Tart (16 page)

“Give me a few minutes. I have great recovery time and all, but you wiped me out.”

“Ha! Insatiable. I meant with us, the three of us. Tomorrow, the day after. Not just in bed.”

“I imagine this will take some measure of coordination and patience from all of us as we figure things out. We could probably take it day by day. Step by step.” Gideon brushed a thumb over her bottom lip and she kissed it.

“But we’re together. Period.” Cal spoke from behind her.

“So just the three of us?” She sat, bracketed by them.

“No one but you for me and Gideon.”

“What about, you know, you two?”

Cal raised a brow and then looked to Gideon a moment before answering. “He’s beautiful. You have good taste. It’d be a shame not to enjoy him when we’re all in bed together. Is that all right with you?”

Jules frowned a moment. “Why would you ask if it was all right with me? You want him or you don’t.”

•   •   •

Gideon adjusted his body to look her in the face. “Baby, what’s this all about? Are you bothered by me and Cal together?”

It was stupid hot to see them kissing. She found them both attractive so why shouldn’t they too? Why shouldn’t it be a true threesome? Wouldn’t it make everyone happier that way? To share each other?

“Hot and bothered,” she said. How could she say to them that she worried they’d chose something she couldn’t provide? Especially when they were both loving and good to her, when she knew they both wanted her as much as she wanted them?

It wasn’t the time for silly, petty fears. It was time to be a big girl and make this work. She hoped.

“The two of you are hot together. And I know you like men, the both of you. It’d be silly to say no when you’re so pretty touching each other. If this is going to work, it’s better to have this be a relationship between all of us.”

Cal looked her over carefully and she knew he was wary of her answer. He’d known her a long time, knew when she was evading. He was sneaky that way. But she hadn’t lied. She did find them sexy together and the fact was, there’d be enough challenges and to add some sort of silly you-can-only-want-me thing would only make it worse.

“Good.” Gideon pulled her back to the mattress.

“You two should spend the night.” Cal moved closer, kissing her chin and up her jaw.

“Calvin, gorgeous, I get up at four thirty. You like your sleep.” She lazily leaned against him.

“I’m up that early too.”

She leaned to kiss Gideon. “And you have Patrick to worry about.”

“He’s an independent guy. He gets annoyed if I bug him too much. But he likes to go on a ride in the early mornings so we get the horses and he can oversee most of the farm that way.”

“Really? Can girls come too? I haven’t been horse riding in eight or nine years. I’d love that.”

Gideon’s smile was slow and sweet. “Hell yes. I had no idea you’d be up for it. I know mornings are crazy for you so you can come by when you close up and we’ll go then.”

“Yay.”

“Jules has a tiny bed.” Cal looked her over. “And I can wake up early you know, if there’s a promise of warm, naked Jules waiting for me if I do so.”

She’d slept over at Gideon’s several times and the total truth of it was she loved waking up with him. She liked being with someone.

And now she had two someones.

“My bed is bigger than Jules’s but my place is smaller and doesn’t have this view.” Gideon slid a hand up her leg.

“Problem solved then. Stay over here. I won’t complain about getting up early. Hell, I’ll get a lot more done at work if I did.”

“I’m hungry.” Her stomach growled.

“Want pizza?” Cal kissed her neck.

“Only if beer is included.”

His smile sent a wholly new kind of thrill through her. “How about champagne? I have some chilling now.”

“Works for me.”

Cal got up and she hummed at the sight of all that bare skin. He looked back over his shoulder, caught her stare and smiled all sexy-like. “Call the pizza in; you know the number. I’ll get the champagne.”

Gideon held her to him once Cal left. “Are you all right?” He kissed her softly.

“Yes, I am. I’m still processing, but you . . . this was . . . yes, I’m good. Are you? Was it . . . okay to see me with Cal?”

He took a deep breath. “I admit I wasn’t sure how it would feel, but”—his mouth curved up at the corner—“I like to be watched and I like to watch. You’re gorgeous and sexy and having sex with someone else who is gorgeous and sexy and I’m here, enjoying it too. It was more than okay. It was mind-numbingly hot. I want more. But not at the expense of your feelings or of Cal’s.”

She touched her forehead to his.

He continued. “This isn’t just sex. It’s feelings. We have to take it step by step because I know we’ve made things way more complicated and if it fucks up, I could lose you and I don’t want that.”

She sighed, hugging him tight. “That was exactly what I needed to hear.”

“Good. Now, order that pizza. I need to call in and check with Granddad to let him know I’ll be out late but up early.”

She got up, Gideon noted, pretty comfortable with the space. It had been sort of odd at first to see how close she and Cal were. They had memories Gideon wasn’t part of.

But he had her first. He’d had the luxury of those quiet first days when they’d gotten together and he’d slowly but surely fallen for her.

She’d put on a shirt and some socks—Cal’s, he supposed—by the time he’d finished the call with his granddad. Patrick had urged him to stay out as long as he wanted and enjoy his little missy. He’d gruffly added that he was eighty years old and totally capable of managing his life.

She smiled from where she’d propped herself up against the headboard. “Pizza is ordered.”

He got in bed with her and Cal showed up with champagne. “Let’s toast to beginnings.”

He filled their glasses and they did just that.

•   •   •

Cal looked up at the knock to find Jules in his office doorway with a cup of coffee and a box containing what he knew would be delicious. It had only been a few days since that first, amazing time they’d all been together and he loved the sight of her, loved knowing she was his at last.

“Hey.” He got up and went to her, kissing her quickly and motioning her inside. “Sit. What brings you here?”

“You do. I had a break. My new staff are so awesome I actually have breaks. I wanted to go for a walk and so I decided to bring you a treat. I know you’re working. I just wanted to pop in. Your secretary said it was all right.”

He put a staying hand on her thigh and realized it meant more than it had before. He slid it up just a smidge and her mouth quivered before a slow smile marked her lips.

“I like that you came by.” He sipped the coffee and poked open the box. “You’re awesome.”

She grinned. “I was up early and made extra. I set aside two just for you. The blueberries are fresh. Patrick brought them over himself this morning. I think it makes Gideon crazy that he drives. I can’t blame him.” She raised a brow and he tried not to inhale the little lemon blueberry tarts he loved almost as much as her apple cranberry tarts.

“Go on, you can eat them both. I took some home too.”

He laughed and kissed her quickly.

“I’m still not used to that.”

He sat back and watched her, content that she was his to do so. “To what?”

“To being kissed by you.”

“I kissed you all the time before.”

“Not the same as you do now.”

He made himself save the other tart for later, putting the box on the corner of his desk.

“I’m getting used to it too, I guess. It just seems natural to touch you. It always has been.”

She blushed, so fucking pretty.

“Are we on tonight?”

“I’m going over to Seattle for a fitting in an hour or so. Then dinner with Erin. We’re planning an engagement party for Adrian and Gillian.”

“You’re taking the ferry? Oh, the things you do for your friends.”

“I’m going to take a Xanax first.” She blushed. “A small enough dose that I can drive afterward. Don’t worry.”

He tipped her chin up. “Baby, why are you so embarrassed about it? Everyone’s got a few phobias.” And hers came from a very real place. She’d nearly drowned when she was seven years old. Her father had subscribed to the old and incorrect adage that all you needed to do to teach a child to swim was throw them in the water. Only he threw her into Puget Sound in twenty-five feet of water.

Worse, he’d missed the deepest part and she’d hit her head on a submerged log, knocking her unconscious.

She’d been in the hospital for four days. Cal could still remember his mother going on about what an ass her father had been to do it.

And she’d been terrified of the water ever since.

“Why don’t I drive you? Then you don’t have to worry about driving at all. I have work to do in town anyway. You can call me when you’re finished and I’ll pick you up.”

She smiled at him. “That’s very sweet. But I’m thirty-three years old and I live on an island. Having to take a ferry comes with the territory. I can handle it.” She jutted her chin out and a wave of tenderness hit him square in the chest at the sight.

“You’re being stubborn for no reason.”

One of her brows rose slowly and it got him hot, though he didn’t share that part.

“Do you think that because we’re together now you get to boss me around?”

He laughed. “I wish.”

She rolled her eyes. “No, you don’t. You’d get bored with me if I let you boss me around. Remember Candace?”

He cringed.

Jules straightened and stood with a smile. “Careful what you wish for, Calvin Whaley. You wanted me and now you get me. Me and my memory of every woman and man you had when you should have been with me.”

He stood and hugged her. “It’s worth it. Please let me go with you tonight.” He hated the thought of her sitting in her car, gripping her steering wheel until the ferry docked in Seattle. “I can call Gideon; he and I can go to a movie or something while you’re with Erin. Does Erin know how much you hate the ferry?” He looked at her suspiciously and her eyes widened and then narrowed.

“No and if she finds out I’ll know from who. Let me handle this myself. I’m not incapable of doing things like taking the damned ferry. Don’t make me sorry I shared.”

She was wily, this one. He was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. So he sighed and nodded. “Will you call me when you get back? Or while you’re on the ferry if you want to talk?”

Jules smiled, fixing his tie and then tiptoeing up for a kiss. “Yes. I’ll see you later. I need to get back.”

He watched her go, smiling and still wanting to fix things for her. Knowing she’d kill him if he even tried.

•   •   •

She preferred not to think about the ferry. She often put her sunglasses on and closed her eyes on the trip over. It helped. Today she listened to an audiobook, Lara Adrian, one of her very favorite authors. It helped take her mind off the deep water beneath the boat. By the time she was able to drive off, never a moment too soon really, she’d swallowed back her fear enough to be proud that she’d overcome her stupid damned fears once again.

As promised, Erin had arranged for her to park in the building’s garage and she was buzzed up immediately. The building they lived in was amazing. Breathtaking views from pretty much all sides. The hallways were quiet, but once she got off on Erin’s floor, it was easy to tell which door was theirs.

Erin Brown loved color. It was apparent in everything she did. It was something Jules found totally wonderful as she also loved color. But Erin took it to another level. She was bold and vibrant and just being around her was exhilarating.

Todd, one of Erin’s men, answered the bell, grinning down at her, Alexander, their son, on his hip wearing a matching grin.

“Well, hello there, you two.” She grinned right back, charmed.

“Come on in.” Todd stood back and motioned her inside.

She walked past them and Alexander reached out to pat her shoulder. “Hi!”

“Hello there, young man!” Some babies were all joy. This one had been and as a toddler he was just as happy. He made her want to smile.

He began to tell her about the big yellow truck he saw earlier, a mass of dark hair in curls about his face swaying as he excitedly explained the entire setup from the moment they decided to go out for a walk to Pike Place right up to the truck sighting. He spoke quickly, and in toddler speak, so she had to go with the energy and feel of the story rather than the narrative. The boy was ever so much like his mother it touched that need she’d begun to feel.

Jules had been an active part of Miles’s life. She knew she could deal with croup and diapers. Though the part about raising a good person seemed a great deal harder and she admired Gillian more than her friend would ever know.

And Alexander was a pretty freaking delightful kid too. Made sense as Erin was a delightful woman and her men were the type anyone would want their sons to be. Big and strong. Protective of their loved ones. Thoughtful. Alexander came from some pretty awesome genes.

Ben had paused in the kitchen to listen to the story about the truck, looking at his son with so much love something tightened in her chest.

Todd swung the boy down and he took off quickly, heading toward his mother as she entered the room.

Erin’s face lit when she saw Jules. “Jules! You’re here. The invitations went out today. I’ve got some in my office if you want to check them out. Then we can talk about the rest.” She bent to kiss Ben, who’d knelt to speak to his son.

“Are you sure I’m not interrupting?”

Erin laughed. “We don’t have a quiet, peaceful life. It’s always sort of loud and busy. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Ben smiled up at Jules. “Hey, Jules, good to see you.”

Goddamn, Erin was fortunate. Then again . . .

Alexander plopped down and Ben did the same. Todd, laughing, joined them. “What should we do, monkey?”

Beautiful, this family. Unique and vivid and solid. It gave her some hope that maybe she could make it work too. They were such a great example and suddenly she felt better because she wasn’t alone and it wasn’t impossible so maybe they could really do it.