“Pretty much,” Chris said. “The only real reason I stay out there is to be near Winter,” he admitted.
“Aww, really?” she gushed. Chris smiled at her and nodded.
“Sure,” he said. “If it was up to me I would have probably come back here by now and found a corporation looking to hire someone like me.”
“Why do you stay out in LA, Winter?” Luke asked. She sat up on one of the bar stools and turned to face him.
“It’s silly really. I want to be a makeup artist for the stars and I figured I wouldn’t be able to do that here. But, I’ve been out there for years now and I’m still at Bixby’s. I don’t hate my job it’s just not what I thought I’d be doing all these years later.”
“I didn’t know you were unhappy,” Chris said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought you were happy out there, so I decided to just make the best of it,” Winter admitted.
“You two don’t talk very often, do you?” Luke asked. For a couple, they didn’t seem to have the whole communication thing down.
“We didn’t,” Chris admitted. “But, if we’re being honest here—Winter and I have only been together romantically for about four days now. We avoided telling each other how we felt for years. Talking about feelings wasn’t exactly our strong suit.”
“Four days?” Luke shouted.
“Yeah,” Chris said. “It’s a long story but I’ve always been in love with her and well, I just decided to stop being a chicken. That’s part of the reason why I called you. I want to finally live my life and stop hoping for things to happen.” Luke knew exactly what Chris was talking about. He felt the same damn way and that was the main reason he had agreed to meet with both of them tonight. “What do you want from all of this?” Luke asked. “What do you want to happen between the three of us?”
“I’m not sure what you’re asking us here, Luke,” Chris whispered. He wanted to know where he stood in whatever the two of them already had going on.
“I’ll be a third wheel,” Luke accused. “That’s not my style.”
“No,” Winter said. She stood from her barstool and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “We would never want you to feel like a third wheel, Luke,” she insisted. “Chris and I might have known each other our whole lives but we’ve only just begun. You and Chris have a history that I can’t—” she stopped mid-sentence and looked over to where Chris sat behind him. “No—I won’t compete with. You guys were in love once too,” she said. They had never said those words to each other even if he felt that way about Chris. He was the only man that Luke had ever been in love with and he was afraid that wouldn’t change for him.
“We didn’t say the words, Honey,” Luke whispered.
Winter gasped and looked between the two of them as if what he just said pissed her off. “You two were together for four years,” she accused.
“Yep,” Chris said, sipping his wine. “And, Luke kept it casual for me because I was too much of a pussy to come out as bi. But, that doesn’t change how I felt at the time—how I still feel about you, Luke. You’re the only man that I’ve ever loved.” Chris took Luke’s hand into his, not seeming to care that they were attracting some major stares from the hotel and bar staff.
“How about we take this upstairs,” Luke insisted. “I have a room—”
Chris barked out his laugh before Luke could even get the rest out. “We have a suite. We were hoping you’d want to spend the week with us.”
“Week?” Luke questioned; not sure he had heard Chris right. He was just expecting one night with them but a whole week sounded like heaven. He knew the score though—when the week ended, he’d have to tell them goodbye again and watch them both walk back out of his life. He just worried that this time, he wouldn’t be able to put his heart back together after they were gone.
“How about it, Luke?” Winter asked. “Will you spend the week with us?” He honestly wasn’t sure if he was making the right decision or not but telling them no felt like something he’d regret for the rest of his life.
“I’d like that,” he whispered. Chris grabbed the bottles of wine and three empty glasses to carry to their room, seeming to be in a hurry. “You afraid I’ll change my mind?” he teased. Chris turned back to him and smiled, his blond hair falling over his blue eyes and nodded.
“Let’s just say I’m not taking any chances,” Chris breathed. Luke nodded and followed them to the elevators. He could feel the tension humming around them as they waited for the elevator to make it to the lobby. They stood in silence and Luke was beginning to rethink everything until Winter slipped her hand into his. She smiled up at him and he felt his whole world turn right again, surrounded by the two people who had held such special places in his past—and his heart.
Chris
Chris opened the door to the suite that he and Winter were staying in and put the wine bottles into the small refrigerator that sat just inside the kitchenette. “More wine?” he asked and they both shook their heads. Maybe it would be best if they didn’t let alcohol cloud what was about to come next between them.
“You want to grab your bag from your room?” he asked Luke.
“Naw,” Luke said. “I can grab it tomorrow and check out.” Chris wanted to protest that tomorrow was Christmas and that he wanted the three of them to stay hauled up in their suite for the day but then he remembered that they had to go to Winter’s parent’s home in the morning.
“You have plans for Christmas?” Chris asked Luke.
“Not big plans,” he admitted. He didn’t miss the way Winter looked worried. She wasn’t ready to tell her parents about the fact that she might be in a polyamorous relationship. “I have to put in an appearance at my parent’s place. You guys have plans?” Luke asked.
“I have to be to my parents bright and early,” Winter said.
“How about you, Chris?” Luke asked.
“My parents are out of town so, I’ll be with Winter,” he admitted. A flash of hurt crossed Luke’s brown eyes. He had always been able to tell exactly where he stood with Luke and just how he was feeling by his beautiful, soulful eyes. Chris reached for Luke and ran his hands down his back, cupping his muscular ass. He could feel Winter’s eyes on them both but she didn’t seem jealous or anxious at all but more curious than anything.
“You okay with this, Baby,” he turned, asking Winter. She smiled and nodded. “Winter’s worried that she’ll feel jealous about watching us together. You jealous when I do this?” He reached his hand around Luke’s big body and cupped his cock. Chris looked back to find Winter inching closer and she shook her head.
“Nope,” she admitted.
“How about when I do this?” he asked, leaning in to take Luke’s lips in a hot, passionate kiss. He broke their kiss, leaving them both panting, and Winter shook her head again.
“How about you?” she asked. Chris knew she was about to turn the tables on him and he had to admit, he was liking this little game. Winter went up on her tiptoes and kissed Luke, taking her sweet time about it and when she moaned into Luke’s mouth, Chris nearly lost his mind. God, they were hot together and he had to admit—he felt no jealousy what so ever.