A Firm Merger (3 page)

“Lie still,” William whispered, forcing her to experience every inch. “Now use those tight muscles of yours like I taught you, Emily. You know the first orgasm is never free.”

Yes! She loved this game! Lying on her stomach, she contracted her vaginal muscles around him, gripping and releasing his cock. William, already an old pro at this, flexed up and down, faster, then slower. Together they established a rhythm, matching the cadence of their heartbeats.

“Oh, God!” she screamed. It hurt so good that Emily yelped in pain, but spread her thighs as far as they would go to accept more him. Coming like this was always better after he hit her G-spot. “More,” she begged. “Fuck me, William. I want to feel you moving inside me.”

William obliged, and a moment later a very aroused--but strangely silent--Nick gagged her again. She sucked hungrily, lovingly, her ecstasy at full blast as the two men she cared about most came together to give her the night of her life.

More orgasms followed, along with sticky sheets, bruised bodies and freewheeling debauchery.

And as Emily finally drifted to sleep between them a few hours later, she had just one regret. William and Nick hadn’t touched each other at all.

Emily awoke at five the next morning and checked both sides of the bed to make sure she hadn’t conjured the previous night in a fevered dream. Sure enough, Nick slept at her right side, snoring softly, a muscular arm curled around her waist. To her left was William, the sound of his deep breathing oddly comforting.

Though the hotel curtains were drawn, the sun’s rays still managed to filter in under the heavy material. She wanted to stretch out, take over the bed as was her custom, but fear of waking her companions kept her still. Besides, waking the others would mean talking, and she wasn’t quite ready for a post-coitus, pre-breakfast conversation. How would she begin?
Thanks for tag-teaming me last night, guys. You were great.

Why not?
She almost giggled at the thought. Showing gratitude was the least of her concerns this morning. She’d been thankful all night and into the early hours, and her sore and bruised body was proof enough. Separately, each man was a wonderful lover, but together they were explosive. Or was she the one prone to explosions? She’d begged off after her sixth orgasm wrung her dry, threatening to run naked through the hotel if they didn’t leave her the hell alone.
Please and thank you very much, because I think your kindness is killing me!

Nick and William worked well together--almost too well. If they would put their differing styles to work at the office, they could get a lot done. She’d kept waiting for one of them to get competitive and lose sight of the goal, but luckily for her, each man had his eye on the prize.
Get ’er done.

Yet the longer she was awake, a dull ache spread in her belly, and she knew that could only mean trouble. Seriously, where did they go from here? Would she continue as she had been, dating them separately? Should she stop seeing them both? Or was last night a sign of hotter things to come?

Inside his own hotel room hours later, Nick stood before the bathroom mirror clad only in a towel. Since finishing his shower, all he could seem to do was stare at himself, scanning his face for any clues or tells. He felt changed by what happened last night, but he couldn’t quite figure out how. All he knew was that the threesome was more than unforgettable. It was life-changing.

Finally leaving the bathroom, he cranked up the coffee pot and waited for the coffee to perk. Embarrassment washed over him when he recalled how quickly he’d crawled out of Emily’s bed, grabbed his clothes and run for cover. Had he even bothered to say “good morning” before taking off like some criminal?

Shame.
That was the feeling eating away at Nick, and for the life of him, he could not understand why. They’d had a good time--maybe a whole lot better than good. He’d been able to please his girl and get an eagle-eye view of what pleased her in the process. What could be wrong with that?

Maybe I didn’t mind Drake being there. Maybe I actually
liked
having him there.
Nick Scott had never had occasion to question his sexuality, and he wasn’t about to start now. But he did question why he’d been so comfortable with the other man, watching him make love to his woman, sharing her, pleasing her in tandem. At the time, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. And that bothered Nick more than anything else.

William prided himself on being a rational man, open to discussion about anything and everything. He slathered cream cheese on a bagel, and calmly pondered the night he’d spent with Emily and Nick.

He was guilt-free, elated, and more than a little satisfied with the recent turn in events. Why sharing Emily with another man made him feel closer to her was a question he couldn’t answer, and he didn’t much care. For the first time in their relationship, he saw her open up and truly enjoy herself. She’d never been so sexy or beautiful.

Nick’s reticence hadn’t been unexpected; after all, a man’s man like him probably thought their close proximity might “gay” him up. And so what if it did? William had no such qualms about exploring his sexuality, what pleased him and what got him off. Nick, while a bit of an asshole, was certainly a gorgeous physical specimen, and William had no problem admitting that seeing Mr. Blond Beefcake All American in action sent him into overdrive. Nope. Not sorry, not embarrassed, not going to blame what happened on the booze.

As he finished breakfast, William considered his options, searching for the best way to engineer another round. It wouldn’t be easy. Emily and Nick were two of the most stubborn people he’d ever met, and he predicted rejection if he came off as too needy. He’d have to let them think it was their idea to continue their mutually beneficial merger.

Nick moved down the corridor heading toward his apartment, his hand jangling his keys. He hadn’t left the office until nine, and the only thing he wanted to do was grab a quick sandwich and crawl into bed. He stopped short, eyes widening as he noticed the man standing in front of his door. “Drake? What the hell are you doing here?”

“We need to talk,” he said quietly.

“Talk? About what, exactly? Man, I’m beat, and I know you are too. Aren’t you doing all the leg work for the Chalmers case this month?” William smiled and shrugged.

Eying him warily, Nick waited until William stepped aside so that he could unlock the door. “Seriously, if you think--”

“Aren’t you always the one on Emily’s case about telling people what they think? Don’t make assumptions, Nick. I’m here to talk to you so you’ll be under no misapprehensions.”

“Oh, boy, this oughta be good,” Nick said with a bravado he didn’t feel. “Come inside, but make it quick, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

He led William into the living room, tossing his briefcase on the taupe sectional. William couldn’t conceal his curiosity as he took in the muted décor, fine art and shiny wood floors. “What were you expecting, man? Bear skin rugs, nude centerfolds and leather?”

William grinned. “Yeah. That’s
exactly
what I expected.”

“Yeah, well, people can’t be so easily put into boxes.”

“I know that better than anyone.” William gestured at the sofa. “May I sit?”

“I guess so,” Nick grumbled. “But I don’t understand why this couldn’t be done at the office. Or over the phone.” He shifted uncomfortably, wishing he could loosen his tie, remove his shirt and kick off his shoes. But what if Drake took that the wrong way? No. Safer to remain fully dressed...

“I’ll get right to the point. I don’t care that you’re avoiding me, Nick; up until last week, we had little to say to each other. But your refusal to talk to Emily is hurting her.”

“What are you talking about? Emily and I talk everyday--”

“About business. At least that’s what’s happened whenever you bumped into her at the water cooler or in the cafeteria.” William paused, gazing down at his neatly trimmed fingernails before continuing. “She wonders if last week was a mistake, and thinks she might have lost you.”

“Oh, hell.” Nick sat in the armchair, leaned back and shut his eyes. “Drake ... don’t you think this situation is kind of strange? I mean, here you sit doing Emily’s bidding, asking me to--to what, exactly?”

“I’m not doing anyone’s bidding. I’m here on my own.”

“Well, that’s even weirder.” Nick opened his eyes and turned his gaze on his uninvited guest. “If Emily has something to say to me, she can do as she always has and tell me herself. She doesn’t need you to assist her with that, counselor. If there’s one thing Em’s good at, it’s talking. When she wants something, she asks for it.”

“As her friend--”

“I’d say you’re a little more than that, Drake.”

“As are you, Scott,” William shot back. “But she is a friend of mine, the sex being the frosting on the cake, as it were. I would have sworn you felt the same. Or has something changed?”

A weight so heavy he couldn’t breathe knotted Nick’s chest as he struggled to keep his composure. This was just too fucked up for him to comprehend, and maybe that’s why he had difficulty wrapping his mind around it. This guy, his competition for all intents and purposes, was asking him to renew a relationship with the woman they were both sleeping with? Unbelievable. “Call me old-fashioned, Drake, but I just don’t know how to deal with the ... incident right now.”

“I’d call you old-fashioned if it wasn’t complete bullshit.” William stood and approached the door. “Take me out of the equation and remember your feelings for Emily. Even as an outsider looking in, I thought I saw something real there.” He touched the doorknob, but Nick’s voice stopped him.

“What’s in it for you?” he demanded, standing. He stalked forward, picking up a head of steam, fists clenched. “What the hell are you getting out of this?”

William angled his head downward before meeting Nick’s gaze. “I’m a practical man. I love Emily and want nothing but her happiness. Last week, whether you wish to admit it or not, the three of us made a great team and formed a bond that freed Emily to be herself. I liked seeing that in her. I liked the way it made me feel.” He swung the door open and stepped out to the hall. “Hopefully, when you get over yourself, you’ll admit to liking the way it made you feel too.”

And with that, the smug little bastard was gone. Nick slumped back in his chair, William’s words echoing inside his throbbing head. Amazingly, looking down at his lap, Nick saw that his head wasn’t the only thing throbbing at that moment.

What the fuck is happening to me?

Emily opened her door to William. “This is a nice surprise,” she said, self-consciously pulling her silk robe tighter. “Is this business or pleasure?”

“I’ll let you decide,” William quipped. “Actually, I only need a few minutes.”

“That’s cool.” Emily stepped back to allow him entry and padded through her apartment in her bare feet to the dining room. “I was just doing some last minute reading for tomorrow.”

“And enjoying a Bloody Mary by the looks of it,” he said, gesturing at the half-empty glass.

“You want one?”

“No. I really only wanted to say a couple of things to you. I’ll say them, and then you can get back to your work.”

“That works for me. Pull up a chair and talk.”

Emily kept her hands beneath the table so William wouldn’t notice them shaking. While he hadn’t been as aloof as Nick had been over the last week, she’d sensed a change in him, and she didn’t know if it was for the better. What happened in San Francisco, while hot, had pretty much wrecked any chance she’d had with either man. A pragmatist, she’d digested that fact and told herself to get on with life.

“I’m in love with you, Emily, and I think I always have been. I’m not expecting you to say it back, and I wouldn’t want you to say it if it weren’t the truth. But whatever you feel doesn’t change what’s in my heart.”

I know. I’m falling for you too. Hard. But there’s a problem. I think I’m in love with Nick too.
She opened her mouth, but stopped, amazed when William lifted his hand.

“Please, don’t interrupt me. I really need to get this off my chest.”

Nodding, she squeezed her hands between her thighs to keep them from bumping into the table.

He leaned forward, and for the first time she noticed the length of his hair and sideburns. Emily wasn’t used to seeing William less than completely trimmed, and briefly wondered what had happened to miss an appointment with his stylist.

“I’m aware you have strong feelings for Nick, and I’ll never get in the way of that, but the selfishness you displayed throughout the bulk of this relationship has got to end. It’s time for you to learn to be happy at work and at home. I believe I can do that for you, but I know you need Nick too. He misses you, Emily, even though he doesn’t know how to express it--”

“How do you know that?” she asked, forgetting that he had the floor. “He’s barely even looked at me this week. If anything, I think he regrets the whole thing.”

William smiled brightly, and its cheeriness seemed absurd in that moment. “He’ll regret walking away from you more. Trust me. The man is conflicted.”

Emily let out a loud gust of air, finally pulling her trembling hands from under the table. Nick was conflicted? Join the club, hot shot. Modern gal or not, she didn’t have threesomes every day, and she’d thought long and hard about what kind of woman that made her. In the end, she concluded she was the same woman she’d always been: driven, intelligent, gutsy. She’d enjoyed herself, would do it again in a heartbeat, and would not lose further sleep over the topic. If Nick Scott, Man About Town, was too squeamish to enjoy something as fun and naughty as they’d experienced together ... well, he wasn’t as smart as she’d thought he was.

Eying William, she got the distinct impression he was loving this. His confidence was way up, and he seemed more at ease than she’d ever seen him. It was almost as if what happened lit a fire under him.
It’s a good look for you, William.
She cocked her head and asked a familiar question. “So what do we do now?”