“Ian guessed.” Scott blushed at some memory. “He…um…said I always looked at him too long.”
“He said I always stared at his ass.” I had a feeling Ryan only started to share because he sensed Scott was uncomfortable.
“So neither of you knew about the other?” There was clearly more of a story than they were willing to fess up too. Something about the way they carefully kept their gaze away from the other and the way they danced around the specifics had my curiosity going.
They shook their heads, but Scott answered. “Ian made it clear it wasn’t serious, and he wasn’t promising anything.”
“So neither of you were angry when you found out about it later?” It didn’t sound that way, but if things were headed in the direction I wanted, then we had to be clear up front about jealousy and anger.
Getting in the middle of two sexy hunks was one thing…getting in the middle of crazy was another.
Scott cocked his head. “No, why would we be mad? He hadn’t lied.”
Oh, he was so cute.
He honestly thought the question was ridiculous. But I’d seen people who were just friends split because they’d ended up dating the same guy at completely different times, so I wasn’t going to assume it’d been easy for them.
As much as I wanted to know more about what had happened—because I could see there were still some unresolved issues with it—I decided to let it go. They were entirely too tense, and that hadn’t been my initial goal when we’d started talking.
Well, not this type of tension at least.
It was turning into the most difficult pickup in history, but I loved a challenge, so I kept pressing forward. “Since you’re not together, I’m assuming you’re both single. Is that right?”
Neither of them seemed to be the type to mention a spouse or boyfriend after we’d already started having fun, but I wanted to get it out in the open first thing. The identical nods were so funny I had to smile. How had they not been scooped up before this?
“Good. And just to clarify, I’m single too.” I started to go on to something else random, but Scott spoke up first.
“What about the other people…the couple?” His tone wasn’t accusatory, just curious.
“Just friends of mine. They’re a couple and we’ve had some fun in the past, but nothing serious.” I’d thought in the beginning when we’d all first met there might be something between us, but it’d quickly become obvious it wouldn’t work.
Scott’s expression softened. “Was that okay with you?”
If it’d just been a simple question or even a nosy one I’d have given him a teasing response, but the way his brows had pulled together and the warmth in his eyes said he was worried they’d hurt me. “It’s been a long time now, but when we first met, I thought it might turn into something more. We weren’t really meant for anything more than friendship, though.”
I thought about stopping there but something made me keep going. “They’re both really dominant in bed. They assumed I was submissive because I was letting them start things, so it didn’t go anywhere after that. I’m not all lifestyle or anything, but being bossed around in the bedroom doesn’t do it for me. I’m a bit moretake chargethan that.”
Wide eyes stared back at me from both faces and even though they looked still, both men had tight grips on me. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to say “boo” and see what would happen or hug them both.
“Is that alright? You guys didn’t seem like the type to go all alpha on me and demand I submit. Does it bother you that I like to be in charge?” I knew the honest answer, but I wasn’t sure what they would say. They were still so quiet and everything in them seemed to be frozen. I wasn’t sure if it was indecisiveness or just fear but they were like deer in the headlights of an oncoming truck, and I wasn’t sure how to help them.
Finally, Ryan seemed to come to life again. His eyes sent me a pleading look and then his eyes flicked over to Scott. He was clearly trying to send a message, but what? Had they really never talked about things like that before?
Going on instinct, I took one of Ryan’s hands from my leg and held it tight, then reached over to grab Scott’s and brought it over to rest with Ryan’s on my lap. Both men had gone back to that careful stillness and neither were looking at the other. It was like I was walking through a minefield. One wrong move and we’d all explode.
The problem was there wasn’t aweyet, and I could only guess what would set off the mines.
“You don’t think it’s silly that I don’t look like a Dom, right?” That had them shaking their heads in unison, and Scott finally spoke.
“No, of course not. I like the way you look.” His words seemed to indicate that wasn’t the only part of me he liked, and evidently, Ryan realized it too because he finally looked over at Scott with questions clear in his eyes.
“Ryan, do you like the way I look?” We were dancing around the real question, but it seemed to be all they were ready for, so I focused on the way their fingers threaded together with mine and the way Scott leaned into Ryan, trying to get closer to both of us without seeming to realize it.
Ryan nodded. I knew there were countless things bouncing around in his head, but he seemed relieved he didn’t have to answer anything more difficult. “Yes. I like the way you look.”
He said the words carefully, as if he were deliberately acknowledging the more subtle meaning behind the words. Scott wasn’t as easy to read, but there was a knowledge in Ryan’s eyes that said he knew what he wanted…just not how to get it or how to confess it to Scott.
“Then do you want us to get to know each other better?” I wasn’t sure when the fantasies in my head had switched from sexy one-night stands to waking up in their arms and planning a life together, but I wasn’t going to chase them away.
I wasn’t afraid of getting everything I’d ever dreamed of.
As they both slowly nodded, fingers still weaved together with mine, I also knew I wasn’t afraid of showing them they could have everything they’d ever dreamed of and more.
