Three Ways to Wicked (21 page)

“Nope,” Dane and Coops offered simultaneously.

Before she could open her mouth, Ty beat her to the punch. “Way I see it, I’m the most qualified for telling it how it is in the simplest terms.” He swallowed roughly and panned his gaze between her and Gibb. “I’ve been head over ass in love with Kay and Gibb for almost my entire life. And I’m finally ready to fucking grow up and do something about it instead of running from it.”

Seven pairs of eyes—most of them wide with shock—were glued to Ty, but he ignored them and locked stares with Kay. “Hopefully that didn’t suck balls when it comes to a declaration-of-love scene.”

She blinked back tears. “No, it was absolutely perfect. But we need to edit it slightly.” She stepped forward and took Ty’s and Gibb’s hands in hers. “I think it’ll read better with me confessing that I love you both so much, I can’t stand the thought of being out of your arms for even a moment.”

Taking her at her word, Ty and Gibb hauled her between them and hugged her tight while they rained kisses on every inch of her face. Cupping her cheeks, Gibb peered into her eyes, his own damp with tears of joy. “We need one more edit.” He stroked her skin before resting his arm around Ty’s shoulder. “I’m scared to death of having my heart trampled on again.”

She and Ty opened their mouths to reassure Gibb, but he shook his head. “No, you don’t have to say it. I know I can entrust it in your hands. You two have been holding it safe for me all this time when I thought it was broken. There’s no better place for it to stay for the rest of my days.”

The tears broke their dam and spilled down her cheeks. A suspicious sniffle snuck from Ty. “Damn, that’s…way fucking better than my declaration. Way to upstage me, you sentimental bastard.”

The three of them laughed and indulged in another round of hugs and kisses. Mindful of the stunned silence of their nearby audience, they turned as one toward the rest of the gang. Reese was the first to react. A grin splitting across her pretty features, she stepped forward and joined their group hug. “About damn time y’all came to your senses.”

Gibb snorted. “Don’t even pretend you saw this coming.”

“Bro, why do you think I didn’t kill Ty over the Simpson twins? I needed him in one piece to do right by you.”

Kayla’s lips twitched. “Simpson twins? Do I even want to ask?”

“Hell no,” Gibb stated adamantly.

One by one, the others shuffled forward and offered their bemused congratulations. Kayla was fairly certain that poor Coops still didn’t have a clue what was going on, but he enjoyed giving her a kiss anyway, much to Ty’s irritation.

The solitary person Kayla most longed to share the moment with stubbornly refused to budge from her spot by the doors. Her chest heavy and her throat tight, Kayla untangled herself from Ty’s and Gibb’s embrace and crossed to Bailey’s side. “Can’t you just be happy for us?”

Bailey chafed her arms, her expression miserable. “You’re going to get hurt, Kay. Don’t you see that?” Tears gathered in her eyes. “You can’t love two men at the same time. It’s not normal.”

The harshness of Bailey’s statement knifed through Kayla’s heart. “I can’t help who I love, Bail.”

“Yes, you can. You do the right thing, and choose one.”

Kayla swallowed past the pain constricting her throat. The last person she would have expected to look down on her decision to take on an unconventional relationship was Bailey. Her best friend had always been there for her, no matter what. Stood up for her when her mom and Jeremy treated her like she was a whore for writing what she did. The wounded look in Bailey’s eyes now felt like a condemnation. And it tore a hole in Kayla’s heart. “I’m sorry you see it that way. Because what you’re suggesting is impossible for me.”

They stared at each other for a long time before Bailey averted her gaze and walked away. Kayla turned and met Gibb’s and Ty’s concerned frowns. She pasted on a smile for their benefit, but inside sorrow crushed her.

It was a bittersweet realization that she’d found love and lost her best friend all in the same day.

Chapter Eighteen

It’d been nearly five days since her relationship with Ty and Gibb had been outed at the Rusty Anchor, and Kayla was still trapped in a conflicting sea of sublime happiness and misery. On the one hand, Ty and Gibb kept her nights and the occasional days they didn’t have to work filled with love, laughter, companionship and the hottest sex to ever set her bedsheets on fire. But Bailey’s continued defection sat like an anvil around Kayla’s neck.

Rolling onto her side between Ty and Gibb, she idly stroked restless fingertips over Gibb’s sculpted pecs and shot a look toward the nightstand, where her cell phone mocked her.

“Sweetheart, why don’t you give her a call? You know you want to.”

She shook her head. Catching Gibb’s eye, she nibbled the corner of her lip. “You can stop giving me that look. This has nothing to do with being stubborn. If Bailey can’t accept the choices I’m making, then I don’t know if our friendship can even be mended.”

“She was in shock that day. As was everyone,” Gibb pointed out gently.

Kayla swirled her fingertip over the flat nub of Gibb’s nipple. “She was mean to Ty. And I don’t like that.”

Ty nuzzled her neck. “That’s sweet, baby. But mark it down as my sister’s usual blunt way.” He chuckled. “I have no idea where she gets that from. Regardless, she and I have gone through these spats before and made up. It’s standard protocol for us. I don’t want you and her breaking a tight friendship over me.”

“It isn’t only you. She doesn’t approve of me being with you both.” The reminder of the censure in Bailey’s eyes still a fresh wound, Kayla blinked back tears.

“She’ll get over it,” Ty insisted as he traced the curve of her spine.

Doubts of that happening plaguing her mind, she settled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Gibb cupped her breast, his thumb stroking her nipple while Ty’s hand drifted between her legs. She offered them both a wry look. “You’re trying to distract me from being all moody.”

Gibb raised an eyebrow. “Working?”

“Yes, darn it.”

“Good.” Scooting lower on the bed, Ty spread her thighs open, making room for his big shoulders. She squirmed as his tongue slicked over her clit. Grinning wickedly, he pinned her in place, making it impossible for her to do anything beyond yield to his demanding mouth.

Gibb ducked his head and captured her nipple against his tongue. Within seconds they’d worked her into a panting frenzy of need. Ty lifted to his knees and stretched toward the top drawer where the condoms were stashed. She and Gibb took advantage of Ty’s convenient position by sliding their mouths along his cock. As usual, he wasn’t shy when it came to voicing his appreciation of their efforts.

“Oh, fuck yeah. Suck me just like that. And don’t leave my ball sac out of the fun, either.”

Dutifully complying with the request, Gibb licked the smooth, velvety skin covering Ty’s testicles before tenderly drawing one into his mouth. Flickering her tongue teasingly along the slit in his cock head, she peered up at Ty through her eyelashes. Her breath snared in her throat at the
you-are-so-getting-your-brains-fucked-out
look he pinned her with.

Extricating himself from their grip, Ty sheathed his cock with one of the condoms and dropped down next to her. Pulling her against him so he spooned her, he anchored her top leg in the crook of his arm and eased inside her with one seamless thrust. Her gasp was captured by Gibb’s mouth while he stuffed the remaining portion of her pussy not already occupied by Ty. Considering that was basically nonexistent real estate, she was stretched to overload on their cocks.

Shuddering in ecstasy, she allowed them to take her over the peak, trusting that they’d be there to catch her when she fell. The orgasm splintered through every cell in her body, sending out endless aftershocks of pure undiluted nirvana. “Oh
Goooooddddd
.”

Gibb’s and Ty’s strangled shouts of completion melded with her cry, creating a perfectly woven three-part harmony comprised of sheer bliss. They slumped together in a tangle of limp, sweaty limbs. She murmured in contentment while they petted her, supreme satiation making her eyes grow heavy.

“Baby, Gibb and I have been talking, and we want to ask you something.”

“Hm?”

Gibb inched a tendril of hair away from her eye. “What do you think about moving down here and living with us?”

Her heart exploding with happiness and love, she stroked Gibb’s dear face before shifting and doing the same to Ty’s. “A million times yes.”

“Even though it’s hotter than fuck during the summer and our state bird is the mosquito?” Ty inquired worriedly.

“As long as your apartment has air conditioning, I’m good. And I can always stock up on citronella candles.”

“Actually, Ty and I were thinking we’d pull together our savings and maybe find a little house for the three of us. That way there’d be more space, and you wouldn’t have to put up with the stench of fish guts and boat fuel.”

Ty grimaced. “Truthfully, I’m kinda looking forward to not smelling that all the time too.”

Her eyes misted. “A little house sounds wonderful. But I’m not going to agree to it unless I can contribute my part. I’m not raking in the cash quite yet, but I make a good living with my books. Definitely enough to allow me to go in with you guys on the down payment.”

Gibb cleared his throat. “Speaking of your books, we wanted to talk to you about that too.”

She frowned. “Okay.”

“Sweetheart, it’s understandable if you feel more comfortable sticking with your pen name when it comes to strangers, but we don’t get why you’re keeping your books a secret from your friends.” Gibb scooched lower so he could look her directly in the eye. “I was in Reese’s shop the other day and noticed your books. My sister would be in seventh heaven if she knew you were the one who wrote them. You know how she loves tootin’ the horn of local authors. You should take advantage of it.”

“I’m fine with things the way they are.”

“Are you really? Or is this what you think you have to do because of your mom?”

She dropped her gaze, but Gibb tilted her chin up with one knuckle. “Kay, don’t let her make you feel ashamed for what you write. Your books serve a purpose.”

She couldn’t quite snuff her chuckle. “What? Getting people off and giving Ty fantastically dirty ideas?”

Ty smacked her butt and nibbled her shoulder. “Like I need any help in that department. Besides, don’t short-change yourself. I overheard some woman talking to Reese about how your book improved her sex life. Apparently the woman’s husband
did
need some help in the fantastically dirty-idea department.”

“I’ve gotten fan mail stating similar stories as hers.”

“There you go.”

She twitched her nose. “I still doubt me helping couples in bed qualifies as a lasting legacy like my father’s books.”

Gibb’s gaze sharpened on her. “Is that what this is about?”

Leave it to him to latch on to the nitty-gritty of the matter. “In a way. My dad was one of the most amazing, distinguished authors of his generation. Three of his books have won Pulitzers.”

Gibb tilted his head in consideration. “Was that important to him? To you?”

“Of course not. He didn’t care about awards. The stories were all that mattered to him. And he was all that mattered to me.” Her throat grew tight, making it difficult to get out that last word.

“He loved you, sweetheart. I remember the adoring look he’d always give you while you were sitting on the beach reading together.”

She sniffled a laugh. “He’d sneak me Sweet Valley High books when my mom wasn’t looking.”

“See? He didn’t care what you read, so long as you did it. Together. You said it yourself. It was never about the awards or prestige for your dad. It was the story. And each and every one your books are an extension of that love of reading and writing he fostered in you all those years ago.” He cupped her cheek. “
You’re
his legacy, Kay. And I damn well guarantee he’s typing away somewhere in the afterlife, proud as hell to have you for his daughter.”

Gibb’s solemn declaration was the balm that both healed her soul and flooded the dam containing her tears. For the first time since her dad’s passing, she finally allowed herself to let go of the horrible certainty that she was a failure and a disappointment. Gibb was right, her dad had loved her unconditionally. There’d been no demands attached to be anything but what she was—his daughter.

Wiping her eyes dry, she hugged Gibb and Ty to her and took a deep breath. “Tomorrow I’m going to talk to Reese about setting up my first book signing.”

Gibb kissed her forehead tenderly. “Good girl.”

He was right again. She did feel amazingly, wonderfully
good
.

The only thing missing to push good into the territory of wonderful was Bailey. Heaviness threatening to pull her under its wake again, she turned her back on the nightstand and her depressingly silent cell phone.

Chapter Nineteen

Kayla pulled to a stop in front of Wicked Books and killed the engine. Despite her earlier assertion to Ty and Gibb that she didn’t need any handholding, her palms were clammy as she tossed her keys into her purse. Yes, it was ridiculous to be nervous about outing herself to one of her oldest friends, but she’d been living in the anonymous pen-name closet so long, she felt like she was getting ready to strip on a public street.