Rhythm of Three (Rule of Three) (18 page)
Read Rhythm of Three (Rule of Three) Online
Authors: Kelly Jamieson
Leaning against the door, still warm from the late afternoon sun, he clamped the bat under his arm. “That’s a broad statement from someone who doesn’t even know me.”
“Yeah, well, I see the way you’re looking at me, and it’s no different from your
friend.
” She dropped her gaze. “I thought he was the real thing.”
Christian scuffed a boot against the gravel and looked away.
Yeah, he does that to a lot of us.
Still, he’d like to believe he wasn’t as much of a hound as Tucker. And besides, this girl couldn’t very well run around looking like
that
and expect a red-blooded male to be immune.
A pickup bumped into the parking lot, spraying gravel and dust around them. Christian stole another look at the girl’s face. “Your name?” When she hesitated, he said, “So I can at least give you credit for your handiwork.”
Pivoting away, she started across the lot.
“Hey!”
“It’s Claire,” she tossed over her shoulder.
He watched her wiggle off, fighting the heavy ache in his groin. “Claire, you want your bat?”
“Give it to your friend as a souvenir.” With that, she yanked open the door of a midsize car that looked as if it belonged to an elderly person. The driver peeled out of the parking lot and lay rubber on the highway.
With a half sigh, half laugh, he tossed the bat into the truck bed and climbed behind the wheel.
Shaking his head, Christian pulled out and headed straight for the Quickie Mart. Two chili cheese dogs were in order. He wasn’t about to face an irate best friend on an empty stomach. And after shoveling gravel for eight solid hours on the road crew, he was starved.
Gathering up his dogs and a giant soda, he turned the truck back toward Tucker’s ranch. As he passed the wide open fields and the blue smudge of mountains on the horizon, all he could see were Claire’s eyes, bright with anger. Swimming with tears.
“Man,” he murmured and cranked the wheel to avoid two human-sized potholes in front of the driveway leading to the ranch.
As he bumped up the lane, he horked down the second chili dog and slurped the remainder of the soda. Tucker was gonna be pissed. Not only had he returned his truck with three thousand dollars’ worth of damage, he’d left The Hellion without the six-pack.
Dammit, he couldn’t help but think Tucker deserved it.
Leaving his trash for his friend to take care of, Christian mounted the three solid wood porch steps to the front door. The ranch was picturesque against the satiny blue sky. Dark wood with real working shutters and a glass door, the old homestead of the Langley family had been restored by Tucker’s own hand. He’d spilled a lot of blood and sweat on this land, making his ranch one of the finest horse farms in the county.
Christian pushed open the door and clomped across the mudroom. In the living area, Tucker was kicked back in the recliner with the remote in hand.
Christian’s c*ck stirred at the sight of his friend in this position. How many times had they sat in this same space, watching porn and jacking off together?
For two years, they’d been enjoying this intimacy. Watching, urging on the other. But their rule was hands off, and Christian wanted nothing more than to jump that gap from friends screwing around to more.
He was work boots over hard hat in love with this guy.
Tucker met his gaze. The shoulder-length hair that Christian longed to run his hands through covered one smoldering eye. “Got the beer? I’ve got the movie.”
Christian’s c*ck reacted instantly, stretching, battering his fly. Last night they’d shared a woman, not a self-love session. Actually, Tucker hadn’t participated, just stood at the bedside with his c*ck in his fist, watching Christian love on the woman. And now that he thought of it, he realized this was most likely the reason for Claire’s fury.
The scent of pine woods and strong coffee filled Christian’s head as he drew a deep breath. He sank to the edge of the couch. “Not exactly.”
“What’s that mean? You get the beer or not?”
Christian raked his fingers through his short hair. “I paid for it but left without it.”
Confusion creased Tucker’s brow. “Not followin’, friend.”
Plow on.
“I ran into someone at The Hellion.”
“Yeah?” That rough, drink-nails-for-breakfast voice ripped through Christian’s senses. The same voice drove him wild as Tucker pumped out his pleasure.
“Yeah, a hot little number by the name of Claire.” He drew her name out on his tongue, testing its flavor. Hell, it even tasted like her. Decadent with a hint of quirkiness.
And violence.
The corner of his mouth tipped up.
Tucker stared at him hard. “What the hell happened, man?”
Was that jealousy he read on Tucker’s face? “It seems Claire was mighty upset by something. So upset, in fact, that she beat the hell out of your truck.”
At that, Tucker laughed out loud. “She weighs a hundred and ten pounds dripping wet. How much damage could she have done?”
Christian scraped his fingers over his scalp. “Quite a bit with a baseball bat.”
Tucker’s eyes bugged out, and in a flash, he was on his feet and storming out the door. Christian didn’t budge from his spot, one ear cocked, waiting.
A howl of rage drifted in. A few seconds later, Tucker’s violent footfalls preceded the man.
“Holy—”
“I know,” Christian cut him off. “Question is what did you do to her?”
Tucker dropped abruptly to the sofa arm and buried his head in his hands. “I stood her up last night.”
Just as Christian had suspected. Instead of staying with one girl who he might fall for, Tucker ran out and found one to share with Christian.
“You’re runnin’ again.”
Tucker snapped his head up and he leveled his glare at Christian. Gaining his feet, Christian stared him down. Dammit, it was time to intervene. If Tucker wouldn’t come around and accept a relationship with Christian, he needed to at least set up house with a sweet little gal and have a string of horse-riding babies.
His friend clenched his hands into fists. “And you’re crossin’ a line.”
“Man, you can’t keep doing this. Running from these girls who might change your world.”
Christian’s stomach bottomed out at the memory of Claire’s words.
I thought he was the real thing.
“Shut up, Davis. You don’t know what you’re talking about, and it’s none of your goddamn business.”
None of my business that you didn’t join in last night because your heart is in a relationship, even if your hard head won’t allow it?
“Yeah,” Christian said, brushing past Tucker on the way out, “it’s never my business.”
Rhythm of Three
Kelly Jamieson
One woman, two lovers. Double the pleasure, or double the trouble?
Rule of Three, Book 2
Former goodie-two-shoes Kassidy now has three pairs of shoes under her bed—hers, Chris’s and Dag’s. While she relishes the hot threesome that makes her friends jealous, she can’t deny things are…complicated. Namely, whom to tell about their unconventional relationship, and whom to keep in the dark.
In the dark category? Definitely Chris’s parents, which should be simple, since they live far away. Except they’ve sprung a surprise for their son’s thirtieth birthday. They’re coming for a visit. Then there’s Kassidy’s best friend Danielle, who’s home from Europe, clueless to recent events, and flirting with Dag like crazy.
Awkward!
Family, friends, coworkers and a wedding put three lovers’ best intentions to the test, making them wonder if this unique brand of love has a chance in hell of working out.
Warning: Contains three vulnerable hearts engaged in a ménage a trois, some man-on-man action, sizzling exchanges of graphic language, and rock-your-socks explicit sex. So yeah, it’s dirty, but also sweet.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Rhythm of Three
Copyright © 2013 by Kelly Jamieson
ISBN: 978-1-61922-056-0
Edited by Christa Soule
Cover by Angela Waters
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: October 2013
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