Chapter Twenty-Three
Gunner
I pushed open my front door and flicked on the light. “My place is kind of a dump,” I said but made sure not to sound like I was apologizing for it.
It was my apartment, after all. I worked hard to pay for it, and I always figured if someone had a problem with my home, then they could just leave.
Except now that Malcolm and Maddox were both standing in my living room, I really wanted them to stick around. “Let me grab you a beer, Maddox. You want anything, Malcolm?”
“Just water,” he said.
When I came back, they were still standing together near the door. Malcolm had his hands deep in his pockets and that gentle look on his face. Maddox stood beside him, his stubble looking fuller than usual next to Malcolm’s light beard.
Fucking hell… two hotties in my apartment.I felt like I had won the damn lottery.
Maddox rested his hand on Malcolm’s chin and tilted his head up to face him. “You really get yourself in some situations, huh, kid?”
Malcolm laughed, holding his eye. “It’s Gunner’s fault,” he said.
“You can thank me later,” I said, handing them their drinks. My mind was already racing with fantasies of what might happen next. With Maddox towering over us, however, I knew he was going to be calling the shots. He knew things I didn’t, and the more time we spent together, the more I wanted to learn from him.
The more I wanted him to teach me.
Maddox took a drink from his bottle, then set it down on the small coffee table in my living room. “Do you boys know what you’re getting into?” he asked, his face scrunched up with concern. “You’ve got a special thing going. Are you certain you want some old guy like me stepping in?”
Malcolm stepped by my side, and I instinctively threw my arm over his shoulder. “I know exactly what I want,” I answered, holding Maddox’s eye.
“Me, too,” Malcolm added. “Or, at least, I’m starting to figure it out.”
“That’s good,” Maddox said. “But I need to be clear about what I’m offering, too. You know I have my life out in the mountains, and I’m trying to keep my head down. That means I’m not going to be coming down to the city every weekend or sweeping you two off your feet.”
“We get it,” I said, letting my hand trail down from Malcolm’s shoulder to his hip. “It’s a one-time thing.”
Maddox scoffed, then took another drink of his beer. “I didn’t say that,” he answered coolly.
My heartbeat quickened. “If you want to stick around,” Malcolm said, “we’ll have you.”
I liked the way he said that.We.
Maddox studied us with his eyes, devouring every inch of our bodies. I tried to read the expression on his face. He looked strained, almost sad, but there was still that fire in his eyes, the flames of a man who was used to getting what he wanted.
He stepped forward. “This is tonight,” he said, then stepped closer once again. “This is one evening, but I need you to know, nothing changes between us. No matter what happens, I’ll be there for you. No matter what you decide you want or don’t want, I’m still going to follow through on our commitments. I’m still going to do what I can to help you.”
I heard Malcolm swallow behind me and felt his trembles against my side. I pulled my hand from his hip to the firm globes of his backside, squeezing. “Trust me,” I said. “We’ve already decided what we want. And it’s you.”
Maddox’s lips turned up the corners of his mouth in a sly smile as he crossed the last distance between us. “And I know what I want, too,” he said.
Malcolm whimpered, and Maddox laid his hands on the back of our heads. We stood there for a moment, feeling the heat between us. I inhaled Maddox’s woodsy scent, the pheromones not quite overpowering the sweet taste of Malcolm, rich in the air. With my cock rapidly hardening, Maddox turned my face toward Malcolm’s, and we began to kiss.
My hand grabbed his ass, squeezing harder, and he wriggled against me as our tongues met and our lips caressed. Maddox kept his hand on the back of my head, like he was guiding me as I embraced Malcolm. I pulled him closer with every flick of my tongue or nibble on his lip.
When we came up for air, Maddox’s gaze was burning into us. “Good,” he said. “Good.”
Malcolm adjusted his glasses, panting a little to catch his breath.
“Bedroom?” I asked, my cock already achingly hard.
My mattress was flat on the ground, with no bed frame to hold it, but at least I had clean sheets and pillowcases for the guys. When I pushed open the door, I took a second to shove aside some of the dirty dishes and clothes I had let gather over the week. My imagination was racing through so many filthy ideas that my hands started to tremble. When I turned back around, Malcolm was leaned up against Maddox’s side, the same as he leaned up against me earlier.
