Author: Roni Loren
“Uh-oh. Why don’t we just forget I said anything?”
“Not a chance.”
Silence fell between the three of them while she finished cooking, and Jace worried that Andre had pushed Evan back into her shell with that ridiculous question. But when she divvied out portions onto plates and turned around, her easy smile had returned. She set a plate down in front of each of them and rolled her eyes as she took in their expressions. “Relax, guys. I’m not going to run out the door because you asked me a question. I’d just rather not discuss my relationship while I’m here.”
That made two of them. Jace would rather forget Dr. Dan existed at all, at least for the weekend. “We promise not to tread there again, Ev.”
“It’s fine. Now eat before it gets cold.” She pointed at their plates, and they both obliged her. She joined in, taking a few bites from her own plate as she studied the two of them. Her gaze turned serious. “Listen, I know this is an odd situation, and I’m still figuring things out as I go along here. But I want you both to know that when I’m with you, I’m fully with you. I’m not thinking of anyone else or anything outside of here. Okay?”
Her declaration had Jace wanting to be with her again right at that moment, but he forked a bite of scrambled egg instead. If he jumped her every time he had the urge too, they’d never make it through a meal. “Same here, babe. You’re our sole focus this weekend.”
“Our obsession, really,” Andre added, his expression comically solemn. “I doubt either of us could even conjure up the image of another woman if we tried.”
She laughed and pointed the piece of bacon she’d lifted off her plate at him. “You’re only obsessed because you’re the one who hasn’t gotten laid in the last twelve hours.”
Andre looked her up and down with unabashed appreciation. “Don’t sell yourself short, mamacita. Me wanting you has nothing to do with a few hours of deprivation. If it were only about a stiff dick, I could’ve gone back to the main house last night.”
Her nipples became noticeable points beneath her shirt—Andre’s words as good as a pinch—and Jace’s mouth went dry. Andre leaned forward on his elbows and peered into her mug. “Well, would you look at that? Seems you’re all done with that coffee.”
Evan licked her lips, obviously registering Andre’s meaning. She peeked over at Jace, checking in with him, giving him the reins whether she realized what she was doing or not. The rush of power it gave him was like a needle full of adrenaline. She was stunning regardless, but when she slipped into the sub role, it tore the air right from his lungs. He didn’t deserve the gift, didn’t deserve that level of submission or loyalty from her. But hell if he was going to turn it down right now.
He shoved his plate aside. “I think you’re done with breakfast, pet.”
“Seems so, sir.” The corner of her mouth quirked up, but Jace also sensed nervous energy rolling off her.
Nice. He liked her a little on edge. It would only make things better for all involved. He opened his mouth to give her the next command, but Andre’s hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him. “Let me top her this time, J.”
Jace choked back the groan of frustration before it made its way out. Leave it to Andre to immediately push him right to the limit. Andre rarely asked to be the lead dom in a ménage, so Jace had a feeling this was more about their conversation this morning than anything else. Knowing Andre, he’d probably relegate Jace to a watch-but-don’t-touch role just to prove a point.
Jace glanced at Evan, who was observing their exchange intently, and reminded himself that this weekend was about her. He loosened his fists, which had automatically clenched. “No problem. Evan agreed to be submissive to both of us, so go ahead.”
He said the words with what he hoped was a relaxed tone, even though it was going to be a tortuous test of will to watch Andre dominate her and not be the one controlling the situation. He could do this. He wanted Evan to have the experience of being shared—of knowing what it was like to pleasure and be pleasured by two very different men.
And despite the possessiveness he’d been wrangling with, he knew he could trust Andre with Evan. The guy could piss him off, but he was also one of his best friends and would never do anything out of line. Andre’s restraint with Evan up until this point had proven that.
Plus, Jace knew if he could focus on the right things, seeing Evan submit to Andre would turn him on. Beyond the sheer forbidden aspect of watching two people fuck, Andre’s method of dominance brought out a different side of a woman than Jace’s more in-your-face style. The guy turned it into an art form and it was sexy as hell to watch a girl get worked over by him.
Many women suspected Andre’s smoother approach would make him an easier master. But Jace knew better. Andre was velvet-gloved seduction, but he also was filled with unnatural amounts of patience. He’d seen some of the toughest subs break down into desperate tears, outright begging for release by the end of a session with Andre.
Of course, Andre never denied a woman that reward. He just didn’t rush to get there.
Though based on the hooded gaze Andre shot Evan, Jace wondered if she had even managed to drive Mr. Slow Hands to his breaking point. Every man had his limits.
Jace just hoped that Evan wouldn’t push him past his own.
Andre knew it was killing Jace to not be in charge right now, but he was doing it this way for the guy’s own good. Hopefully, this would force Jace to get a grip. Because whether Jace wanted to admit it or not, he looked at Evan differently than he had any other woman Andre had ever seen him with.
And nobody wanted to see Jace open up his heart again more than Andre did. He’d watched Jace’s bitch of an ex-wife break down a man who’d had such a hopeful, idealistic spirit and turn him into the guarded soul Jace was now. But Evan couldn’t be the one. When Andre had asked her the question about her fiancé, he could feel her honesty in her answer. She was already in love with someone else. Getting attached to her wasn’t an option.
The knowledge pained Andre as well. He hadn’t done more than kiss Evan and already he was feeling an undeniable draw toward her. There was something about her that tugged at him, made him want to know everything about her life. What made her laugh. What made her toss and turn so much at night. Why she loved some guy who didn’t seem to fit her at all.
But it wasn’t his right to delve into those areas. He had to be content with the here and now, focus on the physical. It was something he was used to doing. Hell, he’d kept his feelings hidden from Jace well enough all these years. He certainly should be able to keep emotion out of things for a weekend.
Andre turned to Evan, the stark anticipation in her pale blue eyes drawing all his thoughts back to where they should be. He crooked a finger at her. “Come here, bella. I want to feel that beautiful body of yours next to mine.”
Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip, but after a second’s hesitation, she moved around the island and slipped between his and Jace’s chairs. Jace swiveled on his stool, bracketing Evan from behind with his spread knees, but not touching her. Evan’s eyes widened a bit, the awareness that she was caged between two men obviously not lost on her. Good.
Andre tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ear, then cupped her jaw. “Any more doubts? If so, you need to tell me now.”
She shook her head, her cheeks coloring. But there was humor in her expression. “No, I’m officially a hussy who wants two men.”
Jace chuckled behind her. “Doesn’t make you a hussy, pet. Just makes you awesome.”
“Makes you perfect, actually.” Andre ran a thumb along her moistened bottom lip, and her entire body shuddered, causing her pert nipples to strain against the thin material of the dress shirt. Man, he loved that—loved that a simple look or brush of skin could rouse her. He hoped to get the chance to explore that gift to its fullest. Bring her to the edge with the slightest of touches, warm breaths, and sensual suggestion. Have her half out of her mind with desire before he even allowed himself the pleasure of being inside her.
Imagining all the possibilities had his dick throbbing, and he closed his eyes briefly to reel himself in. He prided himself on his patience, but the repeated erotic overload with no release was taking its toll. If he didn’t stop weaving fantasies about all the ways he wanted to be with Evan he was going to shoot off like an excited teenager before he even got her naked.
When he opened his eyes again, Evan was watching him, a shy smile teasing at her lips. “I’d love to know what you’re thinking, sir.”
“How ’bout I show you instead.” He leaned forward, unable to resist sampling her mouth for another second. She let out a little sigh as her lips parted, accepting his kiss and then matching his pace when he dialed up the intensity. The earlier kiss had been a test of his restraint, but now he had no more reason to hold back. Right now he was going to indulge in what he’d wanted since the moment he laid eyes on her in that hotel lobby.
He moved his lips to her neck and blazed a trail of open-mouth kisses down her throat and sternum, savoring her flavor. Mmm. Like salted caramel—sweet femininity mixed with earthy arousal. He nuzzled her breast, eliciting a shiver from her, then claimed her nipple through the thin shirt, sucking and teasing until the cotton turned translucent. She let out a soft moan and arched backward, leaning into Jace’s arms for support.
Andre glanced upward to catch Jace staring down at the scene, green eyes swirling with hunger. Andre’s own desire jumped up a notch as he met his friend’s gaze. These were the moments that kept Andre going. The times when the barriers of friendship and sexuality fell away and he got to indulge in both a beautiful woman and his best friend without worry. Nothing else ever gave him the same feeling of freedom. And he couldn’t deny that having Evan between them added a sense of rightness that he hadn’t felt before.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Jace asked.
“So beautiful.” Andre brought his full focus back to Evan’s sweet, yielding flesh and tugged at the open collar of her shirt. “I barely slept last night thinking about how good you felt against me. Don’t make me wait another second to see you naked.”
Her hands lifted to her top button, but Jace grasped her wrists and pulled them back. “Allow me, pet. It’d be my pleasure to undress you . . . for Andre.”
Andre could tell those last two words were difficult for Jace to add. Damn. Never before had he seen the guy struggle so much with sharing. Jace thrived on ménage—it was part of who he was, his sexual makeup.
Guilt niggled at Andre. Maybe forcing Jace to play second with Evan was a bit cruel, but there was no going back now. It was for everyone’s own good. He couldn’t stand by and watch Jace fall for the wrong girl again. He hadn’t stepped in when he’d suspected Diana was more manipulator than submissive to Jace. He’d thought his own mixed-up feelings for his friend had clouded his judgment. But then Diana had crushed Jace in a way that Andre had feared could never be repaired.
He wouldn’t stand by again—even if Evan’s effect on Jace was unintentional—and watch Jace get hurt. Andre would do whatever it took to protect Jace from himself.
“Are you okay with me undressing her?” Jace asked, his voice tight.
Evan looked at Andre, her pupils dilated and her face flushed with heat.
He nodded. “Yes, please do.”
Jace lowered Evan’s arms to her sides and then reached around her to start unbuttoning the shirt from behind. He worked from the top down, each unfastened button revealing another tempting expanse of smooth ivory skin. And even though Andre had seen her naked the night before, he found himself holding his breath as he waited to see all of her again, knowing that this time he wasn’t restricted to keeping his hands to himself.
