Staking Their Claim

Staking Their Claim Addie Ruben divorced a year ago. Though she’s had a year to recover, she struggles with self-worth and the mistakes she’s made. So when she returns to Barley Hill where she grew up, she discovers that she isn’t the only one who’s changed. Her best friend TJ isn’t content to sit on the side and wait any longer. He’s going to claim Addie once and for all. When his roommate Cale joins in, Addie gets a little more than she bargained for and the town gossips have set their tongues to wagging. Addie learns to trust her judgment, which was shaky to begin with, in order to fight off the town naysayers, keep the board of education from firing TJ and Cale, and defend her newfound confidence before the whole town. Fortunately, she has two men at her side who love her through it all, and this time Addie isn’t afraid of what the future holds. Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre Length: 50,769 words 

STAKING THEIR CLAIM

Katie Blu

MÉNAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

STAKING THEIR CLAIM Copyright © 2011 by Katie Blu E-book ISBN: 1-61926-096-4 First E-book Publication: December 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Staking Their Claim by Katie Blu from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Katie Blu’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Blu’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION To Julia Rachel Barrett without whose encouragement I might not have tried something new. Love you, woman. To Jennifer Armintrout, aka Abigail Barnette, who read and reread this book before I ever submitted it. To her gentle spirit and kindness and to the kick in the pants that made this book work. Thank you. ~Katie

STAKING THEIR CLAIM KATIE BLU Copyright © 2011

Chapter One “Addie Ruben.” TJ Layton grabbed Addie in a bear hug. “Or is it still Jasper? Tell me you changed your name back after the divorce.” “Yes, it’s Ruben again,” Addie said. She settled into the hug, unexpectedly tearful and happy to be home. He soothed a hand down her back, holding her close. “It feels great to hug you again, gorgeous.” Addie swatted his butt. “Flirt.” “All truth, I swear.” TJ held her at arm’s length, taking a good look at her. Addie’s cheeks tightened in a wide smile. It felt damn good to smile again. TJ looked fantastic. Had it really been ten years since she’d seen him? That’s what was amazing about their friendship: it always felt like they’d seen each other yesterday and were picking up where they’d left off. But then, if that were true, they’d be at their college graduation with her then-husband dragging her off before the party began. She had to mentally shake herself. Some memories are best left in the dust. You can’t do them over, Addie. You just do them right this time. TJ took her hand and led her to the baggage carousel. Churning machinery and a swirling human tide kept conversation down to

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simple smiles and nods until she found her beat-up blue hard-shell. She grabbed the handle to haul it off, but TJ brushed her aside and took it for her. Her ex had never done anything to help her unless she begged him. She’d learned to stop asking. Gratitude flooded her chest, squeezing her lungs. The tears filling her eyes before she blinked them back had everything to do with recognizing all the little things she’d forfeited when she’d married the douche bag. “Thank you,” she shouted a little too loudly. TJ gave her a funny expression but nodded. “Any more suitcases?” She shook her head. Taking her hand again, he dragged her suitcase behind them as they walked to his car. “I can’t believe I’m finally home.” “Me either.” He lifted the case into the back of his SUV, shut the hatch, and opened her car door for her. When he got in the driver’s seat, he started the ignition and fiddled with the steering wheel thoughtfully. “Addie? Why didn’t you come home right after the divorce was final?” “I needed time, I guess.” It came out sounding like a question. “The stuff in my marriage was hard to deal with. I needed a year away to ground myself. I’m proud of getting away from him. I never thought I’d have the strength to leave.” “So why did you? What was the final straw?” Her cheeks burned as she remembered the night he’d slapped her across the face. The first time he’d ever hit her had also been the last. It had been the jolt she’d needed. Like a person living in shock until someone had literally knocked some sense into her. That slap had been her wake-up moment. He’d done countless things to belittle her, said horrible words that had felt normal coming from him. She’d never, in a million years, said anything so hurtful and callous to another human being. Yet, she’d endured it.

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“Do you remember biology with Dr. Boyd?” She waited for him to murmur agreement. “He told us that if you put a frog in boiling water, he jumps out. If you put a frog in a pot of water and slowly turn up the heat until it boils, he’ll stay put until he dies.” “I remember,” TJ said quietly. “My marriage was the slowly heating pot, and I was the frog. Barry made the mistake of turning up the heat from slightly uncomfortable to boiling. I jumped out.” He put his hand over hers. “I’m glad you did. You’re too good for him.” She smiled brightly, shaking off the dark cloud of memory. “I am, aren’t I?” He laughed. “Absolutely. If you’d married me, you’d never have cause to complain.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “But TJ, you never asked.” TJ backed out of the parking space and maneuvered through the garage. His attention flicked left and right, making sure he followed the signs out. “It’s a mistake I’ll never forgive myself for,” he murmured. Addie looked at his profile sharply. They’d been friends forever. Was he just feeling guilty that he hadn’t spared her the pain and humiliation of life with Barry? Or was he telling her something else? Was she even ready to know the answer to that? Living a year on her own without a husband and without her home had been the hardest thing she’d ever done, but she’d succeeded. She had a great job as a phone counselor, she could work from any location with Internet, and she’d taken time to heal. There’d always be things she’d have to consciously work through. But that was the case with any life event. The irony was that she could see other people’s problems so much clearer than her own. Divorce attacked the core of her sense of self. It had redefined who she’d thought she was. She’d learned she was a hell of a lot

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stronger, smarter, and more resilient than she’d believed. And now she was actively teaching other women the same lesson. That year away, she knew that she’d needed to rediscover what she wanted out of life. It was a whole new kind of graduation. She’d stayed away from dating, knowing it wouldn’t be fair to herself, depending on someone else instead of making her own way. It also wouldn’t have been fair to the men she dated. The lack of trust, fostered by her history with Barry, wouldn’t have allowed her to relax around anyone. He would have won, yet again. Every day away from him, she threw a little more grave dirt on their relationship. Each handful was a liberation. Addie looked out the window. TJ seemed to recognize her need for silence. She’d forgotten how easy it was to be with him. How free. How simple. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to actually rest against the seat, not realizing she’d been tense. Already, stress had dissipated. The quiet, sleepy streets of Barley Hill were cloaked in low, gray clouds of winter, like a thick cotton muffler. She loved the pine trees arrowing up between naked maple and gnarled elm. Dry grass, spotted with valiant patches of green, flipped and blew in sudden gusts of wind. Granules of snow snaked across the road, or buffeted against the edge of lawns where smooth sidewalk became brittle grass. Christmas lights turned on, brightening the neighborhoods with the equivalent of an electric smile. Cheery in the darkening evening. TJ took the second left off of Juniper. Old Mrs. Cobb had stuck her plastic snowmen in the lawn before it froze, it seemed. Rudolf, stilled in mid-leap, his nose blinking, sported a knitted black cape and booties. Some things never change. Farther down, the small yellow gingerbread house she’d grown up in sparkled with white icicle lighting across the entire front porch. Her heart felt lighter.

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**** TJ pulled up, and Addie barely waited for the SUV to stop before leaping out and taking her first deep breath of frigid, pine-scented Barley Hill air. “Oh, my God,” she murmured, spinning in a circle. “I’m home.” She twirled slowly in the middle of the driveway. TJ’s eyes filled with her. Flakes dotted the air, and Addie lifted her face, childlike, to the sky. The breeze nipped her cheeks, turning them a healthy pink as she spun. A giggle leapt from her mouth. Of all the images of her locked in his mind over the years, he knew he’d never forget this one. Her long brown hair spilled off her shoulders and down her back. The bright curls moved with her. She looked delicious, all wrapped up like a candy-Addie in her brown suede coat with white trim. TJ laughed. “C’mon. Let’s get you inside. I’ll come back for your luggage in a minute. Your mom would kill me if I kept you from her.” Addie hugged herself. Her smile was wide, and her big brown eyes twinkled. “I’ve always known you were afraid of Mom.” “Terrified.” Addie walked quickly ahead of him and up the four wide steps to the front porch. TJ loped to catch up with her, knowing what she didn’t. Mrs. Ruben had hooked mistletoe on the porch. She reached for the storm door as TJ caught her elbow and spun her around, straight into his arms. She looked up at him, eyes wide with surprise and a bemused smile on her lips. Yeah, this is exactly where she needed to be, he thought. He cuddled her closer. “I forgot to warn you.” “About fly-by huggings?” “The mistletoe sneak attack.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her and watched as awareness dawned on her upturned face. She glanced overhead, her lips parting slightly when she saw the greenish sprig.

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When her gaze returned to his again, still slightly uncertain, he leaned in and rubbed her nose in an Eskimo kiss. Addie giggled, threw her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled him back. Girding himself for her reaction, he dipped lower, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Addie froze. He pulled back enough to gauge her expression, then thought, to hell with it, and decided to kiss her the way he’d wanted to for countless years. He cupped her cheek with one hand, holding her steady. At Addie’s sweet gasp, he settled his mouth on hers. Her lips were smooth as warm silk, her breath like forbidden honey as he traced the seam of her lips, seeking entrance. Addie pushed his chest. Hard. TJ let her go. Hurt and accusation darted at him from her eyes. “Don’t. Don’t do that again,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion. “I just—Merry Christmas,” he muttered, feeling like a dick. He’d wanted to be with her for so long. It wasn’t like Addie’s return to town meant he had a shot. He understood that the dynamic of their relationship had always been as good friends. But he’d hoped there could be more. She was home. Unattached. Free to date whomever, and he’d wanted to be that nameless one who had the privilege of showering her beautiful face with kisses and monopolizing her free time. He’d waited too long last time, and someone else had snapped her up before TJ had known he’d lost his chance. He wasn’t going to wait this time. Except, now it looked like she’d sidelined him. Addie’s smile disappeared. He’d been a moron. No, a jackass, to assume on her. She’d never led him on. He’d had no reason to think things had changed between them. But… She glanced over her shoulder at the front door. Planning her escape? Folding her arms across her chest, she turned her attention back to him.

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“Don’t pity me. I don’t need that,” she said. “God, Addie, that wasn’t pity.” She lifted her chin, looked him directly in the eye. “Wasn’t it? Here comes Addie, home from a failed marriage.” “If you thought that was pity, I did something wrong.” Addie cocked her head to the side, narrowing her eyes as she watched him. “Then what? The spirit of Christmas smacked you upside the head and commanded you to pucker?” He shouldn’t smile, really. But damn if she didn’t have a way of making him grin. Fortunately she grinned, too, albeit a little selfconsciously. She sighed then, her breath puffing in the chill of the evening. “TJ, we’ve been friends for a long time. I know you’re glad I’m back. I also know you want me to forget.” “He was a jackass,” he agreed. Her smile lifted and then returned to normal. “He’s part of my life. A historical part of my life. You don’t have to feel sorry for me by filling in that apparent gap you perceive. Just because I don’t have a guy on my arm doesn’t mean I need one there. I’ve managed on my own all year. By choice.” TJ shifted from side to side. A gust of wind blew at his back, and he moved to block it from hitting her. “Actually, I was kissing you for purely selfish reasons.” Addie’s eyebrows climbed her forehead in disbelief. “I happen to enjoy the prospect of laying lips on yours.” “Gimme a break. I know I’m not anyone’s catch.” Irritation stilled him. “Excuse me?” “Never mind. I’m sorry. It was just a holiday mistletoe kiss. I’ve gone and blown it way out of proportion by making it a talking point.” She rose up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Merry Christmas.” She turned and shook her head. “I swear, I’m like a walking daytime drama.”

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TJ had to grab the storm door as she slipped inside, so quickly she moved from cold porch to warm home. “Addie,” he whispered loud enough for her to hear several steps away. She glanced back, smiling and open, a question in her eyes. “This isn’t over.” “Of course it is. I made it a big deal when it wasn’t one. I guess I’m still on edge about every little motive.” “Addie!” Her mother called, racing toward her with arms outstretched for a hug, and superbly cutting off anything else he’d meant to say. TJ tucked it away for later. They’d have dinner, and afterward, he’d tell her all the things he should have told her. He wouldn’t let her go on thinking anything but that she was the most desirable, sexiest, lush woman he’d ever met. His gut knotted. He just hoped it wouldn’t end their friendship by blowing it to smithereens. Did she still need time? Was he being selfish by barging forward to claim her, finally? The first attempt to woo her beneath the mistletoe had been a woo-fail. Addie’s mom hugged him next. “We don’t see enough of you anymore,” she admonished. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Ruben. Now that Addie’s home, you’ll probably see a lot more of me.” “Oh, I hope so.” She patted his cheek. “Are you still hanging around with that other boy?” To Mrs. Ruben, no one grew up. He hadn’t been a boy in a long time. “Cale Lucas? Yes, ma’am. I see a lot of him, just like old times.” “That’s nice. Addie, honey, you still have friends here. See?” “Mom, I’m already moving back. You don’t have to sell Barley Hill to me.” “A mother worries.” She smiled sweetly. “Wash up for dinner. Your father will be home soon. We’ll eat when he gets here.”

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Addie shrugged out of her coat and took TJ’s, while her mom disappeared into the kitchen. “You still hang out with Cale?” TJ nearly groaned, fearing the standard female response to his overly handsome best friend. Women fell all over themselves for a glimpse of Cale. Though Cale and Addie hadn’t gotten along well in high school and college, things changed. Did Addie hope to see him, too? I’m ready for the race and can’t even get out of the starting gate. “Why?” he asked, drawing out the word. She finished hanging his second jacket. When she turned, she had her delectable bottom lip caught beneath her teeth. Her nose wrinkled. “I’ve never understood why you two hung out.” “We’re friends.” “He’s so—sour.” “He’s serious and quiet. A perfect balance to my leap-first-thinklater reactions.” “I guess.” She didn’t sound convinced. “He’s aloof. Cold. Sneery. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that man smile.” Thank God for small favors. “He smiles.” “I’ll take your word for it. He always seemed to just tolerate me when we hung out.” A memory took hold, and her face animated. “One time in the hall, I called out to him because I was looking for you. He looked me dead in the eye and walked away before I could reach him.” “He always has his reasons,” TJ defended. “Maybe he was headed to the restroom or something equally urgent.” “Uh huh.” TJ laughed. “I’m serious.” “So am I.” “That was high school. He’s changed a lot.” The rolling motor of the garage door reached them. Mr. Ruben was home. TJ wouldn’t have much time to talk until after dinner. He

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really hoped she took the news that he wanted more than friendship a lot better than she’d taken the kiss. Addie led him into the dining room. “You’re such a nice, friendly guy. I don’t know how or why you and Cale became friends, but as long as he doesn’t rub off on you, I guess I can’t complain.” He leaned to whisper in her ear. “You can’t complain anyway. You left me five years ago. Cale picked up all my little pieces and glued me back together.” She giggled and nudged back with her elbow, connecting playfully with his belly. He gave a dramatic “Oof!” “Oh, okay, Humpty-Dumpty. I see how it is.” “You just don’t want to share my egg-salady self now that you’re back in town,” he teased. “And join you in a mixed-metaphor sandwich? I think I’ll leave that to you and Cale. I never was much of one for eggs, or Cale.” “Why, what’s this?” TJ said dramatically, flicking his fingers across her shoulder. “It looks like, a chip. A chip on your shoulder. Could it be, a potato chip to go with your egg-salad sandwich?” Addie groaned through her laughter. “Oh, my God, TJ. I’ve really missed you.” She turned her warm, affectionate gaze on him, and he knew his smile had to be splitting his face. “It’s good to have you back home where you belong, Addie. Really, really good.”

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Chapter Two Addie didn’t think there was anything more perfect than a cold night, a hot fire, and a room of people who loved her. After dinner, her parents had encouraged her to spend some time with TJ before he headed home. Not like that was a chore. TJ had always been her favorite person. Best friend, confidant, backup date for high-school formals and college keggers, TJ had been with her through the whole thing—with his brooding shadow, Cale. She might have actually liked Cale if he’d bothered to engage in conversation with her. Like old times, Addie and TJ went up to her room. She paused at the door, her hand on it after TJ had already entered, her nerves crackling. Now that she was an adult, did house rules still apply? Did she still have to keep the door open when there was a guy in her room? She rolled her eyes at herself. See what coming home does to you? Messes you all up. You’re a grown woman, Addie. Shut the door and enjoy talking to him without worrying if your parents are listening. She made a mental note to find an apartment and move out as soon as possible. She loved her parents, but this arrangement wasn’t going to suit any of them. After shutting the door, she walked to her bed where TJ already sprawled, his ankles crossed and his hands behind his head. He looked over and grinned, then patted the spot beside him. Just like old times. Except in old times, TJ had never kissed her, and if he had, she’d have laughed it off. This definitely wasn’t old times. And that man on her bed definitely wasn’t old TJ.

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Patting the spot next to him was an old running joke though, and one she took, using the familiarity of pattern to ease her nerves. She reached the side of the bed and shoved him. Old TJ would have made a production of rolling out of the way to forfeit the spot. New TJ, no longer a collection of bones and reddish, sandy hair, didn’t. New TJ, completely filled out and possessing superior upperbody strength, pulled her down on top of him and rolled her to the other side of the bed, where he left her. “I knew I’d win the battle one day,” he told her smugly. Addie huffed the hair out of her face and propped up on her side. “It was bound to happen.” He turned up on his side, facing her. Gently, he brushed her hair off her face. “You look amazing,” he said. “I’m dead tired, need a shower, a diet, and a whole new wardrobe.” “Why do you do that?” he asked. “Do what?” “Cut yourself down.” “I’m not. It’s true.” TJ frowned. “Would you ever tell someone you care about that she looked tired, stank, wore bad clothing, and you thought she should lose a few pounds?” She swallowed hard. The tiny record of Barry’s voice circling in her head made her wince. It was so ingrained, she didn’t even notice when she repeated the kinds of things he used to say about her. “I take it from that squinty, annoyed look that the answer is no,” he concluded. “I’d never tell anyone that.” “Then stop treating yourself like you’re less worthy of compliments.” She rolled to her back, staring up at the ceiling, until TJ blocked her view by hovering over her. She sighed. “Old habits,” she explained.

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“Burn to dust and scatter in the wind as long as you let them go.” She smiled. His gaze slipped to her mouth. A warm spiral started in her belly. She didn’t know what had changed, but something had. TJ was still TJ, but he wasn’t. He was a man, with a man’s angular jaw and five o’clock rusty shadow. In this position, his bangs swished off his forehead, and his shaggy locks curled a couple of inches on either side of his thick neck. His shoulders and face filled her view. They were the shoulders of a man who could easily carry her burdens if she let him. And the shoulders of a man who’d lifted and rolled with her, not even breaking a grunt in the process. Her body tingled as she remembered exactly what those few seconds had felt like. Her breasts mashed to his firm chest. His hips, narrower than hers, cradling a manly bulge as the weight of her body dropped on top. The shift of her body as he took her to the side, one arm around her so as not to let her drop too quickly. Then he’d looked at her with those teasing eyes. No longer boyish at all, but appreciative and—happy. Her mouth went dry as his expression slowly changed. She hadn’t said a word since his gentle reprimand. His gaze grew warmer. The smile became thoughtful. What was he thinking as he looked at her? Was he remembering the same kind of details? Did he like what he saw, the way she was noticing things about him? “Addie,” he began slowly. “There’s no mistletoe in here.” She’d have to take his word for it, since she couldn’t see beyond him. “Most likely not.” “When I kiss you this time, you aren’t allowed to accuse me of anything but wanting to kiss you.” Her heart galloped at his sweetly spoken words. He wants to kiss me? He seemed to be waiting for her to acknowledge what he’d said, so she nodded. “O–okay.”

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TJ descended, his spring-green eyes blurring as he got close. His breath tickled her lips. “So beautiful,” he murmured. Her cheeks flushed. She’d never been accused of beauty before, but he sounded sincere, and she wasn’t about to correct him. TJ’s mouth brushed hers. It could just as easily have been fingers for the quick touch and retreat. No full contact, just a “hey, these are my lips so don’t freak out” moment. The thought almost made her giggle, but that tiny touch had snagged her breath, and she was too busy waiting for the next touch. She didn’t wait long. His mouth swept back and forth on hers, not committing yet, merely settling into the perfect position. Addie nearly whimpered, needy for the connection he’d promised. Finally, he nestled his mouth to hers, kissing, withdrawing, taking every ounce of her senses with him in the feathery, moist touches. Fingers speared through her hair, stroking it. A small, pleasured sound rumbled from his throat. His chest pressed to her side, and he draped his thigh over hers, tucking his leg between hers. The slight shift changed everything. The swollen ridge of his cock pressed against her hip. His leg nudged her intimately, and she gasped as desire took hold of her. Something reverberated, echoing the pounding of her heart. She ignored it, sinking deeper into the intoxicating drug of TJ’s kiss. Addie parted her lips, arching her neck to encourage him closer. When TJ’s tongue flicked against hers, she eagerly responded. He moaned, the sound vibrating against her lips. She didn’t remember when she’d put her arms around him, but she had slid her fingers into his hair and pulled him to her. The heavy pounding sounded again. “Addie?” Like guilty children caught necking, they sprang apart. Addie licked her lips, propped up on her elbows. TJ put an arm over his eyes and groaned. Addie tried not to laugh, feeling his embarrassment equaled to her own.

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“Yes, Mom?” “Remember to keep the door open. The last thing you want,” Mrs. Ruben said as the door swung open, “is for the whole town to gossip about a divorcée seducing men in her bedroom. “Oh,” her mother said as she walked in. “Oh, dear.” Addie grabbed a bed pillow and dropped it on TJ’s lap as her mother turned around. TJ’s shoulders shook with laughter he held in check. “We’ll discuss this later. I think it’s time for TJ to go home.” Mrs. Ruben left. Addie busted out first. TJ curled in toward her, joining as tears of mirth squeezed out of the corner of her eyes. “Addie, you have to get your own place.” “I’ll start looking tomorrow.” “TJ?” Mrs. Ruben called. “I’m leaving now, Mrs. Ruben.” “Good boy.” He grinned at her as he swung his legs off the bed. “I intend to pick this up where we left off.” “When I have my own place,” she offered. “When you come to mine. Good night, Addie. I’m really glad you’re home.” “Me, too,” she agreed. TJ exited the room, and she listened to his quick, hopping tread down the stairs. She hugged the pillow to her chest. Coming home had been a great idea, she decided. Full of surprises, and damn, she couldn’t wait to see where things with TJ led. **** The next afternoon, Addie left her real-estate agent and walked across the parking lot as she scanned her incoming text messages. TJ had already asked her to come over for dinner and a movie. She’d

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agreed. That had been four hours ago. The last hour and a half had been a litter of texts about her preferences in movies and food and drinks and candles. It told her all she needed to know about his plans for the evening. The candles were the significant detail. He wanted romance. Giddy to see what his latest text read, she paused, still outside her car. “When are you coming?” it read. “Now,” she typed back. “Address?” TJ sent over the address and simple directions. Pretty much any address in Barley Hill was simple to get to, she thought. Good thing, because all she wanted to do was get there, see TJ, and pick up where they left off. And this time, it wasn’t reminiscing. It was seeing exactly what thoughts hid behind TJ’s hungry expression. Excitement expanded behind her breastbone as she imagined all the possibilities. She got into her car and turned on the engine, wondering how far she’d let it go. Was all-the-way too soon? She didn’t think so. With anyone else, definitely. With TJ, whom she’d known since toddler years? This just seemed the next natural step in their relationship. And she was all for it. But she had just come home. Would he think it was too fast? She hated trying to read people. If she was wrong in this case, it would make for a terrifically awkward leap in their friendship. We’re adults. We can laugh it off. I’ll joke about being hard up. He’ll tease me a few times, then it will be ignored. If she was right, and he did want to move into a romantic relationship, it could be good. Right? Thank God she’d lady-scaped. Addie drove the short distance to TJ’s house. His was a traditional 1920s Four-Square construction, well maintained. Red, green, and blue lights outlined the entire house and roof, tightly against the frame in perfect angles. A row of solar lamps lined the walkway, low to the ground and evenly disbursed among the white rock and baby hosta plants.

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It was more organized that she would have given TJ credit for, if she’d actually stopped to imagine his home. Not that TJ was messy, just that he was laid-back enough not to worry about the small stuff. Exact symmetry seemed like small stuff. Beautiful, tidy, visually pleasing small stuff. She’d barely touched the knocker when the door swung open. “It’s about time,” he teased, backing up to let her in. “Geez, it took me five whole minutes to get here. Traffic was hell,” she responded. He pushed the door closed behind her, grabbed the lapels of her coat and hauled her chilled body to his much-warmer one. She shivered automatically, even before he kissed her. Then she shivered again because she liked the way he kissed and how her knees felt weak by the time he stepped back, an impish grin on his face. “Been wanting to do that since last time,” he confessed. She followed him, not really knowing what to say in response. He handed her a glass of red wine, then clinked them together. “To us, and seeing what ‘us’ means in the new post-jackass era,” he toasted. “To us,” she repeated, pleased. After a sip and a moment of silence, she made a point of looking around the kitchen and into the dining room. “Your place looks amazing. It’s not what I would have guessed for you.” He looked amused. “Oh? And what did you envision?” “Well, you’re reliable but casual, so I would have guessed an apartment or duplex. I figured you’d have an association for the lawn needs, and a home filled with guy things.” “Are you saying my house is feminine?” She almost snorted her wine at the disdain in his voice. “No, but it’s extremely civilized for you.” “I think I’m supposed to take offense at that.” She shrugged playfully. “Beautiful antiques and Persian carpets are not what I think of when I think of you.”

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He sighed dramatically. “You got me. Most of what you see is my roommate’s aesthetic.” “The same person who put up the Christmas lights?” she probed. “You got it.” “Yeah,” she said, nodding. “I can see the parallel of taste and order in the lights, the decorations, and the yard.” “Does is make a difference that I did all the remodeling?” he asked. “Indeed it does. I’m quite impressed.” “As you should be,” he asserted. “So what does this tell you about my roommate, counselor?” “He?” she began, waiting for TJ’s affirmative before she continued. “Likes order. The neutral colors and dark woods suggest he’s quiet or keeps to himself. He seems to appreciate a feeling of comfort and hominess, given the materials and the decorations. He has grounded himself here by actually putting paint and pictures of art on the wall. I saw a table of photos, but we walked past them, and they were across the room. Family pictures?” He nodded again, smiling encouragement. “Yours and his?” “Yep.” He sipped his wine. “Hm. Since they are together with yours, I’d say he feels pretty comfortable considering you and your family to be as much about you as it is him. A close friend?” “Uh huh.” “The bright colors out front surprise me. My guess is that you picked them out, but he hung them, so, he was in favor or isn’t rigid in his ideals.” “You’re pretty good at this.” “You can tell a lot about a person from their home,” she informed him. “You like it—the way he’s decorated,” TJ mused. “I do. It feels like a home. It also feels—safe. Is that weird?”

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“Not at all.” She sipped her wine, studied TJ. “Anyone you live closely with, and trust that much, must be a pretty awesome person.” “He is.” Her eyes narrowed. Having guessed who he was, she needed only to acknowledge her suspicions. “Cale?” “Cale,” he affirmed. “Does it bother you?” “Is he here right now?” “No.” “Then it doesn’t bother me.” “Will it bother you when you’re over here some future moment and he’s here, too?” Addie thought about it for a moment. Her gaze took in the scope of the joined rooms. She walked from the kitchen, through the dining room, to the living-room archway, which extended into the front hall, before coming back to TJ. She adored TJ, always had. When he had a friend, they stayed a friend forever. His track record with people really was outstanding. Looking around the home and seeing all the cues to Cale’s personality that she wouldn’t have known otherwise did put a different light on things. She didn’t know why Cale avoided her, or ignored her. Maybe it was time to find out by cornering him over coffee and asking him point-blank. She did want to know. If Cale was as important to TJ as he seemed to be, then she owed it to TJ to get along with him. The person who decorated this home, the infusion of character visually apparent here, spoke volumes about complexities she’d like to know. If he was open to it. Addie had been silent for some time when her gaze met TJ’s again. “No, seeing Cale wouldn’t bother me. I definitely need to clear the air with him, but anyone you trust so implicitly as to make him an active part of your life is someone worth knowing.”

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TJ seemed relieved. “I’m glad to hear it. I’m hoping you have plenty of reasons to visit here often. It would suck if you avoided coming because of Cale.” “What does he do?” she asked. “He teaches at the Barley Hill Middle School with me.” “You’re the cool math teacher and he’s…” “The angsty English teacher.” TJ took her wine glass from her and put it down with his on the marble serving bar. He cupped her face in his hands. “Did I mention that it’s great having you home?” She laughed. “Once or twice.” “How hungry are you?” “Not hungry enough,” she murmured, rising on her toes to kiss him. She loosely circled her arms around his waist, loving the way his body swayed toward her, and the moment their chests touched. TJ backed her against the butcher-block island and lifted her to sit on its edge. From this position she had to lean down to kiss him, but he also made use of the new disparity in their heights, by trailing kisses along her neck. TJ undid all three snaps on her collar, exposing deep cleavage to the tiny satin bow central on her bra. He took a step back. Feeling self-conscious, she rolled her shoulders in and gripped the edge of the island. “God, you’re gorgeous.” He traced the newly revealed flesh with the tips of his fingers, raising goose bumps on her body and beading her still-hidden nipples. With the backs of his fingers, he stroked the inner swell of her left breast. She wanted to draw him close again, keep him from looking at her, and get right into the making out. She’d been less than desirable to Barry. She didn’t want TJ to find anything that he didn’t like about her.

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She watched his expression carefully, waiting for a sneer, a smirk, a comment about how sex with her would be better if she lost twenty pounds. Anxiety in waiting for the words seemed to multiply, until she was nearly shaking with dread. “Please stop looking at me,” she whispered. God, she sounded so pathetic. But how did she explain that harsh words from him would fall a lot harder on her than anything Barry had ever said? TJ’s expression clouded with anger. “If I ever see that asshole again, I’m going to kill him for making you feel like this.” He stepped between her legs. Skimming his hands down her tight arms, he slowly soothed her trembling. The soft kisses returned, and he exuded no pressure to take things further. She hadn’t been with a man since leaving Barry, and he had been only her second experience. If she did it wrong, she wouldn’t even know until TJ laughed. Mentally, she chastised herself. TJ would never laugh at her. She knew that. But some things were ingrained with expectation, and she’d come to expect the worst from her lover. “TJ?” He nuzzled her neck. “Hm?” “Can you—would you.” She winced when he looked up at her, so she squeezed her eyes tight and hoped her question wouldn’t wreck everything. “Make love to me?” His hands stopped rubbing her arms, and he’d grown silent. She kept her eyes closed as the blush hit her cheeks with stinging heat. “Open your eyes, Addie.” She let out a pent-up breath and did as he asked. He wasn’t laughing. He didn’t look at her with pity. His expression was unreadable though. “I want nothing more than to make love to you, but I don’t want you to regret it once we have.” Her shoulders crunched up under her ears.

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“What are you afraid of?” he asked. He seemed to sense the reason for her discomfort, and he softened his voice. “Are you afraid that telling me what you want will change how I feel about you?” “Maybe.” “You’ve been in my life for as long as I can remember, and you’ll be in my life until I can no longer remember. Nothing will change that. Tell me what you want.” “It might sound stupid.” He shrugged. “If it is, I’ll make sure you know how wrong you are and how right I am. That’s a promise.” He grinned mischievously, putting her more at ease. She smiled nervously, her throat dry as she screwed up her courage. She’d already asked him to make love to her. The rest would be a lot simpler. She hoped. “Let me help,” he started. “You want me to make love to you.” He kissed her jaw, her neck, suckled her earlobe. “Baby, I’m halfway there.” “My ex made me feel like being with me was a chore. I don’t know. Maybe I’m bad at it. But he wouldn’t look at me when we had sex.” “Bastard.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I’d like to make love with someone who doesn’t make me feel like I disgust him.” He seemed to choose his next words carefully. “Are you asking me to make love to you as a favor?” She smiled and nodded with relief that he understood and hadn’t laughed. TJ sighed. “I can’t do it.”

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Chapter Three Her smile faltered. “Not because I don’t want to make love to you. I can’t do it as a favor, because I really want to make love to you. I’m not talking a pity fuck, or a jump-back-in-the-saddle fuck.” He caught her chin and forced her to look at him. “When I make love to you, Addie, it’s because I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be intimate with. Making love wouldn’t be a one-time deal. If we make love, it will be thorough and often.” Is he saying what I think he’s saying? “So you will?” “Addie,” he murmured, grabbing her hips and pulling her off the butcher block to slide down his body. She immediately felt the hard ridge of arousal. Just like in her bedroom against her hip. As ridiculous as it felt to acknowledge it to herself, it was like understanding dawned. She genuinely turned him on. “I not only want to make love to you, I want to fuck you until you can’t walk. I want to trap your arms over your head and ride you until you scream. I want to go down on your sweet pussy, face plastered to your cunt as you sob my name.” Her eyes felt like they’d pop out of her head, and her dry throat now felt like it housed a desert. She’d never heard TJ talk like that. Her pussy moistened, clenched as though it cheered his promises. She tried to say something, anything. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. “Does that shock you?” he murmured. Dumbly she nodded once.

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“Good. I’ve been in love with you half my life. If you want me to make love to you, then I need you to know that once will never be enough for me. I plan on leaving no trace of doubt about exactly how sexy I think you are. Understood?” “Y–yeah, yes. Okay.” Now he chuckled. It was soft and not directed at her discomfort, but seemed more intimate than that. He kissed her, a smile still on his lips. His hands slid up her side, touching the extra inches that she tried to hide with clothing, and higher to cup her breast. His thumb teased over her nipple. Electric tingles warmed her middle and made fresh moisture tickle between her legs. By the time he touched her there, she’d be a lake. Her insecurities took hold. What were the protocols for being too turned on? TJ left her breast to drag her shirt over her head. “I can’t believe you didn’t want me to look at you. I love every curve you have. Do you know that?” She didn’t want to be the only one without a shirt on. She trusted TJ, yet that made her too vulnerable. She tugged at his shirt wordlessly, and he pulled it off for her. He’d changed a lot more than she’d imagined. Lean and fit, his body had lost its lankiness, for manly lines and hard muscle. His chest was hairless, and her gaze swept down to where his pants were loosely belted on his hips. The hard edge of his brushed nickel buckle next to warm, soft skin did crazy things to her pulse. Would he mind if she sank to her knees and pressed a kiss on his flat belly? Addie lowered quickly to her knees. She placed wet openmouth kisses to his belly, her fingers working to loosen his pants. TJ groaned. “You’re killing me.” He tried to lift her to her feet. She resisted. “Don’t you want me to?” She pressed a hand to his cock, rubbing it firmly through the cotton pants.

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He shuddered. “I want you up here where I can show you exactly how you deserve to be loved. Later, if you want to do that, I’d be a fool to stop you.” She stood again. Addie didn’t know the rules of this kind of lovemaking. What was she expected to do? How would she read his cues? Would he tap her thighs apart? Turn her on her stomach? The questions suddenly lost importance when TJ kissed her again. His hands slid down to knead her ass, then up to free her from her jeans. “I need condoms,” he murmured, pulling out his wallet and leaving it open on the counter. TJ unhooked her bra, sliding it off her arms before she had a thought to protest. Which she might have, given her anxiety. He cupped her breasts just as quickly, thumbing over her nipples in slow swirls and firm rubs. Addie’s back arched into his touch. It was as though her body had a mind of its own and was shameless about wanting him to touch her like this. Her head fell back, silky hair caressing her spine, and his hot mouth explored the column of her neck. “So beautiful.” His voice sounded reverent, and for now, she could actually believe that he thought so. Cupping her breasts, he lifted them, sucking first on one nipple, then the next. She whimpered plaintively. TJ led her hands to the butcher block. She heard him stripping off his clothes. Nerves made it impossible for her to watch him strip. When he finished he must have kneeled, because his breath puffed near her belly button. Addie gasped. She knew about oral sex. She knew it existed, but she’d never had it before. “I thought you said later?” she complained shallowly, not wanting to miss out on actual sex. Did he not want to do that anymore? TJ slipped off her panties and nudged her legs apart. God, the embarrassment was going to kill her, she decided. “One of the fantastic things about loving a woman is that she can come as many times as you want her to.”

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She’d heard that, too. She just didn’t believe it. His fingers parted her as he sat back on his heels. “Hold on to the table top, Addie. When you feel like you’re going to come, don’t hold back.” It was the only wicked warning she got before TJ swiped his tongue into her folds. Her body shook, and she cried out. She’d never felt anything like it. Bliss, pleasurable poetry, indescribably erotic, it was all those things, and her body trembled. Her breath stuttered in her lungs. TJ drew the pattern of her pussy with the tip of his tongue. Her hips jerked toward his face. How had she not known this existed? A small guttural groan, barely stifled, caught her off guard. She opened her eyes and saw Cale watching them with hooded lids and flushed cheeks. She stiffened. It was enough to cause TJ to glance behind. To her surprise, he didn’t stop what he was doing. TJ seemed to taste her with renewed vigor. Thought clouded. She should cover up. She should make TJ stop. She should do something. Cold Cale was watching TJ perform a very intimate sexual act on her, naked in their kitchen. But she didn’t. God, she couldn’t. Her eyes locked on him. Though she knew she had to be in the least attractive position, and fully on display, Cale couldn’t take his eyes off her. Obsidian hair slashed forward over one unnervingly pale blue eye. Cale seemed transfixed. TJ’s lips captured her pussy in a hot, sucking kiss. Addie heard her impassioned cry as though from a distance. Her knees quaked, and TJ pushed a finger into her aching body. “Oh, God,” she cried. “Fuck,” Cale muttered. He yanked his tie and undid his button-up shirt. Then fumbling too long with his pants, he unzipped them and pulled out his long, heavy cock. His hands shook. His intent gaze moved between her panting breaths and TJ’s skillful tonguing.

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Her knees almost gave way completely when TJ rubbed the front of her channel with firm strokes, finding a bundle of nerves that splintered her attention between what Cale did and what was being done to her. Cale stroked himself with one hand while awkwardly pushing his shirt off and flinging his tie across the room. The very disorderly disrobing of such an orderly man, overcome with lust for her, gave her a sense of power. TJ had eased his onslaught. Having almost brought her off, he retreated her from that delicious precipice. “Can he help you stand?” he asked her cautiously. Cale immediately quit pumping to take a step forward. He stopped abruptly, gaze moving between her and TJ. Excitement zinged along her nerve endings, drugging her inhibitions. She still wondered at the daring. Two men? Her best friend and a guy who she was pretty sure hated her? Hate her or not, he was definitely turned on. TJ’s thumb idly coasted around and around her clit. The noises she made when he touched her! God, they’d be so embarrassing later. Yet the same sounds she found so painfully revealing, they seemed to crave. “Cale,” TJ said roughly. “Do you like what you see?” Cale seemed to understand better than Addie what the true message was, and she fleetingly wondered how often they must’ve shared lovers before. “Addie,” Cale said, his voice breaking. She couldn’t remember him ever calling her by name. She licked her lips as TJ’s thumb took another breath-stealing pass. He was keeping her aroused, she realized, without seducing an answer he wanted from her. Cale, with his pale-blue eyes and black hair. His tall, muscular build that exceeded TJ’s height by at least another inch. Cale, whose

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breath had quickened upon seeing them, whose cock bowed drunkenly erect, waited for her permission to move. “Cale,” she answered. His will to stand still and give her time seemed to crack. He took two steps toward her. “Please. May I touch you?” “How do you want to touch me?” she asked, blushing as the brazen words slipped from her lips. His nostrils flared. His intent gaze met hers. He ran a shaking hand through his hair. “However you let me.” “Can he hold you?” TJ asked her a second time. “Yes.” “Can he touch you?” TJ pressed. His thumb made another circuit. Cream leaked from her. TJ gave her a wink, and a knowing smile. “Yes,” she breathed. Two men. Oh, God, she’d just agreed to have sex with two men. Two impossibly sexy men who should be way out of her league. “Condoms are behind her on the table,” TJ told him. Cale nodded, shucking his pants, shoes, and socks until he stood as naked as they. Then he carefully moved her from the table, until her naked back pressed his naked front. TJ shifted into the new position. Cale hooked his foot into the rung of a chair and dragged it over. He sat, pulling Addie onto his lap. Cale rubbed her pale thighs, noticing that TJ leaked pre-cum as he watched. Cale parted her knees to hang on the outside of his legs. Then spreading his own legs wide, her pussy flowered open, slick and pink. Her muscles clenched as she looked down at herself, and must have realized just how exposed her succulent cunt was for both men’s viewing. Addie’s hands darted to cover herself. Cale caught her wrists and pulled her arms up over his head. She moaned softly, squirming her hips. Cale seemed to bite back a plea for mercy as she ground against his cock.

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“You have no idea how much I want to fuck you right now,” he murmured in her ear. Addie gasped, turning her head sharply to look at him. “I thought you hated me.” “Hell, no. I knew how much TJ loved you. I wasn’t about to come on to you as long as he did.” **** TJ listened to the brief exchange with surprise. He’d never known Cale was attracted to Addie. He’d never let on. TJ had never probed his reason for avoiding her. It made sense now. Could Cale love her the way TJ did? A moment of jealous unease pricked his chest. He ignored it. Cale would never steal Addie from him. They never fought over women. They shared them sometimes, but there wasn’t any competition. Still, sharing Addie wasn’t his first choice. But Cale had been there. Addie had watched him jacking off with that expression of hunger he’d seen plenty of times directed at his roommate by other women. She’d looked at TJ that way, too. Cale’s hands traveled from her elbows to her armpits, stroked her full breasts, and paused for several moments to lightly pinch her nipples. Addie dropped her head back on Cale’s shoulder, making soft, needy sounds that spoke directly to TJ’s cock. Cale’s hands arrowed down her belly, then parted to her inner labia. TJ admired the way her pussy glistened. That was his treasure. Yet Cale parted her lips and dragged a finger through her cream, bringing it up to coat his lips and lick it off. She watched him through slitted eyes, her breath catching on the last. TJ frowned, but the two were lost in that moment, and when Cale kissed her, sharing her flavor with Addie, then began to rub her clit with regular, even strokes, TJ knew he couldn’t let Cale take over.

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He understood the need. Hell, who didn’t with a responsive, sexually open woman like Addie. Gorgeous and full-figured, her lush body was made for sex. TJ fully understood how Cale could get wrapped up in her, but TJ wouldn’t stay out of the picture. “I want to fuck you,” Cale growled. “But TJ—” “We can both fuck you, Addie. First, I want to hear you scream.” TJ pushed their legs wider still, lifting her hips as he dove forward to bury his face in her juicy pink cunt. He was pleased to see Cale falling back. He took her breasts, fingers rolling and pinching her nipples. Addie arched and bucked as TJ avidly sucked her eager clit and pumped his fingers in her slick channel. TJ knuckled over her G-spot, and Addie did scream then. She sobbed, crying out to God and the entire lineage of Jesus Christ. She writhed against TJ’s mouth and hands. His teeth scraped over the tiny bud, and her hips lifted, held, her pussy clenching in viselike pumps as she took her pleasure and roughened her voice in the process.

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Chapter Four Dear God Almighty! If she’d had any idea that being with TJ meant this, she’d have paid attention a long time ago. She’d also have made a better effort at befriending Cale. Her body still trembled with the unexpected, unprecedented strength of her orgasm. Cale kept her legs wide. TJ lapped at her exposed pussy with long, thrilling drags. Placing a kiss on her clit, he grinned up at her. “So, do you want to play?” In disbelief, a chuckle startled from her. “Isn’t that what happened?” “Oh no, gorgeous. That was only the beginning.” TJ took her hands and pulled her to standing. Then, walking backward, he led her through to the stairs, then up. His ass flexed and released on each step. She’d never seen a naked man climb stairs, but she decided it was possibly the sexiest activity a man could do naked—aside from fucking. Her nerves were getting the better of her. If she was watching his ass, who was watching hers? She already knew the answer, and her self-consciousness made her blush furiously. As though he could sense her discomfort, Cale smoothed his hand over her ass cheek. On her next step, he tucked his fingers between her legs, petting her pussy with gentle back-and-forth strokes. She hesitated, not sure if taking another step would make him stop or not. She desperately wanted the “or not.” Cale came up the step behind her, molding his body to hers as he continued to fondle her apex. Soft kisses landed on her shoulder.

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TJ turned to see why she’d stopped. Addie looked at him, helpless to move, wishing her needs weren’t so transparent. Something unreadable tightened his gaze for an instant, before vanishing. He gently tugged her hand, and Addie took the cue to hurry up the steps. Barry had never touched her the way Cale and TJ were. He’d never taken more than a cursory moment to prepare her for his cock, and he’d rarely squirmed around on her for longer than a few minutes. She’d known, from all she’d read and the few things she’d heard, sex could be fantastic. Yet, aside from her horrifying forays into selfgratification, she had no idea what it felt like to climax. Until a few minutes ago. The fact that she’d done so with witnesses had been both empowering and cringe-worthy. Had she sounded pathetic? Would it be something the men chuckled over later? “Hey, don’t do that,” TJ murmured softly. Jolted out of her thoughts, she realized she hadn’t been paying any attention. “What’s going on in there?” he asked, placing a kiss on her temple. “Thoughts,” she answered, shaking her head. Men didn’t like insecure women with body issues. She was pretty sure of that. She also didn’t think this was a complicated pity fuck. Not after all TJ had said. “Anything you want to share?” TJ asked. She shook her head. Cale cupped her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. The men watched her so intently that she started to feel the rise of selfconsciousness she’d managed to tamp down. Addie had known TJ for too many years to make even a casual fuck completely casual. There were still invested years of friendship involved. Cale, on the other hand, had walked in on them. Right time, right place for a man who wanted to get laid.

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She trusted TJ, and TJ trusted Cale. Didn’t that mean Cale was trustworthy for her, too? Except it felt new, and new was scary. Very scary. TJ lifted her chin until she looked him in the eyes. “This doesn’t have to happen.” Something clicked inside her. “Nothing ever has to happen. Life can pass us by while we watch it, or we can choose to get in there and live it.” Amused curiosity lifted TJ’s brows. “Philosophy? Now?” She smiled. TJ had no way of knowing the dilemma circling her mind. Had no way of being in the trenches with her when she decided to step solidly out of character to have sex with two men, at once. Grabbing the bull by the horns seemed to be in order before she thought too much about it and chickened out. Addie gripped TJ’s shoulders and hauled him to her. Their mouths bumped roughly. TJ gave a startled, closed-mouth chuckle and easily warmed into a deep, wet kiss. Behind her, Cale soothed his hands down her spine. Scooting against her, he fitted himself to her body, cock to ass, chest to shoulder blades. Cale’s hands slid around her waist, over her pliant abdomen. Addie pushed aside the interrupting thought that she had too much flab there, trying not to ruin the moment with self-recriminations. As he did on the stairs, Cale’s hand slipped between her legs, lightly petting her. She felt the cool spread of cream on her pussy with each pass he made. TJ’s tongue probed her mouth. He took his time, and Addie relaxed into the feel of him, the smell of him, the taste of him. Her mind seemed to sink into pleasant darkness behind her lids, filling her every breath with sensation upon sensation. TJ remained unhurried. The hypnotic slide and press of his mouth on hers captivated her like no other kiss had. Wonderingly, she broke away, feeling dazed and warm. Cale nuzzled behind her ear. Addie turned awkwardly to face him. TJ now at her back, she suddenly lost her nerve.

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TJ she knew. Cale she barely knew, except for tense history. Yet his cock rose hard and hot between them. Her pussy had moistened for him when he’d touched her. He’d kissed her once before, in the kitchen, but her senses hadn’t been with her then. Now they all too painfully were. Could she kiss him? Was she supposed to kiss him? What were the rules in a three way when your best friend was the reason you were having sex in the first place? Did you or didn’t you? Was it rude to ignore your host? “Stop thinking,” TJ whispered, taking her lobe into his mouth. He knew her too well. She groaned, closing her eyes and leaning against TJ as he made love to her lobe with his lips and tongue. His hands swept up to cup her breasts. She inhaled sharply, arching her back when he caught her nipples between his fingers and lightly pinched. “Pinch harder,” Cale said, his voice rasping over the words. Addie opened her eyes, still half-dazed, as Cale leaned in. His mouth fitted easily on hers. His kiss, just as careful, felt different from TJ’s. She marveled that kissing must be a style. It made sense, if any of this made sense. Then it was no longer important. Cale’s kiss, dryer and tighter than TJ’s, prompted her to open for him. Instead of sweeping inside as boldly as TJ, Cale’s flicks were tentative, asking permission to be there. He cupped her ass and lifted her hips to his, stylistically bold in contrast to the press of his lips on hers. She was close, but not close enough. Cocks hemmed her in, yet they weren’t where she wanted them. Addie whimpered, lifted her leg and hooked it around Cale’s hip. His cock slid along her folds. She shuddered on a gasp and rocked her hips against him. Cale groaned, sounding as shattered as she felt. He grabbed her other leg and lifted her. Wrapping herself tightly around him, she held on with what little strength she had left. TJ stepped away. She felt his loss immediately. “No, don’t go.”

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He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going far, honey. I need to get some lube. Cale will take care of you.” She believed it. Cale’s arms wrapped around her as though she were precious and fragile. He carried her to the bed. Their mouths didn’t break for long. When he lay back, he pulled her on top. Addie wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Part of her felt that it gave her power. As though she were in control. Part of her felt vulnerable. Those memories pushed through the erotic haze. Panic set in, and she sat up, folding her arms across her chest to hide her body. “What’s wrong?” Cale asked. His large hands settled on her thighs, massaging them in an apparent effort to comfort her. Addie didn’t know how to explain it. Wasn’t sure she should, or could. God, she was such a mess. She was trying to climb off Cale when TJ came back. “You okay?” TJ asked, climbing onto the bed beside her. She felt foolish. Her eyes burned like she might cry. They had no idea what they were getting into with her. From the looks of things, TJ and Cale had sex enough to know what to do when they shared. Addie had exactly two partners in her lifetime, and those had not been simultaneous. “What am I doing?” she asked suddenly. Her voice sounded shrill in the quiet bedroom. TJ and Cale exchanged looks. “I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be doing this,” she said. She managed to climb off Cale and scooted off the side of the bed by TJ. “There’s nothing here you have to do. Ever,” TJ murmured, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. She looked up at him. That simple gesture stopped her. TJ had never pressured her into making decisions, and he wasn’t now, either. He seemed confused, but she figured that was just status quo. She was confused as hell. Why shouldn’t TJ be?

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“This was a mistake,” she muttered. “I’m sorry. I’m just not the kind of girl men like to sleep with,” she continued by way of explanation. “Really,” TJ deadpanned. It wasn’t a question. He caught her by the wrist, keeping her from walking away. He nodded to Cale, still sprawled on the bed. “Did you look at him?” Addie glanced over her shoulder. Yeah, she’d looked at him. She’d looked at TJ, too. That’s how she knew she wasn’t the right girl for them. They were practically gods. TJ seemed to realize he wasn’t getting anywhere with his line of reasoning. Instead, he dragged her to the dresser mirror. He stood behind her, his cheek against hers as they looked into the mirror together. In the background, Cale propped up on the bed to watch. TJ gently tugged the one arm she still had covering her breasts. Reluctantly, she let him. “I used to imagine you naked,” TJ murmured in her ear. Her eyes widened, meeting his gaze in the mirror. He had? Was that good or bad? “I thought maybe I’d gotten over that, but you were there in baggage claim looking sexier than ever, and it was like I was a horny kid again.” Addie looked at her body in the mirror. TJ smoothed a hand over her belly. “So soft.” “It’s called fat,” she replied automatically. TJ frowned, his look disapproving. “It’s feminine. You have curves, Addie. They’re soft and forgiving. They cradle a man and welcome him to lie on top.” He cupped her hips. “They’re different from a man’s hips, and they’re supposed to be. Look at you. You’re exactly the reason I love women’s bodies.”

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Chapter Five TJ cocked an eyebrow at her reflection. She narrowed her eyes speculatively. It was the only warning he’d give her, and she knew him well enough to see that he’d be up to something. He tucked a hand between her legs. Addie gasped in surprise, and he held her to him in support. She was already slick. She didn’t need a lot of additional readying, but he was certainly going to make sure she never forgot today. Addie was a babe, and if she didn’t see it yet, he would make sure she did before he was done with her. She knew he wasn’t a one-night, one-time guy when it came to her. They’d already had that discussion. Once they were in it, they were in it. He just hoped she felt the same way. His fingers easily parted her nether lips. He kneaded her thighs, pushing her legs open and then holding them there with his feet lining hers. “Watch, Addie. Watch closely, and you’ll see exactly why I love your body so much,” he promised. Cale moved to the end of the bed, his gaze intent on Addie’s pussy. He captured his cock in his fist and began to rub himself. TJ speared her pussy with his first two fingers, sliding moisture up over the inner labia, parting his fingers where her labia diverged. With light pressure, he rubbed the channel between inner and outer lips, knowing that the skin would be sensitive there. He wasn’t disappointed.

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Addie’s head fell back on his shoulder, but her eyes remained slitted, watching what he did to her as he’d asked her to. She caught her bottom lip with her teeth, her swallowed groan barely audible. “Wet, pink, ready.” He tapped a finger on her straining clit. “C’mon out to play, sweet thing,” he murmured at the tiny pearl. “I see you.” Her hips jerked, and the bud disappeared only to return even more distended. That’s what TJ liked to see—enthusiasm. There was nothing like a ready cunt, straining for pleasure to let him know he’d pushed all the right buttons. He tapped her clit a second time, pushing it with his fingertip as he rolled over it. This time Addie cried out, lifting her hips to his hand. She closed her eyes, and her lips parted. “Keep them open. I want you to see everything. I want you to know exactly what I see and why I won’t ever be able to get enough of you.” “I can’t.” “You can,” he corrected. “I don’t want to.” “I know,” he told her softly. He did know. Whatever her ex had done to her, he’d done in a big way. Addie had no sense of power, yet she held him and Cale in thrall as her body responded. Hell, she held TJ in thrall just by talking. The way her lips quirked and moved, forming words and smiling, was enough to keep his cock hard indefinitely. Seeing her tiny clit begging for him, her body slick, and hearing her soft gasps of pleasure would give him wet dreams for a decade. She was so damn beautiful. All that remained now was breaking that tenuous thread that lodged in Addie’s memories and kept a rein on her emotions. He couldn’t wait to see her lose control, and in doing so, finally find herself. Find her power. Find out what an incredibly desirable woman she was.

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Addie opened her eyes, but her gaze skated away from his. It flicked over Cale in the background, jacking off to what TJ did to her, and settled on TJ’s fingers strumming her body. TJ pressed his fingers into her channel, collecting moisture, and reapplying it on her swollen folds. He circled the tiny clit, rubbing her inner lips on each pass and rolling her nub until her hips lifted and fell with the tide of pleasure. He increased the pace. Her breasts jiggled, their tight points jutting outward as if they, too, could strain and reach for climax the way her clit did. He’d devote plenty of attention to them later. Cale got off the bed and kneeled beside her. He let go of his cock to shove to fingers inside her. Addie cried out, arching hard, pumping her hips. Cale fucked her with his fingers, twisting them, and adding another. TJ centered his teasing circles on her clit, rubbing it with firm strokes. Her legs trembled, trying to take what they gave her. Every once in a while her hips would jerk sharply away, as though the sensations were too much. Neither Cale nor TJ let up. She had nowhere to go from their finger play, and she didn’t really seem to want them to stop. “Look at yourself,” TJ murmured in awe. “Look at the way your body takes it. So hungry for pleasure. So sensual in demanding it.” Addie half sobbed. “Your clit is full and swollen. Your cunt is so slick you can hear Cale’s fingers sliding in and out of you. I can’t wait until your channel is swallowing my cock the same way.” “Your full breasts are bouncing with need. I can imagine your sweet red nipples against my tongue,” Cale said, his voice sounding rusty. “Watch the way your hips flex,” TJ continued. “See the way your body tightens on his fingers.” Cale pushed hard inside her body. TJ followed it with focused flicks of her clit.

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Addie whimpered. “Please, please.” “That’s it, honey,” TJ encouraged. “Look how you respond to being fucked. You have two men, dying to get inside you. Two men who want to hear you come. Damn, Addie, do you have any idea how much we want you? Any idea how beautiful you are?” TJ pushed his cock hard against her ass. He shuddered. “Come for me. Addie, I need to see you come. Let go.” “I can’t.” “You can, if you let yourself. Stop holding back,” TJ told her. Cale parted her lips with his free hand, giving them all a better view. Addie made a sobbing gasp, crying out as her body convulsed in orgasm. Her hips shook, thighs trembled, and she watched herself come. It was the hottest thing TJ had witnessed. His cock was ready to explode, but he wanted to be inside her when he did. He wanted to move in her, over her, and show her how his body responded to hers. He wanted to leave no possible doubt that she not only turned him on but had control over his pleasure. The needs he had could only be met by her. He felt pretty certain Cale felt the same way. That, TJ would have to deal with later. He didn’t like the idea of sharing Addie for more than this one time. He sensed Addie needed them to want her this badly. That it was a kind of tacit proof of her effect on them. Beyond today, he’d have to ask Cale to back off. Addie was his. TJ helped her to the bed, allowing Cale to follow. They sandwiched her between them, and TJ was about to ask Cale where he’d put the condoms when the sharp edge of a wrapper poked his hip uncomfortably. He freed the condom, never taking his eyes from Addie’s face. “Just relax, honey. Let us show you how much we want you.” ****

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Cale’s hand cupped Addie’s hip. TJ leaned in, warming her with a kiss. He seemed to know her body well, knew how she reacted, knew what kind of pressure she responded to when his mouth met hers, and he applied that knowledge liberally. There was no doubt in Cale’s mind that he was definitely the odd man out. Oh, they’d allowed him to be here, to participate, but the connection was between Addie and TJ. He couldn’t say he was surprised, but he was certainly disappointed. He didn’t have much to complain about, though. He’d never let Addie know how he felt about her. There’d always been a distance. He used to watch her hug her books to her chest, wishing he had permission to carry them for her. Her brown hair would sometimes escape the clasp at the back of her head and whip tendrils around her face, her wide brown eyes looking around like the world itself frightened her. Addie engendered such protectiveness from him. He wanted to be the wall that held out every bad thing, every harmful thing, and even some good things. Like TJ. Cale had made a conscious decision when he’d first moved to Barley Hill, to hold back. She’d known TJ since they were kids. It hadn’t gone unnoticed from Cale that TJ had been in love with her even then. TJ’s hand bumped Cale’s. Their eyes met, and it seemed to Cale that TJ had almost forgotten Cale was there. The possessiveness in his eyes screamed that Addie was his, and not to get too used to sharing her. Cale sent his own silent message, keeping his hand in place and letting TJ find somewhere else on Addie to touch. Addie wrapped her arms around TJ’s neck. A brief flash of pleased dominance flashed in TJ’s eyes. His normally laid-back demeanor had completely fled. Any ideas Cale had that Addie was freely shared by TJ snapped in an instant.

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Cale almost retreated to the background, stroking her to make her feel good while TJ took the lead. If it had been years ago, he might have. Fitting in had been so important. He couldn’t say he’d have done any different if he could have. TJ had welcomed him when others hadn’t. He’d owed TJ at least that much, hadn’t he? So when TJ first introduced him to the girl Cale had seen in his English class, and realized that the doe-eyed look TJ had was meant for her, he’d just stepped off. But Addie was all woman now. She’d married a loser and come home again. Now that she was back, Cale didn’t know if he could just walk away from her again. Especially now that he’d had a taste of her passion. The choice might not be his to make, either. In leaving her to TJ all those years ago, he seemed to have damaged what possible chance they may have had. Would she respond favorably to him trying to horn in on their relationship now? And would TJ understand, or would their relationship be forever compromised? Would he lose them both? Cale nuzzled the back of her neck. “Vanilla and something,” he murmured. “I love the way you smell.” Addie turned her head to look over her shoulder, acknowledging that she heard him, that she knew he was there, but otherwise had little reaction to his words. God, it was like treading on eggshells. He was grateful TJ shared Addie, that Addie didn’t seem overly bothered by it. Sure, she was skittish, but she didn’t strike him as sexually experimental by nature. “I want you, Addie. I’ve always wanted you. I should have fought for you,” he told her softly. “We both should have told you,” TJ agreed. “But I wouldn’t have let him have you all to himself.” There seemed to be a war going on behind her eyes. Her brows drew together as she studied him. Then she dragged an arm up and

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curled it around his neck. She seemed tentative and fearful. Her gaze dropped to his lips, and he decided he needed her to feel how much he cared about her, how glad he was that she was no longer attached, and how he hoped she wouldn’t fall into a relationship with TJ just because he was there and interested. That she had options. Options that included Cale this time. Cale closed the brief space between their mouths. She tasted a little like TJ at first. It was a flavor Cale had become familiar with in their other shared encounters. Underneath it, though, was all Addie. She was sweet, soft, hidden, if hidden could be a flavor. She tasted like she had secrets and if he coaxed them out of her with soft lips and plying tongue, she might let them go, let them travel from her mouth to his, where she’d let him keep them safe for a while. His heart swelled. There was so much potential here. So much compassion and tenderness. How had her asshole husband missed this? How could anyone kiss this woman, look into her eyes, feel her body open to them, and not see who she was? Cale wouldn’t make the same mistake. He was a lot of things but stupid wasn’t among them. Unfortunately, neither was TJ. He saw the opening her half-turned body presented and descended on her exposed breast. Her nipple already reaching for the ceiling, and completely unfettered by a crossed arm, had no defense against TJ’s open, sucking mouth. Addie gasped into Cale’s mouth. The secret retreated, distracted by the new sensation. He could already feel her attention withdrawing from him and reattaching to TJ, who tormented her breast with vigor. She sank her fingers into the back of TJ’s head, holding him in place, forgetting to return Cale’s kiss. Cale felt the loss keenly. “Come back to me,” he murmured. Addie blinked open her eyes, dazedly, unfocused but seeming to try. Cale dipped his hand from hip to pussy, tickling over her short curls with dancing flickers meant to tease, not arouse.

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She let go of Cale, tucking her hand between where their bodies met, but the position was awkward and she could only touch him with the back of her hand or the side as she dragged it down his torso. Cale stopped fondling her to take her hand and wrap it around his cock. He groaned, completely unprepared for how amazing it felt to have her hand on him. She held him, and when she looked at him again, he saw that she was with him. Cale smiled. “Hello, again.” She smiled, too. Her gaze darted away shyly, only to return. “Kiss me again?” He did, taking his time with gentle presses. She responded readily, and when her lips parted for him, he took her acceptance and entered, stroking deep, rolling their tongues against each other. Her hand firmly wrapped on his cock, he stroked over her belly and up to her other breast. He plucked and carefully twisted the tight nub, releasing before the pressure grew painful, then capturing it for renewed torment. Addie’s kiss opened to him, more giving this time. Her lips parted easier, her tongue played with a little less fear, and she seemed to anticipate his movements with acceptance. Her lower body moved, and Cale became aware that TJ had lifted her top leg, to drape it over his hip. It distracted her, and she turned to TJ nervously. “I’ve never taken two people,” she said. “I won’t hurt you,” TJ promised. “Neither will I. If you don’t like what we’re doing, just ask us to stop,” Cale offered. Addie nodded. “From behind, though—I’ve never…” “We’ll take it slow,” TJ began. He reached behind and handed the lube and a condom to Cale. “If you want Cale to leave, it can be just the two of us.” Cale frowned. So that’s how they were going to play? Really? Then he supposed after this encounter was over, that made Addie fair

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game. No holding back anymore. Cale wanted Addie, and he was damn well going to fight for her. Addie looked back at him. Her eyes seemed uncertain. “I want to try. With you, if you want to.” “Just him?” TJ bit out, not hiding the edge in his tone. She turned away from Cale, putting her hand on TJ’s chest. “Both of you. I want to try.” TJ relaxed marginally. He nodded. **** There was tension. Lots of tension, Addie realized. She didn’t really understand what the reason was, but there was no mistaking that TJ and Cale both wanted her. She could even take the observation a step further and say, they seemed to both behave as though she were alone with one or the other of them. There was no interaction of the men. They focused intently on her and her needs. It was extremely heady. And delicious. Two sets of hands touching her. Two pairs of lips kissing, tasting, nipping. Two cocks, one pressed her apex, the other her ass. And now her body was open, her leg over TJ’s hip. As exposed as she was, she didn’t feel vulnerable. She felt— desirable. For the time being, she was the only person on the planet that seemed to matter to TJ and Cale. Was it competition to please her that she sensed? Any distractibility she’d been having left her when TJ positioned his cock at her pussy. Cale held her hips steady. TJ looked over her shoulder, and she assumed he was looking at Cale. Whatever silent message they communicated, TJ nodded his head in a quick jerk. Then his gaze fell on hers, and he smiled. TJ kissed her, taking her bottom lip between his. “Thank you,” he murmured.

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His cock head slipped inside. He stared into her eyes, and she tried to encourage him, but the intrusion of his wide shaft made her breath catch. Her mind wanted to go blank, to just feel, and part of her did fracture, yet part of her stayed in the moment, eyes locked on TJ’s. Cold, wet finger pressed her anus. She tried to keep her attention on TJ, but trepidation set in as she realized exactly what being entered by two men at the same time would entail. “He’s applying lube.” TJ used short strokes, moving the end of his penis inside her. She liked it, a lot. She wanted so much more—all of TJ, if she were being honest. But the prospect of also having Cale at the same time made her pussy weep eagerly. I’m a slut. Oh, my God. I’m a slut. Cale tapped her anus gently, teasing it. She could feel the automatic reaction of her body to flex and draw at the unexpected sensations. Was it wrong to like it? Was it deviant? It wasn’t until he pushed the end of his finger inside that she squeaked in surprise. TJ snickered. “What was that?” Addie’s face heated. Here she was, trying to be all adult about a threesome, and she goes off at the slightest suggestion of anal invasion? Classy. “I just wasn’t expecting that.” Cale kissed her shoulder. She could feel the smile on his mouth as he did it, and she didn’t dare look at him. He pulled on the ring of muscle, moving his finger in and out of her body. “Hang in there. It gets easier.” “You know that for a fact?” she challenged suddenly. This time both TJ and Cale laughed. It felt like a lot of the tension in the room dissipated with the break. When it subsided, Cale nuzzled her hair. “Here comes another finger.”

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He didn’t give her time to think about it. He slipped it right in with another cool glide of lube. This time the feeling was different. She still felt stretched, but warm tingles were starting to build. TJ moved a little deeper inside her. He seemed to be having difficulty concentrating. “Hurry up, man. I’m dying over here.” “When she’s ready,” he countered. Addie felt stretched. She couldn’t tell if he added another finger or not, but the feeling was intense. She felt hot and cold at the same time. Eager and too full also. She didn’t know what sensations to pay attention to, but as she debated it, TJ thrust into her. “Doing okay?” TJ asked tightly. Addie bit her bottom lip. She nodded again. Two quick pumps behind her, and suddenly, Cale pushed farther in. She gasped, sucking in air as her body stretched sharply to accommodate both men as he patiently eased inside her incrementally. “Take it easy. Try to relax your body,” TJ told her. He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m not trying to rush you, but I’m not sure how much longer I can be inside you like this and not move.” “Please move,” she said. TJ slowly pulled out. Her body hummed with the friction of his cock rubbing against the thin membranes housing Cale’s turgid length. Once out, TJ rushed back in. Then Cale followed suit. Her ears rang. She tried to rock with them, moving her hips to each man as he thrust, but keeping up became nearly impossible. Addie clutched TJ’s shoulders and hung on. It was all she could do. Sensation swelled inside her. Surrounded by heavily breathing men, hard, moving bodies, the rub and fill of two cocks vying for priority of her thoughts, swamped her beyond reason. Addie splintered, moaning her pleasure as tide after tide swept her and tossed her on a sea of pleasure. TJ jerked sharply, gritting his teeth hard as he came. His breath fanned her temple. Cale increased his speed, fucking her ass with

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wicked bucking of his hips. She wanted more, more of the filling sting and riding pressure. Cale curled in against her back and with a low groan jerked to a stop. Two sets of arms wrapped her, pulling her snugly between them. Unified as three instead of competing between the two men, Addie could have stayed like that all night. Never had she experienced anything like it. She tiredly hoped it wouldn’t be the last time, either. Was it possible to fall for two men? Had she? Did sex constitute as falling for? She wasn’t sure she had the answers, but she definitely wanted to find out. If they’d let her.

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Chapter Six Addie awoke next to TJ. She rolled carefully to find that Cale had left them. The room looked like TJ’s, and she wondered if that made Cale uncomfortable. Their time together had definitely felt like a onetime thing. Was it? She carefully scooted out of the bed so as not to disturb TJ. Her clothes were folded on the dresser, and her cheeks heated as she remembered the things TJ had made her watch in that mirror. She wasn’t sure she could ever look at her reflection again and not see the way her body looked, aroused, with two men devoting themselves to her pleasure. Even now her apex dampened. She’d never imagined she could be so free with herself, with anyone. Grabbing her clothes, she tiptoed to the hall bathroom and cleaned up. Then, after splashing water on her face, she steeled herself for an escape. While she didn’t have any regrets, she was afraid TJ or Cale might. Okay, maybe not TJ. They’d been close forever. But Cale? The possibility was definitely there. Both men were incredibly sexy. They probably had their fair share of sexual partners. The last thing she wanted to do was make them think she expected anything from the experience. That she had a claim on them. Her mind jumped ahead to a gentle rejection from either man. God, that would be humiliating. She could see it clearly in her mind’s eye. She gave her head a shake and quietly went downstairs. Realizing she’d left her purse in the kitchen, she went to retrieve it.

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Unfortunately, she had to walk through the living room to get there, and that’s where she found Cale. Cale saw her and dropped his bare feet off the ottoman. He stood, awkwardly. “Hey, beautiful.” Addie ducked her head to the side. “Yeah, uh, you don’t have to say stuff like that anymore. I know it was a one-off deal.” She smiled bravely, trying to be cosmopolitan about the whole thing. Cale’s face screwed up with confusion. “What?” She shrugged. “Compliments.” She laughed tightly. “I mean, we already had sex, so it’s not like you still have to sweet talk me.” “So you think that was just for the experience, up there?” “I don’t know what it was. Fun, for sure, but lasting?” Cale skirted the ottoman. “You think I’m the kind of guy that gets in bed with a woman just for the experience?” “Don’t you? You and TJ have shared women before. I’m just another one.” “You’re anything but,” he told her quietly. Cale stroked her cheek. “I’ve always liked you. That was the problem. I was just stupid enough to think I could let TJ sweep you off your feet, and I could stand back and watch. I should have let you decide. I should have fought for you before. But make no mistake, I’m fighting for you now.” Her pulse kicked up, and her eyes widened. “You want me?” she asked in disbelief. Cale pulled her close. He kissed her firmly, stealing any words of protest she might have had. Her knees went weak, and she wove her fingers into the belt loops of his jeans as though hanging on could somehow make her world stop spinning long enough to make sense of everything. “What about TJ?” she asked when she could think to speak again. Cale pressed soft kisses to her eyelids, the tip of her nose, each cheek. “I’m not going to tell you what to do. I’m only going to make sure that your choice is as difficult as I can make it. I want you,

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Addie. I know things are different now than they used to be, but I’m ecstatic that you’re back in town.” Addie backed away suddenly. She’d left a possessive Barry in the dust. Did she really want the responsibility of two men’s affections? What if she hurt one of them? What if they hurt her? What if sex was the only thing any of them had in common and when it was over, she’d ruined two friendships, hers to TJ, and TJ’s to Cale? “I have to go. I’m—my purse is in the kitchen. I’ll just—” She pointed toward the kitchen and turned on her heel to get it. Cale didn’t follow her, but when she passed back through the living room on her way to the front door, he stood silent and sexy. His lean, muscular body glowed with health and strength. A shock of black hair fell over one pale iris, and his lips parted as though he meant to speak. “Bye, Cale,” she murmured at the door. “Addie.” She paused, looked back at him. Cale ran a hand through his hair. “This isn’t over. I’m not just going to step aside because TJ’s in your life again.” “You’re friends, and I’m not something for you two to compete over. I’m a person, with feelings, a future, plans, and a heart.” “You’re right. On all counts. I don’t know how this will all work out. I only know that I want it to. I want you to be happy, and I want you to be with me. If I can make those things happen, I will. I’m not staying silent this time.” “We hardly know each other,” Addie protested. Cale’s gaze traveled knowingly over her body. Her stomach tumbled and something tightened low in her body, setting off a cascade of suggestive tingles. “I know how to make you scream with pleasure. I’m perfectly happy to start there.” ****

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Addie lay in her bed, two days later. She’d been avoiding calls from both men, while trying to process her feelings. TJ had said he loved her. They had a connection that went back years. Cale had said he wanted her, and wasn’t being sidelined anymore. They, too, had a connection but not as strong as hers with TJ. Yet she was definitely drawn to him. A sharp click came from her window. Addie sat up, hearing the familiar rain of tiny pebbles hit the glass for her attention. Her heart kicked up, a mixture of nostalgia for old times and excitement for seeing a friend who’d turned into an amazing lover. Yet for the first time in their history together, she wasn’t sure she should go to the window and answer him. She could have predicted what would happen next. And she was right. TJ’s face appeared at her window. A strange look of sudden panic entered his expression as it slipped to the side, and TJ crashed onto the first-floor overhang. Laughing, Addie relented and got up to open the window. “Oh, my God. You should have seen your face,” she said, still laughing. TJ climbed through the window, a sheepish grin on his face. “I’m not as spry as I used to be. Or that branch isn’t as thick.” “Did you break it?” “No. I just slid around it and hit the roof.” TJ shook out his arms as though they were sore from attempting to hold on to said slippery tree branch. “Cute pj’s.” He caught her hips and pulled her close, settling a hello kiss on her lips before she could think to protest. Her tummy flipped. TJ kissing her with assumed right just felt fantastic. She couldn’t help but smile, even as she put her hands to his chest for a gentle push. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Nothing. Okay, something,” she conceded. “I’m not sure how to express it.”

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“How about with lots of sex and more kissing,” he suggested, eyebrows wiggling. Addie blushed. It seemed TJ still knew how to make her smile, even in the most uncomfortable situations. “That’s part of the problem. I’m not that free with myself.” “Are you calling me a slut?” He sounded aghast. TJ looked the room over as if they were being watched by a lot of people. “Did you hear that? She just called me a slut.” She swatted his chest and moved out of his hold. “Shh!” TJ’s expression turned serious. “I told you I’m not a one-time guy. I told you that if we slept together, I wasn’t going to be satisfied with not having you again and that I was serious about wanting a relationship with you.” “I know.” “And you agreed,” he hedged. “I did, but—” “Geez, there’s a but,” TJ groaned. “Yes, there’s a ‘but.’ We had that conversation before we ever did anything. Then Cale showed up, and he was added to the picture. That kind of changes the parameters,” she protested. “Why? He joined us. He wasn’t part of that multiple-moments-ofsex-and-dating discussion we had between the two of us. He was onetime.” “He doesn’t think so,” she said quietly. TJ frowned. “I know. I’ve talked to him and set him straight.” “Did you?” “Yeah. I told him to back off. You’re mine.” “He agreed?” she asked. “No, but I’m not giving him a choice. You and I have chemistry, and that’s the reason we had the pre-sex discussion. We have something great, because we had the strong foundation of friendship to build on. I explained to him that he doesn’t have that, and therefore, will never be the guy you need.”

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Addie folded her arms across her chest. “You said all that, huh?” “Some of it to his retreating back.” Her smile flitted back into place. “I bet.” TJ caught her hands and gave them a squeeze. “Hey, he won’t bother us. “ “He wasn’t bothering us.” TJ searched her eyes for what she wasn’t saying. She could see the question on his face and knew he’d ask if he didn’t see what he was looking for. Addie turned her head away. “You want him around,” TJ said after a moment. He sounded stupefied, confused, and maybe a little hurt. “I didn’t mind him being there.” She avoided the admission completely. “No, it’s more than that, isn’t it? You liked him being there, and you want him there again.” TJ dropped her hands and took a couple of steps back. “What are you saying? Don’t sugarcoat it, Addie. Say what’s really on your mind.” Addie’s gaze lifted to his, suddenly fearing the hurt she’d possibly caused him. “I don’t really know what I’m feeling. All I know is, I had fun. I liked both of you being there, and I don’t know that I want to choose between you.” “Because I’d lose, is what you’re saying. Cale and his movie-star looks win again,” he muttered bitterly. “No, it’s fine,” he said, shrugging off her hand when she made to reach for him. “You like Cale. He’s a great-looking guy. A lot of girls have the hots for him. Hell, half his students are in love with him. Why shouldn’t you be?” “TJ, c’mon. That’s not it at all.” “I think it’s probably more honest than what you’re really saying.” TJ’s eyes sparkled with purpose. He closed the distance he’d put between them and cupped her face in his hands. “I’m not giving you up. When the flash of Cale’s smile starts to fade, I’ll be the guy who is still standing in the shadows.”

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“God, TJ, you’ve never been in the shadows. You’re one of the most important people in my life.” “That sounded like a kiss-off.” “It’s not.” TJ’s lips thinned before he spoke. Suddenly, he sighed, and tension seemed to ease from him. “I’m not waiting around for you to make up your mind between us. I love you. I want you. If you can’t see that yet, then just hang on because I’m not about to let you forget how important you are to me. How important you’ve always been to me.” Addie hugged him. “I’ve never questioned that. I just wish you wouldn’t question my feelings about you.” “The feelings you don’t know how to express? Those feelings? Sounds like we’re both questioning them.” “Okay, I’ll grant you that. It’s just that there’s so much more you’re choosing not to hear.” TJ kissed her softly. His lips molded to hers, sweetly pliant. His breath touched her cheek, and as she looked into his troubled green eyes, his lashes swept down to conceal them from her, touching his cheek as gently as his mouth brushed hers. What else was he hiding? The warmth of his body seeped into hers. How did she tell him what she meant when even she didn’t know exactly what she wanted? She hadn’t given Cale too much of her thoughts until he’d explained why he’d kept his distance for all those years. Once he had, and that he still wanted to be with her, she couldn’t fight the feeling that she had to learn more about him. Cale intrigued her. Yes, he had dark good looks, but TJ was no slouch either. And really, what did looks have to do with it? Both men were successful, intelligent friends who had developed affection for her. She owed it to both of them, to herself, to find out what was behind it. She could no more cast off Cale because they weren’t as close as she could cast of TJ because their friendship was so solid.

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She was attracted to both. They were attracted to her. She liked both men, and they liked her, a lot. Sex was incredible with both, and she dared to try things she never would have dreamed herself capable of trying before. One man seemed to fill the fantasies where the other didn’t. Both were amazing men she couldn’t believe she had the fortune of attracting. She wouldn’t make another hasty mistake like she’d done before. Now that sex had been put into the picture, did that mean she had an open relationship with both men until she figured it out? Could they have a polyamorous situation again, or would they balk at the suggestion? Was she brave enough to offer it as a possibility? TJ pulled her tighter. His hands rubbed her back, and he inhaled, nose at her neck. “You smell incredible,” he murmured. His hot breath sent shivers up her spine. By way of answer, Addie turned her head to nibble his earlobe. TJ groaned and awkwardly waddled her backward to her bed. The edge hit her mid-thigh. She giggled and wiggled to a seated position. TJ climbed the bed on his knees, encouraging her to scoot more securely onto the mattress. He knocked her to her back. TJ lay on top of her, dropping small kisses to her neck, then pulling the collar of her shirt aside to lip her shoulder. “I love the feel of you under me. Soft breasts, hot pussy, sexy body, all at my fingertips.” Cooler air touched her breastbone before she realized he was unbuttoning her shirt. “Hey, you can’t do that here. My parents are downstairs.” “You’re a grown woman. They know you have sex.” “No, they knew I had sex. You know how traditional they are. This would never fly under their roof.” TJ groaned, bone deep, dropping his face between her breasts. “You have got to get your own place.”

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She laughed. “I know. I’m still working on it.” Suddenly he lifted his head, his eyes alight with an idea. “Or you could move in with me.” “Uh, no.” “Why not? Best friends, roommates, sex partners—what’s not to love about that?” he asked. “How about stopping at the roommate issue. You have one already. One we both slept with,” she pointed out. “There wasn’t much sleeping going on.” TJ lifted the edge of her shirt to look longingly at her breast. Addie tried to peel his fingers away from the fabric. TJ thwarted her efforts by nibbling the inside swell, flicking his tongue on her heated flesh. Maybe she could let him do that a little longer before she made him stop. It wasn’t like they were naked under her parents’ roof or anything. Just a little heavy making out, right? She closed her eyes, sinking into the feeling, fingers tangled in his hair as his lips teased and end-of-day whiskers rasped her body. She’d never had to fight a man off before. Not that she wanted to now. It was just that being this wanted made her giddy. TJ’s lips closed on her nipple, and she nearly went through the roof. “Oh, God, you have to stop that.” He popped off her breast. “Are you sure? You taste really good.” He took the peak back in his mouth. His hand eased over her belly, dipping beneath the elastic waistband of her flannel pants and right inside her panties. “TJ!” “Mm?” he questioned around a mouthful of nipple. “They’re downstairs. Like not even twenty feet away.” He grinned, coming off her breast a second time. “I’ll be quiet. Will you?” His fingers teased the seam of her pussy. He nestled his body between her legs, the shift causing her folds to open easily to his curious fingers.

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“You can’t just—” “Are you saying you want me to stop?” He pressed, one finger flickering over her clit. She gasped. Perhaps it was because her rigid parents were downstairs, but she did want him to keep going. “Can you honestly tell me that you never masturbated before you left home? That you never once touched yourself behind closed doors while your parents were home?” “No,” she breathed. TJ pushed a finger inside her, and she bit her lip to keep from whimpering with pleasure. “I didn’t think so. Just think of this as that, with help.” Her laugh shuddered to a halt as his finger pulled out and coasted wetly over her folds. TJ kneeled up then used his free hand to unbutton the rest of her top, throwing the sides wide to look at her. “Mm-mm. You’re a visual feast.” His hand continued to work beneath her faded yellow flannel. Somehow, watching the hidden movements, yet feeling every intimate flick and tickle, made the view incredibly erotic. Her bare breasts lifted and shivered with every breath, only seeming to make TJ more aroused. Addie wanted to see him. His jeans bulged at the zipper, and she already knew that flesh to be like warm steel in her hand. She reached for his zipper. TJ shook his head. “Lie back and enjoy this, honey. This one’s for you.”

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Chapter Seven He held himself over her, licking and sucking her nipples in turn, then kissing her and grazing his teeth along the side of her neck. His fingers worked industriously, coaxing her higher and higher. Suddenly, orgasm was in sight. TJ stopped rolling her clit to roughly jam several fingers inside her, knuckling over a bundle of nerves that left her screaming and bucking against his hand. Too late, TJ covered her mouth with his own, trying to quiet her, but not committed to her silence enough to quit rapidly cranking his wrist until she convulsed to a stop. Her breath rasped harshly. TJ chuckled against her lips. “Oh, shit. There’s no way they didn’t hear that,” he said, still laughing. Sure enough, loud steps raced the stairs, and her door pounded. “Sweetheart? Are you okay?” The doorknob jangled, but fortunately she’d locked herself away, not wanting to be bothered while trying to think of a way to handle her budding relationships. She nearly laughed aloud. This was handling it? Letting TJ in to spectacularly hand-fuck her into mindless oblivion? Perhaps a lot more thought was going to be required. “Fine, Mom.” “You screamed. What happened? Open this door!” “I’m fine, Mom.” Exasperated, Addie tried to sit up, but TJ wasn’t having it. He kept her pinned and began nuzzling her neck again. “Get off,” she whispered. “Nope.” “You sure you’re okay, honey?” her mother called back.

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“I’m fine. I just freaked myself out a little.” “That’s not what it sounded like,” her mother countered. “I dare you to ask her what it sounded like,” TJ prompted. Addie stifled another laugh. “Shh.” “Well, if you’re sure,” her mother called, already sounding like she’d wandered off. TJ kissed the line of her jaw, found her lips, and sealed them with his own. “You going to be ready for another round soon?” he murmured when they broke. “No,” she said, pushing at him. “I wasn’t exactly prepared for this round.” “Oh, I dunno. Seemed to me like you did pretty well for unprepared.” Addie tried to flip him. TJ graciously let her so that she was sitting on top. She started to pull her shirt closed, and he stayed her hands. “Don’t. I want to look at you.” “Maybe I want to look at you now,” she countered. He lifted a brow. “Really?” He drew the word out dramatically. TJ wiggled out of his shirt and threw it on the floor. Not an easy feat considering his position on his back. “Your turn,” he said, motioning to her still-hanging shirt. Addie shrugged out of it and tossed it the same way he had. Then, finding her nerve, she reached for his jeans button and zipper tab. A slow smile spread across his face, and he tucked his hands behind his head. “Just how much were you going to look at, Ms. Ruben?” She gave a half shrug. “You can’t have all the fun.” “When you’re done looking, feel free to take me for a ride.” “I wouldn’t want to impose.” “Please impose.” His voice dropped deep and rough. Addie started with a kiss. A simple, soft affair, teasing him to open his mouth, then retreating for no other reason than to torment

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him with the game. She eased his jeans open and tugged them down his hips. TJ’s cock sprang free. She paused to look at it, curious and fascinated by him. Though she’d been married, there had never been a moment, other than getting dressed or passing in the bathroom, where she’d had a chance to actually look at a penis. TJ had nothing to be insecure about. Neither did Cale, from what she’d seen. Was it wrong that she desperately wanted to see both Cale and TJ side by side with their cocks hanging out? That she wanted to hold their balls in her palm and weigh them? TJ huffed softly. “What are you thinking?” “I like the way you look,” she said, thinking the confession sounded strange. “The sentiment is mutual.” His voice sounded gruff, sexy. She didn’t know what prompted her to do it. Perhaps it was the firm, bulbous top in deep pink reaching for her, or the impressive, veiny shaft that seemed so urgently sincere with need, but Addie bent and kissed the top, feeling its spongy tip firm against her lips. TJ groaned, low and long. His fingers curled into her coverlet. She wanted nothing more than to make him lose control the way she had. With a smile of purpose, Addie wriggled down his body. She pulled his pants down to mid-thigh, placing another kiss on his hip bone, then on his pelvis next to his raging cock. TJ’s turgid length lined her cheek with radiating heat. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her cheek along it, testing its silky smoothness, reveling in the hot length. TJ made a strange choking sound. She couldn’t help but smile. Turning to his shaft, she kissed his flesh, loving the way it warmed her lips with satiny smoothness. Addie tucked her hand beneath his ass, steadying his cock with the other, as she lifted to take the tip of him in her mouth. The spongy end pushed past her lips, brushing the hard edges of her teeth. The contrast felt amazing to her, and she pulled off to do it again.

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He squirmed, twisting the covers. “Jesus, you’re gonna kill me like that.” “Want me to stop?” she asked coyly. “No. Just kill me as slow as you possibly can.” “Masochist,” she murmured. “Tease.” Addie licked him, root to tip, enjoying when he shuddered and tossed his head. Out of curiosity, she wanted to see how far she could take him, and Addie opened her mouth wide, swallowing as far as she could. The gag reflex kicked in. She breathed through it and swallowed deeper still. TJ bucked sharply. Her eyes watered, and she backed off him, only to catch her breath and go again. The strangled sound coming from TJ was pure flattery. She loved it and loved knowing that he was completely at her mercy. Addie wrapped her fist around his shaft and sucked the end of his penis, taking extra care to tongue the underside of the rim, which seemed to make his body tighten with need. His hips lifted. Addie untucked her hand, pressing it instead to his abdomen. His muscles played under her palm, giving her an even deeper sense of her power over him in this moment. She spread her fingers wide, running it up his belly to his chest, as far as she could reach. TJ’s heart raced beneath her palm, and with wild excitement, Addie increased her pace. She sucked him, drawing on the tip and pumping her fist in time to her ministrations. TJ lifted off the bed. He grabbed a pillow and pulled it over his face to muffle the sounds he couldn’t seem to stem. Addie watched him avidly. His abdomen tightened. His hips curled and bucked to her mouth. His thighs were like iron against her shoulders, and his heart raced, pounding on her palm even as a dull sheen of sweet slicked his sternum. With a guttural, muffled cry, TJ stiffened. Hot cum shot the back of her throat. Addie’s eyes widened as she tried to swallow as fast as

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she could. The pillow fell away, and TJ jerked a few more times, emptying himself in her mouth. “Oh, God, you are amazing,” he gasped. “Fucking amazing.” He buried his fingers in her hair and lifted her face. “C’mere.” Addie laved off his cock and climbed over him. Her breasts flattened on his chest, his still semi-firm penis pressed her belly. TJ kissed her soundly, his tongue delving deep as though to show her with mouth and tongue how grateful he was for her gift. “Move in with me,” TJ murmured. “I have a big bed, and I want you in it.” “TJ,” Addie hedged, “I’m not ready for that kind of commitment. The sex thing is great. Fantastic, even, but it doesn’t make a relationship work.” “Doesn’t hurt, either.” “No, but I don’t need to be jumping into anything right now,” she protested. “There’s no jumping. We’ve known each other our whole lives, and you’ve been on your own for over a year now. What are you still trying to prove to yourself?” She shrugged. The move brought his attention back to the bare breasts squashed on his chest. He stroked his hands down her back, sliding them beneath the flannel and panties to cup her ass. A soft breath escaped her. “I need my own place, at least until I figure things out.” “Seriously, what’s to figure out?” he pressed. “I want you. You want me. We know each other inside out.” At that he wiggled his brows, and she laughed. “We get along great, and I’ve been away from you way too long.” “What about Cale?” “What about him?” Though his tone seemed mild enough, he fought back the urge to look away from her. He didn’t want Cale to have her. Addie was TJ’s.

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“I can’t just traipse around your home, sleeping with you, and thinking about having slept with Cale. Besides, I don’t really know where we all fit in this thing.” “He doesn’t fit. We fit.” Addie sighed. “TJ, no matter how I say this, it might upset you.” Why did he feel like she was going to bring up Cale again? “I like Cale.” TJ didn’t have anything to say to that. Sure, he had questions. They were swarming his mind like a thousand bees looking for an exit. The questions weren’t the problem. It was the answers she’d assign them. “Don’t look like that,” she said, her eyes pleading with him. “Like what, Addie? Like I just had the most incredible blow job from the woman I love most in this world, and all she wants is to fuck my roommate?” “God,” Addie snapped, pushing up from him. “Why are you being so nasty? I’m trying to have a conversation with you about us, and you have to go there?” “Addie, wait.” TJ pulled her back down. She kept her hands planted on the bed, though, ready to push away again, no doubt. “Don’t go. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be an ass. I just can’t stand the thought that I still have competition. No, that isn’t it either.” He sighed, dropping his head back on the pillow. “I’m pissed that the competition I do have was introduced to you by me and that I invited him to join us for sex. If I hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” “You don’t know that. I’m not the same person I used to be. I probably would have found a time to ask him what the silent treatment was all about. He would have told me, and then I’d still want to find out who he is and why you’ve been friends for so long.” “Because he’s a great guy.” “Exactly,” she reasoned. Addie stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. “One of the things I love about you, TJ, is your ability to

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recognize good in people. You inspire loyalty, and the people you keep close to you are always worth knowing.” If it weren’t for the fact that he was actively fighting to keep Addie interested in himself, TJ would readily agree with her. But somehow, offering that small concession seemed like he was losing ground and telling her it was okay to see where things went with Cale. So he didn’t say anything. “Don’t you think that says a lot about the people you know?” she asked. “My agreeing with you doesn’t mean I think you should date him,” he groused. Addie smiled. “You’re kind of cute when you’re jealous.” Annoyance twisted his gut. Or, jealousy. Not that it mattered, because it didn’t seem like he could convince her to see things his way. “What do you think this is? I mean, ideally. What do you want from the current expression of our affection for one another?” “What do you mean?” “Do you want things the way they used to be? Do you want to be friends with benefits while you date other guys? Do you want to date me and Cale, sleep with both of us while we wait for you to make up your mind? What are you asking me to do?” “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I don’t know.” “Well, you can’t have it all, and you can’t drag me around while you figure it out. You said you wanted me. You said you understood that I wouldn’t just want a one-time fling with you. I know I keep bringing it up, but you’ve led me to believe we could have something, only to take it back.” Addie pushed away, sitting up. She started to climb off him, but TJ flipped her, taking her to her back on the bed. “I want you. So bad it hurts. So bad that the prospect of losing you to someone else again is tearing me up inside. Addie, I can’t lose you again.” “We never should have slept together,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

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TJ bowed his head, closing his eyes as though it could keep out some of the pain. God, to have come so close, to actually have hope, and have it ripped from him again so quickly—he didn’t think he could bear it. “I love you. I love you so much,” he confessed. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see her pity, sure that’s what would be reflected in her huge brown eyes. “TJ—” “Don’t. Please don’t say another word. Let me just hold you a little longer.” Their breaths filled his ears. The house creaked, and the doorbell rang somewhere in the house. He listened to the sounds of Addie’s parents answering and welcoming. They retreated to the living room. He wanted to yell his frustration, but doing so would bring the house running again, and he wouldn’t do that to her. Instead he breathed Addie in. He absorbed her warmth, the lift and drop of her chest, the feel of her naked flesh on his. The feel of his cock cradled on her belly, his balls resting on her springy-curled cunt. He thought of the blissful moments he’d been buried inside her. He remembered the way her female juices coated his tongue with tangy honey, the tremble of her labia on his tongue, the tiny nub that when touched just so, made the woman shiver. And TJ knew how to make her shiver. If he could hold her like this all night, albeit completely naked, he’d be in heaven. If he could hold her in his arms, his bed, for a lifetime, he’d have everything he’d ever wanted. There’d never been a time when he hadn’t known that Addie was the love of his life. If only she had felt the same way. Instead, he’d had to invite Cale to join them. And Cale, in his usual bone-melting way, had taken the one woman TJ loved, with a smile and a skillful thrust of his cock. Addie’s arms came around him. Her cheek pressed his. “Why do you think I don’t love you, too? I do.”

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“But not in the way I do.” “Is it a competition?” “You know it isn’t.” “Do you think,” she began tentatively, “that we could just play it by ear?” “And call each other for booty calls?” he scoffed. “If you want to, yes. I’m not hiding anything from you, TJ. I love being with you, and I don’t want to stop being with you. I’m just curious about the things I’m feeling for Cale, too. Maybe they won’t lead anywhere. Maybe they will. I already know that the way I feel about you has changed in a way that has deepened beyond anything I could have expected.” “Then what happens? One day you call us forward like some perverted episode of a bachelors show and take your pick? What happens to the man you don’t choose? We just go on like nothing happened? Like we never mattered to you, or pretend you don’t matter to us?” “I don’t know, TJ. It’s not like this has ever happened to me before. I’ve never felt like this, and I’ve never been physical with two men at the same time before. All I can tell you for sure is that I like it. A lot. I like both the men involved, and I like being with you again. After the hell I’ve been through these past eleven years, don’t you think I owe it to myself to take things slow? To figure out which way I’m headed, for myself?” “Asking us to wait while you do.” “No,” she said after a moment. “Not if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to walk away from me, but it would be wrong of me to expect you to hang around while I figure things out and see where they lead.” Footsteps climbed the stairs. TJ got quiet. He didn’t have much to say about the situation anyway. He was lying on her topless body, after joint oral sex, and confessing his love for her, and what the hell was he supposed to say? No, you can’t take time to figure out what

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you want? No, I won’t wait for you? No, you can’t have Cale and then call me later? No, you don’t deserve to know your own mind about your future? It would be a lie. She should take the time, all the time, she needed to find her way. TJ would always wait for her call, because he would take whatever she gave him, he was that in love with her. It would kill him if he were the consolation prize, but yes, if she called him after being with Cale, TJ would still come to her with open arms. He’d be a fool not to. Someone knocked on the door when the footsteps reached her room. “Yes?” she called. “Addie, it’s me. Cale. May I come in?” TJ’s jaw tightened. He looked down at Addie’s precious, if surprised, face and then rolled off her. He stood on the far side of her bed and pulled up his underwear and jeans as she hurried to button her pajama top. “Just a second,” she called. She tossed his shirt to him, and he started to pull it over his head. Deciding against it, TJ stopped. He dropped the shirt on the bed and folded his arms across his chest. Why should I hide? If she really wants to see how things will be when she sleeps with both of us, then giving Cale a visual would be a service. Or so he told himself. Addie looked over her shoulder at him. “Are you going?” she asked. He shook his head roughly. She took a breath and unlocked her bedroom door anyway. Cale smiled down at her and stepped in the room. She was closing the door behind him when Cale saw TJ standing there, still shirtless. His shoulders stiffened. “I’m sorry, Addie. I didn’t realize you had a guest.”

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“Apparently, I have two of them,” she corrected. Addie locked the door.

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Chapter Eight Cale’s eyes raked over TJ’s half-dressed form. He looked pissed. He also looked rumpled, like they’d just had sex. Between the obvious dishevelment of his roommate and the flush on Addie’s cheeks, he could only guess they had. “I can come back later,” Cale offered. “Why? It’ll only prolong what is clearly on everyone’s mind. So let’s just get it out in the open, shall we?” Addie huffed. The challenge was out of Addie’s character. Cale turned, narrowing his eyes as he studied her rising irritation. “Looks like I got here a little late for the party,” Cale said. “You weren’t invited,” TJ tossed back. “That was the first and only time I’m sharing Addie.” “Fine by me, but if you’re expecting me to step off, you’re sadly mistaken,” Cale countered. “Stop it. Both of you. Who I’m with is my decision. I’m not a pawn you can fight over. I have my own mind and my own will,” Addie insisted. “Right.” Cale dropped his hands on his hips, turning his side to TJ. It was about Addie and Cale. Though TJ was involved, and had obviously just been more than a little involved with her, it was Cale’s relationship with Addie that concerned him now. What did she have to say about the two of them? “I came over to see how you were doing since the last time I saw you. I wanted to see if you were handling things okay, and if you’d like to get some dinner with me on Sunday.” Addie looked at him blankly for a minute.

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“What you’re really asking her is, will she choose to fuck you or me?” TJ snapped. “Oh, my God!” Addie grunted with frustration. “It was your idea to invite Cale in. You have no one to be upset with but yourself.” She turned on Cale next. “Are you asking me who I’m sleeping with next?” “No.” Cale could tell that Addie didn’t really believe him though. She seemed possibly angrier than she had moments before. Cale had walked in on something, he was sure of it. TJ topless and Addie in her pajamas—incorrectly buttoned pajamas—wasn’t a scenario that bellowed innocence. Cale did want to know what had happened. He did want to know if Addie wanted him, or if he was going to have to suck down his pride, accept she didn’t, and lick his wounds until they stopped aching. Cale didn’t have the upper leg here. Not when TJ was involved. Cale had forfeited that position when he’d backed away from Addie, denied his attraction to her, years ago. He didn’t have the right to impose on her. But TJ didn’t have the right to dominate her choices either. Addie still eyed him suspiciously. “You aren’t.” It was a statement more than a question. “No. It’s none of my business if you’re sleeping with TJ. You aren’t sleeping with me, and you’ve given me no reason to think that I should expect you to.” “You want to,” TJ growled. Cale smiled. Trust TJ to bring a fine point to the matter. “It’s Addie. Of course I want to. I’m not staking territory here. I’m just making sure she’s okay.” Addie’s shoulders relaxed. She returned Cale’s smile a little cautiously, yet he could see her calming as though the air itself no longer vibrated with annoyance. “I probably never should have slept with either of you. We wouldn’t have this tension if I hadn’t,” Addie said quietly.

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TJ sighed, moving around the bed to her. “I’m glad you did.” He looked over her head at Cale. “I think we both are.” Cale nodded agreement. “I can’t believe you let me join you two. I wouldn’t erase those moments for anything.” Addie looked from one to the other. “Then what do we do now? It’s not like I’ve ever been in this situation before. You two have. What did you do?” Cale met TJ’s gaze. They appeared to be in unspoken agreement. “We’ve never been here before,” Cale told her. TJ elaborated. “We’ve shared women a couple of times, but they were women who only wanted the night, nothing longer. You’re different. We both know it, so this is new territory for us, too.” Addie looked a little lost. She was adorable in her faded yellow flannels, with sleepy moons in night caps, and yawning cows. Her tossed brown curls tumbled down her back, her chin lifted to see both men, to gauge their reactions. Her sweet pink lips turned down at the corners suddenly, her eyes huge and lost. “Any suggestions? I like both of you. I want to get to know you as men. If a relationship with either of you develops physically, I don’t want to hold back just because I’m seeing the other one. I know how unfair that sounds.” Neither man spoke. If TJ felt like Cale did, her admission not only sounded promising, it sounded futile for a long-term arrangement. “I’ve been in a committed relationship. I’ve dealt with all the drama of sticking by someone, even when I wasn’t sure he was the one for me. I don’t want that again. I want to be sure this time. I want to know it in my heart and feel that it’s right in my gut. Does that make sense?” “It does. I wouldn’t want to be someone you rebounded with, then felt trapped by,” Cale agreed. He brushed a strand of hair off her shoulder. She looked up at him earnestly. TJ reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze, and she turned her big brown eyes on him.

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“I know that sounds selfish, maybe even slutty. I’m not asking you to stick around if you don’t want to. I need to take things as they come and figure out how I fit into a relationship.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s about getting to know me with you, as much as it is about getting to know you. That doesn’t mean sex.” “It doesn’t rule it out, either,” TJ murmured. “Not unless you want it to,” she said. “I’m not ruling it out.” “I’m all right with that,” Cale said. “For now.” TJ bobbed his head, though the words looked like they were sticking in his throat. “I am, too,” he said finally. “I would understand if you weren’t,” Addie conceded. “I’m not asking you to be okay with it. I wouldn’t be if our situations were reversed. Which makes me a total hypocrite.” She muttered the last bit. “It makes you cautious,” Cale contended. “You’ve been through a lot with your ex. Cautious is good. It means that when you decide, you’ve had plenty of time to get to that point.” Silence descended on them. “Can I have Saturday night?” TJ asked. Cale and Addie laughed. It was tight but blessedly freeing. “Yeah, TJ. I’m free Saturday night.” “Excellent.” TJ hooked her waist and pulled her against him. Leaning down, he kissed Addie. She lifted to her toes, one petite hand resting on his bare chest. Cale felt the punch of jealousy hit him in the gut. He swallowed past the urge to break them apart. This is what you agreed to. Let her work through her demons, and when she’s with you, make the most of it. Cale watched them kiss with no little envy, and determined that when he had Addie Sunday night, he was going to make sure he gave her every reason to fall for him. ****

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TJ took his time driving home from Addie’s. He’d stopped by the local pub, downed a beer as slow as he could, then found his way to the house. Sharing Addie wasn’t going to be easy. He was pretty sure Cale was at home waiting for him to pull in so they could hash out a few things where she was concerned. Cale did like his world orderly. This floating-girlfriend thing had to be driving him nuts. TJ, on the other hand, could wait it out. Cale would get sick of sharing and take off—TJ hoped. Dragging out the inevitable discussion would compound Cale’s frustration. TJ smiled as he touched the brake pedal, slowing his twenty-five-mile-an-hour drive, to twenty, then fifteen. There were no rules for this kind of thing. Playing it by ear had always been a strong suit of TJ’s. This was his element. It should be a piece of cake, right? Fuck. Only a fool would believe that. Despite the time he took to get there, the house appeared, and TJ nosed the car into the driveway. Living-room lights warmed the front walk. TJ turned off the car, took a deep breath, and slipped out of the driver’s seat. He managed to stretch the walk out another two full minutes, until there was nothing for it but to walk in. Cale put his book down. “Let’s talk.” “No casual chit-chat first?” “Why? We both know what’s on our minds,” Cale reasoned. “Are you really okay with what Addie said?” TJ asked him. He dropped his car keys on the entry hall table then plopped down on the leather couch near Cale’s chair. The smell of clean, well-used hide rose up around him. The antique grandfather clock ticked. TJ stared at the swinging worn-brass pendulum while he waited for Cale to sip his drink, and answer. “I think so.”

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TJ glanced at him. Then returned to staring at the pendulum. “So convincing.” “Are you?” Cale asked, throwing the question back on TJ. TJ shrugged. “I just want her to be happy.” “So do I.” “Are you going to try to sleep with her?” Cale asked. TJ raised an eyebrow. “I think that should remain between me and Addie. Just like whatever you and Addie do stays between the two of you.” “I like her, TJ. I like her a lot.” TJ sighed. “We both do. The situation isn’t easy, but I understand why she needs to explore all the avenues open to her. She doesn’t trust her own judgment right now. She’s known me for years, yet she can’t trust that her decisions are good ones.” “We just need to give her time,” Cale concluded. “Do me a favor?” “Maybe.” Cale scooted to the edge of his seat. Leaning on his thighs, he looked at TJ earnestly. “With any other woman, I’d listen to you go on about her. Don’t talk to me about Addie.” “Not a chance. It might give you the upper hand.” TJ tried to smile through it, but the words were too true. Cale smiled unconvincingly back. “I figure I have an uphill climb as it is. I should have told her how I felt about her a long time ago.” TJ fell silent. Cale had a point. Addie might have fallen under Cale’s spell years ago if he’d made a move then. TJ felt insanely grateful that he hadn’t. Instead, TJ had the foundation of years of friendship, untested by Cale’s infatuation, with Addie. But was it enough? If Addie ever only saw him as a friend, would the fact that they slept together be enough? He had no new tricks to pull out and impress her with. Cale was a brand-new direction. Cale might have an uphill battle, but he was a fresh canvas. She didn’t

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know all his secrets, hadn’t shared his history from diaperhood, hadn’t seen all the stupid cootie moments like she had with TJ. Cale would be all man and none of the boy from memories. TJ would be washed with filial memories. He just hoped to Christ she didn’t see him as a brotherly type with benefits. The prospect of seeing Cale and Addie together as a couple made him ill. He loved them both, but he desperately wanted them to not love each other. Cale cleared his throat after seemingly being lost in his own thoughts like TJ had been. “What are your intentions with Addie?” Cale asked. TJ shot him a strained look. “Really? You’re gonna go all dad on me?” Cale dragged a hand through his dark hair, blowing out a breath. “I want to know how serious you are.” “I’m serious.” Cale’s pale gaze met his. “Marriage serious?” TJ swallowed. His hands trembled as did his stomach. He hadn’t put those words out into the universe yet, even though it was exactly what he was feeling. “I don’t really want to go there with you.” Cale nodded absently. “Okay.” The silence stretched a little longer. The house creaked, making TJ think of a ticking clock—a time bomb counting down the number of minutes he had to prove himself the better match. He thought of the homework papers he had to grade. Math was absolute. There were no emotions involved. No maybes. No wondering if a plus sign would stab you in the heart and steal your square root out from under you. If you wanted permanence, you drew a figure eight on its side. If you wanted a definite definition for “y,” you calculated it out and then “y” stayed “y,” it didn’t fucking change into “x’s” and “o’s” directed at some other man. My intentions? Geez, was Cale for real? Were they in the 1800s or something?

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“So, okay, fine. What are your intentions with Addie?” TJ asked, now desperately needing to know the answer. Cale looked tired as he lifted his face to answer. “I don’t know.” TJ blinked. “What do you mean, you don’t know? What the fuck does that mean? If you don’t know, why the fuck are you fighting for her so hard?” “I don’t know her like you do, TJ. Not yet.” “And you pick now? Now when she’s back, divorced, and I finally have a shot?” Desperation made TJ’s tone sharp and clipped. He could hear it, like bile dripping off his jealousy, and still couldn’t stop it. “I want to know her. I was stupid last time, and I’d be stupid to let another chance to get to know her pass. I’ve always liked her. I just didn’t have as much reason to like her as you.” “I repeat—now?” Cale rose to his feet and started pacing. “Yes, now! When would there be a later if you two hooked up and got serious, if you two got married? Never, that’s when. I’m not playing background to you anymore. She’s too important for that.” “Fuck!” Cale stopped pacing. “You heard her. She’s going to date openly. She might even date a third guy. But if she didn’t, would you rather that she date you and some unknown man, or someone you know won’t hurt her?” TJ’s lips twisted with a combination of hearing the truth and not liking it. He didn’t want to answer, so instead he shouted fuck again and ran both hands through his hair as though that would work out the tangle his relationship with Addie was in. “Don’t sleep with her,” Cale insisted. “It’s not about sleeping with her, Cale. It’s about the woman I’m crazy for, falling for someone else.” “Hear me out. Don’t sleep with her. I won’t either. We date her and win her on the merits of our compatibility.”

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“I can’t promise that. Addie—she does it for me. I want to be with her, and when I am, I can’t get close enough,” TJ confessed. “Then we at least agree that if both get to date her, we only have sex as a threesome,” Cale announced. “What? Hell, no. I don’t even want to share-date her.” “Neither do I, but at least we know what the other is up to. We have our own relationships with her, our own dates, but if there has to be sex because we need that connection with her, then we are all present.” TJ rose to his feet, too pent up to stay seated longer. “I don’t like it.” “You’re right. When I’m making love to her and she’s screaming out my name, I probably won’t want you there either,” Cale decided. TJ’s stomach dropped unhappily. Sharing a partner or two with Cale wasn’t like sharing Addie. Yes, it had been fun, and they’d all enjoyed themselves. Mostly, TJ had enjoyed watching Addie enjoy herself, and wasn’t that what he wanted? Sharing Addie like that would mean that TJ was there and knew if Cale had a special place in her heart. If TJ were there, he’d also know where he stood, and she’d see how much her happiness, her pleasure meant to them. Then dating privately, they could explore the deeper nuances of their relationship without Cale. Sex would satisfy the physical needs they all seemed to have for one another. Dating would explore the depth of their feelings one-onone. It wasn’t a horrible idea. Not ideal, but there was nothing about this situation that said it was ideal. Was this the best of both worlds? Would it work? Would she go for it? Christ, it tied his stomach in knots. It was a stupid idea. It was genius and self-serving, too. If it had been suggested years ago, before the douche bag, she’d have turned them down. But now? When she was curious and trying out new things, meeting new people, she’d probably go for it.

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He hoped. Or not. Maybe Cale’s dick would shrivel up and fall off, or he’d become diseased, or maybe he would have erectile dysfunction. Or he’d lose some teeth in a nonfatal but totally unexpected driving accident. Maybe TJ would have to challenge him to some flag football just so he could tackle the man and inflict socially acceptable bodily harm. He hated Cale right now. Loved him like a brother. They were the same thing, weren’t they? Fuck! “So?” Cale pressed. “Let’s talk to her,” TJ muttered. “It’s up to her. If she likes the idea, then that’s how we roll for now. If she hates it, all bets are off. You may be fighting for her, but I’m fighting for us.” “Aw. I love you, too, bro,” Cale said sarcastically, deliberately misinterpreting TJ’s comment. “Fuck you. I meant Addie and I,” TJ reiterated. Cale smirked. TJ nearly groaned when he recognized the superior look Cale shot him. He’d shot right into Cale’s English teacher’s niche. “Addie and me.” “Like I said, fuck you.” Yet TJ couldn’t help but laugh with Cale.

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Chapter Nine Addie smiled when TJ took her hand as they left the restaurant. He’d been so great. Laughing with him had been like old times. Her sides ached, and her cheeks hurt. Even as their fingers entwined, she reached across herself to hold his biceps, keeping him even closer. They reached TJ’s car, and he leaned back against it, taking her with him so that she rested against his chest, their bodies aligned. Addie sighed happily. She’d never get over the feeling of being held by him. His warm body encouraged her to snuggle closer as late-fall chill buffeted breezes against her back. She shivered and snuggled closer to kiss the underside of his jaw. TJ wrapped his arms loosely around her, pressing his lips to her temple. Being with him was easy, comforting, exciting, and oddly thrilling. Another thing she’d never get over was knowing that she turned him on. There was no missing the ridge of cock pressed to her belly. If they weren’t standing in a parking lot, she’d have reached for him, just to feel this silken hot flesh in her hand. “You’re still a freak,” she said, laughing. “I’m not the one who had the waiter put grenadine in her white wine,” he countered, chuckling. “It was too dry,” she insisted. “It’s supposed to be. You ordered a chardonnay.” “Well, it was too dry, so I thought grenadine would sweeten it up.” “Did it?” he asked, though he already knew the answer based on her earlier reaction. “It tasted like ass,” she admitted.

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They laughed, and he hugged her tighter to him. “I’ve missed you so much.” “I’ve missed you, too. I’m so glad I came back.” “I wish you had come back sooner,” TJ complained lightly. “I wasn’t ready. I needed that year away. I had some growing up to do, some things to learn how to do for myself. I needed to get over being hurt and realize that the failure of my marriage wasn’t my fault, nor was it avoidable.” “I still don’t know how you tried to make it work for so long.” Addie smiled and tipped her head to the side as she looked at him. “Looking at it now, I don’t either. At the time, it’s what I had to do. I needed to know that I’d done everything in my power to make the marriage work. It wasn’t until he said he’d never loved me and never would that I realized it was a lost cause.” “Asshole,” TJ asserted. “I’m just glad he said it. After that, there was no looking back. The marriage was over years before that. I was just trying to hold it together because I thought I should. You know, ’til death do you part, and all that.” “Wasted years,” he grumbled. TJ tucked her closer, parting his legs so she could stand between them. “No. I don’t regret them. I’m a lot stronger because I know what I will put up with and what I won’t. I don’t know what that means for future relationships, only that I won’t repeat the last one.” She kissed his neck. Three pecks in a row. “Mm. I like that.” She rocked her hips forward, drawing both their attentions to his hardened cock. “Wouldn’t have known,” she teased. “God, I want you,” he murmured. “I’m closing on an apartment tomorrow,” she told him. “This time next week, we can go back to my place.”

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TJ sighed. He sounded resigned, and that didn’t strike her as a good thing. “Will you come back to the house with me? There’s something Cale and I need to talk with you about.” Uh oh. “I’ll come back, but it sounds ominous.” She hoped it would lead him to offer encouragement and maybe another smile. “I didn’t want to interrupt the great time we were having, but considering how much I want to get you alone, I think we have to. Do you mind? I can make it up to you later.” “Oh, really?” she asked coyly. “I’m thinking there will be a lot to make up.” She tapped her lips thoughtfully. “Maybe something you’ll have to work on all night long.” He chuckled and laughingly groaned. “You’re killing me with awesome innuendo.” “Not killing. Nope. I have too many uses for your living body to do that.” TJ curled his finger under her chin, lifted it to him as he kissed her. It was one of those smoldering kisses she’d come to love. Heat unfurled in her middle, stretching through her limbs and recoiling between her legs. Dampness touched her there as she thought about kissing him like this, naked. His lips were so tender, so soft. He didn’t rush. TJ never rushed a kiss, she decided, and God did she love it. He actually seemed to enjoy kissing her, and that was something she’d never tire of. When TJ kissed, he made love to her lips. Not in a hard-driving, tongue-plunging violation of her mouth, but old-timey lovemaking. She had the sensation that he felt everything, made a point of exploring how each honeyed brush of their mouths made him feel. He nestled in, he slid across, he plucked, he tested. He lightly explored the seam of her lips with his tongue and flicked the fullness of her upper and lower lips, as though he hadn’t already memorized them. It was the attention that totally captivated her, and the same minute

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exploration he’d given her pussy when he’d kissed her intimately there, too. Her cunt squeezed. Liquid seeped from her nether lips as though each sweet-yet-scorching kiss could be felt there. TJ’s hands slid down her back to cup her ass. She’d never liked her ass, but in his hands, tilted toward his obvious arousal, she felt sexy and wanted. It turned her knees to jelly and drew erotic fingers to strum over her nerve endings, throughout her body. He made her want things. He made her need him, not just now, but forever. He’d always been there, and he’d always be there. She knew it, bone deep. TJ would stand by her side whether this relationship worked or not. Right now, she couldn’t imagine anything more perfect. “I could kiss you all night,” he murmured. “I’d have to lie down. You make my knees weak.” He grinned suddenly. “Oh, that’s a very, very good thing.” “We can’t go home. Mom and Dad are there. God, I can’t wait until I get my own place.” “Not much longer, sweetheart, and I’m not going anywhere,” TJ promised. “I really want your hands on me.” “Funny. I really want them on you, too.” He pulled back from another leisurely kiss. “We have to go to my place and talk first. After that, I’m interested in doing anything that keeps you with me. Maybe you’ll even spend the night.” She lifted her brows. “All this ominous discussion about talking. We should just go and do it so that we can move on to other things.” “You sure?” “Wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t,” she told him. TJ sighed. One side of his mouth turned down, and his brow furrowed. “All right.” He took her hands in both of his. “I love you, Addie. You know that, right?”

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“I love you, too,” she said. When TJ stayed silent for a minute, letting his words sink in, she realized that he wasn’t just referring to the love they shared as close friends, or even deep affection. “Oh.” Her cheeks heated, and she ducked her head, a foolish grin stealing across her lips. “Oh?” he mocked playfully. She caught her bottom lip under her teeth. “I like that,” she said softly. “You do, huh?” “Yeah.” “How much?” he pressed. He swung her hands back and forth. “A lot.” “Good. Keep liking it a lot. Keep liking it until you love it. Then I’ll let you love me, too.” He winked at her. “Oh, you’ll let me love you?” She giggled. Giggling felt as silly as the conversation they were having, but God if it didn’t feel good to flirt like morons. He shrugged, “Maybe.” She pulled a hand free and swatted his belly. “Dork.” TJ’s eyes suddenly grew sharp and hot. He grabbed her hand and held it to his chest. Leaning in, he kissed her firmly, parting her lips and stroking her tongue with his. He took, and her body clenched with need in response. Addie held on, giving as much as he, and taking anything he wanted to give her. It wasn’t enough. She needed him inside her so bad she ached with it. Her head swam, completely absorbed with TJ and the riot of sensations he sent through her body. TJ broke first. “We need to get to my place. I promised Cale we’d talk before things got physical again.” Addie groaned. “TJ, we don’t need his or anyone’s permission to kiss, and touch, and do—other stuff.” “I’m not exactly crazy about putting this on hold either,” he confessed. “I promised.”

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Addie pulled away, smiling tightly. “Okay.” “A fast conversation,” TJ said, clearly annoyed that they had to stop what they were doing. “Definitely.” TJ grabbed her hand and escorted her around the car, opening it for her. “The sooner we get there, the sooner I can get back to tasting those beautiful lips.” **** Addie laughed. She waited until he was in the car and had it started, before speaking again. But she voiced the concerns she’d been carrying for the past few days. “Is this happening too fast?” “Us?” He glanced to her, then back to the road. “Yes. We got physical really fast. Don’t you think that’s unusual?” she asked. TJ was silent for a moment. “I think if we didn’t know each other already it would be obscenely fast. But we do know each other. Being intimate with each other was the next step in the existing relationship. So, no, I don’t think it’s too fast for us.” “We’ve changed a lot,” she continued quietly. “Shouldn’t we be taking more time to learn about the qualities that aren’t the same anymore?” “Aren’t we doing that?” “Yes,” she agreed. “Does kissing me feel awkward?” he pressed gently. “No.” She hadn’t meant the word to come out sounding so husky, but the thought of kissing him again warmed every part of her. “Does making love with me feel awkward?” Her breath caught, and the swell of excitement prickled behind her breast bone. “No.” “Then being with each other makes sense, and neither of us have regrets, if I’m hearing you right.”

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Addie grinned. “No regrets. I was mostly worried that I was behaving like a slut,” she admitted on a laugh. TJ frowned. “Never say that about yourself again.” “I slept with two men. At the same time!” “Addie,” TJ began as he turned down his street. “There’s nothing slutty about enjoying your body.” He pulled into the driveway and turned off the ignition. Twisting in his seat to face her, he reached for her hand. Addie’s gaze traveled over the shadowed angles and lit planes on his face. She’d known that face for years. It was as familiar to her as her own. Before, it had held comfort and friendship. Now, it held all those things as well as passion. How had she gotten so lucky? “You didn’t jump into bed with strangers. I invited you over for dinner as a friend with a keen interest in making friendship become love. As consensual adults, we were having fun, taking things down a path that I think we both wanted at the time. Cale got there, and I wanted you to know how desirable you are. “When I invited him to join, it wasn’t something we hadn’t done before. We both wanted the moment to be about you, about healing you, and loving you, and enjoying you...and, okay, perhaps a little bit was pure selfish lust.” Addie laughed through her blush. She covered their joined hands with her own. He smiled back at her. “The three of us melded together perfectly. That happened because we had the same goal, and we both care about you deeply. We care so much that we both want to date you exclusively but understand that you need time to make up your own mind about what you want.” “That bothers you doesn’t it?” Addie hurried to speak before he did. “It would bother me, is what I’m saying. I understand it if bothers you and Cale. I don’t know what to do about it bothering you, but I can see why it would.”

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“Well, that’s pretty much why we had to come back here to talk. Cale and I have an idea. We wanted to discuss it with you since it involves all three of us and would be up to you to make the decision.” A riot of butterflies tickled her stomach with nerves. “I have to decide? I don’t think I like the direction of this.” “It’s not as bad as you seem to think. Come inside. Cale’s waiting. We’ll all talk about it, and if you still aren’t comfortable, we’ll brush it under the rug like it never happened.” Addie nodded agreement. “Ready?” he asked. “I guess I’d better be.” Addie opened the door. Her date was ending with a discussion that had every anxious nerve in her body jumping. Going home to her parents’ house left her little freedom to be the adult she was. Falling for TJ and having new feelings for Cale only added to the sensation that she was on a greased hill with no handrail. TJ walked with her to the front door and opened it. They stepped inside silently, and Addie had disturbing thoughts that she was headed for the principal’s office. It almost made her giggle, as both her guys were teachers. TJ dropped a hand on her lower back, escorting her to the living room. Cale was there waiting. He put aside a stack of what appeared to be essays, and stood. “Good evening, Addie. Would you like a drink?” “Water,” she croaked. “I’ll get it,” TJ told her. “She’s my date. Have a seat.” Both Cale and Addie sat down. Addie fidgeted. “This feels like bad news,” she said when the silence stretched beyond bearing. “I hope it’s not.” “You don’t know what this is about?” she asked.

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“Well, the fact that you’re here means TJ wanted to sleep with you. So for me, I’d say it’s not great news. For you? I’d guess that you like the idea.” “That bothers you,” she noted. “It could. Depends on what happens next.” TJ came back in with three glasses of water clutched in two hands. He passed them out then took his seat beside Addie. Addie slowly sipped her drink, eyeing both men. They’d brought her here. They could damn well tell her what this whole thing was about. “I want you to spend the night, Addie,” TJ confessed. She blinked. Her mind swam through the inevitable image of TJ moving over her. It also niggled forth some concern over her mother and father about their impression of her for being away all night. Then that concerned was wiped out by the thrill of excitement. “TJ and I want to share you,” Cale blurted out artlessly.

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Chapter Ten TJ nearly choked on his water. Addie knew her eyes were bulging at Cale. “Pardon?” “Dating, you meet us one-on-one, but neither of us wants the other to have you to himself when things get intimate.” Addie swung her head around to face TJ. To see if he was in agreement to what Cale was saying. TJ looked a little sheepish. He half shrugged. “If we’re both there, we know what the other is up to, and we both still get to be with you.” Addie jumped to her feet. Agitation refused to let her sit still as thoughts raced through her mind. Not the least of which was whether or not this was some kind of sick competition. So she asked. “Is this some kind of sick competition?” TJ looked confused, Cale, concerned. “No!” they said jointly. “Because that’s what this feels like.” She stared longingly at her water on the coffee table. “This was a bad idea. A really bad idea. I should have just made a decision.” TJ hopped to his feet to put an arm around her. She shrugged it off, stepping away from him. Cale stood, too. He slipped his hands into his pockets, appearing as coolly unaffected as usual. “Why?” Cale asked her. “You deserve to take your time. We both know that.” “Because of this,” she said throwing her arms wide. “Normal people in normal relationships don’t have this problem. Normal people date someone, sleep with them when and if they want to, don’t have long discussions about it. They don’t worry if they’re being

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slutty, and if they didn’t commit to an exclusive relationship, the guy knows she might be with other guys.” “We know all that,” TJ assured her. “Yet, here we are!” she said, starting to freak out a little. “It’s because we’re roommates and friends,” Cale offered. “If we were strangers, you wouldn’t be worried about all this. Neither would we. Dating friends, we worry about preserving our friendships with each other and the relationships we have as roommates.” “We’re constantly going to have the other person’s private moments with you thrust in our faces. I’m not going to pretend that it’ll be easy. For the sake of those ties, Cale and I came up with a possible solution.” “So good of you,” she snapped. “Am I going to be put on a house calendar as well?” TJ looked concerned. As well he should be, she thought. “This isn’t going well. We should forget it, Cale.” “I want to see how things go with Addie. I’m not just going to walk away,” Cale defended. “Neither am I,” TJ answered. “Then maybe I should. I should have known that dating one or both of you was a bad idea,” Addie muttered. “Don’t go,” TJ said. Addie looked at him. She’d made such a mess of things. She didn’t see how they’d get better or less awkward for any of them. Cale came up behind her, and her skin sizzled with memory of the last time they were sandwiched together. TJ’s warm, welcoming body in front of her, Cale’s heat along her back, she felt like a seesaw of emotions. One minute it was a horrible idea to date them both. The next, she couldn’t wait to drag them both upstairs and get naked. “God,” she breathed. “I am a slut.” TJ cocked an eyebrow, his lips twitching with amusement. “Changed your mind? Already?”

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“No,” she lied through her blush. “I haven’t changed my mind. It’s still a really bad idea.” “But?” Cale murmured behind her. He was close enough that his breath stirred her hair. She gasped. TJ moved closer, too. “But?” he echoed. “I had fun last time,” she admitted. “So did we,” TJ asserted. “But,” she said with an attempt at sharpness, “I don’t like this vibe of sexual competition. I like you both. I don’t want to always be thinking of you two holding up scorecards against each other.” “I like you, too,” Cale said. “No scorecards,” TJ promised. Cale moved the hair off the back of her neck, placing a line of soft kisses from nape to shoulder. Addie closed her eyes, giving in to the sensations, despite her sharp words. The tickle of TJ’s lips on hers startled her, but she kept her eyes closed and took it in stride. TJ’s hands cupped her hips. Cale’s trailed down her back. “I want to kiss you,” Cale murmured. TJ’s hands tightened on her hips for a flash of a second. Then he turned her to face the other man. When Addie looked into his eyes, her breath caught. She’d seen that look on TJ’s face—desire, lust, hunger, and maybe fear. She’d never imagined it on Cale’s face, too. But there was more. Like TJ, Cale concerned himself with making her feel good. With touching her in all the right places. His hand lifted to cup her breast. His nose lightly rubbed hers as a tentative smile flitted over his lips moments before their mouths met. Like TJ, Cale didn’t kiss her or touch her like a man who only wanted sex. He didn’t come on hot and heavy like someone whose sole aim was to get laid, as often as possible. No, he seemed taken in with her. As though he truly cared that her needs were met, that he satisfied her, and if that meant being asked to stop, she was just as convinced that a single word would stop him without complaint. And that’s what Addie didn’t understand.

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She was the girl next door. She was the buddy to the guy-friends and the little sister to the others. She was just plain old Addie Ruben. Still, as TJ tucked his pelvis against her ass, kissing her in that perfect spot on the back of her neck, and as Cale’s thumbnail scraped teasingly over her nipple through shirt and bra, his lips feeling out hers like they could stay there all night, she had to wonder what kind of awesome twilight zone she’d entered. They knew she was Addie Ruben, childhood friend and neighborhood nobody, right? They hadn’t mistaken her for someone else? How was it that these two incredibly sexy, smart, funny, generous men wanted her? Would they stop wanting her as quickly? Would giving in to them again be a mistake? What if the first time had been a fluke? They’d wanted a threesome, and she’d been willing, so they’d gone along with it for kicks—she mentally tested the argument without drawing a conclusion. Addie moaned when TJ rubbed his hard cock on the crevice of her ass. His hands slid around the front, and she froze uncomfortably when he touched her rounded abdomen. God, she hated that part of her body. TJ seemed unconcerned. His cock didn’t flag. His kisses reached the side of her neck. His tongue flicked her pulse point, and she shivered. Her nipples felt like hard pebbles, achingly tight. Cale murmured his approval, making quick work of her buttons. She looked at his shaking hands with growing passion. She put a hand on Cale’s chest, stopping him. She turned slightly, making TJ stop also. “I need to say something,” she said, her voice shaking. From the corner of her eye, she saw TJ nod. Cale nodded, too. “This, what’s happening between us, I need to be absolutely clear on something,” she began. When she was sure she had their attention,

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she continued. “I want this. You aren’t convincing me. You aren’t seducing me—well, okay, you are.” She laughed. Cale and TJ chuckled, too. “A good seduction, I hope,” Cale said, grinning. “Very good,” she agreed. “But here’s the thing. I want to be here. TJ, I’ve always loved you, but this kind of love is new for me, for us.” “It’s new for me, too,” he told her. “I’ve always been in love with you. From the beginning, but actually being with you is different than I imagined. So much better.” She smiled, kissed his cheek. Turning to Cale, she cocked her head. “You and I are on different ground. We know of each other, but we don’t know each other really well yet.” “We know a lot about each other,” Cale contested. “I know how you take your coffee. I was there for your most-embarrassing moment in school, when you accidentally got undressed in the men’s locker room.” “Oh, geez,” she groaned, covering her heated cheeks. He tugged her hands down. “Best piece of ass I’d ever seen.” He winked. “But I know a lot about you. Your favorite color is green. I know you aced every English essay in Advanced Placement classes. I may not have talked much, but I listened. I do know you, Addie.” “And I know more than I realized. That’s not a bad thing. I’m just stating my case, so bear with me, okay?” Cale agreed. “I’m saying I’m going into this with my eyes wide open. I’m going in knowing that I like you, enough to want to see where things go. Enough to recognize that not seeing you, and only seeing TJ, could be a mistake I don’t want to make. That’s why I want to date both of you.” “We’re fine with that,” TJ assured her. “But I’m not, completely. Not until I know that you understand where I’m coming from and why I’m comfortable doing what we’re doing,” she replied.

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“I’ll be honest. I would like to know,” Cale confessed. Take the bull by the horns, Addie. “I want to see where things go with both of you. I know the idea of being intimate with each other as a group was your idea, but it’s not like you have to keep convincing me. I may have some concerns about how it will all work out, but I’m willing to go with the flow.” “You’re sure?” TJ asked. “I feel like we blindsided you.” “Well, it was definitely a surprise but not a horrible one. I expected one or both of you to tell me to choose,” she said. “I got the impression that you wouldn’t choose. That if we asked you to, you’d write us off,” Cale noted. “I wouldn’t date you if there was awkwardness between us. My biggest concern was how you two would take me dating you both at the same time. Of how you’d react to knowing that I have no intention of remaining celibate while I figure out where I want to be.” Addie shrugged. “I don’t want to choose. I like both of you.” TJ loosely wrapped his arms around her waist. “And you want to sleep with both of us,” he concluded. Addie blushed, but she nodded agreement. “I do. I’m sorry if that sounds bad.” “It doesn’t. Not really,” TJ answered. “Cale?” Addie asked, hoping her eyes conveyed her concern over his thoughts well enough. “I want to be here. TJ and I have shared before. It comes down to knowing that I can’t give you up, no matter what the circumstances are.” His gaze flicked to TJ. “TJ’s my best friend. I trust him with my life. He’d never act like an asshole, and he’d never put you at risk.” Cale lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. “It’ll be an adjustment for all of us.” “Just promise me something?” she asked, turning her head to look from one fantastically sexy man to the other. “Promise me that if things go wrong, if you begin to have problems with how we are handling our relationships, that you say something?”

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“Try and shut me up,” TJ growled, burying his face in her neck. Addie giggled. “I don’t think that’s possible.” “It’s not. Trust me,” Cale muttered, but he was grinning. “I promise.” He kissed her forehead. “I promise, too,” TJ mumbled against her neck. “If it gets weird, you’ll say something,” Addie reiterated. “If you think what’s happening will not only ruin a romance, but ruin our friendships, you’ll tell me?” Both men agreed again. “Can we get naked now?” TJ mumbled into her shoulder. Butterflies took off in her belly. She’d said her piece. Now she prayed they meant it. If anything went wrong, she hoped they’d remember and let them talk it out before things got nasty. Because it seemed to her that third-wheel syndrome could wreck everything. Did multiple-partner relationships really work? How long before someone felt left out? How long until one or all three of them splintered away from each other and chalked up their time together as an aberration not to be repeated? There would be some point when they had a reality check. What was it her mother used to tell her? Relationships can only end in one of two ways. Eventually, you either break up or get married. As far as Addie knew, there wasn’t a legal way for a party of three to marry. That meant breakup was inevitable. Her gut tightened painfully. She couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to either man. TJ pulled her shirt from her shoulders. She’d forgotten, briefly, that Cale had unbuttoned her. Then shirtless, TJ unhooked her bra, and Cale finished by hooking his fingers underneath the shoulder straps and drawing them down her arms, with painfully slow intent and smoldering interest in his eyes. “Beautiful,” Cale murmured when he revealed her breasts. “I’ve never seen anything more perfect.”

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Goose bumps rose up on her flesh as TJ got to his knees behind her, tracing her spine with soft kisses. His hands settled on her hips, and his open-mouth kisses on her lower back made her knees weak with need. Moisture seeped from her pussy. Cale held her upper back, leaning her away from him to take her nipple in his mouth. “Here?” she asked. “For now,” TJ answered roughly. He loosened the zipper on her skirt, then, tucking his fingers in the waistband of both her skirt and her panties, he pulled. Addie didn’t want sex to happen to her. She wanted to actively participate in having it. With that in mind, she tugged open Cale’s belt. His breath huffed sharply against her breast. “Take off your shirt,” Addie told Cale. **** Distracted by her tight pink nipples, sucked into full glossy mauve, Cale wasn’t prepared for the small, warm hand that wrapped his cock. He swore under his breath, yanked his shirt off, and cupped her breasts so that he could suckle first one turgid peak then the next. Addie made urgent sounds of need, her fingers flexing on his length. Cale heard a smack, followed by Addie’s sudden cry of surprise. “Bend over and take him in your mouth,” TJ told her, voice gruff and rasping. Addie paused only for an instant, during which TJ jerked her hips toward him, planted a hand on her back, and pushed her upper body forward. Her breath fanned his cock, and small fingers fumbled with his pants, pushing them out of the way. His cock sprang free, fully relieved of the binding fabric with eagerness. He had no time to think.

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Her hot mouth closed around his cock head, and fisting his shaft, she began to pump his cock. The sensations and the view were incredible. He slit his eyes, letting his gaze travel over her as though he were in some kind of hazy, waking dream. Addie’s hair looped on her back and over her shoulders out of view. Her spine, straight and delicate, flexed slightly with each lift and drop of her mouth on his cock. Her waist tucked in, and her hips flared beyond that, to her pale white ass. TJ met his gaze for just a moment, a smile curling his lips, as he abruptly knocked her feet and spread her legs. Addie turned her head sharply. “Don’t stop,” Cale heard himself plead, as though from a distance. Blood roared in his ears, singing with heat and desperation. He needed her back on his cock. He needed her there now. He caught her head, fisting his fingers in her silken strands, and directed her back into position. Addie obliged with enthusiasm, taking him in a combination of short and long pulls of sucking bliss. Beyond her ass, TJ parted her cheeks. Addie paused. TJ ducked low, leaning in, and a strangled gasp escaped her. Addie’s attention on his cock became intensely focused as his bobbing head matched her pace. Addie let go to grab Cale’s hips, clutching them tightly. He’d have crescent-shaped nail marks later, but he didn’t care. He tried to keep from fucking her sweet mouth, but he couldn’t resist rocking against her. Her lips rubbed his slick shaft in a tight “o.” His mind felt numb, but that was the only thing about him that was. His cock zinged on each friction-filled pull. His balls drew tight, and urgent tingles boiled along his tailbone, prepared to erupt. He shouted, so close to the edge, when Addie’s tongue flicked roughly over the rim of his cock head. Then cradled the underside of his shaft. He twisted her hair, no longer holding himself still, but thrusting forward. Tingles became fireworks, lighting him from the inside and shooting up his spine.

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Cale dropped his head back, growling out her name. She panted, her humming vibrations of pleasure setting him off beyond holding back as TJ made her come, and her climax zeroed his attention to one driving, orgasmic bull’s-eye. Release swelled his cock. Cum raced through his shaft, spilling fast and furious into her mouth. Addie pulled off, holding on to Cale for dear life. “Oh, dear God. I don’t think I can stand.” TJ chuckled wickedly. He rose to his feet and swooped her into his arms. “No need. I’ve got you.” He lifted an eyebrow at Cale and nodded toward the stairs. “You coming?” “Again?” Cale quipped. TJ carried Addie upstairs. Cale left his clothes and Addie’s clothes on the floor. They were the least of his concern. His gaze traveled the line of Addie’s legs dangling from TJ’s arms, and he followed them up. TJ traveled the length of the hallway to Cale’s room. Inexplicably, Cale’s pulse quickened. The prospect of lying there later tonight, Addie’s scent on his pillow, his body wrapped in sheets that had caressed her naked body, covers that wrinkled under clenched fists of passion, her cries, would echo in his mind and send him into very good dreams, indeed. This is what he’d been waiting for. Addie was going to be in his room, her body flooding with cream for him, for them. She wanted him, didn’t want to risk losing him. That had to say something about her interest. She’d been TJ’s for a lifetime. How the fuck had he gotten so lucky to catch her eye long enough? To stand beside TJ, her childhood friend, on equal footing and win the chance to steal her heart? Hell if he was going to screw it up. He wouldn’t do anything to risk his chances with her. And because of that, he didn’t really mind TJ’s presence. Let him see how Addie reacted to Cale. Cale had certainly witnessed her reaction to TJ. This time, Cale wanted to be facing her when she came. He wanted to see her eyes dim as they drifted to that faraway cave of

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desire locked in her mind, the place he planned to take her. Watching her face bloom with an orgasmic flush, the smile, the glint in her eyes after he’d satisfied her. God, he was practically intoxicated with the possibility. If she was serious about giving them a fair shot, he had the right to claim her delectable pussy. TJ would have to ride backseat. Cale expected to have to say something to that effect, but TJ surprised him. TJ gently laid her on Cale’s bed. He climbed up to lie behind her, raising a questioning glance to Cale. The generosity of the move struck Cale. After all, she and TJ had just gone on a date. Apparently, TJ wasn’t worried about Cale stealing his girl. Or he trusted Cale. For the moment, doubt slipped away. He crawled the mattress to the couple waiting for him. Addie smiled at him, her gaze darting away nervously then coming back to his. “Should I take off my shoes?” she asked. Cale had already left his socks in the pile of slacks downstairs. He glanced down at her stockings and black heels. “God, no. You look amazing.” His fingers dipped to her pussy, tangling his fingers in the curls at her apex. “And they say black doesn’t go well with brown,” he murmured, giving her curls a teasing tug. “I’ll be right back. I forgot the lube and condoms. Cale may need some extra attention since you spectacularly stripped him of his, er, reserve,” TJ said. Addie reached around and swatted TJ’s hip. “Come back with less on,” she told him. “Yes, ma’am,” TJ answered. Cale rolled her to her back. “Thank you,” he murmured. “For?” she asked. “Giving me a chance to show you how much I care for you.” Addie smiled, a tiny dimple appearing in her cheek. Cale kissed it. He relaxed on her, their bodies molding together. He shifted so that he was no longer half on and half off, but fully on top. She parted her

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legs, and his loose cock rested against her sweet cunt, still hot from the fierce licking TJ had given her. As she looked up at him, he brushed her hair off her forehead and cheeks. “You are amazing, Addie. You’re so strong, so beautiful. Do you even realize how incredible you are?” “I’m not strong.” Her lashes covered her wide brown eyes, and her smile faltered. “You are.” Her expression grew serious. “How can you say that? I let that man walk all over me and barely made it out with my sanity.” “But you made it out, Addie. You stayed until you knew it was over, then you got out.” “I gave up.” “He wasn’t going to change. His faults aren’t your problem. You got away,” he brushed his lips over her temples. “When you were free, you made it all on your own for a year. Don’t you think that proves your independence?” “Sometimes,” she said softly. “I think so, sometimes. Other times, I just feel like a complete fool.” Cale shook his head, looking at her with the wonder that filled his heart. “You have such a capacity to love and forgive. You sacrifice your own happiness for a man that wants to steal it from you, then you beat yourself up for it. He’s the fool. Not you.” Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. Addie bit her bottom lip. “Don’t cry,” he whispered, kissing the corners of her eyes. “You’ve wasted enough tears on him. He never deserved you.” A whimsical smile lifted the corner of her lips as fledgling playfulness tried to mask her emotions. “And you do?” He smiled back. “God, Addie, I’m going to do my damndest to be the guy you deserve.” “What about TJ?” “I’m willing to wait until you know what you want.” She licked her lips. “I want both of you.”

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The doubt and uncertainty on her face, tightening her lips and squinting her eyes, tugged at his heart. He kissed her, relishing in the soft exchange. The bed dipped, and Cale closed his eyes, needing just this moment, to block out TJ and keep Addie all to himself. They’d share in a moment. For now, it was just the two of them. Just this kiss. Addie hooked her leg around Cale’s hips. He slipped his arm under her back, curling his fingers over her shoulder. His recently spent cock already began filling. He wasn’t surprised. Addie did things to him. She made his body come alive, made him eager to hear her voice, talk to her, pick her brain, to laugh. She made each moment feel important, private. Even now, when she prepared to give herself to two men at the same time. Cale rolled to his side, taking her with him, her raised leg opening her to TJ behind. TJ scooted close. Cale didn’t have to open his eyes to know it. Her soft gasp against Cale’s lips told him better than any words could. Cale cupped her breast. TJ tried to cup her, too, his hand fumbling over Cale’s. Cale didn’t move. TJ searched for new purchase, eagerly dipping between her legs. “You’re still wet,” TJ said in wonder. Cale looked at her. Her eyes opened, and she stared into his, a secret smile in them. “No,” she said softly. “I’m wet, again.” He knew the admission came with difficulty, so he tweaked her nipple encouragingly. He loved looking at her. Especially aroused. He knew he’d done that. She needed him inside her as badly as he needed to be inside her. He’d never have seen this moment coming a week ago. Thank God for second chances. TJ tapped his shoulder. Cale took the condom he offered, but Addie snatched it from him. She quickly tore it open then reached between them. Cale groaned as she took her time unrolling it on him. Glancing over her shoulder sharply, Cale could surmise that TJ was beginning his work on her sweet ass. “Are threesomes always like this?” she asked breathlessly.

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“Would you like it to be?” TJ asked. “Yes,” she hissed. The word drew out long, lingeringly. TJ grinned mischievously. “Almost there, honey. Can you take another finger?” “Mm-hm.” Cale flicked the tip of his tongue over her pursed lips. Addie pulled him closer, opening her mouth to him, sucking on his tongue desperately as TJ worked behind her. “I’m ready,” TJ told Cale. In a practiced move, TJ slipped his hands under her armpits. Then he hooked his arms upward, trapping her arms above her head. Cale held her hips for TJ, who bucked forward, sinking himself into Addie’s lush body. Addie whimpered. Cale pressed his body tight to hers and rolled. TJ lay on the bottom, still holding her arms over her head, his cock buried deep in her ass. Cale continued to hold her in place. Like this, it was a simple matter for TJ to part her legs wide, spreading her pussy for Cale. It brought Cale’s hot, hard cock in full contact with her slick inner folds. When Addie bucked with need, Cale kept her in place. He shivered, fighting the urge to remain in place, but knowing he had to move if any of them were going to come. Cool sweat broke out at his temples as he got to his knees. TJ slowly flexed his hips, sinking and retreating from her ass. Cale had to admit that it was a hot picture. Cale bent to taste her, suckling her clit. She cried out, tossing her head, halfheartedly fighting the hold TJ had on her. She was well and truly pinned for Cale to feast his eyes on. He took his time while she adjusted to TJ’s cock moving in her. He worked his way up to her full, pale breasts. Cale took great pleasure in tormenting each nipple in turn. He caught one between his teeth, carefully gnashing it, almost to the point of pain, definitely to the point of causing her to thrash around.

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He licked the abused tip and blew on it, raising goose bumps and puckering her nipple further. “You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.” Cale watched her toss her head, close her eyes from him. No, he couldn’t have that. He wanted to see her come. He needed to see her come. “Open your eyes, honey,” Cale told her. Her pretty mocha eyes opened. They glittered with barely restrained emotion. But which emotion? “What are you feeling?” he asked. “I want you inside me,” she admitted. Cale smiled, slid a finger inside her quivering cunt. Her sudden cry caused his cock to flex. “That’s damn hot. Do it again,” he insisted gruffly. He hooked his finger, digging the tip into the bundle of nerves high in her channel. On cue, Addie moaned, her hips arched, and Cale held her down roughly with one hand. “Don’t dislodge TJ. He wants to fuck your ass so bad. Take it, Addie. Take the pleasure, and beg me for more.” Cale hardly recognized his own voice. It rasped like rocks on sandpaper. His cock ached, but he wanted her begging first. He’d never felt such a need to have a woman come on demand before. He pushed another two fingers inside her, knuckled over her Gspot. She screamed, twisting on TJ, and tears rolled down her cheeks. “Are you okay?” Cale stopped what he was doing. “Did I hurt you?” “Please don’t stop.” “But you’re crying,” Cale said. “Fuck, what did you do?” TJ accused. “Feels good. I need more, Cale. TJ, I need you,” she insisted. Cautiously, TJ resumed flexing. He locked eyes on Cale’s face. Cale studied her expression for a moment then nodded to TJ. TJ

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relaxed, picked up his pace. Cale knuckled into her again, wringing sharp cries from Addie. “Yes, oh God, yes!” she praised. “Tell me what you need, Addie,” Cale demanded. “You. Inside,” she replied brokenly. Cale steadied her hips, waiting for TJ to begin his withdrawal then Cale plunged forward without apology. He sank into her balls-deep. Addie screamed, her body arching. He pulled out, TJ flexed in. Together they rocked her, rubbing the thin membrane inside her body between their thick cocks, making her take it. Making her sob with pleasure. He lost it then. Cale couldn’t tear his eyes from hers. Her breath trembled from parted lips, moved beyond words. Her breasts shimmered. Her abdomen tensed, her body clenched on his length. His ears began to ring. The constant stroking against TJ’s additional heat, the clutching of her body trying to cope with the intrusion of two cocks, got the better of him. Addie screamed, her eyes widening, her body convulsing. Her cheeks bloomed bright pink as she reached orgasm. Cale thrust hard and fast, taking as much as giving. Fucking until he thought his eyes would roll back in his head and his last breath would leave him, never to return. Heat flashed up his cock. A bellow ripped from his throat. He clenched his ass as his balls emptied inside her. He shook with the force of his release, vaguely aware that TJ came, too. Cale didn’t care. He couldn’t move, freezing over her as his body continued to spurt, his hips jerking of their own accord. “I love you, Addie,” Cale whispered.

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Chapter Eleven The next morning, Addie still felt stuffed with cock. She giggled as she readjusted her skirt. The same skirt she’d worn on her date with TJ, and the same skirt TJ had just had his hands under. She swatted them away as he tried again. Cale took her distraction as an opportunity to grab her breasts from behind. “Oh, my God. You two are driving me crazy,” she exclaimed. “You drive us crazy. It’s only fair,” Cale said, sounding playful. She liked this new side of him. He’d always seemed so serious before. Somewhere along the way, he’d relaxed, and she really liked it. “I have to go,” she complained when TJ pulled her against him. “No you don’t,” TJ argued. “If I don’t go, I can’t get dressed for my date with Cale. As it is, I’ll be fielding accusations from my family,” she explained. “She’s right. We need to let her go,” Cale agreed seriously. “So we can go on our date then come back here and do this all over again.” TJ and Addie laughed. “You are so bad,” she said, wriggling away from the men. She managed to open the front door and squeeze her way out onto the front stoop. Cale followed. TJ, not to be left out, pushed him out of the way to join in. Cale elbowed him. Then caught her to his chest, taking her mouth in an openmouthed kiss that left her brain swimming and her pussy

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clenching in every remembered moment of passion. Oh God, she might just come on the front stoop. TJ took her arm and pulled. He swung her around and dipped her, taking his turn in kissing her senseless. One hand on her ass, the other supporting her fully. When TJ lifted her back up, he didn’t let go of her ass. Cale caught her chin and turned her face toward him. He kissed her, capturing her bottom lip between his. “I’ll pick you up tonight at six.” “Okay,” she said, feeling stupidly shy. TJ nuzzled her neck, fighting shoulder space with Cale. “See you after then,” he reminded her, wiggling her eyebrows. She laughed. “I won’t be able to walk for a week.” “That’s the idea,” TJ informed her. “If you can’t walk, you’ll be forced to stay in our beds.” “At the mercy of multiple orgasms and men who can’t get enough of you,” Cale finished. Addie could get lost in their tender looks and sexy smiles. The fond way they tried to one up each other in getting close to her, charmed her. She took a step back, off the stoop to the front walk. Catching her bottom lip in her teeth, she looked from one hunk to the other. “I can’t believe I’m with both of you,” she said wonderingly. “If this is a dream, I don’t ever want to wake up.” “Our plan is working, Cale. She’s in an oversexed opiate stage. We must continue fucking her to make her our love-slave.” “I’m on first shift,” Cale said. The front stoop was filled with broad shoulders, lean hips that had pumped into her over and over, wide smiles that had nibbled every inch of her body and tasted her in ways she’d never imagined. She pressed her palm to her forehead, smiling at them in disbelief as she backed away. “I’m in heaven,” she called back.

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Turning on her heel, Addie walked to her car. She couldn’t bring herself to look at them as she started up. But in backing out, she nearly T-boned a car stopped in the middle of the road, a sneering matron glaring at her. She motioned for the woman to go on, acknowledging that the right of way was the woman’s. The woman sent an equally annoyed look toward where she’d left TJ and Cale. Her car crept in inches from the full stop she’d been in. Finally, Addie backed out and shot the men a wave, but instead of looking cheerful, their expressions had sobered. With a sense of foreboding, she followed Cale’s concerned gaze to the retreating car. **** “You look fantastic,” Cale murmured in her ear as he kissed her cheek that evening. “Thank you. You look pretty great yourself.” “I thought we could walk to the restaurant tonight.” Cale took her hand and headed down the block. It was already dark, but true to Barley Hill, the street lamps were lit, and every house was adorned with Christmas lights. Addie loved this time of year. November in the neighborhood felt like Norman Rockwell had taken up residence. The community participated in bringing the holidays to life. Picturesque, that’s what it was called. She glanced sideways at Cale. He always looked eye-catching. Tonight, he looked like a sex god. Tall and lean, moving with silent grace and a panther’s deliberate stride, he took her breath away. He saw her looking and smiled, his white teeth flashing against olivetoned skin, and her chest tightened. Yeah, she liked what she knew about him, which it seemed was a lot more than she realized, but she also wanted to know a lot more. He made her feel at ease. Incredibly lucky, but at ease. “Penny for them,” he said softly.

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He glanced both ways then crossed the street with her. They were a block off the main strip. If you could call it that. Barley Hill was hardly a shopping mecca. “I was thinking about you,” she admitted. “What about me?” “What was it like for you before you moved here?” she asked. “Wow, that’s a long time ago. Why do you want to know?” She shrugged and swung their joined hands. They turned the corner onto Main Street, where Barley Hill did its best to appear like a hopping town. Even the neon ice-cream cone in the parlor window seemed to have been amped up a few volts. “I spent a lot of time studying. Dad used to move us around a lot before we settled here.” “So why did you stay? Why didn’t you finish college and go to a bigger town?” Cale stopped and looked down at her. He caressed her cheek so tenderly she feared she’d almost imagined it. “This town was the first one I felt like I could call home. We stopped moving after coming here and developed roots. This place is gorgeous.” He looked up, as though he were telling Main Street’s inanimate buildings that he loved them. When his gaze returned to hers, he smiled softly. “I have friends here and memories that are all tied up with them. I couldn’t go anywhere else in the world and feel the kind of kinship there that I have here.” He resumed walking. “I was hoping that the three of us would always stick together. You left us after college. Then it was just me and TJ.” “I came back, just eleven years later.” Cale opened the door to the nicest restaurant in town. Jensen’s had done up the interior like a log cabin, complete with several large fireplaces, rough-cut tables and chairs that were beautifully polished, and wooden surfaces everywhere they looked. Old-fashioned gas sconces and hurricanes gave the room a romantic glow. White linen

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covered each table where the finest china, silver, and crystal had been set. Addie inhaled deeply. It smelled like care. It smelled like home and pride and years of invested love. She hadn’t been here since highschool graduation when the Rubens, Laytons, Lucases, had joined together in throwing their three children a fabulous good-bye dinner. “Remember?” he asked, not specifying what he wanted her to remember. She could see from the far-off look in his eye that he was probably thinking of the same night, so she nodded. “The owners snuck us three glasses of champagne and told our parents it was sparkling cider.” Addie laughed. She’d forgotten that! “Mom would have been furious if she’d known.” “I spent senior year working here. Pat Jensen wasn’t going to let me leave without a nod to our graduation.” She sighed happily. Other couples ate in subdued conversation. A few looked up and smiled when they saw Cale and Addie together. Mr. and Mrs. Prescott gave a little wave. Addie waved back. Pat Jensen appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her in a huge bear hug. “Well, it’s about time you came home, missy. I see you finally gained your senses and are seeing Cale. I can’t tell you how sick the staff was of hearing about you.” He smacked Cale’s back. “Poor love-sick fool.” Cale scowled at Pat. “Do you mind? I need to maintain some dignity. It’s our first date.” “My apologies,” he said. Addie didn’t believe the sincerity of the offer any more than Cale seemed to. “You’ll do fine, Cale, although the ladies in this town may not recover so quickly.” “Why? Is Cale a player?” Addie teased. “Cale Lucas? No.” The last word growled low and easy, like a bear telling a joke. “He’s a good boy, this one. That TJ, on the other

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hand, he’s the flirt. You’ve had Cale’s heart as long as I’ve known him.” “How about a table?” Cale rushed, stopping further conversation on the subject. Addie nudged him, slanting her eyes to the side at him, as Pat pushed the maître d’ away and led them to the table himself. “It’s not over, hotshot,” she whispered. “Like hell it isn’t. I think the only other thing remaining is someone whipping out the baby pictures,” Cale grumbled. “That’s a great idea. Remind me to track down your mom tomorrow.” “You mean after TJ and I finish ravaging you?” he whispered near her ear. Addie glanced around sharply. “Quiet!” “No, sweetheart. Don’t ever be quiet. Be as loud as you want, as many times as you want.” “Oh, God.” A warm flush stole up her cheeks. Her pussy tingled, ready to begin that part of the night, too. “That’s right, honey. Practice your lines.” Pat Jensen must have overheard. “Are you in the community Christmas play? I had no idea.” He pushed her chair in for her and handed her a menu. “What? Uh, no. It’s for something else.” God, could they just change the subject? When Pat left, Cale reached across the table to take her hand. “I’m so glad you came back. It’s like we fixed what we left off badly in high school.” “Except on sex steroids,” she muttered. Cale threw his head back, laughing. “Yeah, like that.” His eyes twinkled with delight. “So I know you have great taste in interior decorating and that you seem to still sketch. I saw your sketchbooks on your bedroom dresser.”

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Cale paled slightly. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “You didn’t—did you look at any of them?” He lifted his water goblet and took several long swigs. “No,” she said, drawing out the vowel, an open invitation for him to clarify. “Good. I mean, I’ll show you later, but drawing is very personal. I’d rather find the pieces for you to look at, rather than have you stumble across them.” She held up her hand. “I hereby promise not to look at any sketches you don’t deliberately show me.” He grinned sheepishly. “Thanks.” “But I’m dying to see them now. Just so you know.” “You will. Later.” Dinner moved smoothly along. Less humor filled than her date with TJ, being with Cale still felt good. It was like curling by the fireplace with hot cocoa, on a faux bearskin rug. All sex and comfort, ease and excitement, the thrill and the revision of old memories. Her eyes had been opened to the little things. The way firelight played off his cheekbones, the timbre of his laugh, which was the same but warmed her so differently. She watched him slide his wine glass side-to-side on the white linen as he talked, absently fiddling, or his fingers in a pinch grip on the stem move up and down. Those hands had touched her. They’d done things to her that made her blush to think about. Her eyes traveled him, looking for tiny clues to his identity. She saw exactly what she expected to see, but she saw them differently. Now the one errant lock of hair that crossed his forehead was sexy as it slashed an obsidian pointer to one clear, paleblue eye. The suggestion of crow’s feet when he smiled somersaulted her tummy. When he stretched his legs out and his ankle touched her bare one, she didn’t resist the urge to rub it against him twice. He’d smiled at

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her, and his large hand had taken hers, palm up, as he traced the lines with a blunt-tipped finger. He was the same Cale, yet different, too. How had she never paid attention to him all those years ago? If she’d taken minutes to really look at him, she’d have known his feelings. Instead, she’d been too caught up in her own insecurities and high-school drama, her own lack of self-worth, too— Oh, God, and I’m doing it again. There hadn’t been a moment when she’d fully allowed herself to enjoy being with TJ and Cale, when she’d trusted their feelings for her and hers for them. But it’s been happening so fast. It’s all physical. Wasn’t it? She thought for a moment, watching his thumb rub over the shallow depression on her palm as coffee was served. Was it only physical? They’d certainly had plenty of sex. She met his gaze and smiled. Yes, she knew Cale. Yes, she was getting to know Cale in a new way. Was it enough for a relationship? She thought so. She also thought her feelings for TJ were worthy of a relationship. “You’re doing it again,” he accused good-naturedly. “Doing what?” “Getting lost in thought. Care to share?” “I think I messed up,” she said. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized that was exactly what she’d been thinking. “How so?” “I thought that by dating you and dating TJ, I’d be able to decide which person I should stay with. I thought it would be easier to see which man I felt more in tune with.” “You don’t, though,” he said. “No.” “What do you feel?” he asked, leaning forward. “Confused. Torn. Undecided.”

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Cale pushed his empty coffee cup to the side, taking his time to straighten out the cloth wrinkles. When he looked up again, he appeared thoughtful. “Do you have to decide?” What did he mean? Of course she had to decide. It wasn’t like she could lead both of them on indefinitely. That wouldn’t be fair, and it would make her crazy with guilt. “What if you didn’t have to choose?” he asked. “I don’t understand. You know I have to choose. I’m not so heartless that I’d treat either of you like that,” she insisted, her words spilling over themselves in her rush to explain. “Addie, he and I have dated women at the same time before. Not like this, mind you, but it’s not foreign.” “It is to me. What happens when we’ve all been dating for a while and the time comes when one of us has to break it off? How will it be to keep seeing the other person, you and TJ still rooming together, and the odd man out having devoted himself to making us work?” “Why does it have to end?” She felt like a parrot, but her mom’s words came automatically. “There are only two ways a relationship can end. Either in breakup or marriage. Have you ever heard of a marriage with three people?” “Sure,” he grinned. “In Utah.” Despite herself, she laughed. “That’s such a stereotype.” “I know, but you needed to laugh. My apologies to the Utahans out there.” “Fortunately for you, they aren’t eavesdropping,” she reassured. Would the three of them work as a relationship unit, or was that fear talking? “Cale, how can three people stay in a long-term relationship with one another?” “There are a lot of polyamorous groups. We wouldn’t be the first.” “You don’t think that’s a cop-out? That one person is too afraid to be the odd man out, so he doesn’t rock the boat?” Addie propped her chin in her palm.

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“No, I don’t,” he answered seriously. “There are all kinds of relationships. Until recently, gay relationships wouldn’t be considered valid. They still aren’t, by some people, but that doesn’t mean their relationships are any less valid.” “But a threesome?” she whispered harshly, glancing around to make sure no one overheard them. “Just because it isn’t common doesn’t mean it’s wrong.” “Can it work?” “Do you want it to?” he asked quietly. Addie sat back. “I don’t know.” “If you aren’t comfortable with it, then you need to address it. You’ll have to make a decision. Until you do, I’m not giving up on us, and I seriously doubt TJ will either.” “It’s not fair,” she repeated. “Let us decide what we think is fair to us. All you need to do is let us try. If you can open yourself up to the possibility that we don’t have to fit the parameters of a traditional relationship, then we’ll probably get a lot further in what we really want.” “What do we really want?” she asked absently. “Don’t you know?” His half smile seemed nostalgic and tender. “No.” “You will. Give it time.” “That’s cryptic,” she complained. “Let’s go. I’ve been imagining your sweet cries all evening. I want to see if they’re as beautiful as I remember.” Cale retrieved his credit card from the bill folder. He stood and held her chair as she rose to her feet. Cale didn’t give her much room to stand, and her breasts brushed his chest, tightening her nipples in their automatic response to his nearness. “What about children?” she asked when they got outside. A group of people called out to them from across the street. Cale and Addie called greetings back. “What about them?” he asked, slipping his arm around her waist.

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He pulled her aside, near one of the ancient boulevard trees. Leaning her back against it, his fingers trailed over her face. They tickled the outer edge of her cheekbone then lined her lips. “What if we decide to have children? Or what if one of you wants to know if a child we have is biologically his?” He grinned. “The fact that you’re thinking that far ahead is incredibly sexy.” “I’m serious.” “So am I,” he murmured, dropping a kiss on her lips. When he straightened, he made a sound of thoughtfulness. “I guess that after discussing it between us, the one who wanted his own rightful child would stop wearing a condom until you conceived.” “I guess that makes sense,” she replied. “I do that sometimes. Make sense.” “Cale?” “Hm?” “Why do you like me?” she asked. “I do like you. I think what you’re asking me, without asking, is why do I love you?” When she nodded, he sighed softly. “Why do we love anyone? It just happens. There’s something about the person which speaks to us. Then, in exploring it, we discover that those qualities which piqued our interest are far more outstanding than we knew. We continue to reach for each other, and somewhere along the line our souls communicate.” “How poetic of you.” Addie needed to touch him. She flattened her hands on his chest, running them over his torso, then back up to his shoulders. She tipped her head back, resting it against the tree. She’d never have believed she’d be thinking of Cale as someone she wanted in her life forever, as more than an old friend, yet here she was. Her mind touched on TJ. Hadn’t she had these same thoughts about him last night? Did it matter that she thought about Cale like this now? Did it make her fickle? Was what she felt wrong?

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TJ, lighthearted, fun, hilarious, giving, tender, filled her with love and hope and permanence. Cale, serious, thoughtful, kind, loving, did the same but in entirely different ways. Society said it was wrong to feel this way about two men. She could be jumping the gun a bit. Neither man had declared undying love. Cale pressed against her. “There’s nothing more incredible than the smells of cold winter air and your warm skin.” Addie wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him there. Another couple wandered by, saying hello. They barely answered, more caught up in staring into each other’s eyes. It was sappy, she knew, but she couldn’t resist the simple joy of looking at him and having her look at him, with the same doe-eyed awe she knew she must be projecting. She wished TJ were there, to share. She wished he was the tree that supported her. Then his arms would hold her close, he lips would brush the outer whorls of her ear, and she’d be surrounded by allAmerican male virility. She had to agree with Cale’s assessment, though. Warm bodies and cool air did make her feel giddy and excited. It made her think of making love in the open evening air, with nothing but the stars as their witness, where even the night sounds retreated in the mix of panting breaths and pleasured gasps. And now she was hot again. She felt the flames of arousal lick under her skin as she lifted to her toes and kissed Cale. He kissed like he thought she would break. Like her lips were gauzy and delicate. Oh, he didn’t merely graze them. No, he pressed firmly, but the gentleness was there, too. Protective, that was it. She felt protected by him. Valuable. Worthy of being cared for, and as though he were honored to be seen with her. It was that quality that made her heart ache a little. Is this what it feels like to be loved? God, that sounded so pathetic, echoing in the recesses of her mind, yet she couldn’t help the question. How would

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she know when it was love? She thought she’d loved Barry. In fact, she was sure she had, until it had been destroyed with years of neglect and pure meanness. She hadn’t anticipated that happening. She didn’t anticipate it being like that with TJ and Cale, either. But how would she know? How would she trust that they wouldn’t do to her like Barry had? Did she take the risk? What if she picked the wrong guy? There were things she loved about both men, TJ and Cale. They were different qualities, and there was the overall consensus that they cared about her. But what if she picked the wrong attributes to base her decision on? What if she picked the wrong guy, realized it too late, and spent her life with regrets? What if she paired up with one of the men, the other one got married, and they were all expected to spend time together? That would be torture—to love a man from afar who you’d let go. Choosing wasn’t a decision she could make hastily. Then there was the fact that she hadn’t intended to return to Barley Hill and get serious about anyone. She thought that after a year of being on her own, she’d date loosely and see where things went, eventually settle in with a guy she liked and see if they had a future. But that hadn’t happened. She’d barely arrived in town when TJ was kissing her, making her think of an exciting, lusty future with him, then inviting Cale to join in. Now she was torn. Goddamn them for complicating her plans. Her annoyance dematerialized as he swept his tongue between her parted lips to tangle with hers. This man can kiss. Her body reacted predictably. Her abdomen drew and tightened as though attached to a fine thread that wound tighter with each kiss. When he cupped his hand at the side of her neck, his thumb pushed up her chin. His warm palm against her thrumming heartbeat wrested a groan from her. She tilted her head to the side, giving him better access, to which he responded by stroking her neck.

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It was wonderfully distracting and oddly arousing. Who knew that the simple act of touching her neck would so thoroughly scatter her subversive thoughts to the wind and bring her back to the simple pleasure of this moment, when their mouths merged and their bodies wanted to. “Take me home,” she murmured breathlessly. “By home, do you mean—” “Your place. I want to do a lot more of this,” she confessed, looking up at him under lowered lashes.

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Chapter Twelve She’d never been bold, but that had been one of those traits she’d vowed to change when she divorced. No more sitting in the backseat, letting life happen to her. This time around, she wanted to be an active part of claiming her future. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean she could avoid the attacks of shyness. Cale smiled. He stepped back and held out his hand. She took it, and they walked quietly, leaving the brilliance of streetlights and Main Street decorations behind for the softer lights of sleepy neighborhoods and darkened porches. “What are you thinking?” he asked after a moment. “About choices.” “Maybe I don’t want to know,” he said after a moment. “There’s no reason to burden you with cyclical thought and insecurities.” She smiled ruefully. “Nothing you could say would be a burden. If you need someone to listen, I’m here.” She hugged his arm. “I know. You are amazing. I don’t know how I chose to overlook that about you. I did know it, though,” she told him. “It’s impossible to hang out with TJ day in and day out and not learn important characteristics about the company he keeps.” “You never seemed interested,” he pointed out. “I wasn’t. I made a snap judgment about you with the selfinvolvement of the teenage girl I was, and presumed that it was fact. I’m not too proud to say I was wrong.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m glad you decided I was worth a second look.”

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“What a fool I’d have been to miss out on you,” she said, looking up at him. His face was cast like that of a statue in the moonlight. His black hair, nearly lost in the dark night, occasionally flitted across his eyes. He smiled, and he was every night fantasy a woman could have. He was the mystery, the lover, the gentle watcher, the romantic, and she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have his attention. He studied her for several minutes. The sound of their footfalls softly punctuated the night. “Do you mean that?” he asked. “Yes.” Two houses away, Cale’s and TJ’s home, with perfectly lined Christmas lights, beckoned. “Do you mind that I want you to bring me home?” she pressed. “Not at all.” “It means TJ would have to be involved based on your request,” she reminded. “Does it bother you that we want to share you?” She thought about that for a moment. She thought maybe she should mind. Then she wondered why she didn’t. Shouldn’t she feel squeamish about this? Shouldn’t her moral alarm bell be sounding? “I keep thinking it’s supposed to, but it doesn’t.” Cale opened the door for her. It seemed like Barley Hill hadn’t changed that much. People still didn’t lock their doors. A thought occurred to her. Hadn’t she just been coaxing herself to believe that she was ready to live life? A wicked thought pushed through, daring her to act on it. Addie didn’t wait for the door to shut, though Cale was already closing it, when she shucked her jacket, and draped it over the coat rack. Then, pulling her shirt up over her head, she caught Cale’s surprised grunt. She turned and grinned wickedly at him as she reached behind and unclasped her bra. “Oops!” she said, holding her bra by the strap and dropping it on the floor.

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Cale’s pale eyes roamed her body. He reached for her, but she giggled and sidestepped him. He tried again, and she wound up escaping several more times. His fingers grazed her hip. She darted left, spinning and laughing with excitement. “You missed.” “I won’t miss next time,” he promised. Addie hooked her fingers in the elastic band of her multipatterned skirt and pushed it to the floor. She leaped out of it in another dodge. Cale pinned her to the foyer wall, breathing heavily. “Flirt.” “You know it,” she agreed unapologetically. “What’s got into you?” “I don’t know, but I plan on keeping it around for a little while. You don’t mind, do you?” she asked sweetly. His gaze traveled over her. Her pussy tingled, slicked, as it lingered over the thin, black silk panties. She’d worn thigh-high stockings and garters to match. “Do you like it?” Addie singsonged. “Very much.” He leaned in to kiss her. Addie ducked and slipped under his arm, crying out with the excitement of the chase as Cale pivoted to follow. Addie careened through the living room and into the kitchen. She didn’t know why she hadn’t gone upstairs, maybe it was to prolong the chase, or maybe she knew that the stairs would slow her enough for Cale to catch her. She’d left her heels on, knowing that they showed her legs off to their best advantage. Besides, she wanted to get TJ in on the fun. The lights of the kitchen drew her. She ran awkwardly into the brightly lit space—and skidded to a stop. TJ’s eyes widened, where he leaned against the kitchen island. A scowling woman faced her, and Addie recognized her as the lady from the car the prior morning. A blush raced to her cheeks as they looked at each other. Another man, presumably her husband, looked at Addie, too.

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Addie squawked, covering her breasts as best she could. Cale bumped into her from behind. TJ was already tossing her a kitchen towel, which she snatched out of the air just as Cale pushed her behind himself. “This!” The woman bellowed. “This is what I’m referring to.” From the way she said it, Addie’s racing thoughts latched onto the voice-tell that said TJ had been stonewalling the woman until Addie barreled into the room. The older man craned his neck. “Obscene.” He echoed her sentiments though he strained for a peek at Addie. TJ stepped between Cale and the other couple, facing them down like a second barricade. “You may leave now.” “You’re embarrassing yourselves all over town,” the woman insisted. “Mrs. Becket, what I do in my home is my business. What Cale does in his home is also his business. You can take your judgments and get the hell out of my house.” Anger seethed just under each word TJ uttered. His shoulders were tense, his back rigid. He’d folded his arms across his chest, and Addie knew from the angle of his head that he was staring them down. She’d been on the receiving end of that stare, and it wasn’t easy. Mrs. Becket’s lips pursed, screwing her face into nastiness. “We’ll see what the board of education has to say about this.” Addie felt Cale’s back stiffen. Her heart raced as the woman’s threat settled in her mind. She’s hoping to get them fired? Because of me? “No,” Addie blurted out. She didn’t know what to argue in defense, but she wanted Mrs. Becket to stop. Stop throwing loud, accusing words and threats at her men. “I got this, Addie,” TJ said tightly.

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Mrs. Becket grabbed her husband’s hand and hauled him past TJ, Cale, and Addie. Addie scooted around, so she was again visually protected from their sight. Mrs. Becket offered her final thoughts. “Mr. Lucas, Mr. Layton. You may be fine teachers, but in this community we are all family. We protect our youngsters from the misguided influence of perverts like you, who aren’t deserving of the position of role model.” Mr. Becket shook his finger at them. “You should be ashamed.” He darted a glance to his wife as though looking for approval. “Leave,” Cale growled. “Now.” Mrs. Becket’s eyes widened, and Mr. Becket’s neck turned beet red. Addie pressed her forehead between Cale’s shoulder blades, listening to their footsteps retreat. “Oh, this is bad. This is so bad,” she muttered. “It’s not great,” TJ agreed. “What happened?” Cale wanted to know. He reached back for Addie and brought her around. “Who cares?” TJ smiled appreciatively when he saw her. “That woman took up enough of our time. I’d rather be giving it to this vision right here.” “You got that right,” Cale agreed. “Really?” She tucked the towel under her arms and looked at them with disbelief. “How can you think about sex when that just went down?” “How can I not when you’re standing there looking like you need someone to go down,” TJ quipped. “I’m serious. She completely killed the mood. Plus, I think we need to talk about her threat. She wasn’t kidding around. If she goes to the board because she saw me running around your house naked, don’t you think we should have a plan?” TJ cupped her shoulders. “She isn’t complaining about that. At least not yet. She’s complaining about what she saw this morning when we both kissed you good-bye.”

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“What about it?” Cale asked, although to Addie, she thought he suspected he knew and wanted it confirmed. “She’s going to complain that the three of us are in an open sexual relationship,” TJ said, shrugging. “We are,” Addie reasoned. “Behind closed doors, it wouldn’t be a problem,” Cale told her. “The minute people see it? Parents get on a soapbox about teachers being influencers and how our perversion will corrupt the kids.” “The front stoop isn’t behind closed doors,” TJ added. “I just gave her ammo, didn’t I?” Addie felt sick. “Baby, we all did the minute we decided that we would have sex together.” TJ tried to soothe her, rubbing her upper arms and shoulders. “Some parents just look for ways to cause problems. Even if we’d never slept together, the rumor mill would have been churning once they saw you out with both of us in the same week,” Cale told her. “It’s not like they don’t know we live together. We’ve already dealt with rumors that we’re gay.” TJ chuckled. “When was that?” Addie asked. “When we first started rooming together. That ended when they saw us dating women,” Cale finished. “This is such a mess,” Addie muttered. TJ tugged the towel, easily stripping her. “I say we deal with other things, like the fact that you are wearing lacy underwear in our kitchen.” Addie laughed. She tried to grab the towel but only succeeded in stretching her arms away from her body enough that Cale quickly cupped her breast and tweaked a nipple. She yelped amidst a fit of giggles as she squirmed to avoid Cale’s arousing fingers and still win the towel prize. At this point, she knew it was more a game than an actual effort to get it back. She ducked and ran, kicking her heels off as she hit hardwood. She slid on her stocking feet when she took the corner too fast but

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righted herself and scrambled toward the stairs. If this was happening—and she sincerely hoped it was—she wanted to have lots of rolling around room. Sliding stockings and shorter legs got the better of her. Cale reached her first. In a moment of atypical playfulness, he hooked her panties and took them off. Teeth and lips opened on her ass cheek. He growled, and the combination of naked ass, hard teeth, and hot vibrating mouth made her pussy clench achingly. “Save some for me,” TJ admonished, reaching them, too. “Just leave the thigh-highs in place. That’s damn sexy.” Cale bent her over on the stairs, putting her in a crawling position. He cupped her between the legs, dipping his middle finger to press her clit. Addie moaned, lifted her hips, giving him better access. TJ edged around them, hurrying up the stairs and down the upper hallway. Cale didn’t have to ask to know that TJ was going for condoms and lube. With a satisfied grin, he opened her legs wider. “Doesn’t look like you’re going to make it to the bedroom, sweetheart.” He rolled her clit and slipped a finger into her pussy. Her muscle walls clenched around the intruding digit as he drew it out and lightly stroked her inner lips. “Cale,” she whispered roughly. “I’ve got you. Lean into me,” he encouraged. Moving his hands out of the way, he reached around her waist to continue the sex play while she pushed her ass against his hips for support. She shuddered and gasped when her bare flesh bumped his jeans and the bulge inside. “See what you do to me?” He rasped. “I barely have to think of you and I want you.” Addie’s head dropped forward as though that admission from him had overwhelmed her. Her space between her shoulder blades seemed to smooth, her motions became more liquid. He had the sense that his words had helped her let go of some unseen reserve she’d been

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holding, and his heart swelled with joy that she’d understood what he’d meant. That Addie made him feel whole and that being allowed to love her, physically, emotionally, was a more than a gift. It was a culmination of years of longing. She exceeded his expectations. She made him exceed his own expectations. Who knew that there was such a capacity to love built into humankind. It humbled him and drew his belly tight with magnitude of the feelings that her simple body cues revealed. It made him want to be a better man, a better lover, to show her that her trust wasn’t unfounded, but that he’d hold it cupped in his hands and nurture the tiny flame of promise until it bloomed full and bright. This is love. The truth hit him between the eyes. His throat constricted with emotion. His eyes watered, and his hands shook. He wouldn’t mess this up. Not now. Not ever. She’d given herself over to their protection, and Cale wouldn’t disappoint her. He knew TJ felt the same. Addie rocked into him. TJ came to the top of the stairs and took a seat, watching them as Cale continued to tease her folds. Addie arched her hips, moved them left, and he chuckled at her obvious need for him to touch her just a little more to the right of where he’d been. He dipped his finger again, swirled up and around her needy clit, but avoided it. “Cale, please,” she panted. He would, eventually. Once he was sure she was aroused to the point of breaking. He didn’t want her to come too fast. He wanted her to feel every second of excitement. And when that moment came, he wanted her to explode beyond refraining. He rubbed himself against her ass. It was the wrong thing to do, because sharp arousal slithered up his spine, nearly overriding his desire to take it slow. He held himself in check, barely. “Look up,” TJ called.

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Cale had almost forgotten that TJ was there. Addie lifted her head. Cale couldn’t resist the soft brown curls lying on her back. He grabbed them, twisting the silken strands around his fist, and giving TJ full view of her face and breasts. Her back dipped, her hips still pressing his fly, and her head pulled back with shoulders high. “More,” she whimpered. Damn if she didn’t look fucking amazing. The way her arms tightly held her upper body, he knew that TJ’s view of pink-tipped, swaying breasts and flushed body was enviable. Cale hoped he had the opportunity to see a similar view one day when their roles were reversed and Cale watched TJ finger-fuck her from behind. Or just fuck her. He groaned at the mental image. “Please,” she begged. “Please, Cale. Let me come.” The words sounded like they’d been ripped from her. It was as though the last of her control had been stripped and she needed to come more than she needed the dignity of keeping her needs secret from them. “Let her come,” TJ added gruffly. His fingers gripped the carpeted edge of the stair he sat on. The intensity of his expression was all Cale needed to see to know they were all in agreement. It was time. Cale gave her hair a gentle tug. His fingers skipped over her folds to capture her clit. With pulsing pinches he tweaked the tiny nub, giving it no mercy from direct stimulation. Addie screamed. Her body tightened. Her hips squirmed between pulling away and pressing into the tender abuse. TJ nearly shot to his feet as he watched her, and Cale couldn’t tear his eyes off her flexing body as she took it and came and came and came for them, until the soft intermittent cries died to gasping whimpers. “You are so beautiful,” Cale murmured.

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He leaned over her back, placing kisses along her shoulder while he petted her slick cunt from explosive orgasm to something much calmer. Her arms and legs trembled. Cale released her hair. TJ hooked her under the arms and lifted her to rest on top of him as he lay back on the stairs. Cale covered her back, supporting his weight as he nuzzled her neck. “We need you,” TJ told her, cupping her face. He kissed the tip of her nose. “Do you need some time first?” Addie shook her head. She glanced back at Cale, and he found her smiling at him. “No, I don’t need time. I need my men inside me.” The three of them stood, and Cale took minute to wrap her in his arms. She eagerly nestled against him. “Thank you,” she said, looking up at him with happy eyes. “That was incredible. I had no idea sex could be like this until you and TJ entered my life.” It humbled him to have her thank them, when he felt like she was the one who’d been so generous. “Could you manage to be any more giving?” he teased. “You give so much of yourself, and you’re thanking us? I know being with two men can’t be an easy adaption for you, but you don’t even blink at trying.” She looked at him then back at TJ, who waited at the top of the stairs for them to follow. “I can’t even imagine not loving both of you anymore. I can’t imagine why the idea of it was so difficult for me to understand. Why does it need an explanation? It just is.” “See? That wasn’t so difficult,” Cale joked. “I knew you’d come around to our side eventually.” She laughed. Taking Cale’s hand in hers, she led him up to where TJ stood and took his hand, too. “So we’re all okay with this?” TJ and Cale exchanged looks. “I’m good,” TJ said. “Can’t say I was thrilled at first, but the more I see you two together, the hotter I think it is. I want you happy, and seeing you happy makes me happy. If you broke up with either one of us at this point, I’d be crushed.”

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“Me too,” Cale added.

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Chapter Thirteen TJ squeezed her fingers tenderly. Seeing the relief flood her features reassured him that she was going to be okay. That she accepted them as a threesome, and he had to say, that had been the biggest concern. Would she? Could she? Was she willing to give their unique relationship a shot? And she was. “I love you, Addie. I love everything about you, and yet you surprise me with new ways to love you,” TJ told her. Addie blinked rapidly, her eyes shining with emotion. Her lips lifted in a watery smile. “At the risk of sounding sappy, I never had any idea that love could feel like this. I didn’t know it could be so easy or accepting. I thought it was about making do and sacrificing things about yourself. I thought it was taking ownership of your insecurities and knowing you’d never satisfy your partner.” Cale turned her chin toward him. “Addie, you more than satisfy both of us. You’ve got nothing to be insecure over. That man you married let his insecurities bleed all over you until he made you believe that they were yours. To us, you’re perfect.” “No, I’m not. Right now, everything is happy and cheerful and beautiful with us. What happens when things get more challenging? What happens when we all go out together or begin to discover each other’s faults?” she asked. “We work through them,” Cale rationalized. “All couples have to. We won’t be any different.” “Except that when we work through them, there won’t be any belittling going on,” TJ continued. “Because despite whatever we’re

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disagreeing over, we love each other. We can always come back to that.” “You’re safe with us. You have the support of two men who love you,” Cale said. “I’m sure it will be a challenge from time to time. Just think of it as knowing you always have us in your corner.” Addie pulled them to her, hugging them as tight as she could. “God, I never want this to end.” “It doesn’t have to,” Cale assured her. “Never,” TJ agreed. TJ inhaled the clean, sweet scent of her hair and felt the soft, full press of her breast against his side. His heart was full and happy. Had it really only been a matter of days since the first time they’d had sex and he’d wished Cale would leave? TJ felt a little guilty about that now. Cale made her happy in ways TJ knew he fell short. Cale was the romantic, steady guy. TJ was the fun-loving man who made her laugh. He knew that outsiders wouldn’t understand what they had. Mr. and Mrs. Becket were a prime example of that. They’d be hearing from them again, TJ didn’t doubt. He also felt pretty confident in acknowledging that the Beckets would create waves for them in the community. But for now, he had heaven in his arms and fiery poker throbbing between his legs. “I want you,” TJ growled beside her ear. Addie inhaled sharply. “I guess we ought to do something about that.” TJ stepped away, leading her by the hand to Cale’s bedroom. It was the end of their date, after all. It was only fair that Cale be the host. And as much as TJ wanted to enter her with Cale, he felt like this coupling needed a little more tenderness. He’d already laid out the condoms and the lube. They weren’t going to need the lube tonight. Not this time, anyway. “Cale,” TJ said. “Why don’t you take the lead? I’ll wait.”

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Cale nodded. Addie seemed confused. “Do you remember our first time?” TJ asked. He waited for Addie to nod. “Cale helped me by preparing you, holding you for me while I went down on you.” She caught her bottom lip and nodded. “That’s what I’m going to do for Cale. Then when you two have had your moment, I’ll bring you back for more.” “Is that supposed to happen?” she asked. TJ’s brown lifted in question. “What do you mean, sweetheart?” “A ménage can do that?” she said. “I thought we always had to be, you know, together.” They lay down on the bed, she between them. TJ stroked his hand up and down the side of her body, to her inner thigh, then retraced his path. Cale palmed her breast, kneading it. He smiled down at her. “Double penetration?” Cale clarified. “No, we’ll be in a relationship together. Now that we’ve established that we want that kind of a relationship, it’s more about being here for each other. That’s what will happen tonight.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “If you have any suggestions or desires about how we make love to you, tell us any time.” “That’s right. There are no rules.” TJ grinned widely. “I like norules sex.” Addie laughed. Her eyes twinkled. “I bet you do. You never were one for schedules and limits.” “I hate limits,” TJ agreed. He scooted down, placing kisses on her left breast, circling the sweet soft flesh and loving the way it trembled on each breath. Her small pink nipple gathered in a point. Her areola crinkled, and tiny goose bumps rose on the pale swell. TJ felt the bed shift, heard the sounds of kissing, as Cale and Addie moved together. The phone rang, echoing from down the hall. None of them paid any attention. TJ was more interested in circling her areola with his

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tongue. He loved the way her skin changed textured here, the way her body responded. He moved lower, skipping her nipple to kiss the under swell and the crease. Then he counted her ribs with his lips, taking moments to lightly scrape his teeth on a few, just to watch her squirm and hear her muffled giggle as he found ticklish places. Her hip bone consumed his interest next. On some women, the bone jutted out at an angle. On Addie, it was soft and padded. He liked the glow of her skin in the lamp light. It seemed to come from within. And right there, she had a pale brown freckle. He kissed it, thinking that its location just inside the curve couldn’t be better suited. TJ didn’t think he’d ever fixated on a woman the way he fixated on Addie. She was perfectly made, beautifully shaped. She hated her curves, the softness of her body. TJ couldn’t image her any other way. Her abdomen curved sweetly, with its tiny button tucked up inside. Addie’s hips were made to cradle a man, her belly to cushion him as he took her. TJ’s cock throbbed insistently. He’d get his turn. He knew he would, and he’d savor this moment of endless desire as part of the whole picture which made eventually taking her, all the more satisfying. He parted her thighs, just as Cale’s hand cupped her mound. TJ kissed the inside of her leg, watching as Cale’s fingers split her. His fingers teased the petal-pink folds. She opened her legs wider, and TJ murmured his approval for the improved view. Her breathing had changed. It hitched and rushed at intervals. Cale petted her outer pussy with the back of a finger, coasting up and down the lips in turn, and leaving her open, untouched. TJ couldn’t resist the invitation. He slipped his middle finger deep inside her, testing her receptiveness with short pumps. Her moan greeted his efforts, or

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Cale’s, it was impossible to distinguish since they were both preparing her. Addie’s folds glistened wetly. TJ tucked another finger inside her, lifting sharply up to the G-spot he knew he’d find. Addie’s sudden cry made him smile. “Jackpot,” he murmured approvingly. Cale’s fingers claimed some of her cream and spread it over her open pussy, slicking it further and beginning his gentle torment of her straining clit. TJ watched her body. He noticed every nuance. He saw her belly tighten as she lifted her hips, and when he cranked his wrist to rub her inner bundle of nerves, her hips flexed into the motion, and the cry he ripped from her sounded strangled. Addie fisted the cover, twisting it as though it helped her hang on to her sanity in what TJ knew had to be intense sensations. She was a quiet woman, but no one witnessing her at this moment would believe it. TJ resumed watching Cale’s fingers dance over her folds. It was incredibly erotic to see the swollen numb and the way he circled it, dipping low to catch the top of her inner folds, then around her clit, a quick flick across, then dance away again in another cycle. Glancing up, TJ noticed that Cale had attached himself to her right breast. She was truly getting it from every erogenous zone, he noticed. The thought made him smile wider. He couldn’t wait to see her come again. He’d never witnessed anything more erotic than Addie’s face when she reached orgasm. “Come on, honey. You know you want to. Reach for it,” TJ coaxed. He cranked his wrist quickly, no longer taking his time to attack her G-spot but actively assaulting it with just the right pressure to start her keening. And she did, loudly. Cale stopped teasing her pussy and rubbed directly over her clitoris, nailing it with firm pressure. He rolled it under his finger, crushing it against her own body.

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Addie’s legs trembled wildly. Her belly trembled. Her keening became whimpers that layered on top of each other. Finally, she arched, screamed her arrival as her cunt gripped TJ’s hand in a viselike hold. He continued rubbing her G-spot, prolonging the pleasure until she fell limp to the bed. Cale climbed over her as TJ removed his hand. He lay to the side of them, watching as Cale fucked her right back into pleasure. She cried out, once again stiffening as she came. Cale took his pleasure too, then carefully slipped out of her. While he got up to dispose of the condom, TJ kissed her cheeks, eyes, lips. Addie turned her face to him. “What about you?” she asked with concern. “I’m next.” Her eyes widened. “I don’t know if I can come again.” “Trust me. You can.” He winked. “Three times isn’t nearly enough for our girl.” “Oh God, I’m not gonna be able to walk tomorrow.” “Not if we do our job right,” TJ agreed happily. Addie laughed. Cale came back to bed, and TJ got up. “Gotta wash my hands. I’ll be right back. Keep her warm for me, will ya, Cale?” “My pleasure,” he murmured, cuddling up against her. He’d brought a wet washcloth with him. Addie tried to take the cloth away to clean herself, but Cale wouldn’t let her. Satisfied that Cale would do his part, TJ left them to wash up. His cock felt ready to explode. He needed her. Wanting to be inside her didn’t fully encompass how he felt. It was more of a need to bring their souls together, which he decided sounded far too much like Cale’s poetic nature than his. Maybe living with Cale was rubbing off on him. Maybe loving Addie had made him a more complete person. He didn’t know. He wasn’t sure he could classify it anyway. The equation was the same

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no matter how he looked at it. Two plus one equaled perfection. Simple math. The phone rang again. Whoever was trying to reach them might as well sit on their hands. TJ had something to take care of first, and she was waiting for him to return. When he got back to the bedroom, Cale was kissing down her spine and massaging her ass. “When you and TJ touch me, I feel like a goddess,” she murmured into a pillow. “You are a goddess. Especially if you let me worship this ass a little more,” Cale teased uncharacteristically. “I’ll kneel before your pussy any day of the week,” TJ agreed. “I’ll polish your idyllic ass with my tongue,” Cale continued. “I’ll flick your bean as you supplicate my prayers for me,” TJ said, continuing the joke. Cale laughed reluctantly. Addie giggled. “Then I’ll fill you with my cock and hand over my eternal soul to hear you scream my name,” TJ teased. “Stop, stop!” she said laughing. “Aw, hell, honey. I’m just trying to be as wordsmith-y as Cale, for ya.” Cale rolled off her when TJ climbed in to join them. “I have a Cale. I need my TJ to be a TJ,” she insisted softly. She smiled up at him. Her grin turned to an “o” of surprise when he flipped her. His cock was already sheathed with a condom, and Cale helped her raise up to take TJ. She slid down, shivering as she did. “I didn’t think I could feel anything more in there,” she whispered. “Your sweet pussy is so sensitized by everything we’ve done, you’ll be able to take my pulse,” TJ assured her.

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She laughed so hard she had to prop her hands on his shoulders to keep herself upright. “If anyone had ever said I’d be having this conversation with you two, I’d have died of embarrassment.” Cale straddled TJ’s legs behind her. He cupped her breasts, catching her nipples between his fingers. Addie gasped, leaned her head back as Cale began kissing her neck. “That’s it, baby, sink into the sensations,” TJ encouraged. “Does it feel good when he fucks you?” Cale asked darkly. She sucked in, hollowing her belly below her ribs and lifting her pert breasts. Cale’s darker hands swallowed her breasts except for the trapped rose-colored nipples peeking from his fingers breaking the plane of his rough hands on her pale body. TJ flexed into her. Cale, not sitting on TJ in any way, helped her raise and lower. Cale dropped a hand to press her belly and held her tight to his body. He moved with her, helping her find her rhythm and supporting her when her legs began to tremble. Her head lolled back, her brows lifted, and her lips parted. Cale’s fingers arrowed down. TJ pumped his hips upward, watching Cale’s middle finger ease inside the top of her pussy lips and curl in directly over where her clit would be. Her high gasp, and the way she suddenly canted her hips forward on each downward stroke, did great things for TJ, too. “That’s it honey. Ride me,” he told her. “Take him,” Cale ordered. He lifted her then brought her down hard. Addie whimpered, and he repeated the motion. TJ’s balls began a slow tingling burn as they drew tight. She slammed down on him again, and TJ couldn’t hold back any longer. He bucked, meeting every hard descent. He clenched his ass as the fiery tendrils of lust lunged from the base of his spine upward. Cum raced from his balls, up his cock. In one final thrust, he grabbed her hips and held her to him, balls-deep, emptying himself in sharp, thick spurts until every last pulse emptied into her.

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The three of them collapsed together in harsh breaths and giddy laughter. “God, that was amazing,” she sighed. “I think I could sleep for a week after that.” “Mmph.” Cale seemed to agree. The phone sounded again. “Geez, get a clue, people. We’re busy fucking,” TJ yelled. Addie flopped an arm across his chest. “They’ll leave a message if they really want to talk to you.” Cale crawled under the covers, holding them up in invitation to the other two. TJ got out of bed to clean up and came back to snuggly sheets and smooth female ass against his groin. Was there anything better? He didn’t think so.

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Chapter Fourteen “I just don’t get it,” Addie said, twirling another forkful of spaghetti. “The apartment office was happy to set the closing date on my move in, then all of the sudden, they canceled. It was the same with my second choice.” “Did you call your agent?” Cale asked, busy serving himself some salad. “Yes, but she hasn’t returned my calls. I know she’s busy, but you’d think she’d want the commission.” “Hm,” TJ added, uncharacteristically silent for him. “It’s weird because I feel like I’m walking on eggshells around everyone.” Addie sighed. “The Beckets really threw me off. I’m just being paranoid. Ever since that night, I’ve been thinking that everyone knows. Like the whole town is watching to see what happens next.” She laughed lightly, shrugging a shoulder as she lifted her fork and took a bite. “Would it matter if they did?” Cale asked. “I guess not. They’re bound to find out anyway. I mean, Mom and Dad already know I’m over here a lot more than I’m at home. I’m pretty sure they suspect I’m sleeping with one of you.” “Do you think they know you’re with both of us?” TJ hedged. The way he asked made her look at him oddly. It was almost like he was stating it as truth. “I doubt it. I don’t think they’d believe it unless I came out and told them,” Addie said. “But you seem to think so.” TJ smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I haven’t said a word, sweetheart.”

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“Neither have I,” Cale chimed in. “You know, we should have one of those specialty beds made. We could knock down the wall between our rooms and make it into a huge one. Then you move in with us,” TJ concluded with a flourish. “Maybe she still wants her space,” Cale chided. Addie thought about it. She swallowed the perfectly seasoned pasta they’d all worked on together, and took a sip of red wine, expertly picked out by Cale. Every aspect of dinner had been a collaboration, and she had been spending all her free time over there. She’d even begun lugging her computer over there to work in the silence during the day. The peace and quiet had been so much better than her mother’s constant intrusions and suggestions about how she could spend her time. Addie didn’t miss that part at all. But she’d been hoping to find an apartment. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember why it had been so important. Oh, she knew. She just didn’t feel the same way anymore. Originally, she’d wanted her own place because she’d had it in her mind that being on her own was important. Not that her values had changed, just that she’d been on her own for over a year already when she divorced her ex-husband. There’d been the time of separation before that, too. She’d thought that arriving back in town, her hometown, she’d needed to—what? To prove herself, she realized. She’d wanted to be among her family and friends and prove that she was okay. Prove that she could hack it on her own without a man, where they could see her hacking it. Addie looked at TJ and Cale. She couldn’t imagine moving into a place on her own when she’d just found them. If she did, how long would she live apart? Six months? A year? Did it really matter when any length of time felt like too long? When she spent as much time as she had with her men, they’d almost become part of her.

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And were a part of her several times a week, her pussy warming at the reminder. She hadn’t realized how long she’d been silent until TJ put his fork down. “Is that how you feel, Addie? Do you still need your space?” “No,” she said, realizing it was true as the word left her mouth. She smiled with the revelation. Proving her worth, her ability to make it on her own, no longer seemed to matter. What mattered was that in coming home, she’d finally found home. With TJ and Cale. Cale lifted his wine glass, looking far too serious. TJ smiled around a mouthful of garlic bread. For the third night in a row that week, the boys had been quiet at dinner. Their smiles seemed distracted, even though they kept up the usual banter. TJ had just served her another piece of garlic bread when the doorbell rang. It was the guarded exchange of looks between TJ and Cale that finally tipped her off that whatever was going on was big enough that they felt they had to protect her from it. Cale cleared his throat and put his napkin on the table top. “I’ll get it.” “I’ll come with you,” TJ seconded, though he sounded less than enthusiastic. “What the hell is going on with you two?” Addie asked, rising with the other. “Hopefully nothing. Stay here and enjoy dinner. We’ll be right back,” Cale told her. “I don’t think so,” she countered. TJ paused in the kitchen doorway. “Addie, you don’t have to. I’m sure it’s nothing.” “TJ, if it were nothing, you and Cale wouldn’t look like you’re tiptoeing around a sleeping dragon.” She put her napkin on the table where she stood. “I’m coming. Whatever is bothering you, whatever it is you’re trying to protect me from, I’m in this with you. We’re a unit, the three of us. So let’s face it together.”

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TJ glanced the direction Cale had gone toward the front door, but he’d moved out of sight. TJ sighed. “C’mon then.” Not that she needed an invitation, she thought. One thing these boys were going to have to get used to was that she could think for herself. She may have been damaged goods a year ago, but she had slowly been coming into her own. Sure her knees quaked, and sometimes she didn’t feel terribly confident in the bedroom. Maybe she even got a little nervous when she stood before two sexy men who were eyeing her with adoration and lust. And maybe she even wondered sometimes how it was possible they were looking at her, but they were looking at her. They reminded her every day how much they wanted her, until they’d left no doubt. She was the luckiest woman on the planet. If there existed something that had her men anxious, she needed to be right there with them, showing them the same level of devotion they showed her. The voices that greeted them in the foyer were terse. TJ caught her arm. “I think you should reconsider. This doesn’t sound good.” “I’m a big girl. I can handle it.” “Sometimes you shouldn’t have to handle it. Sometimes”—TJ paused to run a hand through his hair. He puffed out a frustrated breath—“Sometimes you don’t need to prove anything. Please, just stay in the kitchen?” Addie pulled her arm away. She looked at him in disbelief. She had no words to adequately express her annoyance. Apparently, her folded arms and tightly clamped mouth conveyed her irritation perfectly. “Fine.” “We’re talking about this,” she said, swirling her finger in the air at him. “Later. You can’t go all Neanderthal on me and expect me to scamper away just because you want me to.” TJ hugged her roughly to him. He pressed a firm kiss to the top of her head. “I love you. You know that, right?”

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“I love you, too. Stop changing the subject, and let’s get in there. Sounds like fists are going to start flying any minute.” “I don’t think Cale has ever thrown a punch,” TJ mused. He curled an arm around her waist as they continued to the foyer. Several people stood in a semicircle inside the front door, facing Cale. “See? I told you she’d be here,” Mrs. Becket sneered through her words. “Mr. Lucas, Mr. Layton, would you mind if we sat down and talked about this rationally?” A man Addie recognized as Mr. Thedford, the principal from their high-school years, said. His smile thinned when he spotted Addie, but he nodded her direction. “Mr. Thedford! Hi, it’s great to see you again,” she said cheerfully. The group moved quietly into the living room, taking their spots with evident discomfort. Mrs. Becket made a point of changing seats when Addie drew near. She made no effort to disguise her disgust, though, as Addie took a place between Cale and TJ on the couch. “Is there some reason you couldn’t have called before stopping over? We were having dinner,” TJ said, pointing out their rudeness as a way to get things rolling, it seemed. Addie put a hand on his arm. Mrs. Becket took a large, open-mouth breath in apparent preparation to begin speaking. Mr. Thedford rushed to interject before she uttered a sound. “It’s been brought to our attention that there may be some untoward behavior occurring between the three of you.” “Untoward?” Cale echoed. “That you may be involved in an open relationship of sorts,” another man said. “I’m sorry, and who are you?” Addie asked. “John Langford. I’m with the board of education,” he answered.

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“Wait, so the board of education is involved in the private lives of members of the community now?” she asked, faking innocence. “We’re involved in the public lives of our teachers,” another man corrected. She gave him a look of question. “I’m Don Pierson, and this is my wife Linnea. We work with the district.” “Thank you,” Addie answered when they guessed her query correctly. “The rest of you know each other, it seems. I’m Addie Ruben.” “We know who you are,” Mrs. Becket spat. “Anita, please, we can handle this situation civilly. I’m certain of it,” Mr. Thedford said, holding out a hand like he was pressing down the nearly tangible tension in the air. “Mr. and Mrs. Becket contacted the school with concerns about the nature of your relationship. She said she’d witnessed the three of you kissing on the front stoop.” Mr. Thedford’s neck darkened with a blush, and his eyes darted to the side. “I’m not sure what she saw,” TJ answered vaguely. “She further claims that when she approached you with her concerns, you argued that the nature of your relationship wasn’t open for discussion. But it was shortly following that Ms. Ruben and Mr. Lucas entered the room—minimally dressed.” Mr. Thedford cleared his throat. “Just so we’re on the same page, would you please define, nature of your relationship?” Cale pressed. “Sexual,” Mrs. Becket blurted out. “We’re adults. Consensual sex is one of the perks of adulthood,” TJ pointed out. “Mrs. Becket means the sexual relationship the three of you are involved in,” Mr. Langford offered. “Ménage,” Mrs. Pierson clarified.

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“Are you asking?” Cale leaned back against the couch cushions, draping his arm on the seat behind Addie. Don Pierson nodded. “It’s why we’re here. Mr. and Mrs. Becket brought it to the school and then notified the board of education that you’d confirmed the—ménage—status of your arrangement.” “Why does the board care?” Addie asked. “Mr. Layton and Mr. Lucas are role models in the community among our young people. We don’t approve of any untoward behavior put on display for them to see. It wouldn’t matter if you were only a couple. We’d still express our concern if you behaved badly.” Mr. Thedford seemed pleased with his explanation. He smiled patronizingly and sat back. Linnea Pierson scooted forward, her eyes wide as she watched. Addie couldn’t help but think that the quiet woman was secretly on her side. “It would matter, Mr. Thedford, because if we were merely a couple, you wouldn’t be sitting in my living room with the board of education, discussing my personal life,” Cale argued. “And, correct me if I’m wrong, but did we express ourselves badly, in public?” TJ pushed the point. “Because as I remember it, Mrs. Becket came into our home to accuse us of her personal moral code and happened to see something that occurred within the privacy of this home.” He looked at Addie and held out a hand as though offering her the floor. “Unless there’s some other time you were undressed outside the home?” “Nope.” Addie grinned. “But you were seen kissing Mr. Lucas on Main Street just last week!” Mrs. Becket’s face was turning purple. Mrs. Pierson squirmed and licked her lips. She looked at the floor as she spoke. “I don’t think it’s our business.” “Are you three having sexual relations, together?” Mr. Langford asked point-blank. Cale raised an eyebrow.

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Addie cocked her head to the side. “Mr. Langford, do you and Mrs. Langford have sex more than once a week?” “I don’t see how that’s relevant.” “Well,” Addie explained. “Some religious sects would think that frequent sex, even within the marriage, is perverse.” Next Addie turned to Mr. Pierson. “Do you and Linnea use sex toys in the bedroom?” Linnea blushed. Don frowned sharply. Addie continued. “The public purchase of toys, where others might see you, could be construed as a very public display of deviant behavior. And you, sir, are on the board of education, a role model to the role models of our community.” “A threesome is unnatural,” Mrs. Becket barked. Though she spared a look of disgust for the Piersons. “In your limited opinion,” TJ added. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Addie. I know your mother, and she would be heartsick to see you like this—prostituting yourself out. I knew you were bad news the minute you moved to town,” Mrs. Becket snarled. Addie’s eyes widened. Mrs. Becket’s outburst seemed to come out of nowhere. It didn’t have much to do with the topic at hand, and while she’d been barely keeping her tongue civil, Addie hadn’t expected Mrs. Becket to go off on her. “Mind your manners,” Cale growled warningly. “You mind your manners, young man! A divorcée is bound to lure unsuspecting men into her trap. I don’t blame you Mr. Layton, or you Mr. Lucas. I blame her. She’s promiscuous.” Addie’s pulse jumped, adrenaline raced through her, and her ears rang as a blush rose high and hot. “Don’t speak to her like that,” TJ said darkly. “Everyone knows that a divorcée is eager for the next man. She comes to town and stakes claim on two? Well, we know what kind of

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woman would whore herself out like that. One who thinks very little of herself.” Addie jumped to her feet. She didn’t have anywhere to go. She just couldn’t sit still anymore. She worried her hands. “I think you need to leave now. Take your posse with you,” Cale said, rising to stand with her. “No,” Addie said, her voice cracking. Mrs. Becket threw the same accusations Addie had feared. She’d never expected to hear Barry through the high, nasal tones of Mrs. Becket. All the pain she thought she’d worked through focused into a pinpoint of pressure, which tried to burrow a hole from underneath her breast bone. As though it needed to break free, it pushed and pushed, and tears sprang up in Addie’s eyes as she clapped a hand to the spot she was certain would punch through at any moment. Then they’d all see it. They’d see what she’d hidden—all her horrible secrets and stupid fears. “Addie, you don’t have to listen to this,” TJ stressed. “No, I don’t,” she said, gasping as she tried to find her voice. Mrs. Becket had gone suspiciously quiet. Her eyes glittered with the knowing that she’d accurately nailed her target. God, the bile roiled in Addie’s gut. “I think we should leave,” Mr. Thedford said suddenly. She didn’t remember everyone coming to a stand, but they had. Now the tension was more than palpable. It swirled like a serpent between them, circling for its prey. “There’s something we need to address here, and damn if I’m going to let you all walk out of here before it has been,” Addie said. She hiccupped a breath. TJ looked uneasily at Cale. Cale put his hand on her lower back, offering her his silent support. “Whatever you want,” Cale murmured.

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“The minute she’s done, this inquisition is over,” TJ said, less calmly as he shot looks to the others. “You can think whatever you want to about me,” Addie began. “You’d be wrong, and you’d be intrusive, but what I do and with whom I do it is none of your business. Because that’s what this is really about, isn’t it, Mrs. Becket? You are more threatened by a divorcée coming to town because it’s change you don’t want to deal with.” “You shame Barley Hill, Ms. Ruben. You shame your mother. You shame the women in this town, and you shame yourself. You laugh in the face of committed relationships. What are the young girls in this town supposed to think when they see you cavorting with two men at the same time?” Mrs. Becket poked an angry finger at the air in front of Addie. “They can choose to think whatever they wish. My relationship with TJ and Cale may not be traditional, but it’s mine. It’s committed, it’s loving, and it’s sticking around indefinitely.” Addie’s voice shook as she spoke. She knew it affected the way the others saw her. It weakened her argument with insecurity. “You’re sick. All of you. There will be a meeting called at the community center. I will not rest until Barley Hill is made aware of the sin brewing underneath their noses.” Mrs. Becket stormed away. “Then it’s you who is making our relationship public. That makes whatever shame you wish to put on us your responsibility,” Addie called after her. Mrs. Becket slammed the front door on the way out. The others shifted uneasily in the ensuing silence. “Mr. Lucas, Mr. Layton, Ms. Ruben, this will become a problem for you. She’s going to follow up with the threat,” Mr. Thedford warned. “Your jobs could be on the line if we don’t resolve the issue quietly.” “Are you telling me that my sexual preferences are going to cause me to lose my job?” Cale asked, zeroing in on the social hot-button.

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“Termination for those circumstances could be seen as harassment. Is that what the city wants?” “Of course we don’t want that, but she’s been talking about bringing in other parents and the local media. If this blows up and goes nationwide, Barley Hill will be made a laughingstock. The community won’t stand for it,” Mr. Langford tried to explain. “You can wash it up as pretty as you want, Don, but you can’t candy coat the fact that you’re firing us unconstitutionally,” TJ snapped. “How can she do this?” Addie asked to no one in particular. What a mess this whole situation had become! When they’d begun, it had been a matter of dating two guys she really liked. Addie couldn’t be the only person in Barley Hill sleeping with more than one person. But it was more than that. What had begun as trying to find her place in the new community and as an independent single woman ended with her soul mates. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, choose between them. How had falling in love become a community issue that could have both the men she loved fired? Was she an embarrassment? Was she wrong? It certainly wasn’t conventional, but she’d known. It had only grown more unconventional as they grew closer. Had refusing to choose between TJ and Cale put them on the chopping block to lose their jobs? Was it her fault? **** Cale worried about Addie. She’d gone to her parents’ home after the board left. TJ should have kept her in the kitchen. He’d thought it, but he knew that there would have been no way she’d have gone along with that. The house didn’t feel the same without her. It felt empty and cold.

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Cale sat down at the piano in the living room and pulled out the most complicated music he could find and began plucking out the keys. He’d put it aside a few weeks ago when not getting timing right over and over again had worn through his patience. Now he slaughtered Mozart all over again. TJ moped, too. He’d put in a pair of ear buds, and when Cale paused from pounding on the keyboard, he could hear the loud, angry notes of some singer belting his frustration into TJ’s ears. TJ leaned his head back on the couch and rolled it to the side, looking out the window at the quiet street and blinking lights marking the season. Cale stared at the cell phone he’d put on top of the piano, willing it to ring. She’d told them not to call, when she’d left. She’d said she had some things to work out, to sleep on, and she’d come back soon. Not to worry. Not worry? When she wasn’t here with them, and those people were out there wandering around being judgmental? Seeing her anything but carefree and laughing made Cale want to right the world again. It was out of balance, and he personally wanted to string up every one of their visitors, starting with Mrs. Becket. Who cared if they slept in the same bed? Would it have made a difference if the community believed they were nothing more than roommates, or would Mrs. Becket have found a reason to protest that, too? He could guess, and he thought he knew the answer to that question. The hurt on Addie’s face filled Cale with rage. He stared at the phone, silently pleading for Addie to call. If she didn’t call by tomorrow morning, he’d call her. She’d forgive him. He knew she would.

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Chapter Fifteen TJ stared at the whiteboard, the erasable marker in his hand, poised to scrawl his thoughts for the class to snap up. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember what he’d meant to put down. Homework assignments? A class problem? He blinked, turned to glance through his notes, then put the day’s assignment on the board. He copied the in-class examples exactly, double checking to make sure he hadn’t written the algebraic equation incorrectly. Cale had called Addie this morning before they’d left for school. She’d said something about still working through the issues. And her family. Then she’d said she loved them. That last was the only reason they hadn’t driven over there, hauled her out of the house, and demanded she come home. As long as she didn’t regret them, they’d give her the space she needed. As long as she still loved them. Because it was killing TJ to know that she was trying to work through her demons alone. He decided to send her flowers over the lunch break. Optimistically he hoped she was already back home with them by then. If that were the case, he’d magnanimously allow Mrs. Ruben to keep the flowers, and he buy Addie an entire roomful, just for her. “Mr. Lucas? Are you okay?” a voice piped up behind him. “Fine, fine,” he answered. “Mr. Lucas? Are we supposed to find a different answer for the equation?” another student asked.

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“This is math, kids. Each equation has only one answer.” He turned to face the room, his mind still on Addie and the previous evening with the board of education. There’d been a note delivered to his classroom that morning, stating that the community center would be hosting an impromptu Barley Hill governmental assembly of the local community leaders to discuss the situation. TJ could only assume Cale had gotten a notice, too. Had Addie? Was she okay? Did she need them but was afraid to ask because of the threat to their jobs? He never should have let her leave. He should have asked her to stay so they could work through it together. That’s what you did in relationships. You worked things out. You faced problems together. You didn’t take off and refuse to talk to anyone. “There’s never a second way to answer an equation?” the student repeated. “That’s right. Math, unlike life, is simple. Once you know how to solve a type of problem, you follow the same rules for every similar equation to get a single answer. There aren’t two ways to balance an equation, either. You calculate it out, and the answer is the same every single time.” “But—” “There isn’t a but, Jared.” That class tittered with laughter. Normally, TJ would make a joke and slide right into the lesson for the day. He didn’t feel like it just then. He felt like checking on Addie. Damn Mrs. Becket, anyhow. “It just is Jared. You don’t need an explanation. It’s nobody’s business if z and x-1 and 4n want to equal three. You just find the properties of the missing numbers, and no matter which way you turn it, no matter how you feel about it, the answer will always be three. They look like impossibilities, but when they get together, it’s just three. Every single time.”

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“I don’t understand,” Kendra complained. “So the answer to the equations is 3?” “It was a metaphor, Kendra. I mean that math is simple. Life is a mess. In high school you worry about whether your hair looks good, and it can be in a thousand different styles. In science, you worry that certain chemicals and amounts may explode. Everything else is confusing and variable. Math is stable. It’s the same sideways, upside down, straight forward. If only relationships were that easy,” he finished on a mutter. “Are you having girl trouble, Mr. Lucas?” Sandra asked coyly. “What? No. And even if I was, I wouldn’t be discussing it with my students,” TJ countered. “My mom says you and Mr. Lucas have the same girlfriend,” Eric tossed out. The classroom gasped in horror. There were a lot of “nuh-uh’s” and “is that true’s.” TJ sighed. “Let’s get back to the math, please.” Kendra raised her hand. “Yes, Kendra?” “If a set equation has only one answer, why did you write it on the board twice?” she asked. TJ’s brow pulled, and he studied the whiteboard. Fuck, he had written it twice. “Because, Kendra, even teachers have off days.” “Is it because of your girlfriend?” Sandra prodded. TJ leveled a look on her. “Sandra, we aren’t discussing my personal life. I know it’s infinitely more fascinating to you than the function of n-2 over a, but I find equations impossibly alluring. So how about we get back on track and finish this class somewhere in the vicinity of your algebra credit?” He wondered if Cale was getting the same flack from his students. Probably not, because he tended to keep them at arm’s length. If they were wondering about TJ and had linked the fact that they shared a girlfriend, then Mrs. Becket had already begun spreading the word.

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The community-center meeting wasn’t likely to come and go quietly. I just wish Addie would call. **** Addie stepped through the front door. The smells of home enveloped her, and she inhaled sharply, a smile tugging at her lips. The guys were at school, and she knew they were worried about her, but she’d needed time. She’d thought going to her parents’ house would help her focus, but it hadn’t. She’d needed to be here, where it all started. Surrounded by the feelings and experiences she’d never had until she’d walked through this door and said yes for the first time. The layered scents of worn leather, polished wood floors, and muted citrus cleaning agents rushed to comfort her. She pushed the door, and it closed softly behind her with a quiet snick. The street outside wasn’t a busy one, if any of the roads in Barley Hill could be considered busy, yet the sturdy walls and double-glassed windows held the world at bay, enclosing her in silence. The house settled around her like a sighing, sleepy cat who’d barely noticed her entrance except to roll over and continue dozing. How had she turned TJ and Cale down when they’d asked her to move in? She knew how. She’d assumed she’d be an imposition. She thought she’d get in the way and they’d regret having asked her, making her the unwelcome guest who wouldn’t leave. She’d been afraid of so many things for too long. It had gotten to the point where she practically apologized for taking up space. Yet there’d been nothing from the men but acceptance. They’d invited her, not once but twice that she could easily remember. There’d probably been other times, wrapped in their arms after amazing sex, when they’d extended the invitation, too. That part was all a blissful haze.

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“What am I afraid of?” she asked the silent house. Addie put her purse on the table by the door. She took off her jacket and hooked it on the coat tree next to her. After the first few steps, she decided her shoes sounded too loud on the hardwood, and she left them behind to walk stocking-footed through the house. Her feet hit plush carpet as she trekked to the piano and picked up each of the pictures in turn. With a bemused smile, she realized that some of the photos had her in them. There was the one from Halloween in eighth grade. TJ had his zombie arm draped around her vampire shoulders, and they were cracking up. His plastic teeth poked half in and half out of his mouth while she looked far too happy to be a blood sucker. Another one, taken at high-school graduation, had all three of them, she on one side of TJ, Cale on the other. And there was college graduation, Barry neatly cut out of frame from where he would have been. She found the picture of them leaving for the prom with both of their dates, though Cale had been in the background. She lifted it to look more closely and found that Cale’s wistful expression as he looked at her was impossible to miss. Yet she had. Shot after shot documented the lives of the two men, dotted with instances of Addie. Sandboxes as toddlers, bicycle racing with pigtails flying as children, a pub shot of them having drinks the night before Addie’s wedding. It was all there. Their history, just as it had always been, yet now unveiled from her memories and as crisp as the day the camera captured their smiles. Addie put down the last frame and walked through the kitchen, remembering their first sexual experience and the excitement of having Cale join in while still reeling that TJ wanted her like that at all. She retraced her steps and climbed the stairs. There were memories here, too, of coming on the stairwell, of racing through the house naked, of taking their hands and leading them off to the

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bedrooms. It didn’t matter whose they ended up in. No one left unsatisfied. She dragged her fingertips over the covers of Cale’s bed. Then wandered down the hallway to TJ’s room. They’d talked about knocking out the wall to create one large space. They’d also offered to give her the guest room, if she preferred her privacy. She thought that was a better plan. Addie got back to the top of the stairs and sat in the same place TJ had the day he’d watched her come at Cale’s skillful hands. Her belly tipped happily. Never once had they made her feel like she didn’t belong or that she was less than the most precious person in the room. They’d valued her, made dinner for her, thanked her when she’d helped them around the house with little things. And they’d always been like that—valuing her opinion and listening when she spoke. They’d always made her laugh and shared the moments of her life that mattered most. How was now any different? Well, okay, there was the sex. That was different. But it was also a natural extension, a next step. Addie had been standing on the threshold of that advancement, stepping in and backing out as she let fear ride her decisions. And it was stupid. She loved them. They loved her. Who the fuck cared what the community leaders had to say about it? If they thought they were going to fire two of the best teachers Barley Hill Middle School had seen in years, and she’d sit by idly, head bowed with shame while they did it, they had another think coming. It was time Addie put on her battle gear. **** Addie walked up behind her lovers as they faced the doors of the community center. It had to go better here than it had at home. While her parents refused to agree with the lifestyle she’d chosen, they’d

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decided to refrain from publicly speaking against it. That, at least, was a small victory in a battle that could have torn the family apart. She still felt bruised from the discussion the three of them had had with her parents. Addie took a deep breath. It could only get better from here. Hooking her arms through theirs, she looked at each of them in turn. “Are we ready?” “Where the hell have you been?” Cale snapped. “Why the hell are you here?” TJ frowned down at her. “I needed a wake-up call.” “Did you get it?” Cale said, still sounding surly. She rose up on her tiptoes and bussed his cheek. “Yep. And I’m sorry. You’ve every right to be irritated with me for taking off the way I did.” “Damn straight,” Cale muttered, still not giving an inch. TJ cleared his throat and tapped his cheek. Dutifully, she kissed TJ’s cheek, too. “Better,” TJ declared. “But not fixed. You have a lot more making up to do.” “Can’t wait,” Addie promised. “Is it just me, or is it really quiet out here?” Cale asked. “They’re all inside,” Addie said. “Mom and Dad got a notice for the town meeting. It started an hour ago. They didn’t want to send for you two until they’d introduced the emergency topic.” “So you didn’t get a personal invitation to the flaying?” TJ asked her. “Nope. I think they were hoping to keep me out of it. Mom said she thought it was because I don’t work for the school, and they’re trying to make that the issue.” “We should get inside,” Cale said tersely. “No shit,” TJ agreed. “Are you sure you want to be there, Addie? If they aren’t making this about you, then you never have to have your name dragged through the mud.”

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“Who are you kidding? They’ll do that whether I’m here or not. Besides,” she added, hugging their arms to her sides, “where else would I be when my men are going under the gun? We’re a team, right?” “I thought so, until you checked out on us,” Cale noted. “I had to get my head in line. It was stupid of me, but I needed to figure a few things out for myself. I just shouldn’t have let you wonder where my feelings were,” she apologized. “So? How do you feel about us?” TJ asked. “I love you. Both of you. It’s unconventional and controversial, but my heart isn’t whole without you. Let’s go give them hell.” Addie smiled. The community-center hallways echoed with the sound of raised voices, shouts, and cheers. Addie and the guys followed them, and she couldn’t help but feel a bitter twist that all those people stood against them just because they loved each other. Cale held open the auditorium door as TJ walked in, followed by Addie. The room fell silent. Heads turned toward them. Suddenly the room erupted in the deafening roar of lifted voices. White posters bobbed up and down. Students rose to their feet clapping, and parents of students, a little less enthusiastically, clapped as they entered. “What the—” TJ wondered under his breath. “I don’t understand,” Addie said. Cale reached them. Together they walked the center aisle, Addie between them, her hands captured and held in theirs, a unified front. A panel of men and women sat at a long table behind the podium, like a jury. Cameras flashed, and several television-station crews lined the curved walls. Reporters with microphones looked earnestly into the lenses, reporting in hushed, awed tones while cameramen hurried to catch all the action.

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Addie didn’t know what was happening, but whatever it was felt like a miracle. Tears welled in her eyes. She refused to let them fall until she was certain she knew the outcome of the meeting. Was this support, or was it sensationalism? She didn’t know. “Quiet! Quiet, please,” the speaker, Mr. Becket, called. It wasn’t until she saw the panel over the podium that she realized Mr. Becket was the mayor. How had she not known that? Then her face flooded with heat when she remembered that it had been the town mayor and his wife who’d seen her running naked through the house. Lovely. “Order!” he called again until the room had settled. “We will hear the final statements before we put it to a vote.” “Put what to a vote, Mayor?” Cale asked sharply. “You made it clear we weren’t to show up until seven p.m. Do you mean to tell me that you deliberately planned for us to miss the majority of the meeting determining the fate of our jobs?” “Have a seat, Mr. Layton. Your concerns will be addressed. The community needed to speak freely on the matter without fear of repercussions.” “Sure, why judge the town members who are passing judgment on us?” TJ bit out sarcastically. “I mean”—he turned a slow circle, facing the onlookers—“why not decide my future without bothering with something as trivial as, oh, I don’t know, facts?” “I said have a seat.” The mayor pointed to two seats on the front row. A young woman scrambled out of her seat for Addie, letting the three of them sit together. She nodded her thanks, but mostly, Addie couldn’t shake the numbness that had taken her over. Was it good news or bad news that they walked in to a cheer? “Mr. Pierson to the floor, please.”

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Mr. Pierson took the stand. He unfolded a piece of paper and put it down. He gripped the sides of the podium and glanced at his wife. Addie saw her shake her head, but Mr. Pierson stared at his paper. “The board of education maintains that the behavior witnessed by Mr. Lucas, Mr. Layton, and Ms. Ruben is unacceptable in light of the position they hold within the community. As in any position, whether as an educator or a banker, the employee is held responsible for their actions both on and off business property. “It is standard practice that infractions in the code of behavior be considered a terminating event. The board of education holds these codes with the utmost respect and challenges any naysayers to find adequate reason to withhold termination, based on the fact that both Mr. Layton and Mr. Lucas signed contracts agreeing to these terms.” Mr. Pierson took his seat at the tables facing the audience. “Thank you, Mr. Pierson. Without further discussion, we close the floor and will put it to a vote,” Mayor Becket said. “No!” All eyes turned to Mrs. Pierson, who stood, face ashen and hands twisting in front of her as though she hadn’t intended to speak but had been compelled to her feet. “Mrs. Pierson?” the mayor prompted. “You let the board of education speak. Someone should be allowed a closing argument on behalf of TJ and Cale,” she insisted. “This isn’t court,” the mayor scoffed. “That’s not how it works.” “But you’re passing judgment! Please, let me speak.” Mr. Pierson motioned for her to sit. Linnea ignored him and stood beside Mr. Beckett at the podium until he moved. Once there, she again looked lost and meek. Her eyes met Addie’s, and Addie saw real fear. She gave Linnea a nod and a gentle smile of encouragement. Linnea smiled back timidly. She licked her lips and began, “It can’t go unnoticed that the students are here in support of their favorite teachers. The board also has to acknowledge that they get

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letters from the parents about Cale and TJ on a regular basis, talking about all the good they do for their kids. “I’m not as articulate as my husband, and I’m not as imposing as Mayor Becket or Mrs. Becket.” The audience laughed conspiratorially at the mention of the mayor’s wife. “But I do know a few things. I know Cale is an outstanding English teacher. Our students coming out of his classroom have gone on to win statewide essay contests. And TJ makes math interesting for his students. They have fun, and learning should be fun. “Look at them. Look at all the students. Students, would you stand please?” Linnea motioned to the onlookers. Teens stood, cheering. When she held up her hand, they settled down. “Parents, look at your kids. Have you ever seen them more excited about school? Have you ever seen them join together as one voice for any other cause? Probably not, but they’re here in support of these two men. “Who cares who they date or what arrangement they have? Is it really anyone’s business but theirs?” The crowd shouted “No” at the top of their lungs. “Parents, a lot of this discussion isn’t for young ears. It isn’t even for adult ears. So long as Mr. Layton, Mr. Lucas, and Ms. Ruben comport themselves with dignity in public, there should be no reason to call into effect the terms of the contract that Mr. Pierson outlined from the board of education.” “Linnea!” her husband barked sharply. Linnea lifted her chin defiantly. “They are citing that inappropriate behavior has been witnessed, but what they are referring to are things which occurred within the confines of their private home, while Mayor Becket and his wife intruded to ask leading questions.” The mayor tried to move her away from the podium, but Linnea held fast.

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“Mr. Mayor, I’m not done yet, and the last time I checked, I had the right to free speech. So you...you...you just wait your turn.” The crowd roared with approval. Addie clapped and hooted for her, tears in her eyes as a newfound friend stormed the gates of conformity for them. Linnea giggled and straightened. “If Mayor Becket, Mrs. Becket, and the board of education entered your bedroom to place judgment on you, would you come out clean? If you were fired based on what you do within the privacy of your home, would you have a job tomorrow? Think about that before you make your vote.” Linnea let go of the podium. “Okay, Mr. Mayor. It’s all yours now.” She proudly walked back to her chair and took a seat. “Well, that was quite a speech, Mrs. Pierson. Unfortunately, it is the board of education who will make the final decision. This hearing was to garner the opinion of the community and provide a forum for discussion.” His patronizing smile might as well have been a pat on the head. “I’ll now ask the board to cast their votes,” the mayor said. “Point of order,” a man Addie didn’t recognize called out. “Yes?” “Is it true that the moments of indiscretion occurred within a private residence?” he asked. “They’ve been seen in public, each one with Ms. Ruben individually,” the Mayor countered. “But is it true that the issues brought to us were occurrences and conversations that occurred within the walls of their private residence?” The man pressed for a clear answer. Mayor Becket’s face reddened. His lips screwed up into a sour pucker, and he nodded. “Thank you,” the man said. “I’m ready to cast my vote, and I recommend that the board of education consider the facts carefully.” The vote was called. Two voted against Cale and TJ. The rest of the board dismissed the claims. The crowd roared with approval.

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TJ whooped, jumping to his feet as he grabbed Addie in a hug. Cale caught her from behind, and she turned to hug him, too. Cale and TJ grinned at each other over her head. “So I guess this just leaves one more question,” TJ shouted above the noise. “What’s that?” Addie asked. “When are you moving in?” She grinned widely. “About five hours ago.”

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Epilogue Addie couldn’t believe how fast a year went by. Mom and Dad still hadn’t tried to understand the choice she’d made in accepting both men as hers. And from time to time, they couldn’t hold their tongue on the subject. Mostly, they agreed to disagree and adamantly defended her right to choose a polyamorous relationship when in public. It never failed to make her smile at the duality. She lifted the last photo she had of herself with Barry and dropped it into the large, barrel-size barbecue grill. “I waited too long to do this,” she said to Barry’s photo. “You were out of my life a long time ago. I’m not the person you knew.” She thought about the person she’d been. The woman who’d been afraid to pull the tattered pieces of her confidence together enough to leave him behind. “I’m not the person I knew, either.” She watched the flames burn the edge of the photograph, eating Barry’s likeness and then consuming her own. “Rest in peace, old Addie. You were stronger than you thought.” Addie scooped up the ashes, put in heated coals, and closed the grill lid. The guys would be home from school any minute, and she had a special dinner planned for them. It would be something only she would really know about, burgers roasted on the flames of her former life. She walked back inside, threw away the photo residue, and pulled together the final ingredients. It would be ready when the coals had reached the desired heat. Loving TJ and Cale had healed her a long time ago. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t evicted the memories before now. Perhaps because she’d only just realized that her

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nostalgia for what could have been was based on the lies she’d told herself. Her marriage had been over almost from the exchange of vows. She’d spent ten years with an asshole she’d felt committed to love, despite the hate he’d heaped on her. Then she’d had to cope with the guilt of leaving him, as though the dissolution of their marriage had been her fault. But she’d learned that year away that the only thing she missed about him was the misguided faith of what they could have had, if things had gone differently. That moment had been the awakening from her years of slumber. Together, TJ and Cale had proven time and again what real love was, what if felt like, what it meant, what it gave up, and what it provided. It had been the lesson of a lifetime, and she wondered if they even knew how they’d saved her. Tonight, she’d make sure they knew. The front door opened, and as they guys came into the kitchen laughing and teasing each other, Addie smiled brightly. These were her men. She chose them over anyone else. TJ got to her first, planting a kiss on her lips and bending her into a dip. Addie laughed, hanging on to him, as he comically made loud smooching noises. “Hey, hey, break it up. It’s my turn,” Cale complained goodnaturedly. TJ spun her back to her feet and into Cale’s arms. Cale pulled her tight, hugging her first, then sweetly kissing her, too. His tenderness told her better than words how much he’d missed her that day. “What’s this?” TJ asked. Cale kissed her one last time then let her turn in his arms. That’s as far as she got, though, because Cale cuddled her back against his chest and rested his cheek on her hair.

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“Dinner. Yet to be cooked,” she added when she saw TJ open his mouth to make a joke. She knew him well enough that he’d do that, seeing the raw burger on a plate. “I love burgers,” Cale murmured. “Burgers—and candlelight?” TJ asked. “Oh, you saw that, did you?” she said. “Yep, I set the dining room table with candles because we’re celebrating a year together.” TJ’s glance flicked over her shoulder, and she felt the quiet rumble of Cale’s laughter against her back. “What?” she asked. TJ shrugged, wide-eyed. “Nuthin’.” “Want me to grill?” Cale hurriedly rushed to pick up the plate, elbowing TJ as he did. “Sure.” Her eyes narrowed on the men. They were up to something, but she didn’t know what. “I’ll cut up some fruit,” TJ offered. “Then I’ll put the rest of the food on the table,” she concluded, her voice sounding cautious to her own ears. TJ began humming as he picked up a melon. Now she knew they were up to something. A bubble of joy expanded in her chest. Whatever it was, she knew she was going to like it. Until then, she took a lot of pleasure seeing them act like little boys with a secret. She grinned to herself as she put the Caesar salad on the table. She’d wait until the last minute before she pulled the sweet-potato oven fries from the heat. Glancing out the kitchen window, she saw Cale lift the lid, move the coals around, and with a satisfied nod, lay the burgers on the grill. When the food finally graced the table, and the guys had tucked into their food, Addie breathed a sigh of relief. She loved this part of the day. Usually TJ made dinner, or they helped him make dinner. Tonight, she wanted to do it. It was part of the long-overdue closure, and the feeling of actually creating something as a starting-over point.

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Sure, it was only hamburgers, but they were Barry-roasted burgers, for Pete’s sake. And that made her smile. “So what’s with all the secrecy?” she asked. “You’ll see,” TJ answered cryptically. They made her wait through dinner. TJ insisted on clearing the plates. Cale pulled her chair out. She thanked him, and he backed her against the table, undoing her buttons. “What’s this?” she said laughing. “This is the anniversary of the first time we had sex. In the kitchen. I was thinking that every year together, we should celebrate by making love in the next room of the house, getting closer to the bedroom as we go.” TJ popped his head in to pick up the last traces of dinner and wipe down the table surface. He moved the lit candles to the antique buffet table and dimmed the lights until the crystal chandelier glittered like muted diamonds. “Sounds like you’re planning on keeping me around for a while,” she mused. Cale undid her final button and swept her blouse off her shoulders, took it, and tossed it to a nearby chair. It was unlike Cale. He liked things neat and tidy. The only time he didn’t care where things fell was when he was in a hurry to get her naked. It hadn’t gone unnoticed how often that happened. He paused, looking importantly into her eyes. “Forever.” His low, gruff voice sent shivers down her spine. “Forever,” she repeated, unable to resist the full curve of his bottom lip. She pressed a soft kiss, just there. He groaned softly, turning the innocent touch into wordless desperation as his kiss became dark longing. God, he made her feel so damn much. How had she ever gotten this lucky? How could love convey so many different emotions in something as simple as the press of lips?

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Longing, hope, freedom, gratitude, pleasure, joy, hunger, desire, lust, even fear, wrapped into a tidy package with a bow called “making love.” Once again, tears gathered in her eyes. She’d come so close to losing this. She wouldn’t have known it if she’d let the possibility of love with two men get swallowed in regrets from a previous pitiful existence. She’d been so lucky. So blessed. So gifted. A lifetime wouldn’t be enough to give back to TJ and Cale all that they’d freed her from, and all that they meant to her. “I love you,” she whispered. “I love you,” he responded in kind. “I’ve always loved you. I just had no idea it could fill me up this much.” When he raised his head, she saw the answering glisten in his eyes, too. Addie touched his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere. This is where I want to be.” TJ moved close, dropping a kiss on her shoulder. “This is where we want you. Can you live with both of us like this?” She looked into his beseeching gaze. He was asking her something. The draw of his brows, the tilt of his head, the way his forelocks draped to one side with the slight cock of his head, spoke to something he needed to hear. “I don’t want to be anywhere else.” She held his gaze steadily as Cale kissed the column of her neck. Cale reached for her hand, raising it to his lips as he kissed each of her fingers in turn. He kissed her palm. Then while she was still watching TJ, waiting to see if he needed more, Cale slipped her finger between his lips. Something hard ringed her finger. Cale pushed it all the way down, sucking the length as he came back up the digit. Confusion distracted her, and she glanced at Cale. Cale held her hand to TJ. TJ lifted it. The glint of metal caught her eye, and Addie gasped at the beautiful diamond-encrusted platinum band circling the base of her ring finger. TJ kissed the back of her hand. He winked at her,

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reached in his pocket, and placed an identical ring next to the one Cale had given her. She looked from one man to the other. A lump had formed in her throat, and she couldn’t make herself speak past it. Stupidly, her bottom lip trembled, and she blinked rapidly. “Marry us,” TJ murmured. “As much as the state will let three people get married, marry us.” Addie nodded, their precious faces blurring as the tears she’d been holding back spilled down her cheeks. “Thank God,” Cale declared. “We should have sex now,” TJ said. “Lots of sex. I’m feeling the need to set this in stone.” Addie held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. “I’d say several karats worth.” She made a silent promise to get them each platinum bands when she went back to town. Wouldn’t that just stir the gossip pot. Let it. “We could invite the Beckets over to commemorate the moment,” Cale suggested. “Or to officiate,” TJ joked. “The only good idea I’ve heard is capping the evening off with lots of sex. Stop while you’re ahead,” she suggested. “Or back up and dwell on the sexing until it’s good and done.” “Yes, ma’am,” TJ growled enthusiastically. Cale lifted her easily. He whirled and carried her to the stairs, with TJ on their heels. Addie couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to end one year and begin a new one. On the coals of one life, she was beginning another. Her rings glinted merrily. She caught her bottom lip with her teeth. Her men had staked their claim. Addie couldn’t be happier.

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THE END http://www.bookstrand.com/katie-blu

ABOUT THE AUTHOR I make my home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I spend my days at my day job and every other available minute writing. I strive to make my characters believable, loveable, unforgettable, and—oh yeah—hot for each other.

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