Chapter 13—Eve

The next morning, I awoke to find Liam wrapped around me like a blanket, his thigh wedged between my legs. Careful not to wake him, I slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom. Every inch of my body—inside and out—ached. In a completely good way. And the smile on my face couldn’t be masked. Last night had been amazing, and after having had a chance to sleep, I was more determined than ever to find a way to keep Liam in my life. If that meant having a taboo relationship with two men, then so be it. I had very little doubt this is what Derrick wanted, too, so it should be easy to get him to agree.

After doing my business and cleaning up, I made my way back to the guest room, not wanting Liam to wake up and think I’d ditched him. But when I got there, the bed was empty. Voices filtered out from the living room. I headed their way, then stopped when I heard Derrick speak.

“So, did you enjoy my wife last night?”

Oh, shit. Was he pissed? He didn’t sound angry, but I also couldn’t see his face to know for certain.

“Immensely,” Liam said. “And more than once, too.”

Derrick laughed.

He laughed! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Granted, I was glad he wasn’t upset, but I hadn’t expected that reaction, either. I walked out of the guest room, making my presence known. “Morning,” I said.

“Hey, babe.” Derrick crossed the room and kissed my cheek. “Sorry about last night.”

My eyes widened. He was full of surprises today.

Liam cleared his throat. “I’m going to grab a quick shower, give you two a few minutes.”

When he was out of the room, I turned back to Derrick. “How’re you feeling?” I was beginning to wonder if Derrick ever truly had a headache last night.

“Much better.” He grinned. “How’re you?” There was a knowing twinkle in his eyes, and that was both disturbing and encouraging. “Hear you and Liam had fun.”

“We did,” I said slowly, letting the memory of last night settle over me. “You’re not upset that I spent the night with Liam?”

“Of course not. It makes me happy that you two are getting along so well.”

That was an understatement. I sighed. “I think the three of us need to sit down and have a talk about what’s going on and what’s supposed to happen next.”

He nodded. “I agree. And we will. As soon as the barbeque is over, and everyone leaves.”

I groaned. After the emotional roller-coaster I’d been on the past few days, the last thing I wanted was to host a bunch of people for a Fourth of July barbeque, but it was too late to cancel now. “Okay. Well, I guess I’d better get to work getting the food ready.”

He placed another kiss to my cheek—completely cold and distant, nothing at all like the way Liam kissed me. Even the innocent little pecks packed a heated punch. “I’ll get things set up outside.”

Derrick headed outside, and I banished myself to the kitchen where I worked for the next two hours prepping salads and side dishes. The front door slammed, and I turned around to see a familiar redhead burst through the cabin.

“Evie!” My best friend in the world, Skylar, rushed toward me, arms open. She was the only person allowed to call me Evie. “It’s been forever!”

I laughed and gave her a hug. We hadn’t seen each other since shortly after my wedding. She’d been in London for work, and while we’d stayed in touch with semi-regular phone calls, it just wasn’t the same. I missed her like crazy. “God, Sky, look at you.” I held her out at arm’s length, admiring her fit form and rosy glow.

“Me?” She laughed. “Look at you. Married life agrees with you. Then again, it would agree with me, too, if I had a smokin’ hot husband.”

I could feel the heat rising up my neck. It wasn’t exactly married life that had put this smile on my face, but I wasn’t going to drop that bomb on her. Yet. I would eventually, but now wasn’t the time or place. “What about you? No sophisticated, suave Frenchman tried to sweep you off your feet?”

“I wish.” She rolled her eyes. “Work kept me so busy. I was lucky to get enough time off to eat, sleep, and shower.” She hopped up on a stool and rested her elbows on the island counter. “So, where is that husband of yours anyway?”

Shaking my head, I couldn’t stop from smiling. I’d always thought Skylar had a crush on Derrick. Not that she’d ever admit it, or act on it, but I could see the distinct sparkle in her eyes whenever he was around. “He’s out back with Liam.”

“Wait. Liam?” She gave me an incredulous look. “Mr. Walking Sin is here?”

I laughed. If she only knew how accurate her nickname was. “Yes. Derrick invited him. He’s spending the weekend.”

She let out a low whistle. “Damn. And you didn’t think to invite me to spend the weekend? I’d gladly keep his bed warm for him. He is still single, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he’s single.” But currently unavailable. At least, for the rest of today anyway. I had no idea what would happen tonight once everyone left. I didn’t want to think about that, though.

“Hey, Eve.” Liam walked in, and his steps faltered when he saw Skylar. “Hi,” he said, giving her a big smile. “Skylar, right?”

Her face turned a hundred different shades of pink. “I’m impressed you remembered my name.”

“I never forget the name of a beautiful woman.” He winked.

I fought the urge to scowl at their flirting. “Did you need something, Liam?”

He turned to me, his gaze going from playful to heated in two seconds flat, and I knew what was on his mind because it was on mine, too. Kissing. Touching. Fucking. I shifted on my feet, squeezing my legs to ease the throbbing down there. He held my gaze, his eyes lowering to my mouth, then back to my face. I sucked in a breath, praying my hard nipples weren’t showing through my sundress.

“Derrick needs the food for the grill. And a spatula,” he said.

“Right.” I cleared my throat and gathered the tray with the hot dogs and hamburgers. Handing it to Liam, I grabbed the grill spatula from the wall. “Anything else?”

He arched a single brow, one corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile. “Not yet.”

The promise in those two words spread through me like a heated caress.

“I can take that,” Skylar said, taking the spatula from me. “I want to say hi to Derrick anyway.”

I nodded. When they both headed outside, I slouched against the counter and blew out a breath. Liam had been hands-off since I’d gotten up this morning, and that bugged the hell out of me. And now he was flirting with Sky? I frowned. After all our talks, after everything he confessed to me last night, I was convinced he wanted more than just one night of sex. Not that I had any idea what more I could give him. Turning, I glanced out the window above the sink and saw Derrick and Liam standing by the grill. Skylar was between them, laughing and putting her hands on their arms. The sight of her like that, standing between the same two men who’d shared me, sent jealous rage spiking through my veins.

I watched a bit longer, each second ratcheting my anger. Why the hell wasn’t Derrick telling her to stop touching him? Why did he keep leaning closer? I tore my gaze from them and busied myself with making the side dishes, hoping the task would help calm me. I knew I had nothing to worry about with Skylar. She was my best friend, and she would never betray me. Besides, she’d always been a flirt, that’s just who she was. Derrick, however…I knew very little about his past when it came to relationships and sharing. Maybe he was a cheater. Or maybe he thought because he’d allowed me to have Liam last night, I should return the favor and let him have another woman.

Yeah, right. Over my dead fucking body.

Snatching the fruit salad from the fridge, I carried it outside and set it on the table. I could feel Liam’s gaze following me, burning me with the constant lust I’d seen in his eyes since his arrival. I glanced over my shoulder to see Derrick still standing with Sky, completely oblivious to me.

“Eve.”

My head snapped up at the sound of my name, and I forced a smile. He was the last person I wanted to socialize with, but it had become tradition to invite my boss, and I couldn’t simply revoke his invitation because I was too busy obsessing over my husband and his best friend. “Mr. Patterson. I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Of course. I’ve been looking forward to this for months.” He smiled. “And please, call me Troy.”

“Drinks are in the cooler over there.” I pointed to the shade running along the side of the cabin. “Food should be ready soon. As always, your timing is impeccable.” I laughed.

He patted his stomach and grinned. “This baby right here never lets me be late.” He chuckled.

I loved my job as a paralegal, but my boss made the dumbest jokes ever. I only laughed to be polite. He had a reputation among the female staff as being highly inappropriate—either with his jokes or his unwanted sexual advances. So far, I’d been lucky I only had to suffer through some terrible jokes.

“Well, help yourself.” I nodded toward the cooler. “And if you’ll excuse me, I have more food to get ready.” I headed back inside and pulled out the salads I’d prepped.

“Hey, babe.” Derrick walked up to me and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Do we have any more of that seasoning stuff?” He rummaged through the cupboards until he found what he needed. “Oh, I need cheese for the burgers, too.” He moved to the fridge.

I stood, staring at him, both pissed and confused. He’d barely spoken four words to me since our first guest arrived two hours ago, and now that we had a few moments alone, he wanted to gather food. Yet he seemed to have a lot to say to Skylar. I curled my hands into fists by my sides and clenched my teeth. What the hell was his problem?

“Have you ever been shared, Derrick?” I asked. The question had been on my mind since the first time he’d asked about sharing me, but I’d never had the guts to ask. Part of me still didn’t want to know, but seeing the way he was acting with Skylar…I had to know.

“What?” He whipped around to stare at me, eyes wide, hands full of cheese and seasonings.

“Have you ever been shared? As in, have you been with two women at one time?” God, what kind of question was that to ask your husband? I felt queasy just saying the words.

“No,” he said slowly, dumping the food onto the counter and stepping up to me. “Why?” He gently put his hands on my waist, and I sighed, both loving and hating how desperate I was for his touch.

I shrugged.

“Is that something you want to try?” He smiled faintly, but the sudden passion in his gaze was unmistakable. “Do you want to share me, Eve?”

“What?” I snapped. “No.” I pushed him away and huffed. “Why the hell would you ask me that?”

“What else am I supposed to think? That question came out of left field, and it would seem only logical that it was something you’d been thinking about.” He stepped up to me again, his palm cradling my cheek. “It’s okay if you’ve been wondering about it. You never have to be embarrassed to share your fantasies with me.”

I took a deep breath and swallowed hard against the sting of tears. “I am not, nor have I ever, thought about sharing you, Derrick. I asked because I don’t know a damn thing about your life prior to marrying me, and after everything that’s happened this weekend… I just want to know who the hell I married and what other surprises I can expect.”

“Surprises?” His brows lifted with shock. “It may have been a surprise that I invited Liam here, but my intentions weren’t. We’d talked about it. A lot.”

Okay, he had me there, and I couldn’t argue. “I don’t want to fight with you,” I finally said, wishing I’d kept my mouth shut.

“I’m not fighting.” He shook his head. “I’m just trying to understand what’s going on here.”

“That makes two of us.”

“Does this have something to do with Liam?” Derrick gripped the counter, boxing me in between him and it. “Do you have regrets about last night?”

“No,” I said quickly, giving a firm shake of my head. “I had fun last night. It’s just…” I sighed. “I keep watching you and him with Skylar, and it’s starting to piss me off.”

He let out a surprised laugh. “You’re jealous?”

I hated how he could read me and my emotions so easily. But I hated it even more that he was right. Yes, I was possessive when it came to the man I loved, but I wasn’t normally the jealous type, especially when the “other woman” was my best friend, a person I knew I could trust implicitly.

He planted a quick kiss to my lips. “You have nothing to be jealous about. You know better than anyone how long it’s been since we’ve seen Sky. I’m simply catching up with her.”

I nodded but didn’t say anything further. Instead, I scooped the cheese and seasonings from the counter and shoved them into his hands. “You’d better get back to the grill before you burn the food.”

“Everything’s going to be okay, Eve. I promise.” With a wink, he left.

Sadly, his promise did nothing to make me feel better. As the day progressed, I started to relax, and I actually enjoyed myself. It had been far too long since we’d had all our friends and family together, and it was nice to have everyone here now. Derrick was sticking a little too close to Sky for my comfort. Then again, she seemed to be following him around just as much. Liam, though, his attention was on me. Every time I’d move or look around, I’d catch him watching me. And every time it sent a thrill up my spine.

One by one, our guests left, and I began to clean up, my mind wandering down a dark path I didn’t want to explore. I’d known for the past two years that my marriage wasn’t as strong as it had been during the first year. Derrick wanted things I hadn’t understood, and this weekend had been a lesson in what those things were. I could easily give him what he wanted, and in turn, I wouldn’t have to let Liam go. But how long would he stay with us? Surely, at some point, he’d want to move on and settle down. What would happen then? My breath hitched on a sob that I forced back.

“I got this, babe,” Derrick said, taking the trash bag from me.

I gave him a small smile, then carried a stack of dirty dishes into the kitchen. I filled the sink with warm, soapy water.

“Hey, I’m heading out,” Skylar said.

I turned to face her. “So soon? I figured you’d stay a bit longer.” We hadn’t had much time to chat.

She shrugged. “I’d like to, but it’s back to work tomorrow, and it’s a long drive to the city.”

I smiled sympathetically. Drying my hands, I gave her a hug. “Thank you for coming. We’ll have to have a girls’ night soon.”

“Definitely.” She grinned, then left.

I turned back to the sink full of dishes when I heard the screen door open, then slam closed. “What did you forget?” I laughed, fully expecting to see Skylar rushing back into the cabin.

But it wasn’t Skylar. It was Liam. He came up behind me and slipped his arms around my stomach, nuzzling his nose against my neck. “You look so hot in this dress. I can’t wait to take it off you.”

Closing my eyes, I leaned back, letting his strong body support me. God, everything about him felt so right.

“Why wait?” Derrick’s voice made my heart jump. He eased in between me and the sink so that he was in front of me and Liam was behind me. “The way I see it, we owe you another night. Isn’t that right, Liam?”

“Mm-hmm.” His warm breath tickled over my neck.

A sense of comfort washed over me, like I instinctively knew this is exactly where I belonged. I put my arms around Derrick’s neck and kissed him. To my surprise, he kissed me back. Liam lifted my dress, his hand caressing my ass, and the instant, overwhelming lust that tore through me made my knees shake.

Derrick moved from my mouth to my neck, and I had each of their lips on either side of my neck. Derrick’s hands were on my waist, and Liam’s were on my ass, their touches purposeful and hot, branding me as theirs. “Do you want us again, Eve? Hmm? You want both of us to touch you again? To fuck you until you scream our names?”

“Yes,” I gasped, nodding.

Liam eased his finger into the side of my panties, his finger barely grazing my slit, but it was enough to make me whimper for more. “You’re already so wet for us.” Liam nipped at my earlobe. “Do you have any idea how fucking hot that is, Eve?”

My mind was starting to go blank as my body took over. I wanted to rip this stupid dress off and demand they take me right here in the kitchen. But we still had guests outside, and I didn’t need one of them to walk in and catch me fucking my husband and his best friend. “Guys,” I said, my throat dry. “Not right now.”

They both released me immediately, and I nearly slumped to the floor. Derrick raised a questioning brow, and I took a deep breath. “As soon as everyone leaves, you two can fuck me wherever and however you want.”

Liam let out a low groan. “You might regret saying that.”

“I doubt it,” I said, shooting him a look over my shoulder.

“C’mon, Liam, let’s go get rid of our guests,” Derrick said, adjusting his erection.

I couldn’t stop from smiling as they walked out of the cabin. I returned to the dishes, hoping the mundane task would calm my racing heart enough for me to focus on what needed to be done.

“Wonderful party as usual,” Mr. Patterson said as he set a dirty bowl on the counter.

I forced a smile. “Thanks.” I put the bowl in the dishwater. “Are you getting ready to head out?”

“Soon.” He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “But first, there’s something I need to ask you.”

“What’s that?” I asked, barely listening and caring even less. He probably wanted to talk work or ask me to work next weekend.

“How long has your husband been sharing you?”

I froze, my heart in my throat. “Excuse me?” I began to wash the bowl, heat crawling up my neck and face.

“Don’t play coy with me, Eve. I’ve seen the way they’ve both been watching you today. And I just saw them touching you, talking about fucking you later.”

My stomach twisted. I pulled my hands from the water and dried them on a towel. The smell of Mr. Patterson’s expensive cologne suddenly made me sick, and I put some distance between us.

But he moved faster than I did, and before I knew it, he had me pinned against the refrigerator door. “I didn’t realize you were into that sort of thing.” He scraped his fingers up my leg, and I trembled with fear and disgust. “But I’ve been watching you today. Liam is so fucking hot for you. Either your husband doesn’t give a shit that another man is sniffing around what’s his, or he likes it. It’s really kind of pathetic.”

“Mr. Patterson. Please.” I pushed against his chest, but he didn’t move.

“How many times have you been shared? Or is being a submissive more your thing?” He lowered his head like he was going to kiss me, and I turned my face. His lips landed on my ear, which he nipped at.

I whimpered as tears filled my eyes. “Stop.” I pushed at his chest again, but he still didn’t budge.

He clutched my chin so hard, I cried out in pain. And then his mouth was on mine. I pressed my lips shut, trying desperately not to let his tongue get into my mouth. His breath smelled of barbeque sauce and beer, the scent making bile rise in my throat.

“I can fuck you a hundred times better and harder than Liam and your husband combined. Let me show you.”

I heard the distinct sound of a belt buckle being undone. He bit at my jaw, not in the gentle, erotic way Liam did, but hard. Like he wanted to hurt me and leave a mark. Undiluted fear coiled in my gut. “No!” I shouted, balling my hands into fists and beating against his arms. “Troy! Stop!”

In the next instance, he was being yanked away from me and thrown to the floor with a merciless thud. I gasped with surprise and relief. And then I saw Liam’s face, tight with a barely controlled rage, eyes cold and deadly. He slowly turned his attention to Troy, and my heart all but stopped.