“Because, Peter, as I said, she raised you right. Good men can come from complete and loving households, but you…you take it above and beyond. You keep on doing what you do with women. It’s truly amazing.” I reached up and pulled his face down and kissed his cheek. I’m pretty sure I saw a blush starting when he straightened, even as he backed away from me, now wary. I sighed and pushed away the old hurt. He really was all soft and squishy on the inside. Some woman was going to hit the jackpot when she snagged him.
He cleared his throat, hesitating to sit down, “I would like to apologize and rescind my resignation…”
Cole cut him off and patted the remaining space available, stating kindly, “Sit down, Peter. We wouldn’t let you quit.”
Peter sat with relief before asking, “So what’s so damn bad about cooking with Ally?”
Chapter Twelve
IT HAD been a weeksince we landed in Orlando, and still, I stared at the constant intruders, asking, “When are you two going to stop this? Your staff is beginning to wonder what the heck is going on in here.”
“They wondered that the first night, sweetheart,” Cole answered, leaning down to see his computer screen better. I sighed and grabbed my purse, going to sit at the foot of the bed between their feet. I dug through it and Cole chuckled. “Seriously, woman, you could fit the state of Texas in that thing. It’s an abomination that needs to be burned.”
“In effigy,” Brent added his commentary, and then turned a page of the book he was close to finishing. It was a science fiction tale, book 4 of the series.
I found what I was searching for and crawled up the bed. Both gazes found me. It was almost a ritual now. I would crawl into bed, kiss both, then snuggle down and ignore their fighting until I fell asleep. They were giving me the time to pick which one, albeit unhappily, that I wanted in here alone with me. I wasn’t any closer to choosing. Saying they weren’t thrilled was an understatement.
Tonight, I wore one of Cole’s white undershirts for pajamas. It was thin and didn’t hide a whole lot. They both stared down the gaping neckline, then at my behind that was almost visible bent over like I was. Cole’s nostrils flared and Brent’s jaw clenched. I was pretty sure I was pushing them to the breaking point, so I sat back on my haunches and handed them each a gift. Lovingly wrapped in newspaper. It was all I could find.
“What’s this?” Cole asked, turning it over in his hands and studying it.
“A gift, silly.” I made a ripping motion and teased, “You’re supposed to open it to find out what’s inside.”
“You got us a gift?” Brent’s asked quietly. A tick on the clock and his head snapped up. “You aren’t leaving, are you?” His eyes were wide, and I know I saw fear in them. He was remembering his parting gift so long ago.
Cole stiffened, his breath catching. I glanced at him, and though he was trying hard not to show it, I know I saw fear in their depths, too. My breath caught and I dropped my head. They both really cared. And both were scared.
I inhaled. And did what I wanted.
I leaned over and kissed Brent.
It wasn’t the normal peck I gave him every night. We hadn’t really kissed since that night on his couch in New York. No, this time I deepened it. I felt him shudder and he dropped the gift, grabbing handfuls of my hair and kissing me back. My world exploded, and I trembled. Our tongues touched and it was like electric fire licked my skin. Groaning, I pulled back and he reluctantly released me.
I turned to Cole.
He had gone statue still and his eyes were like ice, built as a barrier. I was about to break it down. I hoped he didn’t mind.
I bent forward and placed my lips on his, waiting. He’d had to witness me kiss Brent with passion. I didn’t know exactly how he would react. He sat there frozen, eyes still on mine as our lips rested motionless on one another. I gave in, praying Brent wouldn’t scream since I couldn’t not do this, and closed my eyes, and caressed and stroked his lips like I wanted to.
A moment.
Then, two.
Then he exhaled and pushed his laptop to the side and yanked me down on top of him, gripping the back of my neck and plundering my mouth with his tongue, tangling his withmine in a dual of pure need. My world shattered. Heat enveloped me, and I quaked. It was still the same. Both ignited a fire within me that was beyond comprehension. Moaning, I pulled back, only to be pulled back down for a soft caress, and then released.
I sat on my behind and cleared my throat, gazing back and forth between them. Brent was staring at the wall across the room, a knee pulled up under the covers with his elbow resting on it. Cole scrubbed his face and dropped his head back on the pillow to stare at the ceiling. They were dealing.
“I’m not leaving,” I murmured softly. “I just thought about you two and wanted to get you something.”
“Ember, you need to choose,” Brent whispered, still staring off into space. “This isn’t like with Ally. I don’t think I could get over sharing you with another man. With Ally, it was different. We grew up together and she gave you something feminine I never could. But another man…”
I blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. I hadn’t asked for this. For some reason beyond comprehension, I couldn’t choose. Maybe it was that I didn’t want to hurt one of them by picking. Maybe it was some twisted version of fate that always placed two people in my life instead of one. But, apparently I had made the situation worse by kissing them both, even though I was supposed to be choosing. I didn’t know what to do anymore.
“I’ve never been a part of a threesome before. I don’t know the kind of love that comes with such trust. But, I know I want you to myself,” Cole added softly.
I nodded.
And got up.
