14. Garrett

The chick at the far side of the bar winked at me and swirled her straw around her glass. The invitation was obvious. I tossed back another drink and set my palms on the counter.

“Another?” Brian the bartender—who’s worked here for five years and has a wife and three kids at home—moved the empty glass and raised an eyebrow.

I considered getting wasted but what was the point? Russell and Chase would just sober me up to take care of business. I snorted without mirth. Business. Right. I knew what business I’d like to be doing, and it wasn’t the bottle blonde eye-fucking me at the bar. No, my sights were set higher. Back up in the penthouse suites. I had it bad. No one to blame but myself. I waved off the bartender before he regaled me with another story about his kids and hauled my phone out of my jacket pocket. I’d already loosened my tie, but the jacket stayed in place until I returned to my room. I frowned down at my blank phone. Not a single call or text from Chase demanding I come back upstairs so we could get this shit show underway. What the hell? Not that I was complaining.

“Mind if I sit?” The blonde finally made her move and crossed the space between us. Her lips pouted in what she assumed was a pretty smile.

All I saw was the perfect stain of her lips on the glass and the puckered nipples beneath her gold dress. “Go ahead.” I motioned at the seat as I stood and slapped down enough bills to cover my drinks. Normally I’d have it charged to my room, but I knew better than to let this woman overhear my room number. I’d met too many like her through the years. I hated judging her based on her looks and the sultry actions, but I’d been burned often enough to recognize her type. She wanted a quick fuck in the hopes of something more. Or a fuck that ended up in stalking and restraining orders or a paternity test. No fucking thank you.

Brian swiped the money from the shiny counter and nodded. “Enjoy your stay.”

“Thanks.” I kept an eye on the blonde while cutting a diagonal line across the empty lounge and brought the phone to my ear after pressing Chase’s number.

It rang several times before going to voicemail. Grunting, I tried Russell with the same result. Where were they? Frustration bubbled and oozed. They wouldn’t have left without telling me. I stopped by the front desk and stared at the man Sabrina had dressed down earlier. The memory brought out a sardonic smile. “Any messages for Garrett Smith?”

The man scowled but tapped on the keyboard. “No, sir. Nothing.” He gave me a tight smile. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

I thought about telling him to make sure he didn’t give out our room number, but I doubted even he was that stupid and only our keycards allowed access to the penthouse floor. We liked our privacy. Leaving the man behind, I tried both numbers again, meeting the same result. “Fuck.” I growled under my breath and stalked into the elevator with my hands deep in my pockets and a sliver of fear rooting itself in my spine.

“Hold the elevator.” A honeyed voice called out, and I thrust my hand between the closing doors out of instinct, then cursed when the woman from the bar elbowed her way into the small space.

“What floor?” I bit out.

She riffled through a tiny purse and released a breathy sigh. “Oh shoot. I’ve lost my keycard. Can I come up to your room until I find it?”

“Front desk is right there.” I pointed. “Get a new card.” I kept my hand in place, refusing to allow the doors to shut.

“You sure you don’t want some company?” She danced her fingers up my jacket buttons.

I batted her hand away. “Don’t touch what doesn’t belong to you.”

“You could belong to me,” she purred.

By all that was holy, this woman was going to make me lose my shit. “Let me be clear. I’m. Not. Interested.” I pointed at the front desk again. “Now get off my elevator.”

With a huff and a flounce of her ass-hugging dress, she disembarked. “You don’t know what you’re missing. I could turn your world upside down.”

“Yeah, no doubt.” I didn’t bother hiding the disdain in my voice. “Your kind of trouble isn’t worth my time.” The doors closed on her incredulous face.

Russell would call me an asshole. I called it a solid life decision. She hadn’t taken the hint so I didn’t feel the need to be anything short of blunt, even if it sounded ruthless.

I tapped my keycard to the screen and pressed the penthouse button. Seconds later, I emerged on the quiet floor and dialed Russell again. What the hell were they doing? I banged on Chase’s door. Maybe he’d fallen asleep. No answer. “Chase!” I pounded again, then moved to Russell’s door. “Open up.” Still nothing.

Cussing loud enough to wake the devil, I keyed into my room and moved to the adjoining door, beating both fists on the wood. “Fuck you all and the world in general.” I marched back out into the hallway and made my way toward Sabrina’s door, Russell’s number once again ringing in my ear.

Sabrina’s door opened and Russell stepped out. He closed it behind him with a harried look. His shirt was wrinkled, his hair mussed. And damned if he didn’t look like a man who’d just thoroughly fucked someone. I’d never seen Russell like this before. He was always calm and quiet, but his stride had a languid look to it, like he’d turned boneless in the last few hours.

A good fuck did that to a man.

“Where the hell have you been?” I fisted my hands to keep from grabbing his shirt and shaking him senseless. “I’ve been calling you for hours.” A bit of an exaggeration but not by much.

Russell shot a look toward Sabrina’s door. “Come inside. We need to talk.”

The sweet tang of sex smacked me in the nose the instant I stepped into Sabrina’s room. She sat wrapped in one of the hotel’s luxurious robes, curled up in an oversized chair across from Chase.

Chase, the man I’d trust with my money and my life, relaxed with his legs stretched out in front of him and a satisfied smile and drooping eyes telling me the whole story. “Fuck all of you. You had sex.” I glared at every one of them. “And you didn’t invite me.”

Sabrina started a bit, like she hadn’t expected that from me. Hell, it was a bit of a surprise to me too. I’d never thought of myself as the polyamorous sort, but seeing all three of them thoroughly satisfied set off a craving that I couldn’t ignore.

“I thought this was a work weekend?” I’d suspected Russell had ulterior motives. I’d hinted at them when we arrived, but I honest to God never thought he’d actually follow through. Not Russell the rule maker, the taskmaster. I’d never seen the man break a rule in his life.

“It sort of happened … unexpectedly,” Sabrina explained.

“If I’d known we were having sex, I’d have brought different clothes.” I picked at my starched collar and winked at Sabrina. “Or no clothes at all.”

She flushed bright red, but I caught the way her breath hitched and she licked her lips. She felt it too. Forget the woman at the bar. Forget every other woman in the world. I wanted Sabrina with an all-consuming fire that nothing else would quench. I allowed the feeling to fill me up. I was used to my passions taking over like this.

Chase’s stomach grumbled. He sat forward and grabbed a menu from the table. “Let’s get food and talk about this.”

“What’s there to talk about?” I crossed to the nearest chair, shucking my jacket and tie on the way. “I want in.” My gaze roamed over Sabrina, the flush of her cheeks and the casual sexiness of her hair hanging loose around her shoulders. “I’m pissed at you two.” I pointed at Russell and Chase. “You made it sound like this was all about work. If you intended to shut me out, you should have left me behind.” Betrayal knocked my breath out in a harsh burst.

“We’re not cutting you out of anything.” Chase scrubbed both hands down his face.

Russell called in room service and dropped into the last remaining chair. “I’m sorry you weren’t here, but things escalated quickly. Honestly, I didn’t know if you’d be willing to join us.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I pounded my fist on the table. “Don’t ever make assumptions about me again. If Sabrina wants me, then I’m in.”

“What happens when we go back?” Sabrina’s voice was quiet and uncertain. She tightened her grip on her robe, her foot bouncing up and down on the carpet. “Are we doing this just for the weekend?”

“Hell no.” The very idea infuriated me. “There’s no way we can stop after this. This thing you’ve started, it’s going to get worse. Sex like what we’re talking about is addictive. We won’t be able to stop.”

We sat in contemplative silence for a handful of minutes. Someone knocked on the door, and I stood.

Russell pushed me back down. “I’ll let them in.”

“Make sure it’s not the psycho blonde woman from the bar,” I called over my shoulder.

Russell eyed me, then shook his head with a resigned sigh. “I’m not even going to ask.”

“I am.” Sabrina smiled at me. “What happened?”

I told them the story while a man in black wait staff attire unloaded the massive amounts of food Russell ordered. They laughed and groaned, and Sabrina leaned forward to pat my knee.

“I understand her fascination.” Merriment twinkled in her eyes. “Good thing I didn’t come on that strong.”

“On the contrary.” I picked up her hand and pulled her close enough to smell the heady aroma of sex on her skin. “I’d have accepted it from you. But then we wouldn’t be about to experience our first time together.” I already knew what I wanted to do to her and it had my cock rock hard.

“Back to work.” Russell pointed his fork at me. “Can we at least figure out the details?”

“Why?” I pulled Sabrina into my lap. Her giggle bounced her tits under my nose and I barely resisted burying my head in them. “You didn’t. I think it’s my turn. You all can watch if you want.”

“We agreed we can keep having sex once we return to work. What are the stipulations? Do we need to notify each other when we want Sabrina? Are we an all-or-nothing?” Frustration bled through Chase’s voice. “Fuck. This is complicated.”

I poked him in the shoulder until he looked over at me. “No sex in the office. We’re not bound by the rules of permission. If Sabrina and I want to have sex without the two of you, that’s allowed. If we all four want to have sex, that’s allowed. As is any combination thereof. Agreed?”

Russell chewed on my words and his steak. He sought out Sabrina. “What do you want?”

She wiggled in my lap, her ass sliding over my dick. I caught her hips and locked her into place, letting her feel every inch of me. I wanted my turn, but I’d wait if I had to.

“I don’t want to give this up, but I’m worried what will happen at work.” She combed her fingers through her hair and stood. “How am I going to act normal around you when I’ve seen you all naked.”

“You haven’t seen me. Yet.” The last word was a promise.

“This is new to all of us.” Chase poured Sabrina a glass of water. “We do the best we can. But the no sex at work rule needs to be enforced.” He looked hard at me as he said it, forcing my hand.

“Fine.” I didn’t like it, but I’d abide by the rule.

We worked our way through the meal in record time. I had an appetite for something else. I wiped my mouth with a napkin and relaxed.

Chase and Russell moved into a conversation about recent politics. I lifted my eyebrows at Sabrina. “What do you want to do now?”

A mischievous smirk twisted her lips. “I want to check out the pool Russell raved about.”

“Great. I’ll go with you.” I tapped Chase and Russell. “Either of you going?”

They waved us off.

“We’ll catch up with you later,” Russell said.

Good enough for me. I’d take a personal swim date with Sabrina over politics any day. And if that swim led to sex, well then I wouldn’t complain about that either.

“I need to change.” Sabrina grabbed her bag and headed into the bathroom. “I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

I hated to leave even that long, but I had to grab my trunks from my room. I rushed through the adjoining doors, leaving them all open behind me, and changed in record time.

Sabrina stepped out of the bathroom wearing a sweet two-piece that showed off her tits and ass to perfection. She knew what she had and she wasn’t afraid to let others see it too.

“Ready?” I held out a hand and she took it. Her small fingers disappeared in my palm, her petite frame barely reaching my chest.

She fidgeted on the way to the elevator, her steps hesitant and an uncertain look crinkling her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

She released a tight exhale. “Can I talk to you about something?”