Taking him at his word, Seth put the condom on at speed, then pushed his cock into Jake, surging past the resistance. Jake drew his head back and cried out sharply.
“Okay?” Seth gasped, praying Jake would say yes. Praying he hadn’t been too rough.
“Better than okay,’” Jake assured him, though his sides heaved as he breathed deep and fast. “Just give me a minute.”
Sweat broke out on Seth’s forehead as he fought his instincts, knowing he would never leave the horrors of the past few months behind till he was resting balls-deep inside Jake.
Jake groaned, a familiar, intimate sound that Seth had feared he might never hear again. His whole body shook as he reminded himself he was home. He was home and he was fucking Jake.
Like a racehorse at the starting gate, he waited for Jake’s signal, feeling his orgasm already gathering in his balls.
“Okay.” Jake nodded.
With a greedy lunge, Seth plunged into him, his weight forcing Jake down onto the bed. Seth followed him down, ignoring the sharp pain in his leg, burying himself all the way, satisfying a need only Jake could fill. He stayed there, breathing hard, savoring the moment. The pain in his leg miraculously vanished, swallowed by pure, raw pleasure. After a moment he began to move, quickly finding a fast, satisfying rhythm.
Almost too soon, his cock began to jerk, and Jake tightened around him, keeping him deep. Seth cried out, riding a climax so fierce his vision blurred to blackness.
Barely taking time to recover, he pulled out and rolled the other man over, working Jake’s cock with his hand till he too cried out, jets of hot cum splashing over Seth’s hand, Jake’s belly.
Afterward, they lay naked on the bed, side by side on their backs, close but not touching.
“What happened to your leg?” asked Jake.
“It’s nothing.” Seth dismissed his injury, which was in fact throbbing painfully. But he knew exactly how the conversation would go if he told Jake he had been shot. “Fuck, I feel better for that,” he said and meant every word. “The only thing that could have improved it would have been having Kayla here with us.”
“I know. I’d love for her to see this side of you. It’s really hot.”
Seth rolled onto his side, facing Jake. “I want her, Jake,” he said seriously. “And I want you. I spent a lot of time in hospital thinking about things, and I know I can’t live without either of you.”
“So you agree we should tell her we’re straight?” asked Jake hopefully.
Seth rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “No. The exact opposite. I still think the idea of us fucking turns her on.”
“This again? We’ve been over this. She hates it. If she liked it, she’d still be married to that dick.”
“The dick she married wasn’t into her. We are.”
Jake shook his head. “Sorry, but I just don’t see it the way you do. I’ve had plenty of time to think about this—”
Not nearly as much as I have, thought Seth.
“— and the only way to keep her is for us to give up sex with each other. We can do that. We’ve done it before when one of us was in a relationship.”
You’re wrong!
Seth bit back his frustration. Being shot, captured, escaping, and throughout his forced convalescence, he’d had had plenty of time to work out what was important in life. Kayla and Jake
were
his life. The only thing that had kept him sane during his ordeal was reliving every second the three of them had spent in Mexico. But he knew if he tried to explain, Jake would never get past the bit where he had been shot.
“What would be the ideal result for you?” Seth asked. “Best-case scenario?”
“You have to ask? The three of us, living together, sharing everything, sharing each other,” said Jake quickly.
“We can’t have that if we’re living a lie,” Seth pointed out.
Jake sat and swung his legs off the bed, his back to Seth. “What if you’re wrong? We could lose her forever.”
“But if I’m right, we get it all. You get the family you always wanted, and we get to keep this too.”
“No.” Jake’s back was rigid. “It’s too risky. We tell her we’re straight. And we damn well make sure we are.”
Seth ran his finger along the crack of Jake’s arse, and Jake shivered.
“It isn’t a lie.” Jake kept his back to Seth. “We tried living as a couple before you left. How long did we last? Three months? The only way I could live with you again is if Kayla is there too.” He rose to his feet and looked down at Seth. “I need you to be with me on this. Trust me. It’s for the best.” He walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Jake was wrong. Seth knew in his heart he was wrong. And so was Kayla. Someone had to make them see that life was too precious to waste a single second.
They
could
have everything. But only if they were honest with each other.
He sat and caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, seeing the tattoo on his shoulder as bold and fresh as the day he’d had it done.
Who Dares Wins.
Chapter Ten
Neckties and designer suits had a limited role in Major Seth Hanson’s life, but as he strolled self-consciously around Kayla’s London exhibition, he was glad he had come straight from a business meeting—his usual T-shirt and khakis wouldn’t have cut it in this upmarket gallery.
Seth had known from Kayla’s sketches that she had talent, but seeing her finished work displayed in all its glory took his breath away.
Under subtle lighting in the center of the room was a life-size model of the woman from Ma’ K’âaba lying on jaguar skins with the men masturbating over her. The detail was incredible, from the drape of the animal skins to the woman’s smile and the unique way each man gripped his cock. It blew Seth’s mind to think that Kayla had shaped these people out of nothing more than clay and water.
The impact of such a lewdly private act on very public display was both shocking and compelling, but Seth didn’t have time to give it his full attention. Reluctantly, he tore his gaze away.
Kayla’s vibrant reproductions of the Ma’ K’âaba murals lined every wall and were exactly as he remembered them. No, not quite. He smiled when he saw that she had worked a unique twist into each and every one.
On the wall nearest him, a man Seth distinctly remembered as a jaguar warrior had morphed into a Roman centurion. Same pose, same eager expression, different outfit. The next scene depicted a modern-day Marine getting head from a dark-haired maiden wearing nothing but a shimmering necklace of quetzal feathers. The Marine had the face of a Mayan warrior but sported Jake’s cock, and Seth choked back a startled laugh.
“Wonderful, isn’t it?”
He turned from the image to acknowledge the two women who had joined him. “Yes. Wonderful,” he muttered, thinking,
Holy shit! That’s Jake’s cock!
“And the warrior theme is utterly timeless, don’t you agree?” said the blonde woman.
“Warrior theme?” asked Seth.
The woman blinked at him. “Haven’t you noticed? All the men are soldiers.”
No, he hadn’t noticed. He’d been too busy sniggering at how Jake would react when he discovered his cock was on public display.
“That one’s my favorite.” The blonde indicated a Jacobite rebel lying on a stone altar, broadsword at his side, kilt up around his waist, and an anticipatory glint in his eye. A woman knelt between his legs, reaching for—
Fuck!
She reached for the Highlander’s cock. Except it was Seth’s cock, erect, larger than life, and being ogled by a roomful of people.
Seth was not a man given to blushing, but now he felt himself burn from forehead to toes. Snatching a glass of wine from a passing waiter, he knocked it back.
“Each piece is so filled with energy.” The blonde seemed mesmerized by the painting, whereas her friend stared somewhat disconcertingly at Seth himself.
“I know.” The brunette ran her tongue provocatively over her lips. “Such powerful men…so muscular… Tell me, do you work out? You look as if you work out.”
To his horror, her flirtatious interest began to have an alarming effect on his anatomy. Or maybe it was the hungry look in her friend’s eye as she stared at the painted version of his penis not two feet away. Either way, his cock rose with embarrassing speed.
“Er…not as much as I’d like to. Excuse me,” he said as if he had spotted someone he knew. And then he did see someone he knew, and he barely noticed his two companions wandering off.
Most of the women in the room wore black, but Kayla had poured herself into a shimmering dress of liquid silver. Her skin glowed, her blonde hair swept up in an intricate style that showed off the graceful line of her neck. Utterly elegant and exquisitely beautiful, so far removed from the sexy ragamuffin who had sheltered from a Mexican storm that Seth was struck dumb.
Coming here was a stupid idea. He should have waited for Jake. Jake could approach beautiful women. He could discuss art without getting a hard-on. Conversation, small talk, putting his point across were like oxygen to Jake. Whereas Seth… Well, Seth liked action. Action that was sometimes misplaced, he realized—like coming here to speak to Kayla, unannounced and without Jake’s knowledge. In fact, Jake would go apeshit if he knew Seth was here.
He fingered his tie clip, subtly emblazoned with the motto of his regiment—Who Dares Wins—and told himself to man up, just talk to her, sound her out. But his feet refused to move. Had terrorists swept into the gallery and taken Kayla hostage, Seth would have saved the day. But he could not walk across the room and talk to a gorgeous blonde in a gloriously backless dress.
“Thank you,” he heard her say. “But it’s been quite a day. I think I’ll be heading home soon.”
Her voice at least was familiar, and his unruly cock perked up even more, like a Labrador hearing its master’s voice.
The crowd around her began to disperse, but one man lingered. Seth didn’t catch what he said, but Kayla shook her head. “Thanks, Roger, but I mean it. I’m bushed.”
The man put a hand on her arm. “Just one drink. I’d love you to talk me through some of the larger panels. It would mean so much to discuss the finer details with the artist.”
“Tomorrow, I promise,” Kayla told him with a smile. She tried to walk away, but Roger leaned in and whispered something in Kayla’s ear. Seth caught the words “model” and “inspiration,” and Kayla stiffened.
“That is completely inappropriate, Roger,” she said coolly.
Seth reached her side in an instant. “Kayla? Ready to go?”
“Seth?” Her face lit up in delighted surprise. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t miss your show, could I?”
“Do you mind?” snapped Roger. “This is a private conversation.”
“Not that private. I heard you from across the room.” Seth smiled, deliberately showing too many teeth. Roger looked disconcerted, and when Seth clamped a hand on his shoulder and helpfully propelled him toward the exit, he didn’t resist. “I’m sure you can appreciate an artist like Kayla doesn’t talk about her inspiration with just anyone. Maybe you can make an appointment? Sometime when you are sober would be best.” Gently but firmly, he pushed Roger out the door.
“Wow,” Kayla said when he returned. “What was that? For a moment there, you looked like the Big Bad Wolf.”
“Was he bothering you?”
She laughed. “Not really. Though you’d be surprised how many men want to audition their willies for my next show. Anyway, how are you? Jake said you’d been injured.”
Seth had no intention of talking about his leg. “I’m fine.”
She looked around. “Where’s Jake? I thought we weren’t meeting until tomorrow.”
“Somewhere over the Atlantic.” Now the moment had finally arrived, Seth felt his gut somersault. “I wanted to see you before he gets here. There’s something I want to talk about.”
“Oh?” Her face was a movie screen. Seth watched her figure that one out and reach the wrong conclusion. The fleeting pain in her eyes gave him hope that he had done the right thing in coming here. “Of course.” She rallied with a weak smile. “Does this mean congratulations are in order? I have to say, Jake’s a lucky man.”
“No,” Seth said emphatically. “He’s not. He’s impossible. He’s been rehearsing the speech we’re supposed to give you, and he’s going to completely ruin everything. Or he will if I let him.” He stopped to draw breath and calm down. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”
Kayla searched his face. “Can’t it wait till Jake can join us?”
Absolutely not. Then, silver-tongued Jake would be running the show and Seth would be silenced. Seth had to say his piece before that happened. “Something’s come up. I may not be there tomorrow. I have to go overseas.”
Her eyes clouded with immediate concern. “Nowhere dangerous, I hope.”
Seth thought of the meeting that would hopefully finalize the plans for his new security business. If things worked out, his new venture would mean more time to spend with Jake and Kayla. But he was superstitious enough not to jump the gun. And he didn’t want Kayla to feel put under pressure that he had changed his whole life in the hope of sharing hers.
“Seth?” she asked when he didn’t answer.
“Nowhere dangerous.”
She didn’t look convinced but reached a decision. “I need to get these shoes off. Are you okay with my place?”
Her place sounded just fine. Kayla hadn’t brought her car, but a taxi was easy to find in the streets around the gallery. She lived above her studio in an old tile factory. Seth had no idea what to expect when she pushed the heavy industrial door open and threw a switch. Lights came on, revealing a barn-size room with high ceilings. The whole place smelled of paint and thinner, and there were canvases propped against the walls. On the floor, the windowsills, and most flat surfaces were a serried army of upright clay penises.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” he said, turning a full circle. “The cocks really set it off.”
She laughed. “I spent a lot of time playing around with scale before I chose the pieces for the exhibition.”
He pictured her, wet hands on the clay, giant penises rising between her parted legs, and had to clear his throat. “Your show is causing quite a stir. Even the taxi driver who dropped me off tonight is planning a visit.”