Authors: Marla Monroe
The cool water did nothing to tamp down the fire in his balls and his steel-hard dick. He quickly showered off then took his cock in his fist and squeezed the base. What the fuck was wrong with him? He wanted her more than he wanted anything. Everything had been going fine until he realized he was falling in love with her. He was in love with her and falling hard.
Cursing, he stroked his cock in long, tight tugs. He couldn’t get over the sight of her taking Drew’s cock in her mouth the night before. Nor could he forget the way her pussy had taken everything he’d given her. She hadn’t complained or cried foul. He pulled on his dick over and over. His balls tightened as cum boiled in them.
Drew was in love with her as well. He figured his buddy would be better for her than he was, and he couldn’t see her accepting them both. The thought of his friend loving her without him hurt. He wanted to be a part of their love. Still, he wouldn’t fuck up their relationship for anything.
Ranger’s balls drew up as fire burned down his spine to ignite them. He pumped his cock faster until cum erupted from his dick and sprayed in ribbons against the shower wall. He gasped for breath as he leaned against the ceramic tile. Once he had finally regained some semblance of composure, he cleaned up and turned off the water.
Somehow he wasn’t all that surprised to find Drew standing in the doorway of his bedroom with his arms crossed and a stubborn lift to his chin.
“We’re going to talk this out, man. We’ve been together for too long to fuck around with this. If you’re not into her, she isn’t for us. I’m not going to jeopardize our friendship over a woman.”
Ranger could tell it cost him to say the words. The fact that he had said them tightened his heart. Hell, what was he going to do?
“She’s not going to go for a ménage relationship, Drew. She has a career she loves, and if her friends found out she was living with two men, they’d be disgusted. I’m not good for her. You should grab the chance to be happy.”
“I wouldn’t be happy without you there to help me take care of her,” Drew said quietly.
“Fuck!” Ranger couldn’t believe how stubborn Drew was being.
“You love her, Ranger. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me you weren’t jacking off to thoughts of her.”
“Hell, yeah. She’s hot, but that doesn’t mean anything. If you want to fuck around with her, fine. I’ll go for that, but I’m not looking for anything permanent with her.”
“I’m not going to let you stand by and throw this chance away, Ranger. You’ve been a different man around her. For once you’ve actually laughed and smiled around a woman. She’s perfect for us. Why can’t you see that?” Drew pushed away from the door and got up into his buddy’s face. “Maybe you’re scared. Is that it?”
Ranger drew back to hit his best friend in the world, but stopped. What in the hell was he doing? He stomped off and started dressing.
“I’m going for a ride. I’ll see you later.”
He pushed past Drew and hurried down the stairs to the garage. Maybe some good old-fashioned speed would help him cool off. He pulled on his helmet and climbed on. He turned to look at the door, half expecting to see Drew walk through it, but his buddy didn’t appear.
Fuck him. He might believe in fairy tales, but I sure as hell don’t.
Ranger pulled out of the garage and headed for the back roads where he could open it up some. He hadn’t needed the speed in a long damn time, but he needed it today. It used to be before he and Drew had hooked up in the army that he would try everything there was in an effort to feel something inside. He had spent so much time growing up keeping his face blank and his feelings hidden that eventually he had forgotten how to feel.
Drew had challenged him over and over until the shell he had built around himself began to crack. For the first time since childhood, Ranger felt friendship. He grew to care about Drew and spent the next five years of his life trying to keep them both alive. While overseas, they were introduced to ménages and found the glue that bound them together.
They worked perfectly together. Drew attracted the women and Ranger helped seduce them. Drew tempered his wild side and Ranger brought an edge to the ménages that drove the women crazy. They cared for them and treated them like princesses.
Now that was all over. For a while he had bought into the ménage relationship, believing they could find a woman to love between them and marry her. When Drew had gotten serious about Rachel, he’d been fine because he knew Rachel didn’t really care about him. If she balked at becoming their woman on a permanent basis, it wouldn’t have hurt him. Carly would hurt, though. He had fallen for her before he even knew it. For a little while, he let himself believe they could make it work. Then he heard how much she enjoyed her job, and he knew she wouldn’t go for it.
Ranger took a curve a little too tightly and nearly spun out. He slowed down and pulled off the blacktop road and sat there thinking. No matter how he turned it in his head, he couldn’t see any way for things to turn out like Drew wanted them to. Carly would end up hurt and pull away from them. Drew would be devastated, and Ranger would hate himself for screwing up Drew’s dream.
Maybe it was time for him to move on. He had been a loner before meeting Drew, and to a certain extent, even after they had hooked up. What was keeping him from going back to that now? Nothing, except that he cared about the man and knew it would feel like a betrayal to him. Ranger sighed and turned to head back to the house, no closer to an answer than before.
Chapter Ten
Drew looked over to where Ranger was nailing the sheetrock up inside the office they were working on. He had been quiet ever since he had gotten back from his ride Sunday night. Now it was Saturday and they were due to get off within the next hour or so. The other man hadn’t answered him when he said he wanted to take Carly out dancing after work. He didn’t know if that meant he was coming along or not.
Fuck his stubborn-ass self. If he doesn’t want to come along, so be it. But I’m not going to waste an opportunity to see Carly.
Somehow he had to get Ranger to get past his belief that a relationship with her wouldn’t work out. He knew the other man loved her. He was trying to distance himself to keep from getting hurt.
He took another piece of sheetrock and held it up while Ranger nailed it in place. They had worked in silence all week, speaking only when absolutely necessary. It was getting old. He was about to tell him so when Cole, walked up.
“You guys about ready to knock off for the weekend?”
“Hell, yeah.” Drew wiped his face on his sleeve.
“Got big plans for tonight?” Cole asked.
“Going to take Carly out dancing. Why don’t you and Zack and Tina go?”
“
Naw
, not tonight. We’re planning on everyone getting together for burgers and beer tomorrow. You in?”
Drew looked over at Ranger. His buddy shrugged.
“Yeah, we’ll be there. Might not be able to stay long. Carly has to be home early to get ready for work on Monday.”
“It would be good to meet her. I know Tina and the others will enjoy another woman. See you around noon tomorrow.” Cole walked off.
“Have you checked with Carly to see if she can even go out tonight?” Ranger asked with a trace of sarcasm in his voice.
“Yeah, I talked to her the other night and told her we would take her out to eat and then dancing.”
“You included me?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Did it ever occur to you that I might not want to go?” Ranger gathered their tools and locked them in the cases that went with them when they were on the job.
“Hell, Ranger. Are you going or not?” Drew had just about had it.
Ranger sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets.
“Yeah. I’ll go. Someone needs to watch your back. She’s screwed with your head.”
“And she hasn’t yours?”
“Not anymore.”
Drew stared hard at Ranger but couldn’t see past the cold quiet of his eyes. The old Ranger was back. No doubt he had gotten her out of his system. He wasn’t sure what to do about it. He was head over heels in love with Carly and couldn’t imagine not being around her. He also couldn’t imagine not being around Ranger. They were a team. He needed Ranger to balance him out. He was too giving and would let a woman walk all over him to make her happy. Ranger tended to add the discipline that was needed in any relationship.
Drew had always been that way. He’d grown up in a house with two brothers and one much younger sister. They’d been taught to take care of her and cater to her every need. He tended to treat his women that way now. It meant that they could easily twist him around their finger and have him doing anything for them. Ranger kept him from going off the deep end with every woman they’d ever been with.
Could he be what Carly needed alone?
Drew didn’t think so. She’d enjoyed, reveled even, in having Ranger dominate her. She would miss that. Why did Ranger not see how much she cared for him? Was he being too naïve in believing she would even consider a more permanent relationship? Would she worry what other people thought about her?
Tired of running circles in his head, Drew climbed on his bike and followed Ranger back to the house. Once inside, he stripped and showered. He hoped Ranger was doing the same thing. They were supposed to pick her up around seven. He didn’t want to be late.
When he was dressed, he walked downstairs and found Ranger already enjoying a beer, fully dressed. He wore black jeans and a black T-shirt along with his Shit Kickers. On seeing Drew, he picked up his leather jacket and pulled it on.
“You ready?”
“Are you?”
“Let’s hit the road. Don’t want to keep your lady love waiting.” He took another swig of the beer before heading toward the garage.
They pulled up outside Carly’s apartment building at five after seven. She answered the door dressed in body-hugging jeans and a midriff-baring blouse that left a decent amount of cleavage exposed. She was wearing her hair down, and it framed her face in a soft cloud of natural curls.
“You look beautiful, baby. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready.” She handed him her overnight bag for him to stow in his saddlebag. “Hey, Ranger.”
Ranger nodded but didn’t say anything. Drew wanted to throttle him when her face fell.
“Let’s go. I’m starved,” Drew said.
Ranger helped her on the back of Drew’s bike, much to his relief. At least he wasn’t being a total asshole.
Dinner was a quiet affair where he did most of the talking. Ranger would answer questions, but usually in one- or two-word syllables. When Carly excused herself to go to the bathroom, Drew laid into Ranger.
“If you don’t want to be here, feel free to go back home. You’re upsetting Carly with your attitude. It’s not her fault you’re screwed up about all of this.”
Ranger’s mouth worked for a few seconds, and then he stood up and walked out. Drew sighed. When Carly returned, she looked at Ranger’s vacant chair but kept quiet.
“You ready to hit the club?”
“Can’t wait. I haven’t danced since you and Ranger danced with me.”
“Well, let’s put an end to your dry spell, baby.” He led her out of the restaurant with a hand to her lower back.
When they arrived at the bikes, Ranger was waiting on them, suited up and ready. Drew shook his head. What in the hell was going through his mind? He wasn’t in the mood to babysit him tonight. He wanted to spend time with Carly. Determined not to make a scene, he ignored his buddy and climbed on the bike. When Ranger stepped up to help Carly on the bike, Drew was surprised to see Carly move away from the other man.