Tequila Truth (7 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Colt watched the sun set on their fantasy weekend as Kylie slept in his arms. He’d returned home a couple of hours earlier to find Heath and Kylie cuddled up together on the couch. From the flushed, satisfied look on their faces, he knew they’d done far more than merely relax in front of the action-adventure flick they were watching on television. He’d joined them and now he was trying to determine how he’d ever look at their couch again without thinking of the love games they’d played upon it. The image of Kylie on top of him and riding his cock as she bent forward to suck on Heath’s erection had forever changed the way he’d see that piece of furniture.

They’d stumbled back to his bed and fallen asleep instantly. Unfortunately, his restless mind wouldn’t let his body continue to slumber and he wasn’t alone in his anxiety.

Heath had gotten up a few minutes earlier and he could hear him pacing around the room. The incredible sensations of their earlier lovemaking were still resonating in his body and Colt wished he could wake her up and disappear in her sweetness once again.

Looking toward the end of the bed, he could see Heath had given up his uneasy wanderings and was sitting in a chair that was usually covered with clothing.

“Now what?” Heath whispered and Colt fought against the pain lodged in his chest. They’d thought they could coerce her with sex, giving her everything they had to give. They’d said the words written in their hearts as they made love to her, but she’d no doubt dismissed it as mindless love talk.

They needed to broach the subject now before she returned to her own room, thinking with the end of the weekend that things were going back to normal. He feared she was content with the thought of getting up in the morning, going to work and then coming home to watch a hockey game with them as if the weekend had never happened. That same scenario made his blood run cold. He’d never get the image of her accepting him and Heath into her body time and time again out of his mind. He was head-over-heels, hopelessly in love with the woman and if she seriously thought they were going to give up without a fight, then she had another think coming. There would be no return to normal.

He grimaced. Normal. What the fuck was that? Living as platonic roommates, the way they had the last seven years, suddenly seemed completely abnormal. How had they existed like that for so long?

“We need dinner.” Heath rose and started out of the room. “Wake her up. It’s time we had a talk and it obviously won’t happen in the bedroom.”

He watched Heath stiffen his spine and walk toward the kitchen. He had to hand it to his best friend; he had more courage than he did. The idea of proposing to Kylie had his heart racing and his hands shaking.

Sighing heavily, he bent over her sleeping form and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.

“Wake up, darlin’.”

She tried to shrug him off and he grinned at her grumpy expression. She never did like being woken up and to say she wasn’t a morning person was an understatement. Granted, this wasn’t morning, but given the way they’d gotten their days and nights so screwed up, she probably thought it was.

“Rise and shine.”

“I don’t want to,” she grumbled, rolling over and pulling the covers over her head.

“Heath is making us dinner.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You must be. All we ate today were cold doughnuts. Come on, sweetness. It’s Sunday night and we’re all going back to work in the morning. We need to have a talk.” He forced a lightness he didn’t feel into his words, but she must have sensed his stress.

She turned over and looked at him closely. “We don’t have to have a talk, Colt. I remember the rules. Honestly, you and Heath don’t have to worry about me going all girly on you.”

He wanted to shake her. Problem was she wouldn’t go
all girly
on them. She struck a deal and she’d stand by it regardless of what it may cost all of them.

“Actually, Kylie, that’s not what’s worrying me. Get up. We really need to have this talk…with Heath.”

Colt watched a flurry of emotions cross her face and was overwhelmed by the desire to lay her back down on the bed and kiss her until the world and his worries disappeared.

Instead, he got up, got dressed and headed for the kitchen without another word. He wasn’t surprised to find her right behind him. Their tough little darlin’ never shied away from the hard conversations. She’d stood up to both of them more times than he could count when she felt like they were making stupid mistakes. Regardless of what she thought this conversation would entail—and he suspected she didn’t have a clue about the true purpose of it—she wasn’t running and hiding.

Heath was standing at the stove flipping grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and she passed Colt in the doorway.

“Ooh, my favorite. This is going to be a serious talk, isn’t it?” Although she was joking, he could read the concern in her eyes.

Heath narrowed his eyes at him.

He answered the unspoken question. “I didn’t say anything.”

“That’s right,” Kylie interrupted. “He woke me up from a sound sleep and demanded this discussion. I tried to assure him it wasn’t necessary.”

“What’s not necessary, Red?” Heath seemed confused by her nonchalance and he knew his friend wouldn’t like her easy dismissal of the end of their deal anymore than he had. Of course, in all fairness, she didn’t seem to realize their feelings had changed and the damned chit was so closed-mouthed about her own emotions he had no clue what she felt.

“I’m not going to get all weepy and start making a bunch of demands. Our deal was for one weekend. Now the weekend’s over and we can go back to business as usual. You guys should know me well enough to know I’d never renege on a deal.”

“I don’t think that’s our concern.” Heath took the sandwiches off the burner and put them onto plates. “Grab one and let’s sit down.”

As soon as they were all settled at the table, she leaned back and placed her arms across her chest impatiently. The movement hiked her breasts up and Colt had to swallow hard against the erection she seemed to inspire without effort.

“About the deal,” he began. He looked at Heath wondering how in the hell two men were supposed to propose marriage to one headstrong woman at the same time.

“What about it?” she asked. “What the hell is wrong with you guys? You’re starting to worry me here. You never freeze up like this. If you have something to say, spit it out so we can all eat. I’m starving.”

He grinned at her annoyance and realized regardless of the outcome of this conversation, he didn’t intend to give up—ever. Glancing at Heath, he saw the same emotions reflected in his face. Kylie was their girl and if they had to spend a lifetime convincing her of that fact, then so be it.

“Fine, the deal’s off.” He answered calmly, picking up his sandwich and taking a bite.

“I know that, Baretta. Geez. Is that all you wanted to say?”

“Yep,” He continued digging into his sandwich and sensed Heath giving him the evil eye.

“I don’t think you understand what Colt’s saying, Red.”

She looked at Heath waiting for him to explain.

“When he says the deal is off, he means the time-limit part.”

“Time’s up. I know.”

“Dammit, Colt, would you stop stuffing your face and hop in here?”

He grinned at Heath’s discomfort. “Way I see it, Heath, Kylie’s right. There’s nothing to discuss. We’ve been roommates for years and I don’t see that ending in the foreseeable future.”

He turned to face her. “We love you, darlin’, and we plan to extend this weekend of fantasies to a lifetime engagement. No, scratch that engagement bit, a lifetime marriage.”

“Marriage?” Kylie’s face was so cute in her confusion he couldn’t resist the urge to lean across the table and kiss her wrinkled-up nose.

“Marriage. You, me and Heath. Forever and ever, amen.”

Heath groaned at his nonchalant attitude. “Well, that’s certainly the worst proposal I’ve ever heard. I’m embarrassed my name was even linked to it.”

“You’re proposing?” Her face was still a mixture of utter shock and complete bewilderment.

“Yep. And darlin’, I want you to think long and hard before you answer. I can see those wheels in your brain churning and I’m pretty sure you’re thinking about laying into us. Telling us we’re crazy and that it will never work and a whole bunch of other nonsense. Trust me, we’ve thought about all that and there’s nothing you can say that will change the fact that you’re our girl and we aim to keep you with us forever.”

Her mouth remained tightly closed as she studied his impassive face. She must have read his determination as she turned to Heath, no doubt expecting him to offer her some semblance of sanity.

“Heath,” she started, but Heath cut her off.

“He’s right, Kylie. We belong together. We’ve been fools not to see it long before this. I think if you look deep inside, you’ll see it’s true. Hell, Red, we’ve learned to do the hard part. Living together, dealing with each other’s quirks. Colt and I know better than to try and discuss anything serious with you before you’ve had your first cup of coffee. You and I know not to say a damn word to Colt the day after the Toronto Maple Leafs lose a game. You and Colt respect my privacy when I’m buried in drawing plans for a new project.”

“Think about it, darlin’. We’ve already divvied up all the jobs. You do the shopping, I take care of the yard, Heath fixes all the things that break. We share the cooking and cleaning chores. Everything newlyweds fight about after the honeymoon won’t exist for us.”

“Colt, you’re a cop. I’m fairly certain you realize what you are proposing is illegal. As in bigamy.”

He laughed. “You don’t legally marry us both. Just one of us. Then the three of us make our own private vows.”

“Fine,” she leaned back and gave him a smug look as if expecting her next question to jar some sense into them. “Who am I going to legally marry?”

He grinned at her transparency. Obviously, she thought this was going to be a sticking point. “We’ll arm wrestle to decide that.”

Heath laughed at the suggestion. “Good call. I was wondering about that myself.”

“Actually,” he crooked his thumb at Heath. “You’ll marry Heath. He’s got the job which requires a bit of propriety. You’ll be the future architect partner’s wife.”

“Colt,” Heath frowned at his answer, but he was convinced by the practicality of it.

“I’m a cop, Heath. Given the bizarre nature of most of the criminals we have to deal with, none of my friends there will care about something as innocuous as me living with a married couple. You’re climbing up the ladder of success and I think the partners at that firm of yours will feel better about you if you are respectably married. Besides, you’ve got better health insurance.”

Heath grinned. “Well, you’ve got a good point there. Your health plan sucks.”

Kylie frowned. “This isn’t a joke. Can’t you two try for once to be serious?”

Colt shrugged off her comment. “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life. We love you. You can fight us till the cows come home, but we don’t intend to back down from this until you have our ring on your finger.”

Chapter Fourteen

“That’s it!” Kylie stood up so quickly her chair fell over. “You two have lost your minds and I’m not discussing this any further. You were right about one thing tonight. The deal is off. I’m going to bed. My bed—alone.”

Colt stopped her before she could take two steps. “I understand, darlin’. You need to think our proposal over. Take your time. We’re not going anywhere. And just so you know, you aren’t either.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means we expect you to deal with this problem like you have everything else in your life. Head on. Don’t even think about trying to run away from this or us because we’ll drag you back. We’ll give you time to think about what we’re asking, but we’re not going to stop trying to convince you and you are not going back to your bed…ever.”

As if to accentuate his point, Colt gave her a passionate kiss that proved the truth behind his words. While her mind continued to rebel against their unconventional offer, her body had already commended itself into their oh-so-capable hands. She wasn’t even sure when Colt’s kiss ended and Heath’s began, but by the time they stepped away from her, she had to fight against surrendering to their wishes then and there.

Colt gave her a tired grin and she realized that perhaps she wasn’t alone in her anxiety. Was he feeling the same stress and fear about this situation? He always seemed so in control and calm, but perhaps his heart truly was engaged and she was hurting him with her refusal.

And what about Heath? Was he truly okay with the idea of the three of them sharing a lifetime together? While she and Colt tended to snub their noses at society as a whole, Heath was the one constantly striving for respect and success. What if the truth of their arrangement came out? While it would make things uncomfortable for her and Colt, it could destroy Heath.

“I’m going to my room.” She stumbled back, hoping they would grant her escape, but Colt stopped her with a firm grip on her upper arm.

“No, darlin’. We warned you. You can deny the words, but you can’t deny the feelings. We won’t let you.” As Colt spoke, he pulled her toward him and she felt a bit like a fly caught in a spider’s web. As his arms wrapped around her waist, she felt Heath step in close behind her. They trapped her so quickly and efficiently she hadn’t had time to react.

“You’re our girl, Kylie,” Heath whispered against the nape of her neck as he rubbed his lips gently across the sensitive flesh there.

Again with the word
our
. Always the distinction. Couldn’t they understand the preposterousness of what they were suggesting? She closed her eyes against the sensations they were evoking with their soft touches and warm kisses.

Hell, who was she fooling? She’d been praying for this moment since her freshman year of college. Now it was here and she was fighting against it. Maybe her two lovers really had pushed her into insanity. While common sense told her she was crazy to accept the idea of living together in matrimony with two men, her heart and body agreed she would be a fool to refuse. She did belong with them. She was their girl and they were her men.

Throwing caution to the wind, she gave in to her heart’s desire. Turning her head, she reached up, desperate to stake her own claim on Heath’s mouth. She wanted their kisses, their hands, hell, she wanted them so badly she felt cross-eyed with the cravings wracking her body.

Rather than gloat at her unquestionable longing for them, as she had feared they would, she felt the tension give way in the air surrounding them and she heard Colt sigh in undeniable relief.

“I love you,” Heath whispered against her lips and she felt the same emotion swamping her. Did she dare give them the same words back?

Colt never gave her a chance to reply. He turned her toward him and looked at her with his typical charming grin. “Little darlin’, I love you too. Take pity on us, Kylie. We’re stupid, ignorant men and I have a strong suspicion you’re the only one who can cure us of that affliction.”

She laughed as Heath’s voice drifted over her shoulder. “Speak for yourself on the stupid part, Colt. What do you say, Red? Put us out of our misery?”

“I say I love both of you crazy fools. But I’m going to tell you right now, I refuse to miss one more dinner because of the insatiable sex drives of my roommates. I’m starving.”

Heath laughed. “Guess we had better hurry up and get some food into you. I know how irritable you get on an empty stomach. It’s not a pretty sight, Red.”

“Sweet talking fool. Come on. I need more than that damn cold sandwich. I’ll throw a frozen lasagna in the oven, but if you’re really serious about us following through with this lifetime living arrangement, one of us is going to have to learn to cook.”

After dinner, Colt rose from the table and carried her back to his bedroom as Heath followed. She was amazed by the gentleness of their touch. It seemed with her profession of love, a change had taken place in both men. Rather than the passionate, desperate lovemaking she’d grown accustomed to, calmness had descended over their shared bed. Heath and Colt caressed and kissed her as if they had the rest of their lives to explore every part of her, learn all of her secrets, and she relished each touch and stroke.

In turn, she took the time to learn their bodies, committing to memory what they liked, what made their hearts race and their breathing accelerate. She realized Heath’s ears were definitely an erogenous zone and by simply teasing his earlobe with her teeth and tongue, she could drive him to the point of wildness. Colt’s needs were much more basic and seemed so true to form. He loved a rough touch and she felt as if she could quite literally drive him to his knees by nipping sharply at his nipples or pulling her fist tightly against his firm cock.

Both men loved to have their balls fondled and she delighted in teasing them with that knowledge. Unfortunately, her torments were usually met with equal torture from her lovers. They loved driving her to the edge of her climax, only to pull away. Colt informed her she needed a lesson in patience and it was only Heath’s hands encasing her wrists that stopped her from cuffing the arrogant man on the ears.

“Please,” she gasped after Heath’s fingers left her weeping cunt once again. She was on the verge of the mother of all orgasms and they’d denied her release five times. “Please, no more. I can’t take it.”

Colt kissed her gently as she felt his cock push into her pussy a mere inch. “You can take everything we give you and more, darlin’. That’s why we love you so much. You were made for us.”

With his words, he pushed in completely, holding still as he reached the hilt, so he could take the time to give her a deep, hard kiss. When he released her lips, she thrust her hips up.

“Make love to me, Colt. God, please just love me.”

He responded to her request in true Colt fashion, taking her hard and deep and in the way she loved. Over and over he pounded his cock into her body as his loving words drove into her heart and her soul. They came together long and loud and she had only begun to drift down to earth, when she felt Heath enter her. His lovemaking was just as desperate, just as passionate and before she knew what hit her, she was coming again, bright lights flashing behind her eyes and a full orchestra playing in her ears. “I love you,” she screamed, clutching Heath.

As his climax died, he lowered himself onto her, keeping the majority of his weight on his arms. “I love you too, Red. I love you so much it’s killing me.”

She smiled, drowsy and well-loved and feeling completely at peace for the first time in her life.