by Calista Fox
“The way you say that suggests you were just along for the ride.” Vin gave her a pointed—heated—look. “Rather than begging me to make you come once I got started.”
Rogen rolled his eyes in apparent exasperation. Or jealousy?
Jewel couldn’t tell. Her two lovers were doing an excellent job sharing her without popping each other in the face anymore. That helped to alleviate some of Jewel’s apprehension over wanting them both. The selfishness that wasn’t really in her nature, but which strongly pertained to these two men.
As much as she’d tried to separate her feelings for each of them, she honestly couldn’t. They were woven together. Every thread of desire, affection, yearning, intertwined. She’d meant what she’d said at her house the night they’d both been there. She didn’t want one more than the other. She wanted them equally. Felt so much for them that it was impossible to say who she most lusted after, felt satisfied with, and cared for.
She’d contended when she’d seen Rogen at the gala that these two men each owned half her heart, half her soul.
Was that rational? Was it fair?
No.
Absolutely not.
To any of them. But her love was deep-seated. And it was unshakable.
So Jewel had to believe that whatever it was they felt for her, be it love or just lust, they could accept that she was torn. That she really and truly could not choose between them.
Wanted and needed them both. Physically and emotionally.
Which brought her right back to her question.
Double penetration.
Why did it lure her so?
Because it seemed so forbidden?
Because it would take everything between them to a higher level—and give her even greater pleasure?
Or … because it would fully join the three of them?
Jewel wasn’t sure. In the back of her mind, she knew a onetime ménage held the connotation of something fun and daring. To continually have sex with two men at the same time became a riskier endeavor. And to have them both inside her at the same moment?
She stifled a small moan at the notion—and the inherent visual that flashed in her mind. It’d only make Rogen and Vin tenser.
And again … while the idea of having them both inside her was thrilling, the reality—the mechanics, as she’d thought of it earlier—was a bit trickier to digest.
Vin, sitting diagonal to her, stashed his new issue of Forbes magazine into the side pocket on the wall next to his window seat. He said, “As both Rogen and I have mentioned, it’s a tight fit no matter how we fuck you. So chances are very good that, together, we’d be too much for you.”
She stared at him, not quite ready to back down. Not quite ready to tuck the idea away. Mostly because it intrigued and excited her. But also because there was a fire flaring in Vin’s emerald eyes over this particular topic.
Her suggestion got him going as much as it did her.
Yet he told her, “I’m willing to try new things with you, baby, but cautiously. So that you don’t get hurt.”
“Then we’ll be cautious,” she said.
Rogen pushed out of his seat and paced the aisle. Raked a hand through his hair. As usual, her stomach fluttered at the sight of his rock-hard biceps straining the hem of his T-shirt.
Vin asked her, “Where’d this idea come from? Because this time, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Rogen.”
She tore her gaze from the hunky man pacing the aisle. “I read books,” she told Vin. “But more than that … it’s about the two of you surrounding me, filling me.” Jewel sighed. “Maybe I can’t explain it. I just feel so complete when I’ve got the two of you wrapped around me. Touching me. Kissing me.”
She threw off her seat belt and stood. Interrupted Rogen’s path and placed her hands on his obliques.
“Stop looking so agitated,” she quietly said. “It was a question to be pondered. Not something to eat away at you.” Jewel kissed him.
Rogen groaned. “Sweetheart, Vin’s right about it potentially being painful for you, physically. Neither one of us wants to hurt you.”
Her heart wrenched. Her expression softened. “I know that. And if I asked you to stop, you’d stop.” She turned toward the seats and said to Vin, “You’d stop.”
“Of course we’d stop,” he all but snapped. A bit on the alligatorish side.
“So,” she said as she returned to her chair, knowing when to let a suggestion simmer, rather than harp on it. “I’ll just leave you to your thoughts.”
She grabbed her laptop, opened the lid, and went back to work.
* * *
Vin shook his head. Snatched his magazine from the side pocket. Tried to focus on an article he’d been reading when Jewel had tossed out yet another erotic proposal.
Granted, it wasn’t as though he hadn’t already considered the possibility. How could he not be thinking two steps down the line? The truth was, they all got so caught up in their heated moments. And for Vin, it didn’t center personally on him but on pleasuring Jewel. He was sure Rogen felt similarly.
Vin could make a lot of sacrifices for her, a lot of concessions. He wasn’t the hotheaded teen who’d taken off when he’d learned she’d secretly visited Rogen at Trinity. Not that Vin was mild mannered now—not by any stretch of the imagination. But since that night of the gala, when she’d bedazzled him with her beauty and then ignited his internal fire with her impassioned slap, he’d been caught in a maelstrom of blazing desire and soul-stirring need.
And here she’d thrust him into yet another realm.
More contradictory feelings clawed at him. Vin wasn’t accustomed to letting hints of the direction someone else wanted to take guide his actions. He had his own agenda, his own will. Tended to stay the course.
For Jewel, he feared he’d hop off the road paved for him every chance he got. Not wise. And to take the unbeaten path with Rogen? Shit. That was putting a lifelong friendship on the line, wasn’t it?
Yet as Rogen appeared equally unsettled, Vin suspected he, too, deliberated over how much further they should go with this ménage. And probably felt just as anchored to it as Vin and Jewel did. Because in all honesty, the three had always been anchored to one another.
* * *
Jewel was eager to reach New York City and see Bayli, whom she’d sent a car for so that Bayli could meet the jet at a private airport.
Jewel stepped off the plane and gave Bayli a tight hug. “God, you’re more beautiful than I remember!”
Bayli laughed. “Oh, stop. You saw me in River Cross a week ago. And on video on Thursday.” She squeezed back, then said, “What the hell am I saying? I could use the compliments. Tell me more!”
Jewel laughed. “Okay, I won’t gush. But seriously. There is a very distinct glow to you that I’ve never noticed before.”
“I told you, it’s this city. I swear it has enough energy to light up the world—if only there was a way to channel it all.”
“Through you, clearly. Wow, Bay. I’m just … blown away.”
She nodded, suddenly looking a little guilty. “It’s because I felt so stifled in California. I couldn’t make anything happen for me there and I was always so tethered to my mom’s needs, God rest her soul. I hated leaving her side even to just run to the grocery store or the pharmacy for her meds. Like stepping away from her for a half hour would torment me for the rest of my life if anything happened to her on my watch. If I wasn’t there when … Well.” She glanced away. “You know.”
“Aw, Bay.” Jewel stroked her cheek. “You did everything you could. But she wasn’t well.”
“And no amount of money could save her, I know. The million times your family and the Angelinis offered to pay for her care were deeply appreciated. But when her doctors said she was just too weak for another surgery … the only thing I could do was keep her company and try to alleviate some of her pain.”
“You did just that. And now, Bay, it’s your time to shine.”
“Ha,
well.” Bayli choked on a small sob. Cleared her throat and swiped at a few tears. “Still undiscovered.”
Jewel laughed softly. “You’ve been here a week, sweetie. I’d say give it two or three more days and all your dreams will come true. You’ll probably be discovered in Central Park while selling gelato. That seems apropos for this city.”
“From your lips to God’s ears, my friend.” She hugged Jewel again. “I really am glad to see you. I just didn’t know you’d have company.” She glanced around Jewel’s shoulder and then fanned her face. “Amazingly hot company.”
“Yes. They do provide nonstop stimulation.” More than she’d ever share with Bayli. “Anyway, I brought you a little something to thank you immensely for your help with this deal-making mission I’m on.”
“Jewel, I told you from the beginning, this is something I enjoy doing. Escapism, if you will. Something that my mind can grind over so I don’t think about anything too depressing.”
“And every time I try to compensate you, you turn me down.”
“That’s not true,” Bayli contended. “I’ve never turned down dinner at an expensive restaurant in San Francisco with fancy champagne.”
“Those things are barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to expressing my gratitude. So, I want you to take this.” She handed over one of the cashier’s checks from the Bellagio. “I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Bayli’s gaze fell to the slip of paper she held. Her eyes popped and her jaw dropped.
Jewel smiled.
“Oh! Jesus Christ!” Bayli’s gaze snapped up. Locked on Jewel. “No fucking way.”
“Way. Take it.”
“Jewel! This is ten thousand dollars!”
“Yes. I have one for Scarlet, too. For all the work you both do for me that you won’t accept a salary for.”
“Because it’s not a job, Jewel. It’s a hobby. A very exciting one for me and Scarlet. And let’s face it, if we didn’t have the opportunity to do all this intriguing research for you, we’d be mindlessly marathon-streaming every series on Netflix and never leave our living rooms.”
“Be that as it may,” Jewel reiterated, “I appreciate your efforts, and CE has benefited greatly. I’m trying to pay it forward here, my friend. It’s the right thing to do. So take the money. You earned it, Bay.”
Bayli stared at the check. There was no doubt it tempted her. But she was a prideful person. So, of course, she had reservations. Which Jewel respected. She’d never had to stress over finances and parental medical expenses herself. And everything she’d done for Bayli to try to help her out had to be built around something other than a loan or a gift. Even crowdfunding donations went against Bayli’s grain. Until she’d been too destitute to refuse help from a community that embraced her.
Bayli asked, “You really have a check for Scarlet, too?”
“Yes. This isn’t any sort of charity or rescue mission. Bay, I swear I won the money playing craps. Vin and Rogen will attest to it.”
Bayli gnawed her bottom lip for a few moments. Then let out a long sigh. “I could really use this, Jewel.”
Jewel’s heart constricted. She fought tears. She knew better than to get emotional with Bayli, because it would make her friend feel weak. Which she wasn’t. In fact, Bayli Styles was one of the strongest, most compassionate women Jewel knew. Scarlet topped that list as well.
Yet, Bayli struggled with her own feelings. She pulled in a few deep breaths before lifting her head and meeting Jewel’s gaze again. “This more than covers the research I’ve done. Keep asking me to help you, Jewel. But don’t bring me checks like this again.”
“Gotcha.” They embraced once more.
Jewel continued to do everything in her power to hold her emotions inside. She understood pride. Hadn’t she been so disappointed in herself when Rogen had told her his father would renege on their deal? And had instantly been consumed with humiliation that Gian, Rose-Marie, Rogen, and Vin might all think her a fool for attempting to negotiate for the land?
She so got Bayli’s need to make things happen for herself. It was a similar sentiment that drove Jewel to realize the dream of building an inn and possibly bringing her and Rogen’s parents back together.
She spent a little time catching up with Bayli while the jet was fueled and the caterers stocked the galley. Rogen and Vin joined them, and Bayli had as much trouble dragging her gaze from the men as Jewel did.
When the plane was ready, the men boarded.
Bayli asked Jewel, “How do you keep your hands off them?”
“Who says I do?” She winked.
“Jewel!”
She dropped a quick peck on Bayli’s cheek, then said, “I’ll let you and Scarlet know when I have the scotch. Thanks again.”
Jewel crossed the narrow red carpet laid out before the steps to the Gulfstream and entered the cabin. Once they reached cruising altitude, Melinda served dinner. Then Jewel wrapped up a little more work, as Rogen and Vin did.
When exhaustion overcame her, she moved to the couch along the opposite side of the aisle and curled up with a blanket. She drifted off with all the risqué thoughts of Rogen and Vin that they’d tried to dissuade her from, but which she suspected taunted their minds as well …
SEVENTEEN
Ahh, Paris …
Jewel took a quick shower, did her hair and makeup, and changed into leggings, a mock-turtleneck sweater, and suede ankle boots—all in black—before the plane made its descent. Rogen and Vin had cleaned up as well and the trio took a limo into the city.
Jewel loved Paris. Every corner they turned was more beautiful than the last, with the gorgeous white buildings and the elegant blue rooftops. The black wrought-iron-scrolled balcony railings and the flowing sheer curtains covering terrace doors. The plazas with shooting fountains, trimmed with lush green grass and vibrant flowers, and bistros with awnings over the patios and boasting tons of outdoor seating.
There were singletons typing away on laptops, likely hoping to capture the essence of Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, or F. Scott Fitzgerald. Friends celebrating life with wine and decadent desserts. Lovers huddled close, staring deep into each other’s eyes.
Jewel admired them all. There was something magical and magnetic about Paris. Something ethereal that warmed her. Called to her romantic side.
And here she was. With Rogen. With Vin. Both of whom had displayed not only alpha tendencies that turned her on but also tender ones that touched her heart.
Yet Jewel couldn’t get caught up in all of that at the moment. Her first order of business was the scotch, and she tried to concentrate on this latest and extremely critical transaction. Not the beautiful indulgence of Paris that lay before them.
The limo passed through tall gates of a gorgeous mansion that should rightfully be included on the registry of palaces for all its opulence. But it was much too modern, despite having been loosely modeled after the famed Fontainebleau. No royalty had resided within these walls. Still, the never-ending alabaster marble, sculpted columns and enviable paintings, chandeliers, and accent pieces were breathtaking.
Jewel, Rogen, and Vin were escorted through the lavish entryway, through patio doors, and to a verdant courtyard where Arnaud Barnier greeted them. He did the double-cheek kiss ritual with Jewel and shook hands with Rogen and Vin.
“I just uncorked an award-winning Bordeaux,” Arnaud said to Jewel in French. “I understand you’re a connoisseur of reds.”
“Particularly vintage Bordeaux,” she told him with a smile.
“Then allow me to pour?”
“I’d be honored.”
Arnaud served the glasses. Meanwhile, the teams performed their duty of ensuring all was on the up-and-up with the decanter of scotch she sought.
As Jewel, Rogen, Vin, and Arnaud enjoyed the wine, Arnaud engaged Rogen in conversation about the history of the legendary scotch and the Angelini distilleries. Jewel was impressed by Rogen’s knowledgeable dissertation—and Vin’s informat
ive sidebars.
She could sense the allegiance Vin held toward the Angelinis. Jewel knew losing his parents had been horrifically painful. Just like losing Taylor had been for Rogen.
Her heart had always gone out to them both. And she’d always found something awe-inspiring about how they’d embraced the pain, suffered through it, found the strength to rise above it. Perhaps it touched her so deeply because she knew their agony had been a part of them from the time they were teens to this very day. For the rest of their lives.
When the transaction was concluded and Jewel soared from the completion of connecting her dots, the threesome slipped into the limo and enjoyed some of Paris’s finest offerings, including Notre Dame and a stroll along the Seine. They sat on a few patios and sipped champagne while people-watching, which was always fascinating in this city.
The sun set and they headed to dinner at Les Ombres, with a table at the window looking out onto the spectacularly lit Eiffel Tower.
Afterward, they returned to the hotel and Jewel changed into a silky red nightgown. She sent a text to Bayli and Scarlet to confirm all was in order and they’d be heading back to New York in the morning. Scarlet returned a lengthy note telling Jewel she’d be in town, since she was now investigating the disappearance of an entire art collection from an estate in the Hamptons.
Apparently, the heist had been percolating in the back of Scarlet’s mind for some time. She’d consulted with her grandmother, who had numerous law-enforcement contacts, and Scarlet now strongly suspected that perhaps the two stepbrothers of the tycoon who’d owned the collection might be able to shed some light on the cold case.
Jewel made a date with the girls and invited Rogen and Vin along.
Then she settled on a sofa with sparkling water and once again broached her forbidden subject.
“So, did you both agonize over what I mentioned on the plane, or is it a nonissue?”
Vin let out a hollow laugh. “I think Paris has gone to your head.”
She smiled. “Perhaps.”
Rogen sipped cognac, then set his glass on an end table next to his chair. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, and captured her gaze. “What do you want specifically, Jewel?”
