watch. “Crap. My one thirty meeting is early. I have to go.”
“Yeah, you do,” Charlie said, looking up at him. His smile didn’t quite reach his blue eyes.
“We’ll talk when we get home. We’ll talk to Allie. Everything will be fine, Charlie. I swear.”
Charlie nodded, but Alex couldn’t kick the feeling that his friend didn’t believe a word he’d just said.
Charlie watched Alex redress before slipping out of his office. He sat still for several moments, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
He’d taken his best friend across the top of his desk. He’d had sex with another man. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined succumbing to such a thing, but now that it had happened he couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. He couldn’t believe how much he’d enjoyed it, enjoyed being inside Alex, not having to worry about hurting him, about being too rough.
He’d always been a forceful lover. It was one of the reasons why he’d invested in the Way Down Under Club. He could find willing partners who didn’t mind the fact that he liked his sex with an edge of pain. He’d been terrified ever since taking Allie to his bed that he’d hurt her. Every time he’d entered her, he’d fought back the instinct that begged to be set free, that demanded he take her hard and fast, just as he’d done with Alex.
He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Jesus, in two weeks he’d run the gamut of emotions. He was so damn tired of thinking, he couldn’t focus on anything other than the desire to crawl into a bed and sleep for a month.
Allie, the woman of dreams, had returned home and he’d pulled her into a ménage with his best friend rather than working toward the happily ever after he’d always imagined for them. Now he couldn’t even think of planning a future with her without Alex.
And Alex. Holy hell, the man had gotten under his skin in ways Charlie had never allowed himself to consider before and now he couldn’t see a way back to the platonic friendship he’d always relied on. Worse, he didn’t want to find a way back.
Worst of all, he couldn’t seem to find a way back to himself , to the things he’d always known and understood to be true about the world. He was a dominant, heterosexual man with a jealous streak a mile wide. He didn’t share lovers. He didn’t sleep with men. He didn’t lose control in the bedroom.
Where the hell had that man gone? In the course of two weeks he’d shared the love of his life with his best friend and then turned around and made love with the man. Regardless of Alex’s assurances, Charlie couldn’t shake the feeling that he, that they had betrayed Allie.
He’d screwed up royally…with both of them.
Now what am I supposed to do?
Chapter Eight
“Hey, hellion. I’m home,” Alex said as Allie greeted him at the front door. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm, wet kiss. “Damn, I could get used to coming home like this.”
Allie looked at him suspiciously as they parted. “You’re in an unusually good mood.”
He laughed. “Yeah, well, I got smart today and listened to my girlfriend’s good advice.”
“You talked to Charlie?” she asked.
Alex nodded. “Yep.”
She smacked him on the arm and gave him a frustrated growl. “Well, hurry up and spill then. Don’t make me pull all the details out of you. What happened?”
“Charlie didn’t say anything?” he asked, glancing over her shoulder. “Where is he? Taking a shower or something?”
“He’s not here. He never came home. I was starting to worry because you were both so late.”
“He’s not here?” Alex repeated, clearly surprised by that fact.
“No, he’s not. Should he be?”
“He left the office three hours ago. I had a couple of meetings this afternoon and the last one ran long.” Alex pulled out his cell as he spoke and Allie could see the concern in his face as he dialed Charlie’s number.
“Yeah, you do,” Charlie said, looking up at him. His smile didn’t quite reach his blue eyes.
“We’ll talk when we get home. We’ll talk to Allie. Everything will be fine, Charlie. I swear.”
Charlie nodded, but Alex couldn’t kick the feeling that his friend didn’t believe a word he’d just said.
Charlie watched Alex redress before slipping out of his office. He sat still for several moments, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
He’d taken his best friend across the top of his desk. He’d had sex with another man. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined succumbing to such a thing, but now that it had happened he couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. He couldn’t believe how much he’d enjoyed it, enjoyed being inside Alex, not having to worry about hurting him, about being too rough.
He’d always been a forceful lover. It was one of the reasons why he’d invested in the Way Down Under Club. He could find willing partners who didn’t mind the fact that he liked his sex with an edge of pain. He’d been terrified ever since taking Allie to his bed that he’d hurt her. Every time he’d entered her, he’d fought back the instinct that begged to be set free, that demanded he take her hard and fast, just as he’d done with Alex.
He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Jesus, in two weeks he’d run the gamut of emotions. He was so damn tired of thinking, he couldn’t focus on anything other than the desire to crawl into a bed and sleep for a month.
Allie, the woman of dreams, had returned home and he’d pulled her into a ménage with his best friend rather than working toward the happily ever after he’d always imagined for them. Now he couldn’t even think of planning a future with her without Alex.
And Alex. Holy hell, the man had gotten under his skin in ways Charlie had never allowed himself to consider before and now he couldn’t see a way back to the platonic friendship he’d always relied on. Worse, he didn’t want to find a way back.
Worst of all, he couldn’t seem to find a way back to himself , to the things he’d always known and understood to be true about the world. He was a dominant, heterosexual man with a jealous streak a mile wide. He didn’t share lovers. He didn’t sleep with men. He didn’t lose control in the bedroom.
Where the hell had that man gone? In the course of two weeks he’d shared the love of his life with his best friend and then turned around and made love with the man. Regardless of Alex’s assurances, Charlie couldn’t shake the feeling that he, that they had betrayed Allie.
He’d screwed up royally…with both of them.
Now what am I supposed to do?
Chapter Eight
“Hey, hellion. I’m home,” Alex said as Allie greeted him at the front door. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm, wet kiss. “Damn, I could get used to coming home like this.”
Allie looked at him suspiciously as they parted. “You’re in an unusually good mood.”
He laughed. “Yeah, well, I got smart today and listened to my girlfriend’s good advice.”
“You talked to Charlie?” she asked.
Alex nodded. “Yep.”
She smacked him on the arm and gave him a frustrated growl. “Well, hurry up and spill then. Don’t make me pull all the details out of you. What happened?”
“Charlie didn’t say anything?” he asked, glancing over her shoulder. “Where is he? Taking a shower or something?”
“He’s not here. He never came home. I was starting to worry because you were both so late.”
“He’s not here?” Alex repeated, clearly surprised by that fact.
“No, he’s not. Should he be?”
“He left the office three hours ago. I had a couple of meetings this afternoon and the last one ran long.” Alex pulled out his cell as he spoke and Allie could see the concern in his face as he dialed Charlie’s number.
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