“Sweet and innocent?” Josh’s question vibrated against her shoulder. He drew his fingers up the inside of her thigh, to tease along her slit.
She gasped. “One-hundred percent innocent.”
Dylan flicked his thumb over the switch on the shower head, changing it to a massage setting. “And naive?”
“Let’s not get carried away...” Her reply faded into a moan when Dylan lowered the nozzle and the water pounded her skin.
He parted her lower lips and moved the shower head forward. The stream hammered against her clit, stealing her breath.
Dylan claimed her mouth, holding the nozzle in place while he drank her whimpers.
Josh slipped two fingers inside her, and she arched her back, not sure which way to lean to feel everything.
Waves of pleasure rocked her body. Her thoughts swam on the crest as the men coaxed her closer to the edge of orgasm. Josh pumped, and Dylan didn’t let up.
She came hard, screaming into the kiss and grinding against Josh’s hand until it was too much. Her body shuddered away from the shower head, but she didn’t want to let go of Dylan. Being pressed between the men was the one thing making it possible for her wobbly legs to hold her upright.
“Fuck, I missed making you come.” Josh’s whisper caressed her ear, so soft it was more of a suggestion than a sound. Did Dylan hear that? The words fluttered in her belly and clenched like a fist around her heart at the same time.
She shook aside the nagging regret. She wasn’t going to second-guess her past because of a great orgasm.
Dylan replaced the shower head in its dock, then licked a path down her chest, to tease a nipple with his tongue. “All clean. I can nibble on whatever I want.” He scraped his teeth over the sensitive nub.
She groaned and pushed into his mouth. “Okay.” Her grasp of complex words had evaporated.
“Here’s the thing...” Josh bit her shoulder, and she groaned. “This is a lot of fun, but I’m not sure the mechanics of actual sex are going to work in here.”
He was right. There was plenty of room for three people, and a delicious hum still rolled over her skin from her climax, but she didn’t know how anything complex could take place in this space. “What did you have in mind?”
“We dry off enough to not drip on the carpet, and move this into the bedroom,” Josh said.
“I guess.” Sydney let out an exaggerated huff.
Dylan shut off the water, then grasped her fingers and helped her step from the shower.
Being patted dry with a big fluffy towel was fun, but she was looking for a different kind of closure. One that involved feeling Dylan’s thick cock stretching her out again.
He looked over her shoulder. “Condoms?”
“Don’t have any,” Josh said.
A twinge of something negative pinged inside Sydney, because she wasn’t surprised he wasn’t carrying protection. Josh was always Josh’s priority. She ignored it.
“I do. In my wallet.” Dylan kissed her fingertips. They made their way to the bedroom, with a quick detour for protection.
He stopped with his back to the bed, facing her. She couldn’t help but notice he kept positioning her so she was looking at him, not Josh.
Not that Sydney minded. This was an easier way to keep things from getting more complicated.
So I’m just using Josh for the sex?
That was what they’d agreed on.
“What do you want?” Dylan asked. “Your fantasy. You drive.”
Sydney liked the sound of that. “Does that mean I get to owe you a fantasy in return?”
“I have a feeling there will be a lot of give on that front. For both of us.” He smirked.
She liked that even more. “I want you inside me. Both of you.” She and Josh’d had anal sex several times, so she knew what to expect.
He seemed to remember too, since he didn’t hesitate to grab the lube from the top drawer of her dresser.
Dylan settled on the bed and rolled on a condom. He crooked his finger and gestured for her to come closer. “I like the idea of watching you ride me. You make the most gorgeous faces when you get caught up in the moment.”
A fresh wave of heat spread through her. She climbed up his legs and hovered over his length.
Dylan tsked and gripped her hip with one hand. “A guy can only take so much teasing.” He fisted his shaft and thrust his hips up, plunging inside her.
His groan mingled with hers, as he filled her up and spread her open. So much better than fingers.
She rocked against him, letting him set a slow but steady pace.
Josh glided his fingers, slick with lube, along her ass. He teased her second hole. This was good. This was better than good, and it was just a hint.
Dylan paused, and Josh nudged her with the head of his cock.
Her breath hitched with anticipation.
Josh kissed the edge of her ear. “You okay?”
She nodded. A little sensory-overloaded maybe, but okay.
He eased in, pausing with every inch, to let her adjust and relax. The penetration seemed to take forever, and then he was inside her, chest pressed to her back.
It was different and incredible, being stretched out this way. With both men thrusting. Building up to a decent rhythm again.
The friction, the contact, being sandwiched between them—it short-circuited her thoughts. Dylan glided his hands up her stomach, to caress her breasts, drawing her further into the lovely clouds flitting around her thoughts.
Josh reached around to find her clit. Her body jerked away instinctively, but she leaned back in. His stroke was gentle and coaxing.
The sum of every touch and groan built in her veins, scorching her with a surging climax.
Josh still knew exactly which spot to hit, both inside and out, and Dylan read her cues without pause. She fell into orgasm, tumbling through the pleasure overload.
The familiar grunts, punctuated with long pauses, told her Josh was close. The way Dylan’s face scrunched up said he was too. Thrusting became frantic pounding as they came.
As the frenzied pace slowed, then stopped, she slipped back from the edge. But part of her lingered in the haze. She rested her head on Dylan’s chest and listened to the heavy thrum of his heartbeat as they caught their breath.
Josh slipped out of her, and a moment later, he collapsed next to them on the bed.
She rolled off Dylan but was reluctant to let go of him. He stripped off his condom and settled back next to her, arm around her waist.
“Everything you dreamed of?” He nuzzled her neck.
“The reality was much better.”
She wanted to lie there all night, wrapped up between them, enjoying the afterglow.
Doubt weaseled back in. A question she’d been trying to ignore all night. The one that mocked her for months after she broke up with Josh. Did she overreact back then?
She was just starting things up with Dylan, and there was no way she’d jeopardize a chance with a guy this great.
Why do I have to choose?
Because that was the way the world worked.
“We should go.” Josh’s voice was quiet but hard, leaving no room for argument.
Dylan rested his forehead against Sydney’s shoulder. “He’s probably right. We have to work in the morning, and you have a meeting.”
Ugh. That.
“Don’t forget.” Josh met her gaze. “Tomorrow you two don’t know each other.”
Ice flowed through her veins, and she clenched her jaw. There it was. That distinctly clear reminder of who Josh actually was.
“Don’t listen to him,” Dylan said. “I’ll set him straight at home.”
The reassurance didn’t settle the churning in her gut.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Josh was grateful to be making the drive home alone. It meant he could crank the radio and sing along, rather than listening to his own thoughts.
The last thing he wanted to do was dwell on what a first-cl
ass ass he was as they left Sydney’s place.
Second-to-last was to remember the past.
Apparently the music wasn’t drowning out anything.
Why did he say anything about work? What the fuck was wrong with him?
He didn’t want admit the reality. Being with Sydney reminded him how much he enjoyed her company. He missed the sex, sure; she was fun, sexy, and delicious in bed. But he missed her more.
Sydney and Dylan clicked. It was easy to see that. They almost radiated sparks. Josh wasn’t doing a great job of ignoring the part of him that seethed with jealousy at seeing them together.
Josh wasn’t going to act on it, though. Tonight was fun. A one-off. He’d keep his distance. That was the one upside to his comment as he was leaving—it served to push him further away.
When he got home, he’d tell Dylan he didn’t mean it and ask him to pass Josh’s apologies along to Sydney. Not doing it himself would ring with insincerity. And Josh would suck it up and move on.
A fist clenched around his heart at the idea, and his mind decided now was a great time to traipse into his past.
The guy working the register at the comic shop shook his head. “You can’t do that. In the two-point-five ruleset—”
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” The woman talking to him was curvy, cute, and irritated. “Go ahead. Ask me who said it.”
Josh paused a few feet back, to watch the conversation unfold.
Comic-store Guy pushed his glasses up on his nose. “No one said it. It’s an unverified quote frequently attributed to Gary Gygax, with no verifiable source.”
“Convenient, since that proves your point. How many unverified quotes do you spit out on a daily basis?” The woman crossed her arms, accentuating her breasts. The instant Comic-store Guy’s gaze dropped, she shoved her hands in her pockets instead. “The point is, if you’re not making the game your own, what’s the point in playing?”
“You have to play the way the original creators intended.”
Josh understood why the woman was annoyed. He stepped forward, to tell the hack to shut the fuck up.
“The original creators”—snideness dripped from the woman’s voice—“intended people be creative with the game. If I want to say that werewolves can be killed by—”
“Everyone knows werewolves can only be killed with silver bullets.” Comic-store Guy talked over her. He looked at Josh. “Am I right?”
Josh shook his head. “No. You’re so very wrong. Shut up.”
“Excuse me?” Comic-store Guy’s retort came out weakly.
Half a smile flickered on the woman’s face, like she was trying to hide her amusement.
Josh winked at her and turned to the guy. “I said, shut the fuck up. I’d like to hear what the lady has to say.”
“Because you like her tits?” Comic-store Guy asked.
Josh’s hand shot out lightning fast—his aikido training helped with the reflex—and he grabbed Comic-store Guy’s shirt collar. He tugged him forward, half-bent over the glass display cabinet. “Because she makes more sense than you. Because she’s obviously smarter.” Josh let him go and wiped his hand on his jeans. “And because she doesn’t have Cheeto dust or Doritos, or whatever the hell that is—dripped down the front of her shirt. I’d say apologize, but you wouldn’t mean it.”
“Fuckin’ beta boy fag.’
Josh took a single step forward, and Comic-store Guy took several back.
Josh tossed his comics on the counter. “On second thought, I’ll get these on Amazon.” He strolled from the store, fury seething white hot under his skin.
When he stepped outside, he realized the woman was next to him.
“Thanks,” she said. “Even if you didn’t mean it, thank you.”
“I absolutely meant it. Josh.” He extended his hand.
Her grip was firm, and her skin soft and tantalizing. “Sydney.”
“I’d love to hear about alternate rule sets. Can I buy you coffee?”
She ducked her head.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “No is fine.”
Sydney twisted a strand of hair around her ear. “I’m just trying to figure out if coffee is a euphemism.” Her clipped tone implied she’d rather it wasn’t. At least right now.
“It’s not.” Josh was sincere. “I really do want to hear more. If you want to give me your number when we go our separate ways, that’s up to you.”
The ache in his chest snapped him back to the present. He’d thought he was over Sydney, but spending the day with her brought it all rushing back.
It didn’t matter. Those were whispers of the past. He’d move on, like last time.
When Josh got home, Dylan’s car was already in its spot.
In the apartment, Dylan’s bedroom door was shut. There was a note scrawled on the whiteboard on the fridge:
You know how I feel. Conversation over.
That settled that. Dylan would do things his way, even if it meant fucking up his career.
And Josh would keep repeating that the matter was closed, until he believed it.
DYLAN SLEPT THROUGH his alarm and was rushed to get to work. It turned out working a convention all weekend, instead of just enjoying it at his own pace, was exhausting.
He was pretty happy with the way everything ended, too. Minus that one dark spot he called his roommate.
Josh was already on his way out when Dylan stumbled into the kitchen for coffee. Josh’s, “Tried to wake you up. Glad you figured out consciousness. Tell Sydney I’m sorry,” was halfhearted at best.
Dylan brushed it aside and finished getting ready.
An hour later, he sat across from Ms. Hunter, explaining that he wouldn’t have pursued the creator if he realized her association with this account, but he had, and now he needed to recuse himself.
When he finished, she stared back impassively. One day, he was going to learn how she did that. It made her intimidating in a court room... and in an apartment at eight on a Saturday morning, when she was asking Josh in an eerily calm voice why there were takeout bags and beer cans everywhere.
In their defense, it had been finals week, and nothing was getting done except eating, studying, and test taking.
“I appreciate your honesty and professionalism.” Her tone was kind but cool. “It’s going to serve you well. For today, go ahead and sit in the meeting. You’re in there to listen, not advise. After today, you can still be involved behind the scenes, but you won’t meet with Sydney again. I trust you to not discuss the contract with her outside of work.”
That was kind of permissive. Not that Dylan wanted to argue the best of both worlds scenario, but he had to cover his bases and his ass. “If there’s something in the contract that’s a threat to Sydney, I won’t be able to not tell her.”
“I wouldn’t expect otherwise, regardless of the client. Have you seen anything that makes you hesitate? If so, I’d also like to know.”
He hadn’t. There was no language that stole her intellectual property or would take the game from her in any way. The biggest liberty they were taking was the right to edit the game manual, according to their grammar standards. “Her game is worth more.”
“Noted, and not our decision. The client offers what they feel is appropriate. It’s not your place to push her to ask for more, though I’d understand if you reminded her negotiation is expected when it comes to price.”
Okay, well that went far better than his best case scenario. A thought tickled the back of his mind, and he struggled to grasp it. It flitted away. “All right.”
“Wonderful. The meeting is in a few minutes. Is there anything else?”
“No. Thank you.” He stood.
He was halfway to her office door, when the thought rushed back in. He looked at her again.
“Is there something else?” Ms. Hunter asked.
“You knew who I was talking about. Sydney’s name is hidden from all the documen
ts, and I didn’t tell you she was who I’m seeing.”
“I’ve done my research.”
Which he expected and should have thought of earlier. “She’s the reason you pulled Josh from the case. Why is it a conflict of interest for him and not me?”
Laurie Hunter gave him a thin-lipped smile that implied he’d crossed that line between employee and son’s best friend, and he needed to step back. “You’re reading too much into the situation. Best of luck today.”
“Thanks.” He’d push for more later, when he wasn’t pressed for time.
It was a tiny observation, but it wouldn’t leave Dylan alone. Did Ms. Hunter go out of her way to keep Sydney and Josh apart? Why was that necessary? Even if Dylan weren’t dating Sydney, it seemed likely her name would come up in conversation at home.
Maybe Dylan was reading too much into it.
He grabbed his notebook and paperwork from his office, and joined Aaron Jorgenson and two client representatives in a conference room.
The other three looked up when Dylan entered, and then the editor turned to Aaron. “That's fine. If it’s what you describe, I don’t see an issue with it.”
“Your appointment is here,” the receptionist’s voice came from behind Dylan, catching him off guard.
He’d have to ask Aaron for details after the meeting.
Aaron stood. “I’ll go greet her, make introductions, and we can get started.”
Dylan took a seat, a jumble of thoughts racing in his head. Something about this situation was off. He wasn’t used to this type of doubt.
Aaron returned a moment later, with Sydney by his side. She was dressed in a simple black pantsuit that was professional and revealed another stunning side of her.
When she saw him, her eyes grew wide, but a tiny smile quickly replaced her surprise. Her shoulders seemed to relax a little.
Aaron introduced her to everyone, finishing with, “And I believe you already know Dylan.”
News traveled fast.
Sydney nodded. “It’s nice to meet you all.”
Aaron gestured to a chair, waited for Sydney to sit, and took his own seat. “Will your attorney be joining us?”
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