Dalton, Tymber - Stoneface (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (13 page)

Tim told him about kissing her. “We all have some fun. Friends with benefits. Right? If you want to.”

The problem was, Jack did want to, especially when he thought about her books. The important question though, did he want to because of her, or because she looked like Mel?

Tim didn’t force him to give an answer one way or another. “Go talk to her,” he said. “Apologize for getting into it with her. Then we’re going to grab a shower and take her out to Bartlett’s for steaks. I want to show her a good time regardless of whether she makes it into our bed or not. She’s still my friend, nothing about that will ever change.”

Jack knew it meant a lot to Tim. If for that reason alone, he’d make up with her.

Even if it ripped his heart out in the process.

Leaving Tim in the bedroom, he went and knocked on the guest room door.

“Come in.”

When he opened the door, he found her sitting on the bed. She frowned when she saw him.
Probably expected Tim.

He walked in. “Okay, look, I’m sorry. We didn’t exactly hit it off well this morning.” He walked over to the bed and extended his hand. “Jack Kelly.”

She hesitated before finally accepting his grip and shaking. “Gwen Oxford.”

“I know. We love your books. I’m sorry I didn’t put that together before. Tim’s obsessed with you.” He thought about how that sounded. “In a good way, a nonviolent, non-creepy-stalker kind of way.”

That finally brought a ghost of a smile to her face. “I really like Tim. He’s a sweetheart. You’re a lucky guy.”

He nodded. “I know, believe me.” He sat next to her on the bed. Then her phone went off, startling him with the screeching shower murder theme from
Psycho
.

“Goddammit!” she swore before she answered. “What?” she barked into the phone. Gwen listened for a moment, her mood obviously darkening with every word the caller spoke. “No. Absolutely not. You listen to me, and you listen good.
You
are the one who fucked up.
You
are the one who wanted the prenup.
You
are the one who violated your marriage vows and the prenup.
You
fucked yourself when you fucked everything on two legs, Richard. So go. Screw. Yourself.” She hung up and let out a frustrated scream, then seemed to remember Jack sitting next to her. “Sorry. My ex-husband. I wish he’d lose my phone number.”

She looked so cute, with her brow scrunched up in aggravation. “What’s he want, if you don’t mind me asking?” Jack asked.

“He wants out of his obligations. He’s realizing two grand in alimony every month is cutting into his lifestyle. His own damn fault. He cheated on me.” She tossed the phone onto the bed. “I don’t need this shit right now.” She looked close to tears. “Not on top of Amy being missing.”

“I can’t promise you I can do much to find her. Technically, she’s not missing. I will unofficially make at least one phone call before I go chasing my next donut.”

That won him a full-on smile. His heart pinched tight in his chest. Like that, she looked just like Mel.

She threw her arms around him. “Thank you! I’m sorry I got snotty. I’ve got a temper and I’m worried about her, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I know you guys can only do so much.”

He returned her hug. Christ, she felt damn good in his arms. “It’s okay.” He sat back and tried not to think about making love to her right then and there. She wasn’t his Mel. She was barely an acquaintance, even though Tim knew her. “Dinner’s on us. You’ve got time to grab a shower, if you want. Hope you love steak.”

“Just wave mine over an open flame a few times and hold the salad.”

“Ah, a girl after my own heart then. Living room, thirty minutes. You ride with us, we’ll stuff you so full you won’t know what to do.” He stood to leave.

She giggled. “You talking dinner still, or something else?”

Ah, fuck it. Life’s short.
He arched an eyebrow at her. “Feel free to interpret it any way you wish, m’lady. We’re at your beck and call.” He swore he heard her gasp as he gently shut the door behind him.

He walked down the hallway toward their bedroom, a smirk on his face. Maybe this was what he needed to get his mind out of the past.

Tim’s unmistakable look of hope made Jack’s smirk broaden to a full-on smile. It felt good to smile. He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it in the hamper. “Chill. We made up.”

“Kissed and made up?” He grinned.

“Not quite.” He pulled Tim to him and kissed him, deeply, demanding. “You want me to do this, we do it
my
way. Got it?”

Tim nodded, his eyes dark with passion under heavy lids. Jack knew the fastest way to melt Tim’s spine was to get dominant and take total control. “Yeah.”

Jack kissed him again, backing him into their bathroom. “Why aren’t you naked yet?” Jack asked.

Tim started ripping off his clothes, not even bothering to unbutton his shirt all the way as he yanked it over his head and dropped it to the floor before starting on his pants.

Jack smiled and slipped off his work slacks. He started the shower and tried not to laugh at the sight of Tim frantically getting naked.

“You’re so cute when you’re anxious,” Jack teased.

Finally naked, Tim wrapped his arms around him. “You mean it?” he whispered. “We can play around with her?”

“Okay, one, if she really wants to. Two, if it doesn’t feel weird and creepy. And three, we’ve got no condoms. You have to get your hands on some before we get home, preferably without her knowing about it in case she changes her mind. That way she won’t feel uncomfortable if she says no. And four, if either you or I realize we can’t go through with it, we’ll stop it, and the other will agree regardless, got it?”

Tim nodded, a silly grin plastered from ear to ear. He dropped to his knees and kissed Jack’s cock, which obligingly stiffened in response. “I’ve got it.” He sucked Jack’s cock into his mouth and swept his tongue around the head. “And I’ve got you, too.”

Jack patted the top of his head. “All right, you’ve teased me. Get your ass in the shower or I’ll shoot off right here, and there won’t be an issue about taking her to bed.”

* * * *

Tim insisted Gwen sit in the front passenger seat while Jack drove. The sun was setting over the hills to the west as they wound through town and pulled into the parking lot of a moderately busy restaurant downtown, located in what appeared to be an old building.

Jack opened and held the front door for her. Inside the foyer, the men flanked her, Tim gently resting his arm around her waist as the hostess took care of a couple ahead of them. When it was their turn, the woman smiled at the two men.

“Jack, Tim! Haven’t seen you two in a while. How are you?”

She felt Tim practically bouncing next to her. “We’re great. This is our friend, Gwen Oxford. She’s a bestselling author!”

Gwen’s face grew red over Tim’s praise. Jack stepped in. “Tim, babe, you’re embarrassing her,” he playfully chided. “Tone it down a few decibels.”

The hostess smiled as she picked up three menus. “Any friend of theirs is always welcomed here. Follow me.”

Gwen took in the restaurant’s wonderful ambiance as she followed the hostess to their table, a comfortable booth in a dark corner. Above the table, a green-shaded brass lamp cast an intimate pool of light on the table. All over the rough brick walls, pictures displaying Rapid City and the Black Hills’ past provided more than a few minutes of distraction.

“Great place, huh?” Tim asked as he pushed his menu to the side.

Gwen noticed. “Yeah. Don’t need a menu, huh?”

“Nope. Always get the same thing. Prime rib, baked sweet potato, and salad. Jack there always has trouble making up his mind before he usually ends up ordering the same thing he always does.” Tim rolled his eyes.

Gwen laughed. “Don’t pick on him.” She wanted to like Jack, especially since he was so hunky and Tim’s boyfriend. She leaned in and patted Jack’s arm. “Does he always pick on you like this?”

Tim had been taking a sip of water. He nearly spit-taked it all over their table as he burst out laughing. “You defending big, bad Stoneface there? Ha! That’s a laugh. I’ve never seen him need defending, especially from me.”

“Yes,” Jack said, playing along, “he’s horrible about picking on me. He even wants to get me waxed.”

“Waxed? Where?” she asked.

“Everywhere.” He glared at Tim. “When I let him pluck my eyebrows, he tortures me.”

“You big baby,” Tim casually shot back. “Just because you like the caveman look doesn’t mean I do.”

Their playful banter soon had Gwen laughing. She sensed Jack loosening up as the evening went on. At one point, Tim disappeared to the bathroom for a few minutes, leaving her alone with Jack. The fact that she no longer felt nervous around him didn’t escape her notice.

He was handsome, despite his more serious demeanor when compared to Tim.

“I’m sorry about your mom,” she said during a lull in the conversation. “Tim told me a little about her.”

He nodded, the shadow of a frown crossing his face. “Thanks. There’s not a lot they can do for her, unfortunately.”

“How’s your dad managing?”

He shrugged. “He’s doing the best he can. Tim’s been a huge help. He’ll go over during the day sometimes when Dad needs to get away or run errands. Gives him some respite time.”

“No brothers or sisters to help out?”

He shook his head. “Nope, just me. And Tim,” he quickly added. Then he smiled. “They weren’t thrilled to find out I’m gay, but I’ll hand it to them, they’ve accepted it and Tim.”

“Yeah, Tim seems to be a keeper.” She let out a sigh. “You both do. Look, I’m really sorry about this morning. I shouldn’t have blown my top like that.”

He waved it off. “It’s okay, I understand. I know it’s stressful on you right now. But honestly? In my experience, things like this nearly always turn out all right.” He cleared his throat. “From what you’ve told me about your parents, she’s probably just looking for some time away from them.”

Gwen grudgingly agreed. “I know. It just sucks that Li and I have to be the ones to deal with her mess with them. If she wants to bug out, fine, but she should have to do the dirty work of standing up to Mom and Dad about it.”

He nodded as he sipped his iced tea. “I agree with you there.”

“I wonder where Tim is? He’s been gone a while.”

“Probably flirting with the waitresses,” he said, looking around.

Did he look a little nervous? They chatted a few more minutes. Tim finally returned, looking a little flushed and out of breath.

“Are you okay?” Gwen asked.

He smiled. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Sorry. Had to take a call from the other store about an issue. No biggie.” He dug into the remnants of his prime rib. Gwen’s rib eye steak had been cooked to tender perfection, while Jack had chowed down on a tenderloin, apparently a departure from the sirloin he usually ordered.

Their conversation settled into an easy rhythm and tone. Tim talked her into sharing a dessert with him while Jack settled for a coffee and watched them eat. By the time they finished and Tim picked up the check, Gwen wistfully wished the evening wouldn’t end.

Unless it ended with me in their bed.

She sighed, knowing that would never happen. Not with her luck.

* * * *

Best steak she ever ate, no lie. She snuggled deeper into the passenger seat and watched Jack as he drove. Tim hadn’t exaggerated when he said they were polar opposites. Tim’s open joviality, sweet nature, and easy smile compared to…