The Best Mistake (4 page)

She’d stopped at two glasses of wine, but now wished maybe she’d accepted the offer of a refill. When Rick said nothing, she gave him a look of pure reproach. “Thanks, Ran. You said Rick was too nice a guy to ever mention it, and then
you
have to bring it up.”

“I wouldn’t have except I’m getting the impression maybe we all just need to talk about it.” His expression was completely unrepentant. “You both are pretty tense.”

“Damn lawyers,” Rick said, but his tone was only half-joking. He sank lower in his chair, his long legs extended. “You all always want to talk about everything.”

“Just a vibe I’m feeling here between the three of us.” Ran glanced at Lacey and then Rick. “I’ll go first. I’m fine with it, though it must have gone a bit farther than what I thought from the level of your mutual discomfort. But hey, it was a mix-up, right?”

“Ran!” Lacey sat up straighter, her gaze direct. It
had
been a genuine mistake. “Of course it was.”

“Relax, babe, I wasn’t accusing you of anything.” His voice was easy and smooth. “I’m just arguing that since it was just a mistake, why the hell are the two of you so tense about it if it doesn’t bother
me
?”

He had a point, but that wasn’t surprising. He made a living making a point.

It was Rick who raked his hand through his dark hair and said slowly, “I might have been able to stop it before I did. I knew before Lacey what was going on. Don’t get me wrong, I was dead asleep and had no idea she was even there until she woke me up, but I—” he stopped and gave a crooked smile “—I enjoyed it all for a moment or two before I said something.”

That kiss. She knew he was telling the truth because of
that kiss
. He’d been startled and even resistant until that moment, and then it had all changed when he realized just who she was and what was happening.

She’d been thinking about it a lot and had already figured that out. Hearing him admit it didn’t improve the situation at all.

Ran’s voice was mild. “Enjoyed what all?” He was looking at Rick with a faint inquisitive lift of his brows. “Maybe you should clarify.”

“You just said—” she started to say sharply before he smoothly interrupted.

“I was telling the truth, too. But the problem isn’t with me. I think the problem is with the two of you. In my experience, if there’s this much tension over something that happened, talking about it will solve the problem about ninety percent of the time. Rick just admitted he enjoyed it. How about you, Lace?”

“I thought he was
you
.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment and say that yes, you enjoyed it.”

“We were in bed together, and as she said, she thought I was you,” Rick interjected into the discussion, but maybe Ran was right about getting it all into the open because for the first time that evening since the moment when they first arrived, Rick looked at her. “And we kissed, and quite frankly, that was one really hot kiss. I was awake by then—one part of my anatomy sure was anyway—and though I was not completely clearheaded, I’d figured out her mistake. I’m going to admit I just wanted to finish what we’d started for a minute or two there.”

His rueful laugh made him all the more attractive and Lacey thought he was too attractive already, even in a faded T-shirt and shorts, his dark hair just a little rumpled.

“Who could blame you?” Ran reached for his beer and took another drink, the movement casual.

She could, for one, but she really didn’t. Rick was male, and while that didn’t precisely excuse him for not speaking up at once, she hadn’t really given him a lot of opportunity and she’d done her best to turn him on. “You hadn’t started anything. It was all me, and am I mortified. Let’s forget about it, okay?”

“Fine with me.” Rick’s voice held absolutely no inflection.

Ran glanced between the two of them. “How come I get the impression that’s going to be easier said than done?”

He’d never been a big believer in guilt.

Maybe that was a strange mantra for a lawyer, but it was true in that there were two kinds of guilt: the kind you created for yourself because you did something you shouldn’t have, and the straightforward type Ran dealt with every day, which involved pointing a finger—correctly—at the party that had committed a crime.

Not at all the same.

Neither Lacey nor Rick had really done anything wrong, or so they said, so why the hell did they both feel guilty?

It was a pretty easy guess that the answer was they were thinking about each other now in a completely different way than before, and because they were both nice, loyal types who wouldn’t dream of hurting him on purpose, it was bothering them.

It had been two weeks now since that little incident, but it didn’t seem to be getting any better.

Of course, maybe the incident wasn’t so little. The dynamic had changed between the three of them, and he, for one, was worried it might affect his relationship with both of them, and not in a good way.

“Hand me that nail gun, will you?” Rick extended his hand.

Ran obliged, weighing what he might say next. They were working on installing a hardwood floor in the den, the old one too damaged to salvage.

It didn’t help that Rick had asked him if he was interested in selling or renting out the condo and maybe moving in. It was a big house, and Ran liked the idea of having a bit more space with the yard, the towering oak trees and the quiet street. Rick had mentioned he wanted a dog—they both did, and they had roomed together in college, so knew they could get along reasonably well…It was a good idea. At the moment, they were both just too damn busy to manage a big house and a puppy on their own, but if they split it up, it might work.

But now this issue with Lacey could be a deal breaker. On the other hand, Ran had to ask himself if what had happened between them was a mistake, or just fate.

It was easily solved, but it wasn’t a topic they’d discussed yet. He had a feeling he needed to handle this in just the right way.

“She has perfect breasts, doesn’t she?”

A line designed to stop any conversation, but then again, quite true.

Rick’s brows shot up. Sweaty and disheveled, he was kneeling on the subfloor, his gray eyes suddenly wary. “Who does?”

“Really?” Ran stifled a laugh. “You surely aren’t going to try and pretend I’m not talking about Lacey. Case in point, those, to my knowledge, are the only tits we have both measured with any real tactile assessment.”

“Jesus, Ran. Tactile assessment? What is that? Some sort of lawyer jargon?” His cousin shoved his hair out of his eyes, leaving a dirty smear on his forehead. “And
tits
is not all that sophisticated, by the way.”

“Oh yeah? What do doctors call them? Well-developed mammary glands grown to deliver nutrition to offspring after birth? Kind of long, isn’t it?”

That won him a reluctant laugh. “Normally we do try and keep it professional. Why the hell are you bringing this up again?”

“We’ve been working for about six hours without a break. Maybe we should get a beer and talk about it.”

“Sounds kind of dangerous.”

“I think you’ve survived drinking beer before.”

“Don’t be an asshole,” Rick muttered but he laughed and then sighed. “Yeah, maybe we do need to talk. Fine, let’s finish this row.”

A half an hour later, Ran opened the refrigerator, slid two cold ones out from the rack and then went outside. He was damp, tired and had bits of wood shavings stuck to his clothes, but the fatigue felt good. Rick had already chosen a chair and he accepted the beer with a thanks.

It wasn’t exactly easy to decide where to start and Ran took his time, watching the streaks of red from the setting sun.

He began, “The house is a nice investment—”

“This isn’t about the house,” Rick interrupted, sprawled in the chair. “We both know that.”

Well, at least they weren’t going to tiptoe around it any longer. “No,” Ran said evenly. “I have to admit that I am not going to put my condo on the market and move in if you and Lacey can’t be in the same room with each other.” He lifted a hand to stop a response before he could finish, his grin crooked. “I’m not blaming either one of you, but honestly, it is what it is. That must have been one hell of a wake up.”

Ball in your court, buddy
. No pun intended.

In the end Rick was his usual honest self, his breath going out in a small telling exhale. “I’ve always found her attractive. Maybe more than that…hell…She’s bright, she’s beautiful…what’s not to like? I wish that mix-up had never happened, but since it did, I can’t—”

“…stop thinking about it.” Ran took a long, hard drink of his beer, and then blew out a short laugh. “I get the feeling she can’t either. The real question is how do we resolve this?”

“We don’t have to,” Rick responded quickly. “I’m hardly here.”

“But she will be, if I move in. She sleeps more at my place than hers.”

After a moment, Rick said with a slight edge to his voice, “I realize that.”

“I think I have a pretty fair idea of how
you’d
like to resolve this.”

Maybe it was his tone, but Rick stopped with his beer halfway to his mouth, his gaze suddenly sharp. “I’d never compromise your relationship with Lacey. You
know
that.”

“I do know,” Ran said with measured inflection. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot myself, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“You think about everything a lot. It’s part of your charm. Or not, actually.”

He chose to ignore the veil of sarcasm because he understood it. At least to the extent that he knew Rick wasn’t being nasty, just a little defensive. Then he said it. “You’d like to fuck her. Just admit it.”

No
,
I want to make love to her. Not at all the same…

The correction hung there on the tip of Rick’s tongue, but did it really make anything better? This wasn’t exactly the time to argue the fine difference.

But there was one. Definitely.

Ever since Lacey had crawled on top of him and given him the wet dream of a lifetime, he hadn’t thought about much else.

He’d deny it, but he couldn’t. It took a moment, but he finally glanced up. “If she was free, yes. But she isn’t. End of story. Sorry for being so obvious.”

“You weren’t.” Ran wiped condensation from his bottle with a fingertip. “I just know you pretty well.” Then he added in a noncommittal tone, “Maybe it doesn’t have to be ‘end of story.’”

Rick sat there in his chair, covered in dust that stuck to his skin, his hair damp with sweat, and just stared incredulously at his cousin. “What?”

Ran tipped his bottle back, took a drink and then set it down with a click. “I think you might just believe me when I say that though Lacey comes across as the girl next door, she’s actually really hot in bed.”

“Jesus, Ran, stop right there.”

His cousin smiled slightly and then lifted his brows. “Lace and I exchanged fantasies once. We’d been out to dinner, had a leisurely evening and a little champagne, and she was in the mood to talk…guess what hers is?”

“How the hell could I guess?” At this point, he was pretty much riveted to the conversation and he wasn’t sure his hand was quite steady as he lifted his beer bottle “That’s about the most unfair question I’ve ever heard and I doubt she’d appreciate you bringing this up in front of me.”

“I wouldn’t, but circumstances seem to dictate some disclosure.”

The lawyer speak wasn’t a surprise. Rick choked on a laugh. “Perhaps you’d better clarify, counselor.”

“Threesome. That’s her secret turn-on, and no, not two women and one guy, either.”

All he could was sit and do his best to not look too thrown by that revelation. It took him a minute. “Two guys?”

“And one woman, namely her.” Ran’s smile was a little crooked. “She doesn’t drink that much so no, she wasn’t drunk when she said it. Maybe a bit loosened up, or maybe she was testing me to see what I’d say, but I know her pretty well.”

Considering how embarrassed she’d been by what had happened between them accidentally, Rick found it hard to believe. But then again, that had been unplanned and it had taken her by surprise.

It took him a moment but he asked, “What
did
you say?”

“That it might just be one of my fantasies to watch her with someone else.”

They’d shared a lot over the years. Childhood experiences, adolescent stories, been on the same sports teams, went to the same high school, even were in undergrad together before Ran went on to law school and Rick had been accepted to med school, but never a girlfriend, and especially not one that either of them was serious about.

But he found the idea intriguing too and it surprised him. Maybe just because it was Lacey and he couldn’t have her any other way.

Or was it because though exclusive relationships were the norm, that didn’t suit everyone?

“To shock her,” Rick had to clarify, “or because that’s true?”

“It would depend on the guy, of course.” The speculative look in his cousin’s eyes said he was sincere. “You ever thought about it?”

His mouth was suddenly dry and he remembered his beer. He took a long, slow swallow and then muttered, “I never dreamed we’d ever be having
this
discussion, but I will admit I’ve thought a lot about her.”

“I think that maybe the tension between you two could be resolved if you just finished what she started the other night.”

Rick took in a breath. The idea was tantalizing, but then again, just because Ran was suggesting it didn’t mean Lacey was on board. “Needless to say, I’m all about it, but what makes you think in a million years she’d agree? It’s one thing to have an erotic fantasy, and it’s another to act on it. What happened between us was an accident. She thought I was you. I don’t even know if she’s attracted to me.”

“The hell you don’t.” Ran slouched lower in his chair, his grin crooked. “Don’t give me that bullshit. This is
me
, remember? I’m not offended either. I’m a big boy, and I understand that sexual pull is not exclusive. Even if both parties stay faithful and love each other, they can still fall in lust with someone else. A beautiful woman walks past me; I see her. Does that mean I want Lacey any less? No. I’d be an idiot if I thought she didn’t notice other guys, and I’d like to flatter myself that I’m not that stupid. On the other hand, she wouldn’t cheat on me, and I wouldn’t do that to her either.”

“Then why are we having this conversation?” Rick rubbed his cheek, no doubt distributing more grime, but he needed a shower anyway, so it hardly mattered. Ran was just as dusty and sweaty.

“Let me clarify my last statement. It isn’t cheating if we’ve talked and agreed we are both okay with it.”

His gaze narrowed on the other man’s face. “And have you?”

“Not yet.”

Introspection had been a bit tough since that night. He was a little worried that his fascination was a little deeper than just an itch to find out what it would be like to sleep with Lacey Billings. That he was pretty sure he could already predict. It would be hot, it would rock his world and he might just not be able to forget her. He needed to be honest with himself and with Ran. Rick said quietly, “I’m not positive this is just lust.”

“Yeah.” Ran finished off his beer. “That’s kind of what I thought.”

Lacey stirred the mixture in the pan and the pungent smell of garlic and peppers infused the room. She poured in a can of tomatoes a bit too fast. Some of the sauce splashed out and she swore softly, glad she was wearing an apron. She was a good cook, but a messy one, and for some reason had the ability to dirty almost every single pan in the kitchen and not come out of the fray unscathed herself.

It didn’t help that Ran had called and mentioned he’d invited Rick to dinner.

It wasn’t as if the amount of food was a problem. She was making his favorites: Caesar salad, rigatoni with Italian sausage and peppers, garlic bread, and for dessert she’d stopped by the grocery and bought biscotti studded with dried cherries and almonds and dipped in white chocolate. There was certainly plenty for a guest to join them, and besides, she knew Ran didn’t even think of his cousin in that way.

Best friends, practically like brothers…no wonder she felt guilty as hell.

I should
. Lacey took out the baguette and grabbed the bread knife. Having impure thoughts about her lover’s cousin was not very fair to Ran, and yes, she appreciated the irony of it all because it was just due to a misunderstanding between the three of them really, but in truth, it was hurting their relationship a bit.

To try and soothe both her mood and the potential awkwardness that would no doubt kick in when the two of them walked through the door, she put on some music. Vivaldi.
The Four Seasons.
Lively and also Italian, to go with the food. The car pulled into the driveway as she was setting the table, and by then she’d already drank a glass of the nice Chianti she’d uncorked to breathe before dinner.

Nice tactic. And not a good idea. She resisted the urge to refill her glass and instead deposited the silverware in the appropriate places. False courage never got anyone anywhere that she knew of, so why not just lay off the wine, smile and relax and have a nice dinner?

Hold that thought
.

And she might have except that while Ran came in, covered in dirt, and headed right for the shower. Rick was instead dressed in a clean gray T-shirt and khaki shorts, his hair still damp and wavy since he’d obviously cleaned up at home, and he carried a bottle of the exact same wine she’d already uncorked. His smile was a bit crooked when he saw the open bottle on the counter. “Apparently great minds think alike.”

As there was plenty now, she decided to have another glass. “Looks like it.”

“Hope you don’t mind me crashing your dinner.”

A few droplets spilled on the counter as she splashed in the wine, but she pretended not to notice, just set aside the bottle and picked up her glass. “Of course not. You come over all the time. You know you’re always welcome.”