ChristmasisComing (4 page)

“Good.” Fletch stalked around the bed. He
swept him into a tight man-hug, holding him for a few long seconds before
stepping away. “I can’t always read you. I wanted to make sure we stood on the
same page.”

“I need a coffee.” From the corner of his
eye, he noticed Fletch’s swift intake of air and the sight soothed his own
nerves. On the building site, they made a formidable team, and he didn’t see
why wooing Gaby would work any different.

They found Gaby waiting impatiently by the
coffeemaker. As they entered the kitchen, she removed the glass jug and shoved
a mug to catch the coffee running through the machine. She hesitated on seeing
them, offering a cautious smile. “Morning.”

“I thought you were coming back to bed,”
Fletch said.

“Um…” She hesitated before turning her
attention back to the coffee.

Liam’s gut bucked in alarm. At his side,
Fletch caressed his arm, the stroke of calloused fingers doing a lot to soothe
his agitation.

Gaby swapped the mug for the jug again
before venturing a glance in their direction. “I saw you…kissing.”

“And?” Fletch asked with remarkable aplomb
while Liam’s heart stalled in shock.

“I didn’t like to interrupt.”

“Why?”

Liam was happy for Fletch to handle this
conversation. Heat suffused his cheeks. Gaby had seen them and jumped to
conclusions. Yesterday, the info would’ve shocked him rigid too. Anyone
suggesting he had a thing for Fletch would’ve received a quick knuckle
sandwich. Now he wasn’t sure. He didn’t know what the fuck he thought.

“It looked personal.” Gaby hesitated, as if
she wanted to say more but had thought better of verbalizing her opinion.

“And?” Fletch’s dark brows rose in a prompt
for information.

“After my initial shock wore off… You
looked hot. Okay? I thought the two of you together was sexy as hell.”

“Is the coffee ready yet?” Fletch sent him
a pleased grin and rubbed his chin. The faint rasp of stubble reached Liam.

“Almost,” Gaby said, clearly relieved at
the subject change. “I’m starving. You guys want bacon and eggs?”

“It’s not your turn to cook,” Liam said.
“I’ll do breakfast.”

“No, I owe you guys. You looked after me
last night, made sure I got home in one piece.” She scowled at her coffee cup.
“I don’t remember much after leaving the Cricket. Did I do anything I need to
apologize about?”

“Not a thing, sweetheart,” Fletch said.
“Bacon and eggs sounds good.”

Gaby poured two mugs of coffee, pouring in
milk and adding a spoon of sugar to each before handing them over.

Fletch nudged him, and frowning, Liam
followed his friend. They both parked their butts at the kitchen table, which
already bore a heap of mats topped with a pile of cutlery.

“Just move the boxes. It’s my work stuff.”
Gaby placed several rashers of bacon under the grill and turned her attention
to the eggs.

“What’s in them?” Liam asked.

“Samples.”

Liam set them aside, making room for the
three of them to eat while Fletch finished the table setting Gaby had started. A
well-oiled machine. He glanced up and found Gaby studying them, much like she
studied her detailed drawings and plans for her products.

“Something wrong?” Liam took possession of
the chair opposite Fletch.

“Yes. No.”

“Which is it, sweetheart?” Fletch shot him
a swift wink before turning his attention back to Gaby.

“I’m trying to work out if I should ask you
something.” Gaby checked the bacon and cracked three eggs into the fry pan.
With her other hand, she popped down the toast. The scent of cooking bacon
filled the kitchen—a comfortable, familiar aroma and one that spelled home to
Liam.

“So spit it out,” Fletch said. “Maybe we
can help.”

“Would the two of you help me test my
samples?” Gaby turned back to the fry pan and flipped the eggs to cook both
sides as if her request was no big deal.

Fletch kicked him under the table to grab
his attention. He mouthed something. Liam could only guess what Fletch wanted
to tell him. He didn’t care since Gaby had offered them a way to get close to
her.

“What would the tests involve?” Fletch took
a sip of his coffee. He was playing it cool, but Liam noticed the small boy
inside him leaping for joy.

“Sex.”

Liam almost spat out the coffee he was
trying to swallow. God, he loved a blunt woman.

“What sort of sex?” Fletch shot him a
scowl, warning him to cool it.

Liam took the point and sobered
immediately. Fletch was right. Gaby seemed skittish about the idea. He’d hate
her to rescind the offer. No, they needed to lull her suspicions.

“Well, the two of you could…” She trailed off,
her hand gesturing toward them.

“Fletch dared me to kiss him,” Liam said,
straining to keep the defensive note from his voice. No. No. No! As much as
he’d enjoyed kissing Fletch, they both wanted Gaby. This plan of theirs was
gurgling around the toilet bowl, ready to flush away. They had to convince Gaby
they required her presence in testing her products.

“It’s true,” Fletch said. “I dared him.”

Gaby’s brow wrinkled and she turned to
them, toast slice in hand. “Maybe we could test my samples together.” She spoke
rapidly, as if worried about the content of her thoughts.

Fletch set down his coffee and absently
clunked a teaspoon against the side of the sugar bowl. “The three of us?”

“I guess it’s a bad idea,” Gaby said,
apologetic. “Forget I mentioned it.”

Panic filled Liam. At this rate, Gaby was
gonna talk herself out of the suggestion before they agreed. “You took us by
surprise because you’ve always kept your work secret from us before. Nothing
wrong with your idea.” Did he sound excited? Too eager?

“You’d consider it?” Gaby kept her back to
them while she served the food.

Liam exchanged a speaking glance with
Fletch.
What should we do now?

Luckily Fletch read his mind exactly.
“Gaby, of course we’d like to help you, but we need to discuss the situation
first. We’d hate sex to fuck up our friendship.”

Gaby picked up two plates and strolled over
to the table. She set one plate in front of each of them before returning to
collect her plate and the rack of toast. “More coffee?”

“Sit. I’ll grab the coffeepot.” Liam sprang
to his feet and returned to the table with both the coffeepot and the milk.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have suggested
testing with you guys. You’re right, of course. I was wrong to spring the idea
on you both.”

“Gaby, shut up,” Fletch said in a kind yet
determined tone. “Give us a chance to speak for ourselves.”

She pressed her lips together until they
practically disappeared, making her look like a prim maiden aunt. After leaving
them, she’d taken the time to comb her hair and clean off the makeup she’d worn
the previous evening. God, she was beautiful. Liam’s heart hurt every time he
looked at her. She kept her black hair long and it had a natural curl, twirling
into cute spiral curls that called out for tugging. Sometimes she straightened
her hair, but he liked it this way best—wild and free. She took after her
European father most, but she had a lot of her mother in her too. He’d bet
she’d received her love of life from her grandmother. Harriet Te Whare was a
wonderful woman, and both he and Fletch adored her. During their teen years,
they’d spent many hours at Gaby’s grandparents’ farm, either riding horses or
swimming at the river.

“We don’t want to spoil our friendship
either. I can’t speak for Liam, but I’m not dating anyone at present. I’d like
to help with your testing. Truth is, I’m dying to learn more about your work.
You’re always closemouthed about your experiments. I’d like to help.”

“I’m in,” Liam said. “I’m not seeing anyone
either. Besides, we’ve known each other for a long time. We’re helping you with
your work. Why would that cause any problems? Hell, Fletch and I kissed this
morning. We’re still talking.”

“Are you going to kiss again?”

Fletch shared a swift glance with him
before turning back to Gaby. “And you want to know because?”

“I want to watch.”

Chapter Four

Gaby drew a sharp breath, aghast at her
words. The truth was she’d frozen on seeing the two men kiss. Shock had yielded
swiftly to surprise and speculation. They’d appeared comfortable together,
focused solely on each other.

A part of her had envied their closeness.
Marc might have enjoyed the sex with her, but it was never totally about
pleasure. Their coupling was always about the condoms. How did they fit? How
did they feel? Did they perform to expectation? Did they need a different scent
or should they tweak the design? Sex with Marc was business, on his side at
least. Part of her still ached to pick up the phone and ask Marc to continue
with their friends-with-benefits deal.

“Gaby?”

“What?” Oops, she’d zoned out on them. “If
you’re that relaxed with each other you’re naturals for helping me to test my
sex toys. Besides, neither of you seemed to have a problem with kissing me. I
figured the actual sex part wouldn’t create a problem either.”

“What about the risk of pregnancy?” Liam
asked.

Gaby sent him a look of approval. “It’s
always possible one of the condoms might break because they are test models. We
do tests with machines first before we use people, but I’m on the Pill just in
case. I take regular physicals and I’m clean.”

“Liam and I had blood work done last month.
They tested for everything.”

“How come you had tests? You never
mentioned them,” Gaby said, diverted from her worries.

“Our rugby coach wanted to check our
fitness levels. The sports medicine department at the university where his
daughter works needed volunteers so they worked a trade. They poked and prodded
us for an entire weekend,” Liam said. “You were concentrating on a work project
at the time.”

“Oh. Okay.” Gaby buttered a piece of toast
and cut it in two. “Do you guys have any plans for the rest of the weekend?”
She cringed inwardly, knowing she might come across as sex-starved. “The
testing is time-sensitive. I need at least some results this weekend so I can
work on finessing my design. James and Alice want to market the chosen product
during the run-up to Christmas. Christmas is coming so I need to get a move on
with the testing. I…” She trailed off, aware she’d lost them both somewhere.
They were staring at each other with wide eyes. Shock. God, she’d traumatized
them with her blunt demands.

“Christmas is
coming
?” Liam
exchanged a glance with Fletch. His lips quivered and seconds later, he
exploded into laughter. He fell against the table, almost falling off his seat.

“What?” Gaby didn’t have to pretend
confusion.

“You’ve found your marketing slogan,”
Fletch said with another guffaw. “That’s a perfect slogan for a sex toy. All
going well, everyone will come.”

“Brilliant.” Gaby flashed them an excited
grin. “Why didn’t I think of that before? I’ll tell James and Alice on Monday.
Hopefully by then I’ll have a better idea which toy we’ll market.”

“Are we allowed more details?” Liam asked.

Gaby tossed them an uncertain look. “Either
of you have experience with anal sex? Some guys are a bit squeamish about
anything outside the bounds of traditional.” She found herself tensing, waiting
for their reply.
Please say you’re okay with this
. Testing on her own
wouldn’t be much fun, and she definitely didn’t want to dwell on Marc. Having
Fletch and Liam around would distract her.

“Anal sex is fine,” Liam said.

“Have you…um…with each other?”

“Not yet,” Fletch said.

Mid-swallow, Liam let out a peculiar
choking croak and Fletch clapped him over the back.

“Fuck, don’t say things like that when I
have a mouthful,” Liam said once he could breathe again.

“So you’re okay with kinky?”

“We’re willing to try anything you throw at
us. Right, Liam?”

Liam shot Fletch a swift glare before
turning back to her. “If there’s something we’re not happy about, we’ll let you
know. Will that work?”

“Perfect.”

“Fletch and I need to check on the building
site, but we’ll be back midmorning. Is that okay?” He glanced at Fletch again,
and the two seemed to communicate without words.

“I’ll get everything ready. I wanted to
sort out the paperwork anyway.”

“Did you see Suzy Richards last night?”
Fletch asked, changing the subject.

“She wandered her hands all over Jeremy
Collins, the second-in-charge of the Children of Nature cult,” Liam said.
“Doesn’t he already have a woman?”

Gaby relaxed into their local gossip with
relief. “Last time I saw her she was heavily pregnant. I wonder if Suzy
realizes she’d be woman number two.”

Five minutes later the two men left. A
low-level thrum spiked in her pussy and she shuffled around on her chair,
tightening her thighs to coax out more of the sensation. Magic pulsed in the
air or at least—she hoped it was magic. The more she considered her suggestion,
the better the idea sounded. This wasn’t a mistake. She valued their
friendship. The last thing she wanted was to find somewhere else to live.

Kissing Liam and Fletch this morning had
revved her motor. She couldn’t wait to see how they dealt with her sex toys.

* * * * *

Fletch followed Liam from the house,
waiting until they were far enough away before demanding, “What the fuck are we
doing? There’s no pressing need for us to visit the site today. What if Gaby
has second thoughts about this while we’re away?”

“We need to talk over what we will and
won’t do.”

A quiver of anticipation rocked Fletch. He
knew where his boundaries lay, but perhaps Liam was right. It was better to
discuss this away from Gaby. “Fair enough. We might as well check the progress
on the site. Are we going in my vehicle or yours?”

“Mine is pointing the right direction.”
Liam fished his keys from his jacket pocket. “Do you think Gaby will change her
mind?”

“Knowing Gaby, no. She seemed…I
dunno…excited.”

Liam unlocked his SUV and jumped behind the
wheel. “That’s what I thought.”

“So what’s your problem?” Fletch liked
confronting things, demanding answers in order to plan ahead. This topic fell
into the category of strategic planning. Six months ago, almost to the day,
he’d looked at Liam and realized he’d wanted more from him than friendship. The
idea shocked the hell out of him at first. He’d seen Liam with a woman—Jenny
May—and jealousy hit him over the head. They’d ended up fucking her together
and it had turned into one of the most satisfying sexual encounters in memory.
After much thought, he’d realized Liam’s presence made the difference. He’d
enjoyed the surge of cock against his own, hadn’t minded the closeness or
intimacy with another man because it was Liam.

“I wanted to know how far you’re willing to
go.”

Fletch frowned. “What do you mean?” The
jealousy he’d experienced when Liam hooked up with Jenny May hadn’t been
because of a woman.

Gay.

He’d worried for about two seconds. He
enjoyed fucking a woman, yet the experience improved a hundredfold with Liam.
He’d done some online research and emerged enlightened and a bit disturbed. A
few sleepless nights and he’d reached a decision. He wasn’t gay but he was
attracted to Liam.

He had to tread carefully.

Liam’s confession about his feelings toward
Gaby offered an opportunity, one too good to pass up. His two favorite people
in bed with him. Nope, only an idiot would turn down a chance like this.

“When Gaby was talking about anal sex, I
don’t think she meant just with her. She meant us having sex with each other.”

“That worries you?” Fletch sneaked a glance
at Liam. He didn’t appear distressed. Yet.

Liam concentrated on the road. Not that
Sloan traffic clogged the roads or anything. “I don’t know what to friggin’
think. It feels as if this sex thing is spiraling out of control and we haven’t
done anything yet.”

“We don’t have to do anything.”

“I want to do this.” Liam’s smile was
rueful. “I’m willing to do anything. I don’t think I’m even gonna hesitate at
kinky because it’s you and Gaby.”

Something twisted inside Fletch at Liam’s
words. The ball of tension in his gut dispersed. “That’s what I was thinking.
It’s not as if any of us would gossip. I trust both you and Gaby. I thought I’d
approach this with an open mind.”

“We might be overanalyzing the situation
anyway,” Liam said, taking a right turn onto Marchant Road.

They passed two paddocks of Hereford cattle
with their distinctive chestnut-colored bodies and white faces. Three horses
and a paint pony grazed in the corner paddock where he took another right onto
Davies Road. The building site was at the end of the road, a huge mansion of
eight bedrooms, two reception rooms, luxury kitchen plus a wine cellar, gym and
indoor pool. The customers expected the best and willingly paid for materials
of the highest quality. The building was a joy to work on, especially with Liam
at his side. They both enjoyed building things and worked together well.
Hopefully this would extend to loving Gaby.

* * * * *

Nerves stuttered through her the entire
morning, only increasing when a vehicle pulled up outside the house.

They were back. Did she want to go ahead
with this? Hell yeah. Imagining the two of them naked and at her disposal had
her wet enough to start right now. No need for foreplay, that was for sure.

“Hey,” she said, striving for casual and
friendly when they walked—no prowled—into the kitchen. Two dangerous, sleek
cats. Inwardly, she scoffed her thoughts. Her mother always said her reading
material helped push her onto the path to ruin.

“Smells good.” Liam came to a halt. “I
thought it was my turn to cook.”

“So you keep saying. I made a casserole.
Dinner can cook, leaving us free to do other stuff.”

“At least she’s gonna feed us,” Fletch
said. “We should give thanks.”

“Fletch!” Cripes he made it sound as if she
were forcing them into slavery. Her gaze roved over their chests. Both were
equally attractive and muscular from physical work and sports. “You would make
good slaves. I do like to eat grapes.”

“We’ll peel your grapes anytime,” Liam
said.

Fletch chuckled. “We’re looking forward to
this. I can’t wait to play with your inventions.”

His comment prompted a question. “The pair
of you speculate about my work?”

“Of course we do,” Liam said. “Hell, most
of the single men and half the married ones wonder what you guys get up to at
Fancy Free.”

“I bet.” Gaby patted the focaccia bread
dough. “I’ve heard every suggestive come-on line in the book.”

“Not from us,” Fletch said.

“No, thank goodness. It’s earned you guys a
ton of points. I’m nearly done here. I’ll finish off the bread and leave it to
rise.” She tossed a grin at them. “Don’t start without me. If there’s any
kissing, I want to watch.”

“We’re men. We do everything in a hurry,”
Fletch said.

She smirked. “Not everything, according to
Jenny May.”

“And they accuse men of gossip.” Liam shook
his head and departed in the direction of the bedrooms. Once again, her gaze
drifted to his ass, faithfully outlined in faded denim. But this time Fletch
caught her.

He waited until Liam disappeared from
sight. “My ass is better.”

“Says who?” Liam shouted.

“Damn, I didn’t think he’d hear.”

Gaby chuckled. “Take the boxes down for
me.”

“We’ll be in my room since it’s biggest.”
He picked up the boxes she’d indicated and left the kitchen.

“Don’t peek inside.” Gaby sighed as she
stared after him. Fletch’s ass was pretty spectacular, but choosing one over
the other? They both looked tasty. She finished the bread dough and set it
aside in a warm spot to rise. She cleared the counter and wiped it down then
looked for something else to clean. Oops! Prevarication. Once she realized she
was guilty of dithering, her stomach did a distinct somersault. Nerves. Taking
a deep breath, she wiped her hands on a towel and marched to Fletch’s bedroom.

Gaby wasn’t sure what to expect when she
entered the bedroom, but it wasn’t two men discussing size.

An intoxicating giggle tickled the back of
her throat and she struggled to keep it under control. Giggling Gertie wasn’t
the impression she wanted to give at present. “Is it true there’s a correlation
between foot size and cock length?” She managed to get the words out without
breaking into laughter. They started like two guilty boys, playing with things
they shouldn’t.

“We peeked in the box,” Fletch admitted.

Liam tossed a boyish smile in her
direction. “And got sidetracked by the condom sizes.”

Gaby’s mouth twitched. “So you decided to
whip them out and compare.”

“Of course.” Liam’s gaze dropped from her
face to her breasts. “Don’t women compare their breasts?”

“Um, no. Not really.”

“Well, there goes that fantasy,” Fletch
said.

“What do we get to try first?” Liam asked.

“I need to test these condoms.” Gaby plucked
a box from Liam’s hands. “They’re a new one we’re experimenting with. Most of
our rival companies are doing something similar and coming up with ultra-thin
condoms. We’re aiming for a product that feels natural, almost as if you’re not
wearing a condom at all.” Gaby grabbed her clipboard from inside the box along
with a pen. “I need my glasses. Won’t be a sec. Don’t lose those erections,
boys.”

“As long as she doesn’t whip out a tape
measure,” Fletch said.

She didn’t catch Liam’s reply, merely heard
the masculine rumble when she grabbed her reading glasses off the bedstand. She
also picked up a scrunchie and pulled her hair in a ponytail before hurrying
back to join the men. She came to a halt in the doorway, a soft breath hissing
out.

This time they were lying on the bed, arms
wrapped around each other as they kissed. Enthralled, she watched them
experiment. It was obvious from their cautious proceedings they hadn’t done
this much, although why they were doing it now escaped her. But it was hot watching
their big hands clutching each other, their mouths crushed together. Oh yeah.
She fanned the heat from her face and stepped farther into the master bedroom.