Chapter 16
Chapter sixteen
JOE
Once I was dressed, I filled a couple of thermos with coffee, put creamer, sugar, and a box of donuts in a bag, and headed out to my car.
As I approached the front door, I knew I wasn’t going to be greeted with open arms, but this was an emergency. I started knocking. Then I started to pound hard.
When the door opened, my brother stood there, clearly just out of bed. “Joe? What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Amber, is she okay? What’s going on?”
I had panicked him. Drachen was on his shoulder, flapping his wings and shuffling. I had set off his dragon.
It didn’t occur to me that even though this was an emergency for me, it probably wouldn’t be thought of that way by my brother and his husband at 5:00 a.m. on a Monday, especially after they had been on the road over the weekend.
“Oh. Not that kind of an emergency.” He narrowed his eyes at me. Their doorbell had a camera, so I was sure he had known before opening the door that it was me.
“Why are you here, Joe?” I pushed my way past him.
“I need Montgomery.”
Drake, Mont’s dragon, flew from point to point, obviously confused by the early morning visitor.
Both animals were trained to support their humans’ emotional needs, including anxiety.
There was no doubt that both my brother and his husband would feel anxious upon my arrival. I’ll need to make apologies later.
“He’s still in bed. Can this wait?”
“No. I need him.” It’s critical for me. “Is he naked?”
Arthur really scowled at me now. “Probably. You know it’s our marital bed. What is this about?”
“Umm. I can’t tell you.”
“Why?” His voice was going deeper, and I knew he was getting pissed off.
“If Mont wants to tell you after he can, but I promise you, you don’t want to know. It will make you uncomfortable.” He shook his head.
“Let me go get him.” He started to walk away.
I held up my bag. “I brought coffee and donuts!” Then I gave him a smile. “Thank you.”
“Yeah. I’ll be right back.” I watched as he walked into the other room, and I let out a sigh of relief. Mont would know what to do; he had a colorful past.
I sat down on their couch, and both dragons came over to me, rubbed on my body, and looked for love and attention.
Drake, the black dragon that was Montgomery’s, pushed his way under my shirt.
I knew I was allowed to give them a small treat, so I pulled off a piece of a donut and gave them both a nibble.
“Stop indulging them. They are spoiled enough.” Montgomery’s deep voice came from down the hall. He had on some pajama pants and a t-shirt.
“I’m sorry to wake you up.”
“This better be good. Does this have something to do with your personal life?” He raised his eyebrow at me. Drachen Arthur’s light green dragon curled up on his lap as he got comfortable. Choosing to be with us instead of back in bed.
“Your brother is losing his shit worried about you.”
“I know. You can tell him what’s going on, I don’t think he would understand because he is so hopelessly in love with the one man he has ever given his heart to.”
The smile on his face told me everything; he loved my brother just as much. They have an amazing love story, including when Mont saved him from a ferret.
“What’s going on that brings you here at this ungodly hour?”
Holding up the coffee and donuts, I tried to look charming. “I brought these.”
He got mugs from the kitchen and filled them both with the steaming liquid. When he sat back on the couch, Drachen back in place, I knew it was time.
“Okay, lay it on me. We are still talking about two men?”
I blushed, yeah. “I didn’t tell you who before, but I think I have to now.”
I took a deep breath. It was time to give him the whole truth.
“Dusty and I have been fooling around for a while. I didn’t have much experience with men, and he helped me…learn. We have a friends with benefits thing.”
Mont raised his eyebrow at me. Was he surprised? “I can see that. Actually, I wondered if there was something there. What’s the status of that situation?”
“He didn’t want anything more. Here is the problem. Lately, he has talked about wanting to date. Unfortunately, it came at the same time I started getting together with Gentry.” My heart was beating double when I thought about my cowboy. Mine? ”We have so much fun together, and he gets me.”
“Who is Gentry?”
I smiled. “Gentry is the man from the Circle W who is teaching me to ride. And Martin Wilson is sending him with me to the dude ranch. He is an amazing guy, but very different than Dusty.”
I watched as Mont nodded his head, his hand rubbing over Drachen’s back, while Drake slept happily in my shirt.
“You’re having sex with both of them?” Well, that was direct, but I had come here for advice.
“Yeah.” I knew I was bright red, and I couldn’t look him in the eye.
“What’s your question here, Joe? You have two men you really like. The sex is good, I assume. It sounds like things are great for you.”
When he put it that way, it sounded pretty great.
“I have this.” I pushed my collar aside and showed him the mark that both men left.
“Both men know about each other and react differently, but they seem to accept we aren’t exclusive.
This, though.” I pointed to my neck. “Dusty saw it, and he started asking me about what I did with Gentry. Mont.” I was so embarrassed and didn’t know if I could say it out loud.
“What’s wrong?” I covered my face, feeling mortified. Thank goodness Montgomery Wilson was one of the most popular rock stars over the last ten years. Before falling for my brother, he had been with men, many men, and what I was going through was probably not on his top ten.
“I shared the details with Dusty, and it turned him on. He wanted to know more. But.” This was the part that got me. “It turned me on, too. I liked that he left a mark on top of the one that Gentry left.” I didn’t even know how I had gotten through the explanation. “Mont, I’m a pervert.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You most certainly are not.” I looked up.
“What?” He chuckled.
“Joe, it sounds like you have a very fulfilling and wonderful sex life.”
Now I was confused
“I liked it. Being with both men is different. I want to be with them both. The worst part is, I don’t want them to be with someone else, though. I’m so hypocritical and weird.”
“Let’s take this one thing at a time. There is a thing called cuckolding, which is where a person likes hearing, watching, or even reliving what their lover does with another partner.
It’s a fetish and not abnormal. The fact that you two got off reliving and discussing what you did with Gentry isn’t perverted. ”
“Really?” The weight on my shoulders lifted a little. This was something other people did and enjoyed. At least I wasn’t some sort of deviant.
“Yes, really. So you can let that go. You and Dusty should do some research together to enhance your sexual experience. And you don’t want them with other people even though you are with them both?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Both of them are doing things to my heart, and I'm trying not to get attached, but they are so different from each other. Different. Great.”
“You said they know about each other. As I told you before, be careful with your heart.”
“I know. Thinking about them with someone else makes me feel sick. I’m all fucked up about these guys. I needed to get it off my chest. I’m sorry for coming over so early, but I knew you would understand.”
I put my hand on Drake under my shirt. It always amazed me how the dragons could calm me with their presence. It was like their energy flowed through you. They made the world a more peaceful place.
“I’m not sure if that is a compliment or not. I do understand, though. A few men have shaped my life, but no one has changed me like your brother. Are you having feelings for these men? Also, and don’t get crazy on me, but have you considered maybe a triad?”
I knew my mouth fell open. “I couldn’t do that. We have this whole sex with each other thing, but I don’t think they have feelings for me. It would be weird. Not something for me.” I avoided saying I was starting to have feelings for them.
Montgomery looked at me and nodded. “Okay, then.” Something about that response seemed like he didn’t believe me. “I’m going to remind you to be careful with your heart, but nothing about what you are doing is bad or wrong, Joe.”
Both of these men were incredible in their own way. I liked being around them, and we had fun with each other—the sex was a bonus.
“I’m not sure why I needed your validation. I have to admit I am confused, but really happy. These guys are so great to be around. Well, you know Dusty.”
He smiled. “I do know Dusty. If he is coming back to you, there is something there. Be careful not to hurt him. There is a lot of damage there, and he spent a lot of time using his body to find peace.” I understood what he was saying. “Be honest. Communicate.”
“I am doing both of those things.” I hope this doesn’t all blow up in my face. “Do you think I should stop being with them both? Or pick one?”
He sat and looked at me for a while. Drake crawled out of my shirt and went over to his companion, climbing on top of Drachen, making a dragon pile. He looked down for a moment, and I could see him relax.
“I can’t answer that question for you, Joe. Do what the three of you think is right. If they know about each other, then I think you owe it to yourself to get to know them, and if feelings develop, be honest about them.”
“I should let you get back to your husband. I’m sorry I did it this way, I just needed to talk.” We both stood up, and he gave me a hug.
“You are family, and I know that all of this is still new for you. The way you were raised didn’t expose you to life. You sure are jumping in with both feet, but I got you.”
It made me feel good to know I had family. It was because of this man that I no longer lived in that repressed world that my parents had created. “Thank you.”
“Now go. Have fun. Enjoy all the sex you can, protect yourself, and everyone’s hearts.”
I nodded. “I’ll do that.”
Once I was home, I felt calmer. I grabbed my phone off the counter where I had left it. There were messages waiting for me.
DUSTY
Had a great time yesterday. We should do something later in the week.
And a second message.
GENTRY
Looking, forward to tomorrow. I thought I would bring a picnic.
My first response was sent.
JOE
For sure, let’s compare schedules.
I smiled that this was my life and sent the second message.
JOE
A picnic would be great. Anything I can bring?
In some ways, it felt weird to be talking to them both, but I also liked knowing I had friends.
It was only 8:00 a.m., and I had about three hours before I had to go downtown to the local diner to take pictures for their new menu.
After talking to Mont, I felt tired and decided to take a nap since I hadn’t slept at all the night before.
As I closed my eyes, I thought about both men and their differences—I bet they would be great friends. That would be weird, though. I fell asleep quickly with thoughts of the three of us hanging out in my head.
That couldn’t work, could it?