Feeling the Buzz (4 page)

“Not yet. I probably will be when I walk into
the classroom for the first time.”

Sebastian handed her another beer. “You’ll
be fine once you settle in, although I’m glad it’s not me. I hated school.”

“Why?”

“I lived in a foster home. That made me
stand out.”

Jen laughed out loud. “Don’t tell me about
different. I’m nervous enough about joining class.”

“Ah, but you’re choosing to go to school. I
only went to eat my lunch. Would you like to have a glass of wine with your
dinner?”

Obviously another touchy subject, one she
couldn’t let pass. “You’re not stupid, Sebastian. You and Wayne have built up a
successful business. That takes brains and initiative.”

He snorted. “You didn’t see the comments on
my school report. Have you seen any good movies lately?”

“No, I’ve been concentrating on getting
everything shipshape at home. It’s such a big house to look after on my own.
I’ve been thinking about selling and buying something smaller.”

“But?”

“Alexanders have lived there for four
generations. Mum inherited it from her parents when they died, and it’s full of
memories of my mother and my childhood. I don’t know. My head tells me selling
is a good idea while my heart sings a different tune.”

Sebastian flaked the salmon and added it to
the drained pasta. Fascinated, Jen watched him put the dish together and garnish
it with fresh basil. He made it look effortless, and watching him did something
to her, made her see him differently. No, that wasn’t quite the truth. The
change had occurred last night when he’d held her so tenderly and kissed her
neck while she’d fallen apart at the seams.

He was a good man even if he didn’t see
himself that way.

“If you need help to do anything around the
house, let me know. Okay?”

She nodded, silently placating him even
though she had no intention of asking for help.

“Verbal agreement,” he said with a
meaningful rise of eyebrows.

“Yes,” she said crossly.

“Good.” Sebastian set out placemats and
cutlery at the breakfast bar. “I think we’ll drink Wayne’s bottle of wine with
our dinner. Here, take these.” He handed her a bowl of pasta and she winced a
bit at the throb of pain in her hand.

A few minutes later, Sebastian took the
seat opposite her.

Jen swallowed a mouthful of the pasta.
“This is delicious.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I am. None of the men I’ve dated could
cook.”

“I used to hide out in the kitchens at the
foster home. The cook said if I stayed there I had to work.”

“Hide out?”

“I was small as a kid. The other kids
picked on me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Sebastian sounded surprised.
“There’s always a pecking order amongst kids. Besides, Wayne stuck up for me.”

Conversation meandered after that, and they
didn’t touch on anything too personal again. Sebastian opened another bottle of
wine, and after doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen together, they
settled down in front of the TV. They both sat on the couch, their shoulders
and legs touching.

“If I didn’t know better I’d think you
intended to seduce me,” Jen said, feeling surprisingly comfortable.

“Because I’ve been plying you with
alcohol?”

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“I didn’t force you to drink. For all I
know you might intend to jump me.” His eyes glowed with suppressed humor, his
large frame more relaxed than normal. “What would you like to watch? Rom-com or
action movie?”

“Action movie,” she said.

Sebastian pushed a few buttons and placed
his arm around her shoulders, drawing her nearer.

“Is that your best seduction move?”

“Nope. I was feeling cold.”

Jen grinned. “Liar.”

“Shush, the movie’s starting.”

Disinclined to move, she cuddled against
him and concentrated on the movie. His scent wrapped around her while his
warmth soaked into her side. Fully relaxed, physical tiredness claimed her. Her
eyelids kept falling shut and finally she gave up the fight and slept.

When the closing credits of the movie
started, Sebastian carefully separated himself from Jen and stood. She didn’t
wake when he picked her up and carried her down the passage to his room. After
managing to pull back the covers with one hand, he set her down gently. She
murmured something unintelligible when he removed her shoes, but still didn’t
wake. He was tempted to join her but didn’t. Wayne wanted her, and he couldn’t
make a move on Jen or do anything that might upset Wayne.

Loving Wayne the way he did meant it
wouldn’t be fair of Sebastian to take his friendship with Jen any further. No,
it would be best if he left her to sleep in his bed. Alone.

A quick glance at his watch confirmed the
lateness of the hour. Wayne had obviously decided to spend the night with his
parents. He’d spend the night in Wayne’s bed. Wayne wouldn’t mind.

Chapter Four

“Sebastian!”

Sebastian grunted, rolling over to avoid
another elbow to the ribs. “Damn it, Wayne.” His voice was gritty with sleep,
but he came awake quickly with a half-naked Wayne leaning over him. The
darkness of the room made his other senses pop, and he could smell Wayne’s
aftershave and the soap they used in the shower. “Do you have to shake me?”

“Why are you in my bed? You have a
perfectly good one in your room.”

“Jen’s using it. She stayed for dinner and
went to sleep while we were watching a movie. It’s cold. Put the covers back.”

Wayne ignored his request. “Dude, why
aren’t you in there with her? You’re missing a perfect chance to make a move on
her.”

“Not when I know you’re interested in her.”

“I told you last night. Both of us should
go after her.”

“For a little fun? I don’t want fun.”
Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut at the pain knifing him in the chest. “I want
a relationship with someone who cares for me. Me. Not the possessions I bring
to the table.”

“Shift over.” Wayne slid onto the bed, and
pulled the covers back into place.

Sebastian froze, his breath catching when
Wayne pressed his cold body against his back. “Snuggling?”

Wayne chuckled, not embarrassed in the
least. “You’re warm. We could have something special with Jen. I don’t know why
I didn’t think of it before.”

“Man, I know you’re the idea person in our
business, but have you thought this through? Say we go ahead. You know some of
what Fletch and Liam went through when they hooked up with Gaby. Do you want
that for Jen? People abusing her in public? And what about your family? Surely
they wouldn’t approve?”

Wayne’s adopted family was brilliant, but
he didn’t think they’d feel comfortable about Wayne sharing a woman. They held
traditional values. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

Sebastian took a shallow breath and tried
to ignore Wayne’s solid chest at his back. “Besides, Jen and I discussed
threesomes over dinner. We both decided there was potential for pain. I don’t
want to lose your friendship.”

“Don’t be silly.” Wayne’s warm breath blew
across his ear.

Gooseflesh pebbled on Sebastian’s arms and
legs.
Move your mouth a little lower.
Self-loathing followed swiftly,
and he burst into speech. “All I’m saying is you can’t just decide something like
this. Not when it has the potential to blow up in our faces.”

“Ah, so you are considering my suggestion.”

“Jen intends to focus on her studies.
Besides, there’s one thing you haven’t mentioned. What about you and me? We’ll
touch. Three sets of hands and mouths get confusing. Could you handle me
kissing you? Getting that up close and personal?”
Bloody hell!
He’d
definitely drunk too much tonight. He hadn’t meant to blurt out stuff like
that.

There was a long pause and Sebastian’s
mouth twisted. Yeah, exactly what he’d thought. Introduce a little bit of
gayness to the conversation and Wayne clearly hesitated.

“Do you think Fletch and Liam fuck each
other?”

Sebastian grunted and rolled over to face
Wayne. Not that he could see much in the dark. “That’s none of our business,
but they do seem comfortable together.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Wayne said.
“You’d better go back to your own bed. I’m sure Jen won’t mind once you explain
about the couch.”

Disappointment surged through Sebastian. Of
course. Once the conversation became difficult Wayne bailed. Not that he could
blame him. Most other men would do the same. Without another word he rolled off
the bed and left. His bed was a king. He could get some sleep and not even
touch Jen.

Jen was obviously asleep when he entered
his bedroom. The soft snores were charming, although she probably wouldn’t
thank him for mentioning the fact. Gingerly, he climbed into his bed and
replaced the covers. For summer it was still damn cold.

Just about as cold as Wayne’s rejection.

* * * * *

Ah! He’d noticed Sebastian’s weird behavior
lately. His moodiness. Thick-head that he was, he’d thought Seb was working
through his feelings about his divorce. But maybe it was something else
entirely. He thought back over the time Sebastian had stayed with him, let his
mind wander the possibilities given their conversation. The way Sebastian froze
the instant he’d touched him.

Wayne knew Sebastian loved him. When Wayne
had been adopted and Sebastian hadn’t, they’d stayed friends at school and
Wayne’s adopted parents had let him invite Sebastian over to play most
weekends. Yeah, the love wasn’t in doubt, but what if it was more? And how the
heck should he feel about it?

Wayne flopped over on his back and placed
his hands under his head as an extra pillow.

Could he kiss Sebastian? Would he enjoy it?

Nah, he liked women. He liked their
softness and the way they smelled. He liked their laughter and even their
prickly moods. And he loved fucking them. Bottom line—he couldn’t think of a
world, his world, without a woman as a lover.

His mind darted from thought to thought,
never settling or coming to a decision. The plain truth was he didn’t know. The
last thing he wanted was to screw up his close friendship with Sebastian, yet
he could sense that would happen if he didn’t handle his new knowledge
carefully.

And Jen. He had no idea why he hadn’t
noticed her charms before. No, that wasn’t quite true. He hadn’t allowed
himself to consider Jen in a romantic light before because she’d worked for
them.

But now that problem no longer existed. A
sense of rightness filled him as his mind drifted back. He couldn’t get past
the way Jen had felt in his arms when she’d pitched headlong into orgasm, and
the glance he’d exchanged with Sebastian at the time. The connection that had
clicked into place felt right. Perfect.

He blew out a gust of air, his lungs
starting to burn before he inhaled again.

A plan—something to propel the three of
them forward into the next stage. Let the cards fall where they may and all
that crap. Yeah. His mouth curled into a sly smile as a plan formed in his
mind. Audacious and daring, but it just might work…

* * * * *

Jen woke slowly, aware of the heat at her
back. A foreign warmth. The tick of a clock that wasn’t normally there.
Confusion slammed through her. Her eyes flicked open. Focused. The first thing
she noticed was the bookcase, overflowing with books of all sizes. Her mind
sharpened, memories clicking into place. She turned over abruptly, her elbow
connecting with hard flesh.

“Ow. Why does everyone attack my ribs? I’m
turning black and blue.”

“Why are we in bed together?” Her hand slid
furtively beneath the covers. Whew. She was fully clothed, which meant…

Disappointment hit the instant her mind
fixed on the truth. She was in bed with one of her hunky bosses and nothing had
happened.

“Wayne came home and kicked me out of his
bed.”

“Did we drink a lot last night?”

“A few beers and some wine.”

Huh. No wonder her mouth felt like the
desert on a scorching hot day. She swallowed but it didn’t make any difference.
“I guess I should go home.”

Sebastian squinted at his watch. “It’s
still early. I’ll drop you off on the way to work.”

“My neighbors will gossip.”

“So? It’s none of their business.”

“You don’t know my neighbors. They probably
witnessed me punching Giles and have spread it all over town.”

“Giles got what was coming to him.” His
gaze angled her way. “If your neighbors cause you this much stress then maybe
you should sell.”

“Maybe.”

“Where would you like to live,
location-wise?”

“I haven’t thought about it too hard.” But
Sebastian was right. She’d known the neighbors from the time she was old enough
to speak. It was like having extra sets of parents looking out for her. Okay if
she was seven, but not so much fun now that she was dating and old enough for
sleepovers.

“Do I get a kiss good morning?”

His husky voice broke off her train of
thought. “What?” While they stared at each other her heart tried to break out
of her chest. “Why?”

“Because I didn’t get a kiss good night?”

She huffed out a laugh. “Not a good enough
reason. Besides, I have morning breath.”

“Not a good enough reason.” He lobbed her
excuse back at her and shifted closer before she could blink. He lowered his
head slowly, giving her an out if she wanted it. Jen didn’t move a muscle.
Their lips brushed, and Sebastian lifted his head.

“You call that a kiss?” she muttered in
disgust.

A slow grin broke out, transforming his
expression into one of mischief, and he pounced before she could react. There
was nothing tentative about this kiss. Their lips fit together perfectly, his
big hands cradling her head while he plundered her mouth. Sensations danced
across her skin like tiny water sprites doing an erotic dance. After a few
seconds of his confident touch, she burned. Her clothes became cumbersome and
heavy. Too restrictive when she wanted to rub against him like a cat. A purr of
pleasure built in her chest and she clutched his shoulders, fighting for fuller
contact. He sipped and tasted, stealing her air, making her dizzy.

When he finally lifted his head, his eyes
glittered. “How is your hand today?”

She unclenched the hand that
had—unbeknownst to her—found a place in his hair and frowned at it. “It feels
fine. A bit stiff and achy but nothing too bad.”

“I should have kissed you last night,” he
said.

“Yeah, right. Those magic lips would have
done the trick.”

His eyes twinkled. “I’d like to kiss you
again.”

“Ah, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Coward.”

“I’ve just come out of a relationship.
Starting another one—”

“Giles doesn’t count. Look, I could use the
same excuse, but couldn’t we take things slow? Aw, fuck.” He bit off the curse,
suddenly looking a bit sick. “No, you’re right. We can’t do this.”

“Why?” she demanded.

“Because Wayne likes you, and I don’t
intend to get into a dispute over any woman.”

Jen led with her elbow, digging him in the
ribs. “I’m not property.”

A grunt escaped him and he shifted a
fraction. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that how it sounded.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, letting him
see her displeasure. “Shouldn’t I have some say?”

Sebastian’s head jerked up, his attention
on a sound near the doorway.

“Can I join in the fun?” Wayne sauntered
into the bedroom wearing nothing but a broad smile.

Jen’s focus shot straight to his cock. “I
notice you’re happy to see us,” she said drily.

“Jesus,” Sebastian muttered. “Close your
eyes and I’ll get rid of him.”

“And miss the free show? I don’t think so.”
Jen’s gaze slid down, taking in the muscles in Wayne’s legs and calves before
traveling upward again, past his narrow hips and erection to his broad chest.
It was smooth and hair-free unlike Sebastian’s. She’d felt his crisp chest hair
when they’d kissed. Finally she studied the tribal tattoo that swirled over
part of his left arm and shoulder. Sexy, and just perfect to lick.

“Damn, Wayne. Go and get some clothes.”

“No, wait,” she blurted. “Turn around so I
can see your butt.”

Sebastian groaned.

“What?” she asked. “I need to fuel my
fantasies. Sex toys are no fun without the fantasy.”

Grinning, Wayne did a model-like swivel and
pranced around, letting her view his body from every conceivable angle. Then he
strutted right up to the bed and sat down before rolling next to her. “Why
settle for fantasies when you can have the real thing?”

Sebastian
tsked
under his breath.
“Is that the normal spiel you give your girlfriends?”

Wayne waggled his eyebrows without taking
his attention from her. “I work with the tools at hand. Do I get a kiss?”

Wayne moved before Jen could answer,
sliding onto the bed and slanting his mouth over hers. A burst of mint danced
across her taste buds, making her conscious of her morning breath. It didn’t
seem to bother Wayne. He held her close, twirling his tongue with hers until
desire clawed at her. When he finally lifted his head to wink at her, she was breathing
hard and was totally confused. How could she respond to both men? It hadn’t
even seemed weird knowing that Sebastian was watching them. If anything,
Sebastian’s presence had made her hotter.

Wayne propped himself up on his elbow and
peered over at Sebastian. “Do I get a kiss from you too?”

Jen felt her eyes widen. A shocked sound
came from Sebastian but it was cut off by Wayne. Without hesitation, one big
hand cupped Sebastian’s head. Jen watched, her mouth dropping open as the two
men kissed. It was fierce. It was urgent and bruising, Sebastian resisting
before the fight was suddenly sapped from him. He groaned. Jen saw the kiss
gentle and the weird tension seep away. When their lips finally parted, their
gazes caught and held.

Curiosity ran rampant in her. Had they done
this before? Then another thought bloomed and horror filled her. She’d kissed
Sebastian. She didn’t want to break up the two men if they were together in
that way. She ripped her gaze off them, suddenly uncomfortable, wishing she were
somewhere else instead of trapped between the two hard bodies like the filling
in a sandwich. “Are you guys gay?”

“No.”

“No!” Wayne echoed.

She scanned their expressions. Both men
looked weird, a bit shocked.

Sebastian cleared his throat. “Ah, that was
interesting.”

Wayne, who normally had a lot to say for
himself, remained silent. He moved a fraction, flipping back the covers to
crawl into the bed next to her. The sandwich came to mind again. He pressed
close to her and something hard poked her in the thigh. Good grief. He still
had an erection. Curiouser and curiouser.