Three of a Kind Read online

  “I hate that you can even think about another man.”

  “I love you, Alex. I love you.”

  “And Des.”

  “That doesn’t matter. It doesn’t affect us.”

  “Unless you call me by his name.”

  “A horrible, terrible mistake. That’s all. Please believe me, that’s all. I’m with you because I love you.” Knowing actions spoke louder than words could, she inched her hand forward and brushed her fingers over his cock.

  It swelled at her touch.

  “Shit!” He clasped the arms of the chair as though he fought to suppress his rising erection.

  “Don’t fight me, Al,” she whispered. “Let me prove I love you.” Her gaze was no longer on his face. It rested on his lap, on the movement of her hand as she stroked him more boldly, on the hardening of his shaft.

  “God, baby, I want you to love me,” he said on a groan.

  “I do, Al. I swear, I do.” She bent her neck, kissed the inside of his thigh, slowly working her way upward until she grazed his shaft with her lips.

  She whispered his name. “Alex.”

  It was an acknowledgment, a sign of recognition. She had no doubt which man sat before her. Which man she’d apologized to.

  “Megan.” Her name escaped on a sigh.

  She opened her mouth and ran her tongue lightly over the tiny slit in his cock.

  “Ah, fuck.” Alex arched his hips, pushing himself against her mouth. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  “Shhh,” she soothed, letting her breath breeze over his shaft. “Let me make it okay. Let me love you. Please.”

  She risked a glance at his face and found him staring at her with a devastatingly intense expression.

  “Okay?” she asked, terrified of the answer.

  He looked at her for a very long time, the intensity of his gaze not receding one bit. Finally, finally he nodded his agreement. “Okay.”

  A dry sob broke free of her throat. “Okay then.”

  Before she could burst into tears and cry like a baby, she turned her full attention to the job at hand.

  Sitting on the tip of his penis was a precious bead of precome he’d spilled. For her. She licked it away and swallowed it down over the lump in her throat.

  The tension broke free of Alex. His muscles relaxed and he released his death grip on the chair. She suppressed her breath of relief.

  Megan ran her tongue down the length of his cock, accepting the chance he’d given her to make things right between them. She lapped up the musky salt that remained from their loving last night. Their mixed tastes mingled on her tongue, a reminder of everything she and Alex had created together. Not just the sex and the loving, but the relationship they’d built. The intimacy of their conversations, sharing thoughts and stories and their lives. Telling each other secrets no one else knew. Well, no one else except Des as far as her secrets went. Smiling at each other over wineglasses and debating world affairs over dinner. Shedding their clothes in their mutual desire to touch, and lying side by side, gasping for breath in the aftermath of their passion.

  The taste sensation exploded on her tongue and she lapped at him, ravenous for more.

  “Megan?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Close your eyes.”

  She licked her lips. “Already shut.” She moved over his erection, guided by touch alone.

  “Keep ’em that way.”

  She nodded obediently and found his cock again.

  “Now…tell—” His voice caught as she sucked him in. “Tell me…my name.”

  “Alex.” Her answer was muffled, compliments of the erection interfering with intelligible speech, but it must have sufficed because Alex thrust his hips up, surging deeper into her mouth.

  Silence followed, punctuated only by the greedy sounds of her lips as she took him in as far as she could, relishing the thick shaft that tickled the back of her throat. She slid her lips back up his length and circled her tongue around his cockhead before sucking him in once again.

  Up and down, over and over she worked him. Her hair fell over her forehead, onto his stomach and thighs, shifting with her as she moved.

  He was too big for her, too long, and she wrapped her hand around the base of his shaft, pumping in time with the movements of her mouth. Long moments passed as she loved him, fed on him. His desire increased her own, and her clit throbbed, craving his touch.

  She thanked God for giving her this second chance. After what she’d said, Alex had every right to hate her. To reject her and send her away. That he allowed her access to his most private of body parts, in this most private of rituals, was a blessing of the highest level.

  Her pussy pulsed. The knowledge that he wanted her regardless of her feelings for Des aroused her more than words or actions ever could.

  “Megan?” His legs shifted beside her cheeks, the muscles stiffening, until she rested her chin on one rock-hard thigh. Her nipples brushed against the hair on his shins, abrading the sensitive surfaces.

  “Hmmm?”

  Her answer vibrated over his cock and he shuddered.

  “Your eyes still closed, baby?”

  “Mm-hm.” More precome trickled from his tip and she swallowed it, moaning with pleasure.

  His balls tightened below her hands, telling her his orgasm was close. God, she was close to coming too, and he hadn’t even touched her.

  “Who am I?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Who am I?” he demanded again.

  Loath as she was to let go of him, this was too important an opportunity to ignore. She released him with a wet slurp and tilted her chin so she faced upwards. She couldn’t see him, but she felt his gaze on her face, knew he was watching her.

  “You’re the man I love.”

  She continued to pump with her hand, refusing to free him altogether. Something told her that so long as they maintained bodily contact she wouldn’t lose him.

  His testicles flexed each time she touched them.

  “Say my name,” he said with a growl.

  “Alex.”

  His cock grew in her hands.

  “Say it again.”

  “Alex.” She pumped faster, heard his breath come out in small gasps. “Alex.”

  She opened her eyes to find his gaze on her mouth, his eyes black as night and glazed with desire. Desire whipped free inside her, like a coil unwinding. She plunged her free hand down to her pussy and touched herself.

  A jolt shook through her. “Oh, God, Alex!”

  His body convulsed and he cried out.

  She bent her neck and captured his cock in her mouth an instant before he erupted. Jets of come streamed down the back of her throat. She swallowed every drop, every delectable morsel he spurted.

  His release spurred hers. She pressed hard against her clit and juice spilled from her pussy as she lost control. His cock pulsed in her mouth and she shuddered around her finger.

  When the tremors and the shivers finally subsided, and Alex’s spasms had long run dry, she released his softened cock with a shuddery sigh, collapsed on her knees and rested her forehead on his thigh.

  She waited until he’d come down from his high before she looked up at his face and smiled. “I love you, Alex Truman.”

  His answering smile was a bigger reward than any she could ever have asked for.

  Chapter Three

  “Full house,” Meg announced with glee, showing her cards.

  “Unbelievable.” Max shook his head and tossed his hand facedown on the table. “You’ve been playing for all of a week and you’re already cleaning us out.”

  Meg grinned. “What can I say? Alex is a great instructor.”

  “More like you’re a quick study.” Alex winked at her.

  Her grin stretched into the Meg-a-watt smile when s
he looked Alex’s way. “I should have learned the game years ago. I could have quit teaching and become a professional poker player.”

  Des tried not to bristle. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t proposed to show her the game a hundred times. He’d been a willing coach, but she’d refused his every offer. A week under Alex’s tutelage and Meg was a skilled player. Or maybe she was just a good bluffer. Either way, her chips were stacking up while everyone else’s were diminishing.

  Trevor gathered the cards to straighten and shuffle the pack, readying them for the next hand.

  Meg drew her chair closer to Des, scraping the legs against the wooden floorboards. “Hey, you.” She bumped her shoulder against his arm affectionately.

  “Hey, yourself.” He bumped her back. He couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face. No matter what shit he had to sort through, and no matter how jealous he might still be after two months, being with Meg always raised his spirits.

  Instead of moving away like he’d expected her to, she stayed right where she was, with her shoulder pressed up against his arm. “Wanna see a movie tomorrow night?”

  Des almost laughed out loud. Sit beside her in a darkened theater for over two hours? Not likely. A couple of months ago that would not have been a prob. Now? Fucking torture. “I’d love to, but I’m busy.”

  “Hot date?”

  Oh, yeah. Just him and his telly remote, curled up on the couch together. “Work.”

  Was it his imagination, or was Alex watching them?

  She scrunched up her nose. “On a Saturday night?”

  “There’s a new phone releasing on Monday. I have to be ready for it. Figured I’d slack off tonight at cards and use the rest of the weekend to work.” When had he become such an expert liar? Even if there was a new phone releasing, his store managers were more than able to handle the buzz without him.

  “You work too hard,” she muttered, and leaned over to collect the cards Trevor dealt. They played the next two hands without speaking, but that didn’t mean Des wasn’t acutely aware of every move she made.

  She neglected to pull her chair back to its original spot, instead remaining right where she was, her arm plastered against his. Usually it wouldn’t have bothered him. Meg was always affectionate. He should be accustomed to it.

  A couple of months ago he’d have stretched his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. Kissed her head and teased her about the stars that seemed to have settled permanently in her eyes. Now? That same damn arm was cramping from stiffness, and he couldn’t think up one amusing thing to say.

  Besides, Alex was watching them again.

  Heat radiated off her, burning through his shirtsleeves at the exact places their bodies touched. The familiar floral scent of her shampoo wafted through his nose, and her curls tickled his neck whenever she turned her head.

  She drove him slowly insane. His cock had perked up the instant she touched him. His pants—which fit just fine earlier today—drew tight over his groin, making his current position even more untenable. If he had to sit here for the next hour or so, smelling Meg, he’d do himself irreparable damage.

  Frustrated, Des rubbed his eyes and imagined as much blood, guts and gore as possible. Of course it made no difference. The erection from hell still plagued him, and it wasn’t going down anytime soon. Not when the sweetest laughter he’d ever heard tinkled through his ear and vibrated through his chest.

  He lost the next two hands and half his chips along with them. His concentration was shot, and the most simple of plays was beyond him.

  Meg took great pleasure in drawing the winnings of the second hand over and stacking them in color-coordinated piles. Much as he enjoyed her taking delight in her spoils, the click-clack of one chip hitting another tortured Des like a slow-dripping tap.

  Jay called for a five-minute bathroom break, and everyone got up to wander around and stretch their legs. Alex blew Meg a kiss and offered to get her a vodka cruiser. She accepted with a smile.

  Des was a beer man through and through, but he kept a constant supply of cruisers at home for Meg. When Alex called to say she’d be joining them for poker, he’d set several bottles down beside the regular stash of poker-night beer and scotch.

  “You want a beer, mate?” Alex offered. His tone was friendly enough but his gaze was cooler than usual.

  “That’d be great, thanks.” Any other time he’d get up and help himself, ’specially seeing as this was his house. Two things kept him seated. The first was Meg. He wasn’t moving an inch away from her anytime soon. The second was his damned erection from hell. If he stood now, his hunger for Meg would be as obvious to the rest of the poker school as it was to Des.

  She linked her arm through his. “It feels like we never spend time together anymore.” She squeezed his biceps. “I miss you, Des.”

  He sighed. “I miss you too, Meggy-mine.” Way more than she’d ever fathom.

  “So why don’t you pick up the phone? Talk to me sometime?”

  Des snickered. “Because it’s too damn heavy.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I have so many text messages from you, they’re weighing down my mobile.”

  She grinned at him. “You could delete them.”

  “And erase all those pep talks? Not on your life.”

  Meg had taken to texting him at least twice a day. At first she’d just sent simple, hang-in-there or I’m-here-if-you-need-me messages. Then they’d morphed into profound philosophical quotes about hope, which made Des want to throw up. He texted her back to tell her as much. Never one to be deterred, Meg’s messages became snarky one-liners or silly jokes she’d just heard.

  “You don’t like my texts?” Her eyes twinkled.

  Des tucked in to his back pocket and withdrew his iPhone. He scrolled through his texts, found the one he sought and showed it to her.

  “If you fart too hard you go flying upward,” she read out loud.

  “They’re inspiring, Meg. Really help me to get through a day.” His voice was deadpan.

  Peals of laughter rang from her. “I knew you’d like that one. Had to share it ASAP.”

  He couldn’t help it. He laughed right along with her. “You’re bloody nuts.”

  “I am,” she agreed wholeheartedly. “And that, my friend, is why you love me.”

  This time his laugh held no humor. “That and a whole host of other reasons.”

  Megan blinked hard. The muscle in her cheek ticked. For a long moment neither one of them spoke. Des just stared at her, knowing he shouldn’t have made such a dumb comment, but unable to regret it. Damn it. He did love her for a whole host of reasons. Hundreds of them. Thousands.

  Megan bit her lip while her cheek ticked away. She broke the awkward silence with a cry. “Hey. You haven’t commented on my poker skills. What do you think?”

  “Oh, I’m impressed. Bloody impressed.” He nodded to reinforce his words. “But confused too. You? Learning poker? Doesn’t compute. What’s the story?”

  Her brow wrinkled. “You really wanna know?”

  “’Course I wanna know.”

  “I learnt it for you.”

  That had him sitting up straighter. “Me? What have I got to do with your card skills?”

  She jutted her chin out, looking defiant. “Well, you said it before. You’re dealing with something, and you need your space. You didn’t want me poking around in your business.”

  He winced. “Shit, I really said that?”

  “Yes, Des. You really said that.” She lowered her chin a little. “Uh, maybe not the part about not wanting me poking into your business, but definitely the bit about needing space. From me.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, me too. I figured since you rebuffed all of my attempts to talk to you, and haven’t been round to my place in ov
er six weeks, if I wanted to see you, it would have to be on your terms.” She grinned triumphantly. “What better terms than poker?”

  Fuck the awkwardness. He pulled his arm away from hers, dropped it over her shoulder and tucked her in close. Then he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, just as he had on any number of occasions. “You’re a good friend,” he whispered, his nose still burrowed in her hair. “The best.”

  Christ, he’d missed her. Never mind the bit about needing to haul her into his arms, hold her there forever and kiss her senseless. He just missed his friend, Meggy.

  “I know.” Her smugness made him laugh. “And in just a few short weeks, I’ll be a good poker player too. The best.” She tilted her head back and looked him in the eye.

  Hers danced with humor, and something else. Something Des could not fathom and didn’t try to. He just enjoyed this easy moment with her, relished the closeness they’d found again. The rest of the world faded to nothing as the two of them chuckled together.

  Of course, Alex chose that moment to break in, setting two bottles on the table. “Here you go, baby. A cruiser for you and an ice-cold Tooheys for your friend.”

  Des nodded his thanks at Alex and watched as the man sat on the other side of Meg, in Julia’s chair.

  The moment between him and Meg was gone.

  Des removed his arm with reluctance and Meg sat up. He kept his grin plastered on his face, hoping it didn’t look as empty as he felt.

  Alex stretched across the table and pulled his phone and wallet over, telling Des, without words, that he was staying right where he was. Des-and-Meg time was officially over. Her boyfriend was back.

  What the fuck? Did Alex just get territorial?

  His spine prickled. He resisted the urge to tug Meg back against him and show the guy just who she’d belonged with first. Long before Alex stepped on the scene.