Due Date

“My graduation present. You’ll have to come upstairs to the bedroom.”

CHAPTER THREE

RYAN BAKER

Can we keep Grace here with us?

Sam saw an opportunity, and he seized it with both hands, literally.

While Kelly was getting changed, we feared Grace might get dressed and leave too.

I pulled myself up out of the water and mopped myself with my towel to dry off a little before sitting in one of the poolside chairs.

“We’ve got to keep Gray here. This is our chance to take things further,” Sam had whispered as he sat down beside me.

“I don’t know. If she plans to go with Kelly, how will we stop her?”

“We just have to.” He shrugged. “There’s no better time to talk to her than when we’re letting our hair down and celebrating.”

He didn’t need to explain; I knew what he had in mind. Many times before, we’d plotted the perfect opportunity to get Grace alone and seduce her.

When Kelly left, we were certainly relieved to have Grace remain with us, still wrapped in a towel. And I had to concentrate hard on the definition of algebra to prevent my mind’s—and body’s—reaction to what I wanted to do with her.

After Kelly left, Sam took control of the situation, telling Gray he wanted to show her his bedroom—smooth bro, real smooth.

To my surprise, he whisked Grace off her feet and carried her upstairs. She didn’t seem prepared for that either, but she giggled. Sam would have set her down again immediately if she protested.

But despite this display of macho dominance, I suspected Grace had no idea about my brother’s intentions once he’d gotten her upstairs—about our intentions.

We hadn’t exactly planned things, but we’d long hoped for an opportunity like this, to get Grace on her own and do the things we never learned to do in school.

Sam’s bedroom door was already ajar. He kicked it with his foot to open it wider, and without pausing, he marched in. I followed right on his heels.

“This is it. My new bed.” Sam placed her down in the middle of the crisp white cover atop his king-sized bed.

Then he lay down beside her. Right up close to her. She must have felt his boner prodding against her side. Apparently, Sam hadn’t been thinking about math.

The game was up.

She knew what horny thoughts raced through his mind as his body betrayed his thoughts. And so did his wandering hands, which never left Grace’s body even though he’d put her down. One hand rested on her stomach and the other on her shoulder.

Fuck it. I’m not about to stand and watch.

I took up the vacant space beside Grace and well away from Sam, but as I reclined on my side with my elbow buried in the pillow to prop up my head, I still had an all too clear view of him on the other side of the bed.

I was as close as it was possible to get to Gracey without actually touching her. “Is this okay?” I asked.

“What is this exactly?” She gazed up at the ceiling, her face a little flushed. I guessed a hundred and one thoughts passed through her mind right then. And among them whether to storm out of here or stay and enjoy whatever came next.

“This is me showing you my new bed,” Sam said. It was clearly much more. He’d never touched her like that before.

It wasn’t fair on Grace, landing her in this situation with no warning.

Sam and I had discussed this precise scenario. I knew what he wanted and what I wanted.

An image of a pack of predatory lions working together to bring down their prey flashed through my mind. I shook the picture from my head—we weren’t predatory. We were just two brothers who fancied the pants of our female friend.

Like a queen lioness, Grace had the real power. She could say stop or go. We were in her hands.

“Well, Sam’s not just showing off his new bed, is he?” Tentatively, I stroked her nearest arm. “We both want you, Grace. You know that, don’t you?”

Sam groaned a little; he appeared to be smelling her hair.

“We wouldn’t have said anything with Kelly around, cos that’d be awkward. But as we’re alone...”

“And we’re adults, now, don’t forget,” Sam piped up.

A broad smile stretched over Grace’s face.

“Fuck, I can’t believe I held back this long, Gray. Do you have any idea how hot you are and what you do to me?”

“Do to both of us,” I added to my brother’s statement. I leaned closer. Almost close enough to kiss, but I wanted this to be her choice. I wanted to see her respond like she wanted us as well.

I did not want her to go along with us only to regret it later, or worse, feel coerced. I intended to make sure we were all on the same page.