Chapter 8
Rory
My eyes travel to my phone again. It’s been three days since I took Wes and Kyle’s numbers. I’ve been debating texting them. I’m not sure I want to get my hopes up. They seem great, but he did at first too. I’m not na?ve. I’m aware it was abuse, but I don’t really trust myself not to be that stupid again. If there’s two of them, it could be twice as bad. At first things would be fine, but they’ll suck me in and chip away at me. Strip me down to nothing inside and keep me there, unable to breathe or think. My depression will never lift if that happens again; I just know it. I had managed to pull out of it sometimes when I was with him, but I’m don’t think I could do it again.
My fingers make the decision for me and before I fully grasp what I’ve done, I’ve entered both their numbers into my phone. Whes! and Pool God now make up two of my contacts. I pull up a new chat thread and take a few deep breaths. Not everyone in the world is an abusive asshole. I know this. I am bigger than this. I’ll never know if I don’t try, or I’ll have blue lady balls for life.
My vibrators do a good job, but it’s not the real thing. I exhale a big breath and start typing.
Me: Hi. I’m not sure if you guys remember me, but this is Rory. From the bar?
Why did I ask? I mean, I’m from the bar. It’s not a question. Stupid, overthinking girl brain. I stare at my phone, willing them to reply so I don’t feel stupid. The longest minute of my life passes, and I see those three magical dots appear. My stupid stomach does backflips in excitement.
Whes!: Hey! Rory! I’m so glad you texted!
Me: Yeah, sorry, it took me a few days to get to it.
Whes!: Not a problem, we totally get it. How have you been?
I’m confused. He wants to know how I am? I figured he would want to get right into planning a date or something. Do guys actually care about that kind of thing? Does he really want to kno w, or is he just being polite? I take a guess since I’ve been socially cut off for a while now.
Me: Oh, uh, okay, just working and all that adult stuff… how about you?
Pool God: Hey pretty girl, we’ve been keeping busy. Wes over here wanted to keep visiting you at work but I told him not to freak you out.
Whes!: Oh you’re gonna get it now, making me look desperate. Spoiler alert: I am for Rory.
I smile and shake my head. Wes is clearly the joker here. Kyle has his humor; it’s just a little more subtle, but he feels like a solid foundation I could just rest against.
Me: You guys are ridiculous *smiley face*
Pool God: I do want to hear about your week, but I am dying to know if you’ll grace us with your presence.
Me: Um, sure? When?
Whes!: You don’t have to sound so excited *winking face* We always like to go to the festival they have downtown this time of year. Would you like to join us? We can meet you there if you’re more comfortable with that.
Pool God: We’re also happy to drive to save on gas or if you just don’t want to deal with driving. It’s completely up to you.
Me: Oh. Well… How about I meet you there?
I want to be able to escape. Sometimes the crowds get overwhelming, and I can’t handle the energy. I don’t want to burden them with that. Plus, if it turns out I’m wrong, I have some independence to get away.
Whes!: Sounds awesome!
Whes!: How about 10am on Saturday? Is that too early?
Me: Um, no that should be fine. I can be up and ready.
Pool God: You sure?
Me: Yeah, totally fine.
Pool God: OK, see you in a couple days
Whes!: Can’t wait!
Me: Yeah, see you soon.
Maybe I should go back and edit the response. I am excited to see them, but I wasn’t sure if I should say that. It was a little overwhelming having all that information thrown at me before having to make a decision. I shake myself. No, I can be a grown and confident woman. My response was just fine. Now I just have to stay out of my head before Saturday.
Saturday morning is bright and full of sunshine. Seems like a good omen. I’m smoothing my shirt down, wondering if this outfit is okay. I went with a casual tank top and jeans, my hair in its usual braid, but I added some makeup today. Hopefully, it’s nice enough for them. Grabbing my keys, I start for downtown. The parking is as insane as I would expect for a Saturday, but I’ve seen worse. We agreed to meet at the giant red sculpture since it’s not hard to find. I walk the few blocks to it and don’t see them in the crowd immediately, so my attention goes to the stage.
They have amateur musicians up there, playing their instruments and crooning their feelings into the microphone. It’s a little hard to hear from here since we’re outside, but I like watching their faces. You can see the emotion playing through as they convey emotion through song.
“Hey!” I hear a voice nearby that makes me jump and turn.
Kyle is standing there, smiling at me, and Wes is next to him, a soft smile on his face.
“Oh, hey guys,” I say as a smile spreads across my face.
“Checkin’ out the music?” Kyle asks.
“Yeah, I didn’t see you guys right away, so when I heard the music I had to watch.”
“You mean listen?” Wes asks.
“No, watch.” I smile. “I love watching musicians. The music is definitely part of the experience, but seeing their faces as they sing their emotions out is my favorite part.”
Wes studies me, and I can’t tell what he’s thinking, but his face is soft and open, like I’ve touched his soul.
“So, what’s your favorite thing to do here?” I ask them.
“Have you never been?” Kyle asks.
“I think when I was little we came a few times, but it’s been years since I’ve come to this,” I confess.
“Oh man! We gotta start with food then,” Wes says, placing a hand on his own flat stomach. “That’s, like, the majority of the reason to come.”
“I thought it was an arts festival,” I say, falling into step with them as they begin to mosey on.
“Oh sure,” Wes says, “but, food.”
I look at him, expecting more explanation.
“Don’t worry about getting more than that out of him.” Kyle chuckles. “That’s the extent of the argument.”
I look over at Kyle. “It is a good one, Pool God, you have to admit.”
He groans. “Not Pool God again.”
For a second I’m worried I really upset him, then I see him smile and decide he’s just joking. I look at Wes to see if he has more to add, and see him scanning the crowd, muttering to himself.
“Find anything good?” I ask.
“Ever had Aebleskiver?” he asks.
“Who what now?” I ask, blinking in confusion.
“They’re tiny round pancakes you can cover in powdered sugar or any other sweet deliciousness. I personally enjoy spiced, sauteed apples on mine, but to each his own,” Wes explains.
I shrug. “Sounds great. Where to?”
We navigate the crowd to the food booth that is serving up these little treats and get an order each. Finding a bench, we sit and eat, watching the other people as they walk by.
“So what do you guys do for work?” I ask, wanting to learn a bit more about them.
“I work as a VP down at Donar.” Kyle says.
“Oh wow, that big tech company? You’re like super important then.”
Kyle smiles and I look over to Wes.
“Well, I work in construction, as you can see from my large muscles,” Wes says, and brings up his arm to flex as he says it.
I bring my hand up to squeeze his muscle that he’s put on display. His face is full of humor and mischief, so I go with it.
“Meh,” I say, shrugging.
“Meh?” he repeats incredulously. “MEH? Do you hear this, Kyle?”
Kyle chuckles and shakes his head. “Not touching that one.”
Wes looks over at me, his eyes intense. “I will have you know—” He clearly has not thought this through because he seems to be searching for the right words.
“Yes, Whes ?”
“These muscles have tickled people until they cry,” he finishes triumphantly.
He then proceeds to begin attacking my sides, and while I’m not overly ticklish, I am caught by surprise and having fun with him. So, I shriek and pull away, standing up and facing him. My empty food tray comes out of my hands, and I realize Kyle is collecting our waste to throw away.
The moment serves as my downfall, however, when Wes pounces on me and begins a relentless onslaught of tickling. I shriek in delight as he laughs along, and we play a small game of chase around the bench, grinning like maniacs. I was worried it would be too hard to interact without having to be “on” for work and having a physical barrier between us, but Wes is making it easy to let my barriers down and enjoy myself.
He gives up the chase, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, I’m done, I promise,” he says, panting a little from the activity. I give him a look, showing I don’t believe him. He chuckles. “I promise!”
“I’ll protect you,” Kyle says, rising from the bench.
“Ha!” I say to Wes, sticking my tongue out like the mature adult I am.
He laughs and takes one hand while Kyle grabs the other and we begin walking around more, checking out everything the festival has to offer. Veering off to a plaza, I notice that there are a few activity spots in addition to what appears to be a craft market. As we stroll, I peek into one of the tents and I can see T-shirts all over.
“What is this?” I ask, not really expecting an answer.
“This is where you can make a T-shirt with the festival logo on it,” Kyle explains.
“Oh, that sounds cool. Have you guys done it before?”
Kyle frowns. “You know, I don’t think we have.”
“We haven’t,” Wes agrees. “I think we always get caught up in the food.”
I laugh. “The food IS pretty amazing. This looks fun, though… Do you guys wanna try it?”
The guys look at each other and shrug.
“Yeah, let’s do it!” Wes says, smiling.
We walk up to the volunteer at the table and pay for our shirts. There are a few different colors available, so I pick a bright yellow shirt, trying to find something super obnoxious just for fun. Wes eyes my bright yellow shirt and picks up a neon green. Kyle rolls his eyes at both of us and picks out a white one.
“Bo-ring!” Wes sing-songs to him as a result
Kyle just laughs and shakes his head. “One of us has to be someone reasonable with colors.”
“I didn’t realize we had the color police with us,” I comment with a smirk.
“Just call him Sergeant No-Color,” Wes teases.
“Does that mean I get to be in charge?” Kyle says with an eyebrow raised.
He leans in close between both of us and lowers his voice while we’re still facing the table of shirts where we selected our colors and sizes.
“I enjoy being in charge,” he says, seduction oozing from him.
Wes and I both shudder, and I feel my eyes flutter before turning around from the table, looking up at Kyle in surprise. He just winks and walks to the next station where we pick out ink colors and design. I lean in close to Wes as we follow.
“Is he always that hot?” I whisper.
He grins at me as he whispers back, “Always.”
We pick out our designs and colors before moving to an area full of paint and square frames with fabric pulled taut. I’ve never seen this type of thing before. I assumed there would be some kind of press, but this doesn’t look like what I expected.
“Ready to print?” a friendly volunteer asks.
“I think so,” I tell him, handing my shirt over.
“Great!” He takes my shirt and starts to explain the process to me.
The way they print is called silk screen printing. After explaining the process, the volunteer confirms my color, and we add it to the screen. I take a squeegee and slide it from top to bottom to spread it evenly over the T-shirt. We repeat the process and let it set for a moment before pulling the screen off the shirt. The final design is perfect, and I look up, smiling.
“How cool!” I exclaim.
“Right?” The volunteer helps me pick the shirt up and points to where I can hang it to dry. “Don’t forget to come grab your shirt before you leave the festival. Should only take an hour or so. I’ll still be here if you want to say hi.”
I smile and feel myself blush when he winks at me. As I turn with my shirt, I feel someone come up close behind me, almost touching. My adrenaline spikes a little as I quickly look back, only to see Kyle near me giving the volunteer a dirty look before checking out my shirt.
“That looks great!” He grins.
“Right? How’s yours?”
He holds up his shirt gently so I can check out the design. We picked different designs, but all the shirts have the festival name and year on it. It’ll be nice to have a reminder of a good day out. As soon as we finish clipping our shirts up next to each other, Wes appears, shirt in hand.
“Sweet, those look great!” he comments as he hangs his own shirt up.
We stand there for a few seconds, looking at our shirts before someone clears their throat behind us. We turn and realize we’ve been blocking other people, so we shuffle out of the tent and stand just outside the entrance.
“What now?” I ask.
“Well, we’ve got an hour to kill, so let’s go see who’s performing,” Kyle suggests.
“Sounds good. Hey, do you guys think we’ll be done with the date in an hour?” I ask, keeping my face as neutral as possible.
“Um, well, we can be if you have plans. We didn’t really plan the time out, but I guess if you need to be done…” Wes says awkwardly.
“Yeah, don’t feel like we’re trying to trap you or anything,” Kyle adds.
They both sound so sad, and I’m now hoping they take the joke and they’re not actually upset.
“Oh, good, cuz I have a date with volunteer boy in there when I pick up my shirt,” I tell them, winking before I start to back away.
Their faces slowly dawn in recognition of the joke and Wes takes on a predatory smile.
“Oh, you think you’re cute, don’t you?” he asks, walking towards me as I continue backing away.
“Can’t help it if someone else put in a claim on this hot mess… emphasis on the hot- tah ,” I say, exaggeratedly drawing out the last syllable before licking my finger and making a sizzle noise as I press it to my hips.
My eyes are laser focused on Wes as he prowls toward me, and I bump into someone. I can feel my cheeks flame with embarrassment, but before I can turn, I feel arms band gently around my middle.
“You tryin’ to ditch us for that volunteer, princess?” I hear Kyle’s low voice next to my ear.
He’s a mix of playful and sultry, and all I want is to hear him keep talking like that, directly into my ear.
“Maybe,” I say softly as Wes reaches me.
“We’re gonna have to work to prove to you we’re enough, aren’t we?” Kyle continues, placing a feather-light kiss on the outer edge of my ear.
I take a shuddering breath as Wes lands his hands softly on my hips, both of them invading my personal space in the best way. My eyes roam over Wes’ face, bouncing from his piercing blue eyes to his lips, taking in every freckle and laugh line showing on his rugged face from all his time outdoors.
“I think I could give up my time with the volunteer for you guys.” I give in way too easily, but these men have me twisted up inside.
Wes leans in close, his mouth near the same ear that Kyle kissed. “We’ll make it worth your while,” he promises softly, and I feel him and Kyle give each other a light, sweet kiss right next to my head.
I’m pretty sure my legs are jelly at this point. My panties are damp, and I can lightly feel how affected both of them are by the interaction. We’re not close enough for me to tease them properly, but I can tell the three of us are tangled up in the chemistry. Not wanting to let go, willing to dive deeper into whatever this feeling is. My breathing has picked up a bit and I’m leaning further into Kyle the longer we stand here.
“We should,” I stop and swallow. “We should probably go see about those stage acts.”
Kyle hums and runs his nose along my ear, promising more to come. Wes grabs my hand and subtly helps me steady myself as Kyle pulls away. As we start walking toward the nearest stage, Kyle grabs my other hand and squeezes it gently. I look over at him, and he’s gazing at me with a soft smile on his face. My face automatically smiles back at him before turning back to focus on where we’re going.
Chapter 9
Kyle
Wes and I leave the locker room, headed for the weights today. I’m antsy and distracted from our date yesterday with Rory, and I need to burn some of this energy off. Wes tried his best to burn it off last night with me, but we both woke up still wired. Rory has a way of getting underneath my skin. Then all I can think about is her eyes, her sass, and that body I want pressed up against me all the time. Based on Wes’ temperament, he feels the same.
Wes pulls me in the direction of the track, insisting on some cardio warm up. I groan but follow him anyway, my head tipped back in annoyance. I hate jogging. Hate it. I would just walk around the track if I thought I could get away with it. Since Wes and I switch, I know he’d pull Dom and have my ass red if I tried to. On the other hand, that might not be so bad. Wes tugs on my hand and raises a brow, like he knows what I’m thinking.
“Fine, I’ll jog,” I tell him.
“Good,” he responds. “Your ass isn’t the one I want to see turning red.”
“Fuck, why do you have to say shit like that?” I grumble at him, willing my body not to respond to his words and the image they create.
He grins at me. “Cuz I can.”
I shove him in the shoulder and take off around the track at a light jog. He chuckles and follows after me, catching up fairly quickly. He’s faster than I am, even though we both do a fair amount of cardio. Mine’s just usually in the water. Wes insists I suffer through two laps of the track before I drag him over to the weights.
“What’s goin’ on in that pretty head of yours?” I ask him as I secure the weights on the barbell I’m planning to use.
“Regarding…?” he teases as I lay under the bar, and he steps into a spotting position.
“You know what,” I grunt as I pull the bar off the rest.
“She is running through my mind all the time,” he admits, his eyes focused on my form and the bar. “I can’t wait to see her again, but I don’t want to scare her off.”
“I agree,” I grunt out, giving the bar a few more pumps before I set it on the rack and sit up to take a breather. “I want to hang out with her again, and she seemed okay doing the trio date. Maybe we should do another one.”
“Maybe we can bring her home this time,” Wes says, waggling his eyebrows at me.
I huff a laugh and lay back down on the bench. “Do you think we should consider solo dates?” I ask, a little tentatively.
Wes frowns as I reach up to grab the bar again. “Why?”
I do a couple of reps before answering between pumps of my arms. “You and I both had a chance to get to know each other. She deserves the same chance. Harder with all three of us.”
He turns pensive as I take a break between sets, sitting up and wiping my face off with one of the gym’s overly rough towels. We work in silence as I push out my last set, and it’s not uncomfortable, but it’s not exactly easy either. We agreed we wanted a girl to complete us, but the reality of trying to spend alone time with her is hitting. Will we get jealous? What if she likes one of us better? I’m not sure either of us really thought about that stuff.
Wes changes the weight as I stand and catch my breath, taking a sip of water and wiping my face again. He secures them and lays down on the bench, getting ready for his own set of reps. Pausing before he starts, he connects his eyes to mine.
“I think I’m worried,” he confesses.
“About what?” I ask softly.
“What if you like her more than me?”
I’m caught off guard momentarily. I had considered Rory liking one of us better than the other, but I hadn’t even thought of our feelings toward each other. Wes is the goofier one of us, but his heart is so damn tender and sometimes I forget that. I reach down to touch his cheek with my fingers.
“Hey, nobody can replace you, baby. I don’t want you to think that ever,” I tell him softly.
His mouth tilts in a small smile and I can see the relief on his face. He nods gently and focuses back on the bar he’s about to lift. I keep my attention on spotting him and try not to let my mind wander. Starting this relationship is going to be more difficult than I thought, and I’m definitely going to make an effort to ensure Wes feels just as important as he is. I can’t live without that man, and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure he knows it.
Someday, I hope I can say the same about Rory and shower her with love, too.
We wrap up arms and do a couple of leg weights before calling it and heading back into the changing room. I may or may not be scanning the halls, hoping to see that head of brown hair walking around, but she’s not here today. Stifling my disappointment, I look around the locker room and see it’s empty. Perfect. I grab Wes’ hand and pull him over to the sauna, which is also empty.
I force him to sit down, then squeeze in behind him, bracketing his lower body with my thighs. He leans back into me, fully relaxed by the heat and the cuddles. I run my hands from his shoulders, down to his wrists, and back up. My lips find his neck and I kiss from his shoulder up to his ear, licking his skin a little and tasting the salty sweat from our workout.
“What do you think? Should we relax a little more thoroughly?” I whisper huskily into his ear.
He groans. “God babe, I want to so bad, but do you know how fuckin’ unsanitary this is?”
“Do you think I really care? That’s what showers are for,” I say to him, moving my hands to his torso, fully intent on moving things forward despite being in a public sauna.
He groans and grasps my thighs, but he does nothing to stop my wandering hands. I graze them down his shoulders, making my way down his biceps and forearms, enjoying the feeling of his muscles beneath my fingertips. His skin pebbles as I go, goosebumps covering him, and I move my touch to his torso to tease his hardened nipples.
“Plus, we have clothes on. It’s not that unsanitary,” I inform him as I flick his nipples lightly.
His head falls back on my shoulder and his hips grind back into my length, trying to tease me as much as I’m teasing him. A groan escapes me as he does, and I pinch each nipple lightly, pulling a pleased moan from him. I continue my journey of feeling down his body, skating over his abs, enjoying the feeling of them flexing as he reacts to my touch.
“I can never get enough of you,” I confess softly into his ear.
“Touch me, Kyle, I’m dying for you.”
“You sure? You seemed hesitant before.”
One of his hands leaves my thigh and grabs my head, holding it as he turns to look at me. “Fuck it,” he tells me and pulls my lips to his.
My caress stills as we tease each other’s lips and tongues. We’re wrestling for control with our mouths, but we both know it’s not a real dominance battle, it’s just fun. One of my hands resumes its journey to Wes’ shorts, and he pulls away to lean his head back again as I dip underneath the waistband of his shorts.
He’s hard as a rock, the weight of him sitting comfortably in my palm as I stroke him from root to tip. My breath is shaky as I feel him, the heat that builds in my stomach becoming an inferno. He’s so perfect in my hand, I can never seem to get enough of his length. We’re so in tune with each other that I almost feel his pleasure as my own.
“Kyle,” Wes breathes out as I slowly stroke him again, squeezing gently at the tip.
I kiss him along his neck, starting at his ear and moving down to where his neck and shoulders meet. My teeth and lips teasing and nibbling at his salty skin as I go. My hand not gripping him snakes up to his throat, holding him gently where I want him.
As soon as I reach the base of his neck with my lips, I hear voices approaching the sauna, and before I can react, the door opens. Only one person is standing there, but I can hear someone else outside wondering why he’s not moving into the sauna.
Wes and I freeze, and my face heats with embarrassment. I can feel Wes’ smirk and I’m positive he gives the guy a wink, which just increases my mortification. As we sit there, I’m shocked to feel him get harder as we wait to see what will happen. The stranger stands there in shock momentarily, then backs away. I can vaguely hear his voice as the door closes.
“Maybe we should skip the sauna today,” he says.
“Why?” I hear the other guy ask, annoyed.
“It’s crowded in there,” the first responds and I hear them walk away.
“Did you like that?” I whisper into Wes’ ear. “I felt you get harder.”
He moved his hips, fucking himself on my hand. “That was so much hotter than it should have been.”
“We should probably stop. I’d hate for someone else to find us,” I tell him as I slowly stroke him.
His hand slips from the back of my head and clamps around the back of my neck. “Don’t you fuckin’ dare.”
Chuckling darkly, I resume the journey my mouth was taking on his skin. As I reach the tip of him, I squeeze Wes gently but firmly. His back arches and a small whining noise comes from him. My breathing is harsh and I’m sure it’s loud in his ear, but I can’t bring myself to care. His hard, sweaty body, fully dependent on mine, is heaven and gives me a heady power rush. Typically, as switches, neither of us will go super dominant during sex, but in this moment, I feel him submitting more than usual, allowing me full control.
He pulses lightly in my hand as I resume my strokes. Picking up my pace, my hips start to move almost unconsciously, seeking friction against Wes’ ass. Wes turns his head again, seeking my lips, and I meet him eagerly. Invading his mouth with my tongue, I groan in pleasure at the feel of his body, his mouth, his cock slipping in and out of my fist as I stroke him, and he fucks it at the same time.
“You gonna come for me?” I ask.
“Yes,” he gasps.
“I can’t get enough of you, babe, your body, your cock. I’m so fuckin’ hard for you.”
“Oh god, I want you.”
“You have me, baby,” I tell him, moving faster. “Now give me all your cum. Spill it all over my hand so everyone knows you’re mine.”
I feel him explode on my hand, his cum trapped between my skin and his shorts, making everything more slippery. Wes’ eyes are closed, his head resting on my shoulder and his mouth open as pleasure rips through his body. He’s groaning as his dick twitches in my hand, and I shower kisses on him.
“Fuck, you’re gorgeous when you come,” I tell him.
He chuckles lightly, and his lips meet mine in a light kiss. “Let’s go get cleaned up,” he says.
“Give me just a minute. I’m enjoying holding you,” I confess.
Wes sighs happily and stays still as we sit there with each other in peace; my hand down his shorts and my other arm around his body, just holding him to me. I’ll do anything I can to ensure he never doubts my love for him.