Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 78647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“I bet you get questions about not being enough for each other.”
“All the time.” Jake looked at his husband and Shane had no question about his feelings for the man. He never had. “You’ve seen us together. Do we look in danger of getting bored?”
Remembered heat filled Shane. He’d watched them fuck each other more than once. Had even found himself a little envious of their bond in the past, too. It was there, the love they shared, in every touch. But he’d never felt left out either. It just hadn’t been that kind of relationship. Fun was fun. “Not in the least.” No, he’d been nothing but envious after having never experienced that kind of connection with anyone. Until now.
The thought shocked the hell out of him.
“What epiphany did you just hit?” Aaron crossed his muscular arms on the table.
“That obvious, huh?” He nodded and the expression he graced Shane with then held so much understanding he frowned at him. “You using your psychological degree on me?”
“Sure am. And unfortunately, I’m getting the feeling that’s the only thing I’ll get to use on you tonight.” He nodded toward the door. “You interested in that kid?”
“He’s not really a kid at twenty-four, and I’m not sure it’s ‘interested.’ We’re getting together, but we both agreed to keep it casual. But yeah, sorry. I’m not really up to our usual fun tonight. I should have called and canceled.”
“What? Why?” Jake shook his head. “We’re still friends. Even if we don’t have sex again, I know we’d both like to keep it that way.” He looked at his husband, who nodded in agreement.
He looked at each of them, both handsome, both great in bed, and the three of them did have a fantastic time. But right then, he didn’t want anyone other than Quinn. He didn’t know how long that would last, but it was what it was. “Thanks. I would like to stay friends. And I’m not saying we’ll never get together again. I’m just, I don’t know, a little confused right now.”
“A little confused or a lot attached.” Aaron lifted an eyebrow.
“Not a lot, but more than I’m used to.” Shane sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not one for relationships. Hell, the only other sort of relationship I’ve had was something similar to what I have with you guys. A friends-with-benefits situation. I’m not even friends with this guy. Not really. We haven’t known each other that long.”
“Sometimes, when it’s real, it doesn’t take long at all.” Aaron put his arm around Jake and tugged him close. “We knew right away.”
He studied them and tried to think of a future where he was in a relationship with Quinn and pulled in a third. He loved threesomes and always had, but the anger that idea gave him shocked the fuck out of him. He wouldn’t want to share Quinn. At all.
And that alone scared him more than any other thought he’d had that evening.
Chapter Fifteen
Laughter spilled from the conference room when Quinn walked into the Merleau office. He followed the voices, slowly prying his hands out of the tight fists he’d had them in all morning. He’d spent the night at Ward after all and instead of losing himself in a game as usual, he’d lain on the couch staring at the ceiling most of the night. That had been better than the images that blasted through his mind like a nightmare slide show every time he closed his eyes. Shane wrapped up in two sets of arms and legs. Some of the pictures were beautiful with the different skin tones writhing together, covered in sweat, but because it was Shane sporting one set of those limbs, all he felt was a weird sort of sick anger.
By two in the morning, he’d been wishing he was a drinker and had considered searching the building for liquor.
He was actually jealous. They’d made no promises to each other, but he’d believed he’d be the only one in Shane’s bed while they had this…agreement.
He recognized Hollis’s southern drawl as he strolled into the room and found Shane, Ethan, Hollis, and Hollis’s fiancé, Ian Pierce, sitting around the conference table.
“Hey!” Ian stood with a welcoming smile, his slim body fashionably dressed as it was every time Quinn had ever seen him—this time in what he probably considered casual wear. Skinny jeans, ripped at the knee and a beige cashmere sweater. A thin, multi-colored scarf draped his neck to dangle in front of his chest. “I didn’t know you were going to be here, Quinn. It’s nice to see you. I brought plenty.” He pointed at two open boxes of pastries. “You probably have to fight over these when I take them to Rowe’s office. Noah hoards them.”
“He does,” Quinn agreed as he grabbed a napkin and a pastry. He glanced down to see how wrinkled his button-down was over his T-shirt and jeans and grimaced when he realized it was worse than usual. He couldn’t imagine pairing a scarf with his sense of hobo style. “I love these. Thanks.”