Ways in the Guardian: A Menage Romance Book Collection

by Barbara Downey

  I stretched my arms out and went looking for the boys in the apartment, only to find Chris’s bedroom door shut. Since he only ever shut it when it was in use, I inched the door open and peeked inside to see Chris lying on top of James, both without their shirts on and with their hands all over the other.

  “What, you’re starting without me?” I smirked.

  *****

  Nearly two months had passed after Chris told the office we were together and surprisingly, no one was treating us any differently. In our defense, we didn’t act much differently than before, other than occasionally sneaking off to that supply closet we talked about.

  James and I had grown a lot closer in that time, too, and we sometimes found ourselves at the other’s place without Chris. Chris didn’t seem to mind when I’d tell him about it the next day at work, though. He and James undoubtedly spent time together without me, too.

  Everything was going fine until we went out to Laser again. We had gone a couple times since our first visit together but this particular trip sent things up in flames.

  I slipped into a little red dress James bought me the week before and wore some white pumps to match my favorite bra and panty set for the end of the night. The three of us headed out together, briefly breaking away from each other for a little game the two guys wanted to play. We were supposed to act like we didn’t know each other and interrupt flirting with a stranger whenever one of us grew jealous.

  I had been sitting at the bar cradling my drink for no more than five minutes when a tall stranger took the seat next to mine.

  “Hey,” he said casually. “Can I get you another drink?”

  My eyes flicked across the bar to see James and Chris sitting beside each other, Chris having a conversation with another girl and James staring at me with a knowing smirk. He’d be losing this game and he was loving it.

  “Sure,” I responded to the stranger. “Absolut and Sprite.”

  The stranger and I talked for about five minutes before he set his hand on my thigh. I looked down at his hand and chanced a glance across the bar to find Chris and James both watching the interaction. Before I knew it, James was standing beside me offering me a Jack and Coke, the drink I had the night I first talked to him.

  “She’s a little preoccupied, buddy,” the stranger snapped, leaning back in his seat as James just moved closer.

  “Believe me, I’m far more entertaining,” he smirked, setting the drink in my hands.

  His eyes moved to Chris still sitting across from us before he snaked one hand behind my neck and pulled me in to kiss him. Our stranger must have figured out we weren’t strangers and stormed off in a huff when James’s tongue caressed my own.

  I pulled back to see Chris standing behind James, his hands resting on the brown-haired man’s hips.

  “Do you two want to dance?”

  We were grinding against each other in the pitter-patter of a heartbeat and let the music guide our movements. Chris towered over me while James stood behind me, pushing his hardening member against my ass when Chris leaned down to kiss me. I moaned into Chris’s mouth and pulled him closer to me by his belt loops, earning a quiet chuckle in response.

  “I’m going to go get us some more drinks,” Chris said, releasing his grip on me and pushing through the crowd towards the bar.

  I moved my hands from holding James’s on my hips, up his arms and behind his neck, gently tugging on his hair. Our bodies moved in sync until I caught sight of Chris again, except he wasn’t headed back to us. He was dancing with a tall blond woman instead.

  “Is that game still on or did I win?” I asked, turning slightly to face James.

  “Chris and I lost,” he shouted over the music.

  I turned completely so James could hear me better and pointed across the floor to Chris and his new friend. “Then what’s that?”

  James shrugged and shook his head because, just like me, he had no idea. “Great,” I mumbled under my breath. “I want to go home.”

  James nodded and shouted again, “I’m going to tell Chris, okay?” I nodded and moved to wait for them by the bar. A few minutes later, only James left the dance floor.

  “Where’s Chris?” I asked as James wrapped his hand around mine and led me to the exit.

  “He said he’ll meet us back at my place,” he deadpanned. I wasn’t the only one upset about this turn of events.

  The cab ride back to James’s place was spent in silence. I tried to ease the tension by resting my hand on James’s upper thigh but he continued staring out the window. When we got back to his place, we went straight to his room and changed into our pajamas, James wearing just a pair of boxers while I sported one of James’s Bears football jerseys.

  We climbed into bed silently but, this time, he let me rest my head on his chest and wrapped an arm around my back.

  “You know, just because he’s out there having his fun doesn’t mean we can’t have our own,” I mumbled.

  James’s chest shook with a laugh. I looked up at him with a smile and trailed my fingertips down his chest, his abdomen, and stopped when I found the hem of his boxers.

  “What do you say?” He bit his lip and shook his head before rolling on top of me. “There he is,” I smirked into the kiss. He laughed against my lips and slid his hand up under my (his) shirt to gently caress my breasts. I reached between us and palmed over his boxers, feeling him harden under my touch.

  “How do you want it tonight?” he asked as he pushed the shirt over my head, letting it fall onto the bed beside us.

  “However you want,” I replied. I honestly couldn’t care less as long as I was with him.

  He pulled back and slid his boxers off but instead of coming back to me, he perched himself on the edge of the bed. “Come here, doll.” I crawled across the bed to him and kissed him before he grabbed my chin and made me look at him. “I want you to suck me off first.”

  I bit my lip and nodded before sliding onto my knees in front of him. I stroked his length a few times and kitten-licked the tip, watching his jaw clench at waiting for me to give him what we really wanted. James was great at teasing, now it was my turn to return the favor. I wrapped my lips around his tip and sucked gently, slowly taking more of him until he jerked his hips forward so my nose hit his abdomen. I choked slightly but regained my composure enough to take him into my throat a couple times before he pulled me off of him by my hair.

  “Put your hands on the bed,” he whispered, followed with a heated kiss that left me dazed. Both of us stood and I did as he said, placing my hands on the bed in front of me. James knelt on the ground behind me and softly flicked his tongue against my clit. He sucked and licked and bit oh-so-softly while his hands kneaded my ass in a harsh contrast to his actions. I whimpered and pushed my hips back towards him, earning myself a smack on my right ass cheek. I didn’t know I could be so turned on by spanking until that moment.

  “James,” I whined, swiveling my hips at him. He finally gave in and stood to his full height, wasting no time as he slipped right into me from behind. I rested my head against the mattress as he pounded into me, holding my lower body still and running one hand up my spine to tangle in my hair.

  I moaned against the mattress when he lifted one of my legs onto the bed, opening me up to him even more. He pushed deeper and deeper until I was nearly screaming for him.

  “James, fuck, I’m so close,” I groaned, pushing my hips back to meet him.

  “Me too, baby, me too,” he replied breathlessly. The hand he had in my hair moved down my body again to press against my heat until I came unravelling beneath him. As my body shivered in front of him, he jerked his hips against me and visibly shuddered as his mouth fell open and he stilled his movements.

  James rested his body on top of mine while we both caught our breath. All too soon, he pulled out and plopped onto the bed and patted the mattress beside him for me to join. I sleepily obliged, definitely ready to cuddle up and fall asleep.

  James ran his
hands over my hair while I traced invisible shapes against his chest, both of us content and sated with the night.

  “I wonder when Chris is coming back,” I mumbled. He had been at the club for another 45 minutes. I expected him to stay an extra 10 or 15.

  “He’ll be back, don’t worry,” James whispered. “Go to bed, it’s getting late.”

  Even though my heart rate had just slowed from our activities, it picked up again when I remembered what I wanted to tell him. I think he could feel my body tense in his grip because he lifted his head to look at me with a concerned expression.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.

  I looked up at him and smiled. “Nothing. It’s just…I love you, James.”

  His face broke into a huge smile at my confession and I felt my pulse slow at knowing he wasn’t scared away. “I love you, too. Now seriously, go to bed,” he laughed.

  *****

  The next morning, I was still resting in James’s arms but Chris was nowhere to be found. None of his clothes were on the bedroom floor and he wasn’t lying in bed. I checked the bathroom only to find it empty and found him lying on the couch with a blanket that barely covered his legs.

  “Hey, what are you doing out here?” I yawned. Chris blinked awake but when he saw me, he rolled over to face the other direction. “Chris, why didn’t you come to bed last night?” I repeated. I walked around the couch so he had to face me and sat on the coffee table in front of him.

  He sighed and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. “I didn’t want to ruin your night.”

  “What?”

  “You and James. When I got back last night, you two were still going at it and when I opened the bedroom door…” he trailed off.

  “Chris, you and I have slept together without James. Hell, you and James have even slept together without me. It’s nothing new.”

  “It’s not that, Alisha,” he snapped, sitting upright to face me. “I’ve known you for over five years. You met James two months ago and you’re already telling him you love him?”

  “I would’ve said the same to you if you came home with us last night!” I said. “Chris, just because I told James I love him doesn’t mean I don’t feel the same way about you. I was waiting until I felt comfortable enough with both of you to say it. But judging by the way you were dancing with that other girl last night, it’s only reciprocated by one of you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Chris asked.

  “It means you’re supposed to stay with me when we go out! You’re in a relationship with James and me; not James, me, and whatever blue-eyed blonde you can get your hands on. Do you know how that makes me feel? Watching you dance with some model-type you just met when you’re supposed to be into me?”

  He shook his head and scoffed, grabbing his shoes from the night before and heading out the door. “I’ll be back. Don’t wait up.” Before he shut the door, he turned back and said, “Oh, by the way, I didn’t dance with her until you and James were too caught up in each other to notice.”

  The door slammed shut and I was left alone in the living room. Tears brimmed at the back of my eyes knowing Chris was so upset about something so trivial. I didn’t prefer either of them, I actually loved them both pretty equally. If anything, Chris had an upper hand because I had known him for so long. James was the reason I didn’t say ‘I love you’ sooner.

  Just as a tear escaped and slid down my cheek, James stepped out from the bedroom with a yawn. “Hey, where’s Chris?”

  “He left.” I stood and marched to James’s bedroom, wiping away the stray tear so James wouldn’t get upset too.

  “Wait, what do you mean he left?” he asked. He grabbed my arm as I passed and looked me in the eyes as I replied.

  “I mean he stormed out of here because he heard us last night.”

  “What? That’s ridiculous. We’ve slept together without him before. He knows that.”

  “Yeah, but he also knows we said ‘I love you’ last night and now he thinks I prefer you over him.” I groaned and pulled my arm from James. “God, I don’t prefer either of you! I love you both for different reasons and he just wouldn’t listen.”

  Another tear ran down my face as I finally gave in and just started crying.

  “Hey, you’re okay,” James murmured, pulling me into a hug.

  “I haven’t cried over a boy since high school,” I tried laughing. “I just wish things could go back to normal. He’s the one who wanted this relationship anyway.”

  “He’s just upset. Let him blow of some steam and he’ll be back before you know it, okay?” James pulled back to look at me and I nodded in understanding. “Okay. Let’s just spend today inside. We can order some takeout and wait for Chris to get back.”

  I nodded again as he led me to the couch and wrapped me in a blanket, pressing a kiss to my forehead as he went into the kitchen to call for takeout.

  It was going to be a long day.

  *****

  When Chris finally came home, I was lying on the couch with my legs resting on James’s lap as whatever movie he chose played on TV. Both of us perked up at the sound of the door opening and watched as a tired Chris kicked off his shoes and dropped a duffle bag on the floor. He looked up at both of us and sighed.

  “I’m sorry.” At those two words, I was on my feet and in his arms in seconds. “I’m sorry, baby. I overreacted. I don’t blame you for getting mad about that girl last night.”

  “You didn’t do anything with her, did you?” I asked hesitantly.

  “What? God, no. I just wanted to get my mind off thinking you preferred James. I didn’t want to do anything with anyone other than you two.”

  “You could’ve just talked to us, man,” James said, sauntering over to both of us.

  “I know and I feel like shit for jumping to conclusions.” He glanced between James and me before forcing a small smile. “Can we move past this? Because I smell Chinese food and I’m starving.”

  I rolled my eyes but smiled up at him, knowing the Chris I had grown to know and love was back.

  “I guess we can,” I shrugged. “We ordered extra in case you came back in time.”

  He pulled both James and me into a hug before turning towards the food, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him back to me before he could move.

  “Oh, one more thing.” I pressed my lips to his in a tender kiss, far different from those we would usually share. “I love you.”

  “I know,” he smiled. “I love you, too.”

  THE END

  See the next bonus story at the next page!

  10 of 25 Bonus Stories

  No Reservations

  Things did not seem to be getting any better. Special Agent Chris Darling heard the explosions echoing in his ears as his eyes cracked open. His heart was pounding as if it was the end of the world as he rolled over in the bed, gripping the sheets tightly. His skin felt clammy with sweat as his mind adjusted back to reality. He was glad that the nightmares were becoming less each night, and the sound of the overhead fan and a cold draft made him shiver.

  At least right now he was in his own bed and not on some hard sun parched in Afghanistan. Here there was no blood and fighting and therefore no death. He was not in some cell with a hard-eyed terrorist watching over him, waiting for him to wake up so that he could torture him. He was glad that the flashbacks had become less frequent, and they mostly happened when he was asleep.

  He breathed in and out deeply, blinking to clear his vision as he looked around the room. A streak of light filtered into the room through the blinds and outside he could hear birds singing merrily. The sounds of the birds were supposed to enlighten his soul, but instead he still felt the heaviness in his heart. As his heart slowly dropped its paces, he lifted his head slightly and looked around the room.

  The floor was strewn with condom wrappers and there was the floral scent of a woman in the room. That had to be the blonde that he had brought home last night. The sad thing was
that he could not even remember how she looked, apart from the fact that her lithe figure had felt good in his hands as he held her closely while grinding her. He felt the now familiar feeling of self-disgust overwhelming him. This was something that he knew was going to have to change, the worst part being that he had picked up the woman when he was as sober as a judge.

  He slid out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. There was a slight ache in his neck and as he ran his fingers over it, he was reminded that the blonde had enjoyed using her teeth a lot. If she was still here she would probably have said, “But you did not complain when we were doing it.” He splashed water over his face and as he checked himself in the mirror, there were bite marks on his neck, almost as if she had been a vampire drawing blood from him.

  Her name had been Samantha, Satin or something of the sort, he could not quite remember, and he could vaguely remember her leaving some time in the dead of the night. She had left him her number, but it was his tradition never to call them once the night was over. As a matter of fact, he rarely recalled any of them and as soon as the night was over, they were out of mind. This had become his routine and the women had become almost like a drug to help him get over his past experiences.

  That was something that he did not want to admit, but it was true that just the way that other people turned to cocaine and other drugs, he had turned to women. Of course, none of his team members knew why he was like this. They instead believed that he was just an insatiable sex maniac who changed women like he changed clothes. He preferred that it stays that way since he did not want to delve into explaining his experiences, and even his loss. He was still standing there by the sink when he heard his cell phone going off in the bedroom. He hurried out to answer Nate's call.