Foundation for Three (19 page)

Happiness soared through her, but it was time to take this to another level. “Yes. Even. Just the way it should be.”

The sun was about to set and the shadows across the yard were growing long, which meant it was about time to leave. The photo shoot had been wonderful and enlightening. Clearly, the men were best friends. Easy going, fun, and adorable, yet seemingly competitive when it came to her. She couldn’t have asked for more.

Pete’s behavior hadn’t surprised her as much as Thad’s had. Being with his family seemed to have relaxed him. From the moment he’d entered Nana’s house, he’d seemed like a different person from when he’d faced that madman or even when he’d shown her how to throw darts.

Just as she was about to suggest they head back to her place, the barn doors creaked open wide. Three adults and two kids making lots of noise ambled out. Thad’s parents, who were holding hands, followed. Nana was next, carrying the caddy Zoey had given her. That was so sweet of Thad’s grandmother to use it so soon.

“We should see if Nana needs help.” Zoey should have insisted all three of them stay behind and clean up, but Thad had claimed all was good.

“Everything’s taken care of. Nana only leaves when the place has emptied out,” Thad said. “You ready to head home?”

From the cute way his lips lifted, he might have making love on his mind, too. “Yes.” A blast of cold air blew between the house and the barn, and she shivered.

Pete slid his hand around her waist and pulled her close. “Once we get in the car, I’ll put the heat on for you.”

She wasn’t used to men who were so aware of her needs and desires. With them, hints no longer seemed necessary. All of this newness thrilled her.

Joe, Sam, Erin, Erin’s husband, and their three kids rushed out of the house carrying something in their hands. “There you guys are,” Joe said. “Ready for the annual horseshoe competition? I installed lights on the side of the barn for the occasion.”

Thad looked over at her then back at Joe. “We’ve made other plans. Rain check?”

“Sure,” Joe said, looking a bit disappointed.

Thad’s action surprised her. Never would she have guessed he’d break with tradition, but she wasn’t going to complain. After she expressed her congratulations to Thad’s parents again, and thanked Nana once more, the three of them left. Besides engaging in the pleasures of the flesh, Zoey looked forward to downloading the numerous photos they’d taken. No doubt the best shots would be the portraits of Thad and Pete.

Once seated in the truck, Zoey leaned her head back, and she couldn’t help but let a small smile tug at her lips. She’d never been with men like these two before. While Thad had to be careful how he moved about, he’d always found a way to have fun. Pete laughed easily, and when prompted, Thad had been spontaneous, too. Together, they had this amazing synergy, seemingly better together than apart.

Today had been a real eye-opener for her about what she’d been missing in her life. She was the oldest of five kids, and had spent most of her teen years trying to keep her siblings and parents happy. Thad’s family was different. They were giving and loving all on their own, and probably never needed someone to mediate their family squabbles.

There was one other big difference. While her parents were nice people, they had a hard time expressing affection. They never hugged.

A short while later, Pete pulled into her drive and cut the engine. Thad slipped out and lent her a hand. As soon as she reached her porch, she faced them. Yes, she was nervous, but she wanted them. From the warm vibes she was getting, they seemed to want her, too. The only thing that might prevent Thad from agreeing was his injury. “Can I convince you both to come in?”

Pete glanced over at his roommate and shrugged one shoulder. “It wouldn’t be nice to turn down a beautiful woman, now would it?”

Her heart skipped a beat. Zoey looked over at Thad.

He grinned. “No, it would not.”

Yes!
While she’d basically orchestrated this potential seduction, this was what she wanted. With trembling fingers, she got the key in the lock on the second try, opened the door, and punched in the security code.

Just as she reached up to take off her sweater jacket, Pete slipped behind her. He slowly eased the wool down her arms, and she shivered, not because it was cold, but because of what his nearness did to her.

“Just helping you, sugar. That’s all.”

The nickname rolled off his tongue in that soft cowboy way of his. “Thank you.” She slid her hands out of the coat and turned around. Damn, but he was a good-looking man. Except where his father was concerned, he seemed to have his act together.

Now that they were all here, she wasn’t sure how to go about seducing them. “Anyone want some decaf?” That would help clear her head.

“Sounds good,” Pete said.

Zoey rushed to the kitchen, popped the coffee containers into the machine and returned. She didn’t want to miss being with them for another minute.

“That was fast,” Thad said as he placed a hand on her back. “Let’s sit on the sofa.”

This was going quite well. Thad at least seemed to have picked up on her subtle and not so subtle hints. He patted the seat beside him and let his gaze drag down her body, his eyes smoldering with desire—or at least that was what she wanted to believe.

Talk to him.
Should she ask about his injury? Or more about his family?

Just spit it out
. She needed to tell them that she wanted to have sex with them both.

*     *     *

The coffeemaker dinged a few minutes later, and Pete jumped up. “I’ll get it. You two keep talking.”

Thad was telling her about one of his cases and Zoey sounded enthralled, asking questions at all the right places. Pete didn’t want the coffee being ready to break their connection. That was another thing he liked about her—Zoey was interested in everything they said and did.

“You need help?” Zoey called from the living room.

He opened a few cabinets and found what he was looking for on the third try. “No. I’m good.”

He filled three cups with the delicious smelling hot brew. Zoey liked her drink with sugar and cream while he and Thad preferred it black. After he located the sugar bowl and found the container of cream in the fridge, he carried Zoey’s drink out, along with the sugar bowl. “Be right back.”

One trip later, Pete had served them all. He probably should have suggested Thad and Zoey come into the kitchen and fix their coffee in there, but talking wasn’t really on his mind. Neither was drinking coffee.

Zoey ripped open the sugar packets and poured in the cream with slightly shaking fingers. Why would she be nervous? She seemed to have had a great time at the party, and she certainly had been at ease when they’d gone riding. She’d also responded to his kiss.

While the three of them sipped their hot drinks, Zoey kept running her finger around the top of the cup, her touch light and soft. Was she doing that motion on purpose to drive Pete crazy? Or was she unaware of her actions?

She looked up at them. “Anyone want to look at the pictures I took? I’ll have to download them onto my computer first though.”

Photography seemed to be a passion of hers, and Pete wanted to view the evening through her eyes. He’d assumed downloading would be the first step, though huddling around the small camera display worked for him as well. “Sure. It’ll be fun to see what we have.”

“My desktop’s in the bedroom. Do you mind going in there?”

As much as he wanted to make love with her, he probably should ask if she was okay being with both him and Thad. This was a big step for anyone. “Not at all.”

With coffee cup in hand, she picked up her camera bag, and both he and Thad followed her into her bedroom. From the death grip she had on her cup, she was nervous. Damn. Had she planned on seducing them and was now getting cold feet? Or had his people reading skills vanished?

Once in her room, the air had that sweet linen scent that was so her. Pete had passed through her bedroom to work on the master bath, but he’d never carefully checked it out before. The soft pastels on the bed fit her personality—tailored yet feminine. It was quite homey. One thing was sure, she really liked the color pink. He should have paid closer attention and bought those pink candles instead of the beige ones.

Zoey sat at her computer desk that butted up against the wall across from the bathroom. “Give me a sec to boot this up.” She faced Pete. “You want to snag two chairs from the dining room so we can all sit next to each other?”

“You got it.” So far so good. In a flash, he was back, careful not to bump the legs against the walls. As soon as he placed one on each side of her, Thad joined them. By the time they were settled, Zoey had the first picture up.

It was the one of him on the truck roof with Thad leaning against the fender. “Two handsome men, I’d say.” Pete wanted to keep it light to help her feel more at ease.

Zoey laughed, as had been his hope. The next photos were of Zoey and Thad hamming it up.

Thad leaned closer. “That’s a beautiful shot of you, Zoey.”

She smiled and looked more beautiful than ever. “Thanks.”

Pete waited for the one of him and Zoey kissing. She clicked the next one. There it was. “Can you enlarge it?” he asked.

Her face turned a slight pink, but she made the photo bigger. He’d forgotten that her right hand had been clasping his thigh. She was leaning close, touching his cheek with her left hand, her lips pressed against his.

“Hmm,” Zoey said. “I do like it, but the shot lacks… passion.”

Was she kidding? “I know I was enjoying it.”

She glanced between the two of them then back at Pete. “What do you say we try again, and let Thad be the judge of the level of
passion
?”

Pete was glad he’d finished his coffee, because if he’d any in his mouth, it would have been all over the keyboard.

*     *     *

Pete’s eyes widened, but Zoey was tired of second guessing herself. She wanted these men and they seemed to want her. There was no need to be nervous. Zoey leaned forward, cupped the back of his head, and nipped his bottom lip to test the waters. She wanted to delve into his sweetness and take all of him, but timing was everything.

Pete must have wanted her bad, because he took full possession of what she had to offer, his kiss transporting her to the wonderful moment they’d shared at the family gathering. She then ran her tongue along the seam of his lips to tantalize him, and the second their tongues touched, her body heated. As they kissed, she tasted the hint of coffee and smelled the fresh outdoors on his skin. As much as she wanted to explore every inch of Pete, she didn’t want Thad to be left out. With much dismay, she broke the kiss, her breath coming out faster than she ever expected.

“Okay then.” Drawing on her professional demeanor she faced Thad. “Score?”

He stroked his chin in a deliberate manner and drew in a deep breath. “I’d give it a seven point five out of ten.”

Pete laughed. “Let’s see you do better.”

Thad didn’t wait for her assent. He drew her close, and when their lips touched, fire filled her veins and her heart slammed against the ribs. Yes, they’d kissed before, but this seemed more real, more personal. Definitely more intense.

She pulled back, realizing it was the time to tell them, the time to warn them about her lack of experience.

“Another seven point five for sure,” she said, a bit out of breath. Giving Thad a different score would only cause bickering. For there to be any chance of them being together, she needed to be upfront with them. “Can I be honest for a moment?”

Thad clasped her hand. “You can tell us anything.” All hint of joking disappeared.

She loved how he could sense her every mood. “I told you I’d been with two men, but maybe not in the way you think.” Lies between parties only caused problems. She didn’t need a degree in psychology to know that.

As Thad ran his hand down her shoulder, his callused fingertips left a trail of sensuality on her warm skin. “What do you mean?”

“The two men I was with weren’t into anal sex.” Pete’s brows rose and Thad’s pinched. Shit. While she’d never taken a poll, her friend Amber said she and her men loved it. How many others did, too?

“Did the three of you share a bed?” Pete asked. His voice held no judgment.

“Sometimes, but they worked a lot, so I had sex with whoever came over.” That made her seem cheap even though it wasn’t like that.

Compassion filled Pete’s face. “We don’t just want to have sex with you.”

Blood rushed fast through her veins. “What do you want?”

“We want to make love with you. We want you happy. Mechanics don’t matter as long as we can experience you.” Pete’s eyes darkened, or else the computer screen had dimmed. “Have you been hankering for two cocks at once?” Pete asked.

It was time to be honest. “No.”

Pete smiled. “Then we’re in agreement. I’m a pussy man and so is Thad.”

“Thank you.” With that out of the way, the tightness in her chest released. Since she was going to have sex, she didn’t want to have streaks of rust on her hands and face. “Mind if I take a shower first?”

Pete’s grin reached his eyes. It was as if she’d just told him he’d won the lottery. Without a word, he stood, drew her to his chest, and gazed deep into her eyes. The gold flecks in his eyes danced amidst the blues and greens, causing her pulse to soar and funny sensations to zip through her. If her mind hadn’t blanked, she’d have given the tingling and pulsing a name.

Thad stepped behind her and wrapped his good arm around her waist. Surrounding her. Tempting her. Making her want them badly. “How about the three of us get clean together?” he said as he nuzzled her neck. Heat rushed over her skin. “It’ll save water.”

She smiled as she looked over her shoulder. “Save water?”

Thad chuckled. “If I had said that I wanted to see you naked, touch your luscious breasts as the liquid cascaded down your soft skin, and devour your lips, you wouldn’t have freaked?”

No. It’s what I want.
“How about you do that and let’s see how I react?”