The words were out of my mouth before I had time to censor or stop them. Edison, who hung in the doorway, fresh out of a shower and dripping wet with a towel around his waist, flinched. Harley went silent on the other end of the phone line.
“Both. I want you both.”
Had I really just said that out loud?
The truth had a nasty habit of ruling this family. It pushed us across lines that weren’t meant to be crossed. It forced our hands with little resistance. The truth refused to be ignored or dismissed.
My pulse thrummed in my ears. Each staggered breath I dragged in and out of my lungs rasped in the quiet room. A clock ticked—I didn’t know I owned a clock that did that, but there it was, announcing itself for the first time after eight years living alone in this house.
Tick, tick, tick…
Edison’s stormy gray eyes were fixed on my face. I couldn’t look away. The puzzle pieces were slowly shifting into place. The truth was surreal enough he was questioning whether he’d heard me correctly.
He had.
Welcome to the family, Eddy. If you thought we were the only perverted minds, you thought wrong.
The tip of his pink tongue snuck out, wetting his upper lip as his eyes narrowed. My traitorous cock throbbed, remembering his mouth wrapped around my shaft a few short months ago. It didn’t help that he was naked under the towel, and miles of smooth bare flesh were on display, begging to be touched. Taut, lithe muscles. A hairless, smooth chest. An enticing treasure trail that led from his navel to the prize below. I had a sudden urge to win the game and earn that reward.
“Denver!” The sharp tone coming through the phone snapped me from those dangerous fantasies and stiffened my spine.
The world moved forward again. The lull brought on by my announcement ceased. My brother was not impressed, and I experienced a momentary sense of disquiet at having upset him. I hated making people angry.
I opened my mouth to respond or explain or correct what I’d said, but nothing came out.
“Both. I want you both.”
The words hung in the air, echoing around my head over and over. I didn’t want to take them back.
How fucked up was I?
“It’s the truth.” My voice caught. I cleared my throat, hoping to inject what little amount of authority I possessed when it came to Harley—which wasn’t much. “Take it or leave it.”
I hung up on him before he could respond, my hand trembling as I set my phone down on the desk.
My focus shifted to Edison. Sweet, not-so-innocent Edison. Oh how twisted our family had become. Edison’s unruly mess of blond hair was a few shades darker when wet and stuck up since he’d towel-dried it after his shower.
When he’d arrived at my house earlier, I’d had no doubt it was with one goal in mind: to seduce me back into bed. My protests had been weak, and he knew it. Since when could I hold my ground against Edison or Harley? Since never. Their personalities had this way of testing my resolve.
However, a handful of words spoken to his father over the phone and Edison’s gears had shifted.
“Wasn’t that Dad?”
“Yup.”
My gaze skipped down his body. Trim waist. Prominent hip bones I wanted to explore with my tongue. A deep navel I wanted to lick. Surrendering to this weakness inside me was inevitable. Between Harley and Edison, I’d never stood a chance. What they gave me was something more powerful than anything I could achieve on my own. They gave me freedom. I’d chased this escape for twenty years after college and had never found it again.
Twenty years locked in the prison of my own mind, of my own making.
Five months ago, Edison had shown up. Without knowing what he was doing, he’d reawakened those long-dormant needs that could never be satisfied with anyone else.
My nephew, of all people.
It shouldn’t have surprised me, considering what had transpired with Harley years ago. I was destined to break the rules. In my own way, I was no different than father and son. They wore their rebellious nature on the outside. Mine lived deep in my core, a secret craving that pulled and tugged at me endlessly. The rigid, conforming life I’d made for myself strangled tighter every day. I needed this release.
They provided an escape.
But I couldn’t choose.
And Harley didn’t like my answer. I could tell by the tone of his voice when he’d snapped