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Seduction Games: A #GeekLove Ménage Romance (Game for Cookies Book 1) Page 6


  Isaiah still yanked his own cock as he kissed and licked and pulled away from Kane. Each new flick of Isaiah’s tongue made Kane shudder again.

  I eased off, sinking into the heady euphoria that danced at the edges of my thoughts. Wow. I wasn’t sure if I spoke the word or it was just that loud in my head.

  Kane fell to his knees, at eye-level with Isaiah, then crushed their mouths together. My ebbing pleasure surged back full force at the hunger in the kiss. At the thought of Kane tasting himself on someone else’s lips. He covered Isaiah’s hand, both of them stroking while he deepened the kiss.

  I didn’t have any more restraint. I moved my fingers to my clit, finding the swollen button with ease.

  Isaiah tugged his cock as he groaned into Kane’s mouth. I could taste the kiss. I rubbed my clit harder, grinding against my hand, climax building past the bursting point inside. I whimpered when I came a second time. Pushing myself until I couldn’t take my own touch. My head was light, drifting like a balloon, as I watched the sight in front of me. As if my orgasm pushed Isaiah over the edge, he gave his dick several more hard jerks before shudders ran through him.

  Kane rested his forehead against Isaiah’s and let out a strained chuckle. They kissed again, and I ducked my head. Regardless of what I’d just witnessed and my near-participation, this moment felt too intimate for spectators.

  An ache spread in my chest. I was falling for two men who loved each other more than anything. Falling. The word tumbled through my thoughts. Where had that come from? And both? Really? I couldn’t be. I didn’t know what that felt like. I’d confused sex with love. Further proof that, if I was going to do something like get my brains screwed out to get over James, I should be doing it with a stranger. Someone I didn’t already have an emotional attachment to. Someone who wasn’t already head-over-heels for another person.

  Chapter Eleven

  The guys were still sleeping when I woke the next morning. Kane’s arm was draped over my stomach, Isaiah spooned behind him. A raw edge gripped my throat, and I struggled to swallow it down. Sure, my friendship with them had contained an assumed with benefits clause since the first time we cybered but they were still just friends. I needed to remember that.

  I extracted myself from them as carefully as I could, not in the mood for either an awkward conversation or glossing over the situation. Both sounded more painful than I could deal with.

  The plan was to shower, leave them a note, and tiptoe out of here before they woke up. Maybe a little time alone would help me screw my head on straight before the next competition round. I pulled off Part One without a hitch, but when I stepped from the bathroom, Kane and Isaiah sat next to each other on the bed, talking quietly.

  Kane looked up, and his gaze lingered on me for a moment before he said, “You should have waited for us.”

  “In the shower?” I wasn’t sure what to make of the comment. Was it common for no-strings sex to happen at every available opportunity? That seemed a bit much. A snippet of me asked if maybe he was interested in more, but that was ridiculous. He had a wonderful boyfriend, and he’d made it really clear yesterday that he thought I’d do well to hook up with USB-cable-guy.

  “Unless you were somewhere else right now.” Kane winked, and a smirk played on his face.

  What was I supposed to say? Nothing rude or defensive. Not that I felt either one. I’d rather he was serious. The bravado I’d found amid the rush of winning last night had faded this morning. “I’m not sure the shower is big enough for three people.”

  “We could have found a way.”

  As much as I wanted to fall into the teasing casually, and not have it mean anything, I wasn’t there right now. “There’s plenty of room for two. You can still enjoy yourselves.”

  “Dee.” Isaiah scooted to the edge of the bed.

  I stepped out of his reach and placed my hand on the doorknob. “I’m going souvenir hunting for Julie. Find me when you’re ready for breakfast.”

  I was out the door and heading toward the elevator before I could second-guess my decision. The last thing I wanted to hear right now was some sort of obligatory reassurance. Scattered thoughts bounced in my head as I made my way downstairs. In one direction, slot machines and video poker taunted the casual wanderer. Just drop in a quarter, their chimes summoned. I’d have to go through the noise to find the real souvenir shops and probably for us to grab breakfast. That was okay. The siren song didn’t tempt me, and the flashing lights might distract me.

  Even though I’d barely been a remote participant last night, I felt more a part of the shared moment than I ever had, sleeping with James. The energy in the room last night… And the fact that, even though Kane watched me, it was between them. Shared atmosphere or not, I was still the awkward third wheel on their bike. I wasn’t supposed to get attached. The frustration played on repeat, dancing to the jangling bells, until I thought I’d have to scream to make it stop. I wasn’t sure how long I wandered the rows, sucked into the mire of frustration.

  “Hey, Andi.”

  I didn’t recognize the voice, but he obviously knew me. As long as it wasn’t James, I was grateful for the chance to step outside my head. I spun and found myself face to face with the USB-cable guy from yesterday. A bitter wash of indecision filled me. I wanted to be pleased he knew my name, but Kane’s voice echoed in my skull. You just found your grudge-fuck guy.

  I wanted to snarl at the invisible words. Instead, I gave the guy a smile. “Hey, uh…”

  “Glen.” He held out his hand. “I didn’t expect to run into you down here.”

  “I know. I bet we’re the only competition contestants roaming the casino floors of the hotel we’re all staying in.” I gave him a shy smile, so he knew my sarcasm was meant to tease.

  He laughed and raked his fingers through his hair. “Good point. Congratulations on your win yesterday. We were already out by the time you finished, and I saw you on the big screens. You’re really good.”

  Heat—both pleased embarrassment and pride—flooded my face. “Thanks. I got lucky.” That should be your opening. Use the joke to ask him out. The nagging was in Kane’s voice. I couldn’t force the invitation out, though.

  “No. You’ve got skills.” Glen shifted his weight from one foot to the other. At least I wasn’t the only one feeling awkward. “And, um, I forgot to give back your cable yesterday. Sorry. I don’t have it on me.”

  Say you’ll go back to his room with him and get it. At least my conscience sounded more like Kane than me. That was normal, right? My already flustered insides jumbled further when I saw Kane and Isaiah weaving their way through slot machines, heading in our direction. And then I lost sight of them. “It’s okay. It really was a spare.”

  “All right.” Glen searched my face. “Then, I guess good luck in the next round.”

  An arm brushed my back, a familiar woodsy, clean scent seeping into my senses. Kane. “You have to ask. He’s not going to.” Even though he spoke quietly enough it was only meant for my ears, his voice was distinctly external. Less than a second later, his presence seemed to evaporate.

  I didn’t know if he’d still be there if I turned around. I wasn’t going to look. That simple prompting cemented everything I’d struggled with. They didn’t want me as more than a friend in the long run. This really was about helping me hook up with someone else. I ignored the sharp stab in my chest, and gave Glen a huge grin. “But, it would be nice to have it back. Do you want to meet up later? Like, dinner or something, after the next round?”

  It wasn’t quite let’s find a quiet corner and get naughty, but that would probably scare him off as much as the idea of saying it terrified me.

  Glen hesitated for a minute, then shook his head. “Sorry. I’m not used to cute girls asking me out. Or any girls. But especially gorgeous ones. I’d love to.”

  I ducked my head at the compliment and tried to ignore the nasty shards of hurt, spite, and dishonestly inside. If this was what Kane and Isaiah thought
was best, I agreed. I couldn’t stay hung up on them. A tiny whisper told me the grudge fuck was to get over James, not my best friends. Of course it was. I knew that. I kept the internal war from my face. “See you tonight, then.”

  He half turned, then spun back to face me and squeezed my hand. “Good luck today. I’ll be watching.”

  He faded into the crowds, and I turned toward the shops at the other end of the casino. Two text messages waited for me. One from Isaiah with a restaurant name. The other from Kane. I hope he said yes.

  Asshole. The word surged from nowhere and stuck in my thoughts. I struggled to push it aside. This was nothing more than what we’d always meant it to be. Two days of screwing around didn’t make a relationship, and they certainly weren’t a good reason to destroy a strong friendship.

  I found Isaiah and Kane already seated in a little bakery near the casino entrance. Three cups of coffee sat on the table. That one of them had ordered for me helped soothe the sting inside. Not a lot, but enough to reinforce they still cared. Just not like that.

  Kane was on the phone, voice low, but heavy with irritation. “He already signed the lease.”

  Work, Isaiah mouthed.

  I shrugged in understanding. Just another reminder they had lives outside of this little pocket of reality. Isaiah was an army recruiter, and Kane a rental property broker.

  Kane snarled and tossed his phone on the table. It clattered against the sugar. The coffee in my mug splashed up but not over the edge.

  “Fuck.” A growl undercut Kane’s curse.

  “The property in Schaumburg?” Isaiah asked.

  “Yeah. The jerk put a stop on the deposit check and wants out of the contract. I don’t get it.” Kane swiped his phone screen a few times, then slid it to me. “Why won’t anyone take this place?”

  I liked the distraction. If they were fine, I was too. I grabbed his phone and flipped through pictures and a features list. Four thousand square feet, ovens, and an industrial-size Hobart mixer. Zoned for retail and residential. I handed him back his phone. There was no reason to ask about pest infestations or structural problems. If Kane knew the place had issues like that, he wouldn’t broker a deal for it. “It looks perfect to me.” I meant it. “If I lived in Chicago, and Julie and I could get financing, I’d open shop there.”

  “Yeah. If. Too bad.”

  The edge in his tone caught me off guard and re-summoned my doubt. Or maybe I imagined I heard it. The last thing I needed was to project my doubts and insecurities on them. I forced a smile into place. “You’ll make it work. I have faith in you.”

  He pocketed the device and rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

  That time I didn’t have to second-guess. Annoyance was there, and it twisted a knife in my gut. I didn’t know where it came from, and his scowl discouraged me from pushing for more. My phone buzzed, and I reached for it.

  “Is it grudge-fuck guy?” Kane’s tone had gone from pissed off to sickly sweet.

  I narrowed my eyes, wishing I had time to ask what his problem was. “It’s Julie. I’ll be back.” I walked away from the table as I answered. Normally I wouldn’t have a problem taking the call in front of them, but I didn’t think I could talk to her in that atmosphere, with Kane shifting from hot to cold and back again, and Isaiah clenching his hand so hard his knuckles paled.

  What was going on with us?

  Chapter Twelve

  “Hey.” I was glad I didn’t have to force the cheer into my voice with Julie. Not over this, anyway.

  “You all right?”

  “Fine. Just didn’t sleep well last night.” I’d probably tell her all about this when I got home, but right now it didn’t make sense to me; there was no way I could explain it to someone else.

  “Well, I have the best news, and it’s going to make you feel brilliant.”

  I wanted her joy to be contagious. If I concentrated hard enough, I could almost feel it. “What’s up?”

  “I found the perfect place for us to set up shop.” A light current ran through her tone, and I could picture her struggling to sit still, as if she were in right in front of me. “Rent’s reasonable, it’s in a great neighborhood, and the owner is completely gorgeous.”

  My mood sank further. If things had gone differently with the last loan officer—or any of them—this would be fantastic. “We don’t have the money to rent a place.” I wanted to add you know that, but it took too much effort to half-tell her no. She sounded so thrilled.

  “You haven’t even asked where it is. And did I mention the gorgeous guy?”

  That was the last thing I needed. Another cute guy in my life. Then again, if she was interested, Julie could flirt her brains out. “Where is it?”

  “Boston. Can you believe it? In that amazing old part of town we loved when we visited.”

  I leaned against a nearby wall and turned my gaze to the ceiling. A fresh surge of frustration welled inside. I could tell how much she wanted this. “We don’t live in Boston.” I didn’t even know if I wanted to. You know where you could live. You found the perfect place, too. I shook the random thought aside, refusing to dig deep enough into it to make sense of it.

  “I know there are details.” She didn’t sound deterred. “Money, moving… all that. But we’re so close to a yes on the loan; I can feel it. We’re right on that cusp, Andi. The property owner wants a tiny deposit. I have enough in savings to cover it. If I can do that, they’ll hold the place for a month.”

  “A month is nothing.” I should tell her no, but my doubt nagged. There was a reason property hunting was her job. She had an eye for these things, and I trusted her.

  “This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer. We have to do this.”

  “I—” I couldn’t refuse her “I have to get to the competition. Let me think about it for a day.”

  “All right. Twenty-four hours. And then I’ll call them and tell them we’ll get it.”

  “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Every inch of me tensed, muscles tightening to the point it ached. I clenched my teeth.

  I got back to the table just as the waitress set our food down. I looked between the omelet in front of me and the guys.

  Isaiah shrugged and gave me a tiny smile. “We have to be in the competition hall in less than an hour. You need food, to make your brain work.”

  “You expended a lot of energy yesterday.” Kane topped off my coffee from the carafe the waitress left on the table.

  Salsa covered the dish, and when I pressed my fork into the eggs, cheese melted out. From the brief glance I’d had at the menu, I didn’t think this was an option, but it was exactly what I would have ordered. The gesture helped soothe my prickly nerves more than I thought possible, and I felt some of the stress drain from my neck. “Thanks.”

  “Marathon rounds today.” Isaiah dropped the schedule on the table between us all. “You sure your fingers are up for this?” He winked at me.

  I could handle this kind of teasing. It didn’t make me wonder what came next. Instead it reinforced I wasn’t the only one with pleasant memories. I waggled my fingers in the air. “They’re feeling pretty limber. I’m good.”

  “And no holding back in anticipation of your plans tonight.” Kane’s tone was flat.

  I jerked my head in his direction, and the spring that had been loosening inside me coiled to maximum capacity when he stared back, expression blank. “I’ll mange both just fine.” My words were clipped.

  A tightrope of tension stretched between us. I pursed my lips, and he clenched his jaw.

  “Less than an hour.” Isaiah’s kind warning broke the glaring match but didn’t ease the churning inside me.

  Conversation was stilted for the rest of breakfast, and I spent most of the meal watching my food. I wanted to ask Kane what was going on, but familiar doubt filled me. I had to be the one who didn’t get it. If it were more, he’d say so. I didn’t trust myself enough to believe otherwise.

  We headed upstairs long enough to grab our gear for t
he next round. Most of our exchange consisted of nods, frowns, and single-syllable responses. I thought everything would be okay. They seemed so certain. It was all fun and games and incredible sex—and sure my heart felt like it might split at the notion our physical connection was only temporary, but that was on me.

  Another thought joined the jumble. Was I about to do this to Glen?

  Yeah, James was an asshole. I’d made a mistake with him. But was I really going to take that out on a random stranger? I leaned against a nearby wall, as the onslaught of uncertainty threatened to overwhelm me. A bubble swelled inside, filling my lungs. My stomach. My limbs. I tilted my head back and stared the ceiling, needing the blankness as a contrast to what I felt.

  “Dee?” Isaiah’s concern seeped through my confusion.

  I sucked in a deep breath through my teeth and tried to force it into my veins. Two more times, and I found my voice. “I’m fine. I just need a minute. I’ll catch up.”

  Kane moved into my line of sight. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and I swore my chest was going to burst at the tentative touch. “We’ll see you downstairs.” The animosity had vanished from his words.

  “Yeah.” I stood there a little longer, trying to count off seconds rather than linger on confusion. I reached the point where I needed to hurry, or I’d miss competition check-in. The only thing I’d concluded, in a quagmire of uncertainty, was that I couldn’t lead Glen on. He might not have a problem with it, or even react this way—maybe I was abnormal for letting this twist me in knots—but he didn’t deserve to be an unwitting participant, and I didn’t have the desire to explain the entire grudge-fuck thing to him, in order to make sure he was okay with it.

  The room was empty when I reached it. I must have fallen into my head for longer than I thought. I grabbed my computer equipment and hurried back down to the competition hall. The clock ticked down. I scanned the crowds for my friends, and found them near the front entrance. My gaze drifted past Glen. He gave me a huge smile and waved. I really needed to tell him now that I couldn’t meet up tonight, but I was relived there was no time. I returned the greeting, and then headed for Kane and Isaiah.