Oliver (6 page)

Lucas helped himself to the condoms and lube on the nightstand, but he took his time about doing so. Time to gather his control. Time to let his libido calm. Time to soak in the view of Merideth with her cheek resting on Oliver’s chest.

She sighed when he took his place behind her, groaned when he used his cock to spread the lube and probe just enough to prepare her. He entered her by slow degrees, each push sending ripples of pleasure through his body. When he reached the hilt, he froze. In fact, none of them moved.

“Fuck us, sweetheart.” Oliver snagged a vibrator from the nightstand and wedged it between them. “Fuck us till you come. We’ll wait for you.”

Lucas prayed he could live up to Oliver’s promise. The vibrator buzzing through their crotches didn’t help. He counted to a thousand by threes, conjugated Italian verbs, ran through the specs on a lot of artifacts to be returned to Cairo. All to no avail. The glide of her body pulled him along. Each movement tightened her ass and dragged him against the hard cock barely separated from his. He loved the feel of her body, the press of Oliver’s, the command they all shared. None of his memories held a candle to this. They weren’t randy newbies anymore. They were seasoned adults, fully in control of their bodies and content to bring pleasure to each other. God, the years they’d wasted, thrown away over petty arguments and power plays.

His erection faltered at the thought. Oliver’s pinch to his thigh brought him back to the present, and his cock flared to full staff. Lucas flexed his fingers around Merideth’s hips, fighting to hold on and not fuck her like a horny rabbit. Her body tensed, signaling climax. Lucas clenched his teeth. Somehow he managed to keep from coming. Barely. She came with an intensity only forces of nature could match. He was seconds behind her. It was in the aftermath that Lucas realized Oliver hadn’t lasted much longer. Odd, the thrill that gave him.

Their heartbeats cut the silence, at least in Lucas’s mind. He eased his weight from Merideth and forced himself to leave the bed long enough to clean up. He snagged warm washcloths for his bed partners only to have them join him before he could leave the bathroom. At Oliver’s lead, they washed each other under a warm shower, patted dry, and then crawled back under the covers.

“Rest well,” Oliver said as he turned off the light. “Tomorrow the real work begins. My rules. My way.”

Was there any doubt? That
was
why they were here.

Lucas expected Oliver to roll away from them, dismiss them, despite their presence in his bed. Instead, Oliver scooted close to Merideth and slipped his hand around her waist. Treasuring her, making her feel secure.

Yes, Lucas had a lot to learn from Oliver. This time, he’d commit every word, action, and nuance to memory. He bracketed Merideth from the other side and closed his eyes.

Room-darkening drapes kept every hint of dawn from creeping in. The bedside clock was the only thing that gave it away. That, and Oliver’s internal alarm.

He crept from bed and made his way downstairs for coffee. He loved to see the world come to life each morning. One of the perks of having a home bordering an oasis canyon was the abundance of wildlife. Maybe the ritual would give him the peace he sorely needed to help him through this day. Mistakes weren’t an option, and he’d already made more than his fair share with these two.

Sleep hadn’t come easily to Oliver. How could he expect Lucas and Merideth to obey his rules when he didn’t? He hadn’t taken anyone into his bedroom in years, yet there they were, feeling better beside him than anything should. Heartbreak was right around the corner. Oliver could see it coming and couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it. This time he’d only have himself to blame for letting them stay in the first place.

And still he couldn’t order them out. Also couldn’t force himself to leave the bed permanently last night either. He’d tried too, wandering about his huge, empty house, checking his e-mail, watching TV, cleaning out the fridge while he planned meals in advance. Each time, the lure of having them next to him called him back. Each time, he’d fought an audible sigh of pleasure when he’d crawled under the covers with them. Each time, he’d wanted to wake them both up and have wild, crazy sex with them.

Just like he did right now.

He squeezed his cock into submission—a futile gesture. The thing had a mind of its own and was more determined than ever to have its way. He should have opted for tight jeans rather than coming downstairs dressed in the loose khaki shorts. Heading back to the bedroom to change wasn’t going to help. It’d only draw him further in. He needed distance, perspective. Coffee.

A fresh-perked pot awaited him. He grabbed a cup and walked outside to his favorite chaise to watch the morning. The cushion welcomed him with a sigh. It reminded him too much of Merideth when they’d filled her. How content she’d sounded.

The ache in his balls doubled. He willed Merideth to come down and take care of his problem, then cheered silently when he heard the patio door open behind him, only to discover it was Lucas.

“You’re up early.” Lucas took the chaise next to him. He’d helped himself to the coffee and was dressed in jeans and flip-flops.

“Always am. And you?”

“I blame New York time. I saw you were gone and presumed there was coffee.” He hoisted his mug in mock toast. “There was. Glad to see some things never change.”

But some things did. Some for the better, some for the worse.
Richer, poorer. Sickness, health
. Oliver shook the rambling thought from his head. He braced himself for a barrage of chatter and nervous energy from Lucas. It never came. Lucas seemed as content as Oliver to watch hummingbirds dashing between the bottlebrush trees and bougainvillea, lizards warming themselves in the growing pools of sunshine, and the twitter of birds waking to morning. They were on their second cup of coffee, noshing on a shared fruit bowl, when Lucas finally broke the silence.

“Regret’s a hard thing to live with.”

The words jolted Oliver. He’d started another conversation mere days ago with those same words, and he’d been referring to Merideth and Lucas at the time. “Yes, it is.” He could write a book about the subject.

“But it was nothing compared to the guilt of having failed her.” Lucas snorted lightly. “Or maybe it was double agony, because regret and guilt were so intrinsically woven together. But none of
that
could compare with how I felt when I saw those scars on her back. It crushed my heart, making all the regret and guilt before pale in comparison. Had I not failed her, had I made a stand and insisted we stay with you, work things out…”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. The emotion was more than Oliver could take. It cut through the years and made him reevaluate his own role in their departure. Regret and guilt weren’t Lucas’s exclusive domain.

“And if I hadn’t been buried in work, in trying to maintain control of the empire dropped in my lap, Merideth might not have walked out. Our arguments might have been fewer or nonexistent.” And there’d been some horrendous arguments. “But then there were better opportunities for the two of you in New York.” He took a long sip of coffee. “You both excelled professionally there.”

“Thanks to you.”

Oliver wouldn’t deny it. “Clearly I wasn’t as ambivalent as I led you to believe.”

Lucas laughed. “Ya think?” He swung around to face him. “Oliver, when we lived together, you wiped my mother’s medical expenses off the books. Paid for her funeral. You didn’t think I’d know who my anonymous benefactor was when I got to New York?”

Oliver had used the strings and power his grandfather bequeathed him to help the people he most loved at the time survive. But he’d been too proud and stubborn to go after them. He’d stopped tracking them because it hurt too damn much to admit he’d fucked up.

“The question becomes…” Lucas continued. “Did you do it out of the goodness of your heart, or because you wanted us to have so many ties to New York that we’d never darken your doorstep again?”

He didn’t give Oliver a chance to reply, which was fine, because Oliver didn’t have any answer.

“I always figured it was the latter, since you’d made it pretty clear how you felt when we left.”

“If you walk out that door, don’t ever bother coming back.”

“Yet here you are.” Oliver somehow managed to stay cool and remote when he felt anything but.

“Yet here you let us stay.” Lucas edged closer, resting his elbows on his knees. “Unlike you, I’ve kept tabs. I know you don’t do anything without a reason. So what’s in this for you?”

Oliver finally looked his way. This wasn’t the Lucas he once knew. This was a strong, powerful man. Maybe not Dom material, but certainly not one to be lied to or fucked with. “I have no agenda here. I’m merely helping two old friends find their way back to leading full and productive lives as soon as possible.”

“At least you’re referring to us as old friends and not your mortal enemies.” Lucas smiled.

“I admit I had a role in our parting, but it’s a bell that can’t be unrung. The past is in the past. Let’s leave it there.”

“That implies a future.”

“It implies nothing,” Oliver quickly replied, stomping out any embers before they lit hope. “You asked for my help. I’m giving it to you. Don’t make it more than is it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Lucas clapped his thighs. “I’d like to do some exploring today while the two of you are busy. Any suggestions?”

Oliver pointed to a pebbled path leading into the brush at the far side of the patio. “If you follow that, it’ll lead to a small oasis. There’s a waterfall flowing into it. Help yourself to whatever you need. Backpacking supplies are in the pool house around the corner.” He jerked his thumb to the right. “You know where the food is.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

Lucas shoved to his feet, towering over Oliver. Oliver resented his attempt to dominate.

“We appreciate the time you’re taking from your busy schedule to accommodate us.”

“Sarcasm still does not become you, Lucas.” Oliver rose to his feet, meeting Lucas’s cold gaze with deadly precision. “It would seem Merideth isn’t the only one who requires retraining.”

Lucas’s eyes glimmered. “Another ship that’s sailed.”

Oliver tilted his head to one side. “My bad. I thought you wanted to help her recover. No matter. I’ll find someone else for her to practice with. I have a very large pool to pull from. I’m sure she’ll find something to her liking.” Lucas’s gaze smoldered now. No hint of the previous humor remained.

“She said she needed us both.”

Oliver stepped into his space, matching the intensity on Lucas’s face with a look of his own. “Remember that, and don’t think you can fuck with me again.” He stabbed his finger into Lucas’s shoulder.

Lucas chest butted him. “Back at you,
buddy
. I’m willing to follow your lead, but you will
not
dominate me in any way, shape, or form. That right belongs exclusively to Merideth.”

Oliver’s respect for the other man raised a notch. “Now that we’re both on the same page once more…” He stepped away. “Enjoy your hike.”

He walked off without another word, expecting to be obeyed yet hoping Lucas would do or say something, anything, that would give Oliver a valid excuse to kick them both out. The slap of Lucas’s flip-flops heading in the other direction dug under his skin. He slung the back door open, paused to draw in a deep breath, then stepped inside and closed it more gently. They resurrected too many emotions, too many memories, too much hurt. And way too much guilt. Because he
had
helped anchor them to New York and had regretted every second. A real Dom would have gone after them. He was a fraud, and the last thing he wanted was to reveal his true face to his community.

His gaze wandered up the staircase. There was the excuse he needed to make them leave. Merideth would still be in bed, still looking as bedraggled as she had the night before. Yes, it was early, but as Lucas pointed out, the three-hour time difference should have had her up by now. Oliver wouldn’t put up with it. She wanted to heal yet didn’t seem willing to do anything for herself. He’d rouse her, give her a hard time. She’d balk, of course. Merideth never liked being told what to do.
That
would be the perfect reason to get them out. Then his life would be in order, control coursing through his blood, and not this feeling crawling inside him, demanding to be unleashed.

He took the stairs two at a time, cock leading the whole way. Oliver refused to let it win.
He
was in control, not it. He could fuck anyone at any time. He didn’t need Merideth’s hot, tight pussy.

Oliver jerked to a stop on the landing, closed his eyes, and flexed his fists. Forcing a facade of indifference was nearly impossible. He pulled up reserves he hadn’t needed since… Well, since the day they’d walked out. God, how many things had he smashed against the wall that day in a fit a rage? Almost everything within reach. Thank goodness he wasn’t that man anymore. Thank goodness there wasn’t anything within hand’s reach.

Oliver ordered the tension away. His muscles didn’t listen, nor did the erection pounding down his shorts leg.
It’ll be better when they’re gone
. And they were going to be gone within the hour. They couldn’t stay. He couldn’t bear it.

Shoulders back, game face on, he walked on to his room. He flicked on the overhead lights when he crossed the threshold, expecting the glare to yank her awake. But the big bed was empty and made. A pile of sheets lay on the floor at the foot. There was no sign of Merideth or her luggage.

Oliver fought panic that she’d taken off. Common sense filtered through. She couldn’t have left without Lucas, and Lucas was off on a hike. His luggage was still inside the door. Relief led to confusion. Confusion to anger. He’d told her they were to stay in his room. She’d disobeyed. It was the excuse he needed…if he could find her. And he would.

An abrupt about-face spurred him out the door. His methodical room-by-room search ended in the bedroom across the hall. Light poured in through the open drapes, highlighting the yellow-and-white decor. Merideth’s suitcase lay open on the queen-size canopy bed. Oliver heard the shower running. Calling his name.