by Mari Carr
She stiffened her spine and Michael fought to hide his grin. She may have been knocked for a loop, but she didn’t fall down. “Which part are you referring to, Harry? The part where you want to share me with my boss for a lifetime of threesome bliss? Or the part where Michael and I indulged in hot and heavy petting on an empty hospital bed a few minutes ago?”
Michael suspected she’d dropped that bomb as tactlessly as possible in hopes of picking a fight and making an escape. He could have told her she was destined for disappointment.
Harrison grinned. “Hot and heavy, huh? Sorry I missed it.”
Alexis frowned. “You’re seriously okay with that? Even after yesterday?”
Harrison walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, shooting Michael a warning glance. “I’d sort of hoped Michael and I could ease you into all of this.”
She snorted. “Little late for that now.”
“Do you want out?” Harrison’s tone left no question that if this was all too much for her, he would walk away, despite the shit storm that waited if he made good on his threat to leave the Trinity Masters. Neither Harrison nor Michael had been completely forthright with Alexis about what that would mean for Harrison’s future. Membership in the Trinity Masters was a lifelong commitment. No one left without serious consequences.
Michael held his breath, hoping he hadn’t frightened her away with his impetuous actions. He hadn’t intended to touch her at all, but he’d waited a damn long time for his trinity. While Michael had given his trust to the Trinity Masters and placed his future in Harrison’s hands, it had been difficult to watch others find the happiness he’d longed for.
Now that it was within his grasp, he was impatient to begin. The moment they’d stepped into that empty room, he’d been hard-pressed to keep his hands off her. He’d been attracted to Alexis since the day he met her. Sometimes he’d wondered if it was Harrison’s interest in her that had impacted his own, but Michael had soon disregarded that concept.
Michael wanted Alexis because she was beautiful, intelligent, funny and caring. Even though they bickered like siblings, he respected her opinions and listened to her more than she realized. Unfortunately, there were too many times when their professional positions put them on opposite sides of the court. But none of those arguments had changed the fact he desired her, cared about her, wanted to build a life with her.
He had watched her on that bed when he fucked her with his fingers. She liked what he’d done to her and it wasn’t his actions that had scared her. It was how they made her feel.
Michael had been worried since Harrison told him about his plan to convince Alexis to join the Trinity Masters. For one thing, Michael was pretty sure they didn’t have enough time. Unless Harrison had some ace up his sleeve, it was already too late. But he didn’t question his friend because he trusted Harrison knew what he was doing. After all, he’d never made a single misstep during his time as Grand Master.
However, Michael’s true concern was Alexis. What if she wasn’t able to accept him? It was clear she was as in love with Harrison as his friend was with her.
Which made Michael the lynchpin. The one who could make or break this whole deal.
It terrified him.
If she could accept that they weren’t doing anything wrong, Michael knew she’d make the perfect partner. Alexis could certainly hold her own with them—intellectually and sexually.
Hell, he wasn’t too proud to admit she was smarter than he was. And there was a definite attraction. While she’d said she wasn’t ready for more tonight—and he intended to honor that request—there was no denying the sexual undertones flowing between the three of them.
Alexis looked at Michael as Harrison’s question hovered in the air. Did she want out?
Michael schooled his features. They wouldn’t make her stay, wouldn’t hold her to the time limit if she were miserable.
“I agreed to a month,” she said at last. “I’m not going back on my word.”
Michael had expected her answer to make Harrison happy, but instead, he looked troubled, though he tried to mask it. Michael was becoming accustomed to Harrison’s heavy moods. He’d chalked up his friend’s distant nature to his unrequited love for Alexis, but now that they were embarking on this affair, Michael wasn’t sure that was the problem at all.
Harrison kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you. What do you say we go get something to eat? I promised you a meal that wasn’t prepared in the hospital cafeteria.”
She accepted Harrison’s help as he slid her jacket over her arms and then she took his hand. Once the two of them reached the door, she turned around, looking at Michael over her shoulder. “Are you coming?”
He nodded and fell into step next to them. While Harrison still held her hand, Michael was careful not to touch her. In the hospital, he was her boss. He’d pointed out that difficulty to Harrison, but his friend wouldn’t be swayed from this course. There were other members of the Trinity Masters who had been forced to find creative ways to hide the true nature of their relationships. Each triad had done it and so would they.
Harrison insisted this was the perfect trinity. Michael was beginning to think he was right. If only he could silence the tiny part of him that told him something was wrong.
Terribly, terribly wrong.
Chapter Four
Three days. Alexis reached above her head, trying to stretch some of the tension from her neck and back. She hadn’t spoken more than a few words to Michael or Harrison in three days, not since they’d both said a very platonic—disappointing—goodnight to her after their first date. Neither man had even offered her a kiss. She didn’t bother to admit that they’d kept a respectful distance because of her foolish assertion she couldn’t handle any more physical contact.
She rolled her eyes. God. She was an idiot. Alexis had gone years without having an orgasm she hadn’t given to herself. Then within two days, Harrison and Michael had triggered some of the most intense climaxes of her life. And she’d claimed she couldn’t handle more.
Yeah, right.
She would have sought them both out the next day, but all hell had broken loose when an arsonist set fire to a church on Sunday. She’d spent the past three days volunteering to help treat the countless victims, working round the clock, grabbing catnaps in the doctors’ lounge while remaining close to lend a hand.
Alexis spotted a man near the doorway looking around the emergency room. Something about him looked out of place, so she walked over to him.
“Can I help you?”
The young man startled, which triggered an alarm for her. Something about this man told her he didn’t belong.
“Um,” he hesitated. “Yes. You can.”
She waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, she prodded him. “Are you ill?”
He shook his head, his whole demeanor suddenly changing from curious to concerned. It was an amazing transformation. “I understand a lot of the burn victims from that church fire were brought here. I was wondering if a Jon Myers was admitted.”
“And who are you?”
“I’m his son. I was out of town until this morning and I just heard about the fire. My dad goes to that church and he’s not answering his phone. I’m sort of freaking out because I heard a man had been killed. The authorities aren’t releasing the man’s name.”
She smiled sympathetically, feeling guilty for her suspicions. “I don’t remember a Jon Myers, but let’s check, shall we?”
She walked over to the admissions desk and asked the nurse to do a search.
Nurse Cochran shook her head. “There’s no one here by that name, but some of the victims were transported to Mass General as well. Would you like me to call?”
The man nodded gratefully.
“I need to get back to work,” Alexis said. “I hope you find your father soon. And not in the hospital.”
The man shook her hand. “Thank you so much, Dr.—”
“Jenner. I’m D
r. Alexis Jenner.”
“Ryan Myers. I appreciate your help.”
Alexis left Ryan with the nurse and continued down the corridor to the doctors’ lounge, hoping to grab a few minutes of peace and quiet before starting her rounds. Between treating her own patients and helping with the burn victims, she was running low on energy. She grabbed a quick shower, donned fresh clothes and had only just poured herself a cup of coffee when she knew her plans for the rest of the day were foiled.
“Why are you still here?”
Alexis glanced over her shoulder to find Michael standing in the doorway. Since their interlude on the hospital bed, Alexis had begun studying his face more closely than she had in the past, making constant comparisons between him and Harrison.
Michael was a couple of inches taller than Harrison, standing at least six foot four, and his sandy-blond hair was in direct contrast to Harrison’s salt and pepper. Both men were trim, physically fit. She attributed that to their trips to the gym and weekly racquetball games.
They both had an air about them that commanded respect. When they spoke, people listened. And while Michael was quicker to laugh, Harrison possessed a quiet sense of humor that produced the sexiest lines by his eyes whenever he smiled.
They were different in so many regards and yet, as she’d discovered over dinner the other night, both men spoke to her on a deeper level—emotionally and physically. While she wasn’t so naïve to believe a woman couldn’t be attracted to more than one man at a time, she’d never imagined acting on those desires. Now, it was all she could do to keep from crossing the room and throwing herself into Michael’s arms.
She sighed tiredly. “I’m here because there are patients who need attention. I hope to God they find the son of a bitch who set that fire because I’d really love to kick him in the balls.”
Michael’s face was sober, his expression tight. “How is Gunner Wells doing?”
“The FBI guy? He’s much better today. Dr. Rogers took him off the oxygen this morning. He’s breathing well enough that he doesn’t need to be intubated any longer. The newspaper is calling him a hero. They said there would have been a lot more fatalities if he hadn’t managed to break down that door so the congregation could escape.”
Michael nodded. “I’m glad he’s better.”
Alexis suspected Michael knew more about the situation than he was saying. She wasn’t sure why she felt that way, but she’d noticed him and Harrison talking in hushed voices in the corridor on several occasions since the fire. They’d also paid a couple of visits to Gunner, showing up with a man they’d introduced to her as Price Bennett.
She wracked her brain, trying to recall some of the details Harrison had shared with her in regards to the Trinity Masters when he’d first asked her to join. She understood the organization believed in strengthening society by improving culture, education, technology, even medicine through their ménage alliances. However, she didn’t know exactly how much power the group exerted. She was beginning to believe it was even more than she’d previously suspected.
She had been so hung up on the arranged-marriages concept all those years ago, she’d sort of overlooked the power people like Harrison and Michael wielded in other areas through their connections in the club. Her mother would have referred to it as a good old boys’ society, except the Trinity Masters didn’t exclude based on privilege or gender. They truly sought the world’s best and brightest—male or female, rich or poor.
But try as she may, she simply couldn’t figure out any connection between their organization and a fire set in a church.
“You need to go home, Dr. Jenner. Working yourself into exhaustion isn’t going to help anyone.”
She shrugged. “I’ve gotten some sleep. I have a few more patients to—”
“No,” Harrison’s voice interrupted her as he walked around Michael and into the room. “You’re going home. My car is parked out front.”
She scowled, unhappy about being told what to do. “I’m not ready to go.”
Michael stepped closer to her. “I’m your boss, Alexis, and I’m asking you to consider going home. You need a break from this place.”
Harrison nodded. “Come on. I’m taking you home. Now.”
She laughed humorlessly, tiredness making her cranky. “Oh my God. You wish you had that much power over me.”
Harrison closed the door to the lounge. “You picked a bad time to start a fight, Lex.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Michael said, leaning so near she felt his warm breath against her face, “that we’ve been on edge for days. The fire has been upsetting to all of us.”
“What do the two of you know about that? And who is Gunner Wells to you?”
Neither man answered. Which was all the response she needed. Her assumption had been correct. Gunner was part of the Trinity Masters. But that still didn’t explain their interest in the arson.
Michael sighed. “The fact is none of us intended to spend this much time apart. So we’re going to have to make up for it. Now seems like a good time.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not interested.”
Michael grinned. “Bullshit. You’ve been eating me alive with your eyes for days.”
“You wish.”
Michael gripped her upper arms and tugged her against his chest. It was a power play, plain and simple. And damn if it didn’t start a fire inside her. Which she was grateful for. She’d been cold for days.
“You shouldn’t test my patience, Dr. Jenner. We both know if I tugged those pants down right now, your wet pussy would give you away.”
She half-heartedly tried to break away from his hold. “Don’t be crude.”
Harrison stepped closer. “Lex—”
She held up her hand to cut him off. She knew what he wanted. What they both wanted. She was right there with them. “I’m tired of feeling numb and lost.” Tears sprung to her eyes, but she batted them away. Refused to let them fall. She’d never cried in front of anyone and she didn’t intend to change that now.
“I’ve spent the last few days swimming in an ocean full of people in pain. And I can’t take it anymore. I want to escape too. But if we do this, it has to just be about sex. I’m nowhere near ready to accept what the two of you want from me, but I need…” She struggled for the right word. Finally, she gave up looking. “I just need.”
Harrison crossed the room and took her in his arms. “We’ll give you anything you want.”
“Even though I can’t give you—”
Harrison didn’t let her finish. He kissed her, fast and hard. “I love you.”
She closed her eyes tightly. How could such beautiful words pierce so sharply? “That only makes things harder.”
He chuckled softly. “No, it doesn’t. You’ll figure that out soon enough. I promise.”
She returned his kiss with one of her own. Then they stepped apart.
Alexis glanced over at Michael. “Are you okay with this?”
He nodded.
Alexis studied his face, wishing she had some clue to his thoughts. She hesitated until he smiled and winked at her.
“Come on, Alexis. We’ve all waited long enough.”
“It’s only been a few days,” she said, teasing him for his impatience.
“No. It’s been a decade. You’ve denied us this for ten long years.”
She hadn’t considered that, but now that it was out there, she recognized the truth.
“No more waiting.” Michael turned toward the door, intent on the three of them leaving. She couldn’t follow.
She shook her head. “Here. Now. No bedrooms. Nothing private or intimate or even comfortable.”
Harrison looked like he would argue, but Michael didn’t even blink twice. He simply walked to the door and threw the lock. “Take off those pants.”
She didn’t give herself time to consider her actions, though she suspected even if she did, she wouldn’t back out. She needed sex
and the two men in front of her had proven themselves more than capable of giving her multiple orgasms.
Alexis reached for the button of her jeans and slid the zipper down as both men watched. Neither of them moved to disrobe.
So they wanted a show. She was happy to oblige. She slipped off her tennis shoes and then slowly shimmied the denim over her hips, leaving her thong in place. No sense in rushing things too much. It wasn’t like she had to worry about getting caught by her boss.
Once her jeans hit the floor, she kicked them off. Michael had only told her to remove the jeans, nothing else, so she paused. She was going to make them do a bit of work as well.
Harrison’s gaze never left her face. He lifted his finger, indicating that he wanted her to turn around. She never would have described herself as a submissive person, but clearly she’d never found the right lovers before. Both men brought out a part of her that wanted their dominance, their control. After a lifetime of making all the decisions, charting her own course, it felt wonderful to release the reins and let someone else drive for a while. It helped that she trusted Michael and Harrison implicitly. Neither of them would ever hurt her.
She spun, then stopped once her back was turned to them.
“Thong,” Michael barked. He didn’t bother to elucidate. She didn’t pretend to misunderstand.
Keeping her back to them, she tugged the elastic over her hips and bent forward to push the small scrap of lace down. As she did so, she treated her men to a bird’s eye view of her bare ass.
My men?
No. They were simply her lovers. For now.
Before she could rise, Harrison was there, stroking the sensitive skin of her ass. Then he placed a strong hand on her upper arm and urged her to stand. He bent closer and brushed his lips over her ear. “One of these days, I’m going to get you completely naked and in my bed.”
She turned and offered him a mischievous grin. “Maybe.”
He used his grip to direct her toward the center of the room. He gestured toward a small table in the corner. Michael picked up on the nonverbal clue and pulled it in front of her. Typically, it was used as a workstation, a place for doctors to set up their laptops to check email and do some paperwork.
