He was the third. He couldn’t let himself forget that. Mac and Keiley were the whole; he was just there to add to the fun for a while.
Where the hell had his mind been when he came here thinking it would be like it had been all the times before? Fun and games. Laughter and pleasure. He hadn’t expected to be affected by Keiley’s warmth and generous spirit, but in the past two days, he had found himself more than affected.
“Are you okay, Jethro?” she asked quietly, still resting against him as he poured the salts into the water and tested the temperature.
“Just making sure the water’s not too hot.” He closed his eyes again, only to open them again at the sound of movement at the bathroom door.
Mac stood there, dressed in jeans, his chest and feet bare, his gray eyes thoughtful.
His best friend. And Jethro was doing more than lusting after his best friend’s wife.
“She said she’s hungry.” He copped a grin, flashing it quickly before turning away and lifting Keiley into the steaming water of the tub.
“I’m starving.” She settled into the water with a blissful sigh.
“What’s your pleasure, sweetheart?” Mac padded into the room, kneeling on the step of the tub to lean in and kiss her swollen lips.
His hand cupped her cheek as her slender fingers curled against the back of his neck. Jethro felt more like an interloper than he ever had in his life. And he had felt that way often.
“I want pizza,” he heard her murmur as Mac leaned back, bracing his arms on the rim of the large tub as his fingertips caressed her cheek.
“You rest, I’ll order your favorite,” Mac promised her softly, his voice low, intimate as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Jethro can wash your back for you,” he finished teasingly.
“He should be offering a full back massage.” Her laughter was low, teasing, rueful. “I don’t think I can walk straight for a while.”
“We’ll carry you.” Mac came to his feet and glanced back at Jethro. “I’ll order the pizza. You okay to stay up here?”
Never leave a woman alone after shattering her previous impressions of pleasure. Cuddle her. Spoil her. Keep her comfortable. Mac knew how to do it, and over the years he had taught Jethro how to do it.
“I’ll take care of her.” His gaze flickered to her, watching as she relaxed back into the water and Mac stood.
“I’ll leave her in your hands.” Mac clapped him on the shoulder as he left the bathroom.
Jethro looked around the steamy intimacy of the bathroom. Here, Keiley’s influence was more felt. It was softer than the bedroom, with slate-gray marble cabinets and sink and several narrow shelves that held an array of feminine products: soaps, lotions, and scents. He knew that beneath the cabinet was a built-in drawer system that held makeup. Hanging on an inner wall was a blow dryer and assorted curling irons.
A French door led to a balcony that ran the length of the bathroom and bedroom, the pale gray sheers covered with darker pearl-gray curtains that were presently pulled back.
“You’re too interested in the bathroom walls,” she said with an edge of uncertainty. “I’ll be okay by myself.”
Jethro whipped his head around, staring at the water lapping at her br**sts before he let his gaze meet her wide hazel eyes.
He shook his head slowly as he knelt on the lower step that led up to the rim. “Not a chance.” Snagging the bath sponge, he lifted a bottle of bath gel from the wide back rim and soaped it slowly. “Taking care of you will be my privilege.”
“I should be totally embarrassed,” she said as he caught her hand and drew her toward him so he could reach her back. “I’ve never made love with anyone but Mac until now.”
He watched, entranced, as the bubbles gathered on her back, and then her words slammed into his chest. Made love. Had he ever made love until now?
“Did you enjoy it, though?” he murmured as he smoothed the sponge over her shoulders.
She sighed heavily. “Very much. Too much. I’m sure I should be feeling embarrassed or something by now.”
“Don’t have the energy for it?” His lips quirked into a smile.
“I don’t know.” Her voice was reflective as she stared back at him, the short strands of her hair clinging to her cheek and neck as she stared up at him. “Maybe I should be more frightened that I’m not.”
Confusion filled her pretty eyes. They were hazel now, the blend of browns and light greens that he loved so well. But earlier, her eyes had sparkled with green fire. Like gems held suspended within a brown velvet background.
Jethro shook his head at his wary suggestion. “No reason to be frightened, sugar. Mac loves you. You know that. Nothing that happened tonight changed that. I’m just here to help him give you a little extra. That’s all.”