Jack’s brow ticked up for a second before the grin returned. “Well, fuck. Next time, record it if we’re not there.”
I laughed lightly, but glanced over at Hana—she looked tense. Her eyes were locked on Elliott, like she wasn’t sure how he’d take it.
But Elliott gave my thigh a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay, baby. Things are new. We’re figuring it out.”
Relief passed through me like a wave. I laid my hand over his. “You sure?”
He smiled. “Like I said. Just tell me if something happens when I’m not there.”
“Great,” Jack said, grinning again, the tension dissipating. “No secrets. Just fucking and fun.”
The laughter was brief but real. Something shifted, something unspoken but unanimous. We weren’t tiptoeing anymore.
“We’ve never done this before,” I said, curiosity getting the better of me as I glanced between Hana and Jack. “Have you two?”
They exchanged a glance, like they were silently deciding who’d answer, before Hana took the lead.
“We have,” she said. “Never with another woman, though.” She glanced at Elliott, watching his reaction.
I nodded, intrigued. “So…with other men? Like, a threesome?”
Jack grinned, draping his arm across the back of the couch behind Hana. “Threesomes, yeah. Sometimes I watch, sometimes she does.”
It took a moment for that to sink in, and then I realized what I was actually wondering.
Jack caught it.
“Yes,” he said easily. “I’ve been with other men too. I enjoy it. Any gender, really. I’m flexible.” His dimples deepened, this time letting his gaze rest on Elliott just a beat longer.
Elliott shifted beside me.
“There’s absolutely no pressure for you to do anything with Jack, though,” Hana said gently, lifting a hand as if to reassure him.
“I didn’t feel like there was,” Elliott replied with a casual smile. But I could feel the tension beneath it. A flicker of discomfort—or uncertainty.
I knew this was so new to him—to us—and I wondered if it was too much, too overwhelming. But when we talked, he seemed okay with it, so I had to trust that things were still fine. He wanted honesty from both of us, afterall.
Jack let the silence hang just long enough before leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, a grin spreading across his face.
“Well,” he said, his voice light, “I can’t be the only one thinking this, but doesn’t this whole agreement deserve a little celebration?”
Hana gave him a side-eye with her crooked smile. “Celebration?”
He nodded toward the window, where huge snowflakes were falling again, muting the world in white. “Hot tub. Snow. Naked bodies. You know, all the ingredients for a proper kickoff.”
I laughed, more from nerves than humor.
“Better than that lukewarm binge-watch session we were pretending to enjoy,” Jack said, standing up and stretching with a yawn. “Come on. What else are we going to do while the world is snowed over?”
Elliott shifted beside me, his hand trailing just slightly higher on my thigh, as if to say he was already onboard.
“Unless anyone needs a formal invitation,” Jack added, already sauntering toward the hall. “I’ll be in the hot tub in ten.”
Hana rolled her eyes but smiled as she stood. “So subtle,” she muttered, then turned to us. “You guys still good?”
Of course she’d check in. That was Hana.
“I am,” I said, nodding.
