Gio took a swig of his beer, aware that the smile hadn’t slid off his face pretty much since he and Rafe had decided to become roommates and business partners. They’d hashed out the particulars with a lawyer this morning and once the contract was written, they would sign. He’d been chomping at the bit to begin work, something Rafe had noticed. Since the deal was as good as made, they’d decided to just go ahead and get started. Gio had given his landlord notice.
He’d already spent the past two weeks sorting through his stuff—even though Rafe gave him shit for putting the horse before the cart. Since they were moving forward, now all he had to do was decide what to take to the mansion, what to pitch, what to sell, and what to move into storage.
“Everything ready for the move next weekend?” Rafe asked, absentmindedly petting Cricket, who was dozing on his lap.
“Yep. I’ve recruited the guys, who’ve all agreed to the standard arrangement. Beer, pizza, and strained muscles.”
“Maybe we should make a full weekend of it, and they can help me clear some shit out my townhouse as well,” Rafe said. “I’m trying to decide if I want to put it on the market or rent it out. No point in it sitting empty, since we’ll be living in the haunted mansion for God only knows how long.”
“You might sell it?”
Rafe shrugged. “I’ve gotten kind of used to living away from the hubbub of the city, and I’m not looking forward to dealing with my loud neighbors again. I swear to God I could hear every single one of their fights through the wall connecting our townhouses. I’ve gotten spoiled by the quiet of this place. There’s a caretaker’s cottage behind the mansion. I’ve been thinking that maybe I’ll move in there once the inn is ready to open. Or fuck it, I might just buy a proper house with a bit of land. I’ve got some money to play with these days,” he said with a wink.
“You’ve got a lot of money to play with, you rich bastard. And a new, practical-sized house sounds nice. Of course, we might have to spring for a few buckets of chicken too, if we try to talk the guys into moving two houses’ worth of shit,” Gio said.
Gio and Rafe had helped pretty much every other guy in their group of friends move into their current homes—always paid in beer and pizza—but they’d never done a two-fer. This house of Rafe’s grandpa had been cold and dark for too long, and he was looking forward to bringing a little life to the place.
While he knew it was just a temporary living situation for both of them, Gio couldn’t help but shake the idea that this change was just the start of many. He was pushing thirty-three, and lately, he’d been starting to feel like he had fuck-all to show for his life. He was committed to the family business and proud of all they’d accomplished, but there was a large part of him that still longed for something more, something that was his own. Taking on the mansion renovation project and investing in a new business fueled his creative juices and got his blood pumping.
But he was hoping to change more than just the professional front. His personal life needed a kick in the ass as well.
Keeley’s comment about never having a long-term boyfriend had resonated with him. Probably because he hadn’t broken her four-month streak by much. As he’d confessed, most of his relationships petered out somewhere between the six- to ten-month range, his last ending a few months ago.
He glanced to the other side of the couch and forced himself to acknowledge why the last few relationships had failed. It was because of Rafe.
Because of Gio’s desire to find not only the perfect woman for himself but also the perfect one for them.
It was a fool’s errand because the older they got, the more Gio had come to realize that Rafe was serious about never marrying. He’d watched Rafe walk away from too many women who’d wanted commitments over the years, his emotions never once engaged. Rafe had previously confessed that he didn’t believe himself capable of feeling love, something Gio had dismissed at the time, but now he feared it might be true.
Maybe it was time for Gio to give up the dream and strike out on his own.
Rafe clicked the remote, scrolling for something to watch but finding nothing. They’d settled on the couch a half hour earlier with their beers and planned to order Chinese delivery later.
“What the hell is the deal in this room?” Gio asked. “It’s colder than a witch’s tit in here.”
Rafe shrugged. “I have no idea. Sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s freezing. I’ve checked the windows and they’re airtight. Nothing to explain the change in temperature.”
“I’m surprised we can’t see our breath.”
“Blame Albert and Marta.” Rafe tried to brush it off as a joke, but Gio suspected his friend now truly believed the house was inhabited by the spirits of his grandparents. Even Gio had to admit it was hard not to. He didn’t even live here yet, but in the last couple weeks, he’d witnessed enough to convince him. Doors slamming, footsteps in empty rooms, the cold drafts in windowless areas.
The funny part was, the ghosts seemed most attracted to Keeley, though none of them could decide if it was a good or bad fascination. Regardless, it was her things constantly getting moved around. Pens and folders from her table kept finding their way to Rafe’s desk. One day, the jacket she swore she’d hung up on the coatrack was discovered on the couch. And Keeley still insisted that her phone had been in her purse when she’d left for her date with Joel a couple weeks earlier.
They also seemed to get a kick out of pushing her—or so Keeley said. He and Rafe were still convinced she was just clumsy and tripping over the rugs, and Rafe had started teasing her that she needed to learn how to pick her feet up when she walked.
Gio rubbed his hands together, seeking warmth. “We’re going to have to start leaving a stack of blankets in here if they insist on playing this way.”
Rafe snorted but didn’t disagree, turning his attention back to the TV in search of a hockey game or movie they could watch. Maybe they should consider going out. Gio wasn’t in the mood to shiver all freaking evening.
They’d invited Keeley to stay in with them tonight, but she had yet another date courtesy of Tinder. Gio wished she would get off the damn dating apps once and for all.
Rafe had asked her where she was going, but unfortunately, this time she’d gotten wise to them, resolutely refusing to tell them where the guy was taking her.
“Think we should have insisted that she tell us where she was going? Doesn’t seem safe for a young woman to go out with a man she doesn’t know and not tell someone where she’s going to be,” Gio said.
“I said that to her,” Rafe replied, not in the least surprised by Gio’s abrupt topic change. “She assured me that Kayden had her location on Find My Friends, plus Liza and Gianna both know the guy’s name and where she’ll be. She’s not reckless, Gio.”
“Yeah,” he grumped, not feeling much better. He knew Keeley was smart enough not to put herself in dangerous situations, but that still left him on the outside tonight, unable to step in if she needed him…and that was starting to rub against the grain in a way he couldn’t quite explain.
“Besides, we already crashed one date. There’s no way we’d get away with pulling that again.”
“And you’re okay with not knowing where she is or if she’s safe.”
“Truthfully? Not even a little bit. But I’m better at keeping my inner caveman under control.” Rafe gave him a shit-eating grin. “Damn if she doesn’t have a knack for picking the wrong guy though.”
“Tell me about it. It took everything I had not to drag her out of Saloon when I saw her sitting with Joel. The guy is a total prick. I told Tony what he said to Keeley, and we’ve taken his family’s store off our vendor list. They’re not getting another penny from Moretti Restorations.”
Rafe’s grin widened. “I like the way you get revenge.”
“Still would have preferred to teach the guy a lesson the old-fashioned way, but Keeley needed us with her more. I didn’t like how sad she looked. Not used to seeing her without a smile on her face.”
“Same. But at least our girl has enough self-esteem not to let his cruelty stick.”
Gio nodded, though he wasn’t agreeing with Rafe’s assessment of Keeley, so much as the word our.
Unfortunately, Gio was sure Rafe wasn’t using it the way he was starting to hope they could.
“Our girl?” he asked anyway.
Rafe looked over at him and sighed. “No,” he corrected. “Not ours. Slip of the tongue. Don’t go there.”
Gio considered contradicting that statement, but he held his peace instead.
He hadn’t meant to be quite so forthright with Keeley about his thoughts regarding a threesome relationship. His sex life—well, his and Rafe’s sex life—was something they protected fiercely. No one in his family or in their circle of friends knew just how close he and Rafe really were.
Several years ago, his sister, Layla, had traveled from Baltimore to Philly with her new partners in tow. He and Rafe had gone to dinner with her, Miguel, and Finn. Afterwards, he and Rafe had gotten into a long, frank discussion about ménages. They both expressed an interest in participating in one. So…they did.
Jennifer Rodriguez, a woman from Rafe’s workplace, had been putting out signals that she was attracted to him. He’d invited her to join him and Gio for happy hour, just to test the waters. Their desire for a ménage had come up after a few pitchers of beer, and they’d both been shocked when Jennifer agreed to try it with them.
It had been…incredible. Eye-opening. Life-changing for Gio.
They’d embarked on a month-long sex-fest, the three of them insatiable.
Things changed when Jennifer’s interest drifted away from the “just sex” range. Gio had been ready to make the leap into a committed threesome. Rafe had not. So Rafe stepped away, and Gio and Jennifer had continued dating for six months before the bloom was off the rose and the relationship ended.
They’d repeated that same pattern two more times, always the same thing. The ménage sex would be awesome, but the moment the woman caught feelings, Rafe would back away, leaving Gio in the exclusive relationship. Rafe always insisted Gio needed to give the woman a chance at a true relationship—one not based merely on sex—since he was the one looking for a wife.
Their last shared affair had been with an ex-girlfriend of Gio’s from high school, Jill Patrick. After Rafe bowed out, Gio had dated Jill for close to four months before remembering why they’d broken up back in high school. Since then, neither of them had dated anyone.
Gio had replayed the night with Keeley after her failed date with Joel countless times over the past two weeks, imagining himself and Rafe taking her out…taking her together. If it had been any other woman, he would have already made the suggestion to Rafe. But Gio wasn’t sure he could put himself through another threesome if his friend was just going to walk away again, and—most importantly—it was Keeley. There was too much at stake if things went south, and he wasn’t just thinking about his friendship with Kayden anymore. He was thinking about losing his friendship with her.
Although…the more time he spent with her, the more he realized she could be the perfect woman for him.
Maybe even for them.
He pushed that last thought away. Rafe had made his feelings regarding love and marriage very—VERY—clear. And he’d seen firsthand how quickly Rafe withdrew the moment women wanted more. He didn’t want Keeley to suffer the same rejection if it came to that.
Rafe took another drink of beer, and Gio thought his friend had managed to let his concern for Keeley go. Until he said, “You know, if this was a month ago, we wouldn’t even know Keeley was on a date.”
Gio grimaced. “Are you trying to tell me ignorance is bliss?”
“Maybe.”
Rafe had a point. Neither of them was used to spending so much time with Keeley or knowing so many intimate details about her life. Prior to her working with Rafe, they only saw each other at occasional social outings, always surrounded by a bunch of other people.
Since she’d returned home from college—boisterous, funny, beautiful—Gio had taken more notice of her than he cared to admit. But he’d always managed to keep the attraction at bay, simply by recalling Kayden was his friend. And while there was no actual bro-code—contrary to what Keeley thought—he still wasn’t sure how his friend would feel about him asking her out.
In the past few weeks, Gio had seen her nearly every single day, and he’d become way too interested in her comings and goings. The possessiveness he’d felt the night of the storm had already tripled, making it hard for him to concentrate on anything that wasn’t…her.
“We could ask Kayden to check her location on Find My Friends for us. We’d have the information in one quick text,” Gio mused.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
Gio snorted. “I think you know me well enough to answer that yourself.”
The fact that Rafe sat up—Cricket grumpily jumping to the floor after being jostled—and grabbed his phone from the coffee table told Gio his friend wasn’t as casual about Keeley’s date as he pretended.
“What the hell am I supposed to say?” Rafe pondered after pulling up Kayden’s contact info.
“Let’s play on the last date’s excuse. Tell him she left her wallet here, and we want to take it to her on our way out to grab some dinner.”
“Sticking with a classic, I see,” Rafe joked, even as he texted the request. Before hitting send, he asked, “What if he asks why we didn’t just text her ourselves?”
Gio considered that. “Tell him we knew she would tell us she didn’t need it, but we don’t think she should be out without her ID and credit cards.”
“Preying on her brother’s insecurities. Nice.”
Gio chuckled. “Just text him.”
They waited a few seconds, and Kayden responded.
Founding Fathers. And thanks for looking out for her.
Gio rose. “You know, I’ve been craving those cheesesteaks ever since we talked about them. What do you say we move our happy hour over there? It’s too cold here.”
Rafe rose a bit reluctantly. “I still don’t think this is a good idea.”
“So noted.” Gio didn’t let that fact stop him, though, and mercifully, Rafe let him off the hook, offering to drive.
They walked to the car and Gio kicked back in the passenger seat.
When Rafe turned onto the highway, he broke the silence that had fallen between them. “You know, Keeley said if this date failed, she was coming off of Tinder for a while.”
“Well, that’s good, at least,” Gio said.
Rafe shook his head. “Not really. I’ve seen one of the waiters from Eclectic chatting her up every time she spends the day working out of that office.”
Gio scowled. “Who’s the guy?”
Rafe shrugged, changing lanes. “Fuck if I know. I put everything on hold when Grandpa was dying, and since then, I’ve felt like a hamster in a wheel, spinning and spinning and getting nowhere. Of course, with Keeley’s help, it’s been getting a little bit better each day. I’m seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. But as far as learning the names and stories of all the employees…I got nothing,” Rafe added after a brief pause.
“Maybe you should check him out.”
Rafe turned to look at him, but he didn’t call him out or question his intentions. Which was good because Gio didn’t have a clue what he was doing in regard to Keeley.
He’d lost control of the narrative somewhere between the first and second kisses.
“You haven’t dated anyone since Jill.” And so it began. Rafe was going on a fishing expedition.
“You haven’t either.”
“I wasn’t dating her,” Rafe correcting. “She and I were just hooking up, exploring a kink together.”
Gio nodded, uncertain where his friend was going with this. He decided to be patient and let it play out.
“I’m just kind of curious why you haven’t been dating anyone,” Rafe pressed.
“I haven’t met anyone I’m interested in asking.”
“You told Keeley you wanted a threesome relationship,” Rafe pointed out.
“Not exactly,” Gio corrected. “I said I wouldn’t rule one out.”
“You were skirting pretty close to something we’ve never shared with any of our friends before.”
Gio wondered if Rafe was pissed off about that. “I didn’t mention our affairs. Rafe, what we did…with Jennifer and Vanessa and Jill…I liked it. A lot.”
“So did I. But, Gio, it was just sex for me. I’m not going to be a permanent part of any equation you cook up. I know you want what Tony and Layla have, but I’m not your guy. You know that, right?”
Gio sighed. Sadly, he did. So he decided, for Rafe’s sake, to take the pressure off.
“I know that. And like I said, I’m not actively seeking a committed threesome. I know what we do is just sex. I’d be very happy to settle down in a monogamous marriage with the right woman.”
He was glad Rafe had brought up this subject because some things had been rattling around in the back of his head since his breakup with Jill. With Rafe’s grandpa dying, it had never felt like the right time to bring it up.
Now, well, Gio was about to prove that no one had ever accused him of being too bright.
Impulsive—yes.
The type to follow his gut over common sense—yes.
But bright—nope. Not once.
And he was about to demonstrate that again. “And I get what you’re saying about not wanting a relationship. I know how you feel about love and marriage and that you’re not going to change your mind. It’s just that lately, I want…I want us to do it again. I haven’t gotten my fill of,” Gio forced himself to use Rafe’s word for it, even though it felt wrong, “that kink yet.”
Rafe fell silent, but Gio didn’t press him for an answer. He never spoke without thinking, a skill Gio should probably try to learn from him.
“Did you have someone in mind?” he asked at last.
Gio rubbed his jaw, then looked at his best friend, debating whether or not it would be wise to let the desires he’d only managed to half hide come out completely. “Maybe I do.”
“She’s different, Gio,” Rafe said—and he realized they were on the exact same page when it came to Keeley.
“I know that,” he was quick to reply.
Rafe looked at him for a second. “I’m not sure you do.”
Gio wasn’t sure how to respond. Because he knew exactly how Keeley was different. She wasn’t some woman they’d picked up at a bar. She was Kayden’s sister and a friend in her own right. There was a hell of a lot more to lose if things didn’t work out.
But if they did…Gio could see the future he’d always dreamed about, but never imagined finding, becoming a reality.
Rafe misinterpreted his silence, so he went on, trying to convince Gio. “When we share a woman…the sex is great, hot. The problem is when we keep doing it. There seems to be a natural progression in these affairs, and I can’t take that next leap. Not even with Keeley. I’m not looking for a relationship. Love and commitment and all that shit just aren’t in my genetic makeup. You know that.”
“Bullshit,” Gio said. “It’s not that you can’t take that next leap. It’s that you’ve just never wanted to.”
“Same difference.”
Gio shook his head. “Not even close.”
Rafe shrugged casually, which proved just how often they’d had this same fight. Every time Rafe pulled away from the women they shared, Gio fought to keep him in. Always to no avail.
After Jill, Gio started to believe the relationships he’d continued without his best friend were destined to fail because Gio wanted Rafe there…for the whole shebang. The sex, the love, the forever.
Which wouldn’t bode well for either of their futures.
Keeley was different. Rafe was right about that. He just didn’t understand how.
Because Gio’s future wasn’t looking quite as bleak or as lonely as it had a few weeks earlier.
If Rafe continued to push back against this idea, Gio would go it alone, asking Keeley out and attempting to make a real, lasting relationship with her.
“We’re here,” Rafe said, dropping the conversation completely.
Gio considered continuing it, but he decided to leave it alone for now.
“What’s our play?” Rafe asked as they got out of the car. “I’m sort of new to this date-crashers gig of ours.”
Gio forced a laugh. “Let’s wing it.”
Rafe nodded but then gripped his arm, holding him back just before they reached the door. “Don’t kiss Keeley again.”
Gio thought he’d gotten a bye, but he’d been wrong. “What?”
“I don’t think…” Rafe swallowed heavily. “I don’t think it’s smart.”
Gio wanted to refute that fact, wanted to say it was starting to feel like the smartest thing he’d done in a long time, but there was something in Rafe’s eyes that caused him to hold back.
“Because of Kayden?” Gio asked, though he was certain Keeley’s brother had nothing to do with his friend’s reticence.
“Just…don’t do it again.” Rafe walked on, while Gio stood there a moment longer, pondering what he’d just witnessed.
Rafe was usually very good at shielding his emotions, but not this time. Because Gio could plainly see he wasn’t the only one suffering a bad case of desire for one Ms. Keeley Gallo.
However, while Gio was open to acting on his attraction, Rafe was fighting it with everything he had.
As soon as they entered the bar, they spotted Keeley, sitting alone at a table near the makeshift stage. The crowd around the bar was gearing up to watch tonight’s hockey game on the big-screen TV.
They paused for a moment, unseen by her. Gio glanced around the bar.
“Think her date is in the restroom?” Rafe mused.
Gio looked back at the table and shook his head. “No. There’s only one drink on the table. Come on. I don’t like this.”
They walked toward her, Keeley’s eyes widening when she saw them. “Oh my God. What are you doing here? Is this going to become a thing?”
Gio pulled out a chair, sitting without an invitation. “Date over already?”
Keeley sighed. “It never started. Asshole stood me up.”
Gio shook his head. “Keeley—”
She raised her hand. “Don’t start. I already know what you’re going to say.”
Rafe reached over and placed his hand atop hers. “I’m sorry it didn’t go the way you hoped. Did he text you at least, offer an explanation?”
She shook her head. “No. I’ve been here forty-five minutes. I texted him fifteen minutes ago. I can see that he’s read the message, but he hasn’t replied. He’s ghosting me for some reason.”
“Good riddance.” Gio grinned, though he suspected that probably wasn’t the right response. Regardless, there was no denying his mood had just gone from concerned over Keeley and annoyed at Rafe, to downright happy to be alone with the two of them in one-point-two seconds.
Something Rafe definitely took note of, given his pensive, somewhat anxious expression.
Keeley, thankfully, remained oblivious to the undercurrents at the table, finishing her glass of wine and not looking too terribly upset.
Gio sighed, wondering again if he was a fool for wanting this. Because there was too much to lose.
She was Keeley, Kayden’s little sister, and a friend.
Rafe was his best friend, and soon-to-be business partner and roommate.
Adding anything else to either mix would be reckless and dangerous.
And even as that thought came, he knew if the opportunity presented itself, he was going to be reckless and dangerous. He blamed his Moretti genes.
“To be honest,” Keeley said, “it was probably one of my better dates. The conversation hasn’t been awkward, he’s obviously not hard to look at, and since you owe me for crashing another date, you’re now buying my drink.” She laughed at her own joke. “And food. How about a plate of wings?”
Rafe shook his head. “We came for cheesesteaks.”
Keeley seemed to like that idea better. She raised her hand for the waiter. “Never mind on the check,” she said. “We’d like to order food.”
“Of course,” the waiter said. “Let me grab you some menus. Would you like drinks?” he asked Rafe and Gio.
“A pitcher of Yuengling,” Gio said, looking at Keeley’s empty wineglass. “And three frosty mugs.”
“You got it.”
The waiter left to get their drinks and menus.
“You sure you’re okay?” Rafe asked again.
“In case you guys haven’t noticed, none of my dates end well. This is pretty much par for the course.”
“I have noticed,” Rafe said. “Maybe you should give Tinder a rest for a little while.”
“Oh, totally,” Keeley agreed. “I’m going to take a page from Gio’s book.”
Gio frowned. “What’s that mean?”
Keeley leaned her elbows on the table, shifting closer to Rafe, giving him an adorable, playful grin. “How do you feel about dating amongst employees at Baros Corporation?”
Was Keeley coming on to Rafe?
Rafe was silent for a moment, no doubt letting her words sink in. Gio sat there, as dumbfounded as his friend, expecting some ugly emotion to appear.
Shouldn’t he be jealous? Upset that she was expressing interest in Rafe?
Gio waited. And…nothing. It felt like all the common sense in the world wasn’t going to help him stop his wayward, wicked thoughts. Because the truth was, he wanted Keeley, and he wanted Rafe there too, for as long as he was willing to stay.
Kayden was going to kick his ass.
Before Rafe could reply to her question, the waiter arrived with their beer and the menus, even though they all knew what they wanted.
“I’ll take a Philly cheesesteak and fries,” Rafe ordered, looking around the table.
Keeley and Gio both said, “Same,” and the waiter left to place their order in the kitchen.
“What do you mean about employees dating?” Rafe finally asked.
“Chad asked me out,” she confessed.
“Who the fuck is Chad?” Gio blurted out, louder than he’d intended.
Keeley leaned back, surprised by his outburst. “He’s a waiter at Eclectic.”
Gio had forgotten about the guy at the nightclub. He shot Rafe a glance, and he could see his friend grappling for an answer. Keeley had given him the perfect opportunity to put the kibosh on her dating Chad—he just had to say no company hanky-panky—but Rafe was too fucking nice to take it. More than that, he probably saw this as a way of keeping Gio, and maybe himself, away from her.
“Do you want to go out with him?” Rafe asked.
Keeley shrugged. “We’ve talked a few times, and he seems like a nice guy. At least I wouldn’t be going into the date blind. We’ve met in person and he’s cute. So…yeah, I guess.”
Rafe nodded. “Okay. Fine. I don’t see a problem with that.” And while his friend’s words seemed reasonable and calm, Gio couldn’t help but get the sense Rafe wasn’t as unaffected by Keeley’s request as he was acting.
Gio was long overdue for a couple of heart-to-hearts—first with the man in the mirror, and then with Rafe. Because he could feel a shift not only in himself but in his friend as well. And Keeley was at the center of it.
He considered Kayden yet again and blew out a long, slow breath, trying to figure where the hell he was supposed to go from here. Because if he continued to pursue this, there was a chance it wouldn’t be just one of Kayden’s buddies taking his sister to bed. It would be two.
He put those thoughts away for now because they were a million miles from that possibility becoming a reality. Rafe wasn’t on board…yet.
So tonight, they were just three friends hanging out.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Keeley started. “Now that you guys are going to be roommates and renovating the haunted mansion, I think it would be cool to film you working on it.”
“Film it? Why?” Rafe asked.
“Think about it. I capture some video as you two are working, you can talk about the ghosts, the history of the mansion, the renovation work. It would be great marketing for the inn. Amazing promotion. I can almost guarantee if the videos take off, the inn would be booked out for months before it even opens.” Then, because she was Keeley and too adorable for words, she added, “And if you take off your shirts when you’re hot and sweaty, I can also guarantee women will be lining the block to spend a night or two with you…I mean, with your ghosts.”
Gio scoffed. “I’ll leave the TV star shit to Joey. He loves being the center of attention, mugging for the camera and all that crap.”
“I’m being serious about this. I’ve given it some thought, and I really do think it would be a great way to promote the inn. I mean, you obviously want the business to be a success, right?”
“Of course we do,” Rafe said, “But—”
“Don’t say no yet. Just promise you’ll think about it. Or better yet, I’ll get some raw footage when you start working. I’ll put it together, you can watch it, and you can make your decision then. After you see what I have in mind, you’ll know I’m right.”
One look at Keeley’s face, and Gio knew they hadn’t heard the last about this. Regardless, he was determined to keep his answer a no.
But before he could say that, Rafe answered for them. “We’ll think about it.”
She smiled brightly. So brightly, Gio realized there was a good chance he’d get roped into this just because she wanted to do it so badly. Then he considered the perks. With her doing the recording, he’d get to spend even more time with her.
Gio sighed, then caught sight of someone approaching them in his peripheral vision. From the sudden resigned look on Rafe’s face, he knew it wasn’t someone he wanted to see.
“Hey, Gio, Rafe.”
Gio pasted a fake smile on his face as he turned to greet Jill.
Jill was a pleasant enough woman, but once she got her hooks in a man, she was relentless. He’d had to block her number two weeks after their breakup because she kept blowing his phone up with calls and texts.
That had been his reason for dumping her in high school, which—like an idiot—he’d forgotten. He’d tried to console himself with the fact it had been fifteen years, and there’d been a chance she had changed. She hadn’t. If anything, she’d gotten worse.
“Jill,” Rafe said with a single nod.
“It’s so great to see you both. I was sorry to hear about your grandpa,” she said to Rafe.
He acknowledged the kind words. “Thank you.”
“I haven’t heard from you in a while.” Jill was looking pointedly at Gio, who didn’t have a clue why she thought she would. He’d told her the relationship was over, and when she suggested they be friends, he assured her the best thing was that they not see each other anymore.
“I told you that you wouldn’t,” Gio said, trying for gentle, but managing nothing better than an annoyed growl.
Then Jill finally noticed Keeley at the table. “Oh. I’m sorry. Are you guys on a date?”
Gio didn’t respond because that question might lead to a conversation that revealed more than Keeley knew. Time to end the interaction now before Jill said anything more. “It was good to see you, Jill. Have a nice night,” he said dismissively.
For once, she got the message, walking away without putting up a fuss.
Keeley’s brow was creased in confusion. “You dated her, right?” she asked Gio.
He nodded.
“And you broke it off?”
“Yes,” Gio replied. “A few months ago.”
“Why would she think we were all on a date? Who goes on a date with their best friend?”
Gio tried to brush off the question. “Probably a slip of the tongue.”
He should have known better than to try something that lame with Keeley. She was too smart. “I don’t think it was,” she mused.
“Leave it alone, Kiwi,” Rafe warned, which was the equivalent to waving a red flag in front of her.
“Did you date her?” she asked Rafe.
He shook his head. Rafe wasn’t lying. He hadn’t dated her.
But…Keeley wasn’t backing down. “Did you sleep with her?”
Rafe held her gaze for a long time, and Gio could see him debating his response. Finally, he gave her the truth. “Yes.”
“At the same time as Gio.” It wasn’t a question.
Rafe sighed. “What part of ‘leave it alone’ are you struggling with?”
Keeley grinned, then turned her head, putting Gio on the hot seat. “Were you both sleeping with her literally at the same time?”
Gio nodded, despite the daggers Rafe’s gaze lobbed in his direction.
“So that threesome thing you mentioned wanting wasn’t hypothetical. You’ve actually gone there, done it.”
“It was just sex,” Rafe explained, jumping in quickly. His friend clearly wanted to spin things his way. “The two of us were exploring a kink. It was nothing more than that.”
“Is Jill the only woman you’ve ever shared?” she asked.
Gio shook his head, but Rafe had reached his limit on explanations.
“This conversation is over,” he stressed.
Studying Rafe’s face, Keeley finally nodded and let it go, clearly not willing to upset him.
But Gio knew she’d be back with more questions later. He could practically see them swarming in her mind.
The next two hours passed in laughter as they devoured their cheesesteaks, watching Elio play hockey on the big-screen TVs hanging from nearly every wall.
Once the game ended, they walked out together. Keeley had taken an Uber to the bar, so Rafe—their DD—offered to drive her home. They discussed the game the entire way to her place. Keeley was as avid a hockey fan as they were—maybe more.
Of course, that wasn’t exactly surprising. All of his friends, brothers, and cousins were die-hard hockey fans, or more accurately, hard-core Philly fans. The sport didn’t matter. Most of them played either high school hockey or football throughout their teens.
When Kayden moved back into his family home after his parents’ deaths, he’d hosted a weekly hockey night for their big group of guys. Keeley was always there, sitting on the floor, yelling at the players, the goalies, the refs, and the coaches as much as they did. She’d grown up hanging out with them. Probably a lot more than most kid sisters. But that was to be expected.
After all, Kayden was overprotective to a fault, so she spent way too many of her teen years being dragged along to Eagles—let’s go birds!—games and poker nights, so he could keep an eye on her. And he’d been right to do so.
Liza had once compared her to a preacher’s kid, the type of teenager who constantly chomped at the bit. Keeley had a bit of a wild side, so she hadn’t made things easy on her brother when she was in high school. She was a social butterfly at heart, something her parents had found easier to accept than Kayden, who’d enforced strict curfews. As such, she’d snuck out of the house at night to go to parties, and had invited boyfriends over when Kayden worked the night shift, even though he’d forbidden her to have boys in the house when he wasn’t home.
Gio used to laugh whenever Kayden shared Keeley’s crazy exploits, but now, he looked back on those stories and sympathized with her brother.
“Okay, here we are.” Rafe pulled up to the curb and turned off the car.
“Well, I have to say my horoscope was right on today,” she said before getting out.
“Oh yeah?” Gio prompted.
“It said, interesting news and stimulating conversations were coming my way. Nailed it.”
Gio chuckled. Rafe did not.
Keeley climbed out of the back seat, surprised when he and Rafe got out as well. Rafe came around the car and stood next to Gio on the curb…making him curious. Rafe had warned him not to kiss Keeley again, so had he gotten out of the car as a way to reinforce his request?
“You don’t have to walk in with me,” she said. “There’s a security code on the door to the building.”
Gio knew that. Knew that was one of the requirements Kayden had laid down when his sister said she was moving out after college. It had taken Keeley a few months longer than she’d wanted, trying to find a place in a safe neighborhood that she could afford, that checked off all of Kayden’s boxes.
Rafe leaned against the car. “We’ll just watch until you get inside.”
“Cool.” However, Keeley didn’t turn to leave. Instead, she just stood there.
“Is something wrong?” Rafe asked.
“Where’s my good-night kiss?” she demanded.
“Did your horoscope predict that too?” Gio asked, hedging. He’d decided Rafe was smart to issue the warning, that he’d be wiser to hold back until he figured out how to proceed with Keeley. It was those first two kisses that now had his emotions in turmoil.
“Keeley,” Rafe said, in the same tone he’d used a thousand times, whenever she flirted with them. It was the perfect blend of patience and exasperation, something only Rafe could pull off.
Keeley was a quick learner, so she hastened to say, “It’s just a kiss. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Gio snorted. “You’re getting spoiled.”
She gave him a haughty look. “The kisses aren’t that great, Gio,” she teased.
He had to give it to her. She had his number. Wild horses couldn’t have dragged him away from a challenge.
He reached for her shoulders, pulled her close, and made sure to give her the kind of kiss that would having her changing her tune—it was slow and hot and long.
Keeley’s hands found their way to his waist, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly. It took everything he had not to pull her body flush against his, to let her feel the impact she was having on him.
He’d kissed countless women in his life, so he couldn’t begin to understand why this kiss felt…different. Felt like so much more.
Maybe it was because he’d known Keeley for most of her life. He’d seen her at so many stages, watched her blossom into this beautiful, intelligent, funny woman.
It would be so easy to let himself get carried away, to push for more. But he wasn’t sure Keeley was ready for what he wanted from her, and he knew Rafe wasn’t.
So he slowly gentled the kiss, then backed away.
He expected this interlude would end as the previous two had. Rafe would hug her, they’d say good night, then he’d spend the rest of the night alone with his hand, as visions of Keeley danced in his head.
Keeley, apparently, had other plans. “Why don’t you ever kiss me?” she asked Rafe.
He frowned. “That wouldn’t be smart, Keeley.”
“Why not?” she pressed.
“Because we’re friends. Because you’re Kayden’s sister. Because you work for me now.”
Keeley grinned, the look on her face pure minx. “You had that list ready to go, didn’t you?”
Rafe opened his arms. “Behave yourself and come give me my hug.”
Gio had become quite fond of Keeley’s hugs as well, not even sure when those had started. They’d never touched much at all before, but somewhere during these past few weeks, in addition to simply saying goodbye after work, Keeley never failed to give both of them hugs.
Keeley crossed her arms. “No. I want a kiss instead.”
Rafe looked at Gio. “See what you started?”
Gio shrugged, unapologetically. “Sometimes it’s fun to act on impulse.”
Rafe shook his head. “One of us in this little trio has to be levelheaded.”
Gio wanted to respond to that, but he literally couldn’t. He got too hung up on the word trio. He liked it. Too much.
So when he could speak again…he poked the bear. “Go on. Kiss her.”
Rafe frowned.
“Yeah.” Keeley added her own taunt to the game. “Unless you’re afraid you’re going to fall into the same category as all those other bad kissers in my past.”
“I’m not Gio,” Rafe said. “You’re not going to taunt me into getting your way.”
“Just one kiss?” she asked, in the most genuine, least-flirty voice he’d ever heard from her.
While Gio responded to teasing, apparently Rafe was a sucker for sincerity.
“Fuck,” he muttered. “You were warned. Both of you were.” That was all he said before he cupped Keeley’s face in his hands and kissed her.
Gio’s brows rose nearly to his hairline as Rafe took possession of Keeley’s lips with a passion he had never witnessed in his friend. It was deep and sexy and hungry, almost desperate. Keeley gripped Rafe’s forearms, but Gio didn’t mistake her touch as part of the embrace. No. She was holding on for dear life.
Gio stood there, stock-still, watching. And that heart-to-heart he’d promised to have with himself transpired right there, right then.
This…God…
This was happening.
The kiss could have lasted for ten seconds or ten hours, but when Rafe released her, none of them moved. Hell, Gio wasn’t sure any of them were breathing.
“Rafe,” Keeley whispered at last, as she touched her kiss-swollen lips, her cheeks flushed bright red.
“Damn, man,” Gio muttered.
That was when Gio suddenly realized Rafe had never kissed Jill or Jennifer or Vanessa. Not once. He had always left the kissing to Gio, just like he’d left the relationship part to him.
He had never seen his best friend kiss a woman. Not until this moment.
And he couldn’t help but wonder what that meant.
Rafe should have looked victorious. Should have been as smug as hell, but instead…he looked lost. Especially when he said, “Keeley. When I kiss a woman, it means something.”
With that, he turned around, heading back to the driver’s side and climbing into the car, leaving Gio and Keeley standing side by side, speechless.