Tim grabbed his chin and made him look at him. “You can’t go back in time. She’s not Melodie. But she’s a sweetheart, and believe me, I think she’d jump at a chance to have some fun with us.”
“What?”
Tim smiled. “Look at the stuff she writes. I’ve been flirting with her, and I’m pretty sure she’d be interested if we told her we were, too.”
“Then what? She leaves and we never see her again? She’s here to find her sister, not fuck around.”
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.”