Rayne, curled up on her side, had her bare back tucked against Trey, who had an arm wrapped around her, while Gryff sandwiched his long body against Trey’s equally long one. Three peas in a pod, Gryff thought.

Rayne’s breath sounded soft and steady as she slept. Trey had snored softly for a little while, too. But now both men were awake, Gryff wasn’t sure if he even slept for a minute.

His mind had been too busy reliving the previous night. Which was why his morning wood was practically jammed in between Trey’s ass cheeks.

“If you wiggle one more time, you might get this without any lube. Take that as your only warning.”

Trey’s body vibrated as he chuckled softly, trying not to wake Rayne. At least one of them slept well.

He thought about what Trey said last night. “Has it really been since the coach?”

Trey sighed and carefully shifted onto his back to look up at Gryff. “You mean being topped?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Trey raised an eyebrow at him before tucking a pillow under his head so he could see Gryff more eye to eye. He lifted a shoulder. “It just worked out that way. I prefer to be the top.”

“But you allowed me—”

“Yes. I knew you wouldn’t allow it to be the other way around... at least for the first time.”

“Possibly every time.”

Trey smirked. “We’ll see.”

Gryff narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Yes, we will.”

Trey lifted his head and pressed their lips together lightly.

“That’s it? That’s all I get after that great ass reaming I gave you last night?”

Trey laughed. “If we start making out, Rayne will wake up and this will turn into a full-fledged fuck session. I’m not sure if my ass can take it so soon this morning.”

“Wow. What a wimp.”

“Right. We’ll see what a man you are after I fuck you in the ass.”

Gryff bit his lip to keep from laughing, then sobered. “I need to ask you something.”

“What, boss man?”

“This coach... Did he force you?”

“No. I was willing.”

Gryff shook his head. “You were a kid.”

Trey shrugged as if it was no big deal. “I gave him something he wanted, needed, and, in return, he gave me what I needed. He gave me a future. He’s the only person who ever showed me any kind of attention or affection. He made me feel good, Gryff.”

“You were a kid,” Gryff repeated, slower and angrier this time. “You shouldn’t have been making those decisions. Is your mother still alive?”

“No.”

“Good. Because I might kill her if she was.”

“The alcohol took care of it for you.”

“What was the name of the coach.” Gryff didn’t ask, he demanded.

Trey pushed himself up to sit. “No. No, you’re not going to do something stupid.”

“I didn’t say I was.”

“Bullshit. And don’t sic your P.I. on him either.”

Gryff kept his mouth shut. The urge to find this coach who may have taken advantage of other teenage boys besides Trey washed over him like a rogue wave.

“Gryff, don’t even think about it. He’s long retired, and he may not even be alive anymore.”

“Good.”

“If it wasn’t for him, Gryff, I’d never have gotten into football. I might have ended up a drunk like my mother. He got me on a good, successful path. I appreciate what he did.”

“Fuck. It’s still not right.”

“Maybe not.”

“No maybes about it.”

Trey sighed. “Okay. I’m not going to argue about it. But let me just say this… I’m touched that you care.”

Gryff blinked. He did care. He felt bad that a teenage boy would have to resort to sleeping with an adult male to deal with surviving. And that teenage boy was Trey. And Trey was… his.

His.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

“You okay?”

No. “Yes. Fine.”

“You sure? Because you looked a little panicked there for a moment.”

Gryff flopped onto his back and covered his eyes with his hand. Trey rolled onto his side and pressed against him.

“Uh, you sure you’re okay?”

“Trey…” Gryff whispered.

“Yeah, boss man?”

“I, uh—”

“Gryff!” a female voice yelled from downstairs.

Oh shit.

He jackknifed up and scrambled out of bed quickly, grabbing the closest pair of jeans he could find. He gave up trying to pull them on when they wouldn’t budge past his thighs.

“Shit. These are yours,” he growled at Trey. “Where the fuck are my pants?”

“Gryff! Where are you?”

The whirlwind that was his youngest sister, Gia, was getting closer, causing Gryff’s heart to rap like a beat-boxer. He shot a look toward the bed and the two people who just stared at him. One wearing an amused smile, the other, who blinked at him with sleepy eyes, not so much.

“Will you two move?” he asked in panic, giving up the search for his pants and pulling on a pair of long shorts he grabbed from one of his drawers instead.

“Gryff?”

He threw the wrinkled sheet over Trey and Rayne just as his bedroom door burst open and Gia stood frozen in the doorway. One second with a shocked look on her face, the next her eyes narrowed, her expression curious. “Um… Am I in the wrong house? I swear I drove to my brother Gryff’s house and not my big brother Grae’s.”

She tilted her head and pinned Trey with a stare. Her mouth made a quick O before whispering, “Damn. You look familiar. And I know it’s not because you’ve been naked in my bed.” She shook her head and pouted. “What a shame.”

“Gia,” Gryff warned.

“So, um…” She waved a hand toward the bed, stepping closer. “You want to explain this?”

“No.”

“Hi,” Gia said to Rayne. “Wait. She looks familiar, too. Doesn’t she work for you?”

“Gia,” Gryff growled, grabbing his sister by the upper arm and pushing her toward the door.

She yanked her arm out of his grasp and moved closer to Rayne, her dark eyes wide as she tapped her finger against her bottom lip. “Yeah. I’ve seen you before. What’s your name?”

Rayne slipped a bare arm from under the sheet and held out a hand to Gia. “Rayne Jordan.”

Gia accepted it, giving it a firm shake. “Rayne. That’s different. I’d ask if you and my brother are tight, but I can figure that out on my own.” She smiled and tapped her temple. “I’m smart like that.”

“Gia, do you mind? This is my bedroom,” he growled, his patience dropping from zero to sub-zero.

“No shit. I see the bed. I see these two people in your bed. Oh wait.” She pinned her gaze on Trey. “I know who you are. Trey Holloway. You’re on my brother’s team.”

“Gia, why don’t you go downstairs and wait for me?”

“Oh, no. Nuh-uh. Nuh-nuh-uh. I’m fine right where I’m at.” She waved a hand toward the bed again. “Does this shit run in the family? Did Mom and Dad have another man in their bed that I didn’t know about? Am I going to end up as the filling in a two-man sandwich?”

“Would you like to be?” Trey asked. Gryff shot him a frown. The man was finding this all amusing. Gryff was not.

“I don’t know. I mean I have an open mind and all. I might give it a go.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Gryff groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then he gave his sister a scowl and an order. “Get out, Gia. Go downstairs. Now.”

But instead, she gasped and circled Gryff, her eyes wide. “What is that on your back and shoulders?” When she finished circling him, she stopped, hands on her hips and looked up at him. “Who are you? And what did you do with Gryffin Ward, my stuffy-assed brother?”

He pointed a finger toward the door. “Get out, Gia. Get out now. I’m serious.”

She bounced on her toes as if deciding what to do and then pouted. “You suck.” With that she flounced out the door, slamming it behind her.

“I like her,” Trey said, chuckling. “She’s got spunk.”

Gryff pinned him with a stare. “Don’t get any ideas,” he warned.

Trey raised his hands up in surrender, the sheet falling low on his hips. “No problem, boss man.”

Gryff grimaced. He had let Trey call him that, but he wasn’t so sure he liked it. Especially now that he was super cranky. When Rayne called him Boss, it turned him on, but Trey said it more like a smart ass. At least he wasn’t calling Gryff “baby” like he did Rayne.

“That reminds me, we need to discuss your nickname for me. But right now, I need to get rid of my sister.”

“When you return, could you bring up breakfast?” Trey asked, his eyes crinkled in amusement, his lips twitching.

“I can make breakfast while you deal with Gia,” Rayne announced, shoving the sheet off and climbing out of bed.

Gryff lost his train of thought and his breath for a moment as she walked over to his dresser and pulled open drawers, searching for something.

“I just need one of your T-shirts or something.”

“Didn’t you bring a change of clothes?” he asked.

“Yes, but I don’t want to get dressed just yet. However, I don’t want to make breakfast while naked either.”

Gryff sighed. “Yes, thank you for that. My sister is already going to be running her mouth to the rest of the family. I don’t need her taking photos of you naked in my kitchen as proof and posting it on her social media.” He pressed past her, dug through the drawer she just opened and handed her a worn T he normally wore to workout.

She slipped it over her head, releasing her long, mussed hair from the neck of the shirt and dragged her fingers through it. It didn’t look any different when she was done. Her lips still appeared a little swollen from last night, her eyes soft, and her face relaxed. Even in his oversized T-shirt, she flipped his switch. His cock agreed.

He groaned in misery because he did not want to deal with his sister while sporting an erection. And if he watched Rayne putting around his kitchen frying up bacon, knowing she wasn’t wearing any panties under the T, he may very well end up doing that.

“You don’t have to make breakfast. I can have something delivered.”

She frowned. “No. I can do it. Breakfast is easy. Eggs, bacon, toast. Coffee. See? Simple. You have all that in your fridge, right?”

Ah, Christ. “Yes.”

“That settles it. Wanna help?” she asked Trey over her shoulder.

“Should I wear one of his T-shirts without any underwear, too?” he joked.

“Yes, please,” Rayne said with a laugh at the same time Gryff shouted, “No!”

“I still want to wear one of his T-shirts, though. It’ll be like wearing a Gryff hug all morning,” Trey announced.

“Both of you put on a pair of shorts, too,” Gryff said, rushing out of the bedroom door before he had a damn heart attack. “Or at least underwear, please.”

“Is that an order?” Trey asked.

“Yes,” he yelled back towards the bedroom.

“He’s no fun,” was the last thing he heard before jogging down the stairs to deal with his pain-in-the-ass sister.

* * *

Rayne glanced around the table. All three of them wore one of Gryff’s T-shirts in various colors. The only odd person out was Gryff’s sister, Gia, who had insisted on staying for breakfast, and now her mouth was running a mile a minute.

At least she had helped Rayne with breakfast. As did Trey. Gryff just spent that time trying to hold on to his patience.

His sister was a firecracker for sure. Wicked smart but a bit flighty for her age. Gorgeous, though, and a lot taller than Rayne. Their parents had given their offspring a great combination of genes. No doubt.

She had lost track of what the younger woman was talking about. Trey seemed to be the only one paying attention anymore. Gryff just stared at Rayne from across the table. Which was kind of disturbing on one hand, flattering on the other.

She wondered if he was imagining the same thing she was… What it would be like to wake up every morning and enjoy breakfast together.

Though, she thought Gryff would enjoy it a lot more if his sister hadn’t barged in.

She peeked at Trey. His eyes would bounce from her, to Gryff, and then back to Gia to give her an encouraging smile before trying to get a word in every couple of minutes.

The amusement on Trey’s face was clear, though.

Rayne realized Gia was blathering on about football, which surprised her. The woman sounded quite knowledgeable.

However, she didn’t miss how many times Gia touched Trey while she talked. The next time she did it, Gryff cleared his throat loudly, drawing their attention. All heads spun his direction.

Gia stopped talking mid-sentence, frowning at her brother. “Something wrong?”

“Can you talk and not touch, please?”

Her eyebrows lifted. “I don’t think Trey minds.” She glanced at Trey. “Right?”

“I don’t mind,” Trey answered, smirking.

Gryff sighed and pushed his plate away. “Well, I do, Gia. I mind. So, please do not touch him.”

Her jaw dropped then snapped shut. “Jeez. You’re just like Grae!”

“Yeah, I remember how handsy you were when you met Connor. Grae didn’t like it, either.”

“How is it that my brothers attract hotter men than I do?”

“It’s a gift,” Gryff said dryly.

Rayne dropped her gaze to her empty plate and fought back the laughter that wanted to bubble up.

“Let me just say, holiday meals will be interesting at Mom and Dad’s, that’s for sure. I mean you and Grae are making up for Gayle and me being single.”

Rayne peeked at Gryff at Gia’s mention of holidays at their parents. She didn’t miss Trey’s pointed gaze directed at him either.

“No one is talking about bringing anyone home to Mom and Dad. So, let’s drop it.”

“So, this is just a fling?”

Gryff’s face changed. Then his expression quickly became an unreadable mask. “Gia, we’re done discussing this.”

“No boyfriend, Gia?” Rayne asked softly, trying to relieve the tension and change the subject.

“No. Apparently, I’m doing it wrong.”

“You’re young. You have plenty of time.”

“You’re not much older than me,” Gia reminded her.

That was true. But the other woman seemed a bit more immature than her. Not as established in her life and career as Rayne was.

“Is there some secret website somewhere where you find these threesomes?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Gryff grumbled and pushed his chair back, standing.

“If you want, I can hook you up with a couple of my teammates, I’m sure—”

“Trey,” Gryff growled. “You are not hooking my sister up with anyone.”

“But why?” she whined. “Why do you and Grae get to have all the fun?”

“If I remember correctly, you had problems with one boyfriend. Forget two.”

Trey decided to be helpful. “Oh, I doubt they’d want to stick around to be boyf—”

“Trey,” Rayne whispered. “Seriously, stop poking the bear.”

Trey just shot her a look and continued on his dangerous course. “Who said it has to be two guys? It could easily be you with another woman and a man. Right?”

Gia wrinkled her nose up. “I don’t—”

“Enough!” Gryff shouted. “Holy shit, I’m going to have a damn aneurism. Time for you to go, Gia. Rayne, can you walk her to her car? Trey and I will clean up.”

Rayne’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. They would clean up? Well, she wouldn’t question that. She pushed away from the table. “I’ll walk you out, Gia.”

“But I’m not ready to go,” she said with a pout.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Gryff assured her.

“You’re so damn stubborn,” she whined.

“Yes, I am.” He gave her a pointed look. “It runs in the family.”

At his sister’s noise of disgust, Rayne hooked her hand around Gia’s arm and escorted her out of the kitchen.

* * *

Trey looked up at Gryff. “You didn’t have to be like that. We were just playing.”

“You think she’s playing, but she’s not. She’s serious. She’s like a dog with a bone. She gets something in her mind and she doesn’t let it go.”

“You think she’ll go home and search for possible dating sites that are for multiple hookups?”

“I don’t doubt it.”

Trey snorted.

“Not funny.”

“You can’t be a hypocrite.”

“With my sisters, I can.”

“That’s precious, boss man, that you’re so protective.”

“Grae and I are the oldest. Gayle came next, then Gia. So, yeah, we tend to watch out for our little sisters.”

“She’s old enough to take care of herself,” Trey murmured, pushing himself to his feet and coming around the table to close in on Gryff.

“Gayle, yes. Gia, not so much.”

“Can’t wait to meet Gayle.”

Gryff pinned his dark eyes on him as he stepped even closer. “I doubt you’ll ever meet her.”

Trey pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. “Why? You won’t bring us home to your parents?”

Though he half joked, the thought Gryff only wanted them in his bed and not his life bothered him.

No. Not them. Him. Rayne, he’d have no problem bringing home to mommy and daddy.

“Would they have a problem with me being at your side?”

Gryff stacked some dirty plates and headed toward the kitchen. “No.”

Trey did the same and followed on his heels. “I don’t believe you.”

Gryff dumped the dishes into the sink and turned to face Trey. He took the dishes Trey carried and slid them onto the counter.

“They’re used to Grae’s relationship, right?”

“Yes. The keyword is relationship, though.”

Trey jerked his chin up and then tilted his head to study the man before him. The man he let top him last night. He never would have done it if he only thought this was a quick fling.

“You never answered your sister on whether this is a fling or not.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Is it?”

“What do you want from me, Trey?”

“The truth.”

“Why? Since when are you looking for more than a hookup in the back alley of a bar?”

Trey’s chest squeezed tight. “Ouch. That hurt.”

Gryff’s nostrils flared as he leveled his gaze at him. “Have you ever been in a relationship?”

“A serious one? Not really. Most of my partners have been off and on.”

“More off than on?”

“I travel for football. It’s hard to maintain a relationship. I didn’t want to be tied down, anyway.”

“But you want to be tied down now?”

Trey hesitated. Did he want to be tied down? Is that why Gryff possibly seeing this only as a fling bothered him so much? “I don’t know,” he finally admitted.

“I don’t know, either, Trey. I’m not ready to make plans to fly out to my parents’ place in Arizona with my two lovers because this is all too new.”

Gryff was right. It was too new. But, Trey knew what he felt. Or at least, he thought he did.

No matter what, Gryff couldn’t deny the connection between the three of them. Trey couldn’t either. Conventional or not.

“You’d consider taking Rayne out there for Christmas, though, wouldn’t you.” He didn’t express it as a question because it wasn’t. Trey was pretty sure he knew the answer.

“Maybe.”

“No maybes about it.”

“It’s different.”

“No, boss man, it’s not different. If your parents have no problem with Grae’s current relationship with another couple, a married one at that, then they wouldn’t have a problem with yours. Do they have a problem with it?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

Trey nodded, then stepped between Gryff’s spread legs as the man leaned back against the counter. “Well, then…” He curled his fingers around Gryff’s bulky biceps and came chest to chest with him. “Then it’s you who would have the problem.”

Gryff stared at Trey’s lips, then lifted his gaze to meet Trey’s. “You need to stop calling me ‘boss man,’” he murmured.

Trey leaned in. “Why?”

“I don’t like it.”

“You like it.”

“I don’t, Trey.”

Trey pressed his lips to Gryff’s and whispered. “The fuck you don’t… boss man.” With that, he slipped his tongue between the other man’s lips while crushing their mouths together.

Trey felt Gryff’s deep groan vibrate through his chest. Yes, a connection existed that they couldn’t deny.

None of them.

“I see now why you wanted me to take your sister outside. You two just wanted some alone time.”

They broke the kiss, both swinging their gazes to where Rayne stood, hands on hips in fake outrage.

Trey stretched an arm out to her and she moved closer until he snaked it around her waist, pulling her tight against the two of them. “I was just getting him warmed up.” He took her hand in his and pressed it to Gryff’s groin. “See? Big boy is ready for brunch.”

“I see that,” Rayne said with a smile, her eyes darkening.

“You going to help me take care of his needs?”

“I can do my very best.”

Trey laughed, snagged Gryff’s hand in one of his, Rayne’s in another, and dragged the two of them upstairs.