Chapter Three
Just the sound of Salem’s breathing steadied Dodge.
He understood now why Quest always said Dodge soothed him.
The peace he found with the two men who slept nearby couldn’t be understated.
Before JD had come into his life, Dodge hadn’t known this stillness.
There was no way Quest and Salem understood how tired he got of smoking to find what they brought him.
He had to find a way to hang on to this, but he had never been good at asking for what he wanted.
Rejection was more than he could handle on the best of days.
If either Salem or Quest ever turned their back on him, he couldn’t survive it.
Dodge was already barely hanging on mentally.
Salem stirred.
Dodge pretended to sleep, hoping to hang on to the moment for a second longer.
When he felt Salem stiffen, he knew their moment was gone.
Salem slithered down the bed, sneaking his way from between them.
Despite Salem leaving him, Dodge fought a smile at the way Salem worked at not waking them.
Dodge didn’t open his eyes until he was certain Salem was gone.
Quest slept peacefully. Dodge waited five minutes before following Salem.
He slipped into Salem’s bedroom just in time to catch Salem getting into the shower.
It was a risk, but Dodge had to take it.
He couldn’t let Salem cool too long or think too much.
Otherwise, he was out. Dodge felt Salem’s fear all hours of the day, like a fourth person living in their home.
Of course, to be fair, that fourth person had been created by all of them.
But Dodge needed this. He couldn’t run now.
Dodge opened the shower door and stepped inside. Salem didn’t startle. That was Salem, though. He was the most solid person Dodge had ever met. His spine of steel never bent. The only time he ever softened was with them. That was why Dodge knew he had made the right choice.
Salem’s expression was heat and curiosity.
Dodge didn’t make him ask. “I didn’t get to do what I really wanted last night.” He lifted Salem off his feet and backed him against the wall. “Not that I’m complaining.”
A smile exploded across Salem’s face. He stroked the back of Dodge’s neck—the way he always did. “It’s not in you to bitch about anything, but I get what you’re saying. ”
God. Dodge loved him. He couldn’t stop smiling. “I guess this didn’t turn out that sexy.”
“Sometimes, sexy is overrated. Real is better.”
Dodge pressed his forehead against Salem’s for a moment.
They held each other’s stare. Salem made the first move.
He pressed his lips against Dodge’s. Dodge savored the feeling of touching Salem before deepening their kiss.
Things got hotter by the second, even though Dodge was woefully unprepared to take this shot. “Show me.”
Salem grabbed a nearby bottle that looked like some sort of oil. “Sit down. I’ve got you.”
Dodge carefully sat on the bench inside the wet room.
On his knees, straddling Dodge’s lap, Salem used the oil on his asshole while Dodge watched.
He was painfully turned on. Dodge had religiously worn protection his entire life.
It was Salem. Not only had Dodge not been with anyone in a while, his soul knew they were meant to be.
Salem didn’t see it yet, but this was where they all stopped—together.
Still, not having Quest there to shore up his mental health kept fucking with his head. “Sorry, I'm not Quest. I know he’s the one with all the skills.”
Salem froze. His steely gaze locked on to Dodge.
“Stop. Don’t do that.” Salem set the oil aside and scooted closer, removing the space between them.
He wrapped his arms around Dodge’s neck.
Salem never broke eye contact, and Dodge couldn’t look away.
“You have the most gentle, loving soul I’ve ever seen.
Quest is the ‘everyone gets love in this house’ one.
He’s not better or vice versa. Just different.
Do you think he’s better than me?” Salem lifted and took Dodge inside him.
Everything inside Dodge glitched to the point he couldn’t respond.
Salem rocked himself on Dodge’s cock and kept going. “Do you think I’m better than him?”
“You’re different.” The words stuttered from Dodge’s lips.
Salem swiped his lips across Dodge’s mouth. “Exactly. This isn’t a competition. It’s three pieces of one soul finding each other.”
Goddamn. Dodge flew to his feet, holding Salem’s weight.
He braced him against the wall and fucked him the way he had always wanted.
Dodge didn’t think. He acted. Even though it was Salem, he became the person who fucked anyone else.
Dodge took his pleasure while following Salem’ s cues.
If he moaned, Dodge leaned into that angle.
Everything felt good to him. He couldn’t be disappointed, but he also knew he wouldn’t let Salem down.
Salem believed in him and loved him. That was all he needed to let go and enjoy their time.
When Salem’s cum hit his chest, a roar of possessiveness and satisfaction filled his head.
The way Salem’s body felt—the heat. The way he tried sucking him deeper.
Dodge had never experienced anything so powerful.
He knew that was because his heart was all the way in, but the ecstasy nearly unglued his mind.
He chanted Salem’s name against his throat as he filled Salem with cum.
It felt like a claiming, but Dodge knew it wasn’t.
Salem still held something back from him.
He felt it all hours of the day. There was some part of Salem they couldn’t reach.
Until they did, Salem would never agree to be theirs.
With a towel wrapped around his waist, Quest ambled from the bathroom into the bedroom. He found Dodge nude on his knees, picking up the box of cards that had spilled everywhere during last night’s encounter.
“I planned to do that when I got out of the shower.”
Dodge looked up. His sweet, hazel eyes locked on to Quest. Quest’s heart skipped a beat. Dodge smiled. “Hey. It’s no big deal. I came in here to get it.”
Quest’s gaze swept Dodge’s nude body. “Is that what you came here to do?”
Dodge blushed. “I was on my way to my bedroom. I forgot to get dressed.” Quest’s heart had never stood a chance. Not from day one.
Quest plopped down on the bed and stretched out. He opened his arms to Dodge .
With a huge grin, Dodge crawled into Quest’s embrace. He snuggled against Quest’s chest.
Quest took a deep breath. “You smell like him—like whatever product he uses or whatever. You know what I mean.”
“I think we pushed too hard, too fast. He left. Practically ran from the house.”
He wasn’t surprised. “I think three years is a long enough wait. It’ll be okay.”
“He cried. Last night,” Dodge explained unnecessarily. Quest had been there.
“You remember what it was like. When no one has ever loved you, it’s hard. He’s not like us. For someone like him, this whole thing will be even harder to swallow.”
Silence stretched between them.
Dodge cleared his throat. “This whole thing. What is that exactly?”
God. Quest had been waiting for Dodge to ask that for a long time.
He knew Dodge had to come to him. Too much had happened to Dodge.
His incredibly sweet nature had been more than abused.
Dodge had to be the one to choose. “It’s always been us, babe.
I’ve just been waiting for you to be done with playing. You’re owed that freedom.”
Dodge shifted, as if getting more comfortable.
“One morning, like three months after Dad died, we woke up and Salem had cooked breakfast. I know he’s always done that, but it just hit me from nowhere.
He made this a home. I mean, I get that JD indulged us, but this was different.
Salem glued us together. I know I don’t make sense. ”
A lump grew in Quest’s throat. “You make perfect sense. JD loved us, but his love language was money. It’s like we needed a steadiness or something like that.” He chuckled. “I guess I’m the one who doesn’ t make sense now.”
Dodge’s hand moved across Quest’s stomach, stroking him.
“Nah. I get you, but I forgot my point. That’s the day I knew I wanted it to be just us.
The three of us.” He plucked at Quest’s towel nervously.
Dodge cleared his throat again. Quest practically felt how uncomfortable this conversation was for him.
“It’s been really hard watching you both choose everyone but me. ”
Quest rolled, pinning Dodge beneath him. Dodge looked every bit as vulnerable as he sounded. “I’d never choose anyone over you. Why in the fuck do you think I drink so much? I fucking hate seeing Salem and you choosing everyone but me. From day one, I was more than willing to be only yours.”
Dodge looked sad rather than reassured. “I just thought you didn’t want me anymore.”
“How could you think I don’t want you?” Quest shifted positions, ensuring Dodge couldn’t miss his erection. Even Quest heard the rage in his voice. Quest realized he had lost his towel in the fracas when it sank in there was nothing between them.
Dodge stroked his ass. “I love you.”
Quest softened immediately. He couldn’t explain it, but he loved the sound of Dodge’s voice. His shoulders relaxed at just the sound, much less while saying those words with their nude bodies molded together. “I love you too. Seriously, though. How could you think I don’t want you?”
The sweetest shrug came from beneath him.
He watched Dodge turn adorably shy. Quest knew most people never saw the real Dodge.
They saw an overly confident beauty. It was a facade.
While Dodge was definitely flawless, he was still the same painfully broken boy Quest met nearly a decade ago.
He counted on Quest. “Like Salem pointed out last night, you never dated any other men. I thought… well, you kn ow what I thought.”
He did, and it broke his heart. Quest lowered his head and kissed Dodge, lightly swiping his lips across Dodge’s before moving to kiss his cheek.
“I more than want you. I want it to be just us. The three of us, exactly as fate intended.” He licked Dodge’s collarbone.
“I’m sorry I’ve failed you. Tell me how I can fix it?
” He sucked Dodge’s nipple, listening to the way his breathing turned ragged.
Quest softened his voice even more, luring Dodge from the shell he hid in when he was embarrassed to talk about something.
“Tell me how I could’ve made you see the way I die a little each night you’re not sleeping beside me. ”
Dodge snagged his hair and pulled, dragging Quest’s mouth back to his.
He dove inside. His tongue fought Quest for control.
Quest’s throat swelled even as his hips automatically rolled.
Their erections enjoyed the friction while their mouths played.
Everything in Quest’s chest hurt even as his body burned.
His eyes stung. He wanted this life so goddamn badly and it was like he was invisible.
Quest tried so hard to give this household all the love he had, and he swore no one noticed how badly he needed to be loved too.
Dodge swiped Quest’s face. “Why in the fuck are you crying? Why am I making everyone cry?”
He sounded so adorably confused and hurt.
Quest chuckled. “They’re tears of happiness.
” He kissed Dodge’s neck, trying to hide his expression.
Quest was horrified. He hadn’t realized he was crying.
Quest was supposed to be the older one. The stronger one.
He rocked against Dodge again. Quest had to distract him.
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed this.
” He kept up the pace, savoring the friction.
“You have no idea how many women I’ve chosen, only because I knew you’d share them with me.
Just so I could be closer to you. You and Salem are my whole fucking world.
I just haven’t known how to make you two see me. ”
Dodge grabbed his hair again, forcing Quest to hold his stare as he lifted his hips and did his part to drive Quest crazy. He never looked away. Quest’s stomach muscles clenched. He was turned on and invested. Quest needed this. “I see you. It’s me I’ve never been able to look at too closely.”
Damn. That crushed Quest. He had known that, but he had been too scared of his own feelings and losing what they had built in this house to give Dodge what he needed.
“I see you just fine and I promise you all there is to look at is pure beauty. Not just on the outside. Inside, where it matters, you’re so fucking stunning. You leave me speechless. Always have.”
Using his strength against Quest, Dodge rolled.
Dodge held their erections together and stroked.
He kissed Quest like he wanted to consume him.
Quest’s lust won. All talks of their past and relationship ended.
Quest writhed against Dodge’s touch, riding his palm while savoring the way their erections felt against each other.
There was so much love in his heart. Sometimes it had nowhere to go.
His body wound tighter. Quest’s breathing turned more ragged.
He fought his way toward the pleasure Dodge offered.
Dodge didn’t tease. He worked and used Quest’s body like he couldn’t spit cum on him fast enough.
His kiss showed a hunger that matched the way Quest starved .
Dodge cried out against Quest’s lips.
Quest lost his breath as the show of Dodge’s orgasm took him out.
His body jerked when Dodge’s hot cum spilled over his crown.
Then there was nothing but the ecstasy of pulsations that had him fucking Dodge’s hand, refusing to miss a single wave.
This was love. Always had been. How could Salem resist them now that they knew exactly what they sought? They would be so fucking flawless.