Unexpected Consequences Read online

Zeke’s sulking around, not making eye contact with me. He’s barely said a word to me and now he’s hiding in his office. The room he usually tries to avoid unless absolutely necessary and he just excused himself, feeding me some bullshit line about having a backlog because of his time off. He obviously forgot about the text exchange we had earlier today where he told me what a great day he and Dylan had and how they were caught up, for the most part.

  If we have any hope of this working out, that shit won’t fly. I poke my head in the bedroom, letting Mary know I need to talk to Zeke before we leave and that she should wait for me in the living room.

  Without bothering to knock on the door, I barge into Zeke’s office. Just as I thought, he’s screwing around on Facebook, not working. “Looks like you’re hard at work,” I say sarcastically, narrowly missing his fingers when I close his laptop. “Want to tell me what your problem is tonight?”

  “Nothing,” Zeke mumbles, refusing to look up at me. He goes to open the computer and I place my hand firmly on the top.

  “Bullshit,” I challenge him. “If you have a problem with this, now is the time to say something. I’m not going to walk out this door with you being all pissy. I don’t give a shit for myself, but Mary’s going to sense that something is off and she deserves to get out and have some fun.”

  Zeke picks up a pen and starts doodling on his desk calendar. I can’t do this. If he’s going to act like a petulant child when he’s not included in things, I’ll call it quits on the whole damn thing right now. When we started fooling around, it was all about having fun. Now, reality is crashing in around us and I don’t like the tension.

  Maybe that’s the answer. We’ve all gotten too far away from what we used to be. The moment we started talking about relationships and emotions, the structure that made us work in the past seemed to go out the window. A lot of people will tell you that everyone has to be on an equal level to make a relationship last, but that’s not the foundation of what we have.

  I make my way around the desk, spinning Zeke’s chair so we’re looking at one another. As I hover over him, my hands hold the arms of the chair firmly so he can’t turn away.

  “No lies,” I remind him, my voice low and deep. “You promised both of us no lies and no hiding, Zeke. Now, would you like to tell me what’s going on?”

  He looks up at me briefly and what I see lurking behind his eyes is unnerving. He may be trying to put on a strong front, but I can see hurt and fear looking back at me. Even more concerning is the way my own body reacts to those emotions. I want to erase that pain, ease his mind.

  Until tonight, we’ve been a party of three. Any time we’ve gone out for an evening, it’s been the two of us walking on either side of Mary. A casual, yet functional unit. I’m an idiot for not seeing this coming. He’s the compassionate one. The tender one, despite what he allows others to see.

  “This doesn’t change things,” I assure him, crouching between his knees. “Tomorrow night, you and Mary are going out and I’ll be the one staying home. And Wednesday, Mary will be on her own while we go out. It’s one night, Zeke.”

  He looks away from me and I know I’ve gotten close to the truth of what’s bothering him. I reach for him, holding his chin firmly as I turn his face back to mine. “Look at me,” I demand. “Why does this bother you so much?”

  “Because I’m a fucking punk,” he says, jerking his face away from my grasp. “Just go. Have a good time.”

  Definitely not the fun and games I signed up for.

  “Zeke, it’s one night. It’s not like we used to all go out every night. There were plenty of times you didn’t see us.” I’m hoping that I can get through to him before Mary comes looking for me. It’s probably for the best that he did hide out in here because she would cancel our night if she knew that he’s being this way.

  “Jeff, just leave it alone. This is my shit to deal with, not yours.”

  A soft knock on the door tells me time is up. I lean over, snaking my hand behind Zeke’s neck. When my fingers dig into his flesh, he looks up at me. Rather than continue playing into his insecurities, I bend down, covering his mouth with mine. He shifts in his chair as I deepen the kiss, my tongue forcing entry past his lips so I can taste him. Kissing him with enough force to convey every emotion he needs to feel from me that he won’t believe through words alone.

  “Be ready when we get back,” I warn him. I’m not sure how much Mary is up to just yet, but there’s no doubt in my mind that tonight has to be the night things get back to something resembling normal.

  A slight smile plays as his lips as I walk away from him, not waiting for an answer. At least my last image of him before leaving won’t be of him pouting.

  Over dinner, Mary tells me about her disastrous first day back to work. While I can see why she’s concerned about being off Holly’s case, I’d be lying if I said I’m not relieved. Besides the fact that she’s now a victim in a related case, I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Nick. He strikes me as the type of man who will stop at nothing to get himself out of trouble. The girls got lucky this last time, but what will the he have his little thugs do next to try to silence them and make the case go away?

  I feel bad that she’s sitting here pouring her heart out to me about her day and I can’t do the same in return. I’d love nothing more than to be able to vent to someone about the shit I deal with on a daily basis, but that will never happen. We used to talk more, but with the memory of my recent trip to Mister Hansen’s office still fresh, I’ve decided it’s best if I don’t share anything with anyone.

  During a lull in the conversation, I take a moment to really see Mary. Even though I’ve had her laid bare beneath me in the past, looking at her across the table from me, I notice the way the candle light reflects off her porcelain skin and high cheekbones. The way her emerald eyes twinkle when she laughs. The strawberry blonde curls that bounce playfully when she moves.

  “What?” She asks, reaching across the table for my hand. I don’t feel a spark when our fingers touch, it’s more of a slow burn. The feeling I imagine comes from being so in tune to the other person that there’s a fire burning deep within, stoked by each minute spent together.

  “Just looking at you,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. She’s everything I didn’t want in my life right now. Everything I didn’t think I needed. And now, I’m damn glad she pushed to have a place in my life. “Thank you.”

  There’s so much said in the silence between us, a conversation between her green eyes and my blue. In that moment, I know that she was right. We have something special and it’s up to us to figure out how to make it last, no matter what comes our way.

  “For what?” she finally asks when she realizes I’m not going to finish my thought. I swallow hard when I feel her bare foot slide under the cuff of my dress slacks.

  “Everything,” I sigh. It’s not an eloquent answer, but now that she’s sliding her foot along the outside of my pants, past my knee, I can’t think of anything but how much I want to take her home and bury myself in her tight pussy. It’s been too long since I felt her heat surrounding me.

  My eyes are transfixed on her as she slowly runs her tongue across her lower lip. She’s not a stupid woman, she knows exactly what she’s doing to me. She slides down in her chair and I offer up a silent prayer for the table cloth concealing the way her foot is gliding over my throbbing dick.

  “Everything?” she repeats, giving me a brilliant smile, the pink tip of her tongue secure between her teeth. She’s going to be the death of me before the night is over.

  I shift in my seat, needing a break from her sensual torture. The plan that started forming earlier comes to the forefront now and I need to focus on that and see if she’s up for it.

  As I fill her in on my plan to show Zeke that he has nothing to worry about with this new arrangement, I see her breathing shallow and speed up. I slide my chair closer to hers, grazing my fingers along her bare thigh as I continue telling her a
bout the things I want to happen when we get back to the condo. My fingers continue traveling higher, dipping to the juncture between her thighs.

  “Mmm, I think you like my idea,” I laugh. She stifles a moan as I continue teasing her, running my hand along her folds, offering a quick flick to her clit before pulling away. “Should we head back?”

  She swallows and nods, eagerly reaching for her crutches. I curse, unsure how we can make this work in her condition. Revved up by hormones, it was easy to momentarily forget that little detail. We’ll just have to find a way to make it work. Certainly, we can’t be the first couple faced with such an obstacle.

  Even though this is far from our first time together, I have butterflies in my stomach as we wait for the elevator to take us up to the condo. It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve done anything and I’m suddenly worried that it won’t be the same. There’s so many things we’ve enjoyed in the past that simply aren’t possible right now thanks to this cast on my leg. Luckily, it only goes to my knee now, so I have a bit of mobility back. Unfortunately, it’s just not all that possible to be sexy with a chunk of fiberglass surrounding part of your body.

  When we reach the door, I hold a finger up to my mouth, instructing Jeff to be quiet. Ultimately, he’s in charge tonight, but I have my own idea of how to make tonight special for Zeke. And I want it to be special for him since I know he was struggling today with being left behind. Over time, I think it will get easier for all of us, but until then, we need to go out of our way to reconnect as a group after time apart.

  I enter first, making sure Zeke is out of sight. Not seeing him, I crack the door open, motioning for Jeff to come in. I lead him into the spare room, carefully closing the door once he’s inside. “Give me about five minutes, then come back to Zeke’s room.”

  Jeff’s fingers tangle into the hair at the nape of my neck. He’s being more gentle than I’m used to from him, but it’s better than I’ve been getting. Maybe he’s finally realizing I’m not a china doll that’s going to break at the slightest touch. Zeke is the man I can count on to be tender and loving. Jeff is the one I rely on to be forceful and demanding. It’s nice to see that side of him returning.

  “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” he asks. When I look up at him, his eyes are dark, his pupils so dilated that you can barely see the brilliant blue around the edges.

  “Perhaps,” I laugh, pressing my body against his. When I feel his arm around my waist, I allow the crutches to fall to the floor.

  Telling myself it’s to have his body supporting me, I slide my hands around his neck, allowing the tips of my fingers to massage the back of his head, savoring the feeling of his short blond hair under my skin.

  “Keep that up and neither of us are making it out of this room,” he groans before cupping my backside in his hands, gently lifting me until our mouths meet. The first brush of his lips against mine is gentle, but as I grind against him, trying to get comfortable, the intensity picks up. He plunders my mouth with his tongue, kissing me as if it’s the first after a long separation.

  As we stand in the dim light, I wonder what it will be like when the dust settles and our unit is secure enough that Jeff and I can spend time with one another, alone. To have this man’s talented mouth and hands focused solely on me. But that will have to wait.

  “Jeff… we… can’t…” I choke out between kisses. His control is quickly waning as the fire between us builds. If I don’t stop it, I’m not sure he will be able to. We can’t do that to Zeke, not in his home.

  Jeff carries me to the bed, sitting me down so he can retrieve my crutches. Before he can turn to walk away, I reach for his thighs, pulling him closer to me between my legs.

  “It’s going to happen,” I tell him, barely recognizing my own voice. “I need it to happen for us, just as you and Zeke happened for the two of you.”

  I regret bringing this up now when I see shame flicker across Jeff’s features. That wasn’t my intention at all. Sure, it was hard to reconcile that I wasn’t being pushed away when I woke up to the sounds of them driving one another crazy, but it doesn’t upset me anymore. I know what they have isn’t better or worse than the three of us together, it’s just different. The only thing I wish was different is that I could have snuck down the hall to watch them in action. Given how hot it sounded, I can only imagine what they looked like together.

  “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not mad about it. In time, I’m sure we’ll all have those moments,” I reassure him. When I lean forward, running my hands along the backs of his legs, I realize the position I’ve put myself in. His erection presses into my cheek, begging to be freed so I can take him in my mouth.

  The temptation proves to be too much. Before I have a chance to rethink what I’m about to do, I reach for the gold buckle on his belt, opening it and slowly lowering the zipper on his black dress pants. The soft cotton of his boxers is damp with the evidence that he’s just as affected as I am by what is about to happen.

  “Mary, we can’t…” he sucks in a sharp breath as my hand slides beneath the waistband of his boxers, wrapping around his shaft. “Mary…”

  His protests cease as his hips buck forward, his arousal growing within my grasp. With a slight twist each time I reach the tip, I stroke him, building his need. My other hand reaches between his legs, cupping his sac. Kneading his balls as I lean forward to collect the pre-cum glistening at the tip. It’s not enough, I need to taste him, all of him. Sheathing my teeth behind my lips, I grab his ass cheeks, pulling his body closer as I take him into my mouth.

  “Jesus,” he hisses. I glance up and see him staring at the point where his body is disappearing into my mouth. “Mary, I’m going to come if you don’t stop,” he warns me. I pull back, giving him time to compose himself.

  “You are an evil, evil woman,” he sighs. Ever so gently, he reaches around to my back, guiding me down until I’m lying beneath him on the mattress, my feet still on the floor. “I might have given you control for tonight, but I assure you, there will be consequences for the torture you’ve enjoyed inflicting.”

  His hands drag down the length of my body until he reaches the hem of my skirt. Even more slowly, he pushes the fabric to my waist, revealing my damp thong.

  “Christ, woman,” he groans, staring at the scrap of scarlet lace covering my mound. “You really are trying to kill me, aren’t you?”

  I let out a throaty chuckle, pleased with myself that I’m still able to turn him on this way. My back arches as his fingers ghost over the fabric, taking great care to avoid touching me where my body aches for it.

  Just when I’m sure he’s going to give me what I need, I feel the side of the bed dip and then release. I look up and see Jeff standing between my legs, shaking his head as his eyes scan my body laid out for his pleasure.

  “As much as I want to bury myself in you right now, we can’t do this,” he says regretfully. The words sting as I watch him turn away, tucking himself back into his slacks. It doesn’t matter that I was the one who originally told him the very same thing, he’s driven me to the point I’m not sure I’ve ever needed a man the way I need him.

  I throw an arm over my eyes, trying to shield myself from having him see the emotion threatening to boil over. Taking deep breaths, I push away the thought that he’s decided I’m not worth it. That we can’t be together.

  “Hey, don’t you fall apart on me now,” he whispers in my ear as he lays beside me. “Unless you’ve changed your mind, we have a Zeke to go use and abuse.”

  I look over at him and see a devilish grin lighting his face. He raises his eyebrows at me as he leans in for a kiss. “But I meant it, your time will come when you’re going to pay for that.”

  Jeff stands, extending a hand to help me off the bed. Once I’m steady on my crutches, he helps me straighten my clothes and fix my hair so I don’t look like I just had sex.

  “I’ll see you in ten,” I say playfully as I leave to put our plan into action.

&n
bsp; They’ve been back for a while now, but I can’t bring myself to get up and walk out to see what’s going on. Jeff assured me before they left that we would all spend time together tonight and I have to trust that.

  I wish there was a way to go back in time and reinforce the walls I thought were a fortress around my heart. Life was so much simpler when I was able to view sex as nothing more than a recreational activity. When I didn’t notice the emptiness in my home because I refused to share it with anyone. When I would laugh at the idea of a grown man lying in his bed at nine o’clock at night, staring into the darkness, trying to figure out where everything went wrong.

  The problem is, no matter what I tell myself, I don’t believe things have gone wrong. The idea of falling in love and being dependent on anyone else is terrifying, but when I’m not being a punk, it’s the most alive I’ve ever felt.

  I turn my head when the door opens, surprised to see Mary closing the door behind her. Alone. I return my focus to the ceiling, refusing to ask how her night went. I’m sure it was great, but I don’t need the details.

  “Are you awake?” Mary whispers, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “Yeah,” I sigh.

  Not finding Zeke in the living room or his office, I start to head back to the living room so I can text him. I’m not sure what I’m going to say, but I need to get him back here. As I pass the bedroom door, I hear music coming from inside the bedroom. Opening the door, I find him lying in the dark listening to 80’s love songs.

  I sit on the edge of the bed, trying to regroup. Everything Jeff and I had planned for tonight is going to have to wait because it’s apparent that Zeke needs something from us, but it’s not kink. I know Jeff thinks that’s exactly what we all need, but this is one time I’m not going to defer to his suggestion. What Zeke needs is to know that everything is going to be okay.

  I can remember a time when I was in his position. I got involved in a triad and cried myself to sleep the first few times I knew they were off doing something special without me. I was young and didn’t shield my heart from falling in love with them. Once that happened, it didn’t take long before things were strained. I convinced myself that I would never be enough for them and that I was wasting my time. I fought long and hard to ignore the fact that the tension that built between them wasn’t something I could fix. This time, I can, and fully intend to, fix it before it’s too late.