Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
With one hand holding open the refrigerator door and the other shifting foil-covered aluminum pans and plastic storage containers around, Erin leaned in closer, looking for something to quiet her growling stomach.
Erin walked into Dylan’s wing earlier not knowing what the plan was or how much time she’d spend with him. It turned out they planned to surprise her.
Boy, was what happened a surprise. A happy one.
She really didn’t think the men would work it out and the threesome would ever happen. Especially since they were both Doms.
Two Doms sharing one sub. She shook her head and sighed.
Between cat naps and sex, they shared with her their discussion and agreement about being flexible, which, in their case, meant both of them being a switch. It surprised her that Ford would agree.
When he took control during that second round, he was clearly in his element. She also noticed something interesting. Beside the fact that Dylan had a freckle on his left inner thigh, she noticed he had totally blissed out while Ford fucked him.
In the beginning, Ford ordering him around made her ex tense up and a little defiant, but it didn’t take long for him to embrace bottoming for Ford. Again, completely unexpected. Though, it was true she didn’t know Dylan at thirty-five as well as she knew him as a teenager. Not even close, but she hoped to if the threesome proceeded.
Obviously, people changed emotionally, physically and sexually as they aged and gained more experience under their belt. Erin was proof of that.
It took Ford showing her the light when it came to the Dom/sub relationship. At first, she’d been shocked when he even hinted at it, then assumed he was kidding around. After that, those hints became suggestions. He also began to slip in some BDSM whenever they had sex, which she now recognized had been vanilla.
He slowly nudged her into the lifestyle by taking the time to show her what it was and explain the dynamics, what a turn-on it could be and how satisfying. As long as she was open to it, of course.
It turned out, she was.
While he started out slow as to not overwhelm her, she began to get impatient and encouraged him to take it further each time. Now, after years of playing together, they knew each other’s likes and dislikes very well.
Despite the fact she had nothing or no one to compare him to, she considered Ford a great Dom and trusted him one hundred percent. He took care of her during light, fun sex, or a heavy scene, as well as afterward.
While he could be very dominating and controlling, as soon as the scene was over, he was the exact opposite. He let her be independent.
She could only assume, now with the potential of two Doms in her life, her independence might be reduced. Especially if they turned this into a permanent polyamorous relationship. An exclusive threesome where they were dedicated to each other and none of them had sex outside the group unless all three agreed upon it first. A democracy of sorts.
They could bring in a resort guest one night for a foursome. Or maybe they’d enjoy a night of voyeurism, where two of them watched the third have sex with someone else.
The three of them discussed some of the endless opportunities being tied to an all-adult ranch resort that existed specifically to give a safe and supportive space for guests to lose their inhibitions and follow their desires.
Footsteps behind her, paired with a surprised, “Erin?” had her straightening and slamming the fridge door shut. She smothered her gasp and quickly pretended like she belonged in the farmhouse’s kitchen, even though she didn’t and was now busted.
“Dani!”
“What—”
“Do I want to eat?” Erin finished before Dylan’s sister could ask the rest of her question. “Sorry, Dylan said it was okay. I was checking to see what was in the fridge.” Because we’re starving for reasons I don’t want to have to explain. Please don’t make me since it involves your older brother.
She grimaced and her eyes sliced to the door separating Dylan’s wing and the shared kitchen.
Dylan, come make an excuse… please.
Next time she was packing a cooler full of snacks.
She tugged at the hem of Ford’s T-shirt, the only piece of clothing she was wearing. Erin wondered how much of her pale butt Dani saw while she was bent over and staring inside the fridge. At least her cheeks weren’t bright red from being spanked. Both hard and often.
Dani blinked a few times, then, as if someone pushed her Start button, she jerked into action and came closer.
Erin, self-consciously tugging at the T-shirt again, stepped aside to give her room. She also did it so Dylan’s sister wouldn’t get a good whiff. She was sure she smelled like sex, especially after having it with two men. Without condoms, or a shower yet.
She again shot a nervous glance at the closed door to Dylan’s wing. Please, please, please, if one of you come through that door, let it be Dylan.
“I brought home a pan of chicken piccata along with some sides, leftover from tonight’s dinner at the lodge. I got a hankering for it, so I came down to break it out and heat it up.” She raised a single eyebrow. “Want some?”
She could see the burning curiosity in Dani’s eyes and the fact she struggled not to ask why Erin was standing in their family’s kitchen only wearing a T-shirt. One that didn’t even belong to her or her brother.
Shit.
“Umm…” Truthfully, she wanted to go hide in Dylan’s wing and not break bread with his sister. But if she hightailed it out of there, like a roach when someone flicked on a light switch, it might make it look even more suspicious. She needed to act like this was all normal. Unfortunately, she had no acting skills and would have to wing it. “Sure. If you don’t mind. That sounds good. I’m ravenous.”
“From?” If Dani was attempting to hide her amusement, she wasn’t trying too hard.
“The workout I just had.” Shit. Don’t panic.
Danica’s head tipped to the side. “Did Dylan install a gym in his wing when I wasn’t paying attention?”
“Something like that,” Erin murmured.
Dylan’s sister was sharp. She’d have no problems putting two and two together.
When the door opened behind Erin, her heart skipped a beat, then began to race.
Despite being afraid to look, she couldn’t resist watching Ford blow through it. He went from fifty miles an hour to a dead stop the second he spotted Danica pulling out the pan of leftovers from the fridge.
“Danica,” he greeted carefully.
Dani’s eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open before she quickly plunked the tray of chicken piccata onto the counter. Probably so she wouldn’t drop it in surprise.
With Ford only wearing a pair of Dylan’s sweatpants—hanging deliciously off his hips—Danica’s eyes instantly zeroed in on his lightly-haired, broad chest. Then they took a slow stroll south to take in the rest. Erin could imagine she was appreciating his sexy Adonis belt and defined six-pack abs. Add in that delicious dark, narrow path of hair leading from his navel to the trimmed patch around his cock.
Gray sweatpants, which tended to draw the female gaze on a normal day, combined with Ford’s obvious lack of containment underneath them, made it impossible to conceal the outline of his nicely sized cock.
Apparently, neither Erin or Danica were immune from staring at it.
When Ford cleared his throat, Erin glanced over at Dylan’s sister and their gazes met. Erin could see Dani fighting the urge to smile. Or drool. Or possibly both.
“What are you doing here, Ford?” Dani sounded over-the-top sweet. “Since you’re dressed like that, I have to assume you were working out as well? Is my bonehead brother teaching fitness classes now?” She raised her hand with the palm out. “Let me guess, you’re about to respond with, ‘Something like that.’ Where do I sign up for that kind of something?”
Ford, also attempting to look as if he belonged in the Lyons’ family kitchen and that his presence was normal, deflected with, “What’s in the pan?”
Erin helped him by unpinning her lips to answer, “Chicken piccata.”
Seconds later, Dylan stepped through the door Ford had left open, took them all in, pulled in a breath and shook his head.
“Brother,” Dani greeted, now wearing an over-exaggerated grin.
Erin was surprised she didn’t wiggle her eyebrows and give him a, “ Bow chicka wow wow,” along with it.
Dylan’s tight mouth turned downward. “Sis.”
“She’s about to heat up some leftovers,” Erin announced like this gathering in the kitchen was an everyday occurrence.
“Great,” Dylan responded dryly. “Is there enough for everyone?”
Dani grabbed a spatula from a drawer and jabbed it toward the door to Dylan’s wing. “Depends how many more of your students are about to come through that door.”
Dylan’s brow scrunched low. “Students?”
“Yes, of your”—she made air quotes—“fitness classes.”
He blinked and glanced at Erin. She bugged her eyes out at him in a silent message.
“Yeah, uh … That’s it,” he grumbled. Dylan jerked his chin toward the aluminum covered pan. “Are you going to heat that up? Or just gawk at us?”
“I can multitask,” Dani assured him and turned on the oven.
“Good, because I’m starving,” Ford said.
“A good workout will do that to you.” Dani rolled her lips under as she tented the foil over the pan.
“Wouldn’t a microwave be faster?” Ford asked.
“Sure, if you want rubber chicken.” Dani turned, leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “So…”
Dylan dropped his head and groaned.
“What kind of workout involves two men losing their shirts and one of them landing on Erin? Are you even wearing panties under that T-shirt?”
Of course not. She obviously wasn’t wearing a bra, either. She hadn’t thought about getting caught red-handed while searching for sustenance.
She and Ford shared a glance. Of course, he looked amused and didn’t seem as freaked out over the situation as Erin and Dylan, despite the fact they all knew it wouldn’t remain a secret if they stayed overnight.
Dylan must not have been mentally prepared to explain the situation sooner than expected. Now he had no choice.
“How long will that take to heat up, sis?”
“Longer than it will take you to go put on a shirt,” Dani quipped.
With a single nod to his sister, Dylan announced, “I think I’ll go put on a shirt,” and headed back toward his wing.
“Good idea,” echoed Ford and followed Dylan.
But, lord , did both men’s asses look spectacular in the sweatpants. Though, Dylan’s fit better, of course, and, unfortunately, covered the cut muscles at his hips and half of his own happy trail.
Dani called out, “Ford, if you want to remain shirtless, I won’t care. I’ll only puke if I have to sit across from my half-naked brother while I’m trying to eat.”
Ford hesitated in the doorway like he was considering it, but then he did a vanishing act through the opening when a hand grabbed his arm and jerked.
Apparently, someone decided that wasn’t an acceptable plan. Only, now Erin was left alone with his sister. “Maybe I should go put on some?—”
“Panties? Probably a good idea because you never know when our brother might come out here with the munchies. Not the brother running late-night, half-naked exercise classes. The other one.”
Erin glanced toward Dayne’s portion of the house before swinging her gaze back to Dani. With a nod and her holding the T-shirt’s hem down as she went, she also went to get dressed.
Dylan held the door open for Erin as they headed back into the kitchen. This time dressed. When she slammed on the brakes, Dylan bumped into her. That caused Ford to curse under his breath as he almost collided with Dylan.
He stared at the dining table that was now set and behind one of those place settings sat his twin.
He silently groaned. He knew they wouldn’t be able to keep this a secret from his siblings if Ford and Erin made this a regular thing, but he had not been prepared to explain it right after their first actual threesome and, worse, at two in the morning.
A sigh slipped from between his lips.
“I set the table.” Dayne announced his achievement with a grin, like he was five.
Dylan bit back, “Do you want a cookie?”
His brother waved a hand around the table. “Come. Have a seat.”
“The piccata needs ten more minutes to be thoroughly heated,” Danica added.
“I don’t mind eating it cold,” Dylan muttered as Erin was the first to head over to join his siblings. “Did we wake you, Dayne?”
“No, when I walked into the house, I could smell the food being warmed up.”
Dylan raised an eyebrow at him. “You were out?”
“Why are you surprised? I mean, if anyone should be surprised in this scenario, it should be me, brother.” Dayne jerked his chin at Ford and the lines at the corners of his eyes deepened. “Ford.”
“Dayne,” Ford returned the greeting.
“This an odd time to sit down for a family meal, isn’t it?” Dani asked, still amused at the situation.
“We’re only missing Mom,” Dayne pointed out. “Maybe we should call her.”
“Why the hell would you wake up Mom?” burst from Dylan as he approached the large wooden farm table.
“Maybe she’d be interested to see what her offspring were up to. Though, she’d probably be pleased we were sharing a family meal together.”
“So, do you think she wouldn’t care that you don’t roll in until two a.m.?”
Dayne pursed his lips and scrubbed a hand over his jawline. “I don’t think that’s what would catch her attention.” His gaze bounced from Ford to Erin and back to Dylan.
“It would be our sister’s delicious chicken piccata?”
With a smirk, Dayne answered, “Sure.”
“She’s already tried it,” Dani volunteered. “And she does think it’s super fucking awesome. As is everything else I make.”
“You direct the kitchen staff,” Dylan reminded her.
Dani shrugged. “Still my kitchen, my cooks and my choice of ingredients. Just think of me like a conductor of an orchestra. I might not be the one playing the individual instruments, but I guide the musicians.”
Dylan rolled his eyes.
“So, Ford… I’m assuming you won’t be late for work tomorrow morning since you’re already here?” Dayne, apparently already bored with the direction of the conversation, brought it right back to where Dylan preferred it didn’t go. Though, realistically, it would be impossible to avoid. He swore his twin didn’t even have a sliver of decorum.
“I’ll need to go home to change,” their facilities manager answered, pulling out a chair and settling in across from Dayne.
“You didn’t bring a change of clothing?”
“No.”
“So, all of this,” Dayne waved his hand between Ford, Erin and Dylan, “was simply an impulse?”