“It’s unconventional, yes, but I happen to think we could make it work. We’re good together. We’ve always been comfortable with each other. Admit that much, Tory.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that. We have always been comfortable with each other. I’m more at ease around you two than any other man I’ve ever known.” He started to speak, but she stopped him by holding up her purse as if it wielded some sort of power. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m, at heart, a pretty conservative woman. I’ve done something really wild tonight. I’m need to come to terms with that aspect first.”
“And the thought of doing it again?” Con asked, a cocky grin on his face.
“The thought of doing it again should have me feeling embarrassed, at the very least.” She held her purse to her chest and said, “But I’m not.”
Devon’s cock stood at attention. “You’re not?”
“No, and I don’t know what to make of that. I’ve never been like this before.”
Hearing the quiver in her voice was too much. Devon and Con both went to her. Con took her in his arms while Devon rubbed her back. “It’s Christmas, sugar,” Devon murmured. “Save all these questions for later.”
“Devon’s right, baby,” Con said, his tone gentle, soothing. “We’re not going anywhere. When you’re ready, you’ll tell us.”
Tory buried her head in Con’s T-shirt and nodded. They stood like that for several minutes, no words, just touching and embracing. They’d done it a thousand times before, but this time it was different. This time, Devon and Con had had a sip of paradise. They wanted more. They wanted all of it. It was anyone’s guess if they’d get it.
Chapter Six
Christmas had gone well. Like every other Christmas, Tory had spent the day with her parents, then she’d taken presents over to the children’s hospital. She’d finished the day off by exchanging gifts with Summer and Gage. Everything had been wonderful. The one thing missing had been Devon and Con. They hadn’t called or showed up at her door the entire day. They’d promised to give her time. They’d stayed true to their word. So, why did she feel as if they’d somehow abandoned her?
Now, two days later, Tory couldn’t even bring herself to get any work done on the latest website she was setting up for a new client. Worse, she’d been sleeping on the couch instead of in her own bed. Summer had called several times, but she’d avoided her. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized the truth. She missed Devon and Con. She wanted them back in her life. And not just a friends, either. What a mess.
Tuesday night, and she looked like hell. She hadn’t showered, her laundry was piling up, and her house was a pigsty. The solution to her depression was stupidly obvious. All she needed to do was pick up the phone and call Devon. He and Con would be at her door within minutes. Her misery would be over. So why was she hesitating?
Easy—because loving two men wasn’t normal. Guilt washed over her every time she thought of the night she’d spent in Con’s bed. Guilt and arousal. Not a happy combo.
Forget about them and get a damn shower already, she told her dismal reflection. Nothing happened, of course. That’s what happens when you’re miserable. You stay that way until something or someone kicks you out of it.
Her doorbell rang, and her heartbeat sped up. Could it be Devon and Con? Had they finally stopped waiting on her to come to them? When she heard Summer call out to her to open the damn door or she’d break it down, Tory’s hopes plummeted.
She left the bathroom and headed out to the front room. “Go away!”
“Open it, Tory.”
Tory grumbled under her breath, but secretly she was pleased to have the company. Anything was preferable to wallowing in her own gloomy thoughts. She moved to the door, flipped the lock and pulled the door wide.
“Look, I’m not in the mood for company right now, okay?”
Summer pushed her way inside. “You’ve been avoiding my calls, and I want to know why.” She looked around, sniffed the air and screwed up her nose in disgust. “No offense, sweetie, but your house stinks.”
“Yeah, well, I like the smell.” Tory crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to gag when she realized she’d forgotten to take out the trash.
Summer arched her brow. “First, you’re going to get your skinny blonde butt in the shower. Afterwards, we’re going to clean up this mess. Then we’re going to have a nice little chat.”
Tory weighed the merits of denying her lifelong friend, but knew it wasn’t worth it. Besides, she did sort of need a good washing. “I think I’m going to go shower.”
Summer nodded. “Good choice. I’ll get started out here.”
“Whatever.” Tory started out of the room, trying really hard not to look at her bed as she passed it on the way to the bathroom. The sight of the bed made her think of Con’s bed and the night the three of them had shared. Her stomach knotted. Would she ever know pleasure like that again? Was it possible to have a happy future with not one, but two men? As she peeled out of her clothes and stepped into the shower, Tory let her mind drift to that night. The way the men had made her feel. It went beyond sex. They’d cherished her. Loved her. No other man would ever be able to hold a candle to Devon and Con. The mere thought of sharing her body with another sent a cold chill down her spine. They’d ruined her for anyone else. Damn, there she went again. Crying like a baby. She hated crying. She thought she’d cried herself dry. Apparently not.
After Tory finished her shower, she slipped into a clean pair of heather-grey cotton shorts and a white tank. She wrapped her hair in a fluffy cotton towel and went to see if Summer had made a dent in the filth. Tory was surprised to see the living room tidied and Summer doing the dishes. Summer looked over at her and nodded. “Get a rag and wipe a few inches of dust off those coffee tables in there. After I finish here, I’ll make us some of that herbal tea your mom bought for you and we can talk about what’s bothering you.”
Tory bent down and grabbed the furniture polish from underneath the sink and a few paper towels. “Tea sounds great, but I don’t want to talk about it,” she mumbled.
“Too bad. You could have come to me, but you didn’t. So, you lose, I win. We talk.”
“Geez, when did you get so assertive?”