with us.”
Her heart gave a strange little lurch. This morning, before they’d driven her home, she had the uncomfortable feeling that last night had been nothing more than a one-time thing for them. She’d steeled herself for the brush off. But now, it didn’t sound like they had any plans to do that. “Have you two ever talked about anything like this before? Sharing a woman, I mean.”
Both men shook their heads. “Never,” said Adam. “Not before today, that is.”
“So what’s different now?”
They exchanged a guarded look. “Are you saying you don’t want to try this?” asked Travis.
“No, I’m not saying that at all. It’s just that I can’t imagine this is something guys sit around and discuss. And especially not you two. You never date, and you’ve barely spoken to me in all the years we’ve known each other and worked together. I’m just trying to figure out what happened to change your minds.”
One thing no one could accuse Loreen of was staying silent when something was on her mind, and she hoped she hadn’t offended them.
“That’s not very subbie of you,” said Adam.
“And you’ve just changed the subject.”
He almost grinned, and her pussy grew wet at the challenge in his eyes. “No I haven’t. I’m avoiding it. There’s a difference.”
“We have to talk about it,” said Travis.
“You don’t have to, but I sure wish you would.” Loreen glanced around, but they were currently the only ones sitting outside. “This morning after you two woke me up, I sensed a lot of tension.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Look. I don’t know where this is going. All I do know is that last night was the most amazing night of my life. I’ve never done anything like that before, and I never thought I would. But now that I have, I can’t imagine just pretending it didn’t happen. And I sure hope neither of you wants to do that.”
She drained her coffee. “So if you want to try this, let me know. If you don’t, please tell me that as well. I’m a grown woman. I can handle the truth either way. I want to learn about this lifestyle, and I want to do it with both of you. I want us to repeat what we did last night, and more. I’m tired of watching people live their lives while I sit on the sidelines and cheer them on. I don’t want that anymore, but I’m also not going to throw myself at men who don’t want to be with me.”
Her breath caught in her throat at the intense looks on their faces, but she kept going. If she didn’t get this out now, she never would. “I want to experience everything you two are willing to teach me. I’m lonely. Okay? I’m so lonely. And I don’t want to be any longer. So please tell me what’s in your heads right now.”
Loreen watched them both, waiting. Finally, Adam smiled and then so did Travis. She resisted the urge to pump her fist in the air. She hadn’t blown it. This was really going to happen!
“You’re right,” said Adam. “We’ve worked with you a long time. But we weren’t ignoring you. Honestly.” He cut his gaze quickly toward Travis before continuing. “You know I had a fiancée who was killed in Iraq three years ago. And we both know about Pete’s death. Lissa’s death affected Travis deeply as well. We’ve both buried ourselves in work. It was rough over there. We saw a lot of horrible things.”
“I really can’t imagine it.”
“It wasn’t pretty. The work was very fulfilling, but it’s nice to be back in boring Racy.”
Loreen smiled. “Boring for you two, but things do happen here.”
“You’re right,” said Travis. “Comparatively, though, this place is very low key.” He put down his coffee cup and reached across the table to take her hands. His touch sent jolts of desire coursing through her body, and memories of last night racing through her mind. “But this isn’t answering your questions, is it? I don’t know why we waited so long to do more than make small talk with you. Fear, I guess. Fear of rejection, fear of getting hurt in other ways, and just stupidity, I suppose. But we do want to try this.”
She studied his face, but saw only sincerity. “And the tension I sensed this m
orning? What was that all about?”
“We had words, but it’s all good now. We’ve worked it out.”
“Okay. But promise me something. Both of you. If you feel differently, you’ll tell me right away. I want everything out in the open or I can’t do this. The trust I showed you both last night isn’t even close to anything I’ve done before. I can’t go down this road without knowing that if you’re tired of it, or of me, you’ll say so.”
Travis grinned, and her traitorous pussy grew wet. “Tired of you? Seriously, beautiful? You think we’d grow tired of you?”
Her pulse raced. “It happens.”
Adam shook his head as he brushed a finger up her arm. “Not a fucking chance. But yes, we promise, just the same.”
She squeezed Travis’s hands, feeling happier than she had in years. “Thank you. So, okay. What do I do? How is a sub supposed to act? What do I call you two in public? Should I dress a certain way? Are there things I’m not supposed to say? God…I don’t know anything about this at all.”
Adam laughed. “Relax, okay? There are no protocols unless we establish them and you agree to them. Let’s just enjoy this day and we’ll take things slowly starting right now.” He glanced at her half-eaten sandwich. “Are you going to finish that?”
She nodded. Travis let go of her hands, and she stuffed the rest of her breakfast into her mouth. The men finished their coffee, and then Travis suggested they take a walk up the street to see the progression on the new shops that now lined this road. All but a few of them were completed. “And at the end of the street, when we come to Tye Me Up, we’re taking you on a shopping spree.”
She stood. “You’re offering to take me shopping? Seriously?” They stood as well, and after Adam threw their trash away, she curled one hand around each of their arms. “How can any girl resist an invitation like that?”
Chapter Nine
