Was she strong enough to stop? She raised her hands between their bodies to his chest and pushed away, but Manny slipped his hand behind her head, and their kiss deepened.
A new question lingered. Was she brave enough to keep going? She parted her lips and slid out her tongue. He scooped her ass into his large hands and pulled her to him, her legs wrapping around his waist like the floor had fallen out beneath her. And it kind of had.
His granite erection poked at her from behind his pants. It thrilled her to feel it, up close and personal. He spread her ass wide with his massive hands and pulled her thong aside as she rubbed pussy against his khaki-encased cock. Then she felt a trail of fingers dance lightly over her leg.
“Don’t move,” Kyle said, and she heard the rasp of a zipper come from below. She peeked over her shoulder to find Kyle on his knees, pulling Manny’s erection from his fly.
Manny nipped at her jaw, chasing her mouth until she returned for another sensual kiss. He set one of those sexy moans loose against her lips, and she knew Kyle had sucked him deep to the back of his throat. She strained to look again, compelled to watch.
Kyle pulled at her hand, tugging her down to kneel next to him. She followed his lead, because someone needed to know what was supposed to happen next.
Manny took his cock and pressed it against her lips. She opened for him gratefully, opened wide and laid her tongue flat as he pushed into her mouth. Manny hissed and withdrew, pausing a moment and pushing forward again.
“Fuck yeah,” Kyle said and slipped his hands under her chin to cup Manny’s balls. He was barely inches from her face, fixated on the juncture of her lips and Manny’s shaft. Rebecca’s pussy ached, and she reached down to stroke her fingers into the silky wetness, sliding her tongue over Manny’s slit.
Kyle tilted his head and wrapped his lips against Manny’s shaft, running them up the length and coming into direct contact with Rebecca. Their eyes met, then their lips as they made their first tentative connection.
“I must be fucking dreaming,” Manny rasped, and he slipped his hand onto the top of her head, tangling it in her curls.
Kyle had Manny’s cock in his fist, sliding it into her mouth, and then into his own, and then both at once as their tongues danced together around his head. He worked the shaft with his fist, slowly at first and then faster when Manny’s breaths became short, heavy puffs from a slackened jaw.
“Are you ready to drink, Rebecca?” Kyle asked, cupping her softly under the chin and positioning her head just so. She nodded, mouth open, eyes locked with Manny’s in an unbreakable link.
As Kyle milked his friend’s gleaming cock, Manny cried out, shoved his fist into his mouth when the roar grew too loud, and spilled his seed down Rebecca’s throat.
* * *
Manny realized he’d stopped breathing, just for a few seconds, while his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his toes curled inside his Converse sneakers.
“Holy fuck.” The words were dry in his mouth.
He took hold of his cock, took it back from Kyle’s control as Rebecca licked her pink, swollen lips. His head clearing, Manny made sense of the faces staring up at him. How would this end? Making love to two people he cared for was just fucking stupid. One way or another, someone was going to get hurt, because you couldn’t be with two people at the same time and be into them equally. Side dishes are one thing, but everyone knows there’s only one main course.
So who would it be?
“You all right, bro?” Kyle grinned at him, stroking Manny’s balls with the pads of his fingers. “You look lightheaded.”
“This isn’t right,” Manny said, backing away from both of them. “I don’t know how to do this.”
Kyle laughed. “Dude, I think you do.” He reached for Manny’s cock. Manny pulled up his pants.
“No, I don’t know how to want both of you at the same time. It just feels wrong.” He shook his head.
“Manny, what are you talking about? We’ve had threesomes.”
“That was before…”
“Before what?”
“Before I started thinking about you like…fuck, I don’t know.” He sighed, because the truth was exhausting. “Like I fucking love you.”
That shut Kyle up; Rebecca too, apparently. She hadn’t uttered a word through those plumped lips.
Manny crouched down, able to look her in the eye. “And you’ve been tearing through my head since I first met you, Rebecca—too much to have known you just a week.” She dipped her eyes, cheeks turning rose, just as he’d suspected they would. “But I think we all need to slow down. I mean, what the fuck are we doing?”
Kyle stood up, his hands reaching out to him. “I know what I’m doing. I’m trying to get you back.”
Manny held up his palms, shaking his head. He pushed past them, stopping at the door. “I want to fuck both of you until we’re all speaking in tongues. You’ve got to know the thought has crossed my mind plenty of times.”
It was true. But wasn’t that the problem? The truth was he didn’t want just to fuck them. He wanted to make love to them, to see how deep the hooks in his heart went for each of them. Kyle had been his world in a place where death poisoned the air. He knew what being without him felt like and never wanted to know that kind of emptiness again. Rebecca had given him hope for a new beginning. Her quirks and sass had him tied up in knots.
“I just need time to think,” he said, at last.
Manny opened the door. Kyle walked by him, followed by Rebecca, both of them looking dazed. His heart ached at seeing the pained expressions in their eyes. This was for the best though, because it wasn’t fair to want two people at once and expect them to figure out how to share pieces of him.
With the door closed he could hear them talking, though none of it was comprehendible through the heavy wood. He’d just as soon never know what they said to one another after he’d kicked them out. Ignorance might not be bliss, but it was a whole lot easier to live with.
* * *
“What just happened in there?”
Kyle wondered if Rebecca had said that for his benefit, or if her thoughts had just leaked out of her gaping mouth. Either way, she looked like he felt—confused as hell. She hugged herself, bunching her arms across the sheer fabric at her breasts, her trembling fingers finding her collarbone. There wasn’t much she could do about the thong or the mortified look on her face when she realized he was staring.
He shrugged out of his oxford shirt and draped it over her shoulders. She took it, the hem grazing her thighs as she clutched it closed.
“Manny is a complicated guy. Sometimes he overthinks things.”
“Manny is in love with you.”
Hearing that again made something warm bloom in Kyle’s chest, but the fact that he wasn’t in there with Manny right now, returning the sentiment, put a damper on the whole damn thing. What good did it do to know Manny loved him when it was also the reason Manny was pushing him away?
“He doesn’t know what he wants,” Kyle sighed. Rebecca winced, her lashes fluttering as though he’d poked her with something sharp. He tried to be clearer. “Manny is a traditional guy at heart. If he was the player I used to be, we would both be in there right now, rocking his world.”
“Well, I feel like a complete jerk,” she said, heading toward her room. She turned back suddenly. “Thanks for the shirt.”
“No problem. But please don’t feel bad. It’s not your fault.”
Rebecca pressed her lips together. “Shall we never, ever speak of this again?” She looked hopeful.
“That might be hard, when I’ll be thinking about it all the time.” He smirked at her. “Tell me that wasn’t the hottest thing you’ve ever done. I dare you.”
Rebecca flushed, her sweetheart lips pursing just a bit. “It was pretty hot.”
He nodded. Hell fucking yes, it was hot. He’d be jerking off all night thinking about Manny’s cock sliding between their mouths, and he’d bet his trust fund that she would be too.
He stepped closer to her, wanting to steal another whiff of her hair if he could manage it. Anything more and he was certain she’d go running for the hills too. She didn’t back away, and he placed his hand on her shoulder, drawing her in, with his lips pressed to her ear. “Night, Rebecca.”
Her voice floated back to him—sweet, soft, feminine—and his cock reacted to the sound. “Night, Kyle.”
Chapter Nine
At least she had work to do, otherwise she’d be doomed to relive the gigantic catastrophe that was the previous night, over and over again for the entire day. Who was she kidding? That catastrophe was going to be with her for the rest of her life. Maybe one day she’d have a funny story to tell. But to whom? Exactly when is the right time to mention how the plan to seduce the man you’re falling for resulted in a three-way with his best friend? Oh, and by the way, after he came like a geyser, he rejected you both.
Rebecca groaned. Maybe she’d be able to avoid seeing him before he left. Knowing Manny, he would probably be up early to make the ride back. She vowed to wait as long as her growling stomach would allow before emerging from her room.
“Rebecca?” The knock came after, and Rebecca recognized Sam’s voice. “Big Sunday breakfasts are kind of mandatory around here. Thought Kyle might have forgotten to mention that.”
Rebecca mouthed a curse and took a breath. “OK, I’ll be down in a minute.”
She took the back stairs to the kitchen and found Olivia on her cell phone. She had a warm smile for Rebecca and a wave before pointing at the linen memory box on the counter. Rebecca waved back, feeling a jolt of anticipation over the letters she’d soon dig into.
The table was set. A stern-looking woman placed a platter of pancakes onto the large farm-style table. Sam bounced in from the pantry, holding a jar of imported preserves.
“Ask me why I’m in such a good mood,” she whispered to Rebecca as they sat down.
At least someone was. “Why?”
“Last night I had a meeting with an investor.” Sam grinned. “OK, well it’s this guy I’m seeing, but he wants to help get my label started.”
“That’s great, Sam.”
Sam pursed her lips. “Did that corset bra bring you any luck?”
Rebecca reddened. “Hmm? Uh, not particularly.”
“Well, then you won’t mind me returning this.” She pushed the fifty dollars into Rebecca’s hand and winked.
Rebecca began to protest, but Sam pushed her finger to her lips as Manny entered the room with Kyle.
“Would you believe I caught this guy trying to leave without breakfast?”
Manny flashed him an annoyed look and then an apologetic one to Rebecca when he noticed her at the table.
Finally Gavin came in from the veranda, sliding the door shut and dusting his hands off on his pants. “Damn yard looks like a train ran through it.”
Olivia ended her call. “I’ve got about a half an hour before they’re expecting me to make a statement about the documents leaked out of the CIA.” She sat down at the head of the table, gesturing to the other side. “Have a seat, Gavin.”
Kyle unfolded his napkin and took his seat. “Mom, why do you even bother with this anymore? Everyone knows you’re busy.”
“Because, it’s Sunday, and if we are blessed enough to be in the same house for a change, we are going to have Sunday breakfast together.” She reached out to Manny and Rebecca, seated on either side of her. Rebecca watched as Manny took hold of Olivia’s hand and then Kyle’s next to him. Kyle took Gavin’s and Gavin took Sam’s. Rebecca closed the circle and Olivia bowed her head. “Dear Lord, thank you for the beautiful meal we are about to receive and the chance to share it with the people we love.”
“Amen,” the table said in unison, including Rebecca. While she was surprised the Hunters were pious enough to say grace, she knew the protocol from her own traditional upbringing.
They ate, mostly in silence, as Olivia responded to texts and Gavin read the newspaper. Sam sketched on a mini drawing pad between bites while Kyle, Manny, and Rebecca tried very hard not to look uncomfortable.
When all but the three of them had finished and headed off to pursue the rest of their morning’s agendas, Kyle was the first to speak. “So are we really going to act like nothing happened last night?”
Manny looked at Rebecca. She looked right back. “I don’t think you could call that nothing, dude,” he said.
“No shit,” Kyle said. He sighed. “Why don’t you stay a few more hours so we can all talk about it?”
Manny stiffened. “Right. Because, you know how good I am at that.” He shook his head. “Anyway, Rebecca’s got work to do. Don’t you?”
She nodded. She had plenty of details to get sorted for the exhibit. It should have been the most important thing on her mind.
“And I’m pretty sure I know what kind of ‘talking’ you’re interested in.” Manny shot Kyle a look so sexy it drew a blast of heat to Rebecca’s core, even though she wasn’t the intended target.
Kyle licked his lips. “You sure we can’t change your mind?” He pulled his gaze toward Rebecca. “You want him to stay, don’t you?”
Manny interrupted. “Don’t make her answer that. This shit is awkward enough.”
Kyle frowned. “It’s only awkward because you’re making it awkward.”
Rebecca wasn’t interested in seeing just how awkward this conversation could get. She got up and grabbed the memory box from the counter. “I’m going to get started on these letters.” Taking a big breath, she looked for some courage. “Manny, safe drive, OK?”
Manny stood up. “The place will seem empty without you, and you looking at me like that isn’t helping.”
How was she looking at him? Was it the I-want-to-know-what-it-would-be-like-to-be-yours look? Good Lord, she hoped not. Rebecca bit her lip. “Is Kyle driving me to your apartment on Tuesday?”
She followed Manny’s shifting gaze around the room, resting on anything but her. “Um, sure. You’re still welcome to stay with me.” He cleared his throat.
“Until I find someplace else?”
“Yeah, um…as long as it takes.” Manny turned to Kyle. “And you, behave yourself.”
“What kind of guy do you think I am?” A dangerous grin eased onto Kyle’s face, like a lit fuse promising fireworks. “Don’t answer that.”