Burn With Me_A With Me In Seattle Novella Page 5

  I slide the pad of my thumb over her lower lip and grin when she gently kisses it and opens her sleepy eyes to smile at me softly.

  “Hey,” she whispers.

  “Go back to sleep, sweetheart.”

  She snuggles down further in the bed, but continues to watch me quietly. Her hands are moving back and forth over the length of Kevin’s forearm, her fingertips grazing over his skin and my own skin prickles at the thought of having her hands on me. Her touch is addictive.

  Finally, she leans forward and lays her soft lips on mine, kissing me sweetly, and then leans back and smiles, looking me in the eyes.

  “We missed you tonight,” she whispers.

  Best fucking words I’ve ever heard.

  “I missed you too.”

  “Are you okay?”

  I nod silently and brush at her hair again, although there’s none to move off her face. I just can’t stop touching her.

  “Was it bad?” she asks softly.

  I just nod again and sigh. I know my eyes are sad. I’ve never been good at hiding my emotions and right now I’m too exhausted to try.

  “I’m sorry.” She kisses me again, then wraps her arm around my waist, pulling me fully against her, so Kevin is pressed to her back and I’m pressed to her front. “Will you sleep?”

  “I’ll try.” Her lips tip up as she nods once.

  “Sleep, babe. For me.”

  Babe. Yep, completely in love with her.

  “Okay.”

  She drifts back to sleep with her hand resting on my ass, her breaths low and even. Kevin’s breaths match hers, and my eyes suddenly feel heavy with fatigue and exhaustion and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I drift into sleep easily.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ~Kevin~

  “IS SHE STILL ASLEEP?” I ask as Gray comes into the kitchen. He’s pulled on sweats, and yawns widely as he scratches his head.

  “Yeah, still out.”

  “What time did you get home? I didn’t hear you.” I flip the French toast and check the bacon in the oven.

  “It was pretty late. You guys were sacked out.” He pours himself a cup of coffee and sits on a stool at the breakfast bar. “We need to talk.”

  “So talk,” I reply and whip up some eggs to scramble.

  “I’m in love with her,” he says quietly. I set the bowl on the counter, turn to face my friend and tilt my head as I study him.

  “So we’re on the same page there,” I reply and lean my hands on the countertop. “Unless you’re telling me you want her for yourself.”

  “What the fuck? Of course not.” He shakes his head and takes another sip of coffee and my stomach muscles loosen. “I want to make sure that you feel the same way because the way I see it, she’s staying.”

  “Oh yeah.” I wave him off and pour the eggs into the skillet. “She’s definitely staying. It’s better with her than either of us ever hoped for, man.”

  “She’s everything,” he replies, staring down into his mug. “All I could think about was getting home to the two of you last night. Fuck, we built this house for her and we didn’t even know it.”

  I nod as I plate our breakfast and load up two trays to take to the bedroom.

  “So,” I say and lean my hip against the counter. “Now we have to convince her that this is where she needs to be.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to be difficult.” Gray shrugs arrogantly. He’s always been a little arrogant.

  “She’s known us for two days, man.”

  “She’s known us for over a year,” he argues, his eyes cold and stubborn.

  “In passing, yes, but she’s only known us intimately for two fucking days.”

  “Does it feel like two days?” he demands.

  I shake my head and laugh. “Bailey is logical and that logical brain of hers is going to tell her it’s too soon.”

  Gray stands and grabs a tray. “Let’s go spend the day with her and talk about it tonight.”

  * * *

  ~Bailey~

  “Wake up, princess.” Kevin’s voice is in my ear and it feels like fifty hands are running up and down my body in the most delicious ways.

  “If I’m dreaming, don’t wake me up,” I mumble against the pillow. Both of my men chuckle softly but continue to stroke my flesh, kneading my muscles. “Dear God, waking up to a massage? Are you kidding me?”

  I turn onto my back and grin up at the guys who are kneeling at either side of me.

  “Good morning,” I say with a smile.

  “Good morning, sweetheart,” Gray says as he leans down to kiss me softly. He smells of coffee.

  “Can I have some coffee?” I ask against his lips. His blue eyes are happy as he nuzzles my nose with his, then backs away and gestures to two trays sitting at the end of the bed.

  “You can have whatever you want,” Kevin replies. “I made breakfast.”

  “Holy crap, that looks like a buffet,” I reply and stare at the steaming food. My belly rumbles and I smile ruefully. “And I’m hungry.”

  Gray fills a plate with a little of everything and passes it to me along with a cup of coffee. Soon, we’re all sitting cross-legged on the bed, eating the delicious feast and chatting as if we’ve been friends for years.

  “We thought we’d just lay low today,” Kevin says as he munches on a slice of crispy bacon. “It’s raining, so we can watch movies or read or play pool. Whatever you want.”

  I lower my fork to my plate and cringe. “I usually meet up with my friend Nic on Sundays for appetizers and wine.”

  They exchange a look before Gray responds. “Would you mind cancelling just this once? We normally wouldn’t ask you to, sweetheart, but well, we’re not ready to end the weekend yet.”

  “We’ll remember for future reference that your Sunday afternoons are booked,” Kevin agrees immediately and they’re both staring at me with so much hope in their eyes, how can I resist them?

  “Sure, I’ll text her.” I shrug one shoulder and finish my breakfast. “I’ll clean this up.”

  “No, you won’t,” Gray says, taking my plate from me.

  “But Kevin cooked. I can clean up.”

  “Nope. We’ll put the dishes in the sink for later and go down to the basement to play.” Kevin holds one of his T-shirts out for me to slip into. The guys are both in sweatpants and T-shirts.

  “Can I wear pants too? I brought some.”

  “No,” they reply in unison, making me laugh.

  “We like having access to you,” Kevin says with wink before leading me downstairs to the basement. Gray is behind us with the trays, drops them off in the kitchen and joins us by the pool table.

  “Gray and I had some fun down here the other night,” I mutter as I stare at the pool table, the events from Friday night playing in my head.

  “Really,” Kevin replies with a naughty grin. “We’ll most likely have some fun down here again today. I doubt we’ll be able to keep our hands off of you.”

  Gray comes up behind me and slides his hands up my thighs, under Kevin’s shirt to cup my ass then travel around to my belly. It takes me a moment to realize that the moaning in the room is coming from me. Good God his hands are like heaven.

  “That feels good,” I whisper. “Let’s skip pool and go straight to the fun stuff.”

  “You’re not in charge,” Gray whispers in my ear before biting my lobe, sending shivers down my spine.

  “When do I get to be in charge?” I ask.

  “You don’t,” Kevin replies.

  This is why I love them. When I’m with them, I don’t have any worries. My mind can calm and I don’t have to worry about anything, overthink anything. I just have to feel. And oh, God, what they make me feel!

  “Can’t you at least take your shirts off?” I ask.

  “We could place a bet,” Gray suggests as he releases me into Kevin’s arms. Kevin hugs me close and kisses my head as Gray racks the balls.

  “What kind of bet?” I ask and w
atch the way his arms flex as he shuffles the balls in the plastic triangle.

  “If you win, we’ll take our shirts off.”

  “I like this idea,” I reply with a smile and kiss Kevin’s chest through his shirt. “You smell good.”

  “Do you want to know what we get if we win?” Kevin asks with a laugh.

  “No because you’re not going to win,” I reply as I pull out of his arms and choose a cue.

  Gray’s eyebrows have climbed into his hairline as he watches me circle the table. “We play almost every day.”

  I shrug as though it doesn’t matter and smile sweetly. “Okay, what do you get in the unlikely event that you win?”

  “You take your shirt off,” Gray replies immediately.

  “Seems fair,” Kevin agrees with a nod.

  “Okay,” I say and chalk the end of my cue. “Who’s breaking?”

  * * *

  ~Gray~

  She’s fucking good.

  Bailey circles the pool table, eyeing the balls, gauging where to take her next shot. She’s obviously spent many hours at a pool table. I wonder briefly who taught her. Her father? A boyfriend?

  “Who taught you to play?” Kevin asks, as if reading my mind.

  “My dad’s gardener, Mr. Florentine.” She smiles softly and takes a shot, missing the hole. “Damn.”

  “Tell us about him.”

  “He was old, or so I thought then. I was in my early teens and he was probably in his fifties. My dad had a guesthouse behind our main house that was set up to entertain guests during parties. So it had a pool table and darts and lots of other games, too. I spent a lot of time alone, so Mr. Florentine befriended me and showed me how to play pool.”

  “Why were you alone?” I ask softly. She’ll never be alone again, I can guarantee that.

  “Because I had tutors. I wasn’t allowed to go to regular school or do things with kids my age. I had housekeepers and other staff in the house, and when I was really little, I had nannies.” She laughs and shrugs. “It wasn’t so bad.”

  “It was lonely,” Kevin replies before taking his shot and sinking the ball.

  “It could be. So I practiced a lot at the pool table.” She takes a sip of soda and changes the subject. “Gray tells me that you two were neighbors.”

  Kevin nods and chalks his que. “Yeah, we were. Our dads still own the houses.”

  “And your moms?” she asks innocently.

  Kevin’s head whips up and he stares at me in surprise. “You didn’t tell her?” I shake my head no. “Ah, hell.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “My mom passed away when I was ten,” I reply softly. “So, it was just my dad and me after that. But Kevin’s folks included us in most of their holidays and I was over at their place everyday after school while Dad was still at work.”

  Bailey walks around the table and wraps her arms around me. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Oh sweetheart, that was a very long time ago. I’m fine.” But I wouldn’t have gotten through it as well as I did had it not been for Kev.

  “Well, it’s new for me so let me feel sorry for you.”

  I chuckle and kiss her head. “God, you’re sweet.”

  “What about your mama?” Bailey asks Kevin. My heart goes out to him as he looks down at the table and shrugs.

  “She passed away about a year ago from cancer.”

  Bailey kisses my chest, then walks to Kevin to offer the same soothing support.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m okay, princess.”

  “You’ve both lost your moms.”

  We nod and I watch Bailey as she sits on a stool, lost in thought. “You must have really grown to depend on each other through the years.”

  Kevin catches my eye and raises a brow. “Yeah,” he says.

  “Hmm.” She rubs her finger over her lips, and I want nothing more than to pull her hand away and cover those lips with mine. “Do you think that’s why you have the relationship you do?”

  “Are you a shrink?” Kevin asks with a laugh, making her blush.

  “I don’t mean to pry.”

  “It’s probably part of it,” I reply honestly. “We haven’t really ever sat down and dissected it. It just is.”

  She nods and then shrugs it off. “Okay.”

  “And you, my sweet woman,” Kevin says just before he sinks the black eight-ball. “Just lost your shirt.”

  Bailey’s mouth drops as she stares at the table, then she purses her lips and props her hands on those sexy as fuck hips of hers.

  “Damn it,” she mutters.

  “A bet’s a bet,” Kevin says with a wide grin. “Lose the shirt, Bailey.”

  She glances over to me and I just raise a brow. “You heard him.”

  “You know,” she says as she smiles sassily and lifts the hem of the shirt, but only far enough to see the tops of her thighs. “We could just make it fair and we could all lose our shirts.”

  “We didn’t lose the bet,” I remind her and watch as she slowly, so damned slowly, lifts the hem of the shirt. I can see just the edge of her pussy, then finally the small strip of hair she keeps there.

  My cock lengthens and tightens as she keeps tugging the shirt up to her breasts.

  “Holy fuck,” Kevin whispers.

  Holy fuck is right.

  She finally lifts the shirt over her head and lets it fall to the floor, then clasps her hands at her waistline. “There, it’s gone.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  ~Bailey~

  “COME HERE,” KEVIN SAYS, HIS face tight and his green eyes on fire as he leans on the pool table.

  Why do I suddenly feel like I’m walking into the lion’s den?

  I keep my eyes on his and walk slowly to him, then stop directly in front of him, not touching him, though my palms are itching to slide under that T-shirt and explore his smooth skin and muscles.

  He taps my chin with his finger, tilting my head up, and leans in to kiss me, brushing his soft lips over mine, then settles in to nibble at the corner of my mouth, sending shivers along my scalp and down my spine.

  I can’t help it, I brace my hands on his hips and lean in, pressing my nakedness against him as he deepens the kiss. His tongue slips into my mouth and explores me lazily, and when I’ve been thoroughly kissed, he backs away, kisses my forehead and wraps his arms around me, hugging me close.

  “I’m naked, you know.” I glance over at Gray, whose arms are crossed over his chest as he watches us with heat and humor in his blue eyes.

  “I’m aware,” Kevin replies as his hands roam up and down my back. “But anticipation is part of the fun.”

  Gray smirks and I whip my gaze up to Kevin. “Seriously? I have to just walk around naked all day?”

  “You lost the bet,” Kevin replies and shrugs, like it’s not his fault in the least.

  “I can’t play pool naked,” I insist.

  “Oh, I think you can,” Gray replies softly. “And I think you’ll enjoy taunting us with that incredible body of yours while you do.”

  “Can I have my shirt back if I win?” I ask hopefully.

  “No.” Gray smiles smugly as he crosses to me, pulls me out of Kevin’s embrace and kisses me fast and hard. “No, you can’t.”

  “Damn,” I mutter, making them both laugh. But they’re right. Playing pool naked, taunting them both, is damn fun.

  Finally, after I’ve lost the third game, I yawn and stow my cue. “I’m done. You guys play, I’ll watch.”

  “Tired?” Gray asks as he tucks my hair behind my ear.

  “Lazy,” I say with a smile.

  “Come here.” Gray lifts me and settles on the couch with me in his lap. Kevin joins us and pulls my feet in his lap and begins to knead my arches.

  “Oh God that’s good.” I lean my head on Gray’s shoulder and watch Kevin as he loves on my feet. “You guys are forever touching me.”

  “We like touching you,” Gray whispers in my ear, then kisses my temple. “Speaking
of that . . .” He’s interrupted by my cell phone beeping with an incoming text. He reaches for my phone and passes it to me.

  “Damn, it’s work,” I mutter and begin to tap the screen, responding to my co-chair on an event we’re working on for next month. “A venue just fell through.”

  “On a Sunday?” Kevin asks with a frown.

  “You guys aren’t the only ones who work 24/7,” I reply with a grin. “I usually work every day. Hey, are you guys going to do the Fireman’s marathon in April? I’m planning that one too.”

  “Why are firemen always asked to do things that require us to run or climb?” Kevin asks with a frown.

  “Mostly because we spectators hope against hope that you’ll take your shirts off,” I reply dryly and raise a brow, staring at their shirts, making them laugh.

  “Seriously,” Gray replies.

  “Oh, I’m very serious,” I say and finish typing on my phone.

  “Why do you do this?” Gray asks quietly as he tightens his arms around me and kisses my cheek. “You said yesterday that you decided not to use your law degree, but why?”

  Kevin watches me quietly as he continues to rub my feet, making me melt just a little more.

  “My grandma,” I sigh and thrum my fingers up and down Gray’s arm. “My father’s mother was an amazing woman. I spent a lot of time with her as a child. She was also a senator’s wife, but she was never idle. She gardened and volunteered her time in schools and organizing charity functions. She used to always tell me, “Bailey, we are blessed people. But there are plenty who aren’t as blessed as we are, and there’s nothing wrong with spending our time and money making sure we help make their lives just a little better.”

  “I like her already,” Kevin whispers.

  “Oh, you would have loved her.” I bite my lip as a wave of grief swarms me. “She died when I turned fourteen. But from the time I could walk, I was stuck to her hip, following her around, helping. I learned a lot from her about charity and what it is to be generous and passionate about a cause. I also learned how to grow beautiful tomatoes.” I grin and bury my face in Gray’s neck, take a deep breath and place a sweet kiss under his chin.