“No, dammit. I’m serious.”
Tate rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “The day of your mom’s birthday? Harper was in the kitchen and saw you and me talking out front. She snuck out, gave me her business card, and said we needed to talk. Told me to come to her office the next day.”
“Dammit. I knew it. She sent me to London out of the blue.” He wanted to be mad at her for it, but he couldn’t.
“Yeah, she asked Tina who I was, and Tina spilled the beans.”
He frowned. “Tina never mentioned she talked to her about it.”
Tate shrugged. “I only know what Harper told me.” He wouldn’t meet Doug’s gaze.
“What’s wrong?” He studied his lover’s face when he didn’t answer. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“She told me about the two of you,” he softly said.
Doug closed his eyes. “Fuck. Tate, listen, I—”
“It’s okay.” He still wouldn’t look Doug in the eye. “I have a confession of my own to make.”
“What?”
Tate finally turned the full force of his blue gaze on Doug. “I love her, too,” he softly said. “The first time we sort of fell together I think to make ourselves feel better, and because we were a little drunk. Well, okay, a lot drunk, but it’s become more. A lot more.”
Doug thought his heart would stop. “What?”
He nodded. “I don’t begrudge what you did with her because I’m just as guilty.” He sat up. “But I see why you did it because I love her. Let’s be honest, she’s a pretty remarkable woman. She hides her vulnerabilities well. She can make you hate her guts and want to be her knight in shining armor all at the same time.”
Doug felt his face heat, yet he nodded. “Yeah. She does.” They sat there in silence for a while. “I’m sorry. I had to do this for Mom and Dad.”
“I know. It’s okay. She showed me all the paperwork.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I can’t honestly say I wouldn’t have done exactly the same thing in your shoes. Now there’s only one thing left to do.”
“What?”
Tate grinned. “Convince her that she can have two guys for the price of one. I don’t know about you, but there’s no way in hell I want to let her go.”
Doug felt the smile slowly take over his face. “You’re serious?”
“Fuck yeah, I’m serious. Why can’t we make it work? You and I both have individual relationships with her now. I’ve spent a couple of months with her, you’ve spent a couple of months with her.” He laughed. “Actually, I’ve probably slept with her a hell of a lot more than you did. Besides, I’ve seen what she reads on her Kindle. She likes the kinky stuff. Being with two men won’t shock her in the least. I think she secretly wants it.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope.”
“You don’t hate me?” Doug asked.
Tate’s face softened as he reached for Doug and pulled him close. “No, baby. I could never hate you. Not for loving your family as much as you do.”
Doug relaxed against Tate’s chest. He’d missed this even more than the sex. “Just one problem.”
“What?”
“How the hell do we explain this to my mom and dad?” Doug asked with a laugh.
“Your mom and dad? How the hell will we break this to Harrison!”
Chapter Twenty
Harper didn’t want to go home that night, and she damn sure didn’t want to go to the Boca house and face her father’s questions. She stayed late at the office, her door locked and all phones turned off, including her cell.
Finally, after midnight, she realized it was stupid to stay away. The men would most likely be asleep anyway. She winced as another pain pulsed through her abdomen. Damn periods. She’d done the math and was due within a week. It wasn’t unusual for them to sometimes be a few days off in one direction or another. Maybe it was cramps and not the falafel.
Once the pain subsided again to a low roar, she packed her stuff and made her way to the elevator. Inside, she gasped and leaned against the wall as another surge of pain caught her off guard.
Fuck.
Okay, if it still hurt this bad by tomorrow, she’d go to the damn doctor, as much as she hated to admit it. This was annoying. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and checked it, just an e-mail. But that reminded her to turn the ringer back on. When she reached her car, she tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and pulled out of her parking space.
She slowly drove home and didn’t bother putting her car in the garage. She parked next to Tate’s car and quietly let herself in. The house was dark and silent around her as she slowly mounted the stairs to her room, passing discarded men’s clothing in the process.
She thought about walking down the hall to listen at the closed bedroom door, but then thought better of it.
Why torture myself?
She closed and locked her bedroom door behind her, then dropped her clothes on the bathroom floor before grabbing a warm shower. She checked her blood sugar—normal—and headed for bed after taking a couple of Motrin.
Doug awoke with a start the next morning. Grey light crept in around the horizontal blinds covering the window. After weeks spent sleeping in a hotel room, he had to think to remember where he was.
Home.
Next to him, Tate shifted in his sleep, snuggling tighter against his side.
Doug thought the smile on his own face might break his jaw. Now, if the two of them could just convince Harper that this crazy arrangement could work for all three of them, life would be perfect.
After a few minutes, Tate slowly awoke, stretching and yawning before rolling over into his arms. “Did you hear Harper come in last night?”
Doug shook his head. “No.” He got up to use the bathroom and peeked through the blinds. “Her car’s in the driveway.” He glanced at Tate. “Whose car is that next to hers?”
He grinned. “You mean the Mercedes? Oh, that would be mine, dear. Yours is still in the garage. I tried to talk her into just letting me drive yours, but she wanted me to have my own car.” His smile faded. “She feels damn guilty. I tried to tell her it wasn’t her fault.” He arched an eyebrow at Doug.
Doug felt his face redden. “Yeah, well, had I told her about us, none of this would have ever happened. And Mom and Dad would be out of their house.”
Tate stood and walked over to him, throwing his arms around him. “I know. I’m not blaming you.” He thought for a moment. “Wait, I am blaming you, but knowing the whole story, I totally forgive you.” He kissed Doug. “Let’s get a shower. I have a meeting at nine.”
“Meeting? For what?”
“Who do you think’s been doing your job since you’ve been loafing in jolly ole England?” He slapped Doug on the ass before heading to the bathroom. “I’ll have to get my razor out of Harper’s bathroom.” He stopped and glanced at the time. “Crap, it’s after seven. I need to make sure she’s up anyway. I haven’t heard her moving around.”
He grabbed his robe and headed for the door. Doug retrieved a pair of boxers from the drawer and followed him out into the hall.
He didn’t miss the worried look on Tate’s face as he stood at Harper’s door. “What’s wrong?”
He pointed toward the stairs. “Coffee’s not on yet. She’s not up. And her door’s locked.” He knocked. “Harper? Honey, it’s after seven. Time to get up.”
Harper spent a miserable night in and out of pain. About the time she’d get to sleep, another round of misery would overtake her, leaving her weak and trembling. She’d ask Tate to take her to the doctor in the morning. There was something wrong with her, and she was in too much pain to worry who the fuck knew.