Jace sagged back onto his elbows, Andre’s dark head bobbing between his thighs, and sank into the blissful moment. But Andre wasn’t going to let him coast for long. His big hand moved along Jace’s sac, cupping and squeezing, making Jace rock onto his toes from the sensations. Then Andre’s fingers traveled farther back, teasing along the sensitive skin behind Jace’s balls and venturing even farther as he took Jace deeper down his throat. When Andre’s finger circled Jace’s back entrance, Jace almost slid right down to the floor.
“Christ, Dre,” he ground out, the erotic feeling of both his mouth and finger curling up Jace’s spine. The move was a new one for Jace. He didn’t have many boundaries with his lovers, but he exclusively topped, and Andre and Evan had never experimented with anal play on him. He wasn’t necessarily against it, but it’d been an unwritten line between them. Maybe because despite his experience in kink, Jace was still pretty new to being with a guy. Before Andre, there’d only been women. But now he wondered if Andre held some things back for that reason.
As if hearing Jace’s thoughts, Andre pulled back and peered up at Jace. “Okay?”
Jace wet his lips. “I’ll stop you if something isn’t.”
Andre’s lips quirked up. “Yes, sir.”
Then Andre went back to the job of rocking Jace’s fucking world.
***
Evan pulled her robe around her, rubbing the chill from her arms, and walked to the kitchen, hoping to God that they had antacids tucked away somewhere. But when she stepped through the doorway, she froze in place at the sight before her. Jace was leaning back against the counter, shaggy blond hair in his eyes, pants around his ankles, and Andre was kneeling in front of him, sucking him off and stroking him with his fingers.
The sight took the wind right out of her, and she put her hand to the doorframe, steadying herself. Holy hell, were they a picture. She’d lived with these two for almost a year and the sight of them could still take her breath away. Jace with that long, lean swimmer’s body, his tattooed arms straining with the effort of staving off the release Andre was surely about to give him. And Andre with his dark hair, caramel-colored skin, and soulful eyes, somehow looking more alpha than most of the male population even when on his knees for another guy. They were beautiful together.
And maybe she should care that they were doing this without her, but somehow that jealousy never seemed to take hold of her. She knew how long it had taken these two to admit their feelings for each other, knew how deep their love and respect for each other ran. So beyond the mind-melting desire that always went through her when she saw these two get naked together, all she felt was happiness for them and a thrill that she got to be part of this. That they were hers.
Normally, she’d make her presence known because, without a doubt, they would draw her into the tableau. In thirty seconds, she’d be flat on her back on that island with both of them lavishing her with erotic attention. But she was still feeling sick and didn’t think she could handle them at the moment. That did not mean, however, that she wasn’t going to take advantage of the moment and watch.
That chill she’d been fighting off on the walk to the kitchen had definitely disappeared. And even with her nausea, her body was growing very aware, very quickly. She tried to ease back into the shadows of the living room so she wouldn’t inadvertently interrupt, but Andre’s eyes must’ve caught movement. His gaze swung her way and his eyebrow lifted—an invitation.
She put a finger to her lips and shook her head. Without stopping the pleasure he was giving Jace, a smile touched his eyes. She stepped back into the living room then, but he knew she was watching and clearly approved.
Evan clung to the darkness, leaning against the doorjamb, and indulged in the view. Jace hadn’t opened his eyes since she’d arrived, and his belly was pulsing with quick breaths as he made those sexy, gritty sounds he was prone to when riding his edge. Andre was pulling out all the stops, and the wet, sucking noises were one of the most erotic things Evan could imagine hearing. And though she wasn’t close enough to see exactly where Andre’s fingers were rubbing, she had a good idea, and the image had her panties clinging to her. Maybe she hadn’t needed antacids at all. She just needed a distraction. And these two were providing it in spades.
Andre pulled back for a moment, and the broad head of Jace’s cock gleamed in the low glow of the under-cabinet lights. Evan’s tongue pressed to the back of her teeth. But she didn’t have the view for long because Jace reached out and gripped Andre’s hair, pulling him forward. “Don’t fucking tease me, Dre, or I swear to God, I will send you to bed with a raging case of blue balls.”
Andre smiled, an evil edge to his grin, and took Jace into his mouth again. There’d be no going back now. Andre wasn’t going to let up until Jace lost it. Andre increased his fervor, and Jace’s hands gripped Andre’s head, his hips canting forward as he fucked Andre’s mouth.
Evan licked the sweat gathering on her upper lip, her body responding to that flare of dominance in Jace. She loved when he tipped over from the sweet guy she knew into that intense, almost feral dominant space. He could be rough and relentless and sadistic when he went into that zone. And she thrived on it.
So did Andre, from the looks of it. Andre was a passenger on the train now, the control shifting fully to Jace as Jace directed the pace and position. Andre’s fingers curled into his own thighs, as if he was having trouble banking his need, and his erection stood proud against the fabric of his pants. If Evan hadn’t been feeling so shitty, she would’ve crawled over and helped him out with that. But Jace would take care of Andre. Jace could be a sadist when it came to doling out pain, but unless there was a punishment needed, he wasn’t into denying pleasure. Prolonging it? Yes. Making them wait for it to intensify things? Definitely. But outright denial? No. Jace was a hedonist at heart.
Jace’s shout made Evan jump, and she watched, enraptured, as Jace’s knuckles went white against Andre’s head. There it was, that moment when everything faded away. Evan’s body pulsed as if she were a part of it all, and Jace pumped his hips with long, deep thrusts, no doubt giving Andre every bit of his release. Andre’s sweat-slicked throat worked as he swallowed everything Jace gave him, his eyes closed and pleasure on his face. She knew that feeling. Yes, she was submissive, but there was a heady power in knowing you’ve brought such a strong man to the breaking point. A satisfaction.
Andre eased away, his tongue licking over his lips, and his gaze slid over to her for a brief second before returning to Jace. Jace was panting as he tugged his pants back up his hips, then he slid down the side of the island to the floor. He grabbed Andre, pulling him in for a kiss, and his hand deftly unbuttoned Andre’s slacks. Jace freed Andre’s cock from his open fly and smoothed the moisture that had gathered on the tip over Andre’s shaft.
Andre made a choked sound into the kiss and Evan decided she would leave them to it. If she watched for another second, she wasn’t going to be able to resist joining in. And she knew her body wasn’t up to that tonight. Vomiting on your lovers would
not
be sexy. So she went back to the bedroom and found an Alka-Seltzer in the back of the bathroom cabinet. After downing that in a glass of water, she crawled back into bed.
But she couldn’t fall asleep until both the boys returned to the bed about twenty minutes later. She listened to them strip in the dark, then felt them settle down on each side of her, their big warm bodies brushing against hers. She kept her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. But when Jace checked her forehead for fever, and Andre kissed the back of her shoulder and whispered an
I love you
, she snuggled into the contentment and finally drifted off.
Jace shielded his eyes from the sun as he crossed the open fields on the edge of The Ranch, searching for the horse paddock. He wasn’t overly familiar with this part of the property. Most of what he needed at The Ranch was either at the main house or in the cabin he, Andre, and Evan often rented out. But ahead he could see the stables and the cowboy he was looking for.
Jace headed over that way and heard Grant Waters, owner and operator of The Ranch, explaining the ins and outs of saddling a horse to his girlfriend, Charli, who was standing with her hands on her hips and a frustrated expression on her face. Jace smiled. That seemed to be Charli’s go-to expression when it came to Grant. Jace had watched the two scene together at the main house before, so he knew Charli was a fantastic submissive to Grant, and the love between them was obvious. But when not in those roles, she was a no-nonsense, highly opinionated tomboy who kept the big man on his toes.
The whole thing amused Jace to no end because Grant could be such a stoic, all-knowing bastard sometimes, and it was fun to see the guy get flustered or perplexed by his woman. It reaffirmed Jace’s belief that no man could keep it together all the time when he was in love. It was nice to know even the master of The Ranch wasn’t immune.
“Howdy, partners!” Jace called out, making his accent as countrified as possible.
Grant turned around and tipped his black cowboy hat up. “Well, look what the barn cat dragged in. Jace Austin. Coming to the muck out the stalls for me?”
Jace sniffed. “I’m not even sure I know what mucking stalls means, but I think I’ll pass on anything with the word
muck
involved.”
“Smart man,” Charli said, giving the pretty brown mare she’d been trying to saddle a pat.
Jace leaned against the low fence. “Sorry to interrupt. I didn’t realize y’all were in the middle of pony play.”
“Now there’s an idea,” Grant said, sending Charli a lazy grin. “Maybe the best way to show you how to saddle a horse is to saddle
you
.”
She gave Grant the same look Evan had given Jace this morning when he’d asked her to stay home from work and rest. “Just try it, cowboy. See who ends up wearing a saddle and a tail.”
Grant chuckled and adjusted his hat. “Freckles, you know I’d let you ride me anywhere, anytime.”
Charli snorted but Jace didn’t miss the flirty humor in her eyes. She turned back to the horse and rubbed her flank. “Come on, Molly, you’ve suffered enough of my attempts today. Let’s go find some carrots.”
The horse chuffed as if she fully understood and let Charli lead her toward the stables. Grant watched them go with a smile, then turned back to Jace. “So what’s going on? I know you didn’t come out here for riding lessons.”
“Nah, not today. I brought a box of sample items from Wicked for you and the other members to try out. Our newest location has a lot more floor space for inventory, but I don’t want to order new things without getting some feedback first.”
Grant crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t want to test them out with Evan and Andre?”
“Oh, I kept my own box,” he said, laughing. “But there are some things that aren’t really in our wheelhouse. And I like to get multiple opinions. There’s also a flogger from this new artisan I’ve been working with. His stuff seems very high quality, but I want to make sure it’s durable after regular use. So I got one for me and I put one in there for you to test out—deer hide, really thick falls, solid handle. Should give a nice, thuddy feel.”
“Excellent. Thanks.”
“Yeah, no problem. Let me know what you think once you take it for a few test runs.”
Because he had no doubt Grant would. The Ranch was one of the biggest clients of Jace’s adult store, Wicked, but Grant’s large orders weren’t just for the resort. The man liked his toys now that he had the lovely Charli to play with.
“Any pony gear in that box?” Grant asked, wryness in his tone.
“No, but I could send some stuff over. There’s a real pretty tail with a vibrating plug.”
Grant glanced toward the stables and smiled. “Do. She knows when she says
no way
to something, that’s just going to make me more interested in doing it.”
Jace laughed. “Sadist.”
“Mmm,” he said in agreement. “So what else are you out here for? You look like a man on a mission.”
Jace propped his foot on the lowest cross plank of the fence. “I’m here for a favor.”
Unlike most people who had that initial wary reaction when anyone asked for a favor, Grant didn’t even blink at the request. “Shoot.”
“You still have that cabin up in Tahoe?”
He nodded. “I do.”
“Is it rented out? I know it’s the start of ski season, so if it’s taken, no worries. But if it’s not, I wanted to see if I could rent it for a week. Evan’s been working way too much and both Andre and I have had a busy few months, too, so I think we could all use the getaway.”
And he knew Grant’s cabin would be equipped with everything they could need for a fun, relaxing, and kinky vacation.
“Yeah, sure. It’s all yours. And don’t worry about paying for it. I don’t rent it out. I only use it for myself or lend it out to trusted friends.”
Jace smiled. “Awesome. Then the box o’ pony kink is definitely on the house.”
Grant shook his head and rubbed his scruffy jaw. “Hell, she’s going to fucking kill me.”
Jace clapped the big cowboy on his shoulder. “Yee haw.”
Grant sniffed and walked over to the fence. He planted a boot on the wood and vaulted over it. “Come on, the key to the cabin is in my office. I’ll walk you up there. Charli will be brushing down Molly for a while anyway. She’s still a nervous rider, but she loves spending time with the animals.”
“Sounds good.”
And it would give Jace the chance to talk to Grant about the even bigger favor he needed. Andre had gotten him thinking last night, and now an idea wouldn’t let go of him.
He smiled to himself. Evan and Andre would never see this one coming.
***
Evan rubbed her eyes before she went back to clicking through the filters in her photo editing program, trying to shake off the afternoon slump. The shots from the wedding had come out great, but the processing was where the magic happened. She’d been working her way through the photos for the last couple of days and only had a few left. She selected a pale yellow filter for the shot of the flower girl coming down the aisle and tossing petals straight up above her head. The ceremony had been held in the botanical gardens and the filter nudged the picture from pretty to sun-kissed and straight-up gorgeous.
Evan smiled at the pure exuberance on the little girl’s face and felt a pang in her chest. The long blond hair and bright eyes reminded her of a picture she’d received in the mail many years ago of her own daughter playing in a wildflower field. Dahlia was twelve now and happily living in Oklahoma with her adoptive parents, which was for the best. When Evan had gotten unexpectedly pregnant as a teen, she’d been in no condition to raise a baby. But it didn’t mean she didn’t still get that knocking in her chest when she thought of her, especially now that she was back together with Jace, Dahlia’s father.
She and Jace had visited Dahlia a few months ago. It’d been Jace’s first time seeing his daughter, and Evan teared up anytime she thought about it too long. The guilt she felt about never having told Jace about Dahlia until last year sat heavy on her still. She and Jace had been pulled apart before she’d ever known she was pregnant, but she could’ve worked harder to get the information to him. She’d wanted to spare him. She’d thought it would ruin his life. But it hadn’t been her call to make. And when she’d seen Jace, the guy always quick with a joke or a smile, break down and weep after seeing Dahlia, Evan had felt like she’d personally ripped his heart out again.
“Hey, whoa, what’s wrong?”
Evan looked up, finding her assistant Finn staring down at her with big, concerned eyes. “Huh?”
He glanced at the photo on her screen then back to her and touched his cheek. “You’re crying, hon.”
She put her hands to her face and, sure enough, her cheeks were wet. “Dammit.”
Finn reached over to pull a tissue from the box on her desk and handed it to her. “Everything all right?”
She dabbed at the tears and waved a dismissive hand. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m not sure what’s wrong with me. I’ve been so sleepy all day, and I think continuing to stare at this screen is making my eyes water.”
Finn frowned and pushed his shoulder-length black hair behind his ears. “You need to tell those hot men of yours to give you a night off and let you get some rest. Though, I can’t say I blame you for being unable to turn them down. You know, if you want me to fill in for you tonight . . .”
She laughed and shoved his arm. “Watch it, smart ass.”
He held up his hands. “I’m just saying. I’d take one—or two—for the team on your behalf.”
“Such a self-sacrificing assistant.”
He put his hand over his heart. “Always. But seriously, you should take a break. Go grab a nap on the couch in the back or something. I can run through the last set of photos for you. I’ve flipped through the others. I know the look you’re aiming for with them.”
She leaned back in her chair and stretched. Normally, she had trouble relinquishing control on this part of the process, even though she could trust Finn with it. He had a great eye. Plus, he wasn’t an intern anymore and deserved his chance at more important tasks. “Yeah, I’m actually going to take you up on that. Maybe if I can rest my eyes for a few minutes, it’ll refresh me. I promised I’d have these pictures done by the time the couple gets back from their honeymoon next week.”
Finn traded spots with her in the chair and smiled. “We’ll have them done way before that. Now go. I’ve got this.”
She gave his shoulder a squeeze and headed toward the small storage room in the back that they’d converted into a makeshift break room. She flicked off the overhead fluorescent and adjusted the blinds on the small window so that only a little of the afternoon light filtered in. Already she could feel her body giving itself over to the idea of rest. The phone rang in the front of the studio, but she resisted the urge to head back up there to grab it. Finn was capable. She went to the old radio they’d put on one of the shelves and turned it to the local light rock station, hoping that would block out any noises from up front.
Elton John’s “Sacrifice” filtered through the room, and Evan headed over to the plush couch she’d splurged on at an estate sale. She settled onto the soft cushions and tucked a throw pillow behind her head. If she could grab half an hour of sleep, she’d probably be good to go for the rest of the day. She’d overbooked herself lately. And though she’d protested that she was fine to Jace and Andre when they’d brought it up the morning after the wedding, she had to admit that it was wearing her down. Maybe she could clear some time at the end of the month and take a few days off.
She rolled onto her side, trying to get in a comfortable position, when the song on the radio ended and the news and weather break came on. She listened with half an ear as the weather guy talked about the cold front rolling through in the next few days and the possibility of thundersleet—which had to be the best word she’d heard all week—and was almost asleep when the news started. Some football player arrested for drunk driving, the price of gas going up again, and . . .
“. . . A batch of the most popular brand of birth control pills is being recalled nationwide. The manufacturer of Brelia says—”
Evan’s eyes popped open.
“. . . did not contain active hormones. A class action suit will surely be forthcoming . . .”
She sat straight up, her heart rocketing up to her throat. The newscaster moved on to something else, but Evan didn’t hear any of it. All she could hear pounding through her head was the name of her birth control pills and the words “did not contain.”
Oh, God.
She clamped her hand over her mouth, afraid her heart might hop right out.
She hadn’t heard the dates of the batches affected, but she was already doing math in her head. She didn’t know when her period was technically due because she took the kind of pills that let you have periods only four times a year. Her last period had been two months ago. But she was still on track as far as she knew. She shouldn’t panic. Her batch might not be affected. But trying to tell herself that was like trying to stop a jet from lifting off after it was already zooming down the runway. She knew the signs of pregnancy. She’d been through it once before. And though it was a very long time ago, she remembered one thing with crystal clarity—how bone tired she’d been in the early months. But she’d also suffered a lot of morning sickness. And though she’d felt sick that night after the wedding, she hadn’t had any more nausea since that night.
She took a deep breath and rubbed her palms on her thighs, trying to get herself together. Freaking out wasn’t going to help anything. But she found herself rocking in place anyway. Dammit. She shook out her arms, trying to clear the nerves and adrenaline out of her muscles, but she couldn’t stave off the anxiety. Her situation now was so different from the last time, but her brain only had one trained response to a pregnancy scare—utter freaking panic.
And though she wasn’t a teenager without a penny to her name like last time, she also wasn’t under the impression that this was good timing. She, Jace, and Andre were still figuring out how things were supposed to work in their relationship. Kids had been one topic they’d all agreed to defer. It was the most complicated of all the issues with their arrangement. First, she didn’t know if the either of the guys
wanted
kids. Hell, she didn’t know if
she
wanted kids. And how would that even work? Beyond the obvious—figuring out who was the biological dad and how that would play into the relationship dynamic—they had a decidedly un-kid-friendly lifestyle. They lived in a loft above Jace’s sex toy shop. They spent their weekends at a BDSM resort. And they lived in one of the most conservative areas in the country, where a kid from a family with three parents would surely get some scrutiny.