Chapter 19
They watched the sun set over the lake from the tailgate of King’s SUV. Jane sat between them. She looked so damn cute in jeans and a bright-yellow tank top under a red sweater that buttoned up the front. It was warm, so she’d left the sweater unbuttoned all day, thank God. If ever a pair of tits should be in a tiny tank top, it was Jane’s. They’d loaded a cooler with drinks before they picked her up, and Sam sat there sipping a lemon-lime Gatorade. He was addicted to the stuff. It was a good thing there was no alcohol in it.
The setting sun was reflected in the lake. “The sun looks like a giant meteor speeding toward Earth, a big, orange ball of flaming destruction,” he commented lazily.
“Well, all right,” Jane said. “That’s one way to take the fun out of watching the sun set. Hello burning nightmare of death.”
King laughed. “That’s some negative shit there, brah. Have you mentioned this to Mark?”
“Well, I don’t always think it looks that way,” Sam said, defending himself. “Just tonight, the way it’s reflected in the lake.”
Jane tipped her head so it was almost upside down. “Okay, I can see that. Like from a disaster movie or something, really unrealistic CGI. Right?”
“Yeah,” Sam said. “That’s what I meant.”
“It just looks like the sun setting,” King said. “Oh, man, you should see it set in Samoa. So pretty. You never seen a sunset that pretty.”
“You know, one of these days I’m going to have to go to Samoa just to see all the stuff you keep talking about,” Sam said.
“You just tell them you know me and they’ll show you around,” King said. “You won’t need a hotel. You’ll have a bed in every house, and home-cooked meals.”
“Best fishing guides?” Sam asked.
“Oh, for sure,” King said earnestly, missing the teasing in Sam’s voice. “I’ll go with you to make sure.”
“That was kind of a given,” Sam said, grinning at Jane. She was watching them with a contemplative look on her face. “What?” he asked, wondering what he’d said now. That look didn’t bode well.
“Are you guys lovers?” she asked. Sam almost choked on his Gatorade.
“Nah,” King said. “Not really.”
Not really? Sam thought. What did that mean?
“Well, it was more of a yes-or-no question,” Jane told him. “If there’s some gray area, then I think technically the answer is yes.”
“No gray area,” Sam said, his voice a little raspy from the Gatorade that had lodged in his throat. “The only time we’ve done anything together was with you.”
“True,” King said casually. “But some people would say that’s enough to call us lovers.” He shrugged. “I don’t care either way, but I’m just saying.”
“Okay,” Jane said. “Well, for the record I’m not one of those people. Although I do think it raises some questions about how open you are to exploring that aspect of your relationship.”
Sam hopped down off the tailgate. “This conversation makes me uncomfortable,” he said. He might as well be honest. He got the feeling Jane wanted that from them.
“Because you’re not open to it, or because you are?” Jane asked. She was all blank faced and playing it straight, not giving him any clues to what she thought about it.
“I’m open,” King said, like he was saying Throw me the ball. Sam felt like he’d thrown it right in his gut, laying him out on the field.
“You are?” he asked. He heard the shock and trepidation in his voice, and kind of wished he could take it back and say it again, so that he sounded much cooler and in control.
“Sure,” King said. “I’ve done guys before.”
“What the fuck?” Sam said, staring at him. “Why haven’t you ever told me that?”
“Never really came up,” King said. He wouldn’t meet Sam’s eyes. “But I guess it’s something that you should know before we start sleeping with Jane together.”
“Yeah, I agree,” she said, trying to be cool as a cucumber. But Sam could tell she was as surprised as he was, even though she’d been the one to bring it up. “We all really need to be on the same page for this to work.” She pinned Sam with her gaze. “So, Sam, open or not?”
“Do I really need to pick a door right this minute?” Sam asked, trying not to panic. There was all kinds of shit going through his head at that moment, and most of it was freaking him out, because it was X-rated and he and King were the stars of the show. He felt like this should have been coming from left field, but it wasn’t, not really. There was a part of him that had always known—and maybe even enjoyed knowing—that King was into him that way. He’d just ignored that part and pretended it didn’t exist. And then when they’d been with Jane in that hotel room, he’d really liked having King there watching them. It had been hotter than fuck, and he’d really, really liked watching Jane suck King off. That should have been a big red flag that this conversation was coming. Sam had a little experience with toys and stuff, but he’d never been with an actual guy. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about it. He’d been with a girl years ago that liked to do him with a tiny little vibrator, and Sam had bought one just like it when he got out of the hospital. He’d graduated to bigger dildos since. There was no way he could have gone years without sex if he didn’t have the toys. Naturally he’d wondered if it was the same as fucking a real guy.
“No,” Jane said, in answer to his question. She opened her legs and pulled Sam in between them, rubbing his back. “But when you do, that will affect the things I ask for and what I expect when we’re in bed together.”
“Does that mean that you’ve decided to give this a try?” King asked. He placed one hand behind her ass on the tailgate and leaned over, rubbing his nose in the sensitive place behind her ear, and she giggled.
“Yes,” she said. “I think we could be good together. I mean, I know we are. And I like that you guys are in uncharted waters, just like me. But I’m warning you: the stuff we did before was the kinkiest I’ve ever been. So consider me a rookie at this threesome stuff. Other than books I’ve read, I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“Yes,” Sam hissed, lightly pumping his fist in front of him in victory, which made both Jane and King laugh. “Can we celebrate by making out right now?”
“What?” Jane said with a surprised laugh. “Here?”
“Sure, here,” he answered. “Look around. We’re the only ones here. The park closes in”—he checked his watch—“forty-five minutes. That gives us thirty minutes to fool around, and fifteen to get out before they kick us out.”
“Let’s get it on,” King said. He hooked Jane’s shoulder and lowered her onto her back in the bed of the SUV, hovering over her as he leaned in to kiss her. Sam was rubbing her thighs as he watched them, then he slid his hands up under her tank top to her warm stomach.