A Little Harmless Scandal

by Melissa Schroeder

  “I will.”

  She walked up the path knowing it was a little rude to leave like that, but Serenity couldn’t help it. She didn’t mind people knowing she was a former child star, but she liked to keep it on the down low. She didn’t need to deal with the press in her new life. It was always better to introduce her background to people slowly.

  After she got back to her house, Serenity decided to worry about neighbors later. A girl had to eat, and to eat, she had to sell images.

  Chapter Two

  Mick McGrath set down his last box just inside the door and sighed. Jillian held out a water bottle.

  “Drink.”

  “Thanks.” He opened the bottle and took a long drink.

  “I think we're getting too old for this shit,” he said.

  “Make a hole,” Adam said. Mick moved aside as he and Conner brought their last boxes in.

  “Yeah, I know I'm too old for this,” Conner said.

  “Too old?” Jillian, Conner's wife asked as she walked in from the kitchen. She was six months pregnant and was in the waddle stage. Granted, they never let her know that was what they called it. “All I see standing in front of me are three fine male specimens.”

  “Well, this male specimen is tired and feeling his age,” Conner said. The former FBI agent still wore his hair regulation short and didn’t look a year over thirty.

  She shook her head, her braids sliding over her bare shoulders.

  “Please.” She looked at the two of them. “And you two have food to eat anyway.”

  “Oh, you cooked?” Adam asked.

  She laughed. “Yeah, no. It's hot today. I ran out and got you some Giovanni's shrimp, four servings because I know you two. Plus, your neighbor brought some food by.”

  Mick frowned. “I thought we'd never see her.”

  “Why's that?” Conner said as he opened a water bottle.

  Mick shrugged. “Real estate agent said she's kind of quiet. Likes her privacy.”

  “Well, either way, she brought you some banana mac nut bread. And no, I didn't eat any. The thought of eating something sweet makes my stomach turn these days.”

  “What’s she like?” Adam asked.

  “She's rather tall, well over six feet.”

  “I like tall women,” Mick said with a smile.

  “I know you do. You hardly notice the hairy mole on her chin.”

  “Wait, what?”

  She started laughing.

  “She's rather petite, blond, and much too nice for the likes of you two.”

  “You are a sick woman playing with my emotions that way.”

  “I never claimed I wasn’t. Now, Mr. Dillon, will you please take me home? I'm exhausted.”

  “Definitely.”

  “I know that both of you will want to get everything in order. But remember, you’re not young hot studs anymore.”

  “So, what are we? Old hot studs?”

  She shook her head. “Stop. Just don’t overdo it. Both of you had that stomach bug last week.” She rose up on her toes and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek.

  “Behave and remember, dinner out tomorrow night. That way you don't have to worry about cooking tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good,” Mick said.

  “And if you don't come, I'll cry.”

  Adam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure.”

  “No. Please don't tempt her. Keep in mind, this is pregnant Jillian,” Conner said.

  “Oh, right,” Mick said. Pregnancy did weird things to Jillian and her emotions. A woman who hardly ever cried and had an orderly mind, cried at the smallest things and couldn’t remember what she was doing from one minute to the next. They followed them out to the lanai and waved as they drove off.

  “She’s going to text us three or four times tonight with things she already told us,” Adam said.

  Mick chuckled. “And which of us is going to tell her she already told us?”

  “Not me. I’m not stupid.”

  They walked back into the house. There were boxes everywhere, packing paper littering the floor, and Mick knew they would have a massive pain in the ass to get it in order. But a sense of relief and pride filled him. He took another swig of water.

  “Hard to believe it's ours.”

  Adam chuckled. “Not really. We worked our asses off to buy it.”

  It had been three years they had been saving for the house. They wanted something like this that gave them privacy but near the beach. It was hard to find that on Oahu today, without spending several million dollars.

  Mick turned to step in front of him. “And it's all ours,” he said cupping Adam's face in his hands. He leaned in, pressed his mouth against Adam's. And just like the first time they kissed, the rush of excitement flowed through him, along with the familiarity of old lovers. They were both sweaty, tired, and he could feel Adam's cock pressed against his. Fuck.

  “Time to christen the house, I think.” Even he heard the arousal in his voice, the deepening of his tone.

  Adam smiled. It was that same fucking smile that had drawn Mick in from the start. He’d always had a crush on his friend, but after years of keeping his distance, he had taken a chance. He thanked God every day since.

  Adam kissed him, pressing his mouth against Mick’s. He traced the seam of Mick’s lips with is tongue, and he didn’t hesitate. Mick opened his mouth and Adam stole inside. Before Mick was satisfied, Adam was moving away, kissing a path down his neck.

  “Hmm, hot, sweaty man,” he growled against Mick’s flesh. He nipped at the pulse point then drew the flat of his tongue across it. Mick shivered. Adam chuckled, his breath fanning out over Mick’s sensitive skin.

  Need surged. Mick didn’t even care that Adam was in control, or that he felt the need to take charge tonight. He wanted to be taken, to lose himself in everything Adam could make him feel.

  Adam slipped his fingers under the hem of Mick’s shirt. Slowly, he pulled the fabric up, letting his fingers skim over Mick’s abs.

  He groaned.

  “What’s the matter, babe?” Adam asked as he tugged the shirt over Mick’s head, tossing it behind him. He immediately attacked Mick’s neck again. Of course he did. He knew what got Mick hot, and his neck was definitely one place.

  Damn.

  “I gotta have you now,” Mick growled.

  “The bed isn't put together,” Adam said, humor lacing his voice.

  “We don't need a bed.”

  “Of course not.” Adam took a step back, then dropped to his knees in front of Mick.

  Adam unzipped Mick’s shorts. He didn’t hesitate. Adam wrapped his hand around Mick’s cock. Mick jerked as Adam tightened his fingers slightly, then started to stroke him. Mick closed his eyes, and leaned against the counter.

  “Fuck, yeah,” he said, moving in rhythm with Adam’s hand.

  “Watch me,” Adam demanded.

  It took all of Mick’s control to open his eyes and look down his body. Adam waited until he made eye contact, then, he took Mick’s cock into his mouth. He kept his gaze locked with Mick’s as he swirled his tongue over the head of his dick, then closed his eyes and hummed as he took it into his mouth again. The vibrations filtered through his whole body. He was close, so fucking close. He knew that with one, maybe two more thrusts, he would come. Adam knew him too well. He pulled away and Mick growled.

  He laughed and rose, slipping his hands up Mick’s body as he did. Adam cupped his face then gave him a long, wet kiss. Even so, it was over before Mick was ready.

  Adam stepped back, tugged out of his shirt and shorts as Mick stepped out of his shorts. Mick eyed Adam’s cock, the head of it wet with precum, but Adam didn’t give him the chance to do or say anything. He spun Mick around, bending him over the counter. Mick could tell he was no longer in complete control. His movements held a sense of urgency that fueled Mick’s own arousal. Knowing he could get to Adam this way was one of the most erotic things in life.

  Adam thrust into him hard and they bo
th groaned in appreciation.

  “Yes,” Adam muttered as he began to move in and out of Mick’s ass. He leaned down and kissed his neck as he continued to thrust. Their groans mingled with the sound of their flesh slapping. Adam slipped his hand down to Mick’s cock and started to stroke him. His fingers teased him, pushing him closer to his orgasm. He was so close, so ready to come, but he wanted to wait. He wanted to do it with Mick.

  It didn’t take his lover long to catch up.

  “Come with me, babe,” Adam said. Raw need filled his voice as he begged him to come. He could no longer hold back. Adam thrust into him one last time.

  Together they groaned, Mick shuttered as his release took over his body, his mind. They collapsed together against the counter, their heavy breathing the only sound.

  “That was one hell of a christening,” Adam said with a chuckle as his kissed Mick’s neck.

  “It was, but you’re killing me here. Move.”

  “You expect me to move after that?” Adam asked, but he did as Mick asked. When he turned around, Mick took Adam’s face into his hands, just as Mick had done to him earlier.

  “I love you,” he said. Then he kissed him, keeping his gaze locked with Adam’s. This wasn’t erotic, but more sweet. He wanted Adam to always know that he was his, that nothing would ever come between them. Even after all their years together, he knew that Adam worried.

  He pulled back and rested his forehead against Adam’s.

  “I love you, too,” Adam said.

  “How about I find a bottle of that Pino Gris and we heat up that shrimp for dinner?”

  Adam smiled. “I’ll find the wine, you do the shrimp.”

  “Maybe we should put some clothes on.”

  Adam glanced around and Mick laughed when he saw his expression. He wasn’t a prude, but he knew Adam would get irritated that the window had been left wide open.

  “Don’t worry. No one’s around.”

  “But our neighbor,” Adam muttered as he stepped into his shorts and pulled them up.

  He grabbed Adam’s hand. “Hey, no one saw. We just need to get some blinds just in case from now on.”

  He smiled. “Yeah.”

  Mick squeezed his hand, then released it. “Now that we’ve christened the house with sex, it’s time for our first meal.”

  * * *

  Serenity put her camera down with shaking hands. Damn. She hadn't intended on being a peeping Tom. She had seen the rainbow and it was particularly bright. She'd finished snapping a shot and was swinging around to her own front yard when she saw them.

  Damn. Well, hell, she had already thought that. She needed another word, but her mind was just a bit blank. The raw sexuality she had just watched left her without the ability to think. Her pulse thundered in her throat as she tried to get her breathing under control. Hell, her nipples were hard and she was damned sure her panties were wet.

  Growing up in Hollywood, she had seen a lot of things. So much so, she rarely was shocked or aroused by public displays of affection or nudity. Or really, anything. Of course, that was different from what she had just witnessed. This was love.

  She had witnessed the kiss. Affection and lust, need, desire...it was all there. It had intrigued her, made her heart do that little skip it always did. It was possibly one of the sexiest kisses she had ever seen. She knew she should have looked away, but then, when the situation had turned carnal, she couldn’t seem to turn away.

  Of course, she was turned on by two guys having sex. Figures. Hollywood had warped her. She was a voyeuristic freak. It didn't trouble her that it had been two men. Even through her lens, she could see just how sexy they were, and if she had met them before this incident, she would have found them sexy. Two men who looked like them having sex would turn on anyone with a brain. No, what bothered her was that she was more aroused watching them than she had been the last time she had sex.

  She could almost hear them shout as they came. She closed her eyes and counted backwards from ten. Then she did it again. It took her two more times to get her libido under control.

  After draining her glass of water, she headed off to the bathroom. An ice-cold shower was definitely in order.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning, Serenity was on her second cup of coffee and steaming through work by eight. Like most mornings, she was up with the sun, but she was a little tired. The visions of her neighbors kept coming to her in dreams. And worse, she could probably pass them on the street and never know it was them. She hadn’t even tried to look at their faces yesterday. That was how much of a perv she was. She could have, if she’d tried, but she hadn’t. Her mother was right, she was probably going to hell.

  The morning breeze brought the sound of male voices through her window. At first it was just the rumble of masculine voices, but the closer they got, she picked up on the conversation.

  “I say it's kind of like being a stalker,” a man said.

  “I say it isn't because we haven't met her. Besides, it's nice to thank someone for food, especially if you want any more of that bread ever again.”

  “Good point. Definitely want more of that delicious bread.”

  “Even if she had a hairy mole on her chin.”

  What the hell did that mean?

  A few seconds later, someone knocked on her door. With reluctance, she walked to the door. Normally, it was just dealing with people when she wanted to work. Today, it was something different. She had watched them have sex and now she would have to pretend all was normal. They didn't know what she had seen but she would know. She had never been that good of an actress.

  When she approached the door, she felt her body get hot again. She could just imagine the sounds they made during sex. And why was she thinking about that right now? She should be imagining snow. And icebergs.

  She drew in a deep breath and then released it slowly before she opened the door.

  All thoughts of the coming ice age dissolved at the sight of all the male beauty in front of her.

  One had dark blond hair and possessed the most amazing blue eyes. He was wearing a faded t-shirt that seemed to be a size too small. Good god he had muscles. But then, so did the other one. He was just a little taller, had brown hair and the most incredible green eyes. Both were tanned, and smiling.

  She almost melted into a big puddle right there at their feet.

  “Hey,” the brown haired one said. “We're your neighbors that just moved in.”

  Oh, no. His smiled widened and it made him adorable.

  “You're my only neighbors,” she said with a chuckle. And because she knew she was being rude, she opened the screen door and stepped out.

  His smile transformed into a grin. Oh damn. “My name is Mick and this is Adam.”

  She smiled. “My name is Serenity, but I'm sure Jillian told you.”

  “No, she didn't. Her brain is kind of mushy,” Mick said.

  “She did mention that.”

  “We just wanted to thank you for the bread,” Adam said. “It really hit the spot.”

  “You ate it all already?”

  “We had the coffeemaker unpacked but not much else. We had it for breakfast,” Mick said.

  “And you want some more? I mean, that is what you said.”

  She glanced at Adam whose mouth twitched. He leaned closer to Mick. “You have a big mouth.”

  “I also don't think of it as stalking.”

  There was a moment of silence, then they both started laughing.

  “Damn, maybe Jillian was right. We are loud,” Mick said.

  “And, I do have an extra loaf if you want it.”

  “Yes,” they both said at the same time. God, they were so cute.

  “Let me get it for you.”

  She stepped into her house and rushed over to the freestanding kitchen island, grabbed the loaf and then returned to the guys. They hadn't moved an inch.

  “We will take this on one condition,” Mick said.

  “And that
would be?”

  “Come to dinner with us tonight.”

  She blinked, trying to discern his tone. It was almost like he had asked her out for a date with the two of them.

  “Good God, Mick. You sound like a creeper,” Adam said, shaking his head. “What he means is that we are going out to eat with Jillian and her husband Conner tonight. We would love to have you join us.”

  “Oh. Hmm.”

  Adam bumped Mick’s shoulder with his own. “See, you scared her off.”

  “I did not. What an idiotic thing to say.”

  “You two do know I am standing here, right?”

  They turned to face her.

  “Sorry,” Mick said.

  She waved it away. “First, I hesitated because I needed to think about my schedule. But I do believe I am free tonight.”

  “Great.”

  “What time?”

  “What?” Mick said.

  Adam rolled his eyes. “Seven tonight at Haleiwa Beach House. We’d offer a ride, but we have to run some errands beforehand.”

  “No worries. I’ve been wanting to try that place since they opened.”

  “Good,” Mick said.

  “Great,” Adam said.

  Then they stood there staring at her. She had to fight the urge to laugh.

  “Did you need anything else?”

  They both had the most adorable blushes.

  “No. We’ll see you tonight,” Adam said, as he hit Mick. It took him another couple of seconds to respond. He dipped his head.

  “Thanks again for the bread.”

  They turned and walked back to their house. She watched them, realizing that she’d actually made it through the conversation without telling them she had seen them naked. And — having hot sex. Really, really hot sex.

  She rolled her eyes and went back into her house. Work would keep her busy and get her mind off her neighbors. She would have to deal with it at dinner tonight though, but she had time to mentally prepare herself not to be a perv. Maybe.

  * * *

  * * *

  “So, you both went over to her house and asked her out?” Jillian said, the laughter easy to hear in her voice.