Sam
A few weeks later, we’ve finally secured a night when we’re all available, so I’ve been busy in the kitchen most of the afternoon, making sure all of the food is ready for tonight’s dinner party. It’s the only thing I could do to keep my nerves in check. My best friends and my partner meeting Sean and spending a few hours with us has me anxious as hell.
First, there is Helen and Rico. Helen knows my history with Sean because she was there living it right along with me. From the first time I met him when he infuriated and intrigued me, to my swooning debrief after our amazing first date, through all the highs, and then the horrible low when I broke it off. She’s been my drinking buddy, my sounding board, my shoulder to cry on.
She’s been there through thick and thin.
Then there is my Brazilian brother from another mother, Rico. He knew Helen and I were a package deal, and since I was friends with them both separately before I played matchmaker, he automatically fell into the role of offering me a male perspective in my life. And by God, have I needed that. He warned me to be careful with Tanner, told me that all the signs were there that Tanner wanted more, but I thought I had it in hand. Well, that backfired didn’t it? I haven’t heard from Tanner since that night in the club when he stormed off.
And Zander … well, he’s Zander. He’s like my other half at work. We’ve been working together for long enough now that we can anticipate each other’s moves, reactions, and share the same instincts. It makes for a great partnership. And after the frequent ‘Ice Queen’ jokes, I wanted to show him that there is another side to me, the ‘out of work’ Sam. Although, for some reason he looked shocked, then burst out laughing when I invited him and Kate to Sean’s place for tonight’s dinner. He wouldn’t explain but kept randomly chuckling for the rest of the shift.
I’m just finishing a peanut butter soufflé tartlet for dessert when I feel Sean’s arms wrap around my waist from behind, pulling me back into him. He kisses the skin at the top of my spine before moving his mouth to my neck. “You doing okay?” he murmurs softly.
“Mmmm,” I moan. His lips leave my skin tingling as he kisses the spot just below my ear, sending a shiver through my body, something his chuckle tells me he didn’t miss.
“You need some stress relief again?” he says with a smile I feel against my skin.
“Well, I do need a shower …” My voice trails off into a moan as he sucks my ear lobe into his mouth.
“Feeling dirty, Sammy?” His teeth graze the skin as his arm around my waist tightens and his very evident arousal pushes against my jeans.
“Very.” My voice is shaky. The effect this man can still have on me with a few words is insane. It’s like he has a sex thesaurus in his head, with the ability to recall sexy one liners at a moment’s notice.
“It might be a long shower. Very long. You up for that, Mr. Miller?”
“Cheeky wench.” He playfully slaps my ass. “I’m up anytime you need me to be. But for that, you can get undressed right here right now.”
I spin around with wide eyes at his sudden commanding tone, the one that makes me wet and ready almost instantly. He meets my gaze with a piercing stare, a ‘don’t test me’ look that makes me quiver in anticipation. “And if I choose not to?” I raise an eyebrow at him, a silent but not well thought through challenge.
He smirks dangerously. “Now, Sammy.”
I slowly pull my tank over my head, making sure to draw it out. The growl I hear from Sean is gratifying and well worth the punishment I know I have coming my way. Deciding to up the ante since I’m already in ‘trouble’, I throw my top in his face and run up the stairs to Sean’s bathroom giggling when I hear him striding behind me.
“You can run but you can’t hide, sweetheart.”
For the record, he caught me, he had me, he made me scream his name three times straight before he finally bent me over the bathroom cabinet and plunged inside me, bringing on orgasms number four and five.
And yes, it was so damn worth it.
Sean
Sam has been much more relaxed after our mid-afternoon liaison. I was starting to get worried that she was having second thoughts about the dinner party. I’m not stupid; I know that socializing with her friends again is a big step for her. She’s taken everything else in her stride since we’ve been us again that I knew something would trip her up, but so far she’s continued to surprise me at every turn.
Last week, I even persuaded her to come to the club with me one night to check on things. With Ryan back on board and Amy taking the reins a bit more at my request, I haven’t needed to be there as much. Well, with Sam in my life I haven’t needed to be there at all. Of course she stayed at my side the whole time, and even agreed to venture into my private VIP room for a look. Unfortunately for me it was only a look. I’d have loved to have her splayed across my lap, her ass red under my palm before making her come all over my cock in my red leather chair. I didn’t miss the biting of her lip and her quickening breaths as she took in the room and the mood shift in the air. I chuckled when she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of there before I tried anything.
Now it’s nearing 7 p.m. and time for our guests to arrive. We invited Ryan, but he said he had other plans. He’s been a bit evasive over the past week, but I’m hoping it’s just a combination of being busy with the bar and therapy while giving Sam and I space to reconnect. Especially since there has been a lot of reconnecting going on.
I hear the doorbell ring, then watch as Sam rushes down from the bedroom looking flustered. I grab her arm as she tries to rush past me. “Sweetheart, take it easy. It’s going to be fine.”
“I … I don’t do this. I don’t host dinner parties. I’m the single friend who turns up and acts comfortable as a third or fifth wheel, and always with a glass in my hand.” She looks at me with those bright-green eyes of hers that always do me in and I instantly feel protective.
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to worry about being any kind of wheel now. You have me, and I have you. And besides,” I reach behind me and grab a tall vodka tonic, “I already thought ahead.” She sees the drink in my hand and smiles widely. “God I lov … like your forward thinking.”
I stop breathing for a moment, wishing like hell she would have finished that sentence differently, but instead she quickly takes a big mouthful before putting her glass on the kitchen counter.
“Right, let’s go greet our guests, shall we?” I hold my hand out to her and we walk downstairs to the front door together.
“Oh my lord! Girl, you did not tell me he lived in a shrine!” Helen says as I open the door. She hasn’t changed too much over the years. She’s still loud and outspoken as she always was, and it’s still as endearing as it was back when I first met her.
I chuckle as I step forward and kiss her cheek. “Helen, great to see you again.”
“You too, Sean. It’s been too long.” She pulls me in for a hug, standing on her toes so that her mouth is by my ear. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”
She steps back and joins hands with the man who is watching on with interest. “Babe, this is Sean. Sam’s boyfriend?” She looks questioningly at Sam who glares at her in horror.
“Boyfriend suits me,” I interrupt, “Although, do we still have boyfriends and girlfriends in our thirties?” I smirk and look at Sam who turns to me in shock. I wrap my arm around her waist and squeeze gently, and thank Christ she buries herself in my side.
“Boyfriend,” she murmurs quietly as if she’s testing the label out. It’s fucking cute as hell.
“Sorry, this is Rico, my fiancé,” Helen says with a grin.
“Great to meet you. You’re a brave man taking this one on.”
“You’re telling me,” he says with a laugh, shaking my outstretched hand firmly and looking into my eyes. He’s a straight shooter this man, my kind of guy.
“Hello! I’m standing right here, Enrico. If you want any of this later on, you better tread carefully, mister.”
That just makes the rest of us laugh again.
I step aside, taking Sam with me as I gesture for Helen and Rico to come inside. “Come in. We’re still waiting for Zander and Kate, but that’s not to say we can’t start with a drink.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Helen states as she and Rico make their way up the stairs followed by Sam and me.
I lean down to whisper into Sam’s ear, “Your boyfriend would like you to relax, Sammy.” She whacks my arm playfully and steps away toward Helen who has made herself at home in the kitchen as she prepares drinks.
Rico and I are talking baseball when I hear the doorbell again. I turn to Sam and she waves her hand at me to say she’s got it. A few minutes later, the tall blond man and gorgeous red haired woman from the Police Foundation dinner emerge from the stairs after Sam.
I excuse myself from Rico and walk toward them. “Sean, this is my partner Zander and his fiancée Kate,” Sam says, introducing them.
Holding my hand out to Zander, he shakes it rather firmly. “Nice to finally meet you.”
“You too. Sam has told me a lot about you,” I say to Zander, looking over at Kate and smiling. Her brows narrow briefly before she looks away and sniggers, like there is a joke we’re all missing.
His eyes widen briefly before he starts shaking his head. “Now I don’t know whether to be worried or whether you’re lying. Because Richards here would only talk about me if she were bitching about me. Your woman is a ball buster if you don’t already know.”
“Roberts …” Sam growls beside me.
He puts his hands up in mock surrender. “Easy boss. I’m hoping Sean here is the one who’s been melting the ice lately.”
I look at him confused before it clicks. “That would be me. Happy to have been of service.”
Sam gasps at the two of us before turning to Kate. “He’s incorrigible. Would you like a drink?”
“Definitely. I have a feeling we’re going to need one,” she comments puzzlingly. That’s strange. I’m starting to wonder what I’m missing, but it clicks a little while later, during dinner when Sam asks Kate about her day.
“I had a fitting for my bridesmaid dress today. I can’t believe they’re getting married in the summer.”
“I bet you’re looking forward to it though. It’ll be like a trial run for your own,” Helen pipes up.
“Oh, yeah, but Zander and I haven’t even started planning our wedding. We need to get Mac and Daniel’s one out of the way first.”
Oh shit! The strange look becomes all too clear
Kate knows Mac, she’s gonna be her bridesmaid … that would make Kate the best friend …Mac’s best friend. Therefore, Kate would know about me and Mac. Ah fuck … now I know what Kate’s look was about. She’s made the connection already. I tense up when I think about Sam and what her reaction will be. We’ve had such a good day and now my past is making an unfortunate appearance at what should be an awesome night with new friends.
I grab my phone out of my pocket and send Mac a quick text.
Sean: Kate and Zander are at my house for dinner.
Mac: I know. Kate told me earlier.
Sean: Babydoll, you didn’t think to give me a heads up?
Mac: And spoil the fun …?
Sean: That man of yours should spank your ass.
Mac: Maybe I’ll ask him to, he’s good like that ;) Have fun!
“Sean, is everything all right?” Sam asks from beside me.
“Uh … yeah.”
I look down the table to see Kate grabbing her phone off the table and I know I need to tell Sam. I tense up and reach over, grabbing Sam’s hand and putting it in my now clammy one just as Kate puts her phone down and turns to Zander.
“Sam, I think there is something you should know.”
She looks worried as she looks at me.
“What?”
“Zander and I have a mutual friend …” I wait for a reaction, but she seems nonplussed, shrugging her shoulders.
“Who?”
I reach up and rub the back of my neck, feeling mildly uncomfortable to be doing this in front of company. “Uh, if I’m right, we were both involved with Kate’s friend Mac.”
She looks over at Zander, then back at me. “I’m confused. That’s not unheard of, although it is quite a coincidence.”
“Yeah, I only just made the connection. The thing is, Mac had three friends with benefits at the same time …” Then the penny drops. She splutters into her drink, taking a big gulp before putting the glass down on the table. She just stares at me, then turns her eyes to Zander. Kate looks over and bites her lip, like she knows what has just happened.
“Roberts,” Sam calls out. “It seems you and Sean have something, sorry someone in common.”
Zander stops talking to Helen and looks over, his eyes full of surprise as he looks at Sam, then me … then something clicks into place and he spits out his drink before flicking me a sympathetic look.
“Shit!” he says under his breath, shaking his head.
“I’m guessing you didn’t make the connection either?” Sam asks, her voice light and more casual than I expected.
“Ah, fuck,” he mutters, then looks at Kate who is beaming at him as she sniggers, which makes his lips slowly turn up.
My cheeks heat up, and for the first time in twenty years I almost feel embarrassed.
“What am I missing here?” Helen interjects, looking at all of us while Rico just leans back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head like he’s just sitting back and watching the show. Lucky bastard.
“Well,” Sam announces, “Sean has just realized that him and Zander were banging the same chick at the same time.”
“Hang on. At the same time? As in a drunken threesome story?”
I choke on my whisky as both Zander and I shake our heads. “Fuck no!” we both say loudly in unison.
Sam and Kate start giggling and Helen just looks confused. “Hang on, at the same time? As in she was seeing you both at the same time?”
Kate pipes up, her face beaming, “Yep. My best friend Mac was never one to limit herself to just one man. She actually had three friends with benefits at the same time.”
Helen slaps her hand down on the table. “Holy crap. I need to meet this girl. That is fucking awesome.”
“Women …” Rico growls under his breath which just makes Sam and Kate laugh even more. Fucking fantastic.
“Hang on, that would be like saying Zander and Sean have had sex through association. That’s hilarious,” she continues.
It’s the only time I can say that I wish the world would swallow me up whole.
“Oh my god!” Sam starts saying. She tries to pull her hand out of mine, but I tighten my grip.
“No, no running,” I say, my voice automatically slipping into Dom mode.
“I’m not going anywhere, Sean. I just want to get drunk now. The mere thought that you and Zander have fucked the same girl is waaaaay too close for comfort.”
“It was almost two years ago, sweetheart. I would’ve told you had I known. You must know that.” I release her hand and run my palm up her arm, rubbing her skin reassuringly. My heart is racing; it’s the first time I’ve actually been afraid that she’d leave again.
“It’s okay, Sean. I know you weren’t a saint for the past ten years, but now I have an excuse to drink copious amounts of alcohol and have a laugh.” She leans toward me, giving me a gentle kiss on my lips before looking me dead straight in my eyes, her lips still touching mine. “And then you can screw my brains out to erase the thought of you and Zander.” She moves away and laughs out loud, her carefree attitude contagious as I just look at her and smile.
Fuck, I love this woman.
I look over at Zander and he gives me a grimace before I lift my chin, making sure he knows that everything is okay. Kate sees us and loses it again, leaning into Zander’s side and laughing.
Rico speaks up, thankfully changing the topic. “Dinner was awesome, guys, but you know me and my sweet tooth, Sammy. I just know that your dessert is going to be epic.”
An epic dessert to conclude an epic dinner party.
Definitely one for the books.