“So…should we talk?”
Bowen nods. “Please. The silence is killing me.”
I nod, sipping my beer and suddenly gripped by insecurity.
“Good. We agreed this weekend that we’d try this relationship with the three of us. Anyone change their mind?”
Bowen and I shake our heads.
“Same. Now. Logistics. You two live together, obviously.”
I’m not sure if Bowen notices the cloudy sadness over his eyes as he says this.
“So, I think it’s fair that whatever you two get up to when I’m not here is fine.”
“We want you here too,” Bowen says, grabbing Aldis’s hand. “Don’t we, Thorne?”
“Definitely.”
Aldis smiles. “I’d like that. I’ll be here as much as I can, but I have my own place.”
Bowen shoots me a desperate look, but I don’t know what to say. Ask him to move in? I’m not sure any of us are ready for that.
“What’s wrong, Bow?” Aldis asks.
“I don’t know. I want what we had this weekend all the time. I want you both in my bed every night. Am I greedy?”
Aldis smiles, brushing his thumb over Bowen’s hand. “Not greedy. I get it. It’s just that my hours are strange, and I don’t want to disrupt you guys.”
“You won’t,” I reply. “Bowen can sleep through a violent earthquake, I’m pretty sure.”
“And you?” he asks.
I shrug. “We’ll figure it out. I want you here too.”
He studies my face as if he’s looking for a lie.
“I think you two should spend time together alone,” Bowen says. “I see us as three parts of a whole. You and Thorne, me and Thorne, and all of us.”
“So if me and Hawthorne fuck when you’re not there, that’s okay with you?”
Bowen’s cheeks flush as a surprised chuckle leaves his lips. “Um, that’s hot, and yes, it’s okay with me.”
Aldis nods, glancing briefly at me before he leans closer to Bowen. “And if Hawthorne fucks you when I’m not here, that’s okay with me.”
Bowen nods, biting his bottom lip.
“And if I fuck you when Thorne isn’t here…?”
“It’s okay with me,” I whisper, the heady clouds of lust filling my head.
“Good,” Aldis says, still focused on Bowen. “I want you to have everything you want.”
“What about what you and Thorne want?”
“It may be bold of me, but I believe Thorne and I want the same thing. By making you happy, we’re happy.”
I nod, sucked in by his aura. “He’s right, Bow.”
“Does this help?” Aldis asks. “Do we have any other unanswered questions or concerns to tackle?”
Bowen shoots me another look. I shake my head, confused. I don’t know what he wants, which is definitely unusual for us, but then it hits me.
“Yes.” I clear my throat. “Would you be open to a trial of sorts? Maybe you could stay here a week or two, and we can see how it goes?”
Bowen nods eagerly. “Would you do that?”
Aldis studies both of us, finally letting his expression reveal his thoughts. He looks…hopeful, and it makes my heart soar. For Bowen, definitely, but a part of me hopes that he and I can find something special too.
Aldis offers a warm smile as he nods. “I’d love to.”
Chapter Sixteen
Bowen
“I have an idea,” Hawthorne says as we pile into the house after work.
“What’s that?” I ask, toeing off my shoes.
“I was looking online, and it just so happens a new gay bar opened up downtown. I say we go check it out.”
I lift an eyebrow. “You don’t need to pay me back for all the straight bars I went to.”
“Not trying to. I’m curious now that my eyes have been opened.”
Now I tilt my head. “Interested to see what else is out there?”
Hawthorne chuckles, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into him. “Don’t be jealous. I only have eyes for you. Well, and Aldis. But only you two.”
“Charmer.”
He drags his nose up my neck. “Fuck, you smell good. All sweaty and manly. Damn. I was blind.”
I pull back to meet his eyes. “Girls smell nice too.”
He nods. “They do, but my dick never got hard smelling a girl. Something about you makes me crazy, Bow.”
I feel like I’m dreaming as I snag his bottom lip between my teeth and gently tug. “Welcome to my life.”
“Thank you.” He brushes his fingers across my cheek. “Letting me in like this. You could’ve shut the whole thing down when Aldis suggested it.”
“Why would I?”
“It was a risk, but you were brave enough to take it.”
“Horny and pining enough, but you’re welcome.”
Thorne chuckles, kissing me again. “Speaking of, where is he?”
The door opens almost on cue as we separate. Aldis enters, holding a tray of three iced coffees. “Oh, good. I made it home just in time. I figured you guys could use some caffeine after a long day handling so much wood.”
“He’s got jokes,” Hawthorne says, taking one of the cups. “Thanks, man.”
I walk over, pausing to kiss him before I take a cup. “Thank you. Glad you’re here.”
He rubs my back. “Me too.”
“We’re going clubbing,” Hawthorne announces.
Aldis releases a surprised chuckle. “Um, okay. I’m down.”
“Great. I’ll be beating the men off you two with sticks all night.”
“Nah,” Aldis says. “They’ll see they don’t stand a chance with you in the room.”
“I agree,” Hawthorne says.
“Apparently, I have two charmers on my hands.”
Aldis grins. “You deserve it.”
* * *
ALDIS
What’s more fun than taking a guy to experience his first gay bar? There are a few things, but this is also at the top of the list. Hawthorne looks like an unsupervised child in a candy store. His head turns back and forth like a tennis match, catching all the gorgeous people milling about.
The club has a fantastic vibe. There’s a high-end feel with nice furniture, fancy fixtures, and great music. We got here early enough to find a table, so as the three of us sit, Bowen and I delight in watching Hawthorne find his footing.
A server comes over wearing a tiny miniskirt, sky-high heels, and a tube top. He lowers himself down to our level, balanced perfectly. Hawthorne is staring at him like he’s just seen a unicorn.
“Hello, darlings. Would you like table service?”
“We would. Bring us the best of whatever you’d like to drink.”
He smiles. “Perfect. I’m Dre. Be back soon.”
He walks away, swishing his hips like a runway model.
“Wow,” Thorne whispers. “He’s so awesome.”
“I had a femme phase,” I announce to surprised looks. “Not that I was the femme. I dated femme men.”