Page 26

chapter

twenty-five

Gemini

I checked the time on my way to the kitchen. Another hour or so and Seven would be done with that first appearance. Stella had texted earlier to tell me she was going to be with him for the evening.

Guilt assaulted me, particularly when she assured me that it was only a few hours and she would message me the moment she got home. As grateful as I was that Seven was not asking me to take it on the chin with the press, I really hated that it meant Slick was getting dragged into the middle of it all.

This was way more than she’d asked for, selling that one blurred photo of us. But here we were, and the best I could do was make up the time spent with my brother, since he was such a dick where she was concerned.

The alarm panel let me know the gate had opened while I was checking the fridge. The housekeeper often put meals in here we could reheat easily. This was great when one of us was on a specific diet for a role. Tonight it would do in a pinch, but I shut the door to check the cameras.

It was a little too early for Seven to be back, but if he was, then maybe I could head over to Stella’s and take her out for real food. The car coming up the drive, however, was not Seven’s or his driver.

It was Ollie.

That made sense. He usually skipped out on most premieres, particularly if he didn’t have to do press after. That meant we still needed to figure out food. I diverted back to the kitchen, unsurprised when the door to the garage opened up to let Ollie in.

“Hey, I was just thinking,” I said, as I turned, only to blink as Stella drifted in dressed in… Wow. I almost swallowed my tongue. Flushed cheeks and lazy smile in place, she prowled through the kitchen, making a beeline toward me.

“Gem,” she said with only a bit of slurring. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

“Hey, Slick.” The lace dress left nothing to the imagination; her bra and panties were obscured, but they also highlighted her curves. “You look downright edible.”

“She does,” Ollie said drolly. “Doesn’t she?”

When Stella wrapped her arms around me, I looped mine around her waist. Her pupils were definitely dilated and the color was high in her cheeks. “Are you drunk?”

“No,” she answered immediately, then paused to hold her thumb and forefinger together. “Okay, maybe a little. But in my defense, there was a lot of wine and champagne—big glasses—and very few canapes. Like micro-crackers.”

Her wrinkled nose was adorable. Ollie’s indulgent smile was also hard to miss. “So you let Ollie snake you away from Sev?”

She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Seven dumped me as soon as we were inside. He left me instructions for what time to meet him at the door and then he disappeared.”

“Sounds like Sev,” I admitted.

“I don’t really like him,” she told me. “You are the much better twin.”

Ollie snickered, and when I shot him a dirty look, he didn’t even pretend to be contrite.

“I appreciate that, but why don’t we get you some water and some food?” I’d deal with my brother later. He wasn’t going to use her as a beard if he couldn’t look after her.

“Food is probably a good idea,” Ollie said. “I was going to stop somewhere on the way home, but she’s a lot drunker than I realized.”

I could see that.

“Okay, Slick, let’s?—”

“Gem,” she said before I could finish. She cupped a hand around my nape, and I tilted my head to meet her gaze. “I kissed Ollie.”

“Wait—”

“Or maybe he kissed me. It could have been that he kissed me. I jumped off the scaffold and he caught me. Then I think I kissed him. Yeah, I‘m pretty sure it was me kissing him.” Ollie had gone dead still at her pronouncement and I speared him with a stare. “Anyway,” Stella continued and blinked up at me. “I kissed him and I liked it.”

“I see,” I said slowly, not entirely sure where to go with this. Ollie hitting on my girl hadn’t escaped me, but she’d pretty much dodged him and now…? “Do you want to kiss him again?”

Yeah, the dick in question perked right up as he leaned against the counter and stared at her.

Stella tilted her head, stroking her fingers up and down my nape, just caressing the skin. It felt damn good and was really distracting too.

“Yes,” she said after a beat. “I kind of do. But I want to kiss you again too.” Then as if to prove her point, she tugged me and pushed upward at the same time.

Her mouth was hot and fierce under mine. Falling into a kiss with Slick had rapidly become one of my favorite things. Those silky, kittenish licks could drive a man insane, but I’d also felt that tongue on my cock. She’d been made to drive me crazy.

“What do you think?” she whispered against my mouth, her body one slow, sensuous rub against mine. “Could we maybe do a threesome? I’ve always wondered what that would be like.”

A threesome?

My brain short-circuited for a moment as I drowned in her drugging kiss.

“Hold up,” Ollie announced loud enough to puncture the moment. “Time-out.”

He tugged her right out of my arms and turned her to face him.

“Hey—”

“Wait,” he said to me, before he locked his gaze on Slick. “Eyes on me, Snow.”

“Oh, why do you keep calling me Snow?” She sounded so put upon. “I am not an ice queen.”

“Completely the last place I was going with that,” he told her. “You are hotter than hell, Snow. Don’t mistake the name for anything other than admiration.”

“Really?” I demanded as I stared at him, and he gave me a careless shrug before focusing on her again.

“Oh. Okay, so you want to kiss me, then?” She was all playful and soft and cuddly—it was enough to make me want to punch our best friend and steal my girl away before she tried to kiss him or he kissed her again.

“Yes,” he said, but stopped her dead with a finger to her lips as she strained up to meet him for another burning connection. “But we’re not doing any of that until we get you hydrated and food in your stomach.”

“Aww.” The complaint was almost adorable and a huff of laughter escaped me at the sound.

She twisted to look at me.

“You’ll kiss me, right, Gem?”

“Absolutely, Slick,” I said, holding out a hand. She pulled away from Ollie and came right to me. There was something infinitely empowering about having her focus all that passion on me. “But Ollie’s right. You should probably eat and hydrate. I don’t want you hungover or regretting your choices in the morning.”

“I’m not really hungry,” she said. “And I feel good right now… I mean hot. I should probably take this dress off. It’s not like it covers much.”

She was going to be the death of me. “We can get you a change of clothes after you eat. Come on. Let’s get you some water. Ollie will cook.”

“Fine, then can we kiss and have a threesome?” The forlorn pout in her voice was equal parts cute and irritating, especially when she looked up at me so hopefully. Apparently she was intent on killing me.

“First we’re doing food, and yes, I can absolutely make you something,” Ollie said, already rolling up his sleeves. “And so we’re perfectly clear, Snow, I am not saying no.”

It was my turn to glare as I coaxed her over to the table. “Are you insane?”

“Nope,” Ollie told me. “In fact, I’m a damn saint because she is absolutely delectable at the moment, and she ground up against me when I caught her. I could have fucked her in the car and I think we’d have both enjoyed it, but I brought her home, where both of us can be here. Because I’m not an asshole.”

While he spoke, he opened the fridge and retrieved one of the large bottles of water before he carried it over to us. Stella had slid off her shoes and tugged the dress up some so she could sit. The lace seemed to be bugging her.

Her legs didn’t quit.

“Drink,” he ordered her and set the bottle on the table in front of her.

“You’re bossy,” she retorted, those green eyes of hers filled with a bewitching twinkle.

“I’ve heard that before.” Then he shifted his stare to me. “In fact, I need to steal Gem from you for a minute, Snow.”

“Hmm.” She hummed a little sound before she propped her chin in her hand and wrapped her free hand around the water bottle. “You can borrow him, but I want him back.”

There was something altogether possessive in her voice, and I, for one, thrilled to hear it from her. “I’ll be right back, Slick. I promise.”

“Good.” She gave us a wide smile. “I’ll be right here where I can see you both. Think you can give me something fun to watch?”

“I’ll think about it.” I chuckled in spite of myself and then followed Ollie toward the fridge. He was pulling out everything he would need to make breakfast.

That would be fast.

“Pancakes or waffles, Snow?” he called over to her.

“Surprise me,” she said, her smile easy and open.

“What are you doing?” I asked Ollie and he paused to stare at me.

“I’m making her food, then we’re going to feed her, and after we sober her up, we’re going to see if she was at all serious about that threesome request.”

Irritation flamed through me and I glanced back at Slick where she gave me a little wave.

“I guess the question, then,” Ollie continued, “is what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. It wasn’t the first time we’d shared a girl. Though the last time it hadn’t been simultaneously. “Ollie…she’s important to me.”

“I know she is,” he said, turning to face me with eggs in hand. “I like her too.”

Fuck.

What the hell did I say to that?

It took about twenty minutes, but we loaded the table with waffles, fried eggs, bacon, and sausage. He’d fried up a storm. Thankfully, Slick dug right in, and while she was still flushed and relaxed, she didn’t seem quite so far gone.

Ollie tracked every bite she took, and I had to admit so was I. When she finished, I got up to make us all some coffee. It was getting late and she’d definitely sobered up somewhat.

“Tell you what, guys, let’s have the coffee, and give ourselves a bit of time to digest and then we can go swimming,” Ollie suggested.

I shot him a look but he had his gaze firmly on Slick.

“You just want to get me to agree to skinny-dip,” she countered. “And we are one and one, game wise, so you’re going to have to beat me at one more game if that’s what you want.”

My dick went hard at the husky note in her voice. “You really like betting don’t you?”

She grinned at me. “I really enjoyed our bet.”

So had I.

Ollie rose. “Come on, Snow.”

“Where are we going?”

“We’re going to play that last game, but don’t get comfortable. I plan to win and then we’re skinny-dipping.” He strolled out of the kitchen, but Slick didn’t follow—she glanced at me.

“It’s okay,” I said and surprisingly, it really was. “If you want to find out…I’m in.”

Once I committed, I meant it. The way she licked her lips made me feel damn good about that decision too.

“You sure?” she whispered, and it wasn’t distrust in her voice. She wanted to reassure herself and I was important enough that my opinion mattered.

“I’m very sure,” I promised. “You aren’t losing me, Slick. No matter what.”

Her grin was all sunshine. “Guess we need to find out if I’m losing that game of pool.”

“Let’s go, Snow. Get that gorgeous ass out here.”

She bit her lower lip. “Are you in if I cheat?”

“Depends,” I said slowly. “How are you planning to cheat?”

She rose to her feet and then she peeled that lace dress up and off, leaving her in the strapless black bra and the black thong. Fuck me, she was beautiful.

“Like this,” she said, then sauntered toward the living room.

“Oh, he is so screwed,” I said under my breath. Then again, so was I, and I was pretty fucking happy right here.