Page 56 of Don't Puck Up

“Happy Thanksgiving,” he murmured before spinning away and gathering his clothes and boots.

My heart clenched painfully as he walked away. He paused at the threshold as if he was fighting with himself. His shoulders slumped, and he padded down the corridor. I heard his footsteps on the stairs and then his boots hit the floor. A moment later I heard thesnickof the door being pulled closed and the telltale latching of the lock as it engaged.

My body was heavy, and exhaustion had set in hours earlier. Kam curled into my side, resting her head on my shoulder. Ordinarily I’d be asleep in minutes, but I knew it wouldn’t come tonight.

Something needed to change, and it was going to be on me to make it happen. V was holding back. I wanted that barrier gone. I wanted him with us. For the first time in my life, I didn’t care what the consequences were because he was worth it. I just needed him to see it too.

eighteen

Kamirah

Ihad to hand it to V. He always had a plan, and every time, it was something new and inventive. For Halloween, it was the matching costumes. At Christmastime, he’d worn a Santa hat, the mask, and nothing else. We’d ended up in a sweaty pile of limbs after he and Chris had DP’d me right there on the living room rug.

The sack he’d left under the tree was filled with toys and specific instructions to send videos and photos to him of us using them after he’d left.

For New Year, he’d insisted I wear a dress. He’d shown up to the club where we were celebrating with Mironov and his wife Sasha, Rune, Hewitt and his wife, and later on, Locke. I’d ducked to the bathroom, and he’d tugged me into a dark alcove, lifted my skirt and had me right there. I’d been jelly legged and was sure I looked well fucked, but his instructions were clear. “Now, send Chris to me.”

It hadn’t taken long for Chris to return, walking funny and with that same glazed look in his eyes. He’d pulled my hips to his, his dick already half hard again as we danced, and he described every delicious rough and dirty detail to me. I’d been ready to leave at that point, for Chris to show me everything V had done to him. But we wouldn’t pass up the chance to catch up with Locke and celebrate with him. We saw in the dawn together, watching the sun rise from the glass roof of the club.

“What are you thinking about?” Chris asked with a smile. He’d just returned from a five-day road trip, and we were curled up on the sofa together, having just eaten a late supper.

“Halloween. Christmas. New Year. I miss him.”

V had been away a lot, travelling for work and stuck on the opposite side of the country from us for much of the last month. We’d only seen him a few times since Thanksgiving, and it sucked. The man was under my skin. I wanted so much more than we had. But even though he wasn’t physically here, we were always talking. He called us every day that Chris was home, and we spoke for hours. Whenever Chris was away, we were all texting to our group chat.

Our messages were flirty and often dirty as sin, but there were everyday things in there too. V spoke about his karate training and the preparation for his next Dan grading in a couple of years’ time. He told us how his family had surprised him with a visit over Christmas and how homesick for Ottawa he was. We were bright sparks in his life—fuck buddies who’d become more. His closest friends.

Chris sighed, the sound heavy with want. “How do you feel about him?”

I licked my lips, trying to figure out how to answer him. Chris and I prided ourselves on being honest and open. It was the only way our relationship worked. But this was big. It could change everything between us.

“Do you love him?” Chris asked, leaving me no room to dodge the question.

He looked at me, his gaze filled with longing and hope. He dipped his eyes to my lips and slowly raised them again, and I could see his feelings as clear as day. They were written in the soft way his eyes crinkled and how his lips turned up at the mere mention of V. He slipped his warm hand under my shirt and caressed my belly, his touch reverent.

“I’m falling for him,” he admitted. Then he shook his head. “No, that’s not true. I’ve already fallen. I’m in love with V.”

Relief hit me hard and fast. Chris was exactly where I was, feeling the things I’d known for months but hadn’t dared admit. I nuzzled into him, snuggling closer. “Me too. I didn’t expect it, but I’m head over freaking heels for the man.”

Chris laughed and pinned me to the sofa, his eyes smiling as he peppered my face with kisses. “Are we going to tell him?”

“I want to. But he still won’t give us his name. Isn’t that telling?”

“Ooh, maybe he’s a spy?”

“Maybe you’re an idiot.” I giggled. “But he could be infamous, like a mafia overlord or something.”

“I don’t think they’re called that,” he teased. “Or he could be a politician.” I scrunched my nose up, and Chris shuddered in my arms. “Or not.”

“A famous sports star? He’s got the body,” I mused thoughtfully. “Is there a modern-era Bruce Lee that we should know about?”

“Look, whoever he is, he promised us he wasn’t cheating on a spouse and wasn’t really doing anything shady—”

“That’s enough for me,” I agreed. “But I’m totally going to ask him whether he’s a spy.” I reached for my cell phone and sent him a message.

Hey, just wondering… are you a spy?

“He’s not exactly going to say yes if he is.” Chris laughed, but he turned my cell phone so he could see it too the moment V’s reply came through.