Rule of Three

Chapter One

“In the shower?” Kassidy looped her arms around Chris’s neck and gave him a sexy look up through her eyelashes. “That’s where you want to have sex for the first time in our new home?”

Chris pressed her up against the kitchen counter with his hips and rubbed his jaw against hers. “Well, if you’d rather do it here, I’m good with that too.”

Kassidy glanced around the messy kitchen, still piled with boxes from the move, and laughed, a bubbly joy rising inside her. “You’re a sex maniac.”

“You knew that,” he murmured, and she melted against him, against his big, hard body. She peered up at his face, his strong, square chin, dark green eyes and short nose. So handsome, so big, so knee-weakeningly male. “And you moved in with me anyway.”

She nuzzled the side of his neck, inhaling the warm, sexy male smell of him, let her fingers climb his chest to his shoulders. “Yeah. I must be crazy.”

“Hmmm. I think—” he pulled her hair aside so he could kiss the side of her neck, “—you’re a bit of a sex maniac too. Admit it. You love it.”

Heat flared between Kassidy’s thighs and she pressed closer. Chris’s mouth on her neck, nibbling down to where it met her shoulder, sent hot shivers sliding over her.

She did love it. She loved him. She was a sex maniac for him. They’d been together for a year now, and she was still as hot for him as the day they’d met.

“I’m just trying to be efficient,” Chris continued, his lips on her collarbone in the open V of her T-shirt. Her head fell back and she tried to focus her distracted thoughts.

“Efficient…”

Then she remembered. Chris’s old friend Dag was in town and they were meeting him for dinner. “God, Chris!” She managed to get her wrist into her field of vision so she could see her watch. “We have to get ready!”

“I know. That’s what I’m saying. In the shower.”

She laughed as she let him drag her into the bathroom—their bathroom, the one off their bedroom, theirs!

And they did indeed have sex for the first time in their new home together in the shower.

It was quick but hot, bodies slicked up with water and soapy suds, a cloud of scented steam surrounding them. He lifted her against the wall of the shower, pinned her there with his body while his mouth devoured hers and his cock impaled her. The feel of him inside her, big, hot, hard, filling her, fucking her, sent tingles radiating over her body from where they joined.

She tilted her pelvis to the right angle so her clit bumped his pelvic bone with every hard thrust. Pressure built, burned, pleasure filling her to the point of overload then bursting out of her.

“Jesus.” Chris gasped, his cheek against her wet hair. His hands tightened on her thighs and he came too, pulsing inside her. “Jesus Christ. I love you, Kass.”

“Mmm.” She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. “Love you too. So much.”

After, he toweled her off with gentle hands and left her to blow-dry her hair while he dressed. He appeared in the doorway of the bathroom moments later, dressed in black pants and a gray sweater layered over a white T-shirt. Yum.

“You need another hour?” he asked, and she swatted him with the hair brush and laughed.

“I won’t take that long. And it’s your fault, dragging me into the shower like that.”

He grinned and stood beside her at the counter while he ran a brush through his short hair, a lighter golden brown than her mink brown. She turned off the blow dryer and reached a hand out to tousle the top of his hair. He always wanted it neat and perfect, but it looked good messed up just a bit. He shook his head but smiled and left the hair alone.

She’d laid out her clothes earlier as she’d been unpacking and putting things away, so her white jeans and silky pink blouse lay on the chair.

“You must be happy to see Dag after all these years,” she said as she dressed. Chris watched her and the heated look in his eyes almost made her want to strip everything off again and roll into bed with him. But they could do that later.

“Yeah.” His eyes lit up. “Man, I’ve missed that guy.”

She smiled. She’d never met Dag, but she’d heard a lot about Chris’s friend from college. They’d been best buds until Dag had moved away for business, first to Los Angeles then San Francisco. Strangely, he’d never come back to Chicago, not even to visit. Until now.

She moved to the dresser against the wall and quickly darkened her eyes with shadow, brushed some rosiness over her cheeks, though they were still flushed from the hot shower and hot sex.

“So why’s he back after all this time?”

“I’m not sure. I mean, I know he sold his business, so he’s basically unemployed.”

“Can you call someone who’s a multi-millionaire unemployed?” she asked with a smile.

“He doesn’t have a job. Ergo, he’s unemployed. He says he’s here to look at business opportunities. Something to invest in.”

“Mmm.” She took one last look at herself in the mirror. She wanted to look nice when she met Chris’s best friend. She knew how much Chris had missed him, how much it had bugged him that Dag had never come back for even a visit. She tipped her head to one side.

“You look gorgeous,” Chris said, coming up behind her and laying his hands on her shoulders. He met her eyes in the mirror and smiled. “As always.”

She smiled back at him. “Thank you.” She glanced around. “Just need my shoes… Oh there they are.” She stepped into the strappy high-heeled sandals. The jeans made her legs look longer and the pink top fluttered over her bare arms. Yeah, she looked okay.

“Ready.”

“Let’s go. Don’t wanna keep Dag waiting.” He grinned and the excitement and anticipation of seeing his friend gleamed in his eyes.

Dag sat in the restaurant at the table set for three, waiting for Chris and his girlfriend to arrive. Kassidy. He hadn’t met her. She’d been nowhere in the picture when he’d moved from Chicago to Los Angeles six years ago. He wasn’t surprised to know there was a woman in Chris’s life. He sighed as he tapped his fingers on the table.

The sleek, modern steakhouse occupied part of the main floor of the trendy boutique hotel he was staying at in downtown Chicago. He watched the sexy blonde hostess seat another couple, leading them through dark wood tables and chocolate-brown leather chairs. This was the first time he’d been back and it felt weird. He’d been a college student for most of the time he’d lived in Chicago, then had started his first job at Ensign Technology. It had only been a year after that that he’d decided he had to get away.

And now he was going to see Chris again after all these years. Yeah, they’d talked on the phone, although less often lately, and they’d emailed, but…

There he was. Dag forced a smile and stood so they’d see him. Chris spotted him and a genuinely happy grin spread across his face. He started toward Dag, holding the hand of a slender, dark-haired woman.

“Dagster! Man! I can’t believe you’re here!”

Chris released the girl and reached for Dag’s hand to shake it, but with his other hand grabbed Dag’s shoulder and pulled him in for a masculine hug. Dag’s stomach tightened and he closed his eyes briefly at the contact.

Chris’s smile was so sincere and warm when they drew apart it made Dag’s chest hurt. “Good to see you, buddy.”

“You too,” Dag said. He turned his gaze to the woman standing just behind Chris. “This must be Kassidy.”

“This is.” Chris reached for her and drew her forward. She extended a hand, all fine bones and soft skin, and Dag shook it.

Their eyes connected. Silky dark hair brushed her shoulders. Her smooth cheeks grew a little pinker as they looked at each other. Her unusual mouth—wide and full lipped—curved into a smile, and brown eyes sparkled with gold flecks. What eyes! Now that’s what you’d call bedroom eyes—big and long lashed and sexy as fucking hell. She was gorgeous.

Shit.

“Hi, Kassidy. Good to meet you.”

“Dag. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Oh now, that makes me nervous.” He sent her a smile and she blinked at him and grew even pinker. “Let’s have a seat.”

He held Kassidy’s chair for her so she was seated between him and Chris, Dag facing his old friend across the square table.

The waitress approached to take drink orders. Dag requested Scotch, Chris went with his usual beer and Kassidy ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio.

“So.” Chris shot him a grin and shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re back in town. What the hell, man? You were too busy making money to even come back and visit once in a while?”

Dag laughed. “I guess so. I didn’t plan it that way. It has been a long time, huh?”

“Too long.” Chris’s smile faded. “I would’ve visited you, but it seemed like every time I suggested it you were too busy traveling or having meetings or something.”

Dag’s chest tightened but he gave his friend a rueful smile. “I know. It never seemed to work out.”

“Are you here to stay?”

“I don’t know. I’ve got a few business meetings lined up next week. I’ll have to see what develops.” He smiled at Kassidy. “Chris didn’t tell me how gorgeous you are. Wow.” He put a hand over his chest and turned back to Chris. “How the hell did you hook up with someone this good looking?”

Chris’s smile broadened and he glanced at Kassidy. “Yeah, she’s pretty sweet.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re talking about me like I’m not even here.”

Chris reached over and covered her hand on the white tablecloth. “I know you’re here, sweetheart.” Their eyes met in a shared exchange that had Dag’s stomach rolling over.

“This looks serious,” he drawled, watching them eye each other. His gaze moved between them. “Chris. What’s up, man?”

Chris looked at him. “We just bought a condo and moved in together,” he said. Pride and obvious love shone on his face. “As of today.”

“Wow.” Dag nodded, heart descending slowly in his chest. “That’s great. Where’s the new place?”

The waitress arrived with their drinks as they described the condo to him, and the same warmth and affection sparkled in Kassidy’s eyes as they talked. She was as happy as if she’d just won a multi-million-dollar lottery, shacked up with Chris. Dag’s chest tightened.

“How’d you two meet?” he asked, picking up his Scotch and taking a big, burning mouthful.

“At work. We both work at RBM.”

Dag lifted a brow at Kassidy. “And what do you do there, Kassidy?”

She smiled. “I’m in Human Resources. Training and Development.”

“Cool.”

She glanced at Chris. “Just over a year ago I was assigned a training project for Chris’s department. That’s how we met.” Her eyes moved over Chris warmly. “We started going out after the project was done.”

“That’s okay?” Dag asked. “I mean, RBM doesn’t have any policies against that kind of thing?”

“No.” She shook her head, her silky hair sliding. “You have to use some judgment of course. But since that project, we haven’t worked directly together again, and the company is so huge, we often don’t even see each other during the day. Right now I’m working on a project for our marketing division.”

“I see. That’s great.”

“Yeah. I really love it. This time I’ll have to travel a bit, as I’ll be delivering training in Minneapolis and Detroit later this year.”

Chris frowned at that. “Yeah.”

Chris was going to miss her. How touching.

Then Chris looked at him. “What about you, man? No wife, no girlfriend?”

Dag laughed. “No. I’m not ready to settle down.”

“Will you ever be?” Chris shook his head, smiling.

“Who knows?” Dag had had all kinds of relationships, but the idea of spending the rest of his life with one person scared the crap out of him. He changed the subject. “What about you, buddy? How’s work? Vice President of Product Development. Impressive.”

Chris grinned. “Hell yeah. Didn’t I tell you I’d be VP by the time I’m thirty?”

“Just under the wire, huh?” Dag returned the smile. “Turning thirty next month, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. And you the month after that.”

“Yeah.”

“You’ve done all right too.”

“Yup.” Dag swallowed more Scotch. “And I’ve been having a blast.”

“Making a living off fun,” Chris said with a grin.

“You bet.” He wasn’t going to apologize. The online games and fantasy sports he’d developed had become hugely popular. And what was wrong with fun? Much as he admired Chris and his business sense, he couldn’t do what Chris did—slaving in a corporate box developing data storage solutions. Thankfully it took all kinds.

The waitress returned to take their order but they hadn’t even looked at their menus yet, so they spent the next few moments studying the selections. Finally, Dag closed his.

“Let me guess,” Chris said with a grin. “Steak.”

“Prime rib.”

“Close enough. I knew you’d order a big hunk of beef.”

“Probably because you want the same thing,” Kassidy said dryly. She, too, closed her menu.

“I’m betting you’re a chicken or fish kind of girl,” Dag said, watching her. “Or maybe salad.”

She reached for her glass of wine with a graceful motion of her hand and flashed him a look. A faintly hostile look. “Chicken or fish kind of girl?”

He tipped his head to one side. “Don’t tell me you want beef too?”

She gave him a slow smile that sent heat sliding right through him. “I believe I will have a steak tonight,” she said softly.

“Attagirl,” he replied, holding her gaze. Another flash of heat jolted him.

Huh. Something flowed between them, something warm and magnetic, something that felt a lot like…attraction. He could not be feeling that for his best buddy’s girlfriend, for Chrissake. He tossed back the rest of his Scotch.

And yet, better he flirt with her than… Hell. Luckily Chris knew what he was like. Chris would know it didn’t mean anything. Dag flirted with every female he met—that was just him.

Her smile went a little crooked, her eyes grew wary and she broke the connection to look down at her wine.

“Well, if we’re all having beef, let’s order a nice bottle of red wine,” Dag said. They looked over the wine list, and when the waitress returned, he ordered a bottle of Shiraz he knew was excellent.

He saw Kassidy and Chris exchange a glance.

“What?”

“That wine…” Kassidy began.

Chris just shook his head and laughed. “Quit showing off, asshole. We know you’re loaded.”

Ah. Hell. The money he’d made still blew his fucking mind. Him, a kid who’d grown up with nothing, less than nothing in fact. But he must be getting used to the good life because he hadn’t even thought twice about ordering an expensive wine. He just ordered it because it he liked it. He forced an answering grin. “Didn’t need to do that, huh?”

Kassidy’s pretty lips pressed tightly together. Had he pissed her off? He leaned toward her, close enough that he caught a whiff of her scent—vanilla and amber, warm and sexy, sweet and provocative.

“Sorry,” he said, laying his hand on her bare forearm. He curled his fingers around her and gave a gentle squeeze. “I didn’t even think. I’m buying dinner and I like that wine. So let’s just enjoy it.”

Her big eyes met his, mouth still pinched. He held her gaze, ignoring the sparks ricocheting inside his body, trying to disregard the softness of her skin, the hitch of her breath. Then her lips softened.

“Thank you,” she said politely. “That’s very nice of you.”

He had pissed her off. What? What?

Suddenly his entire focus became trying to get back to that place where they’d been locked in an eye clinch, warm and sensual. Because this was his friend’s girlfriend. It was important they get along.

And it was important Chris not know how he was really feeling.