“Like the view?” Kelvin asked, catching her mid-gawk.
Marie grinned, hugging happiness to her like a blanket. “What’s not to like?”
Shane wandered out from the kitchen carrying three glasses and an expensive bottle of champagne.
“Are we celebrating?” Marie glanced at Kelvin and he shrugged.
Shane handed the glasses to Marie and popped the cork before giving a wide grin. He poured the champagne and put the bottle down. “I’ve been promoted. Thought I might celebrate with my best friends.”
“That’s great!” Kelvin said. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Shane smirked. “My flatmates distracted me.”
Marie set the glasses on the step and leapt to her feet, throwing her arms around Shane. “I’m so pleased for you.”
She lifted her head and their lips met. Marie held tight, throwing herself into the kiss. Pleasure darted through her as she inhaled his familiar musky scent with the hint of sandalwood. Shane didn’t muck around. His kiss went from touching to carnal heat in seconds flat, their tongues tangling, thrusting and withdrawing in a facsimile of the sexual act. Marie moaned, excitement zapping through her when she felt his erection brushing her stomach.
“Hey, mate. Do I get a celebratory kiss too?” Kelvin’s voice drew them apart. Marie caught his sharp look, despite the humor in his tone, and flushed, her heart thudding. With shaking limbs she stepped away from Shane. Her hand still trembled when she reached for her glass of champagne.
Kelvin drew Shane into a hug of congratulation. “Give us details, man,” he said after clapping Shane over the back. He observed them both with watchful eyes.
Marie’s blush intensified. Damn, she hadn’t meant to do that, but if she’d erred so had Shane. She snuck a glance in Shane’s direction and caught him studying her. An expression of satisfaction glowed on his features.
“I’ve been promoted to regional manager of the sales team,” he said, still watching her.
Marie broke their gaze and took a hurried sip of her champagne. The bubbles tickled her nose and she sneezed.
“Bless you, sweetheart,” Kelvin said. “Regional manager, huh? Sounds good. Pay rise?”
“Yeah.” Shane grinned. “I have to relocate to Wellington but it will be worth it.”
“Wellington?” Marie felt as if someone had upended a bucket of icy water over her head. A chill swept down her spine. “You’re leaving?” she whispered. Her old fears rose up to swallow her whole. A tremble racked her body and she had to set the glass aside or risk spilling it.
“Yeah, babe,” Shane said. “And I want you to come with me.”
“What?” Anger replaced Kelvin’s normal easy tones and echoed in his chocolate brown eyes.
“Go with you?” Marie asked, shock still kicking her in the gut. That would change everything. She, Kelvin and Shane were a team. Friends. Lovers. And today they’d made love as a threesome. It had given her hope. Shane leaving would change everything.
“Yeah,” Shane said, seemingly oblivious to the swirling undercurrents.
“But I like things the way they are.” Marie couldn’t imagine a life without both Shane and Kelvin. “I’d miss Kelvin.”
“You want Marie to move to Wellington with you?” Kelvin’s face turned impassive but his voice held danger. He straightened from his lazy sprawl against the wall. Visible tension bracketed his mouth.
“It’s a good idea. I love her. She’s not like other women.”
“You didn’t think to discuss this with me first?” Kelvin drawled. Marie noticed his eyes held none of their usual easygoing humor.
“None of your business,” Shane said. “It’s between me and Marie.”
Marie sat trembling on the deck. All she could think about was change. She loved Shane and she loved Kelvin as well. No way could she choose one man over the other, which meant she couldn’t have either. Tears stung the back of her eyes. She scrambled to her feet but wasn’t fast enough to prevent the fall of tears. They ran down her face as she fled to the safety of her bedroom. The door slammed behind her and she locked it before throwing herself onto her bed. Alone, she allowed the tears to fall, sobs vibrating the length of her body.
She was vaguely aware of shouting outside, thumps and curses. Marie lifted her head, a fresh spate of tears falling when she identified the sounds as fighting. Kelvin and Shane were brawling, fighting each other when they never fought.
Over her.
Marie pulled the pillow over her head to block out the crashes and shouting. It was like her childhood over again. Her fault. She should have known it was wrong to feel happy, that it would blow up in her face. One of her foster mothers had told her she was bad luck, right before she’d returned her to foster care as an impossible case. It seemed the woman was right and she was destined to live alone.
* * * * *
Marie must have fallen asleep but woke exhausted. Gritty eyes struggled to focus on the face of her watch. Six in the morning. Marie drew her curtains back, wincing at the song of a cheerful thrush in the hedge. Her head thudded but she forced herself to move. She couldn’t stay here. Marie had no idea what she’d do, apart from knowing she couldn’t go with Shane and she couldn’t stay with Kelvin. Either option would hurt too much.
Sweat beaded her forehead, the early morning heat foretelling another scorching day. Marie tore her wrinkled sundress over her head and donned a pair of cotton panties and bra. She pulled a sleeveless top from her drawer and a pair of denim shorts, dressing rapidly.
Damn. What was she going to do now? She needed to think. Alone.
Her girlfriend Christie, who was away at present, had left her the keys to her holiday home at Sunset beach. It would be crowded at this time of the year, but she’d always liked to walk. She could walk to the far end of the beach where few people ventured. Almost before the thought formed, she grabbed a bag and started to pack—a sarong, two bikini briefs plus one top the boys had missed, shorts and T-shirts. She wouldn’t need more. She’d stop at the supermarket on the way to pick up fresh supplies.
Packed and ready to go, Marie paused at her bedroom door, traces of anxiety unfurling inside. One or both of the men were already up. She could hear the clatter of dishes in the kitchen. Marie took a deep breath and unlocked her door. The scent of coffee wafted through the air. Marie hesitated before heading to the kitchen. She couldn’t hide. No longer a child, she was responsible for her actions. If she slinked away like a coward she’d come to regret it later. Besides, Kelvin and Shane both cared for her. They’d worry if she went off without telling them her destination.
Kelvin was seated at the breakfast bar and nursing a mug of coffee.
Marie cleared her throat. “Good morning.”
“Morning, sweetheart. You okay?” When he turned his head the first thing she noticed was his black eye. Slightly puffy, it looked tender. Her breath caught and she bit down on the cushion of her bottom lip to stem her distress.
Shane entered the kitchen from the deck. His bottom lip had a split and distinct swelling. A bruise slashed across his cheekbone.
Marie sniffed, forcing back her pain and attempting to replace it with anger. They had no right brawling over her. “I’m fine. I’m going to spend a few days at Christie’s beach house.”
Kelvin frowned. “Alone?”
“Yes, alone,” Marie snapped.
“What about work?” Shane grabbed two mugs and poured coffee into each of them. He topped up Kelvin’s mug before returning the carafe to sit on the heated element.
“It’s a long weekend. If I decide to spend longer I’ll ring in sick at work.”
“But you’re never sick,” Shane said.
“I might be on Tuesday,” Marie muttered, reaching for the coffee. Strong and black, it was what she needed.
“Have you thought about Shane’s proposal?” Kelvin asked in a tight voice.
“Yes.” But thinking about it made her want to cry.
Shane winced w
hen he tried to smile. “We could even get married, babe, if you want.”
“You and Kelvin both had sex with me yesterday,” Marie said. “How can you want to marry me when you’re happy to share with Kelvin?” She caught Kelvin’s nod while they waited for Shane to answer.
“Kelvin is my best friend,” Shane said.
“Do you envisage sharing me in the future?” Marie’s stomach churned and black fear swirled through her mind. It was Kelvin and Shane together. She couldn’t imagine being with other men. How the heck could they ask her to choose? It wasn’t fair.
“Hell no. You’d be my wife,” Shane said.
“And what if I don’t want to choose?” Marie said, relaxing a little.
Kelvin set his coffee mug down with a thump. “It’s too late for that, sweetheart. You have to choose. Me or Shane.”
Chapter Four
You have to choose. Me or Shane.
The words pounded through her head. The end of an era. That’s what it spelled because Marie couldn’t choose, not when she loved them both. Yeah, a dilemma. She loved both men equally. She wasn’t blind. Both men had their good and bad points, just as she had hers. But couldn’t they see? Together they were stronger.
A tight unit.
Except not solid enough. Tears misted her eyes, muddying her vision. She swiped the moisture from her eyes and blinked rapidly to concentrate on the road. Negotiating a series of bends, she steered her car into a straight. Usually she loved the drive to the beach, a route alongside the river, passing hills and green pastures dotted with dairy herds, horses and an alpaca farm. Today held none of the magic or the companionship. A sob emerged. The idea of starting over, finding a new place to live…not seeing Shane each day. Or Kelvin. Marie bit down on her abused lip, the jolt of pain helping to steady her emotions.
Half an hour later she pulled up outside the holiday house, chest aching and throat tight. Thankfully the tears had dried. She grabbed the bags of groceries and hauled them inside, pausing to open windows as she went.
The small rustic house wasn’t on the beach but she could smell the sea air.
“Friends with benefits. Huh!” Marie muttered while she put the perishables into the fridge and freezer.
The smooth rumble of a car outside brought a frown. A door slammed and footsteps echoed on the deck when someone prowled to the door. A knock.
“Marie, are you there?”
Before she could come to a decision, the door opened and Kelvin stood framed in the bright sunlight.
“Why didn’t you answer?”
“You didn’t give me a chance,” she said dryly, surveying his puffy eye. Marie continued to unpack the groceries she’d brought with her—enough for a week even though she needed to return to work in three days. Change. She hated it. Continuing to live with Kelvin just wouldn’t seem right. It would be unbalanced. She’d made a big mistake when she’d let herself care for both Shane and Kelvin. Emotional attachment. The kiss of death for a friends-with-benefits scheme. No, there was only one way to deal with Shane’s proposal. She had to say no and move on without either of the men.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was worried about you. We heard you crying last night.”
Marie placed a packet of breakfast cereal into the cupboard and closed it with a slam. “I have a phone.”
Kelvin stepped inside, closing the door after him. “I wanted to see for myself. You were upset.”
“Give the man a badge.”
“Do you want to go for a walk? I won’t talk if you want to think.”
Anger slashed through Marie, hot and vicious. “Here’s a novel concept. You could leave me to walk on my own.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t mean that.” Kelvin pulled her stiff body into a loose hug and an ache sprang to life at the back of her eyes, a harbinger of tears. More bloody tears. Heck, she’d cried enough during the night and knew her bronzing powder and the dash of lipstick didn’t do much to hide the evidence.
“I don’t like change,” she muttered.
“Change doesn’t have to be bad, sweetheart.”
Showed what Kelvin knew. From her experience, change meant bad things happened. For example her parents’ deaths and being put into foster care, being moved from family to family. Look how well that had gone. After the last creepy foster father she’d been so screwed up she’d run away, lying to get a job. No, in her experience, change meant loss of security.
“Walk,” Kelvin said firmly.
Knowing by his tone he wouldn’t give up, she grabbed a straw basket and chucked in a bottle of water and two towels. She also grabbed a pair of sunglasses and a straw hat with a broad brim. Disguise in place to hide her red eyes, she turned to Kelvin and forced a smile. “I’m ready.”
Kelvin took the basket from her and, without speaking, they walked down the road to the beach.
As usual, the area near the lifesaving club bustled, full of people, partially naked bodies in all shapes and sizes sprawled on the shimmering black sand. Breakers crashed to shore and several people waded between the patrolled area of the beach, indicated by the yellow and red flags.
Kelvin took her hand and they walked past the crowds, their sandals keeping the heat of the black sand from burning their feet. One end of the beach was rocky, waves crashing over the outlying cliffs with a wash of white spray. The other end went as far as the eye could see, a long expanse of black sand, edged by sand dunes with clumps of grasses. They chose to walk in this direction, away from the crowds. With the sea breeze in her face and the scent of salt in her nostrils, Marie’s tense shoulders relaxed. Kelvin’s presence brought a sense of peace. At least she was with one of her men. She halted abruptly, aghast at the thought. One of her men.
“Marie?”
“I love you,” she blurted.
Stark relief crossed Kelvin’s face before a smile bloomed, lighting his brown eyes.
“I love you too, sweetheart. Come on. Let’s find a spot to sit.” He squeezed her hand gently and started to walk again.
Marie frowned while she wondered what he wanted to discuss. She was acutely conscious of her hand in his and the faint whiff of his decadent citrus aftershave.
Kelvin stopped when they came to a break in the dunes. “How about here?”
“Sure.” Marie waited while he spread the beach towels on the sand. She sat, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them to stare out to sea. Far out on the horizon a container ship sailed, and to their right, a lone surfer rode the waves.
“You love Shane,” Kelvin said dropping onto the sand beside her. “That’s why you’re upset.”
Damn, when had she become so transparent? “Of course I love Shane. I love both of you. You’re my best friends. I’ll miss Shane when he goes to Wellington.”
Kelvin shot her a sharp look. “Are you going to marry him?”
Not a question she wanted to answer. “What do you think I should do?” Not one she should discuss with Kelvin either. Oh boy, talk about confused. No matter which way she looked at the problem, Marie couldn’t see a solution.
“Shane didn’t ask me to marry him. He asked you.”
“I don’t want him to leave.”
“It’s a big promotion for Shane. He’s worked hard to get to this point.”
“And now you’re making me feel selfish,” Marie said. “You’re right. Shane has worked hard and deserves this chance.”
Kelvin reached out to squeeze her upper arm. “We’ll still live together. And it isn’t as if Wellington is at the other end of the world. It’s only an hour flight from Auckland. If you decide to go with Shane we’ll still see each other.”
“But it won’t be every day.” And that was the problem. It was getting to the point where she didn’t like waking alone in her bed. She liked waking in Kelvin’s arms. Or Shane’s. And having sex with them both at the same time, being the sole focus of their attentions felt even better. Heck, she wasn’t just turning into a whore. She was o
ne!
“Marie, stop worrying. You have a few weeks to think about things. Shane doesn’t need to start his new job until next month.”
Marie snorted. Give her two years and she still wouldn’t be able to choose between them. Fighting tears again, she leaned into him, seeking comfort. His arm came around her shoulders, drawing her against his side. Marie burrowed closer, savoring both his closeness and his masculine scent.
Kelvin kneaded her shoulders, brushing the tension away with each flex of his fingers. Marie let her head loll back against his chest, the stress in her muscles melting away while she enjoyed his strength and comfort. Lucky. That’s what she was. Instead of sulking about losing what she had, maybe she should celebrate her luck in finding two such great men and good friends, how lucky she’d been to enjoy spending time with them.
“I love the heat and the sunshine,” Kelvin whispered, his breath hot against her ear.
“Me too,” Marie breathed. Each touch and stroke of his fingers had turned languid and unhurried, edged with sensual energy. Heat flowed from his touch and settled between her legs. He paused, removing his hands and a cry of protest escaped. Mortified, she froze.
“Just taking my shirt off, sweetheart. Why don’t you take off yours as well?”
“I’m not wearing my bikini top.”
“So? Hardly anyone comes along this end of the beach. We’ll have plenty of warning if they do.”
Temptation roared through her. Skin on skin. “I’ll burn.”
Kelvin chuckled. “You have suntan lotion. Besides, we can both last an hour before we head back to the house.”
Marie nodded and let Kelvin help her off with her top.
“Take the bra off too.” Kelvin leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “I dare you.”
The clear challenge in his voice pulled her nipples to achy points. “All right,” she said. Before she could change her mind, Kelvin unhooked her bra and peeled the straps down her arms.
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