Everything Nice (8 page)

His question came out as a statement, but Alex decided to give his friend the truth.

“Yes,” he replied.

Charlie digested his answer for only a second—then slowly slid into him, one exhilarating, glorious inch at a time until he was seated to the hilt.

Alex grunted, fighting not to roar his triumph as Charlie retreated and returned, each thrust gaining speed, momentum. For someone new to homoerotic sex, Charlie seemed to know exactly what to do. Each stroke touched his prostate, rubbing against the oh-so-sensitive nerve endings, and Alex feared that after all his years of waiting he’d embarrass himself in an instant.

“Fuck,” he gritted out, pushing back, silently begging for more of Charlie’s rough loving.

“God
damn
, you feel good! I can’t, I won’t…” One of Charlie’s hands ventured around and gripped Alex’s erection. “I’m not coming alone,” he added, working his fist against the turgid flesh.

“Jesus, man!
You’re killing me,” Alex panted, fighting against his imminent orgasm. His balls tightened and he knew he wouldn’t make it much longer.

“Oh God,” Charlie said, thrusting harder, faster, working Alex’s cock with the same vigor he was using to pound inside his ass. “Now!” he demanded, and Alex gave himself up to the climax, semen shooting from the end of his cock in great spurts that he watched slide down the side of Charlie’s desk.

Above him, he could hear Charlie’s own cries of release and he felt the pulsing of his thick cock as he came inside him.

For several moments neither of them moved. Charlie, still lodged within him, held him caged tightly against the desk as both of them gasped for breath.

Finally Charlie stood, pulling free, and Alex instantly missed the fullness, the closeness.

He heard Charlie pull up his pants, heard the rasping sound of the zipper. He forced himself upright, his shirt falling to cover his now-soft cock. For a second he struggled to turn around, to face Charlie after the fact. What was his friend feeling?
Remorse, regret, relief?

Turning slowly, he looked behind him, surprised to see Charlie grinning at him a bit self-consciously.

“Okay?” Alex
asked,
his voice rough, tight.

“Yeah,” he answered a bit breathlessly. “But somebody’s gonna have to clean off that desk.”

Alex laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, buddy. I’m just the kitchen help. It’s your desk.”

Charlie chuckled and nodded, but his grin faded quickly. “Allie,” he said softly.

Alex was confused by his response. “What about her?”

“She won’t understand this. I never meant to hurt her, to cheat on her.”

Alex reared back at Charlie’s words. “Cheat on her? Jesus, Charlie, what the hell are you talking about? This wasn’t
cheating
.”

Charlie turned away from him and walked toward the couch in his office, sinking down slowly, heavily, as if weighted down by the pressure of the world on his shoulders.

“She’ll understand. Hell, if I know that woman, the only thing she’ll be pissed about is that we didn’t wait for her,” Alex said, crossing the room and sitting down beside his friend, his lover. He reached over and pulled Charlie to him, overwhelmed by the constant need to kiss his friend, touch him. He wondered if that need would ever abate.

As their lips parted, they leaned forward, resting their foreheads together, breathing in each other’s air and basking in their newfound closeness.

“I hope you’re right,” Charlie said.

Alex laughed softly. “I’m always right,” he teased. “I’ve known for years how good it would be between all of us.”

Charlie pulled back and looked at him.
“Years?”

Alex silently chastised himself. He was feeling so giddy, so relieved, that he found everything he’d been holding back for a lifetime come bubbling to the top. “I’ve always wanted you.”

Charlie shook his head. “Shit, Alex. I keep sitting here waiting for the strangeness to creep in. Waiting for the ‘what the fuck have I done’ feeling to sink in. It’s not coming.”

Reaching down, Alex grasped Charlie’s hand. “I hope to God it never comes.”

Charlie leaned his head back against the couch, squeezing Alex’s hand in his as he closed his eyes. “Christ.
Me too.
Fact of the matter is I’m already thinking I’d really like to do that again.”

Alex laughed at his friend’s admission but before they could say more, the bell that hung over the front door rang in the foyer and he glanced at his watch. “Crap. My one thirty meeting is early. I have to go.”

“Yeah, you do,” Charlie said, looking up at him. His smile didn’t quite reach his blue eyes.

“We’ll talk when we get home. We’ll talk to Allie. Everything will be fine, Charlie. I swear.”

Charlie nodded, but Alex couldn’t kick the feeling that his friend didn’t believe a word he’d just said.

Charlie watched Alex redress before slipping out of his office. He sat still for several moments, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

He’d taken his best friend across the top of his desk. He’d had sex with another man. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined succumbing to such a thing, but now that it had happened he couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. He couldn’t believe how much he’d enjoyed it, enjoyed being inside Alex, not having to worry about hurting him, about being too rough.

He’d always been a forceful lover. It was one of the reasons why he’d invested in the Way Down Under Club. He could find willing partners who didn’t mind the fact that he liked his sex with an edge of pain. He’d been terrified ever since taking Allie to his bed that he’d hurt her. Every time he’d entered her, he’d fought back the instinct that begged to be set free, that demanded he take her hard and fast, just as he’d done with Alex.

He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Jesus, in two weeks he’d run the gamut of emotions. He was so damn tired of thinking, he couldn’t focus on anything other than the desire to crawl into a bed and sleep for a month.

Allie, the woman of dreams, had returned home and he’d pulled her into a ménage with his best friend rather than working toward the happily ever after he’d always imagined for them. Now he couldn’t even think of planning a future with her without Alex.

And Alex.
Holy hell, the man had gotten under his skin in ways Charlie had never allowed himself to consider before and now he couldn’t see a way back to the platonic friendship he’d always relied on. Worse, he didn’t
want
to find a way back.

Worst of all, he couldn’t seem to find a way back to
himself
, to the things he’d always known and understood to be true about the world. He was a dominant, heterosexual man with a jealous streak a mile wide. He didn’t share lovers. He didn’t sleep with men. He didn’t lose control in the bedroom.

Where the hell had that man gone? In the course of two weeks he’d shared the love of his life with his best friend and then turned around and made love with the man. Regardless of Alex’s assurances, Charlie couldn’t shake the feeling that he, that they
had
betrayed Allie.

He’d screwed up royally…with both of them.

Now what am I supposed to do?

Chapter Eight

“Hey, hellion.
I’m home,” Alex said as Allie greeted him at the front door. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm, wet kiss. “Damn, I could get used to coming home like this.”

Allie looked at him suspiciously as they parted. “You’re in an unusually good mood.”

He laughed. “Yeah, well, I got smart today and listened to my girlfriend’s good advice.”

“You talked to Charlie?” she asked.

Alex nodded.
“Yep.”

She smacked him on the arm and gave him a frustrated growl. “Well, hurry up and spill then. Don’t make me pull all the details out of you. What happened?”

“Charlie didn’t say anything?” he asked, glancing over her shoulder. “Where is he? Taking a shower or something?”

“He’s not here. He never came home. I was starting to worry because you were both so late.”

“He’s not here?” Alex repeated, clearly surprised by that fact.

“No, he’s not. Should he be?”

“He left the office three hours ago. I had a couple of meetings this afternoon and the last one ran long.” Alex pulled out his cell as he spoke and Allie could see the concern in his face as he dialed Charlie’s number. “Shit. It’s going straight to voicemail.”

There was
an urgency
, an underlying panic in Alex’s voice.

“What happened at work today?” she
asked,
her heart racing with sudden fear.

“I did what you said. I went into his office and confronted him,” Alex said, starting to pace across the living room.

Allie watched his nervous movements and took a deep breath. “What happened?” she repeated. “What did you say?”

“I told him to hit me.”

Allie felt a brief spurt of laughter erupt at Alex’s words and she rolled her eyes.
“Typical male suggestion.
Why talk about emotions when you can fight? You’ve got a small bruise on your forehead, but I suspect that’s from the bagel. Since I don’t see any other visible wounds, I assume he didn’t take you up on your offer.”

“No, but we did argue and then…”

“And then?” she prodded.

“We had sex.”

Whatever Allie had been expecting to hear, those three words were not it. “You had sex?
With each other?”

“No, Allie, with the cleaning lady,” Alex replied hotly. “Yes with each other!”

“Well…that’s great!” She smiled, pleased that things finally seemed to be falling into place.

“Yeah, great,” Alex agreed.

“That’s better than great. It’s terrific! How was it?”

Alex laughed and shook his head at her. She was one in a million and he thanked God for her every day. “It was earth-shattering.
Awesome.
There aren’t words to describe it. He wanted to be there, Allie. He wanted me. I never thought…”

Allie put her hands on her hips and feigned anger at Alex’s narrative. “I can’t believe you guys didn’t wait for me,” she joked.

“I told Charlie you’d be pissed about that but…” Again Alex paused and Allie suddenly recalled Charlie’s MIA status.

“But?”

“He seemed to think you would be upset.”

“Well, I
am
upset, but probably not in the way Charlie meant,” she said. “What can I say? I’m selfish. I don’t like the idea of being left out of the fun, but I think maybe it was better that the two of you were alone together this first time. Maybe it took some of the pressure off him—wondering and worrying about my response.”

“I don’t know if you’re right about that. Charlie seemed to view what we did as us cheating on you.”

Allie was astonished by Alex’s words. “What? Is he insane? Where the hell would he get that idea?”

Alex laughed. “That’s what I said, but I think this sort of falls under the category you mentioned before. Charlie’s ideas of the world are different from ours. He tends to get hung up on so-called normal things.”

Allie bit her lower lip and pondered his words, fighting back her own laughter. “You know what the problem is?”

“What?” he asked.

“Nice, ordinary Charlie has been sucked into Allie and Alex Land, where anything goes. I think it’s safe to assume we’ve rocked his foundation quite soundly.”

“Shit, I’d say we’ve crushed his foundation to dust. What the hell are we going to do, Allie? What if he’s taken off for good?”

“He hasn’t,” Allie replied, unsure why she was so certain of that fact. “For one thing, Charlie is as reliable as the tide. He wouldn’t just take off from the firm without a word. He’s also pretty predictable in a male sort of way.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alex asked.

“If he thinks he’s been unfaithful to me, he’s probably hit a local bar and is drinking a bit of liquid courage in order to confess.”

“The Way Down Under Club.”

“What?” Allie asked.

“He’ll be at the club. We have our own rooms there and I’ll bet you anything—”

“Wait a minute. You have your own rooms?
At a sex club?”

Alex grinned guiltily. “Did I forget to mention we’re part-owners?”

Allie narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, I think you did.”

“He’ll be at the club,” Alex repeated, and Allie had to agree.

She turned quickly, walking back toward Alex’s bedroom.

“Where are you going?” he called out.

“If we’re going to a sex club, I have to change my clothes.
Hee-hee
,” she teasingly giggled. “I’m finally getting back in that joint. Give me fifteen minutes.”

* * * * *

Charlie sat in a corner of the bar at the Way Down Under Club and tried to forget the fact that he was sitting at the exact same table where, two weeks ago, Alex had started them on the path that had led him back here tonight. He hadn’t intended to come here. In fact, he’d nearly been home when his courage deserted him and he pulled off the road. Confusion, frustration, desolation crushed in on him until he felt as if he’d been buried alive.

He simply couldn’t go home until he figured out a few of the tangled emotions choking him. He loved Alex and Allie. He was
in
love with them. As soon as the words had drifted through his mind in the truck, he’d tried to disregard the brunt force of that knowledge. Now as he sipped his beer, it ran over him like a two-ton freight train.

He loved both of them.

“Hey, stranger,” a soft voice said, jarring him from his wayward thoughts.

“Brooks,” he said, glancing up and finding Ginny smiling down at him. He looked over her shoulder, surprised to find her alone.

“Travers went back to our room. We spotted you when we walked in and he suggested I
come
sit with you. Silly man is plotting some surprise.”

“So things between you and Travers are good?” he asked, leaning back. He and Brooks had been friends forever and a day and, despite the fact that he was nervous as hell about filling her in on his budding relationship with her sister, he was glad to see her. She was funny and fun and he’d missed
her the
past couple weeks. She and Travers had been out of the office more than they’d been in it, but he figured they were entitled, considering they had let nearly twenty years of unrequited lust build up between them.

“Things with Travers are unbelievably good.
Great, stupendous, astounding, breathtaking!”

Charlie chuckled at her enthusiasm. “I’m glad. You look really happy.”

“I wish I could say the same for you. The little I’ve seen you this week, you’ve been walking around like Charlie Brown under his dark cloud. What gives?”

He shrugged, toying with the idea of confessing all. He felt like he needed some of Brooks’ common sense wisdom. He’d been inundated with Alex and Allie’s skewed view of the world nonstop for two weeks. He wanted to talk to someone with a solid grasp on reality.

“I’m having some relationship problems,” he said, internally debating how many details to provide.

“You?
Relationship problems?
Get out!” Brooks replied, shoving his shoulder playfully.

“What’s so unbelievable about that?” He felt a bit pissed off at her astonishment.

“Anderson, you’ve never let a woman get under your skin.
Ever.
I wondered if I’d ever see the day. So who’s brought you to your knees? I want to go shake her hand.”

Her smug teasing pushed him to retaliate. “Allie.”

Brooks’ smile dimmed a bit.
“My
sister
Allie?”

Charlie nodded, finding his confession surprisingly easy. “I’ve been in love with her for years.”

Brooks sat silent for so long, Charlie wondered if he’d struck her mute. Brooks was never quiet. “I always thought…”

“Thought what?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said, brushing her comment aside. “What does Taylor think of you and Allie?”

Now it was his turn to fall speechless. What could have prompted her question? Had Alex talked to Brooks about his feelings?

“Alex is okay with it,” he answered vaguely.

“You’re a terrible liar, Anderson. You always have been.”

“What’s that mean?”

“You called Taylor ‘Alex’. Why don’t you go ahead and tell me the whole sordid tale? If you and Allie have finally admitted your feelings, then why are you so blue? Why are you sitting here alone in a bar, drinking?”

“Alex is in love with her too,” he added.

“I know.”

“You know?” he asked, astonished to hear Brooks’ admission.

“I saw him kiss her that night by the bonfire, years ago. Of course I also watched
her
drooling over
you
for a nearly an hour prior to that. Next thing I know, she hits the open road with Griffin. I sort of suspected she was afraid of coming between the two of you, but Allie was uncharacteristically closed-mouthed about her feelings.”

Charlie nodded slowly, trying to let Brooks’ words sink in. She thought her sister had run in order to avoid driving a wedge between him and Alex. He marveled over how Allie’s departure six years ago could be misinterpreted by so many people, himself included.

After spending time with her, listening to her stories of her years away, he realized she’d made the right decision in leaving. She’d remained true to herself and, as a result, was able to return home the mature, wonderful woman he’d fallen in love with. He wondered how differently things might have turned out if she’d given in to Alex’s proposal six years earlier. He couldn’t shake the thought that he hadn’t been ready for at least one part of Alex’s desires back then. Over the course of the past six years, he and his friend had grown closer and he suspected it was only their shared pasts, history, that had enabled him to take that step from friendship to lover.

It seems he’d grown up as well.

“So what’s the end of the story, Anderson?”

The words flew from his mouth, slowly but steadily. He told Brooks everything that had happened since that first Friday here at the club, leaving out nothing. She listened in silence, nodding occasionally, but to her tribute, she never once looked shocked or horrified.

Only when he’d finished, explaining how he’d come to be sitting in this bar dealing with the realization that he was in love with both of them, did she speak.

“I don’t understand why you’re here,” she said quietly, and he was jarred by her simple statement. He’d just confessed to entering into a ménage with her sister and a homosexual affair with their best friend.

“Jesus, Brooks,
are
you so out of your head in love that you haven’t heard a word I just said?”

“Explain to me what you think the problem is.”

Charlie shook his head. “And to think, you’re the normal sister. You can’t tell what might be bothering me?”

Brooks laughed at his question. “You’ve fallen in love and you’ve had the good fortune to have that love returned.”

“Allie doesn’t know about what happened in my office today. She doesn’t know Alex and I have become lovers.”

“You’ve known Allie since she was a little girl. Do you really think my anything-goes sister is going to have a problem with that? From what you’ve said, I get a feeling she’s been guiding the two of you toward that event.”

Charlie considered her words, recalling Allie’s sudden loss of memory in the shower when she asked Alex to show her how to give him a hand job. And it was Allie who had encouraged him to kiss Alex on the couch. “You’re right. She won’t mind.”

“So if that’s not what’s bothering you, what is?”

“How do I make a happily ever after with two people, Brooks? As you’ve just pointed out, I’ve never managed that feat with
one
person.”

“You never settled down because you gave your heart to Taylor and Allie years ago. You just didn’t realize it.”

“It doesn’t bother you that your sister is hooking up with two men?
Two men who are also hooking up with each other?”

Brooks scowled at him. “Are you kidding me? If I could have picked any man on earth for Allie, it would have been you or Taylor. Lucky girl managed to land you both. I can honestly say my sister has the luck of the Irish.”

“Crap, what’s Allie done now?” Travers asked as he walked over and joined them at the table. “Won the lottery? Found another rich old man to fly her all over the world?”

“She’s managed to get Anderson and Taylor to fall in love with her,” Brooks replied, and Charlie fought the impulse to crawl under the table when Travers’ head jerked toward him.

“And better yet,” his
former
best friend continued, “Anderson and Taylor have finally admitted their feelings for each other. So all’s well that ends well.”

Travers sat silent for several moments and Charlie struggled to swallow past the nervous lump in his throat. It was one thing confessing his newfound relationship to Brooks. She was a woman and females tended to be a bit more understanding about matters of the heart. Travers was a man’s man, and he feared his friend would be more than a bit repulsed by the idea of him and Alex having sex…with each other.

Finally his friend nodded. “Are you happy, Anderson?” he asked.

Charlie leaned back and considered Travers’ question. “Yeah,” he said quickly. The question required no thought. Now that he contemplated it, he’d never been happier in his life. Talking to his friends had really put things into perspective and he wondered why he’d been so freaked out to begin with. Travers and Brooks’ calm acceptance of his new relationship relieved some of his own fears. Love was all that mattered. He loved them and, God willing, they loved him back. He’d been a damn fool to hide from that fact.