Trifecta by Kim Carmichael Page B

and found a sponge.
    Leave it to Laurie.  "You may pick what medium you want to work in."  He elbowed Russell.
    Russell took the sponge and added soap.  He slid over and began washing her back. 
    Jason watched for a moment before taking his washcloth.  Rather than joining Russell, he moved down to her legs, taking the one that was already out of the water and deciding to pay it some long overdue attention.  Last night things moved fast. He didn't get enough time to truly relish in what he finally won.
    "Where did you go all day?"  Russell moved her hair aside and rubbed the sponge across her neck.
    He wanted to ask that question himself, but now he could listen in as he made his way from her ankle to her knee.  The way the water glistened off her smooth leg told him she definitely shaved.
    "It's so stupid."  She closed her eyes and her voice lowered.
    The silliness of arguing over who got the sponge or the washcloth faded.  Russell must have felt it too.  He dropped the sponge and put his hands on her shoulders. 
    "Lauren."  Russell turned her toward him.
    She opened her eyes but kept her gaze down.  "At first I went out with Anne."
    Jason couldn't help but groan.  He never understood what Laurie saw in that woman.  It had to be a case of opposites attract. 
    Russell wrinkled his nose at the mention of the woman who wanted him.  "After Anne what happened?  You were gone for eleven hours."
    She paused and inhaled, exhaling her words as if she needed to get them out as fast as possible. "I drove around and I looked at some apartments."
    Russell pressed his lips together until the color disappeared, while the cords down his neck did an appearing act.
                  "You're staying here."  At the mention of her apartment hunting, he threw the washcloth aside making a splash. 
    "I was really confused all day."  She shook her head.  "What are we doing?"
    Earlier when she asked the question, she looked to Russell for the answers, but Russell never answered.  Hell, Russell even asked the question himself.  Though this time she didn't single either one of them out as the man who had the solution, Jason knew Russell needed to speak.  His answer didn't have the clout his friend's did.  He poked his fingers into the bubbles watching them dissolve.
    Out of the corner of his eye he watched Russell hook his fingers under her chin and lift her face up.  "Lauren, look at me."
    She complied, glancing up at him through her lashes.
    "I think Jason was wrong." 
    Jason raised his head.  He fought the need to pound his fist into the side of the tub.  Of course he was wrong.  Russell took every opportunity to tell him today, but they were all here now.  Yes, this could implode on them, but they had to do this.  They were stagnant like his art. 
    "I'm glad we waited until now.  I don't think we could have handled this in college."  He smiled.  "I think he was right that we needed to give this a try."
    "Do you mean it?"  She put her hand on Russell's arm.
    He nodded and turned.  "Jason?"
    With the spotlight on him, he needed to say something as amazing as his best friend. "I’ve wanted you since college."  He took a breath.  His words didn't come out exactly how he wanted, but she still reached for him.  Without a second thought he moved up.
    She held her hand out to him.  "I think you're both right." 
    Lauren understood.  Russell may be the man with the answers, but Lauren was the woman with the intuition.  He got up on his knees and took his opportunity to kiss her. 
    This kiss was different than the night before.  Less than twenty-four hours earlier he and Russell burst in on Lauren and moved forward on a quest to join them together.  It was his plan, they didn't have time for extended foreplay, they needed to act and sort it out later.  While last night was hot, it was also laser focused.  Pinpointing on one spot until everything combusted.
    Tonight, they could start slow fire.  Let