Page 25 of Wrangled Up (Menage a Trouble #2)

Christian’s mouth quirked up, suddenly tugged by a feeling of lightness.

The clouds parted and he was able to see a clearer path.

He disposed of the condom, slipped on his boxers and fetched a warm washcloth from the adjoining bathroom for Claire to clean up.

When she was once more wearing a T-shirt and panties and lying under the covers, Christian opened the door.

There, Tucker stood, face ravaged by pain, both hands braced against the doorframe. His shoulders bowed forward. “I just—I’m so damn sorry.” His gaze penetrated Christian then slid past him to Claire.

The last ember of anger in Christian’s chest burned out and sailed up to the sky on the breeze of loving this man. He hooked an arm around Tucker’s neck and tugged him against him.

Dark passion flared in the place of the hurt as Christian drank in Tucker’s familiar scents. “You’re a dumbass, but I’ll forgive ya.”

“And I forgive you for being a stubborn ass about the money. ”

Claire’s raspy laugh floated from behind them.

Christian shook his head, mouth opened to protest, when Claire’s silky touch on his arm stopped him.

“You were being stubborn. And you should have told me about it. You weren’t the only one filling in the gaps on this ranch.”

A spasm of hurt pinched Tucker’s rugged features. “What about you, Claire? Can you forgive me?” He locked an arm around Christian’s middle.

She must have nodded because the look on Tucker’s face transformed to one of joy. He shoved Christian into the room and shut the door behind them. When Tucker took Claire into his arms, Christian smiled wider than he had in weeks.

They crawled under the covers together and just held each other for a long time. The moon rode higher in the sky, climbing toward its peak. Christian stared at it, his mind foggy with fatigue but his body on high alert. Being in this bed with both of them was a dream come true.

“Is there room on this ranch for us?” Christian asked .

“Of course—I wouldn’t dream of putting you off if you want to stay.”

“Claire here has room in her heart for you and me both.” Christian stroked her side, close to her breast.

“That so?” Tucker swallowed, a shadow crossing his face. His voice sounded as if his dog had just died and the country song about it was belted out by his most hated performer.

“Well, she hasn’t come out and said it yet…” Christian looked deep into her eyes, “…but I know she’s in love with you.”

She nodded, unable to help herself.

“And I think she’s in love with me.”

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she grinned at Christian.

Tucker scuffed a hand over his jaw, fingertip resting on the silver stud under his lip. “So what does that mean?”

Christian swallowed hard, his throat working. “Means there’s one more confession to be made.”

Tucker waited, as did Claire. Time ticked by.

“Say it,” Tucker said softly .

“I…I want to be part of this ranch, because it’s the only place I’ve truly felt as if I do some good.”

Claire squeezed him close.

“And?” Tucker prompted after a minute of silence.

Christian dropped his gaze, then snapped it back to the man they both longed for. “And I want you too.”

Tucker’s chest heaved at the blow Christian’s words delivered. Dark heat clawed at his insides, and his cock was instantly erect. Throbbing, hard as steel.

His friend wasn’t only talking about jacking off together on the couch with cold beers beside them. If his tone of voice didn’t alert Tucker that Christian wanted more, his friend’s burning gaze did.

Tucker met that gaze straight on. In that instant, he accepted everything that Christian was to him—more than a friend. Their sex had entangled them but Claire had united them.

She made a quiet noise that made Tucker’s sac draw up close to his body in need.

Again, he locked his gaze on her sweet, tormenting mouth .

He wrapped her tight to his body. With a cry, she threw her arms around him. He crushed her lips beneath his, bruising her, devouring. Christian pressed close to them, his body hard and hot as hell.

Without releasing her mouth, Tucker removed an arm from around her waist and reached for Christian.

His friend shuddered and dropped his forehead to Tucker’s neck as Claire kissed the fucking hell out of him.

Her tongue was wild, driving him to the brink. Tucker tightened his hold on Christian, and the three of them grappled in their embrace. Hands moving. Exploring. Tugging at clothes, which they didn’t want to be there.

Tucker tore his mouth free from Claire’s. She moaned her displeasure.

I’ll take care of you, baby. But I need to take care of him too.

Catching Christian’s gaze, Tucker let understanding flash between them. All of the passion he’d ever known with his friend had suddenly escalated to a monumental peak. This was it.

Their mouths collided in a fury of need. Hard lips, tooth against tender flesh. The pain shot through Tucker’s heart and shattered some of the old hurt, bringing only warmth and desire.

Christian gripped Tucker’s nape and plunged his tongue deep into his mouth.

Sensation ripped through Tucker as their kiss spiraled out of control.

The stroke of Christian’s hot tongue brought him to the quivering edge of the precipice.

Another damn swirl, a scrape of Christian’s face hair, would make Tucker come too soon.

Claire wiggled between them, her soft hands working back and forth over his pecs.

Heather was gone. Claire and Christian were here, and he wanted them bad.

Claire arched and gasped under their hands. Christian drew a broad palm down the center of her chest, over the slope of her bared belly, to her exposed mound. A path he’d obviously traversed more than once.

Tucker fell back, struck by the magnitude of what he’d done by leaving.

Immediately, Claire sat up and wrapped her arms around him. Christian moved around the bed and pressed close. “As long as the stars burn,” she said .

“What does that mean?” Tucker grated out. Longing for these two people broke over him once more.

“It means you belong here with us. Between us. Now c’mere.” Christian’s firm lips were inches away, and his flavors still lived on Tucker’s tongue.

With a growl, he swooped in and kissed Christian.

“We wanted you so fucking bad,” Christian murmured between kisses.

“I couldn’t get you two out of my head,” Tucker answered.

He pulled free. With chest working for air, he watched Claire reach for Christian. She plucked at Christian’s nipples with a singular knowledge.

Tucker’s cock strained.

Christian’s carved abs had haunted him almost hourly, and he wasn’t about to miss touching them along with Claire.

“I’m part of this,” he said.

Her eyes pooled with joy. “You couldn’t be anything else.” She skittered a hand over Tucker’s chest, down to his cock .

Christian’s attention riveted on her grip on Tucker’s shaft. “Ffffuck. Pull it back a bit at the head.”

A bead of come appeared in the slit.

“Jesus, yeah, like that.” Christian passed a hand over his face in testament to his internal struggle.

They’d been in this bed together, but it felt different this time. Before, there had been boundaries. Christian had been afraid to touch Claire. She’d been reluctant to put her hands on a man that wasn’t Tucker.

And Tucker’s walls had all been erected.

Now they were crumbled ruins, and he let his emotion pour forth.

Reaching out, he caught Christian’s thick length in his fist. His friend—no, lover—shuddered violently. Tucker squeezed his eyes shut as the velvety heat permeated his fingers and palm. His cock twitched, ready to spurt.

“No,” he ground out. He moved to squeeze his shaft to stop his release, but Christian was too quick. Their gazes clashed as they started to roll each other’s shafts through their hands .

“Oh my God,” Claire cooed. She stretched out on the bed, lips swollen and inviting, her nipples two rosy peaks stabbing the air. Her eyes were hooded as she watched them pleasure each other. “Kiss again.”

Her murmured command settled into Tucker’s groin. Pressure built. When Christian leaned in and claimed his mouth, Tucker surrendered to the man’s passion. He let Christian tug and prod his lips and tongue, drawing sensations up from his toes.

The scariest thing should have been the emotion Christian raised in Tucker, but he threw all caution aside and let himself feel.

Christian pressed a wide thumb against the tip of Tucker’s cock. Cream gathered there, and he smeared it over the distended head. Christian was shaking. “Fuck, I’ve gotta…” His lover stopped.

“Do it,” Tucker demanded.

Christian dropped down on all fours and caught Tucker’s bobbing shaft between his scorching lips.

Tucker threw his head back and released a long, guttural groan. For a long minute, he drowned in the insane heat of his friend’s mouth. He’d experienced a lot of blowjobs in his life, and while Claire was amazing, Christian knew how to give head.

He sucked Tucker to the root without hesitation. Tucker’s thighs quivered, his muscles straining. He dug his fingers into his lover’s scalp and guided him back and forth on his dick.

“Hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” Claire plunged her fingers between her thighs, caressing her wet folds as she looked on.

Tucker couldn’t have stopped his grin from devouring his face if he’d tried. Christian working him with his skilled mouth and Claire fingering her clit in time to their rhythm…it was fantasy times ten.

Pressure escalated in Tucker’s core until he had to bite off his groans, for fear of alerting Aunt Letty as to their activities. Group sex wasn’t exactly conventional around these parts, but he couldn’t care less.

He pounded into Christian’s mouth. The head of his cock struck the back of his lover’s throat. With only a grunt of pleasure, Christian took him. Claire reached under Christian’s legs and ran her fingers in the spots that Tucker wanted to touch .

Hell, for months he’d wanted to bury his face in the shadowy area beneath the man’s balls and learn his taste.

Tonight. Now.

In another minute.

Want claimed his control, and he felt the first rush of orgasm. Spurts jetted from his cock. Normally, they’d shoot into the air or into a condom. But this time, Christian caught them. Gulped them down, milking his shaft expertly.

Tucker brayed with bliss. He held Christian’s head to him as he surrendered it all. Body, heart and soul.