One-Two Punch (30 page)

Nipping her smiling lower lip, Harry’s face suddenly turned serious. “Are you really okay with all of this?”

“Really and truly,” Beth assured him. “How about you? I mean, was last night…”

“It was good,” he admitted. “I wanted it. Been wanting it for a long time, actually.

So watching was…?”

“Hot.” No reason to beat around the bush, she figured. “Watching the two of you in the bathroom last night—whew. I hardly had to touch myself before I came.”

His eyes dilated at her words, almost losing the blue irises to the black of his pupils.

“Fuck,” he swore roughly, his hands tightening on hers. Beth swallowed at his intense stare, the way his skin drew tight across his cheekbones. “Do you know how hard that gets—”

Ky threw open the bedroom door. “Knock it off, you two—the waffles are getting cold,” he tossed at them and headed back to the kitchen.

With a groan, Harry turned back to Beth and raised an eyebrow.

“Waffles, Cap’n,” she said wistfully. “With fresh strawberries.”

“Okay, okay,” he grumbled, rolling off her. “Your stomach wins this time.”

Beth grinned, twisting to give his sulking mouth a quick kiss. “Waffles,” she reminded him and his irrepressible smile returned.

“Fresh strawberries?” he asked.

“If Ky doesn’t eat them all.”

Harry sat up. “Then what are you waiting for, woman? We have to hurry!”

Laughing, they ran to the kitchen, sliding to an awkward halt when they saw Ky and his dad poking at the waffles on their plates.

“Hello.” Harry was the first to recover. He stepped toward Malcolm, offering a hand. “I’m Harry Morris.”

“I figured as much,” Malcolm said dryly, shaking Harry’s hand after an almost unnoticeable hesitation. “Malcolm West.”

“I figured as much,” Harry said with a good-natured smile. “I wanted to thank you for all your help when Beth was missing—you’re the reason we were able to find her in time.” His smile dropped away as his eyes took on the haunted cast they always had when he thought about the kidnapping.

“Glad I could help,” Malcolm said with a self-conscious frown.

Awkward silence fell over the kitchen until Harry spoke again. “Staying in town long?”

After a quick glance at an expressionless Ky, Malcolm shrugged. “Not too sure yet.”

“We should all go out to dinner tonight,” Beth suggested impulsively, then threw a quick glance at Ky. She was relieved to see that he just shrugged—the exact shrug that Malcolm had given just a second before. There was two of Ky, Beth marveled. That was a little scary.

“I don’t want to intrude on your plans,” Malcolm began stiffly but Harry waved off his reservations.

“We don’t have any plans,” he told the older man. “We’re usually homebodies.”

Malcolm looked at the three of them, his expression curious but guarded. “What exactly is your relationship?” he asked Harry.

“He’s my boyfriend,” Ky said before Harry could even open his mouth, Ky’s challenging stare fixed on his father’s face.

Without any change of expression, Malcolm nodded slowly, absorbing that bit of information. “So where do you fit in?” he finally asked Beth.

“I—” Breaking off, she looked helplessly at the men. It was one thing to tell Sheri about their threesome but a whole other thing to tell Ky’s dad.

“She’s my girlfriend,” Ky answered with a pugnacious scowl.

Malcolm’s forehead creased. He was obviously baffled. “I don’t understand,” he said, looking from one person to another. “So the three of you…” He trailed off, looking shocked as comprehension hit him.

“We’re together. All of us,” Ky confirmed, watching his father warily. A kaleidoscope of emotions passed over the older man’s face. “Still want to have dinner?”

Ky asked, his challenging tone disguising a core of sincerity.

Malcolm was silent for several moments. Beth was pretty sure that they all held their breath until he spoke again, his eyes on his son’s face. “Sure. Dinner sounds…interesting.”

“Great!” Beth and Harry chorused, relieved, then looked at each other and laughed.

They both looked over at Ky, who was trying to hold onto his unreadable expression.

Despite his best efforts, his eyes flashed gold with relief.

“Great,” he echoed, obviously shooting for sarcasm, but his quick, sincerely pleased grin took the bite out of his words.

Malcolm, still looking a bit shell-shocked, got up to leave. Resting a tentative hand on Ky’s shoulder, he said, “See you tonight then, son.” With an awkward nod to Harry and Beth, he left.

They eyed each other in silence for a few moments before Beth said, “Wow.” She plopped down on a stool at the island.

“I was just joking about the whole ‘meet the parents’ thing, you know,” Harry said.

His straight-faced delivery was broken by a grin when Ky punched his arm in retaliation. “Seriously, Ky, that’s great—I’m glad that you and your dad are making up.”

Ky shrugged as usual but he did look, if not relaxed, at least less belligerent.

“What’s with you?” he asked Beth, who was staring blankly into space, food ignored.

“Hmmm?” she murmured absently, before snapping back into the moment. “Sorry, I was thinking about tonight.

“Uh-oh,” Ky grumbled. “What are you plotting now?” His sigh was heavy and martyred.

“No ‘plotting’, as you call it,” she defended herself. “Just what to wear. I want your dad to…I mean, I don’t want him to think that…” She trailed off, flustered.

“What?” Ky asked, moving in behind her. “That you’re a wild woman with two men in your bed?” He teasingly nipped the side of her neck, missing her embarrassed flush. Harry caught it though, and his smile fell away.

“Stop,” Beth commanded, keeping her voice light as she attempted to jab him with her elbow. Ky was too quick and her elbow just hit empty air. “I don’t want him to think I’m a slut.”

“What do you care?” Ky took the stool next to hers, adding flippantly, “He’s not
your
dad.”

Beth shrugged, trying to hide the flash of silly hurt that darted through her. She must not have been successful, since Harry went still and was watching her closely.

Faking a careless smile, she pushed off her stool and headed for the bedroom.

“What’s wrong?” Harry called after her.

“Nothing,” she tossed back over her shoulder. “Be right back.” Slipping into the bedroom, she quietly closed the door.

Harry reached over to smack his palm against the back of Ky’s head.

“Ow!” Ky rubbed the injured spot, scowling. “What the hell was that?” he demanded.

“For hurting her feelings,” Harry snapped.

Ky stared at him. “What’d I say?” he asked.

“I don’t know—something. Just go fix it,” Harry ordered. He turned his back on Ky and started tossing breakfast dishes into the sink with little regard for anything breakable.

Ky, wincing at the noise, watched Harry’s stiff back for a few seconds before climbing off the stool and heading toward the bedroom. The door was closed but Ky didn’t knock. He pushed it open in a spurt of righteous annoyance, feeling put-upon.

How am I supposed to guess what hurts her feelings?
he thought indignantly.

His irritation faded a little when he saw her small figure sitting cross-legged on the bed. She didn’t look up at his entrance and he stood by the bed for a few moments, feeling awkward and churlish.

Beth’s blonde curls hung along her cheeks, hiding her expression from him. She had been looking at something in her hand when he’d burst in on her, something that she had quickly tucked beneath her knee.

“What’s that?” Ky asked gruffly, plopping down onto the bed next to her.

“Nothing. Go away.” She turned her head so he still couldn’t see her face.

“Come on, Beth—don’t be mad.” Scowling, he muttered almost too low for her to hear, “I’m sorry.”

Surprise at hearing an actual apology from Ky brought her head up. “I’m not mad at you, Pokey,” she eventually admitted. “I guess I’m just a little sensitive about the whole father thing. It was silly.”

“Yeah, it was,” Ky agreed, bumping her lightly with his shoulder. “You know I don’t mean any of the shit I say. For fuck’s sake, I love you, stupid.”

Beth had to laugh at that. “Thanks,” she told him dryly.

“Now let me see that,” he ordered, reaching for the item she had tucked out of sight.

“Hey!” Beth protested, trying unsuccessfully to grab it before he did.

Ky triumphantly pulled a photo out from under her and held it up so he could see.

“Huh,” he grunted. “This your dad?”

“Yeah.” Beth tucked her knees up under her chin. “I rescued that before it went into the shredder. My mom cut him out of all our pictures. Our family album has a lot of strangely shaped photos in it.”

“I take it he didn’t stick around?” Ky guessed, handing the picture back to her.

She shook her head. “I don’t know why I even keep this. He obviously didn’t care, so why should I?” Despite her words, her thumb slid carefully across the smiling face in the photograph.

Ky shrugged. “Dunno. I mean, no matter what shitty things they do, they’re still your parents, you know? Can’t really do anything about how you feel.”

Beth gave him a quick glance. “Your mom…?”

“She lives in Japan. Went back there when I was two.”

“Why didn’t she—” Beth broke off when the extreme tactlessness of her question occurred to her too late.

Ky just raised an eyebrow at her, the corner of his mouth inching up at her discomfort. “Take me with her?” he finished.

“Well, yeah,” she admitted, squirming.

“Same reason your dad didn’t take you along—didn’t want the responsibility. Or the reminder. Some lame-ass reason.”

She nodded and they both sat in silence for a few moments.

“Seems like a parent should know what things will really fuck up their kids,” Ky said conversationally.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “And maybe not do those things?”

“Yeah,” he agreed and then smiled at her, his rare, painfully sweet grin.
If he only
knew what I would do for him when he smiles like that
, Beth thought.

“I’m still hungry,” Ky announced. “Think we can have an hour of drama-free time to actually eat?”

“Sounds good,” she said, slipping the partial photo into the bedside table drawer.

“I’m all for a drama-free zone.”

He rubbed his head. “Harry’s pissed at me,” he admitted a little sheepishly.

Beth grinned. “That’s okay. The Cap’n is pretty hot when he’s mad.”

Ky thought about that. “Yeah,” he agreed, his eyes heating to gold. “He really is.”

With that, he grabbed her hand and towed her back toward the kitchen.

Harry had to man the front desk that afternoon, so Beth settled into a corner with her sketch pad. She roughed out an outline of Ky as he sparred with Dominic in the ring, managing to capture his cocky, balanced stance but having a hard time with his face.
He’s just too fricking gorgeous
, Beth grumped, grabbing her eraser for the fiftieth time. How was she supposed to draw something so beautiful?

She lost her model as the men climbed out of the ring but she was more relieved than anything. She needed a break anyway. Putting down her pad of paper, Beth stretched her arms over her head, deciding to harass Ky until he agreed to teach her how to break someone’s shoulder. She wandered over to the two men.

“Check it out, you guys,” Dominic stage whispered when Beth got within hearing distance. He jerked his thumb toward the front of the gym. Ky and Beth looked over to see a woman talking to Harry. The tall brunette looked familiar.

“Who is she?” Beth asked, standing on her tiptoes to get a better view.

“That’s Cruella De Vil,” Dominic told them with glee, rolling his eyes when they looked at him blankly. “His ex? Candice?”

“Oh!” That’s why she looked familiar, Beth realized. “She threw a drink in his face!”

“That’s the one,” Dominic said. Stepping closer, he asked, “Do you think she’s here trying to get him back?”

“If she tries, I’ll rip her hair out,” Beth growled, making Dominic snort with laughter.

“Bitch,” muttered Ky. Beth glanced at him, offended, but realized that his gaze was on Candice.

“Total bitch,” Dominic agreed, nodding wholeheartedly.

“Total fucking bitch,” Beth hissed, feeling her fingers folding into fists. Dominic and Ky looked at her in surprise. “Look at her, with her perfect hair and her perfect face and her perfect size-two body…” She trailed off, her vindictive tone fading to a forlorn sigh.

“Do you think she wants him back, Ky?”

Wrapping his arms around her from behind, Ky hugged her back into his chest and rested his chin on the top of her head. “Don’t worry,” he told her, his voice oddly kind.

“You’re twenty times hotter than she is.”

“Thanks, Pokey,” she sighed, resting her cheek against the hard curve of his arm. “I love you too, you know.”

“Yeah.” He dropped a kiss on her temple. “I know.”

Dominic stared at them, his mouth hanging open. “Does Harry know about this?”

he finally asked.

“Yeah, he does,” Harry said from behind him. Dominic jumped. Beth looked toward the front of the gym where Harry had been talking to his ex just moments before and caught a glimpse of her sleek dark head as Candice stalked out the door.

“God, you’re fast,” Beth told Harry. “How’s the girlfriend?” Although she was striving for nonchalance, her words came out less casual and more wildly jealous.

“You two are dumbasses,” Harry told them. “Don’t you know that you both have me completely whipped?” He kissed Beth, a quick, possessive press against her startled lips. Looking at Ky, Harry shook his head. “I’m in love with a pair of idiots.” Then he kissed Ky, the same hard, claiming kiss that he had just given Beth.

“Whoa,” Dominic breathed, his eyes huge. The gym members who had been working out within view of the scene stared in fascination but Harry ignored them.

“Come on,” he said, throwing an arm over Beth’s and Ky’s shoulders and pulling them tightly into his sides.

“I’ve been thinking,” he mused as they walked toward the back stairs, “that there’s not much privacy living here. Maybe we should buy a house.”