by Liz Andrews
“Hey there, sleepyhead.” To him Jasmine’s voice seemed a little too cheerful, almost forced, but if it was the case, Chase didn’t act as if he noticed. “I was about ready to send Alex to haul you out of bed.”
“I might have yanked him in with me and then you would have had to come searching for both of us.”
Alex was surprised when Jasmine blushed at Chase’s comment. She was reacting as if he’d offered to have her join them. And once the thought was in his brain he couldn’t erase it from his mind. This is crazy.
“Pour yourself a cup of coffee while I start the pancakes.”
“Pancakes?” Chase walked over to where Jasmine was pouring the mixture onto the griddle. He crowded against her, reaching over her shoulder to pluck a strawberry from the mixture and pop it into his mouth.
“Hey now.”
“I can’t believe you’re yelling at him for the same thing you were doing a few minutes ago.”
“Oh really?” Chase asked.
“Tattletale.” Jasmine glanced at him over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue.
“Brat,” he retaliated.
Chase finally moved away from Jasmine to pour himself a cup of coffee and Alex could have sworn he saw her deflate, as if she had been holding her breath. Interesting.
The rest of breakfast preparation passed without any other incident. The three of them laughed together as they played the “remember when” game.
“Remember when you were dating the bitch. What the hell was her name? God, I couldn’t stand her.” Jasmine was poking Alex, as if it would help him remember who the heck she was talking about.
“Do you mean Cindy?” Chase asked. “The Whore.”
“Hey now, back in high school she was what I was looking for,” Alex replied with a hearty laugh.
Jasmine cocked an eyebrow. “Really? I had no idea.”
“Why would you? It wasn’t as if you cared what we were looking for in a girl.” Alex watched with great interest as she swallowed and nodded as if agreeing with him. Except somehow he was beginning to question it now. Back then, when he’d asked her out, she had immediately shut him down. But now…
“Yeah, and now you both have found each other.” Jasmine started to gather the dishes to clean up, effectively shutting the conversation down.
“We’ll take care of those. You made breakfast, therefore we’re on clean up duty.”
“Exactly. I made the mess and I should clean it up.”
“No, you’re our guest. You shouldn’t have to make us breakfast, even as much as we enjoyed it. Now let us take care of this stuff, okay?”
She raised her hands in surrender. “Fine, I give in. I need to hop in the shower anyway.”
Chase shooed her from the room before Alex had a moment to protest or agree.
“Thanks for including me in this,” Alex said sarcastically.
“I wanted to talk to you alone for a minute.” The first thing that came to his mind was Chase had seen something earlier between Alex and Jasmine and wanted to ask him about it. Since he’d already decided he needed to have a heart to heart talk with his man about his feelings for Jasmine, perhaps it was for the best. They could put it out there in the open.
“What’s up?”
“Jasmine was watching us last night.”
Alex didn’t remember any specific incident from the previous evening. “What are you talking about?”
“When we were in bed, I happened to look up and she was standing in the doorway.”
Alex was shocked, and surprisingly turned on to know she watched everything they did. “Wow, I…”
“I know. I wasn’t sure if I should stop or…hell, I don’t know, ask her if she was enjoying herself.”
Alex couldn’t help but wonder what her answer would have been.
Chapter Four
The look on Alex’s face mirrored the one Chase was sure he’d been wearing since last night. When he’d seen Jasmine watching them, all those old feelings he’d had for her had seemed to intensify, if such a thing were possible. He couldn’t help but wonder what if. And when he threw out the comment about her joining him, Alex had a look of interest, along with confusion and surprise.
“Hey, wait a minute. Why didn’t you say something about this last night?”
He had a very good question. One Chase wasn’t too sure he had a good answer for. “This is going to sound stupid.”
Alex cocked an eyebrow. “As if that ever stopped you from sharing.”
“At first I wasn’t sure if I was really seeing what I thought. I mean, why would she be watching us?”
“Because we’re hot?”
“There is that.” Chase crossed his arms over his chest, amused at Alex’s response. Things were always easy for the other man. He never did see complications until they were smacking him in the face. “Of course, our attractiveness slipped my mind. At the time I was too startled.” And turned on. “Then before I could decide to say anything to her, she took off and you did the little thing with your tongue that makes me forget my own name and all was lost.”
Alex smirked, but it didn’t seem as if he was going to allow Chase off the hook yet. “And after my distraction?”
“I fell asleep, okay? You wore me out.”
Alex’s smile widened. “Okay, I can buy that. You are a slug after sex.”
“The point is, Jasmine was watching.”
“I understand.” Alex sighed for a moment, then selecting a chair, he sat. “As long as we’re talking about her, there are a few things I need to share with you.”
Share? This doesn’t sound good. “Shoot.”
“Ever since we’ve been talking to Jasmine, a lot of…old feelings have been resurfacing.”
Chase’s eyebrows shot into his hairline at this revelation. Common sense told him he shouldn’t have been taken aback by the fact he wasn’t the only one who had feelings for Jasmine. They’d all hung out together, it was natural. The real surprise was he never saw it, until now. “Go on.”
“Back in the day, I asked Jasmine out and was shot down. I can’t help but wonder ‘what if’ though, especially with her staying here with us.”
“Are you wondering if you made the wrong choice?” Chase dropped his arms and leaned back against the counter. Suddenly this conversation was becoming a lot more serious. He and Alex had been a couple for so long sometimes he simply forgot he’d been the other man’s only male lover. And perhaps Alex was rethinking his decision, looking at Jasmine as the one who escaped.
In some ways Chase could understand it. If Jasmine had accepted his invitation to the Homecoming dance, maybe they would have dated and married after high school. Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t help but believe his attraction to men would have still been there. Would she have been able to accept it? He would never know. His thoughts were drawn back to the situation at hand when Alex spoke.
“Absolutely not,” Alex answered emphatically. The tension drained from Chase’s shoulders at the speedy response. “I’m very happy with you and our relationship, and I’d never do anything to jeopardize us.”
“But…”
“There’s no but.”
“The hell there isn’t. Be honest, Alex, tell me what you’re thinking.” And maybe finally he could do the same.
“We’re both bi-sexual. It’s not as if we’re not attracted to women.”
“True.”
“And I know we’ve flirted with the possibility in the past of opening our bed for the right person, be it male or female, for some harmless fun. We never found anyone we’ve both liked enough to make the offer to.”
“All of sudden you think we should extend an offer to Jasmine?”
“It’s not…all of a sudden,” Alex insisted. “And I don’t think I’m the only one thinking about this, either.”
“You think Jasmine wants to…”
“I wasn’t talking about Jasmine. I was talking about you.”
Me? Chase had to wonder if his r
andom thoughts had somehow been projected to Alex. Jasmine was beautiful and funny and he missed everything about her, including his fascination with her. But he thought he’d been pretty good at keeping those feelings to himself. “What makes you think I’m interested in anything more than friendship?”
“I’m making some assumptions here, sure, but my gut tells me you are. Especially after your remark about asking her to join us. You don’t make those sorts of offhanded comments. I think you were serious.”
Alex put voice to all the things Chase had been thinking. When he saw Jasmine standing in the doorway he almost lifted a hand to motion her over. And he had a feeling she would have agreed. Maybe like Alex, he had a gut feeling.
“You’re right. I am attracted to Jasmine, and the idea of her with us is one that has crossed my mind. However…” Chase paused for a moment before pushing away from the counter. “I’m not sure having her join us for some experimental sexual fling is such a good idea. And no matter how I feel about her, it doesn’t compare to how I feel about you in the slightest. I don’t want to lose what we have chasing a dream.”
Alex stood and reached out to Chase. “There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that can ever come between us.”
As much as Chase wanted to believe in Alex’s words, he was more pragmatic. “Never say never. You taught me that.”
“It figures, the one time in my life I might have been wrong and you remember it.”
“The one time?” Chase challenged with a laugh.
“I love you,” Alex responded, his voice firm, with no amusement whatsoever. “You. And no one else.”
Chase couldn’t help but point out the obvious. “But you still want to fuck her.”
“And you don’t?”
Yes, he did. As much as he fought the desires, knowing Alex felt the same way was liberating. “I didn’t say that.”
“Then tell me, baby, clearly so there will be no misunderstandings, what exactly it is you’re saying?”
“I guess what I’m trying to communicate, and obviously not too clearly, is I don’t want to risk what we have for one night of fun.”
“And we won’t,” Alex assured him. “But I think, if she’s in fact interested in us and we’re interested in her, maybe there’s something here worth exploring.”
“I think you’re being a tad naïve. She was standing in the door watching you suck me off. It’s not exactly a declaration of her everlasting love for us.”
“It isn’t?” Alex’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “I thought for sure it was.”
Chase rolled his eyes. “You’re such an idiot.”
“Yeah, but I’m your idiot.”
“Nothing to be too proud of.”
“For me it is.” Alex leaned forward and kissed him. It was a brief press of lips, but hinted at the promise of something much deeper. “What do you say, Chase? Should we give her a little nudge to see if she nudges back, or do we keep living with ‘what if’?”
“What if we’re wrong?”
“What if we’re right?”
Chase shook his head with a smile. “You know, you’re too damn optimistic for your own good.”
“It’s not a no.”
“What’s not a no?” Jasmine asked from behind them.
Chase’s gaze collided with Alex’s similarly startled one. Had she overheard them? It seemed as if his thoughts were transmitted to Alex, as the other man gave a slight shake of his head, indicating he didn’t think so.
“I was wondering if Alex had showered yet. Seemed as if he was too eager for your company this morning.”
“Yeah, I need to clean up.” Alex looked Jasmine up and down as she walked over to join them at the sink. “You wouldn’t want to wash my back, would you?”
Chase was shocked Alex had already started on the nudging. Jasmine didn’t seem to mind. She laughed and, getting behind him, pushed him toward the door. “Go on, out of here with you.” As Alex left the room, Jasmine turned to Chase with a frown. “Wait a minute. Did he leave without helping you finish cleaning?”
“You did chase him from the room, after all.”
She gasped with indignation. “Hey, how was I supposed to know it would take you guys half the morning to clean up?”
“Is that a complaint?”
“Not if I’m not dragged into washing dishes it isn’t.” Jasmine settled herself in a kitchen chair. “Go on, I love to watch a man at work.”
“Really, what else do you like to watch men do?” Chase sent her a pointed look, which brought a blush to her fair cheeks.
“What do you mean?” she asked in a shaky voice.
From the way her face was turning ruby red, Chase surmised she was wondering if she’d been caught last night, which, of course, she had been. But he wasn’t ready to bust her yet. He wanted to see how far he could nudge her.
“Like, will taking out the trash and killing big bugs make me the stud of the year in your eyes?” Chase tilted his head and asked in an innocent voice, “Why, what did you think I meant?”
“That. Of course.”
“Right,” he said, turning around to gather more dishes. This was going to be a lot more fun than he originally thought.
Jasmine sat on her bed, worrying her bottom lip as she listened to the phone ring. Damn it, where the hell was Stephanie? Obviously not answering her cell phone, that was for sure. When the voicemail kicked in Jasmine fidgeted as she waited for the beep to finally arrive. “How dare you have a life and not be around to answer the phone when I need to talk to you. Call me.”
Sighing heavily, Jasmine clicked off the phone and threw it on the bed. She couldn’t help but believe she’d dodged a bullet earlier. She’d been sure he was going to say he caught her peeping on him and Alex last night and he wanted her out of the house. Still, in the back of her mind, she had to wonder. Did he see her and he was being quiet about it? But if that were true, why would he do such a thing? It was the one question she had no answer for.
A brief knock was the only warning she had before the door swung open and Alex walked into her room. “Hey, what are you hiding out in here for?” He joined her on the bed, accidentally sitting on the phone. “What’s this?” Reaching beneath him, he grabbed it out and handed it to her.
“I was making a phone call.”
“Boyfriend?”
“No, a friend.”
“Male or female?”
What’s with the interrogation?
“Female.”
Alex smiled. “Good.” She didn’t have time to wonder further about his comment as he stood and tugged her up as well. “Come on, we’re going out.”
“We are?”
“Oh yeah, Chase has plans for us.”
“What kind of plans?”
“It’s a surprise.”
His words sounded ominous and interesting, all at the same time. As much as she begged and pleaded, neither of them would tell her where they were going. The only hint Chase was willing to give was she was to dress comfortably.
“I can drive if you like,” she offered, hoping they’d agree and she could finally learn their destination.
“Nope, we’ll take the truck. Much more cozy, don’t you think?” Jasmine eyed the older model truck with one large bench seat. Without even asking she already had the feeling she knew right where she’d be sitting. Therefore, she wasn’t surprised when Alex opened the door and gestured for her to slide in first before he joined her.
Sandwiched between them, Jasmine felt surprisingly right at home. She had to refrain from resting her hands on their thighs as Chase started driving. They didn’t feel the same need for restraint. Every time either one of them spoke they made a point of touching her. First it was a slight brush of a hand over hers. But as the ride continued their contact became more prolonged.
By the time they finally reached their destination, Jasmine was feeling all kinds of turned on. She was suddenly calculating how long it had been since she’d been with a man. It was a lot
longer than she’d realized. Damn, was she so hard up she’d started to fantasize about two gay guys who had absolutely no interest in her?
Since she’d been focused on what was going on inside the cab of the truck it took her a moment to realize where they were. “Is this like an amusement park?”
“It’s not like an amusement park. It is an amusement park, small, but a good time, nonetheless,” Alex noted, as he slid from the truck and helped her out.
“Remember our After Prom Party?” Jasmine asked the guys. “We had such a good time.”
The three of them had attended the after prom event held at the local amusement park together since none of their dates were interested. It had been the last time they had done anything as friends with no other hanger on-ers involved.
Chase walked around the front of the truck and joined them both. “Funny you should mention it. It was one of the best days ever and I thought we could possibly recreate it today.”
It sounded like a good idea to her. School had already started so the park wasn’t too busy. A perfect day to enjoy the rides in addition to the company. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
Chase withdrew his wallet and purchased three tickets, then one by one they walked through the turnstile. Once they were clear of the entrance, she hooked an arm through each of theirs and they headed into the park. “Where to first?”
“How about the Crazy Coaster?” Chase was a roller coaster fanatic, preferring twists and turns versus spinning.
Jasmine cocked a brow and turned toward Alex. “Should we let him have his way this early or will he be trying to bully his way all day?”
Rubbing his chin as if he were closely considering her request, Alex finally nodded. “I say we take turns choosing. If Chase wants to go first, it’s okay with me. Of course, it means I have last choice.”
“Am I in the middle, again?”
The two men glanced at each other over her head in some sort of silent communication before Chase answered. “Do you have a problem with that?”
She knew they probably didn’t realize the double entendre, but she couldn’t help but fantasize about truly being between the two of them. Their bodies pressed against hers as they stroked and touched one another as well as her. Her nipples peaked and her breathing increased in an instant. “No problem whatsoever.”
