Tempting Meredith (22 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Meredith woke in a cocoon of sheets and blankets. The room was light, and she was alone. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Despite the quantity of tequila she’d consumed last night, her memories were as crystal clear as her glass had been. She’d passed out.

“Good morning.”

She startled and jerked her head toward Blaine. He was sitting in a navy-and-green plaid club chair near the window. His bare feet, peeking below the frayed hem of his jeans, were propped on a matching ottoman. His fingers were inserted in a closed book that rested on the arm of the chair. His T-shirt was ancient, so worn and thin she could see the contours of his muscles beneath.

She sat up and checked out the room. It was furnished in a style similar to Charlie’s, but Blaine’s was larger with a sitting area and TV that Charlie’s room didn’t have. The bed had a wrought iron headboard but no footboard.

She smoothed her hand down the navy-and-cream quilt across her lap. “Where’s Charlie?”

“He and Lindsey took a group on an ATV ride. They’ll be gone most of the day.”

“Oh.” Of course, Charlie had a job. He couldn’t drop it just because she was around. Still, she was disappointed and kind of weirded out. She was in Blaine’s bedroom. With Blaine. Without Charlie.

“How’re you feeling?”

Weird.
“Fine.”

“You hungry?”

“Yeah.” But she needed to shower, brush her teeth and put on clean clothes before she ventured out into the now-very-public lodge.

Blaine stood and stretched his arms above his head, giving her a brief view of his abs. Her mouth should have been watering. Sexy man. Sexy body. The two of them in an intimate setting. He tossed his book on the chair behind him, and the abs disappeared. “I’ll go see what’s left from breakfast and bring you a plate.”

“No. That’s okay. I know where the kitchen is.” She glanced down at her clothes, the same denim shorts and cotton T-shirt she’d had on last night. “I’ll change then head that way.”

Blaine maneuvered around the ottoman to stand at the side of the bed. “I’m sorry about yesterday. We shouldn’t have thrown you into everything.”

She waved a hand in the air. “It’s not your fault. It’s me. I should have expected it, but I thought it would be like last time. You know—just the three of us. If I’d been thinking, I would have realized. I would have been prepared.”

“I wish you’d said something. You could’ve hung out in your room or even mine.” He nodded at the TV in the corner. “Veg in front of the tube.”

“Thanks. I might take you up on that today.”

“Uh, actually, I thought it would be good for us to spend the day alone together. Today. You and me, without Charlie.”

He didn’t have time for that, not with all the guests. Besides, without Charlie, it would just be weird. “That’s sweet of you to offer, but you’re busy. You don’t have to babysit me. I’ll be fine.”

He sighed. “You’re not comfortable with me.”

“Yeah, right,” she scoffed. But he
was
right. It didn’t make sense. Not after the things they’d done.

“Is it Charlie? Because he’s on board.” He slipped a single folded sheet of paper out of his book and handed it to her. “He left this for you.”

Hey Doc
,
I’ll be gone until late afternoon.
You and Blaine have a good time.
Do whatever you want.
Don’t worry about the green-eyed monster.
I’m as cool with y’all together as you are with me and Blaine together.

“You read this?” she asked.

“Yep. I thought we’d pack a picnic. There’s a beautiful spot where no one will find us.”

“Why? I mean why go through all that trouble? He’s giving us permission to fuck.” And for some reason, the idea didn’t excite her. It annoyed her, which didn’t make sense. Hadn’t she done the same thing with them? In fact, she’d insisted on it. “Why pretend it’s anything else?”

He braced his hands on either side of her hips and leaned in. His proximity aroused all sorts of conflicting emotions—too many to sort out. Her brain was a confused mush. “He’s giving us permission to do whatever we want to do. I want to spend today with you.” His gaze held hers. “Not fucking. Just talking, hanging out.”

She glanced down at the quilt. “I don’t want to interfere with your work. Y’all are obviously busy, and you’ve got the campaign on top of it all.”

“Not today.” His lips caressed her neck, whispered over her jaw and tickled the corner of her mouth. “Today is all about you.”

She didn’t have an argument for that, didn’t even know why she wanted to argue. But she did, and as he kissed her, she mulled reasons and excuses.

Blaine pulled back and cocked his head to the side. “Interesting.”

“You sound like Spock when he’s confronted with a particularly human situation.”

He grinned. “I kinda feel like Spock.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. Maybe nothing. If I figure it out, I’ll tell you.”

Two cups of coffee, one American breakfast and one hour later, she stared out the window of Blaine’s pickup truck as it bounced along an ungraded road that became less and less like a road and more like a foot path until it ended in a blockade of trees and bushes. Blaine hefted the backpack, which held their picnic, from the back seat and slipped it over his shoulders. They hiked and talked like normal people. It was surreal when she considered why she was at the ranch. From time to time, Blaine stopped to point out a bird or a squirrel or to hydrate. If there was room for them to walk side-by-side, he held her hand. If not, he walked ahead of her, clearing a path. It was nice, like two friends together instead of two lovers or potential lovers. She began to relax. Gradually that weird strain between them was replaced with a different kind of tension. When he was in front of her, she watched the play of muscles across his shoulders, his confident, sure-footed strides. When he was next to her, holding her hand, she admired his flexed biceps and forearm and sneaked glances at his profile. His wide mouth was still as sexy as it had been in college. She remembered why she’d suggested the ménage.

They stopped to eat lunch next to a dry stream bed. After they’d finished and packed away their trash, Blaine lowered himself behind Meredith and wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled back against him, content to sit and talk or satisfy the slowly building desire.

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” she said. “Any other siblings?”

“Just Lindsey.”

“Y’all are close then?”

“Yeah.”

She asked the question that had been bothering her since meeting Lindsey. “Does she know why I’m here?”

He snorted. “Not that close. She knows you’re Charlie’s girlfriend. She knows we’re friends.”

“She doesn’t know about the ménage?”

“Lindsey doesn’t discuss her sex life with me, and I return the favor by not discussing mine with her.” He paused. “Is that what’s bothering you?”

She sighed. “No. I don’t think so. Anyway, I’m fine now. This picnic was a great idea.”

“We don’t have to do this,” Blaine said earnestly. “The three of us doesn’t have to happen.”

“I want it to happen. At least I think I do. I’m pretty sure.”

He chuckled. “One hundred percent maybe.”

His lips pressed against her shoulder. A kiss. But not seductive. Friendly. Though how she determined the difference, she didn’t know.

“Yeah.” She almost said more but caught herself.

“But...”

“I don’t want it to be weird. I think that’s part of why I got so drunk last night. To mask any awkwardness. And then this morning when Charlie wasn’t there...”

“That’s why I wanted to spend some time alone with you. We haven’t had that. You and Charlie have. Charlie and I have. But you and I haven’t. I think if this is gonna work, we all need couple’s time, too.”

As they hiked back to the truck, Meredith tried to think of a way to bring up adoption and birth fathers and secret babies to feel him out on whether he’d try to take Cassandra away from her dads if he turned out to be her biological father. But how the hell did you work that into a conversation? Maybe she could just get his impression on kids in general. If he had no interest in being a dad, it would make it easier to tell him that he might—though the odds were miniscule—have a daughter. On the other hand, if she brought up kids, he might think she was getting too serious, too fast. Hmm, maybe in a roundabout way.

“Did Charlie tell you that I have a sister?” she asked.

Blaine chuckled. “Yeah. He told me the story about y’all piercing your brother’s ears.”

“She’s pregnant,” she blurted. “I’m gonna be an aunt.”

“He didn’t mention that. Congratulations.”

“It seems odd. My sister with a baby.”

“Yeah. I get that. I felt the same way when Lindsey had the twins.”

Perfect set-up. “You ever think about having kids?”

He stutter-stepped. “You want kids?”

Okay, maybe not so perfect. “God, no.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Blaine finally broke it. “Until a few weeks ago, I was officially gay, so I didn’t really think about it.”

“But there are other ways. Surrogacy. Adoption.”

“Yeah, I guess.” No enthusiasm there, and he was looking at her funny.

She didn’t push for more. Despite her supposedly clever segue into the conversation, it was uncomfortable.

When they returned to the lodge, Charlie was waiting for them. He put his arm around her, and she slipped into his side as if she belonged there. They ate dinner with Grant, Grace and Lindsey again, but this time Meredith only drank water. Blaine left the table first and about thirty minutes later, Charlie and Meredith followed. But instead of taking her to the office or her room or Charlie’s, they went to Blaine’s.

Charlie knocked on the door. Her heart about pounded out of her chest, and she held her breath.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Meredith seemed nervous, eyes wide, movements stiff as she entered the room. Blaine couldn’t help but wonder if she was ready for this. He didn’t want to push, didn’t want to make the same mistake he’d made in college.

She licked her lips as Charlie stood behind her and ran his palms up and down her arms. After a quick glance at Blaine, her gaze darted around the room.

Blaine stood in front of her and picked up her hands. He waited for her to look at him. His touch seemed to calm her, and she smiled shyly.

“You wanna watch some TV?” he asked.

She shook her head, and her smile transformed from shy to seductive. She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his. Their real first kiss since that night. It stole his breath for a moment. And then he couldn’t help but answer. First sampling, savoring, then gorging. He lost himself in her.

She pulled back, slipped her hands from his and grabbed the hem of her shirt.

Oh
,
fuck
. This wasn’t happening. Couldn’t be. He had to be dreaming.

But Charlie covered her hands before she got any further. “Safe word is red. Got it?”

Meredith nodded and sighed.

Blaine gulped and managed a raspy, “Yeah.”

“Good.” The word still hung in the air when Meredith’s T-shirt floated to the floor.

Neither man had touched her, but her nipples were already puckered. Despite the absence of alcohol with dinner, her gaze was unfocused. She was drunk on sex.

Charlie thumbed her nipples through the white lace bra, but he spoke to Blaine. “You wanna touch?”

“If it’s okay with her,” Blaine said. He wanted to touch so badly that he clenched his hands at his sides.

“She doesn’t get a say. She does what I tell her. Isn’t that right, Doc?”

Meredith whimpered and arched her back, filling Charlie’s hands with her breasts.

Charlie crooked a finger in the lace and eased it down just enough to bare a nipple. “Pretty, isn’t it?”

Mesmerized, Blaine extended his hand to the warm, pale globe. Her glazed eyes closed, and a long moan vibrated against his hand. He wiped his thumb over the peaked nub. He could see her heart tapping against her chest, feel it fluttering against his palm. She was so delicate, so fragile. It wasn’t her size or her gender. It was something inside her. He’d seen it their first time together. And in the last month, he’d realized the years hadn’t toughened her.

“Please.” She swallowed. “More.” That blatant sexuality should have negated her fragility, but it only enhanced it.

While Charlie plumped her flesh, Blaine obliged. He rolled the nipple between his thumb and forefinger and lowered his head to the other breast, sucking that nipple into his mouth and swirling it with his tongue.

Her chest rose and fell erratically, matching Blaine’s own rapid breathing.

Charlie’s low, commanding voice penetrated the fog of absolute pleasure. “Meredith, I wanna see your hands on his cock.”

Her hands were on his fly. Her eagerness as she unbuttoned and unzipped eased his anxiety. She parted the denim and pushed down the front of his boxers. She hesitated, her tongue moistening her lips, her pupils almost vanquishing the blue of her eyes. She slowly and deliberately wrapped her fingers around his cock while Charlie watched over her shoulder.

“Fuck.” His dick jerked, and his hips bucked. He couldn’t help it. Meredith’s hand. Charlie’s eyes. God, it was more than good. There were no words.

Charlie grasped the back of Blaine’s head and pulled. When their lips touched, Meredith’s moan barely registered but blended into the sensual awareness of Charlie’s firm mouth devouring his and Meredith’s hand urging him to orgasm. On the verge of coming too soon, Blaine clamped her wrist and forced her hand from his dick. He continued to answer Charlie’s kiss with Meredith half-dressed between them. They all had on too many clothes.

As if reading his mind, Charlie lifted his head and stepped back. Meredith’s bra slid down her arms and dropped to the tile floor. She stood between them with only their gazes touching her.

“Meredith, take off your jeans.”

She didn’t hesitate. Her fingers fumbled with the button, but neither man helped her. The zipper parted, and she seesawed the jeans over her hips. When her panties threatened to join them, she peeked at Charlie.

“You know what I want,” he said sternly.

She worked the denim with care, leaving her panties on.

Charlie smiled. “Good girl.”

Blaine’s cock twitched at the depth of his voice. Charlie’s patience was inhuman. As sexy as she was standing between them clad only in underwear, Blaine wanted her totally naked,
wanted
to see all the creamy white skin, that pink, feminine flesh,
wanted
to see her pussy, wet and glistening for them.

She swayed, and Blaine and Charlie caught her between them.

“Whoa. You okay?” Blaine asked.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her body against him. He’d say that was a
yes
.

Blaine brushed his fingers over the damp crotch of her underwear. She hooked her leg around his waist, drawing him closer, pressing into his hand.

Charlie chuckled. “I think she likes that. I bet she’d like it even more if you touched her bare pussy.”

Blaine didn’t hesitate. He pulled the crotch to the side and dragged his fingers through her. Smooth, slippery, hot.

Her whimpers became desperate cries, and she rubbed incessantly against his hand, her belly teasing his cock, her fingers kneading his biceps.

Charlie’s groan overrode her kitten sounds. “We’re gonna crush her before we get to the good part.”

“This isn’t the good part?” Blaine asked breathlessly.

“It’s about to get a lot better. You wanna get the condoms?”

Blaine stripped as he strode to the nightstand. Charlie murmured to Meredith, his words incomprehensible, but the tone soothing. Blaine stared at their reflection in the mirror. Charlie, still fully clothed, not a hair out of place. Meredith, rubbing back against him, her head thrown back against his chest, eyes closed, expression delirious passion, hair tousled. And then he saw it. Her hand covering her cunt, her middle finger beneath her underwear, circling her clit. Charlie said something, and she stopped. Her hands reached back and clamped on Charlie’s thighs. A trickle of semen forced its way out the tip of Blaine’s penis in anticipation. His balls were heavy. His cock bounced and pointed the way as he walked back to Charlie and Meredith.

Charlie hooked his thumbs in the waist of her underwear and with excruciating slowness dragged the fabric over that beautiful curved ass and down those sleek legs.

“You’re overdressed,” Blaine said to Charlie as he took Meredith’s hand and led her away. “We’ll meet you in bed.”

He tossed the condoms on the nightstand, and then they curled up together among the quilt, sheets and pillows. Meredith melted into him. Her trust and acceptance touched his heart. Yes, she’d been the one to suggest this. Not him. Not Charlie. They were all vulnerable because this wasn’t just sex. Their hearts were involved. But she was the one he worried about.

They watched Charlie, but he wasn’t moving.

“I think he needs your help,” Meredith murmured. She pressed kisses along Blaine’s shoulder and over his chest then peeled herself off him. “Go ahead.”

He scrambled to the end of the bed and kneeled in front of Charlie like a supplicant. His touch was a mixture of reverence and sex as he skimmed Charlie’s shirt over his head. It set something free in Charlie. In a frenzy of motion, he finished removing his clothes. He crawled onto the bed, bumping chests with Blaine, pushing him onto his back until Charlie was astride him. Their cocks bumped, and Blaine sucked air, desperate to fill his lungs. Charlie stretched out, grabbed a condom and ripped it open. His smile full of the devil, he reached between them.

Blaine’s balls tightened at the thought of Charlie sheathing him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“You don’t come until you’re in her,” Charlie warned.

Blaine suddenly understood the power Charlie had over Meredith. His voice alone, never mind the words.

When the man positioned the rubber at the head of his dick, Blaine clamped his jaw and inhaled deeply.
Hold
,
hold
,
hold
.

Charlie’s rough fingers smoothed the thin latex along his overheated flesh. Blaine squeezed his eyes shut, praying he didn’t come, didn’t disappoint Charlie or Meredith.

When he was done, Charlie crawled over him, his goal, Meredith. Blaine rolled onto his stomach to watch the hunt. Because Charlie was definitely stalking. His movements were smooth, controlled. Deliberate. Meredith pushed back against the headboard, eyes wide, lips parted. Charlie grabbed her hips, yanked her to the center of the bed and clamped his arms around her. He rolled over, taking her with him so her knees straddled his head.

Blaine didn’t have to see Charlie licking her pussy to know what was going on. She was on all fours, her back arched like a cat stretching in the sun. He didn’t wait any longer.

He widened his stance and bent his knees until he bumped against her opening. He didn’t tease, didn’t taunt. That was Charlie’s job. He filled her in one continuous thrust. Their individual scents mingled to become one intoxicating perfume. Blaine sank his fingers into her ass and then thrust, taking her deeper, harder, driving them both to the apex of pleasure.

“Ahhhh,” Meredith cried.

Blaine’s eyes rolled up into his head as hot come shot from the depths of his balls and bathed the head of his cock. When he was empty, he eased out of her and dropped his forehead on her shoulder, too weak to hold it up. His legs weren’t gonna last much longer either. He slid off her back then collapsed. Charlie tenderly cared for Meredith, cradling her, murmurs interspersed with gentle kisses. Relief flooded Blaine, and he realized why he’d been so worried about Meredith. He’d been afraid of Charlie’s reaction after. It was stupid. Charlie wasn’t Dylan.

He disposed of the condom in a trash can on the side of the bed then kneeled on the mattress beside Charlie and Meredith. He wrapped his arms around both of them. Meredith turned her face in his biceps and nuzzled his arm. Charlie found his lips and kissed him, and Blaine tasted the three of them.

Blaine couldn’t help but compare this to his last threesome. That had been regret and shame. His and Meredith’s. This was contentment, fulfillment for all three of them. This was what he wanted forever to be.

* * *

Meredith woke slowly. It was still dark outside, but low, masculine murmurs told her she wasn’t the only one awake. She was on her side, loosely sandwiched between them. That was Blaine’s chest in front of her, not as broad as Charlie’s and smoother.

“She’s awake,” Blaine said.

Charlie kissed her shoulder. “You didn’t think we were done, did you?”

She hadn’t thought that when Blaine had slipped out of her, but then they’d petted and cuddled her until she’d drifted off. She was still so content all she could say was, “Mmmm.”

“We waited for you,” Charlie said.

Because they needed her or because—

“We didn’t think you’d want to miss it.”

Charlie’s arm draped over her, and his fingers bisected Blaine’s chest. Blaine’s bare chest. Her breath hitched. Her gaze followed Charlie’s fingers down Blaine’s sternum, over his belly button to the—she swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry—tip of Blaine’s very erect cock. Sure, she’d seen it when she’d touched it, when he’d fucked her. But it was different with Charlie’s hand on it. Sexier. Larger. Or was that her imagination? Charlie lightly circled it with his index finger. It bobbed as if ducking a punch. She tilted her head back to see Blaine’s expression. His lips were parted, his eyes half-closed.

Charlie’s own cock, nestled in the crevice of her ass, twitched and grew. His chest rose and fell against her back.

“Can I touch?” she whispered, not wanting to interrupt but to explore the slopes and valleys, the ridges and cuts of his body.

Blaine’s groan blended with Charlie’s. “Yes.”

She closed her eyes and memorized him. She learned his torso, where he was ticklish and what places seemed to have a direct connection to his cock. Everything she already knew about Charlie, she learned about Blaine.

The men’s scents combined, so similar and so different, and overlaid with the aroma of sex.

Charlie jostled her, disturbing her exploration. She was in the way. She should move. And she would. Soon. Just a few more passes.

Charlie kissed her neck and said, “I’ll be right back. Don’t stop.” He rolled away, and cool air replaced the heat of his body. She wiggled closer to Blaine, not so much for his warmth but because she yearned to taste him. She touched the tip of her tongue to one brown nipple, and his moan vibrated through the bed. But it wasn’t enough for her. She flattened her tongue against him and licked, delighting her taste buds with the full, complex flavor of his skin. Musky and fresh. Male. She licked down his chest to his belly and then swirled her tongue around the crown of his cock. It was muskier, salty.

Still on his side, he lifted his leg, giving her better access, and threaded his fingers through her hair. Was he afraid she’d leave something so delicious?

The mattress bounced, and she glanced up. Charlie was on his knees behind Blaine. She rolled Blaine onto his back and followed, settling between his legs so she could give his cock the attention it deserved. Without waiting any longer, she swallowed him. His raspy breathing stopped, and his hand tightened in her hair. Nonsensical words spewed from him.

Charlie chuckled. “Okay. That’s enough. I don’t want him coming before I’m done with him.”

She sucked hard as she slid to the tip then gave it one last kiss before she scooted back to make room for Charlie.

He took her place between Blaine’s legs and tipped a plastic bottle over his hand. A clear, thick liquid formed a puddle in the cup of his palm. Meredith was as mesmerized by his hand lubing his sheathed cock as she was by the idea that soon she would be watching them make love. She considered switching on the bedside lamp, but the dark room, faintly illuminated by the moonlight through the large window, was intimate. And maybe a little anonymous.