What She Craves (6 page)
“Still, I know how you feel,” he admitted, pulling a black T-shirt over his head. “It was on the tip of my tongue too.”
At Con’s admission, Devon stopped in the middle of pulling on his slacks and asked, “Then why are you giving me shit?”
“Because you shouldn’t have asked her to choose, dumb ass.”
“I didn’t ask her to choose, exactly. It was sort of, you know, hypothetically.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night. The point is, we give her a little breathing room. Then we confront her. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“If you two are quite through deciding things for me, I’d like to go home now.”
31
Anne Rainey
At the furious female tone, Devon and Con both turned. Tory stood in the doorway of the bathroom, her hair brushed out, her dress, that silken sapphire that molded so beautifully to her body, properly in place. The only sign of sex was in the ruby red of her cheeks and the kiss-swollen lips. Devon ached to strip her all over again. To seduce her into never leaving Con’s bed.
He forced a smile instead.
“We’re not deciding anything so much as working out a little disagreement.”
“Devon’s right. The only one who has a decision to make is you, baby.”
“The decision being whether or not I’m ready to dive into a relationship with the two of you.”
It wasn’t a question, but Devon answered all the same. “Yes. A relationship like any other couple. The only difference is that you’ll have two men sharing your bed at night instead of one.”
Tory picked up her purse and shot him an angry glare. “That’s a really big difference, Devon. So don’t act as if it’s all so cut and dried.”
“It’s unconventional, yes, but I happen to think we could make it work. We’re good together. We’ve always been comfortable with each other. Admit that much, Tory.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that. We
have
always been comfortable with each other. I’m more at ease around you two than any other man I’ve ever known.” He started to speak, but she stopped him by holding up her purse as if it wielded some sort of power. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m, at heart, a pretty conservative woman. I’ve done something really wild tonight. I’m need to come to terms with that aspect first.”
“And the thought of doing it again?” Con asked, a cocky grin on his face.
“The thought of doing it again should have me feeling embarrassed, at the very least.” She held her purse to her chest and said, “But I’m not.”
Devon’s cock stood at attention. “You’re not?”
“No, and I don’t know what to make of that. I’ve never been like this before.”
Hearing the quiver in her voice was too much. Devon and Con both went to her. Con took her in his arms while Devon rubbed her back. “It’s Christmas, sugar,” Devon murmured. “Save all these questions for later.”
“Devon’s right, baby,” Con said, his tone gentle, soothing. “We’re not going anywhere. When you’re ready, you’ll tell us.”
Tory buried her head in Con’s T-shirt and nodded. They stood like that for several minutes, no words, just touching and embracing. They’d done it a thousand times before, but this time it was different. This time, Devon and Con had had a sip of paradise. They wanted more. They wanted all of it. It was anyone’s guess if they’d get it.
32
Christmas had gone well. Like every other Christmas, Tory had spent the day with her parents, then she’d taken presents over to the children’s hospital. She’d finished the day off by exchanging gifts with Summer and Gage. Everything had been wonderful. The one thing missing had been Devon and Con. They hadn’t called or showed up at her door the entire day. They’d promised to give her time. They’d stayed true to their word. So, why did she feel as if they’d somehow abandoned her?
Now, two days later, Tory couldn’t even bring herself to get any work done on the latest website she was setting up for a new client. Worse, she’d been sleeping on the couch instead of in her own bed.
Summer had called several times, but she’d avoided her. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized the truth. She missed Devon and Con. She wanted them back in her life. And not just a friends, either. What a mess.
Tuesday night, and she looked like hell. She hadn’t showered, her laundry was piling up, and her house was a pigsty. The solution to her depression was stupidly obvious. All she needed to do was pick up the phone and call Devon. He and Con would be at her door within minutes. Her misery would be over. So why was she hesitating?
Easy—because loving two men wasn’t normal. Guilt washed over her every time she thought of the night she’d spent in Con’s bed. Guilt and arousal. Not a happy combo.
Forget about them and get a damn shower already
, she told her dismal reflection.
Nothing happened, of course. That’s what happens when you’re miserable. You stay that way until something or someone kicks you out of it
.
Her doorbell rang, and her heartbeat sped up. Could it be Devon and Con? Had they finally stopped waiting on her to come to them? When she heard Summer call out to her to open the damn door or she’d break it down, Tory’s hopes plummeted.
She left the bathroom and headed out to the front room. “Go away!”
“Open it, Tory.”
Tory grumbled under her breath, but secretly she was pleased to have the company. Anything was preferable to wallowing in her own gloomy thoughts. She moved to the door, flipped the lock and pulled the door wide.
“Look, I’m not in the mood for company right now, okay?”
Anne Rainey
Summer pushed her way inside. “You’ve been avoiding my calls, and I want to know why.” She looked around, sniffed the air and screwed up her nose in disgust. “No offense, sweetie, but your house stinks.”
“Yeah, well, I like the smell.” Tory crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to gag when she realized she’d forgotten to take out the trash.
Summer arched her brow. “First, you’re going to get your skinny blonde butt in the shower.
Afterwards, we’re going to clean up this mess. Then we’re going to have a nice little chat.”
Tory weighed the merits of denying her lifelong friend, but knew it wasn’t worth it. Besides, she did sort of need a good washing. “I think I’m going to go shower.”
Summer nodded. “Good choice. I’ll get started out here.”
“Whatever.” Tory started out of the room, trying really hard not to look at her bed as she passed it on the way to the bathroom. The sight of the bed made her think of Con’s bed and the night the three of them had shared. Her stomach knotted. Would she ever know pleasure like that again? Was it possible to have a happy future with not one, but two men? As she peeled out of her clothes and stepped into the shower, Tory let her mind drift to that night. The way the men had made her feel. It went beyond sex. They’d cherished her. Loved her. No other man would ever be able to hold a candle to Devon and Con. The mere thought of sharing her body with another sent a cold chill down her spine. They’d ruined her for anyone else. Damn, there she went again. Crying like a baby. She hated crying. She thought she’d cried herself dry. Apparently not.
After Tory finished her shower, she slipped into a clean pair of heather-grey cotton shorts and a white tank. She wrapped her hair in a fluffy cotton towel and went to see if Summer had made a dent in the filth.
Tory was surprised to see the living room tidied and Summer doing the dishes. Summer looked over at her and nodded. “Get a rag and wipe a few inches of dust off those coffee tables in there. After I finish here, I’ll make us some of that herbal tea your mom bought for you and we can talk about what’s bothering you.”
Tory bent down and grabbed the furniture polish from underneath the sink and a few paper towels.
“Tea sounds great, but I don’t want to talk about it,” she mumbled.
“Too bad. You could have come to me, but you didn’t. So, you lose, I win. We talk.”
“Geez, when did you get so assertive?”
Summer laughed. “Gage is wearing off on me, I guess.”
For the first time since Christmas Eve, Tory felt a smile curving her lips. An honest-to-God smile.
Even as kids, Summer could always make her smile when Tory thought all she was capable of was crying.
Tory went to work on the dust. An hour later, her house looked livable again and no longer smelled of old garbage. Summer poked a finger in the direction of the round kitchen table. Tory took the hint and sat, while Summer served the tea.
34
What She Craves
Feeling like she should say something, Tory blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I’m sorry for being such a Grumpy Gus. I’m lucky to have a friend like you. I really mean that, Summer.”
“We’re lucky to have each other,” Summer said as she sat in the chair across from her. “But that’s not the issue right now. Tell me what’s wrong. What happened on your date with Devon?”
Tory stiffened. “What makes you think this has anything to do with Devon?”
Summer frowned as she spooned way too much sugar into her tiny cup of tea. “You’ve been in a funk ever since that night. So, give it up.”
“It’s not just about Devon. It involves Con too.”
“What involves Con? I’m confused. I thought this was like a lover’s quarrel or something.”
No way could Summer know about the sex. It wasn’t possible. “Devon and I are friends, not lovers,”
Tory hedged.
“Maybe that’s what you’ve always told yourself, but I’ve seen the way you look at him when he’s not aware. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” She stopped, then added, “What happened at the party, Tory?”
Tory wrapped her hands around the steaming mug. This was one of those moments. Sort of like ripping off a bandage, she needed to get it over with fast and with as little pain as possible. “I made love to Devon and Con. At the same time. In Con’s bed. And it was fan-freaking-tastic. Okay? Are you happy now?”
Summer’s eyes widened. “Whoa! Both of them? Like, at once?”
Tory slumped, feeling guilty all over again. “Yeah, both of them like at once. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“And you wish it had never happened?” she asked gently.
“Actually, no.” Tory felt heat filling her cheeks. “I mean, yeah, I feel guilty, but I…I think I’m in love with them. Both.”
“Wow,” Summer whispered, then fell silent as she sipped her tea.
After several seconds, Tory couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “Do you think I’m horrible?”
Summer put her cup down, reached across the table and covered Tory’s hand with her own. “Don’t be ridiculous. I would never think that, Tory. I do have one question, though.”
Tory snorted. When a woman spills her deepest darkest secret, it made everything else seem like a piece of cake. “I’m an open book. Shoot.”
“Do you have any chocolate around here? I think we need it to think this through properly.”
Tory laughed, feeling better already. Apparently, confession really was good for the soul. Pointing toward the freezer, she said, “There’s a bar on the door.”
“Ah yes. I nearly forgot, you always keep a few one-pounders in there for emergencies.” Summer stood and went to the fridge.
35
Anne Rainey
“I don’t know what to do, Summer. It was supposed to be one night. Something wild and fun. But now, I think I’m in love with them. How crazy, right?”
Summer broke off a cold piece of the sweet bit of heaven and handed it to her. She sat back down at the table and stared at her as she ate. It was only after they finished off every last crumb of the chocolate bar that she spoke again. “How do Devon and Con feel? Were they just out for a good time?”
“No. They both talked about wanting a relationship with me.”
“They care. That’s a good thing, Tory.”
“I know, but both of them? That’s not normal.”
“Ah, so that’s what’s bothering you. It’s unconventional.”
Tory shrugged and toyed with the lip of her cup. “I’ve always imagined a relationship like what my Nana and Grandpa had. Falling in love and having kids, then living all happily-ever-after.”
“You can have that with Devon and Con. It’ll be difficult, but what relationship is easy?”
Tory frowned. “This isn’t just difficult. This is a mess.”
“You’ve been miserable ever since you left them. I know what that feels like, and it’s no fun.”
“You mean because after Seth died you were miserable?”
“Seth’s death devastated me. I didn’t think I’d get through it. With the help of friends, I did. But that’s not what I mean.”
“Then what?” The towel on her head slipped to the side, so she yanked it off and threw it over the chair next to her.
“Gage. He and I spent some really wonderful nights together. I felt guilty, like I was betraying Seth somehow. It wasn’t until Gage went back to Ohio that I realized I didn’t want to live without him. I didn’t want to admit it, not even to myself, but Gage had slipped under my radar. I fell in love with him and it scared me. That fear, had I let it, could’ve ruined my second chance at happiness. Don’t let fear ruin this chance, Tory. Talk to Devon and Con. Tell them how you feel.”
Tory stared at her tea, mulling over Summer’s words. “I don’t know, Summer. I’m so scared.”
“What do you really have to lose?”
“What will people think? What will my parents think?”
Summer waved the words away. “I’ve met your parents. They’re going to have a hard time at first.
But they’ll adjust. They only want to see you happy, and you know it. Stop making excuses.”
“You’re right, I am making excuses.”
Summer started to speak, but the doorbell rang. She quirked a brow and said, “I bet I know who that is.”
Tory’s stomach bottomed out. “They’re done waiting on me to come to them.”
“Go to them, sweetie. Be honest with them. Be honest with yourself. It’ll work out, you’ll see.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
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