Any Given Sunday (15 page)

In their previous encounters, he’d avoided looking at Sean as much as possible,

trying instead to concentrate on Lauren. Now Sean sat before them in all his beautiful glory and Chad couldn’t have averted his eyes for all the money in the world.

“Come here, Lauren,” Sean instructed. “I want you to suck my cock while Chad

fucks you from behind.”

Chad closed his eyes and prayed he’d be able to make it inside Lauren’s body

without embarrassing himself. He was too worked up, too horny. Fuck, it was as if Sean was crawling around inside his head. The entire day had been too overwhelming, too

hot, too fucking incredible.

Lauren quickly moved to her knees, crawling between Sean’s legs. She grasped his

friend’s cock, running her hand up and down the turgid flesh with a firm, strong grip that left Sean visibly gritting his teeth. She did everything right. Chad knew that from experience. She bent down and took Sean into her mouth.

“Jesus, man,” Sean muttered. “Get inside her. This isn’t gonna take long.”

Chad grinned. “Thank God.”

He pushed inside her from behind, no preamble, no foreplay. He could see from the

strained expression on his friend’s face he wasn’t joking. He hadn’t thrust more than a handful of times before Lauren’s climax began, her orgasm milking his cock in a way

that was almost painful.

“Fuck,” he groaned. Two more strokes in that tight, wet heat and it would be all

over. Lauren must’ve sensed he was close. She released Sean’s cock, her fingers drifting down to play with his balls. She cupped them and Sean moaned.

Chad couldn’t take his eyes off her actions, his friend’s reactions. He was riveted to the spot, to this moment.

Sean’s hand tangled in Lauren’s hair, his other gripping his cock. He lifted her head up so she could see his face and Chad followed her gaze, gasped at the dominance

written in every line of his friend’s face. He’d never seen Sean so controlling, so

powerful. It was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.

“You ready?” Sean asked, his husky tone proving he wouldn’t be denied exactly

what he wanted.

80

Any Given Sunday

Lauren’s pussy clenched with excitement and Chad couldn’t restrain his groan. He

was a goner.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Good,” Sean said, pushing her head toward his lap, guiding his cock between her

open lips. “Suck me hard.”

Lauren took him into her mouth but Sean retained control of her movements, using

his hand in her hair to drive her at the pace he wanted.

Lauren’s reactions let Chad know exactly how much she loved Sean’s rough

treatment, and he realized he was fighting a losing battle. Gripping her hips, he gave in to his own needs, pushing inside her harder than he’d ever fucked a woman before.

Faster. Deeper. He felt her climax begin but he refused to stop, refused to give her even a moment’s relief as he thrust over and over.

Her climax continued, one giving way to another continuously until Chad heard

Sean’s cry. He knew from his friend’s jerky hold on Lauren’s head that he was coming.

Shooting his come down her throat. For a moment Chad imagined he could taste the

salty offering himself, and it was that thought that pushed him into the hardest, most painful, most satisfying orgasm of his life.

It wasn’t until they’d gotten out of the bathtub, dried off, and begun to fall into an exhausted sleep in the king-sized bed in the master bedroom that the truth crashed in on him.

Chad stared at the ceiling in the bedroom, the sounds of Lauren’s and Sean’s

breathing taunting him as he realized just how fucked he really was. This was their bed, their room. He couldn’t stay for long. Not without losing the battle he’d waged for a lifetime.

Three Sundays. Just three. And then he’d find a way to forge a new future…one

without Sean and Lauren. One without his heart.

* * * * *

Lauren watched Chad pull out of the driveway from the front window. They’d

dozed all afternoon, the three of them exhausted from so much sex. When they woke

up, Chad volunteered to run out for Chinese. All of them were starving but no one had the energy to cook.

Sean walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“You ready to talk about it?” she asked.

Sean sighed heavily. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t leave it alone.”

She turned in his arms and gave him a sad smile. “All these years. Why didn’t you

ever tell me?” She tried to hide the hurt in her voice but knew she’d failed.

Sean rested his forehead against hers, closed his eyes. “You really didn’t know?”

81

Mari Carr

She sighed. When she’d first seen Sean’s face in the kitchen, she’d been shocked.

Now she suspected there’d always been an inkling, an awareness, deep inside. She

shrugged and grinned. “I’m not sure. Maybe I sensed it. I don’t know. I’m in love with you. I think maybe that made me blind to a lot of things that should have been

obvious.” She felt a slight pang as another thought occurred to her. “Did you think you couldn’t tell me?”

He shook his head quickly. “No. Hell no. I didn’t say anything because talking

about it wouldn’t have changed anything. Chad’s not interested. Let’s just leave it at that.”

“How do you know? Have you ever told him how you feel?”

Sean released his hold on her and turned away, walking toward the living room.

“Dammit, Lauren. Can you please drop this? It’s not gonna happen. Ever. I would think you’d be more interested in talking about the ménage we all just jumped into this

morning.”

She followed him to the living room, quickly claiming the spot next to him on the

couch. He wasn’t escaping this conversation. He’d spent years running away from the

truth, lying to her, to Chad. She couldn’t quite believe that her best friend, her

boyfriend, the man she’d planned to spend her life with, had hidden such a big secret from her.

“The whole ménage issue is moot until your feelings for Chad are resolved. Surely

you know that. You’re in love with him.”

Sean started to deny it, she could see it in his face. Then he simply shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter. He doesn’t feel the same.”

“You know that for a fact?”

Sean nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

His answer took Lauren aback. She was so sure he’d been hiding his feelings from

Chad as well. To know that he’d told Chad shook her. Had she been runner-up? All

these years, had she simply been Sean’s second choice after Chad rejected him? “Oh.”

She turned her head, blinking rapidly. She wouldn’t let Sean see her cry. She couldn’t.

“Jesus, Lauren. God, baby, don’t do that.” Sean’s arms engulfed her, triggering the

tears she’d been trying to hide. “It’s not what you think. Christ, I’m goofy, head-over-heels in love with you. How in the hell can you doubt that?”

“I don’t,” she said, sniffling. She turned and buried her head in his all-too-

comforting chest. “I just didn’t know I was second choice.”

“What the fuck?” Sean gripped her face, pulling it away from him. She was

embarrassed to have him see the tears falling down her cheeks. “Are you nuts? I want

you to listen to me and I want these words make their way into that thick skull of yours.

You are, and always have been, my
only
choice. I met you and every other woman faded into the background.”

“Woman,” she whispered.

82

Any Given Sunday

His scowl grew but she’d stumped him. She could see it. “I don’t know how to say

this so you’ll understand. I want you. Want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want the same thing with Chad. And it doesn’t have a damn thing to do with me settling for you or him rejecting me. My heart loves you both…just the same. It’s never been a

fucking competition. It’s just been…”

His words faltered, but she didn’t need to hear the rest.

Sean had just described her own emotions to a tee.

“I get it,” she said. She grasped his wrists, his hands still cradling her face. “I feel the same way.”

He looked at her, studied her face, and she saw the lines of tension around his eyes

and mouth relax. “I know you do. It’s Chad whose heart lies firmly in one camp.

Yours.”

Lauren considered the morning, remembered all they had done. While Sean’s

feelings for Chad had been simple to read, there had been moments when she’d seen a

slight crack in Chad’s shell as well. “I’m not so sure about that.”

Sean scoffed. “Trust me on this, Lauren. He’s in love with you. And only you.”

She shook her head. “No.” She really didn’t believe that was true. While Sean had

clearly expressed his interest in Chad before, she knew it hadn’t been recently.

Definitely not since they’d been dating. So that meant his declaration had come years ago. Long enough for Chad’s feelings to change. “I think you should approach the

subject again.”

“Forget it,” Sean said quickly. “Not about to take another punch from that fucker.

He hits hard.”

Lauren was shocked. “He hit you?”

Sean shrugged. “I had it coming.”

Lauren recalled the night she and Chad had confessed to kissing. Chad had been

ready for Sean to hit him. It had almost seemed to her Chad had
wanted
Sean to throw a punch. Was he seeking penance for a blow he now regretted throwing?

“You have to talk to Chad again. How can we consider pursuing a lifetime as a

threesome with you harboring these feelings?”

Sean fell silent as he considered her words. “I can’t, Lauren. I’m sorry.”

“Why not?”

He smiled sadly at her. “What if he still feels the same way? I’ve worked hard for

years to put those feelings aside. If I tell him they’re still there, he may leave. No.” Sean shook his head. “He
will
leave.”

Lauren felt her chest constrict with the pain of that thought. She fought to find some words of comfort, but she couldn’t. The idea of Chad walking away from them

paralyzed her with fear and she understood Sean’s reticence.

Sean wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “And if he leaves, I’ll lose you too.”

83

Mari Carr

“No,” she said, refuting his words.

He placed his hand on her cheek. “Yes. You may not physically leave, but

emotionally. Face it, it’ll tear us both apart if Chad walks away from this.”

“So we can’t let him leave,” she said.

We can’t let him leave.

84

Any Given Sunday

“Well, that pizza place is a keeper,” Killian said, leaning back and rubbing his

stomach.

Lauren laughed as all the men in the room assumed a similar pose. Lily had invited

Sean, Chad and her to join them for a little sweet Thursday relief at their place, and they’d wanted to try a new pizza shop that had opened in the area. Justin and Killian had started the sweet Thursday concept when they were in the Army. They liked to

start the weekend a day early. The idea had stuck and Lauren had been invited to more than a few of these “not quite the weekend” get-togethers over the years.

Lily stood and started to clear up the paper plates and empty boxes. Lauren rose as

well. “I’ll help you,” she offered, when the big-screen TV flashed on.

“Hockey game,” Killian announced. “I’ve got twenty bucks riding on this game

with Tris.”

Sean looked at his older brother and laughed. “You too? That stupid bastard really

thinks the Rangers are gonna pull out an upset. I told him he was crazy.”

Killian rubbed his hands together. “Gonna be fun taking his money from him

tomorrow.”

Lauren rolled her eyes. The Collins men were infamous for their wagers. She wasn’t

sure if it was a side effect of being Irish or owning a pub, but it seemed no man in the family was immune.

“Come on, Lauren,” Lily said. “As the testosterone rises in the room, so does the

cussing, yelling and volume on the TV. I’ve got a bottle of wine in the kitchen that

should help dull our senses.”

“Sounds like an invitation I can’t refuse.” She turned around and looked at the guys

lounging on the couch and in the two recliners. “You guys okay for beer?”

Chad raised his bottle. “I just set us all up with a round so we’re good to go.

Thanks.”

She followed Lily to the kitchen, both of them loaded down with trash. They

dumped it and Lauren claimed a chair at the table while Lily poured them both a glass of wine.

Lauren had been trying to work up the nerve to call Lily all week. Sunday’s

“research” had solidified a couple things in her mind. One, Lauren was deeply, truly, madly in love with Chad and Sean, and two, she wanted to make a lifetime of their

relationship. She still hadn’t given up hope that Chad and Sean would work out their

issues, though God only knew how they would do that. She knew Sean intended to

keep silent about his true feelings for his best friend, but she suspected the truth would 85

Mari Carr

come out eventually. When it did, she was prepared to do whatever it took to calm the waters. She wouldn’t give up her men without one hell of a fight.

As for herself, there was one niggling worry that wouldn’t let her go.

Lauren looked at Chad’s sister and marveled over how little they resembled each

other. Lily’s dark hair and eyes were in direct contrast to Chad’s dirty blond hair and blue eyes. If anything, Lily favored Sean more. Lily joined her at the table and she took a deep breath before asking the question that wouldn’t leave her alone. “What do the

people at work think about your lifestyle?”

If Lily was surprised by Lauren’s discussion topic, she didn’t give it away. She