ChristmasisComing (2 page)

A bark of disbelief escaped Liam. “Gaby
isn’t a piece of cake to cut into equal pieces and share around.”

“I never said she was. I’m serious about
this, Liam. I want Gaby and you want her too. We’re best friends.”

“Whoa!” Liam sprang to his feet, horror
rippling through him. “We’re not that kind of friends.”

Fletch let the air hiss between his teeth
in a show of impatience. “I never said we were, but it wasn’t a big deal when
we both fucked Jenny May Sergeant. We were naked and we touched each other. You
can’t help body contact when three people share a double bed. The Earth didn’t
stop turning because we accidently touched. I felt your cock against mine. You
must have felt the same.”

“That was different.” How the hell had this
conversation disintegrated into kinky sex? Kinky was okay in its place, but he
didn’t… “I don’t like thinking about you and sex in the same sentence.”

“But you like kink,” Fletch said slyly.

“So? I didn’t see you backing off with
Jenny May.”

“It was great.” A smile full of
reminiscence played on Fletch’s lips. “What if we could have the same with a
woman we cared about? What if we could have that for the rest of our lives with
Gaby? Something to mull over, huh?”

“I don’t know.” Liam gazed at his best
friend. Why wasn’t he smashing in his face? Why wasn’t he even more indignant
about Fletch’s proposal? “What about the gossip from the locals?” Shit, he was
actually considering this fool idea.

“We already share a house and no one thinks
anything of it. We hang out together. Our relationship could change and no one
would be any the wiser.”

Liam scowled because Fletch made the
solution sound easy. “What about marriage? Kids?”

“Marriage isn’t as important these days,
but one of us could marry her, if that’s what Gaby wanted. As for kids, why
would that be a problem? All of us have similar coloring. We both have dark
hair. You have blue eyes. I have brown the same as Gaby. Does it matter? As
long as we all want kids, it doesn’t matter who provided the sperm. The kid
would be ours.”

Sincerity and honesty rang in Fletch’s
voice and Liam found himself nodding. Everything Fletch said was true, but he
didn’t believe an alternative relationship would be easy. “What about Gaby’s
mother?”

Fletch wrinkled his nose. “I say keep away
and lock the door if she’s in the vicinity. I hate the way she treats Gaby,
like some sort of deviant.”

Liam snorted. “Good luck with that. At
least Gaby’s grandparents are awesome.”

“Look, we don’t have to do anything
straightaway. Sleep on the idea,” Fletch said. “I’ll do the same. If we agree
to go ahead, we’ll need a plan.”

Liam dragged the tie off his hair, grabbed
the strands he’d dislodged and refastened it in a ponytail at his nape while he
considered Fletch’s words. “It sounds cold-blooded.”

“No worse than your average courtship.
Besides, the three of us could have lots of fun together.”

A vision of Gaby came to mind—curvy in a
brief red bikini as she sunbathed in the back garden. Immediately, lust swept
him, blood flooding his cock and, surprisingly, when he mentally added Fletch
to the picture, his erection didn’t fade. “I’ll think about it,” he said
finally. “We’re not gonna mention this conversation to anyone else, right?”

“Hell no! The only one I intend to discuss
this with is you.”

“And Gaby?”

Fletch shrugged. “We’ll have to manage her.
She thinks she’s in love with Marc.”

“Guy’s a bastard.”

“Yep, you’re not wrong. He’s sleeping with
Judith Downes. I don’t think Gaby knows. I didn’t like to tell her.”

“Wise move. Women like to shoot the
messenger. A truth bomb would
really
put her in the right frame of mind
to consider one of us or both. Hell, she’d probably never speak to us again.”

“I never said a relationship would be
easy,” Fletch said. “But Gaby’s worth the trouble.”

“You’re not wrong. You ready to run?”

“Yeah.”

They started running along the river trail
again, both silent and deep in thought. Liam ran on automatic pilot, his mind
on Gaby and Fletch. His friend was right. They already lived together. They
rattled around in the same house without any hitches and had done so for the
last two years. Perhaps his mate was right and they could take their future
into the bedroom—both of them with Gaby.

Chapter Two

“Hello? Anyone home?” Silence greeted Gaby
when she shouldered open the front door to step inside the house she shared
with Liam Richardson and Fletcher Darcy. Both men were builders and they’d
renovated this basic wooden bungalow, adding two bedrooms to the existing one
bedroom and office. A large reception room and a designer kitchen, plus a
bathroom that was the height of decadent luxury, rounded out the amenities.
She’d scored when she’d agreed to move in with them.

She hurried down the passage, her shoes
clicking on the wooden floor. In the kitchen, she dropped her bag and the boxes
of sex toys and condoms she carried on the counter. As housemates went, Fletch
and Liam were the best. They cooked and cleaned when necessary. Both were
easygoing and, despite what her mother said, she’d have trouble finding such
ideal roomies from amongst her girlfriends. She opened several windows and the
sliding doors leading out to the tiled patio area before scooping up her shoes
to carry to her bedroom.

A photo of her and Marc sat on her dresser
table—the first thing she saw each morning on waking. Her stomach flip-flopped,
her eyes smarting when the snapshot caught her attention. Heck, she wanted to
cry now and she hadn’t even told Marc they needed to break off their casual
agreement. Of course, she could suggest they made their relationship more
permanent. Before they started their casual sexual relationship, both she and
Marc agreed on honesty in their dealings. Marc slept with other women. She knew
it, sort of accepted the fact. The knowledge hurt, especially since they seemed
compatible both in the bedroom and at work.

Maybe she should ignore her transformed
feelings—the march of lust toward something more.

No, she had to discuss the change of mind
with Marc. For all she knew, he might agree to make their relationship an
exclusive one.

Worth a shot.

With trembling hand, she picked up her cell
phone and hit speed dial. As she’d suspected, Marc was still at work.

“I need to talk to you,” she said without
prevarication.

“About one of the condom designs?”

It was obvious Marc’s concentration wasn’t
entirely on her. The vagueness of his voice, the way his voice increased and
decreased in volume told her everything. He was busy working on one of his
designs. Hope died a fraction.

“No, I wanted to talk about us.”

“You want to call our friends with benefits
off? No problem. I knew we wouldn’t be together for long. You’re intelligent
and sexy. Someone was bound to snap you up.”

A sick sensation filled her stomach at the
double-edged compliment. He wasn’t bothered. If anything, his voice held
congratulation. The idea of not sleeping with her again wasn’t even a blip on
his personal radar. A tear leaked from her eye and plopped on the back of her
hand.

Gaby gathered her pride around her like a
protective cloak. “Thanks for understanding.” Amazing. Her voice sounded normal
even when her heart was breaking and tears blurred her vision. “I’ll see you on
Monday.”

“Aren’t you coming into work tomorrow?”

Gaby’s lips twisted. All work and no play.
Deep down she’d known he focused on his work more than her. She hadn’t allowed
herself to accept the truth, but now reality cut deep. He’d never returned her
enthusiasm and never would because he was a geeky scientist in love with his
work. A handsome, studly one. Although her heart bled at present, if she stayed
in a sexual relationship with Marc, she’d suffer pain a thousand times worse.
“I’m taking the weekend off for a change.”

“Okay. Gotta go, Gaby.”

The phone disconnected before she managed a
reply. Slowly she placed her cell phone on top of the rimu dresser. Maybe she’d
open a bottle of wine and have a couple of drinks now.

Back in the kitchen, she opened the fridge
and pulled out a bottle of sauvignon blanc. The front door burst open as she
splashed some of her favorite Marlborough wine into a glass.

Her two roomies, Fletch and Liam, raced
into the kitchen, panting and chuckling at the same time, no doubt about an
off-color joke. They’d already removed their running shoes and tossed half
their attire in the utility room on the way past. Now they filled the room with
their presence. Their bare chests glistened with sweat from their run, drawing
her attention to their muscular builds. Okay, so maybe the scenery wasn’t bad
around the house either. Her roomies loved sports and rugby in particular,
playing for the Sloan first fifteen.

It was surprising a smart woman hadn’t
snapped one of them up long before now. They both had dark hair. Liam’s was
black, fairly straight and long enough to tie back at his nape while Fletch’s was
a deep brown and he kept it shorter. Their builder jobs took them outdoors on a
regular basis and helped keep them fit to indulge their love of sports.

Her mother made no secret of her
disapproval of both men—uneducated and unfit to lick her feet. Her sister’s
opinion seemed much the same, although Gaby thought Liam’s polite rebuff of her
sister’s attention several years ago might have something to do with the
disdain. Gaby counted them as her best friends. They’d attended the same
school, although they were in Elsa’s class and a few years ahead of Gaby. On
her return to Sloan after completion of her university degree, she’d met Liam
and Fletch in the pub one night. They’d invited her to share the house they’d
purchased and the rest was history.

Gaby lifted her glass and hoped they
wouldn’t notice she’d been crying. “Hey, boys.” She let her gaze rove their
muscled chests and drifted a little lower, a smirk curling her lips. “Looking
good.”

“Good enough to run off to Vegas with us?”
Fletch winked at Liam. “We could get into some mischief on the strip.”

Gaby backed up against the counter when
Liam ventured too close. “Don’t dare put your sweaty body anywhere near me. You
both reek.” Her nose wrinkled in exaggeration because they smelled tempting
rather than off-putting. If there was some way to bottle the musky, masculine
scent and put the aroma into one of her massage oils or maybe a lube, she’d
have a big seller on her hands.

Liam nudged Fletch with his elbow. “Does
that mean I can put my body near you once I’ve showered?”

Gaby rolled her eyes, half tempted to touch
to see his reaction. “Save the flirting for your ladies. Go and shower, and if
you’re good, I’ll buy you a drink at the Cricket.”

“You’re our first lady.” Fletch didn’t even
crack a smirk when he uttered the words.

“Damn straight,” Liam agreed instantly.
“I’ll take first shower.”

“Well, hurry up or else I’ll jump in with
you,” Fletch said.

“I thought I might have dinner at the pub,”
Gaby said once Liam left. She heard the splatter of water and Liam’s cheerful
whistling as the ventilation fan exploded into action.

“Sounds good. Can Liam and I tag along?”

“Sure.” Relief swept through Gaby. She
hadn’t wanted to walk into the pub on her own. Not this evening. Tonight she
needed fun and laughter. Distraction.

“Great. I’m gonna hurry Liam along. He’ll
stay in there for half an hour if I don’t shout insults at him.”

Gaby nodded and watched Fletch saunter
away.
Nice ass
. The words popped into her mind like a magical genie. Her
eyes widened and she snapped her gaze back to her wine. That was
not
a
suitable way to think about her roomie. She picked up her glass and wandered
along the passage to her bedroom. The rumble of masculine voices was soothing
and familiar. Luckily for her, the guys didn’t have dates tonight. They were
the diversion she needed to forget her woes. Yep, tonight she’d portray the
party girl or die in the attempt.

* * * * *

“What’s up with Gaby?” Liam asked when
Fletch barged into the bathroom. He wound the towel around his waist and
reached for his stick of deodorant.

Fletch frowned. “I didn’t ask. I figured if
she wanted us to know she would’ve told us.”

“Something made her cry.”

“I know.” Fletch reached past Liam to turn
the shower back on and shucked his remaining clothes to step under warm water
that pelted his body from different directions. The wet room they’d installed
the previous year was a hit with all of them. Fletch studied the waterproof,
cream tiled walls and floor, and the single glass screen marking the shower
area. The patches of mosaic in shades of terracotta and brown to contrast with
the cream. Sleek and modern, with extra showerheads, the bathroom was a
hedonistic pleasure. Perfect for three lovers, he thought with satisfaction.
“We should go ahead with our plan. I was thinking about Gaby during the last
leg of our run.”

“Ah, that explains the smell.”

“Ha. Ha.” Fletch reached for the soap. “We
need to woo her. Get her used to thinking about us in a romantic light instead
of friends.”

“Yeah like that’s gonna be easy.”

“Gaby wouldn’t be worth the effort if she
succumbed without a fight.”

“True.” Liam opened the door and paused in
the doorway. “Okay, I’m in.”

“No second thoughts. No problems with me?”

Liam met Fletch’s gaze without
prevarication. “No second thoughts. Let’s do this.”

* * * * *

“You shouldn’t have forced the last drink
on me,” Gaby said, falling onto their lounge couch with relief. Her legs felt
about as steady as a newborn foal’s. “I haven’t even got the energy to take off
my shoes.”

“Let me, my lady.” Liam kneeled in front of
her, his sturdy fingers dealing with the delicate buckles easily. He slid them
off her feet, and she let out a groan of relief, wriggling her toes to release
the tension in them. Squeezing her feet into sexy red high heels seemed like a
good idea at the time.

Instead of releasing her foot, Liam
massaged it, digging his fingers into the arch. At the same time, Fletch sat
down beside her, close enough for their shoulders to brush.

“Ooh,” she purred. “You have magic
fingers.”

“You learn a lot about massage in sports
medicine. We both took a couple of courses along with building stuff,” Fletch
said. “Anytime you want a full-body massage, let me know.”

“So you keep telling me. You just want to
see me naked,” Gaby said.

“Of course we do. We’re male, aren’t we?”
Liam removed her other shoe, giving her the same massage treatment. The stress
melted from her and she leaned into Fletch, letting her eyes close to enjoy the
pampering.

“Another drink?” Fletch rumbled the
question next to her ear.

Liam paused in his massage. “Do we still
have some whiskey?”

“There’s half a bottle in the pantry,” Gaby
murmured without opening her eyes.

“Whiskey it is,” Fletch said.

The warmth disappeared from her side, but
Liam continued his foot massage, smoothing his hands up her calves.

“How come you wore a skirt tonight? You
usually wear jeans.” Liam’s husky voice rumbled through her, both soothing and
sexy at the same time.

“I felt like a change.” She needed
something to take her mind off Marc. Dressing to flirt and attract attention
helped. Even Liam and Fletch had made a fuss of her tonight—paying more
attention to her than they normally did. They’d even ignored her sister Elsa
and her friends, despite being the same age as most of the single women in
Elsa’s group.

“You should wear one more often. You have
great legs.”

“Who has great legs?” Fletch asked.

“Gaby.”

“Let me see.”

The click of glasses sounded as he set them
on the wooden coffee table. Then a hand skimmed up her leg, traveling past her
knee and coming to a stop a fraction past her hemline.

Her eyes flew open. “What are you doing?”

“Checking out your legs.” Fletch’s
unrepentant grin echoed in his brown eyes.

“You’re touching.” Cripes, his stroking
fingers were doing weird things to her pulse rate. Belatedly, she jerked from
his touch. “That’s different from looking.”

Liam chortled and handed her a whiskey. His
blue eyes sparkled as he exchanged a grin with Fletch.

“Huh, drink your whiskey.” Gaby took a sip
and savored the peaty burn across her tongue and down her throat. She relaxed
and leaned back, grinning lazily when the two guys took a seat either side of
her. Their shoulders and legs brushed and, for the first time since she’d
arrived home from work, she relaxed fully. She didn’t have to pretend with Liam
and Fletch. They didn’t have many secrets from each other.

“I broke it off with Marc.” Oops, she
hadn’t meant to mention this particular topic. She took another sip of whiskey.
The silence lengthened and she grew increasingly worried about their reaction.
She glanced left at Liam and found him grinning. Her brow creased and she
turned to Fletch. The corners of his mouth lifted in the beginnings of a smile.
“Why are you both smirking? Don’t tell me you had a stupid bet or something?”

“Of course not,” Liam said.

Fletch shook his head. “Why would we do
that?”

“So what happened?” Liam asked. “Do you
want to tell us or do you just wanna get drunk?”

Gaby didn’t want to turn girly on them and
start crying. “I think it’s best if I get drunk.”

Fletch put his hand on her knee and
squeezed lightly to grab her attention. “Do you want our company?”

“It’s no fun drinking alone.”

“I’d better go and get the bottle so we can
have refills.” Liam stood and wandered out to the kitchen.

Gaby watched Liam leave, her gaze dropping
to his butt, outlined in faded denim. Heck, what was wrong with her? All of a
sudden she’d developed a butt fetish. It must be her subconscious working on
the new attachment for her vibrator. Despite her reasoning, a shiver worked
down her spine and a delightful burst of heat hit her lady parts.

“Are you cold?” Fletch didn’t wait for her
answer but lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulders, drawing her
against his body. Immediately heat filled her—a sort of nervous energy.
“Anything wrong?”