Chapter 20
20
LOGAN
L ight steps patter through my room into my bathroom, followed by my shower turning on. I roll over grabbing my phone off the nightstand to check the time. It’s almost eight, which is way later than I normally sleep. I don’t think I fell asleep until after two last night. Between the echoes from the shower and her cries of ecstasy floating from her room after, my mind stayed on Kelli. I wasn’t proud to admit I jacked off twice last night just picturing what they might have been up to.
When Kelli whispered to me last night that her choice was all of us, my brain short circuited, and I couldn’t help myself from kissing her pillowy, soft lips. It took every ounce of strength to not deepen the kiss and haul her to my room like a caveman. Despite wanting to be the one she would be crawling in bed with, I knew she needed this time with Josh. They spent hours down by the beach yesterday just talking, which is an incredibly rare thing for Josh. His smile when they came back inside warmed something inside me.
Kelli stepped out of my bathroom dressed in little cut off shorts and a slouchy shirt, towel wrapped around her hair. Her cheeks were still flush from the warm shower, making me think of everything she got up to last night and how pretty that flush must have been.
“Sorry if I woke you. I didn’t realize you were still in bed,” she says as she walks over to the edge of my bed. Before she could move away, I grab her by the wrist and pull her onto the bed with me, wrapping myself around her like a koala. Nuzzling my face in her neck, I get the sweet honeysuckle scent. I ordered her shower stuff to store in my bathroom after the first morning she showered in here, obsessed with walking in and smelling her.
“Did my lumpy body hide under my messy blankets?” I joke. “It was time for me to get up. I needed to talk to you this morning, so this is perfect. I’m really sorry I cloned your phone without your permission or knowledge. I should have asked you about it and explained why I was doing it.”
She let out a heavy sigh, “Are you still cloning my phone?”
“Yeah, baby girl. I can stop, but I would prefer it if I didn’t. It’s easier to do my job without having to take your phone from you constantly. Also, I can warn you if he reaches out again. I won’t delete it like I was, but it will be your choice if you want to see it or not. Is that okay?” I push up on my elbows so I can look into her eyes. I don’t want her to have to see something like the pictures he sent yesterday if she doesn’t have to.
“Okay, I just want to know every time you find something from him, and I don’t want it deleted from my phone without my knowledge.” Her fingers stroke through my hair, her eyes moving between my lips and my eyes.
“Can I ask what happened last night between you and Josh?” I should let it go, but if she really wants to be with all of us, then open communication is going to be the best moving forward. I’ve had a threesome, but I have never shared a woman that was more than a one-night thing. I have no idea what the etiquette is or what happens from here. If she wants us separately or together, or if this is even anything more than just some fun for her while she is here.
“We talked and I told him that I didn’t want to choose. Couldn’t choose.” Her flush spreads from her cheeks down to her chest. “I also got another glimpse of daddy dom Josh last night.”
I wanted to know every last detail about what happened between them. If I couldn’t be the one drawing those noises from her lips, I at least wanted to be able to picture them. “You don’t have to tell me details, but we’re all in this together. No jealousy, no secrets, just more fun to go around, okay?”
“Brian isn’t. He loves me, but refuses to be more than my friend. But I get what you’re saying. I thought this was going to be a week away while my stalker was quickly found and arrested. My time here has turned into so much more than just hiding out. Is it awful that a small part of me is glad this happened, simply because it led to me being here with the three of you?”
I lean down, taking her lips in a sensual kiss, letting it linger a little longer than necessary. “I feel the same way.” We stayed in bed cuddling and trading kisses for another thirty minutes before I sent her off to dry her hair while I started on a late breakfast.
The next few days blend together. Josh and I train with Kelli in the mornings, focusing more on self-defense and take down techniques along with how to disarm an attacker. She has incredible natural instincts that we truly enjoy watching her hone in on. The pride flows through us for this beautiful woman. Our afternoons are spent together with all of us hiking and exploring the property, playing on the beach, and playing board games. There may also be sneaky make-out sessions any time I can get her alone.
Yesterday, the beach called our name, the weather was perfect to splash around in the cold water. Brian and I blew up some floaties we had bought but never opened while Kelli and Josh hauled a cooler and towels down. Spending time all together brought out a feeling of ease and joy from all of us.
“I want the pizza slice,” I say, laying my claim. We have a single tube, a double tube, a flamingo, and a pizza slice float.
Brian side eyes me, chuckling, “Good luck with that; Kelli is going to snatch it immediately.”
“Nah, she’s more of a flamingo girl. All of her pajamas have animals.”
“That’s pajamas only. She’s claiming that pizza.” He sounds confident, but I know I’m right on this.
“I call the pizza slice!” Kelli shrieks the minute she sees the floaties we are carrying. Brian cackles next to me. Asshole. We drop them at the water's edge before claiming our chairs. “I brought the sunscreen, anyone need help with their back?” Kelli asks.
I snatch it from her fingers, moving behind her. “I’ll do you if you do me, baby girl.” Squirting some on my fingers, I rub them together before massaging it into her back. My hands travel from the top of her neck down to the edge of her skimpy red bikini bottoms. She becomes pliable beneath me as I take the extra time to massage her muscles. When I feel her breathing pick up as my fingers trail the edges of her bikini top, I take a step back, giving her ass a light slap. “My turn!”
Her little harumph is adorable as she takes the bottle from me to do my back. I drop a kiss to the top of her head before turning around for her. “I should draw a dick on your back for that,” she mutters as Josh snickers behind us. She moves over to do his back after taking her time spreading the lotion on the entirety of my back. “Brian you want me to do yours next?”
“Nah, I’m going to leave my tank top on unless I’m in the water. Thanks, though,” he smiles at her, but a small frown settles on her face. Josh looks over at me raising his brow. There’s only one reason he would leave his shirt on around her still.
Breaking the tension, Josh grabs Kelli, throwing her over his shoulder and runs for the water. Her delighted squeals echo around us as he runs in to waist height before dunking them both under the water. They come up sputtering and laughing, splashing each other as they swim deeper in.
“Will someone bring me my pizza slice?” Kelli yells to Brian and me. Before I can get up, he pulls his tank over his head and heads into the water with it. I grab the double tube and follow him in.
Brian helps Kelli climb onto the floatie, holding it still as she sprawls out on her stomach on top. He hangs onto the edge of it, keeping her from drifting away. I slip my chest through one side of the double tube as Josh swims over, dropping into the other. Summer days have not looked like this once in the last few years we have been here, but now that we’ve experienced this, I wanted it all the time.
Kelli’s fingers drift over Brian’s arms where he is holding onto her float, drawing little patterns on his skin. A small smile plays on her lips. “What are you thinking about, Kel?” Brian asks.
“I’m just remembering that summer day when you, Danny, and I spent hours jumping on your trampoline in the rain. Your mom was pissed because we got water all through the house every time we went inside. We eventually tired out and just laid on our backs, just enjoying the last of our freedom before school started again, not a care in the world that we were drenched. I remember thinking that this is the life I want. Summer days surrounded by friends, just enjoying the beauty of the world around us. I feel that here.”
“I remember that day. Opposite weather, but I know what you mean. This is our first time all swimming out here together, and damn if it isn’t nice. Even if Logan drowns because he can’t swim,” Brian sends a spray of water toward Josh and me.
“I can swim, jackass, I just can’t swim well,” I defend.
“It’s why you got the double floatie, huh? So one of us would be with you?” Josh ribs me.
“Poor choice having Josh with you. He’ll probably let you drown so he can have Kelli all to himself,” Brian chimes in again.
“Ha-ha, laugh it up. See if I make dinner tonight,” I huff out.
Kelli laughs so hard, she falls off her pizza float. As her head pops above the surface she is still laughing. “Don’t worry, I can swim just fine! I’m also more than happy to cook dinner.”
“I’m going back to the shore,” I mutter before ducking out of my side of the tube and swimming back. I really can swim, I’m just not very confident in it. Josh swims after me, dragging the floatie with him.
“We’re just fucking with you. Don’t get mad,” Josh tosses out.
“I know,” I turn and take the float, throwing it onto the shore next to the others, “I just wanted to give them some more time to reminisce.” I nod over my shoulder at Kelli and Brian, who are hiding on either side of the pizza, spitting water at each other.
Josh takes a seat next to me in one of the Adirondacks. “They’re so good together when they leave the bullshit behind. When is he going to see that?”
“I don’t know, man, but I hope it’s soon.” Laughter rings out from the lake as Kelli tries to backflip off of Brian’s shoulders and fails epically. The thoughts of a future filled with laughter, love, and playful days brings a goofy grin to my face. “I could get used to this.”
Josh stays quiet a moment, watching Brian and Kelli play with the ease that best friends should have before he turns to me. “Same.”
My workaholic best friends have both cut back to working only four to five hours a day for the time being. The smiles and laughs around our house are flowing more freely than they ever have, and our time spent being present with each other is better than it has been in years. We have Kelli’s presence to thank for all of this. She is the sunshine in our home, and in our lives.
Every afternoon, Kelli and Brian go out to the side of our property for target practice and gun safety lessons. Their relationship is getting better, the ease of conversation and casual touches happening more frequently. It hurts watching the look on Brian’s face when he is around her, filled with bittersweet longing and admiration, yet he’s full of pain. He won’t back down on the fact that their friendship is what’s important and he won’t push it past that. Tuesday afternoon, when they head outside, I pull Josh aside for a long overdue conversation.
Meaningful talks aren’t his specialty, but he has been opening up a lot these last three weeks, and I am seeing a whole new side to him. Watching his chemistry with Kelli makes me want this with them, but I am out of my realm here. I’ve never shared a woman sexually, let alone been in a relationship with a woman who is also with another man. Would this even be a relationship? My heart was captivated by her, and I wanted to be able to call her mine. Ours .
We sit in my office looking anywhere but at each other. “I have some questions.”
“When a man and a woman love each other..” His voice laced with humor.
“Shut up, man!” My eyes roll to the back of my head. “I’ve never done this with a woman before. I just want to do this right.”
“Basic anatomy, the penis goes in the vagina,” Josh jokes.
I take a pen from my desk and chuck it at his head. “Will you take this seriously for a moment? It’s the least she deserves.”
His eyes soften at the mention of Kelli. “I haven’t done this beyond sex really either. Hell, I don’t really know how to be good at a normal relationship. We haven’t even really shared her yet besides our little hot tub intro.”
“Have you been fucking every night?” His smirk answers me before he can. “Okay, nevermind about that. Do you think she wants to be shared? Does she just want to be with us separately?”
“I think this is a conversation we need to have with her. I don’t even know if she wants more than sex from us.” He avoids eye contact again before straightening his spine. “I want more with her. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted someone the way I want her. Knowing she wants all of us, too, it feels right in a way I didn’t think was possible.”
He put my thoughts into words. I was the more vulnerable of the group, never having a problem explaining how I feel, but Kelli was making us all better men. “Yeah, I feel the same. So, we just take this one day at a time? Be the best we can for her, keep our jealousy in check, and hope she feels the same?”
“Sounds like the best plan to me. She did hint at you sleeping with her the other night. I was hoping she would ask you, but I think she’s still as unsure about all this as we are. If you wanted to take my place tonight, I wouldn’t mind.”
“Who says I have to take your place?” I raise an eyebrow at him. “Maybe tomorrow night, the three of us can have a conversation. I have to go to the station this evening for a case.”
“Mmm, I’m not going to complain about another night alone with her.” His eyes linger on the unit picture behind my desk. “You know Roy reached out the other night? He’s looking for security for his new hangar. I never thought he would actually do it.”
“Damn, good for him. Is he officially open? It’s been a minute since we’ve all gone skydiving; we should make a trip out there.”
He gives me a dead stare. “You know Brian won’t go. He hasn’t talked to anyone since Caleb went around blaming him. Roy even mentioned that he has tried to reach out to let him know the rest of the team doesn’t feel the same, but B never got back to him. Apparently, Caleb has been a little extra unhinged lately. He said he saw him like six months ago and he had gone off the deep end with conspiracies and wasn’t looking great.”
“We will deal with that eventually, one thing at a time. I have to head into work. I’ll be back late. I’ll reach out to Alex and my team while I’m there and see if they have anything new on the case.”