Any Given Sunday (20 page)

The entire time Sean waited, all he could think about was the kiss. He had kissed Chad. And
Chad had hit him.

He and Chad didn’t speak to each other for days after the incident. Then, one day,

they just started talking. Started hanging out like they always did and life went on.

Neither of them ever mentioned the fight again…or the kiss.

Until now.

“Sean…” Chad started, but his voice faltered.

“Forget it. Let’s fall back and punt. Do the usual. Just ignore it and it goes away. If you don’t think about it, it doesn’t exist, right?”

“You’re not gay.”

Sean laughed mirthlessly. “Of course I am. Jesus, Chad. All these years you’ve been

my best friend? Look at me. Take off the fucking blinders and
look at me
.”

Chad swallowed heavily. “
I’m
not gay.”

Sean leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees. He held Chad’s gaze, refusing

to look away. “Are you sure?”

Chad reacted to the question like he’d just been shot. He staggered over to the

recliner and sat heavily. Sean expected an instant denial, so Chad’s sudden silence

surprised him. Was he actually considering the question? Sean’s mind drifted to the kiss they’d shared last week. Chad had moved toward
him
—not the other way around. And for the briefest of moments, his lips had been soft, inviting.

“Lauren,” Chad whispered.

Sean understood his concern, but he also knew their woman. Knew what was in her

heart. “She understands. She’s not asking us to choose one or the other. She knows it’s better if it’s both.”

Chad’s face crumbled with pain. “I can’t…”

Sean rose, walked to the recliner, knelt in front of his best friend. Chad didn’t move away, didn’t stiffen up. “Can’t what?”

“Can’t say— Can’t be—”

“Why?” Sean asked. It was the one thing he simply couldn’t understand.

“I’m not you, Sean. You walk around this world so comfortable with yourself, with

who you are. You were raised that way. Raised to believe you could be anything you

wanted. My dad won’t understand this. Your pop…” Chad paused, as every word he

spoke seemed to cause him pain. “I respect him. I don’t want him to think—”

“You think Pop would think less of you because of this?” Sean asked.

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Any Given Sunday

“Jesus, Sean. I don’t know. I don’t know how to make any of this fucking work,

okay? Homosexuality isn’t acceptable to my parents. They’re never gonna understand.”

Suddenly Sean understood. “You’ve always known, haven’t you?”

Chad looked down, clenching his hands so tightly his knuckles were white.

“Known what?”

“You’re gay.”

Chad shook his head. “I’m in love with Lauren.”

Sean chuckled. It was so like Chad to cling to that one lifeline, as if it made

everything else go away. “Then you’re bi, like me. You knew that when you hit me,

didn’t you?”

Slowly Chad raised his face, caught his gaze and held it. “I knew it.”

“I’m going to kiss you.”

Chad didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

“No more sneak attacks. If you don’t want to be kissed, say so now.”

The only response Chad made was to lick his lips, his gaze dropping to Sean’s

mouth. Sean recognized the invitation—and he leaned forward.

Chad met him halfway.

Their lips touched for only a second before Chad opened his mouth, deepening the

kiss. Sean reached up, gripping Chad’s face, pulling him closer until he moved forward, his legs clinging to Sean’s hips. Sean tightened his fingers in Chad’s hair and the kiss continued. Minutes, hours could have passed as they clung to each other. A lifetime of secrets spoken not with words, but with lips and tongues and hands.

Finally they broke apart, both of them gasping for air.

“I’m not the first guy you’ve kissed.” Chad’s words weren’t a question.

Sean shook his head and he watched as another truth became obvious to his best

friend.

“I’m not going to be your first male lover.”

Sean had to give him credit. Chad never lowered his eyes, never looked away. He

just kept hitting him with truth after truth. “Not my first,” Sean whispered, trying not to throw a victorious fist pump into the air.

Chad said he was going to become his lover.

“We’re not hiding, Chad. If we take this further, if we become lovers, the world’s

gonna know. I’m not hiding in a closet anymore.”

Chad closed his eyes, shuddered slightly. When he opened them again, Sean was

amazed by the difference in Chad’s face. It was as if, with acceptance, he’d become

younger. Chad leaned closer. “Teach me.”

Sean rested his forehead against his best friend’s brow, Chad’s request taking his

breath away. Taking a few seconds to gather his wits, he could do nothing but grin like a lovesick fool.

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Mari Carr

Chad chuckled. “Shit. You’re not gonna turn into a typical Collins and start

gloating, are you?”

Sean laughed. “Maybe a little. After.”

They both fell silent, the word
after
hovering in the air around them.

Then Sean’s hands moved to the button on Chad’s jeans. The two of them worked

together to pull the tight denim over his hips, down his legs. When they landed around Chad’s ankles, Sean finished stripping them off, tossing them to the side. Chad went

commando. Sean did too. It was something they’d always had in common. Sean

grinned. Seemed like they had a lot more in common than he’d ever realized.

Sean placed his hand on Chad’s face and forced his friend to look at him. He could

see Chad was uncomfortable, but the size of his hard-on convinced him the discomfort

was based on nerves and fear of the unknown, not disinterest. “I’m gonna suck you

off,” he said, “but I’m not gonna fuck you. There are three of us in this relationship and I want Lauren to be there the first time we take each other.”

He could tell Chad wanted to argue that point, but he suspected that was also based

on anxiety. “She won’t be disgusted, I swear,” Sean said, addressing the concerns

written in his friend’s eyes.

Chad considered that and then nodded. “You’re right. She won’t be. Jesus. Our girl

is one in a million.”

They grinned and agreed, Chad’s smile fading when Sean lowered his head.

“Fuck,” he muttered as Sean dragged his tongue along Chad’s rigid length, starting

at his balls and working his way up to the tip. Sean took his time, making sure Chad

understood that there was nowhere on earth he’d rather be right now.

Chad’s hands landed on Sean’s shoulders, his fingers tightening every time Sean hit

a hot spot.

He grinned to himself. Sex with Chad would be amazing, exciting. Watching his

friend take Lauren had proven that fact. Chad liked it rough, which suited Sean just

fine. He did too.

He took the head of Chad’s cock in his mouth and sucked hard. Chad groaned, his

fingers gripping his shoulders so strongly, Sean knew he’d have bruises tomorrow. It

was part of why Sean liked sex with guys. There was a sensual brutality to it. Guys

weren’t afraid to use their strength as they searched for pleasure.

Gripping Chad’s cock tightly, Sean went to work trying to give him some of that

pleasure right now. He moved up and down on his turgid flesh while Chad panted,

groaned and begged for more.

“God, Sean. That feels so fucking good. Can you take me deeper?”

Sean moved his hand lower, squeezed Chad’s balls as he thrust down on his cock,

not stopping until the head grazed the back of his throat.

“Fuck,” Chad said through gritted teeth. “Too. Fucking. Good.”

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Any Given Sunday

Sean loved reducing his friend’s vocabulary to nothing but a few words that

expressed just how much he enjoyed what they were doing.

“Can’t hold off much longer.”

Sean took the statement as a dare. He wasn’t about to let Chad come so soon. He

pulled his mouth off Chad’s cock while firmly encircling the base and applying

pressure. “Oh no you don’t,” he said roughly. “I’ve waited years to get my mouth on

you. You’re not gonna let it end this soon.”

“Jesus, Sean,” Chad said, struggling to catch his breath.

Sean leaned forward, captured his lips in a kiss while he continued to slow the flow

of blood to Chad’s cock. “Just a little longer,” Sean urged between quick, wet kisses.

Chad grasped Sean’s hair, pulled his face away. “Make you a bet.”

Sean grinned. Chad was speaking to his Collins blood. “What kind of bet?”

“You make me come in under five minutes and I’ll switch places. Give you the

blowjob of the century.”

“You don’t play fair.”

Chad laughed. “I gotta come, man. My nuts are about to explode.”

Sean kissed him quickly. “Deal.”

He bent forward and put all his experience into knocking Chad’s balls off. In the

end, he didn’t need five minutes. Hell, he didn’t need three. The thought of Chad

sucking his cock drove him to new heights as he caressed his friend’s balls, used his teeth to tease Chad’s head before taking him to the hilt and swallowing.

Chad exploded in his mouth, Sean drinking down every salty, hot drop. When he

raised his head, he smiled as he watched Chad fall back against the recliner, a look of utter contentment on his face.

After a week of anger and stress, Sean decided he’d never seen a more welcome

sight. His friend was back. Even better, his friend was now his lover.

When Chad opened his eyes, Sean’s grin grew.

“You’re gloating,” Chad said.

Sean shrugged. “It’s just the Collins way. My turn.”

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Mari Carr

Lauren returned home shortly after midnight. After the movie, Riley had dragged

her to the pub for a beer and some much-needed cheering up. She hadn’t told her friend why she was sad and, luckily, Riley hadn’t pressed for details. Part of what made her such an awesome friend was that Riley knew when you wanted to talk and when you

just needed to forget. Tonight she’d kept Lauren laughing with stories of Bubbles’ antics in the restaurant kitchen. Bubbles had a penchant for spandex clothing that was three sizes too small for her quadruple D-cup girls, and apparently that wardrobe choice had led to some interesting mishaps. The laughter did the trick and, as Lauren entered the house, for the first time in a week she felt hopeful.

Mainly because both Sean’s and Chad’s vehicles were still in the driveway.

That feeling quickly turned to shock when she walked into the living room. She’d

expected to find Sean sacked out on the couch—his bed for the past three weeks—

watching TV.

What she
didn’t
expect to find was Sean and Chad sound asleep in each other’s arms. Naked.

Her gasp roused Chad, who looked at her warily.

“Wow,” she whispered. “When you guys make up, you really make up.”

Chad laughed silently at her joke but his sudden shaking woke Sean.

“What are you laughing at?” Sean asked, not noticing her in the doorway yet. His

eyes were drinking in Chad’s face and Lauren couldn’t contain her smile. She’d never

seen such utter happiness.

Chad pointed to her. “Lauren’s home.”

Sean looked over, spotting her. His smile filled his whole face. “Why are you all the way over there?” He gestured for her to come closer. As she crossed the room, her body burst into full flame. Looking at the two of her sexy guys, naked and happy, was the

greatest aphrodisiac in the world. She dropped down on the floor in front of the couch, right by their heads. Sean wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her

closer.

The kiss he gave her proved just how happy he was. His lips devoured hers, his

tongue thrusting into her mouth, conquering and claiming every part of it as his own.

“What time is it?” Sean asked when they pulled apart.

“A little after midnight.”

She sucked in a sharp breath as Chad’s and Sean’s gazes darkened, turned hungry.

“What?” she asked.

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Any Given Sunday

“It’s Sunday,” Chad replied. “You’re ours.”

Lauren leaned back, tried to assimilate to the changes overwhelming her.

Unfortunately, the only thing permeating her scattered wits was how badly she wanted

to have sex. Lots of sex.

“Take off your clothes,” Sean commanded. “You know you’re not supposed to

cover yourself on Sunday.”

The fact that she’d spent the last two Sundays naked in their presence didn’t make

it any easier for her to take her clothes off now. Things had changed and though they’d all been together numerous times before, this time was different. And she knew it.

Clearly she hadn’t masked her feelings. Chad and Sean sat up on the couch.

“Lauren,” Chad prodded, pointing to her blouse.

“Wait,” Sean said. “Maybe we should talk about this for a minute.”

The look Chad gave Sean was one of utter shock and Lauren couldn’t restrain her

laughter.

“
You
wanna talk about things?” Chad asked, and Lauren realized just how much

had changed.

Sean gave them a sheepish grin and shook his head. “Damn. It was bound to

happen. Years of living with psych majors. I’ve been irreparably damaged. Probably

gonna have to start talking about my feelings about taking out the garbage now.”

They all laughed, but she was grateful to Sean for the invitation to speak her mind

and she didn’t want to let the chance slip away. “You still want me?”

“Christ,” Chad said loudly. “Did you really just ask that?”

She gestured toward their naked states. “Well, it’s obvious things have sort of