Goodnight, Ben.” She clicked end on the call before she said something she might regret. Because the damnable thing was that she’d not even begun to take the edge off her need for them. If anything, it was worse to imagine their touch and know she could have it…
And that only logic stopped her from getting it.
Chapter Six
“So I’m not supposed to lust after her at work, but you can have phone sex with her? That is fucked up, man.” Grady wasn’t sure whether he was amused or jealous as hell. He’d driven right over when Ben texted him and said they should talk, but hearing they’d shared such an intimate moment without him wasn’t a topic he’d expected. “Did you call her with that in mind or was it spur-of-the-moment jerking off?”
If Ben was lying to him, it might destroy their friendship. Trust was something Grady didn’t give easily, and once lost, never gave again.
“No. Like I said, I wanted to hear her voice. So I fabricated a reason to call her. Once I called her and heard her all breathless, practically panting into the phone, and the buzzing in the background, I put one and one together and came up with masturbation. From there, I couldn’t resist…fuck, man. She’s so hot. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a woman like I want her.” Ben’s frustrated tone wasn’t hiding an iota of his feelings on the topic and Grady turned his back on him.
He understood what Ben meant. He wasn’t sure if the desire could be attributed to the fact they both loved her, the taboo nature of the idea of sleeping with his best friends or because he needed her. He’d never been the jealous type, not once. But with Carrie?
He could learn to be the jealous type.
Ben didn’t let the fact that he’d turned away stop him from continuing. “Look, we could all fall into bed and have a helluva good time, but there’s something holding her back. Some reason she’s hesitating. Before we can touch her again, we need to have a serious conversation.”
The worst part about the way Ben slammed out fact after fact was that Grady couldn’t even say he was wrong. Grady’s fists clenched and he resisted punching something. He didn’t want to talk. He knew what he wanted, even if none of them had the balls to reach for the happiness dangling right in front of their eyes for years.
“Hey, guys, what’s the emergency?” Breathless and with flushed cheeks, Carrie walked through the dining room entrance at Grady’s and then froze as if she sensed the tension in the room. “Did I come at a bad time?”
“You texted her?” He wasn’t sure why he’d asked, since it seemed obvious.
Ben nodded. “Same time as I texted you. I knew you’d beat her here, leadfoot.”
“So what’s up?” Her posture might seem casual, but it was too casual. Planned casual when they’d been entirely comfortable together for too many years to count.
“How many times have we all sat curled on a couch together, watching movies or playing video games late at night?” Grady suddenly knew how to lead the conversation, to get her talking. Striding to her side, he looked down at her and framed her lovely face in one of his hands. Her jagged sigh spurred him onward. “How many nights have we cried together, laughed together, been together?”
She shrugged and avoided his gaze. “That’s a dumb question. Look—”
“How many nights could any of us have gone elsewhere, but didn’t? How many times have we chosen to be together, just the three of us, when we could be dating, moving on, whatever? How many, do you think, my Care-bear?”
She blinked fast, a tell that emotion was overriding her good sense. “Well, shit, Grady, I don’t know. A lot, okay? We’ve been together a lot of nights.”
“Do you love me?”
Her mouth opened, closed, then fury replaced her confusion. “Of course I love you, moron. I’ve always loved you.”
“And Ben, do you love Ben?”
This time, she didn’t hold back, balling her fist like
And that only logic stopped her from getting it.
Chapter Six
“So I’m not supposed to lust after her at work, but you can have phone sex with her? That is fucked up, man.” Grady wasn’t sure whether he was amused or jealous as hell. He’d driven right over when Ben texted him and said they should talk, but hearing they’d shared such an intimate moment without him wasn’t a topic he’d expected. “Did you call her with that in mind or was it spur-of-the-moment jerking off?”
If Ben was lying to him, it might destroy their friendship. Trust was something Grady didn’t give easily, and once lost, never gave again.
“No. Like I said, I wanted to hear her voice. So I fabricated a reason to call her. Once I called her and heard her all breathless, practically panting into the phone, and the buzzing in the background, I put one and one together and came up with masturbation. From there, I couldn’t resist…fuck, man. She’s so hot. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a woman like I want her.” Ben’s frustrated tone wasn’t hiding an iota of his feelings on the topic and Grady turned his back on him.
He understood what Ben meant. He wasn’t sure if the desire could be attributed to the fact they both loved her, the taboo nature of the idea of sleeping with his best friends or because he needed her. He’d never been the jealous type, not once. But with Carrie?
He could learn to be the jealous type.
Ben didn’t let the fact that he’d turned away stop him from continuing. “Look, we could all fall into bed and have a helluva good time, but there’s something holding her back. Some reason she’s hesitating. Before we can touch her again, we need to have a serious conversation.”
The worst part about the way Ben slammed out fact after fact was that Grady couldn’t even say he was wrong. Grady’s fists clenched and he resisted punching something. He didn’t want to talk. He knew what he wanted, even if none of them had the balls to reach for the happiness dangling right in front of their eyes for years.
“Hey, guys, what’s the emergency?” Breathless and with flushed cheeks, Carrie walked through the dining room entrance at Grady’s and then froze as if she sensed the tension in the room. “Did I come at a bad time?”
“You texted her?” He wasn’t sure why he’d asked, since it seemed obvious.
Ben nodded. “Same time as I texted you. I knew you’d beat her here, leadfoot.”
“So what’s up?” Her posture might seem casual, but it was too casual. Planned casual when they’d been entirely comfortable together for too many years to count.
“How many times have we all sat curled on a couch together, watching movies or playing video games late at night?” Grady suddenly knew how to lead the conversation, to get her talking. Striding to her side, he looked down at her and framed her lovely face in one of his hands. Her jagged sigh spurred him onward. “How many nights have we cried together, laughed together, been together?”
She shrugged and avoided his gaze. “That’s a dumb question. Look—”
“How many nights could any of us have gone elsewhere, but didn’t? How many times have we chosen to be together, just the three of us, when we could be dating, moving on, whatever? How many, do you think, my Care-bear?”
She blinked fast, a tell that emotion was overriding her good sense. “Well, shit, Grady, I don’t know. A lot, okay? We’ve been together a lot of nights.”
“Do you love me?”
Her mouth opened, closed, then fury replaced her confusion. “Of course I love you, moron. I’ve always loved you.”
“And Ben, do you love Ben?”
This time, she didn’t hold back, balling her fist like
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