This Moody Bastard

  “I don’t want to talk about her. Seriously, I don’t. No offense, Essie.”

  “Sorry. I thought you’d want to know.”

  Max let out a sigh as he sat. “Sorry. I tried so hard not to involve everyone in our drama when that happened. Then I spent plenty of time ignoring her existence.”

  “Then I guess I shouldn’t tell you what Tilly said, huh?”

  He hung his head. “Go ahead.”

  “She thought it’d be a great idea if everyone starts frequenting that restaurant as often as possible.”

  Max slowly shook his head before sitting back in his chair. “Well, apparently Tilly does have a thing for humiliation play.”

  “No, she just hates your ex as much as the rest of us do. She has zero tolerance for asshats and users and predators.”

  “And that’s why we love her,” Cali said, reaching for the deck of cards.

  “Oh, did you hear about Brita?” Essie said.

  “What now?” Cali asked.

  “Stalker set fire to her car and hacked her niece’s school records. So she left.”

  “Left for where?” Sean asked.

  “Ethan doesn’t know. She left him a note. Apparently the stalker threatened to make her his hobby and harass her entire family. She’s worried about Ethan being outed and took off for a few weeks. He’s worried sick about her.”

  Max frowned. “That sucks.”

  “I wish there was something we could do for them,” Cali said. “She could have stayed with us.”

  She started to shuffle the cards. Suddenly, the aggravation she’d had dealing with Shane leaving her, moving, the apartment fire—everything—paled in comparison when she looked at other people’s problems.

  Like Mal and Kel losing their baby.

  I really am lucky.

  * * * *

  On the walk home that night, Cali slipped her hand into Max’s. “You okay?”

  He’d seemed to emerge from his funk as the game got started. Sean was always the more chatty of the two of them, but at least Max had participated in the banter once he seemed to shake off his somber mood.

  “I will be. I just wish Lydia would move out of the area and never be heard from again.”

  “Oh, I had a talk with my mom earlier today,” Cali said. “I meant to tell you, but you guys were in the workshop and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

  “And?” they asked.

  “She started hinting around if I was going to marry either one of you or give them grandchildren. I told her the marrying part wasn’t something any of the three of us were worried about, and no to the grandchildren.”

  Both men stopped and turned. “How’d she take that?” Max asked.

  “She wasn’t exactly happy, but what’s she going to do? They’re in Montana. I told her that I’d decided I didn’t want kids. Period. She’s got a grandcat. If she doesn’t want to accept Baxter, that’s her problem, not mine.”

  Sean snorted. “Did you tell her he’s a nip addict?”

  “Or that he’s addicted to rope bondage?” Max asked.

  “Or that he’s an Internet celebrity now?” Sean added.

  “No, no, and no. For obvious reasons. Have you guys talked to your parents lately?”

  Sean scratched the back of his neck. “Eh, I kind of dodged the question with my parents this past week.”

  “I haven’t talked to my parents in about two weeks,” Max admitted. “I’m a bad son, I guess. I really should call them and check in. At least they have Lisa to give them grandkids.” His younger sister was married and living in Arizona with her husband. They didn’t have kids yet, but it was apparently in their plan.

  Cali had finally met Sean’s parents, who came to Florida to visit over Christmas. They were understandably a little confused by the change in the men’s status from partners with each other to partners with Cali, but accepted her and the new status quo.

  Max’s parents seemed to be taking the “ignore it” tactic, which was pretty much the same tactic they’d taken with him when he’d admitted to them that he and Sean were partners.

  Not that they were nasty or anything. If they called the house and reached Cali, they were perfectly pleasant to her.

  They just…stayed far away from the topic of relationships with her, or with Sean.

  Once they returned home and locked the door behind them, Sean wrapped his arms around Cali from behind. “I’m feeling a little frisky. Want to test the plumbing with me?”

  She tipped her head back to look up into his blue eyes. “I’m guessing you’re feeling horny?”

  “Uh huh.” He didn’t grind his hips against her like he usually did, though.

  He’d been feeling frisky a couple of days earlier but accidentally bumped Max in the balls with his heel while shifting positions. That had left Max doubled-over in pain and killed the mood for both Cali and Sean out of sympathy.

  Ever since, the two men had acted a little more…cautious.

  Max stepped in and lowered his lips over hers, his hands reaching up to fondle her breasts over her shirt and bra. “I’m feeling a little frisky, too,” he said. Then added, “As long as someone keeps their fucking heels to themselves.”

  “Dude, I said I was sorry. I didn’t mean to nail you there.”

  “Yeah, I know you did, and you get to be on bottom tonight,” Max told him.

  Sean nibbled along the side of her neck. “Oh, fine. Be that way.” Cue melodramatic sigh. “I guess I’ll be forced to lick her pussy and suck your cock. Oh, whatever shall I do?”

  She reached behind her and smacked his ass. “Okay, enough. You two want to fuck or exchange verbal jabs all night, because Scrye left the Sybian here after the St. Patrick’s Day party. I can go take care of myself if you want to talk all night.”

  She hadn’t come since the last time they had, mostly because she’d been busy and feeling sorry for them.

  Although she had been looking forward to a little relief when the failure to launch happened.

  It didn’t take them long to lay out some decoy catnip to keep Baxter’s interest before they headed for bed. With Cali in a sixty-nine on top of Sean, Max knelt behind her and slowly fed his cock into her pussy.

  “Okay, you two,” Max said, already sounding close. “Let’s make this quick and simple and non-painful. I know we’re all sadistic masochists, but even I have my limits. Sean, stay away from my balls tonight, please, and thank you.”

  Sean gave him a thumbs-up.

  Sean and Cali happily got busy with each other, Cali not playing with Sean’s balls as much as she might normally during a blowjob. Sean eagerly went to work licking and sucking her clit.

  Cali settled in for the fun, enjoying the feel of Max’s bare cock fucking her. They usually fucked her bareback anyway in her pussy, because she was on the pill. It’d be a relief to have that done away with once they were given the all clear.

  Putting his hands to good use, Sean found her nipples and started playing with them, rolling them between his fingers, tweaking them, amplifying the pleasure he was already giving her with his mouth.

  Max’s hands settled on her hips. “That’s it, baby. Let him make you come so I can feel it around my cock.”

  Cali wanted to rock back and forth on top of Sean like she’d normally do when in this particular permutation with her men, but Max had apparently decided that wasn’t a wise idea and held her in place. With the firm grip he had on her, she wasn’t going anywhere.

  Sean’s hard cock easily slid back and forth between her lips, salty pre-cum rolling down her tongue with every stroke.

  Like this, they were perfection. She knew they’d made the right choice, even if some might think they were selfish for it.

  She didn’t ever want to give this up, what they had. Between what she’d gone through with Shane, and what they’d been through with Lydia, dammit, they’d earned this happiness.

  That was all that mattered.

  She’d enjoy every moment, every mo
an, every bit of time they had together.

  Especially since they’d seen how quickly life could change.

  Once her release started building and Sean sensed it, he grew relentless, licking and sucking and knowing exactly how to get the pleasure center in her brain to give up, give in, and give them what they wanted. She started moaning around Sean’s cock, which made him moan in response.

  “Yeah,” Max said. “Keep that up and you’ll have me blowing soon, too.”

  Cali crossed the finish line first, swallowing Sean’s cock all the way to his balls when she did, his shaft muffling her moans. Sean blew next, Cali barely even tasting his cum since the head of his cock was so far down her throat.

  “Ohhh, yeeeaahhh.” Max finished up with several hard thrusts before falling still. He stroked her ass, her back, a contented sigh escaping him. “That was good.”

  Untangling, they’d just gotten settled when the house phone rang. Which was unusual, because most people tried to call them on their cell phones.

  Sean was closer to the bedroom door and got up to walk out and see who it was. They heard him talking to someone, his voice growing clearer as he walked back to the bedroom with it.

  “Hold on.” Sean moved the phone away from his mouth. “It’s Ethan. I already know the answer to this, but to be sure, neither of you have heard from Brita, have you?”

  Max and Cali shook their heads.

  “Sorry. They just confirmed no contact with her. … Yeah, wish I could help you. Look, when you find her, she’s welcome to stay here with us. … I know. But seriously, it’s all right. We’re out, and—right. Okay. Good luck.” He ended the call and stood there, staring at the handset for a moment.

  “Is he okay?” Max asked.

  Sean looked nothing like his usually playful self. “No. He sounded like hell. He’s worried to death about her. Obviously, if we hear from her, we need to let him know.”

  “He must be worried if he’s calling us,” Max said. “I mean, I would think there are others she’d go to before us.”

  “Exactly. He’s working his way through anyone he can think of who she might have reached out to or had contact with.”

  “Is she in trouble?” Cali asked.

  “Well, not legal trouble. He’s worried about her safety more than anything. Someone being an asshole on the Internet is one level of crazy, but finding out where she lives and setting fire to her car, not to mention hacking her niece’s school’s server, is another.”

  Cali cuddled a little closer to Max while Sean carried the phone back out to its base.

  “I don’t envy them,” Max said. “That really sucks.”

  “Yeah. I guess there are worse things to have happen than asshole exes.”

  “Word.”

  Chapter Seven

  In the past week, besides being gentle with each other’s junk, the men had gotten busy in the garage. Even teaching Cali how to make one of their most popular paddles so she could help out.

  She’d been wanting to learn more about the manufacturing end of things so she could take up some slack in her spare time.

  Not that she had a lot of spare time, but at least she could feel more productive.

  So the next evening, Cali, Max, and Sean loaded up a selection of items to replenish what had been sold at Venture, including a couple of new pieces, and headed off to Sigalo’s for dinner with the gang. Despite last night, Cali noticed neither was acting quite as frisky and sadistic as they usually did, and the men were still gingerly handling each other’s family jewels.

  Well, that’s one good thing. They’re not being jerks to each other over it.

  Ross and Loren were at dinner, as were Gabe and Bill.

  Cali grabbed seats across from them. “Any sign of Brita yet?”

  They shook their heads. “She hid well,” Bill said. “I’m not sure if Ethan’s more proud of her, or worried about her, or mad at her.”

  “Do you think she’s okay?”

  “Oh, I’m sure she’s okay, wherever she is. She’s safe.”

  “Did they catch the guy who set fire to her car yet?” Max asked.

  “No.” Bill took a sip of water. “At this point, the guy better hope the detectives assigned to the case are the ones who find him and not Ethan. He’s ready to strangle someone with his bare hands. He’s beside himself worried about Brita.”

  “I was a little surprised when he called us last night looking for her,” Sean said. “I mean, we know her, but not that well.”

  “He’s covering all his bases. That’s part of the job. He doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned.”

  “No chance she went to stay with her parents?” Cali asked. “Maybe they’re lying for her?”

  Bill shook his head. “I can’t reveal a lot, because I’m not directly involved in the case. But from what Ethan told me, there were specific threats made against her family members. If she is with someone she knows, it’ll be someone no one is thinking about right now or expecting it to be. Someone who can’t easily be traced back to her through social media.”

  “Remind me to change all our account passwords when I get home,” she said to Sean.

  Not that it mattered for them personally in terms if someone knew about their kinky lives. They were out, their work knew about them being partners with each other as well as Cali, and they had nothing to fear. What Cali worried about was if someone ever hacked into their website and got the customer list and shipping information.

  No credit card numbers were stored on their server, though. That was all handled through the credit card processor, giving at least one layer of security to things.

  When they finished dinner, they headed to the club. They hadn’t intended to do anything other than drop off the inventory and collect a check from Marcia for the items that had been sold. But as they were talking, she put wristbands on them, had them sign in, and waved them inside, not letting them pay.

  “We get people coming in just to look at the stuff for sale,” she said. “Go on. Freebie on me tonight.”

  “Thanks,” Cali said.

  So they wandered in and started chatting with people.

  They’d been there maybe thirty minutes when Essie arrived with two of her three men, Josh and Ted Collins.

  “Where’s Mark?” Cali asked. “I didn’t think you guys were coming out tonight.”

  “We hadn’t planned on coming. We actually went to a movie and got out earlier than we thought we would. Mark stayed home with Eddie because he didn’t feel like seeing it. That, and he had a burrito at lunch that apparently didn’t agree with him. Thought we’d stop by and hang out for a little while.”

  “Ah.”

  Essie smiled. “Yeah, I’m giving him another hour or so for the Imodium to really do its stuff. He was getting pretty…aromatic there when we left. When he volunteered to stay home if we wanted to go out, we kinda bailed on him.”

  Josh smirked. “Hey, I told him that gas-station burrito looked sketchy. It’s his own damn fault.”

  “Oh, you have to be shitting me,” Ted muttered.

  Cali had been standing with her back to the office door. At Ted’s tone, she spotted where his gaze was focused, then turned to look.

  She wished she hadn’t.

  Shane, with a young woman who barely looked older than eighteen, had just walked through the door.

  Essie started to take an angry step forward when Ted and Josh each grabbed an arm and hauled her back.

  “No,” they both said. “Prison orange isn’t your color any more than it is Tilly’s,” Josh added.

  “I’m willing to try it and see.”

  When Cali felt a pain in her palms, she realized she’d clenched both her fists tightly, her nails digging into her flesh.

  Worse, the asshole spotted her and headed over, his toy in tow.

  Cali pasted a smile on her face and pictured him in a fast-food uniform and working the same shift with Lydia.

  “Hey, Cali.”

  ?
??Hello, Shane.”

  “Um, thanks for letting Derrick unban me. I appreciate it.”

  “You’re the only one,” Essie snarked.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Cali glanced over at the man’s voice. Turned out it was Gilo, in full-on slave garb, including a leather hood. It looked like Abbey was having an impossible time controlling him. She was trying to lead him back toward where she’d apparently been about to tie him to a bench.

  When she wouldn’t stop trying to grab his arm and drag him away, he spun her around, bent her over, and grabbed her by the hair, taking all the fight out of her.

  Cali wasn’t altogether sure if Gilo took a swing at Shane that all the other guys wouldn’t join him. “Gilo, it’s—”

  Shane held a hand up. “Whoa, Derrick unbanned me. Cali said it was okay.”

  Seth and Leah had wandered over and were glaring at Shane.

  “I didn’t know they were letting scumbags in now,” Seth said.

  Before Shane could say something in reply, Cali decided to put an end to it. “You know, Shane, I have to thank you.”

  Everyone appeared shocked, Shane most of all. “Thank me?”

  “Yeah. Thank you for cheating on me, dumping me, and leaving me penniless. I don’t even mean that in a snarky kind of way.”

  “I would,” Leah said.

  “So would I,” Gilo added.

  “I had to do a lot of struggling,” Cali continued. “Lot of shit happened. But, in the end, I ended up with Sean and Max. Best thing that ever happened to me. Never would have happened if you hadn’t cheated on me.”

  She smiled and offered him her hand to shake. “So, thank you for cheating on me.”

  Shane stared at her hand for a moment before finally shaking with her. Now the girl with him looked like she’d rather be anywhere but there.

  Maybe even with anyone but him.

  “Um…sorry.”

  Cali waved it away. “No, no need to apologize. That’s water under the bridge. Done. In the past.”

  “So…we’re good?”

  A rolling laugh escaped Cali. “Oh, we are absolutely not good.” She grinned. “Are you kidding me? You’re a piece of shit. But considering some of the revenge fantasies I’ve heard come out of Essie’s mouth here on my behalf, you’d better be thanking your lucky stars Tilly isn’t here tonight. I mean, damn. I would not want to be you. She broke her hand punching a guy she considers a friend. I can only imagine what the hell she’ll do to you if Cris and Landry aren’t around to rein her in.”