Henryâs friend Isabel had an art opening that night. That was as safe as it could get, so East went out with both Jax and Henry. They dressed her up, argued about her underwear, and took her to the gallery, where they ran into all of Henryâs friends, other than Audie. East suspected theyâd told him she would be there, especially since his boyfriend Calhoun had turned up. He carefully told her that Audie said hello, and she asked him to convey the same to him. She wanted to see him. But theyâd both break down. How do you see someone you shared such a hellish childhood with?
But all Henryâs friends knew about the three of them. They didnât have to fake it. So while Henry wandered around and said hello, Jax kept his arm around her waist and showed her the pictures. They didnât look at the pictures. They delighted in touching each other in public: in East stroking the slight stubble on his cheek, in their hands locked together where he held her. His lips brushed her ear.
âI want to whisper things thatâll make you soak that black lace I picked out, but Iâm so grateful I can whisper in your ear in public I donât want you to run away, East.â
She laughed and dared to kiss him on the cheek. âThat might be the sweetest thing youâve ever said to me, Littleton.â
He gave her that heart-meltingly crooked grin and fucked up his already fucked-up spiky blond hair. âDonât get used to it, Bennett.â
When they wandered near Henry again, he threw Jax a look as he untangled them. âYouâre monopolizing Easter.â But he kissed Jax â on the mouth â in front of God and everyone.
Henryâs twin Wills, the same linebacker build, dark hair, and dark eyes, the same pouty mouth, rolled his eyes.
âOh, like you and Crispin donât make out like, constantly.â Henry gestured at the curly haired guy with his arm around his twinâs waist.
âShut the fuck up, brother.â
âShut the fuck up, brother,â Henry mimicked. East turned away and laughed.
They went out to the bar afterwards, Hullpeterâs, dark but raucous and lit with multicolored Christmas lights. This time Easter sat on Jaxâs lap. He fed her shots and kissed her on the mouth afterwards. Henryâs twink friend, Barbie-blond Quinn, and Quinnâs cousin Delia shot her looks.
East finally cornered them. âHey, Quinn, you have two boyfriends, right?â
He nodded.
âImagine that everywhere you go, you have to pretend one of them is your other boyfriendâs best friend. You canât touch him, you canât look at him, you canât do anything. And all of a sudden you can act like heâs your boyfriend. Youâre safe. You get one night. So give it to us, okay?â
They were both quiet. Delia finally spoke. âI didnât think of it that way.â
âJust let us have it.â
They both nodded.
âGod, you two are such idiots.â Their other cousin Baylor appeared, almost identical to Delia: the same long blond hair, the same snub nose and sharp chin. Baylor kissed East on the cheek. âYâall just donât get it. Jax, kiss her like you fucking mean it, son.â
Jax grinned and bent East backwards. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he kissed her like the end of the goddamn world: mouth hard on hers, tongue skimming over her lip. She grabbed the back of his neck and tried to meet his tongue, but he nipped her lip, then sucked the bitten place â exactly how she liked best. When he finally let her up, he held her close. Probably to hide his hard-on.
âWas that good enough?â He threw her that same goddamn grin.
âBetter than.â
âI aim to please.â
East spent the rest of the night pressed against his leanly muscled frame, his blue eyes piercing even in the dark bar.
Heâd been well-behaved all night and finally his self-control must have broken. He leaned down, brushed her curl out of the way, and kissed her ear. âI want you now.â
âThen go tell Henry weâre leaving.â
He grabbed her hand and dragged her over to their boyfriend, who was talking to his twinâs boyfriend Crispin. âWeâre leaving. With or without you, honey.â
Henry smirked at Crispin. âThatâs my cue.â
Crispin rolled his eyes. âLater.â
Jax unlocked the door to the apartment. Henry picked East up, and despite her squeals, and carried her up the metal stairs to the bedroom, where he dropped her on the California king and started on her boots. âYou,â he said, âare getting naked for us. Then weâre gonna absolutely ravage you. Donât say a word. Do not contradict me, sweet girl.â
âNah.â Jax shoved Henry down on the bed. Henry wasnât braced for it and tumbled down next to East. âMaybe weâll do you tonight. Maybe Iâll fuck you while you lick baby girl and she and I make out. That sounds good to me. If youâre a good boy sheâll jack you off.â
âYou know, that was counterproductive. I was getting East naked.â
âMaybe I wanna do that.â Jax hung up his jacket. Henry had already tossed his on the chair. Jax made a face and hung it up, too. âStand up, pretty girl.â
âNo. Henry was doing fine.â
Jax dropped his voice. âI said stand up, pretty girl.â
East got up off the bed and stood in front of Jax. He tugged one of her curls. âLove this red hair,â he murmured, almost to himself. âStrip for me, pretty.â
East dropped her dress and undid her boots. âYeah, thatâs it, honey. You know what I want. No, leave those stockings on, please, and the bra. You think I pick out that shit for functionality?â
Henry snorted.
âYou gonna get your ass over here, or enjoy the free show?â
âIâm getting there.â Henry was down to his boxers.
East yanked Jax over by his waistband and started on his shirt. âYou behave.â His breath was hot in her ear. âOr Iâll make you wish you did.â
She gave him her sweetest smile. âAnd Henry will make sure it doesnât matter.â She deftly worked his belt. âDo your own goddamn Doc Martens.â
âNo, brat, you get down ââ
East sprang onto the bed and hid behind Henry, who laughed, a deep rumble, and kissed her head.
âWell, thatâs just not fucking fair.â
âCome get me.â East flopped bac k on the bed. âOkay. I got pretty for you. Do what you want.â
Henry snuggled up to her. His mouth found hers, and they kissed gently, his arms around her, her arms twined around him. Jax snuggled up behind her. He had picked her underwear, and heâd chosen a pair with long criss-crossing ribbon across the middle of the back. Probably so he could do what he did then: slip the ribbon up and slide his cock inside it, resting it flat against her ass. One of his arms slid under her head, next to Henryâs, the other reached down between them. He stroked her for a moment; he turned his wrist and gripped Henry. As Jax played up and down him, his knuckles dragged against East; she whimpered into Henryâs mouth and rocked her hips between them and Jaxâs thrusting cock.
âSuck Henry for me, sweetheart.â Jaxâs breath was hot in her ear. âAnd move.â
East slid out from between him and Henry; Henry turned to her. He gasped; Jax mustâve started getting him ready. âDo you want me to suck you or kiss you?â East pressed against him. âI can do either one.â
âKiss me while I touch you. I wonât last if you suck me through this.â
His hand dipped down between her legs. âOh, you got these panties wet, honey.â One finger pushed the fabric inside her a little, and she sucked in a breath. âThatâs it, baby. I want your thighs soaked.â He kissed East harder, his tongue playing with hers, as he slid her underwear to the side and began stroking her. He gasped and moved on Jax, whatever he was doing, probably stretching Henry out and hitting exactly the right spot inside him. East tried to touch Henryâs cock, but he swatted her hands away. âI told you, I wonât last.â
Jax moved. âGet on your back. East, Iâd recommend kneeling on top of Henry so he can lick you, because I wanna kiss you while we do this. If youâre sweet Iâll play with your tits.â
Oh God. Jax almost never took charge like this. Henry flipped over; Jax slid slowly into him, asking if he was okay, was this all right. Henry breathed through it then gasped: a good gasp. East straddled Henryâs chest so he could finger her; his thumb rested on her ass and his fingers stroked her open.
âCan I?â Jax didnât move inside Henry. East wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned forward. Jax handed her the lube; she dribbled some on her hand, then spread it over Henryâs big, thick cock.
âPlease?â Henry gasped again as East began playing with him. Oh God she was swollen and open; his finger slipped inside her. Jax rocked inside Henry; he grabbed the back of Eastâs neck and kissed her hard. She met the intensity of his kiss as Henry found the right spot in her pussy and circled it gently.
Henry petted her while she stroked his cock, and she arched her back in his direction as his other thumb touched her clit so, so softly. Jax held Eastâs back as he thrust in Henry; with his other hand, he pinched her nipple, then pulled it into a stiff peak. All while Henry stroked her, and he kissed her, sucking her bottom lip and nipping.
âEaster, if you keep that up, Iâm gonna come.â Henryâs breath came ragged.
Jax broke their kiss. âThatâs the point.â He hips moved faster, in shorter, more precise strokes that must be hitting the right spot inside Henry, who groaned and rolled his thumb over her clit while one finger pressed inside her and the other thumb rubbed her ass. East was going to lose it, oh God, and she kissed Jax as he thrust deep, froze, shuddered, and came hard inside Henry. He kept thrusting as he rode his climax down, and Henry went right after him, come spurting from his cock, which East carefully aimed up his chest. He yanked her back and wrapped his lips around her clit. She came almost immediately as he sucked, wave after wave of pleasure only intensified by the finger pressing inside her. She kept going, dizzy with it, an electric thing that went on and on as Henry held her there, until she cried out and he sucked more gently. East floated down, then climbed off Henry and flopped down on the bed. Jax pulled out of Henry carefully.
She pulled her soaked underwear off. âIâll throw them in the hamper later because I canât reach now and youâll bitch if I drop them on the floor.â It came out all in one long, exhausted murmur. Jax laughed. Henry hadnât moved.
âYou gonna get up and clean up?â Jax threw that grin again.
âI canât move yet.â
Jax huffed and wiped his chest down. âDonât say I never did anything for you, Culliver.â
âOh you did something for him, all right.â East giggled.
âShut up, you.â
âYou shut up.â
âNo, you.â
âYou.â
âYour face.â
âYour pretty face with all those freckles and the pouty lips and those gorgeous blue eyes.â Jax reddened. It was so much fun to tease him about how cute he was. He always blushed.
âCuddle with me.â Henry still sprawled on his back. âAnd middle.â
East pouted. âI wanted middle.â
âToo bad, sweetheart, I called it.â
East curled on Henryâs side. Jax yanked the covers up over them and laid his head on Henryâs chest. âDâyou remember when we used to do this in undergrad? You were so comfortable. It was the only thing that made me feel safe, for so long.â
Henryâs chest rumbled. âI remember, Freckles.â
âI love when you call me that. The first time you did ââ
âYou were eighteen and all teary in my car, which was parked in the apartment lot, and I said, âDonât cry on me, Freckles.â I remember.â
East listened quietly. These little details always seem like gifts, glimpses into their life before her, when they dated in college. Then broke up. Then got back together, her in tow as Henryâs girlfriend, when Jax moved back to Savannah. âWhy were you crying?â She couldnât help it.
âFreckles was a crier back then.â
âI wasnât really stable, Henry. Give me that at least.â
âI know. But you pulled out of it. Thank God and therapy and modern pharmaceuticals, you did the hard work of pulling out of it.â Henryâs voice got thick. âIâll always be so proud of you for that.â
âDonât cry.â East snuggled closer. âWeâre here now, arenât we?â
âWeâre all three here.â Jaxâs voice was soft. âWe made it to the other side, Henry. And we got a beautiful woman in the bargain. But I still maintain youâre nicer to her than you are to me.â
âShe doesnât yell and stomp and act like a drama queen.â
âShuttup.â Jax was quiet for bit, and East drifting off when he spoke again. âHey. Tonight meant a lot.â
âI know.â Henry shifted.âIt was good to just ⌠be out. With each other. And everyone knew.â
âQuinn and Delia got all bitchy I was hanging on Jax but Baylor saved me.â East laughed. âI love Baylor.â
âI loved you hanging on me.â Jaxâs voice was low, sad. âI want that more. I wanna hang on Henry.â
âI know, Jax.â East hated this for him.
âIt hurts, yâknow? Always the best friend.â
âYouâre so much more.â East reached over Henry and touched him. âWho are you in bed with? Who did you come home with?â
âI love you.â Henry said it simply.
âI know.â
East rolled her eyes. âYouâre so Han Solo. Is this the part where you get frozen in carbonite?â
âHush, you.â Jax stroked her hand. âGo to sleep, pretty girl.â
Henry smelled like Old Spice, that good dark masculine scent. East cuddled into it. She didnât let go of Jax. The longer they were all together, all three of them, the more she needed him. Weâre supposed to fall in love with each other, she had said to him in the barn that first day.
She was already there.