Blue Blood's Trifecta (15 page)

Six years ago when they'd parted ways, Rogue gave up on his dream of ever being with Ryan like this. Lazily lounging in sweats, hanging out at his house, relaxing after one of the most exciting showers he'd ever taken. The dream would be perfect if Ryan didn't sit so far away, absorbed in his own thoughts.

He also wasn't saying anything at the moment, which made Rogue's gut clench in concern. Sure, they were both done in, but he expected Ryan to say something after their shower experience, comment on his enjoyment, throw out hints for another date, ask to spend the night.

Impatient, he opted to toss out the first pitch. "You can crash here tonight if you want."

Ryan looked up. "Thanks, but I think I had better get home soon." He picked at his black shirt. "I'll wash these and return them to your office tomorrow."

Not the response he hoped for or expected. Rogue frowned as his heart stuttered.

Emotions flickered across Ryan's face, too many to read and understand.

"Keep them if you want. I have plenty." His flat voice reflected the tumultuous frustration racking his body at his lover's lackluster riposte and reaction.

Something sparked in Ryan's blue eyes. "Why are you such a grouch ass?"

"Me? You're the one who's sitting there looking dejected and rejecting my offers," Rogue countered.

Shoving his hand through his hair, Ryan sighed. "I'm sorry. I just…"

Rogue waited patiently, holding his breath.

"I'm just confused. Stunned. Astonished." He shrugged. "I can't quite wrap my mind around the fact that I now like men. When did I become gay?"

"Bi, Ryan. Bi." Rogue grinned slowly. "Unless you suddenly lost interest in women, then your gate swings both ways."

"Why now?" He met Rogue's gaze, a look of bewilderment plastered on his face.

"I don't know. Maybe deep down you've always been that way, but never let yourself realize it, suppressed it until the right time." He reached over and cupped Ryan's cheek, gently brushing his thumb over his lover's lips. "Maybe you're only this way with me."

Ryan licked Rogue's thumb and shot him a crooked smile. "I'm not answering that on grounds that it will make your head grow. You're conceited enough already."

"Think so?"

"Know so."

Rogue's lips twitched. "Feel better?" He dropped his hand to rest on Ryan's thigh.

"Yeah. It's just a lot at once."

"Agreed. Take your time to work through things. I'm not going to rush you," Rogue replied sincerely.

"Thanks." He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "I need to get going. I've got a ton of paperwork to tackle if I'm going to be ready for my date with Tempest Tuesday evening."

"Speaking of Tempest… what are we going to do?"

Ryan scooted to the edge of his seat, swiveling to face Rogue head on, his face stern. "I'm not giving her up. As long as she wants me, I'm sticking with her, especially after we slept together."

"Neither am I." Ryan's little gem didn't surprise him in the least. The fact Tempest had sex with Ryan before him put a small dent in his ego, but did little else to rile his anger.

He didn't expect Ryan to throw in the towel when it came to the woman they both wanted. He refused to, either. The only way he would step aside is if Tempest told him point-blank she no longer wanted to see him personally.

"She promised honesty about dating the both of us. Upfront and transparent honesty. I think we owe her the same favor." Ryan puffed out a breath. "We need to tell her about us. Let her make her own decision."

"Who's going to tell her?"

Ryan paused a moment before a wicked grin appeared on his face. "Since you're so cocky and know-it-all, I nominate you."

Rogue's eyebrow shot up. "Cocky?"

For the first time since they stepped out of the shower, tension eased from Ryan's face, replaced with a boyish charm and mischief. "Oh, yeah. Definitely cocky."

"With a big head?"

"That, too."

Rogue rolled his eyes, but couldn't keep the twitch from his lips. Shooting the bull was a huge improvement over the usual growling and bickering with the Ranger. Something he could get used to.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Let me out the front door so I can head home." Ryan jumped up just as Rogue leaned in for a kiss. In a handful of strides, he stood at the entrance, waiting like a puppy asking to go outside to do his business.

With a shake of his head, Rogue followed suit, smacking Ryan's muscular rear as he stopped beside him. "You're such a tease."

Ryan waggled his eyebrows.

Rogue reached for the door only to be stopped by Ryan's embrace. Their bodies flush, Ryan sealed his lips over Rogue's, aggressively taking command of the kiss, pushing his tongue inside for a deep exploration. Just as Rogue started to respond, Ryan pulled back, slapped him on the rear, and pulled open the door.

"Later."

Rogue watched him go with a happy smile on his face. His complicated life seemed to be slowly righting itself, one person at a time.

Chapter 24

Restless, Rogue shifted weight from one foot to the other, waiting on the doorbell to be answered. After a nearly sleepless night, he crawled out of bed early with a plan of action. He needed to talk to Tempest. Explain the relationship he had with Ryan, but also other things, facts that he should have expressed long ago, but procrastinated.

The lock clicked and door opened, revealing Tempest, her brunette hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing a gray T-shirt and matching shorts. Even without makeup she made his breath catch, her natural beauty shining through.

"Rogue?" She tilted her head in question.

He shot her a grin and held up two paper sacks. "I brought breakfast. You interested?"

She blinked before nodding, a small smile appearing on her face. "If it's coffee, anytime." Holding the door open, she gestured him inside.

"I thought so." Stepping in, he made his way to the small kitchen in her rental house. The tiny two bedroom cottage fit her well. Neat, cute, and without a lot of unnecessary clutter. Medium brown carpet covered all the floors, setting a homey atmosphere for the rest of the home. The kitchen followed suit, nothing fancy, but covering the basics while reminding him of times past. Good memories abounded each time he visited Tempest. Hopefully today he could make some more.

Walking past him, she gathered up silverware, plates, and glasses, efficiently setting the table in preparation for their meal. He unpacked the bags, setting her double espresso on the sole placemat. By the time he pulled a small container of bagels out, she'd plopped down, passing him a paper towel.

"Smells wonderful." Clutching the Styrofoam cup in both hands she took a sip, closed her eyes, and moaned. "Delicious."

His groin tightened immediately. She would reproduce that same expression under him as he pounded his erection into her depths, pushing her higher and higher, holding her at the breaking point before sending her plummeting down in an orgasm for the ages.

"What brings you by this early?"

Her question jolted him from his daydream.

"You aren't going to lecture me about going on the mission and using more missiles, are you? Because I'll have you know that I didn't have a choice. No way in hell was I going to sit at home and twiddle my fingers, hoping everyone made it out alive. Not when I could level the playing field or turn the odds in our favor." She puffed out a breath and stared at him.

Rogue grinned. "So there."

She shrugged. "I can't sit by and let something happen to you. To Ryan. When I could do something."

A woman willing to risk her own neck in order to save others. His heart buoyed with the realization. Whether she admitted it or not, she cared for him and Ryan. Quite a bit if she took such risks. Maybe, just maybe, they could work this out with all three of them. Hope sparked and kindled.

"You're one special lady." It was the truth. He didn't know many men, let alone women who would do what she did.

Plucking a bagel out of the box, he took a healthy bite.

A pink tint covered her cheeks. "I'm just me." She mirrored him, sifting through to find the breakfast item of her choice and plop it on the plate. Opening a small container, she used a butter knife to spread the cream cheese over her half bagel. Delicately, she sunk her teeth in and tore off a small mouthful.

He watched, his cock immediately hardening just watching the everyday task of eating. Somehow Tempest made it all sexy.

Pulling another chunk off, he chewed and watched her, lust rising quickly as her straight white teeth nibbled on the edge. A stray dollop of topping clung to her lip until her tongue flicked out, wiping it clean.

Rogue nearly groaned, envisioning her tongue performing the same act over his engorged cock, licking up a drop of pre-cum from his sensitive tip before taking him deep into her mouth, her rosy lips clamping down, providing enough friction to send him straight to Nirvana. She could suck him all day and night and he would never tire.

"Rogue?"

Blinking, he refocused. Tempest patted her lips with a paper towel, her brows arched in question.

"Hmm?" He finished chewing and swallowed.

"You're looking at me like a man with scurvy looks at a fresh pineapple."

He considered his response for a long moment. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Stepping up to the plate, he spilled his present thoughts. "That's because being close to you gives me a hard-on for the ages."

Her eyes widened.

"That's right, sweetheart. Just watching you eat makes me hotter than a summer heat wave. Hell, just being around you has the same effect. I've walked around with an erection so long, I don't remember what it's like to not be hard as a rock."

"But…" Tempest glanced at his groin then back up to his face. "You never said anything in two years."

"I know. It's… complicated."

"How?"

He dropped the bagel back on his plate and ran his free hand through his short hair.

"I've wanted you for a while. Since I hired you. At first I thought I would just ask you out, but figured making the move on you smacked too much of harassment. Never did I want you to have to choose between your job and dating me in order to keep it. So, I decided I had to fire you. But, then you wouldn't want to go out with me, hurt and angry from your loss of employment. I was at a loss of what to do, so did nothing but stew for those long years."

"You really wanted to ask me out for that long?"

"Yeah, but you're the best employee I have. I couldn't take the chance of letting you go and thus losing you forever or of you hating me for putting you in a no-win situation of dating the boss."

"I'm your only employee."

His lips twitched. "That too." He leaned forward. "Seriously, all I ever wanted was the truth in your responses, your desires. By putting you in a corner, I couldn't be sure I would get that."

"And now?"

He shrugged. "I'm laying it on the line. I don't want to lose you as an employee and I still want you so damn bad I can hardly stand it. But, it has to be your decision. No pressure. No repercussions. Just what you want."

She stood, offered a hand, and waited.

He took her hand, allowing her to pull him up beside her. Meeting her gaze, he waited, his gut knotting with anticipation as he tried to read the emotions flashing across her face.

"I want you"—she wrapped her arms around his neck—"right now."

The softly spoken words took a moment to sink into his mind. Once they did, a chain reaction erupted, starting with a surge of happiness and ending with a swollen cock demanding release. With a mighty moan, he lowered his lips to hers, sealing their mouths. The chaste kiss only whetted his desire for more. Taking the lead, he opened his mouth and nipped at her bottom lip, instantly delving into the recesses of her mouth as she released a sexy gasp. He ran his hands over her back, rubbing and soothing, before heading south to cup her exquisite ass, giving the area an appreciative squeeze.

Tempest pulled back, panting for air.

Not to be deterred, he peppered kisses along her neck, shoulder, and whirled his tongue around her earlobe, his hands still roaming over her rear, familiarizing himself with a part of her anatomy he fantasized about almost daily.

"Off." She grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged upward.

He released her long enough to assist, then mirrored her actions, tossing her T-shirt on top of his, leaving her standing in shorts and a pretty pink lace bra. Immediately he reached out, molding her modest breasts in his large hands, strumming his thumbs over the pebbled tips. With a quick flick of his wrist the front closure parted, allowing him access to her soft pale skin with pretty raspberry peaks. Pushing the hanging material aside, he leaned in, sealing his lips over a breast, licking and sucking as if he were sampling a new ice cream treat. She sure tasted like one. Sweet. Enticing.

"Beautiful," he mumbled around his mouthful.

Her hands tugged at his jeans, pulling the waistband close enough to undo buttons. With a couple of yanks, his jeans dropped to the floor, shackling his ankles while his throbbing cock stood at attention, begging for her touch. Absently, he stepped out of his puddled clothes.