“In the den,” he called when Ace entered through the side door.
He patted the seat beside him and pointed to the extra glass. “Join me.”
Ace smiled. “I could get used to this.”
“Oh really?”
Ace took a sip of Scotch and sighed. They sat in silence for several moments before Gavin said, “We need to talk about J.”
Gavin swallowed hard. Was there any way Ace would agree to what he wanted? “I like him a lot. I don’t want—”
“Whoa.” Ace laid a hand on his thigh. “It sounds like you’re making a lot of assumptions.”
“I… Sorry. I guess I am.”
Ace took another sip and then set his glass down. “I think we’ve both been holding some things back.”
Gavin didn’t like how tense Ace was. They should’ve talked about this long before now. “Am I driving you crazy gushing about him so much?”
“No. You know I don’t mind that, and I know how you are when you’re crushing on someone.”
“I think it’s more than a crush.” Gavin held his breath after his confession. He watched Ace’s chest rise and fall with a deep breath. Had he said the wrong thing? “You like him too, don’t you?”
Ace nodded. “I do. I like him a lot, and that’s not something we’ve confronted before.”
“You liked the other men we shared.” As soon as he said the words, Gavin wished them back. They both knew the comparison was disingenuous.
“Gav—”
He held up his hands. “I know. This is new.”
Ace took hold of Gavin’s hands. “This is the first time we’ve found someone we both want more from.”
“Wait. Are you saying…?”
“I want him in our life, Gavin, not just for a few more hot fucks, but… I think I want to be in a relationship with both of you.”
Gavin had been in love with Ace for years, but to have him confess that, when Gavin knew how hard it was for him, made him love him even more. “I want that too, and I think maybe we’ve already started that relationship.”
“Yeah. We crossed that line without talking about it, and we shouldn’t have.”
Gavin knew he needed to be honest with Ace. “I was worried if I mentioned it, you’d suddenly wake up to the fact that he’d become special to us and decide it was time to back off.”
“Why the hell would I—”
Gavin squeezed his hands. “I’m sorry, and I can’t tell you how much it means to me that we’re talking about this now, that you’re willing to try this. I made assumptions based on your pattern with other men.”
Ace pulled away from him and tossed back the rest of his drink. Gavin’s pulse beat in his ears. How badly had he fucked this up?
A few moments later, Ace turned to face him again. “All right. Fair enough. I’ve done that several times, but never when you were involved.”
“Like you said, this is a first for us. We’ve had fun before, but no lingering feelings.”
Ace pulled Gavin in for a soft kiss, and everything felt right once again. When they pulled apart, Ace said, “We should talk to J about a more permanent situation, find out what he’d be interested in and where the lines are for him.”
“Yeah. I wish I hadn’t been too scared to talk to you. If I’d just—”
Ace put a finger over his lips. “We’re talking about it now.”
Gavin blew out a shaky breath. “Right.”
“I think maybe if he agrees, it should just be the three of us, at least for a while.”
Gavin considered that. He’d been comfortable with the arrangement he had with Ace, but he agreed it made sense to take time to build their relationship. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
“Okay, next weekend, when everyone leaves the party, we’ll talk to J. Maybe we’ll be three for Christmas this year.”
Gavin’s chest tightened. “I’d like that. Not that before things haven’t been amazing, but—”
“That doesn’t mean they can’t be even more amazing, or equally good but different.”
Gavin sighed. “J makes me feel like Christmas morning all the time.”
“Yeah, I see that on your face when we’re with him.”
Gavin wished he could know how this would all work out. He took enough risks at work that he didn’t need more uncertainty in his personal life. “Is it just the newness of things, though?”
Ace tilted his head like he was considering that. “Maybe, but I think there’s more there.”
Gavin sighed. “Yeah. It’s worth finding out, but whether there is or not, I have you. And you’re like drinking cocoa under a blanket with carols playing while it snows.”
“I love you,” Ace said, emotion clear in his voice.
Gavin pulled him into a tight hug. “I love you too.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jonathan’s fingers were sticky from forming molasses cookies for Gavin and Ace’s party. After placing the last ball of dough on the pan, he turned to wash them off, but Gavin grabbed his wrist. “Allow me.”
He brought Jonathan’s hand to his mouth and ran his tongue along each of Jonathan’s fingers before pulling two of them into his mouth. Jonathan’s cock responded like Gavin was licking it instead.
Gavin looked up at him with those blue eyes, darker now than they’d been moments ago. Heat rose in his face as Gavin continued to clean his hand, moving on to his other fingers and then his palm, never once looking away.
“Fuck, that feels good.”
Gavin smiled and swiped his tongue across Jonathan’s palm once more before letting go. “Other hand,” he demanded.
Ace looked up from stirring cake batter. “Gav, you know we don’t have time for that.”
Gavin ignored him as he ran his tongue between Jonathan’s fingers.
Jonathan glanced at Ace. “Feeling left out?”
“No,” he insisted, but he put down the spatula he was holding and wrapped a hand around Jonathan’s arm just below Gavin’s.
When he leaned in and started licking Jonathan too, his tongue touching Gavin’s, Jonathan’s knees went weak. Watching the two of them teasing him like this was too much.
Gavin let Ace take over sucking Jonathan’s fingers and pulled Jonathan to him for a kiss. Jonathan could taste the spicy-sweet batter as Gavin slid his tongue along Jonathan’s. Jonathan pulled Gavin closer, grinding against him, needing to feel Gavin’s hard cock rub against his own.
How soon would the guests arrive? Maybe they had enough time to take this to the bedroom.
“Enough,” Ace announced, dropping Jonathan’s hand.
Gavin groaned and let Jonathan go, then stepped back. “But we were having so much fun.”
“These cookies won’t make themselves, and we’ve only got two more hours.”
“Slave driver,” Gavin huffed.
“You just wait, and I’ll drive something right up your ass.”
Jonathan laughed. “Come on. Let’s get back to work.” Not that he really wanted to. He wanted to drag them both to bed and forget that the house would soon be full of their friends. Friends who didn’t know him, who had no reason to know him if… Baking. Focus on baking.
They did, putting pans in the oven as they took others out, scooping cookies onto cooling racks, and icing cupcakes. As they worked together, Jonathan realized what he felt that afternoon was exactly what he wanted: warmth, friendship, the promise of more amazing sex. They’d said they wanted to talk more after the party, to figure out where things were going. Maybe they really wanted this to continue too. Sure it was a risk. Being involved with two people—especially a couple—was so much more complicated than one, but they were both incredible.
You didn’t think so last weekend.
He hated that doubting voice in his head. And it wasn’t true. Ace and Gavin hadn’t done anything wrong. He’d only felt left out because they had so much history together.
***
“Is there anything else we need to do?” Jonath
an asked as he pulled the last pan of molasses cookies from the oven.
“This cake is ready for icing, and— Oh shit, we forgot about the peanut-butter cookies.” Ace exhaled harshly. “I was really hoping to shower before anyone got here.”
Jonathan was a little messy, but Ace looked like he’d bathed in flour. He was one of those cooks who fully immersed himself in the experience. Jonathan found that more than a little hot.
Gavin waved toward the bathroom. “Go. We’ll be fine.”
Ace didn’t look convinced.
“I’ll ice the cake,” Jonathan said. “And surely even Gavin is capable of making balls of cookie dough and placing them on a pan.”
“He’s also capable of distracting the hell out of you and letting the cookies burn.”
Jonathan could easily imagine that. “Do you speak from experience?”
Gavin snickered. “There was no spice cake last year.”
“Exactly.”
Jonathan laughed. “Go on. I can resist him.”
“All right. I’m trusting you.” Ace handed him the bowl of chocolate-mint icing, which smelled amazing.
Jonathan set the icing on the counter and looked around for a spatula.
Gavin stepped right behind him and took hold of his hips. He could feel Gavin’s cock pressed into his ass.
“Didn’t you hear what Ace said?”
“I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
Jonathan snorted. “Fill that pan.” He pointed to an empty cookie sheet already lined with parchment.
“I’d rather fill something else.”
Jonathan looked over his shoulder. “I didn’t know you…”
“I don’t usually, but something about your ass peeking out from under apron strings has me in the mood.”
Jonathan suddenly liked that idea very much. “Why don’t we see about that later?”
Gavin thrust gently against his ass once more and then moved to stand beside him.
“There. I knew you didn’t want to face Ace’s wrath.”
“Actually that can be quite fun.” Jonathan laughed, loving that Gavin blushed just a little bit saying that. “It’s the wrath of our guests I don’t want to face. The mint-chocolate cake is a favorite. If I distracted you from icing it, I might not survive the party.”
Jonathan glanced at Gavin and began spreading icing on the cake. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“With what?”
“Me being here. People asking who I am.”
“Yes. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I want you here.”
Jonathan nodded. He wished he wasn’t so nervous. The guests were friends of theirs. If Gavin and Ace liked hanging out with them, they were probably okay.
Gavin moved behind him again, but this time he just massaged Jonathan’s shoulders. “You can always go hide out in the bedroom if they’re too much for you. Sometimes they’re too much for me, but Ace loves doing this.”
“Shit. Robert won’t be here, will he?” Jonathan hadn’t thought of that. He was not ready to explain this…whatever it was to his boss.
“No, Ace enjoys working with him, but they aren’t close.”
“Okay. Good.” Jonathan still wasn’t sure what he’d gotten himself into. But he was here, and he wasn’t going to run away now.
***
The first hour of the party passed in a whirlwind. Jonathan spent most of his time in the kitchen, assisting with cutting the cakes, refilling trays of cookies, starting yet another pot of tea or coffee or cocoa. Damn, these people loved their hot beverages, especially the spiked ones.
The kitchen was an easy place to meet people as they came in to speak to Ace, but eventually people’s consumption of desserts slowed, and Jonathan felt like he needed to walk around a bit, or possibly run to the bathroom and hide. He wasn’t terrible at mingling, but he wasn’t used to doing it under circumstances like these where he didn’t know how to introduce himself. He’d been mistaken for a caterer twice already.
As he walked through the house, most people he passed were gathered in small groups he was too nervous to approach. He wasn’t sure where he fit. Wasn’t that the problem with this whole scenario?
“Jonathan!” Gavin beckoned to him. He was standing with two women who looked to be in their mid-forties.
At least with Gavin, he’d feel reasonably comfortable.
“This is Sharon.” Gavin indicated one of the women with him. “She works with me, but I first met her at a book club. Now we’re neighbors, friends, and coworkers.”
Jonathan held out his hand. “I’m Jonathan.”
Neither he nor Gavin gave any further explanation.
Sharon shook his hand and smiled. “Be careful with this one.” She tilted her head toward Gavin. “He’s quite persuasive. He talked me into moving to the neighborhood and then applying for a job on his team.”
“I’ve already noticed.”
“I bet you have.”
Did that mean she knew? Maybe.
“Pardon me,” a tall, thin man spoke to Gavin. “I wanted to introduce you to my mother.”
“Of course.” Gavin looked at Jonathan. “I’ll be right back.”
“No problem,” he said. Sharon and her friend—partner?—didn’t seem too intimidating.
“I’m Penelope.” The other woman extended her hand, and Jonathan shook it.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Sorry,” Sharon said. “I’m shit at introductions.”
“You’d think she’d get it right after fifteen years together.”
So they were a couple.
“How did you meet Gavin?” Penelope asked.
“Um…At Downtown Books.” That was completely true.
“Oh, are you into romance like Gavin? You should join his book club.”
Jonathan grinned. How had Gavin managed to keep that secret from him? “Not usually, but if someone is passionate enough about a book to beg me to read it, I’ll try any genre.”
“Well, that’s refreshing,” Sharon said. “Penelope won’t read anything but mysteries and nonfiction, usually true crime. I’ve tried, but she turns me down every time.”
“I have an idea,” Jonathan said. “What if we both read something on Gavin and Sharon’s recommendation. Then if we hate it, we can commiserate.”
Penelope smiled. “I just might agree to that.”
“Hmm,” Sharon said. “You might be as persuasive as Gav. I’ll have to tell him you’re a keeper.”
Jonathan coughed. “Um…I…”
Sharon’s eyes widened. “Did we read this wrong?”
“No, you didn’t, but it’s a new thing and…”
“Sorry,” Penelope said. “We both tend to say whatever we think.”
“That’s okay. I can be impulsive too, jumping in to form a book club when we’ve just met.”
Penelope grinned. “I think that’s charming.”
“So do I,” Sharon added.
“Jonathan,” Ace called from the door that led to the hall. “Can you help me a minute?”
“Sure.” He turned back to Sharon and Penelope. “Excuse me.”
“Go help your man,” Sharon said, grinning.
Jonathan ignored the heat in his face and followed Ace to the bedroom.
“I spilled wine all over these.” Ace indicated the stain on the front of his pants. I’m shit with this kind of thing. Do you know—”
“OxiClean. It will take the stain right out. If you have some in the laundry room, I’ll take care of them.”
Ace shook his head. “I can do it. I don’t want you to—”
“Really. It’s fine. I could use the break, honestly.”
“Are you all right? It has gotten chaotic out there.”
Ace looked worried, and Jonathan didn’t want to add to his stress. “I’m fine. There’s a good vibe. It’s clear everyone loves this party.”
“You included?”
He bit his lip, trying to figure out what to say.
“I’m a little nervous, but Sharon and Penelope are awesome, and the older lady from next door…what’s her name?”
“Pearl.”
“Yes, that’s it. Pearl. She’s delightful.” He’d gotten a chance to talk to her for a while as he’d refilled airpots of coffee and hot water for tea.
“Wait until you taste her caramel cake. I’ve been trying to charm the recipe out of her since we moved here. Maybe you’ll be able to do it.”
“Hmm. I’ll see what I can do. It must be something special.”
“It is,” Ace said and handed Jonathan his pants.
“Don’t worry about these. I’m sure the wine will come out.”
“Thanks,” Ace said. He gave Jonathan a quick kiss before Jonathan headed downstairs to the laundry room. He was glad it was in the basement, out of the way.
As Jonathan sprinkled OxiClean on the stain and watched it turn blue, he smiled to himself. Ace wanted him to know their neighbor better, and Gavin had obviously been hoping he’d hit it off with Sharon and Penelope. If they didn’t want to continue a relationship with him, why would any of that matter?
He scrubbed a bit at the stain. When it had mostly disappeared, he laid the pants over the edge of the washer so they could put them in a load later that evening.
After a few deep breaths, he left the peace of the laundry room and went back upstairs. He headed for the kitchen, hoping there was some mint-chocolate cake left. He’d only had a tiny slice.
But what he heard when he reached the doorway made him freeze.
“Damn, Gavin, are you really fucking that boy?”
Gavin laughed. “You know we’re not monogamous.”
“Yeah, but what does it take to get a side piece like that?”
Gavin said something, but Jonathan couldn’t hear it clearly.
“More than you got,” Ace said with that deep chuckle that usually made Jonathan’s cock swell. But not tonight. Tonight his face burned with humiliation. He’d almost convinced himself Ace and Gavin felt the same way he did. Obviously not.
He backed away before he could hear more, dizzy and sick. He fumbled his way down the hall, hoping people thought he was drunk. That was way less embarrassing than the truth, that he was…what? Falling apart because he’d done it again, let his heart get involved in something that should’ve only been about pleasing his dick.
Three Under the Christmas Tree: A Gay Menage Romance Page 6
