Time to Pretend (24 page)

He headed to the kitchen, not bothering to rifle through the cupboards because he knew exactly where everything was. He spent more time in this kitchen than Evan did. A half hour later, the tell-tale whoosh and squeak of a door opening upstairs meant Evan would be down in a few minutes. Daniel stirred the sauce in the pan on the stove. He’d thrown together a pretty good chicken parmesan, something he’d made a hundred times in his mother’s kitchen. The DiMarcos were all adept in the culinary arts. Alaina’s assumption he couldn’t cook still rankled. One day soon, he would show her exactly how good he could cook.

Evan padded into the room, his bare feet slapping against the linoleum floor. He had changed into a pair of cut-off sweats and a white cotton T-shirt. Daniel suppressed the urge to run his tongue over the column of Evan’s throat and grind his half-erection into the cheek of Evan’s perfect ass.

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He waited until dinner was almost over before bringing up the topic that plagued his mind. “So, how did things go at Alaina’s house after I left?”

Evan shrugged as he finished chewing. “Fine. She signed the contract without really looking at it.” Daniel narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t sound like something she’d do.”

“Well, she did.” He pushed his last bite of food around his plate, collecting more sauce. “I’ve been there all week. She has a lot of damage, some of it structural. I’m going to have to do a lot of work in the rooms below the leak. I was going to ask her if she wanted help clearing out those rooms, but she hadn’t come home by the time I left.”

“She’s out with Sophia tonight, one of those girly nights where they paint each other’s toenails and go clubbing.” Daniel still wasn’t sure how he felt about Sophia hanging out with Alaina. Nevertheless, he knew Alaina had contracted Evan’s company, and Evan hadn’t answered his question. “Did you at least kiss her?” Evan’s grin turned wicked. “I did a lot more than kiss her, Danny.

She’s exactly how you described her. Beautiful, spunky, outspoken, funny, interesting, and wild as hell in bed. Completely irresistible.” Thoughts raced through Daniel’s head. They’d slept together?

When? It couldn’t have been Tuesday because Alaina hadn’t hesitated with him on Wednesday. Tiny twinges of jealousy assaulted him, but he wasn’t sure as to the exact cause. The idea of Evan and Alaina having sex was something that appealed to him. He wanted them to fall for one another. He wanted to watch them together, to participate in the lovemaking with them. He wanted time alone with Alaina, and he didn’t begrudge Evan the same thing. What then?

“She loves anal sex. I thought the neighbors were going to call the cops with as much noise as she made.” Daniel started at that. Though he had imagined what it would be like for the both of them to have Alaina at the same time, he’d never
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really believed she would allow anyone that kind of access. He especially thought she would deny Evan. The man’s cock was thick. It filled Daniel nicely, but Alaina was so tiny. “Anal sex? She let you fuck her ass? This was last night?” The evening after she had woken up handcuffed to him and rocked his world?

Evan’s light chuckle jerked Daniel from the ugly edge of jealousy.

“She all but begged for it. Oh, man, is she going to love having both of us fucking her together. I could barely hold her in place without leaving bruises because she was so out of control. It’ll be nice to have your help.”

There weren’t many dishes to clean up, but Daniel focused on them with ferocious intensity. It wasn’t supposed to have been this easy to convince Alaina to accept them both.

The feel of Evan’s hand on his shoulder made Daniel pause his attack on the pan in the sudsy water.

“I really like her, Danny. I know you and I have had our differences in the past. When you brought up this idea originally, I didn’t think it would work. I only tried it because I know you can’t handle being with just me. I’ve been really pissed at you about it, but it didn’t take more than ten minutes with Alaina to understand how you fell for her.”

Daniel shut off the faucet and turned around to face Evan. He studied the sincerity in his friend’s eyes. Familiar pangs of guilt and desire flooded his system. Evan was the only man to whom he’d ever been attracted. However, Evan had widely and openly dated both men and women.

Given the emotion blazing from Evan’s sexy, light blue eyes, Daniel knew his lover felt something deep for Alaina. “You fell for her, too.”

Evan nodded. “Yeah. I love her, Dan, and I love you, too. But I’m going to be honest with you. We have to tell her about us eventually.

If we expect to build a life with her, an omission like this will destroy everything.”

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Stubborn obstinacy welled in Daniel. He did nothing to stop the mulish set of his jaw. “Not yet. First we need to tell her we both want her. We have to let her get used to that first. We can’t just dump all of this shit on her and expect her to not run the other way.” Evan ran one strong, thick finger down the center of Daniel’s chest. His heat burned through the thin cotton of Dan’s shirt, branding a trail of need that didn’t stop at the waist of his jeans with Evan’s finger. “I’m wondering if you can handle watching me come inside someone else, Daniel. You might be mired in the denial of your bisexual desires, but you’re one possessive bastard.” In response, Daniel snaked his arm around Evan’s waist, planted one hand on the back of his head, and pulled him close. He devoured Evan’s firm lips, luxuriating in the feel of something so opposite of what he loved about being with Alaina. It was a paradox he didn’t understand, one he didn’t particularly want to understand.

It was also something he never wanted Alaina to know about. He would work on convincing Evan later. For now, harsh desire centered in his core, a desire only Evan’s taste and touch could quench.

Soon, the feel of Evan’s hands on his chest, pushing his shirt up, forced Daniel to break the kiss. He leaned away, panting as he pulled the garment over his head and tossed it on the counter. Before he finished, Evan’s mouth and tongue were blazing trails of heat and need down his chest, pausing briefly to tease his nipples.

Evan tugged at Daniel’s jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping with deft fingers. He pushed them down Dan’s hips as he dropped to his knees.

Daniel looked down at Evan, watching as his lover licked his lips with anticipation.

“Ask for it.”

The command was issued quietly, almost pleadingly, but Daniel knew Evan wouldn’t even lick him until he asked for it. It wasn’t a dominating thing; it was Evan’s way of trying to prove to Daniel that he liked having his cock sucked by a man.

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Daniel’s point of view differed widely from Evan’s. He didn’t want just any man to suck his cock. He wanted Evan, only Evan, and now they both wanted Alaina. Daniel wasn’t sure about this. He didn’t know where it was going. He only knew it felt right. The three of them belonged together.

The words rasped from between Daniel’s dry lips. “Suck me, Evan. Let me fuck your mouth.”

Evan’s tongue, like his cock, was long and thick. He bathed Daniel’s dick, licking light flicks and long swipes until it was slick enough for him. Then he opened his mouth and took all of Daniel, sliding him deep until his tip touched the back of Evan’s throat.

Daniel gasped and pumped his hips back and forth. Knowing Evan could take it all, he didn’t hold back.

Faster and faster, he thrust into Evan’s mouth. Vibrations from tiny moans heightened the experience. All too soon, the orgasm ripped through Daniel. He tapped Evan on the shoulder in warning and cried out. Evan dug his fingers into Danny’s hips, holding him closer and sucking harder. He swallowed everything before releasing Danny and settling back on his heels.

Daniel stared down at the most handsome man he’d ever known.

“I want to know everything that happened with Alaina. I need to know, Evan.”

* * * *

Evan rocked on his heels and, in one fluid motion, pushed himself to standing. He had expected Daniel to be insecure if this plan worked out. Originally, he had wanted to use this jealousy to his advantage.

He’d wanted to help Daniel accept they belonged together.

Now that Alaina was part of his life, Evan sincerely wanted this to work out. He knew the odds were against them. She was over a decade older, and relationships were difficult enough when only two people were involved.

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He met Daniel’s gaze, searching those deep brown irises for the determination that motivated Danny to insist on trying a threesome in the first place. “We were together Tuesday and Thursday. I know you were with her Monday. She didn’t say a word about seeing you on Wednesday, though she was a bit hesitant. There were a few times when she seemed like she wanted to say something, but she held back. I didn’t force the issue.”

They had talked about everything under the sun, chatting between bouts of spine-melting sex. This explained Alaina’s hesitancy when it came to certain subjects. She wanted to tell him about Daniel, but she likely wasn’t sure how he would take it.

A little of the jealousy faded from Dan’s eyes. “She didn’t say a word about you, either.”

“She probably feels guilty. I don’t get the sense she’s the kind of woman who has meaningless sex or one-night stands. I mean, she fell into bed with me pretty fast, but we have this connection. It’s like we’ve always known each other.”

Dan nodded knowingly. “Yeah, that’s what it was like when I met her, too, only I thought it was one-sided. She has very sexy eyes.” Evan wholly agreed. He loved the feline tilt to her eyes. “And she has a lot of battery-operated boyfriends.”

“What?” Daniel’s nose wrinkled in bafflement.

“Vibrators, all kinds, clitoral stimulators, butt plugs. She’s got a wicked imagination, Danny. I came so hard I saw stars.” Evan grinned in remembrance. He gloated a little, too. “We’ll have to get her to try out some things on you. If you tell her you like anal sex, I bet she’ll let you use her plugs.”

Daniel’s eyes darkened, and Evan recognized the first stirrings of desire returning to his lover. “Let’s go upstairs, and I’ll show you exactly what kind of sex toy you need.” They raced through the living room and up the stairs. Daniel fell onto the bed, drawing Evan down on top of him. Evan ran his hands over Daniel’s smooth, defined chest as he leaned down for a kiss.

Passion exploded.

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Chapter 14

Alaina woke late. Sophia hadn’t brought her home until nearly three. The conversation had flowed long into the night. Drinks turned into coffee, though it didn’t save every topic from turning sexual.

Those women had the special ability to make every single comment seem to have a sexual undercurrent. Before too long, Alaina was on the same page. It had been a very fun night out.

She stumbled down the stairs well after eleven in the morning.

Usually by this point in her day, she had either taught a class or completed rounds at the hospital. The summer session was over, and she wouldn’t have a class this upcoming semester. She did, however, have several doctoral candidates to mentor and a research study to design.

The topics on her mind this morning were breakfast, a headache aid, and then she would tackle packing up her office and Zach’s bedroom. Evan had been quite explicit that he needed both rooms cleared so he could begin repairing the interior portions of the damage.

She had just begun imbibing her caffeine IV when the doorbell rang. She hoped to hell it wasn’t her father. They never saw one another without having at least one good argument. The situation didn’t matter. Somehow Alaina would do or say something to piss him off, and he would fire off some nasty or sexist comment. It never ended well.

She only put up with him to maintain a good relationship for Zach’s sake. He should have been her child. Her parents were too old
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and out of shape to keep up with an energetic little boy. The proof was in the fact that he spent weeks on end at her house.

With a resigned sigh, she pushed a mass of frizzy curls out of her face and shuffled to the front door. The weather had been nice for late August, not too hot or cold. The air-conditioning was off, and she had opened the front door to let in the freshness.

“You look like you had fun last night.” That voice jerked Alaina’s gaze from the floor to the door and stopped her in her tracks. She took in Daniel’s height and broad shoulders as he nearly filled the entire screen. He wore a red polo shirt and jeans that molded to every sinful curve they hugged.

Next to him stood Evan. His arms were crossed, which only emphasized the muscles that rippled across his chest and arms. He was a little shorter than Daniel, but he didn’t appear any smaller. He dressed similarly to Daniel, though he wore a white tee instead of a polo shirt.

Evan elbowed Daniel sharply in the ribs. “You’re an ass.” To Alaina, he flashed a smile that set her pulse fluttering, which was a good thing because seeing the two of them together like this had stopped more than just her feet. “Good afternoon, Alaina. We’ve come to help you clear out those rooms.”
What the hell are they both doing here?

Alaina panicked. The two men who rocked her world, whose friendship she might be jeopardizing, stood at her door together. She had not anticipated seeing both of them at the same time. She had no idea what to say, and she wasn’t ready for a messy confrontation.

There was no way this wasn’t going to be messy.

It was on the tip of her tongue to turn down their offer when images of the heavy furniture in her office and in Zach’s room haunted her. Moving it by herself was going to be a problem. She wasn’t weak, but she did lack the necessary leverage to lift or push some items. If she kept them busy, then nothing personal, like the fact she had slept with both of them, could come up. Right?