Page 49 of Three Bossy Boyfriends (Honeysuckle Harbor #3)

Evan

Sitting in my apartment, I’m debating going back to Christopher’s.

It was honestly uncharacteristic of me to leave like that, but I felt shitty about what happened with Finley. I should have anticipated how she would feel. That whole conversation could have gone much differently. It should have gone differently.

I pull out my phone to text him, and I see I have a text from Finley.

Tucker came over. We talked things through. Want to do the same with you and Christopher. Can you come to my house?

My shoulders release. I let out a deep breath.

It’s going to be okay. This is all going to get sorted out.

Hell, yeah. Be there in thirty.

Bring food. I was promised dinner.

That makes me laugh.

Pad Thai okay?

Yes.

She adds a kiss emoji.

That means more to me than just about anything. I know this now. We will fix this, meet each other where we need to be met.

I call Christopher. He answers immediately.

“Hey, you okay?”

“I’m better.” I’m already heading to the door. “Finley texted me, and she’s with Tucker at her house. She wants us to come over. And bring her dinner.” That makes me chuckle a little.

Christopher exhales audibly. “Good,” he says gruffly. “I wasn’t going to be able to sleep tonight if we didn’t at least all talk this out.”

That makes me realize how much of a part I played in his stress. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you. I just shut down, and that wasn’t fair to you.”

“Let me be there for you. I know everyone needs a minute to process sometimes, but I hope when you have big feelings you can lean on me.”

My throat feels tight. I nod, even though he can’t see me. “I will,” I say gruffly. “You have really fucking good shoulders to lean on.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” I let the serenity of our love just wash over me for a second, then I add, “Now order Pad Thai to be delivered to Finley’s, please.”

“Of course.”

After I swing by and pick up Christopher, we drive in mostly silence, a companionable hand on each other’s knees. We arrive at Finley's at the same time as the food delivery, so when we knock on the door, we come bearing gifts.

“Spicy, just the way you like it,” I tell Finley when she answers the door, holding up the bags of food.

She laughs and gives me a warm smile. “Sometimes I’m spicier than I mean to be.” She looks past me to Christopher. “Hi. Come on in.”

I can see Tucker in the kitchen. He’s uncorking a bottle of wine. He looks enormous in the small cottage with the feminine and arguably fussy decor. I wonder what Finley’s style would be if she had decorated all on her own, given that she just moved into her sisters’ well-established household.

I bet our girl does it up right for Halloween.

I’m hoping I’ll have a chance to find out.

“I’m going to jump right in because Tucker and I talked, and I know I left you both wondering what the hell just happened.” Finley takes a deep breath.

“It’s okay, take your time,” Christopher says.

He had changed by the time I picked him up, and he’s in casual joggers and a Clemson sweatshirt. He isn’t the polished legal shark right now. He’s the man I love, and he looks concerned. I reach out and take his hand in mine and give it a squeeze.

He gives me a grateful smile.

Finley is wearing her jeans and hoodie from earlier, but she’s barefoot now. So is Tucker. I wonder if they just talked or if Tucker gave her an orgasm or two because she’s definitely more relaxed.

Whatever he did or said, it worked, and I’m grateful to him for that.

“The thing is, when I feel like I’m being left out of something, or I don’t belong, I get defensive. I lash out. That’s what happened to me tonight. I felt like I wasn’t…” she bites her lip. “A part of this, and I didn’t like that.”

“We’re truly sorry,” I tell her.

Christopher has handed off the bags to Tucker, but we’re all still giving Finley our full attention.

“We would never do that intentionally. We promise it won’t happen again,” Christopher tells her.

Finley nods. “Good. Because I’m not that great at following rules, but I promise that I’ll try to communicate what I’m feeling more openly and freely too. If this is still what you want.”

Without hesitation, I move in closer to her and cup her cheek. “Yes, it is. I want you , Finley Anderson. I’ve fallen completely head over heels in love with you.” I brush my lips over hers. “We can figure this out. No rules. We’ll just feel our way through this.”

“I understand some people need structure so there aren’t misunderstandings.” She levels her gaze at Christopher. “But the idea of a contract is just a little too structured for me.” She holds her hand out for him. “Is that something you’ll be comfortable with?”

He takes her hand and pulls her toward him, so we’re in a three-way hug. “Yes. I’m comfortable with that. I fucking adore you. We’ll make this work.” He gives her a soft kiss on the top of her head and releases her. “I’ll save the bossiness for the bedroom.”

Finley gives a soft laugh. “Oh, yes, sir, please do.”

“How do you feel about all this, Tucker? We good?”

Tucker is leaning against the kitchen counter.

He reaches out and pulls Finley back, tucking her up against his chest between those muscular thighs.

He wraps his arms around her. “Yeah. We’re good.

I’m open to figuring out whatever our girl and all of us need.

I’d like to hang out with you guys more, get to know you better. ”

I nod. “That would be fantastic. After all, we have one very important thing in common. We all love Finley.”

“Damn fucking right we do.”

Finley’s cheeks are pink now, but she’s beaming. She looks comforted and cuddled in Tucker’s big embrace.

Just to make sure we’re all on the same page, I cup Finley’s cheeks and kiss her, while she’s wrapped up in Tucker’s arms.

She sucks in a breath and opens readily for me, letting me sweep my tongue inside her mouth.

I hear Tucker murmur, “That’s it. Good girl.”

When I pull back, we’re both panting, and Tucker looks like he wants to turn her around and seat her on his cock right here and now.

Finley takes Tucker’s hands and rubs them over her nipples. Then her eyes drift closed briefly before she steps away.

“Food first,” she says sternly, pointing a finger at Tucker. “We’re all going to hang out.”

He puts his hands up. “Whatever you say.” Then he grins. “The only rules are your rules.”

Finley sticks her tongue out at him, and we all relax.

We’re good.

This is good.

So we busy ourselves with dishing up the food, pouring wine, and small talk.

“Where are your sisters?” Christopher asks.

“They’re off falling in love,” Finley says breezily. “Frannie is with Hunter, and Fiona is at Kyle’s for the night. I mean, we are triplets. I guess it stands to reason we’d all fall in love at the same time.”

“The whole firm is apparently falling in love,” Christopher remarks. “Me, you, now Kyle. And apparently, Mary Grace. I heard rumors she was making out with a younger guy at Swanson’s Saturday night.”

I’m taking a sip of my wine, and I almost choke on it. “Shut the fuck up.”

Finley grins. “Good for her! If Mary Grace is getting dick, I think it’s going to greatly improve office morale.”

We laugh.

“Who is Mary Grace?” Tucker asks.

“The scary one,” Finley tells him, reaching around him to snag a noodle off of a plate and pop it in her mouth. “Charles’s daughter.”

“Ah. She is scary,” he agrees.

“Maybe less so now.”

Our conversation flows easily like that throughout a fun, casual dinner eaten around the coffee table.

We talk about the late spring, Tucker’s new bid he’s submitting for an expansion on the country club, Finley’s bar exam prep.

We talk about our families and why casual Fridays don’t exist in law firms, and Tucker and I learn we share a passion for kayaking.

It’s easy and just what we all needed. We open a second bottle of wine, and after we clean up, we start to move toward sex without saying a word.

Christopher’s hand strokes my inner thigh.

Tucker is playing with Finley’s hair. She has her feet thrown over my legs, and she wiggles a toe in the direction of my cock.

“Tucker,” she says at one point, snuggling her ass against him. “You have a really massive hard-on.”

“You have a perfect ass, and I want you now.”

“Oh,” she breathes. She gives me a naughty grin. “What do you think, Evan?” She glances over at Christopher. “I did ask for food and fucking tonight.”

“You heard her,” Christopher says. “Let’s give the lady what she wants.”