The Engagement Gift An After Dark Standalone Romance - Lauren Blakely Page 0,21

she wanted it. “This is your fantasy, baby. You set the stage. We’re your actors.”

She nibbled on the corner of her lips, took a deep breath, then answered with confidence, and it was so alluring. “I want to feel amazing. To explore my fantasies. To say no when I want. To say yes to what I want.” She met my gaze, her blue eyes brimming with honesty. “To keep loving you. Because you’re the love of my life, and I know nothing will come between us.” She looked at Jake. “For you guys to keep being friends. Because your friendship means the world to my man. He needs you. He depends on you. And you’re so important to him, and to me.” She raised her chin. “And for the two of you both to have free rein with my body. To take me to new heights. To explore to your heart’s content. To do whatever you want.”

I tugged at my shirt collar. I was an inferno.

Jake glanced down at his crotch. “My ten-incher likes the idea of all that, so I’d say we can do it tonight.”

My woman laughed, then shook her head. “I want to get ready for it. I need to take my time, prep, and be all kinds of indulgent. How about tomorrow?”

Could I be any luckier?

“Consider this my RSVP to the ménage à trois,” Jake said then winked.

After that, we did something incredibly ordinary.

But it was fitting.

Maybe it was what the three of us needed.

A game of blackjack.

We played a few hands, laughing and joking the whole time. Being the three of us. Having fun.

And we won.

This was a good sign.

That night Lily and I were in bed alone, and I did something we hadn’t done in a long time. I made love to her missionary style. As I was deep inside her, I told her I wanted everything for her, I’d make it amazing, and all I wanted at the end of each day and the end of every night was her. She looped her arms tighter around me. Her legs, too, like she spoke with her body as well as her words. “You have me, Finn. You have me. Always.”

After, as she lay in my arms, I stroked her hair. “This won’t change us,” I said confidently.

“I know that.”

“Do you know why I believe it?”

She met my gaze. “Tell me.”

“Because you and I are in this together from the start. Because it’s what we’ve always done. And most of all, because we belong together. We belong to each other. Know that in your heart.”

“I do know that, Finn. You have my heart, too. You have all of me.”

Damn, this woman made me horny and happy at the same time. I ran my hand over her breasts, along her belly, and as I touched her, I grinned, an idea coming to me. “I want you to think of tomorrow night as my engagement gift to you.”

She grinned like a wicked angel. “It’s the perfect gift.” She reached for my face, cupped my cheek, and kissed me. “But you’re the gift.”

As she was to me.

7

Jake

This wasn’t my first time being asked to play second banana, although, I vastly preferred being asked to play the only banana at a party with two peaches.

Three peaches could be fine, too.

Hell, why not four?

Point being, I was a red-blooded man who liked women. I liked them a lot. As in, women were proof that we, as men, were not worthy.

And we had to damn well treat the ladies as such—as the worthiest.

But as I went home that night, downed a glass of ice water in my kitchen, and contemplated tomorrow night’s dessert for three, I was a hundred percent good with the situation.

Not because that kind of a one-plus-one-plus-one was on my bucket list (which would require reams of paper to catalog all the dirty things I’ve pictured.)

But I was good with Lily’s invitation because I was game for anything. When it came down to it, I wasn’t that different from Finn. I subscribed to one simple philosophy in the bedroom: make her come and make her come often.

Then do it once more for good measure.

Generally speaking, if something got a woman off, I’d be doing it for her.

If two guys pleasuring her worked for Lily, I’d be happy to help float her double-decker boat.

To be clear, I didn’t want to see Finn in the buff.

Also, I didn’t harbor any unrequited love for my best friend’s girl.

I’d said yes because