Perfect Love Read online

  Helping her through the grief had been difficult, but they’d made a little family of their own with small traditions that helped move the days forward. His favourite was movie night. Every week, one of them would choose a movie, and after the boys were put to bed, they would pile on the living room sofa and watch with all the lights out and a huge bowl of buttery popcorn in their laps. Usually, Calleigh ended up with her head in one of their laps, sound asleep. He loved to stroke her silky hair or give her foot massages to soothe her after spending all day at her job at the hospital.

  Last week, they celebrated Mikey and Bran’s third birthday. The boys had gotten to choose the movie, and Finding Nemo had swum into the living room in full colour. They had been so excited when he and Rick had carried out a giant cake with all the characters from the movie printed on it.

  His head jerked up as Rick hung up the phone and he watched him walk over to sit in the chair opposite him.

  “Did you get it?” Rick asked.

  He held up the small box. Opening the lid, he showed him the necklace they had designed for Calleigh. It was a three-stoned pendant, a bastnäsite with blue sapphire and aquamarine gems on either side.

  Rick picked up the box and turned it from side to side, watching the light reflect off the coloured gemstones. “Think she’ll see the significance?”

  “If she doesn’t, I’ll be happy te point it out te her.” Conor smiled.

  He looked at Rick and could tell the man was nervous about the taking this next step. Conor had initially questioned the decision but could no longer deny his feelings for Calleigh. Over the past year, the dependable friendship had turned into something much deeper. He wanted the woman, like no other. Every time he and Rick brought someone home, he saw the resemblance to the sexy siren who filled their thoughts and made their bodies burn.

  Whether they shared a woman or he picked up one on his own, she always had blonde hair and brown eyes but they never sparkled like Calleigh. At the end of the evening, he generally felt hollow, physically satisfied for the moment but never complete.

  “I know yer nervous about changing things between us, but I canny fight it any longer. She’s been casually talking about getting back out there more and more. I willna do this without ye, but I love her. Ye love her. We both adore those little boys, like they’re our own. It’s time we stop bringing home substitutes. It’s time we made her ours.”

  “I know, I know. I want her as bad as you do.” Rick ran his hand through his hair. “Fuck, every time in the last year we’ve had some nameless pickup between us, I’ve pictured her in our bed. I’ve even had to hold back crying out her name when I came a time or two.”

  Conor knew exactly what his best friend was talking about. He’d almost done the same, and more than once when their eyes had locked in that crucial moment, he’d known they’d both been thinking the same thing. He looked over at Rick’s desk as his phone rang again. Jumping up, the man went to answer the summons.

  “Rick Connor… Hey, Calleigh. Happy birthday, angel.” He spun around in his chair catching Conor’s eye. “Of course, we’ll be there for dinner tonight. Six o’clock right?” He laughed. “The boys did what? I can just imagine… Sure we can talk about it… Okay, see you then.” He hung up the phone. “Calleigh said the boys, with grandma’s help, made her a huge birthday sign with their handprints painted on it. Unfortunately, the paint didn’t get put away, and they decided it needed just a few more decorations. Only it happened to be lying on the sofa at the time.”

  Conor was laughing so hard he had to clutch his stomach. “Go on otta that!”

  “I’m not kidding. You know you have to watch them twenty-four-seven.” Rick was laughing, too. After several minutes, he stood and walked over to look out the window of his office. “She said something about wanting our advice at the very end. It sounded serious.”

  That instantly sobered Conor’s mirth. “Feck. I hope nathin’ is wrong with the boys.”

  “No. I don’t think so. It sounded more like a personal problem. I hope to hell nobody is haranguing her. If they are, I’ll put a stop to that real damn quick.” He looked over his shoulder and saw Conor stand then come over next to him. He held out the box in his hand with the lid still open then put his hand on Rick’s shoulder.

  “I willna let anything happen to Ár Ghrá.”

  * * * *

  When Rick opened the front door to Calleigh’s house, he saw the big sign the boys had made for her. The little blue handprints were accessorised with swipes of green.

  “Hello?” he called out.

  Two little voices yelled out then, it sounded as if a herd of buffalo were running down the hallway. He turned to towards the commotion and was tackled by a pair of leg-latching spider monkeys. “Why if it isn’t the deadly duo.”

  He scooped up a boy in each arm. He looked at Brandon and said, “Mikey, did you tell your mommy happy birthday?” Peals of laughter rang over his ears, and Brandon pointed at his brother, shaking his head.

  “I not Mikey.”

  “Are you sure you’re not Mikey? I think you two are trying to trick us again.”

  Conor came over and took the real Mikey from Rick. “I know how te tell them apart.” He lifted his hand high in the air in the shape of a claw. Wiggling his fingers on the way down, he made like he was going to tickle the little boy.

  Mikey started laughing and squirming in Conor’s arms. Brandon kept pointing at his brother and merriment danced in his dark green eyes.

  “See works every time. Mikey is ticklish,” Conor said.

  Rick looked at Brandon. “I’m still not convinced. We may have a couple of doppelgangers on our hands. Let me try.” He swooped in and started tickling his stomach. Brandon began squirming and laughing the same as his brother. “Well, it looks like we have two Mikeys on our hands.”

  Calleigh walked into the room. “What’s going on in here? It sounds like a bunch of monkeys live in my house.”

  Rick put Brandon down at the same time Conor put down Mike. The two boys ran back down the hall to their playroom.

  “No running,” all three adults yelled.

  Rick walked over to Calleigh. Gathering her close, he kissed her the on the temple. “Happy birthday, angel.”

  He still had Calleigh in his arms when Conor came up behind her.

  Conor placed his hands on Calleigh’s waist above Rick’s arms and leaned down to her ear, “Breithlá shona duit, muirnín.” Then he kissed her temple on the opposite side Rick had.

  Rick watched Calleigh’s eyes close and felt a shiver travel down her body. It appeared to be from arousal not nerves. This was the first time they had purposefully put her between them. He smiled inwardly at her reaction. When she opened her eyes, he nearly gasped at the desire he saw for a split second before they changed back to their normal glow.

  She turned from Rick’s arms and faced Conor. “I love it when you speak Gaelic. Of course, for all I know, you’re insulting me, but it sounds so pretty.”

  He effectively switched holds with Rick. “Never. I said ‘Happy Birthday, sweetheart’. We have a gift for ye. Would ye like it now or after dinner?”

  She peered down the hall. “I don’t hear any crashes or yelling. I put on a cartoon for them shortly before you arrived so they’re probably content for the moment. We’d better do it now, while they’re distracted. Come with me into the kitchen, I have to stir the sauce.”

  As they walked down the hall, Rick peeked into the playroom. Both boys’ heads turned, and they smiled but remained seated on the floor. He winked at them, and like little mirrors, they blinked both eyes back, obviously trying to imitate him. He chuckled then followed Calleigh and Conor into the kitchen. After Calleigh stirred the spaghetti sauce, he lifted her to sit on the counter.

  “Rick! What if the boys come in? This is hardly setting a good example.”

  “They’re fine, but if you insist.” He lifted her back into his arms and sat down in a chair at the table, keeping her on
his lap. “How’s this?”

  “Ye just wanted te carry her around.” Conor said, pulling out the necklace box they’d tied a white ribbon to.

  He shrugged unapologetically and pulled Calleigh a little closer. She took the box from Conor and gently pulled the bow loose. The hinge on the box snapped when she opened it, and he held his breath until he heard her gasp of delight.

  “Oh wow! You guys, this is so beautiful.” She looked down at the three coloured stones then back up into the smiling faces of her best friends. “It’s us, right? The blue, brown and aqua?”

  “See I told ye she would figure it out,” Conor said. He undid the clasp and attached it behind Calleigh’s neck. “There. Looks perfect against ye skin.”

  Calleigh was going nuts being held by Rick, while Conor attached their gift. His fingers caressed her skin as he traced the chain down to the pendant. He was so close she could feel his breath puff against her neck. Rick’s arm was around her waist, and every once in a while, his fingers would caress her side. This was new behaviour. Never before had the two men surrounded her like tonight. Their body heat and scent wrapped around her like a cocoon. She so wanted to close her eyes and swim in the forgotten sensations but knew the boys would soon be chanting for dinner. She linked her fingers with Rick’s and moved his arm so she could stand.

  Stepping away, she caught a look between her two best friends. They both had little smiles on their faces and each slightly nodded his head. She bent down to grab a large bowl in the cabinet by her feet and could have sworn she heard one of the men groan. She flipped off the switch on the stove and lifted the heavy pot of boiling water to drain the noodles.

  She’d told Rick on the phone earlier that she wanted to talk to them about something. She had intended to tell them she’d accepted her first date since Kevin’s death and wanted some advice on getting back into the dating scene.

  The first year after Kevin had been killed, she had pretty much been in a daze. She’d been able to function and take care of the boys, but it seemed as if the only emotion she could express outside of being a mother in love with her rapidly growing and developing babies was pain.

  The day Brandon and Mikey had taken their first steps, Rick and Conor had been there. All three of them had cheered and encouraged the tentative steps towards independence. That was day she’d woken up and found that the two men who had rescued her on the blackest of days were still there. Not only were they there, but she’d become dependant on their support. So many nights she’d cried in their arms only to find peace once the tears passed. Now, she found herself wanting more. She wanted to feel the pleasure of being a woman again. She wanted to feel a man’s desire, and on the darkest of nights in the silence of her bedroom, she’d dreamed of the tangled limbs and sweat-slicked bodies of three.

  Ménage wasn’t foreign to her. When she and Kevin were in college, they had invited a third to their bed on a number of occasions. They had a circle of friends who were trustworthy and treated the experience with respect and honour. Everyone in the circle knew that the third was only a participant in the sex. It was understood that they would not interfere in the relationship of whomever they slept with.

  Looking over her shoulder, she saw Rick and Conor speaking softly to each other. She couldn’t hear what they were saying though. Their behaviours suggested a familiarity with having a woman between them, but she’d never heard anything about them sharing before. She knew they dated, hell they were both stunning specimens. Both men had kept the athletic bodies of their college soccer days. Neither bulged with muscle, but their bodies were hard, trim and defined.

  It was a few months ago when she realised she was attracted to her two best friends bodies that she’d decided it was time to start dating again. She figured she would start out slow and see what happened. As much as she’d recognised her desire for Rick and Conor, she didn’t want to risk losing them over her awakening hormones. Also, there was no way she would want to choose one over the other.

  They were fixtures in the house on a weekly basis. The boys looked upon them as father figures, even if they didn’t quite understand that yet. They always obeyed Rick and Conor as much as they did her. As much as three year olds obeyed anyone. Brandon and Mikey were always eager to show the men a prize drawing they had done that day, told them stories of their adventures together, recently they even started asking for an occasional bedtime story. Rick and Conor had been there for every milestone. They were even helping out with the potty training, as much as they could. They were parents in all ways except having an intimate relationship with her.

  Now, she’d accepted the date with Miles from the hospital, where she was a nurse anaesthetist, because Rick and Conor were out of her league and off-limits in her mind. But what if they weren’t? What if they wanted to take their relationship to the next level, and what if they wanted to do it together? Her pulse raced at the possibility, and she felt dampness between her legs that hadn’t been there since before the boys were born.

  * * * *

  After dinner, Rick and Conor took the boys upstairs for baths and bed while she cleaned the kitchen. It was so nice on the nights they came over. The four extra hands made things run a lot smoother. She saw them come down the stairs about forty-five minutes later.

  “They tucked in?” she asked.

  Rick nodded. “Yeah, go on up and give them a kiss goodnight.”

  She did, and when she came back down, they were both sprawled on the sofa watching news. Taking her customary place between them she sighed and relaxed into the deep cushions. There was still a little damp spot from cleaning the paint earlier, but she didn’t let it bother her. She was absently playing with her new necklace when Conor put his arm around her shoulder and Rick placed his large hand on her thigh. She absorbed the heat from their touch, and her muscles relaxed even further.

  “So, is either of you working on any cool new games?”

  They both worked in the sports division for a major video game company. Rick was a game designer, and Conor a software engineer. Frequently, they told her about new games they were working on, and she’d even gotten pre-releases for the Xbox they’d bought last year. She had laughed so hard when they said it was for the boys with such innocent expressions on their faces. At the time, Mike and Bran were only two. They had promptly set up the system and played for hours that night.

  Rick turned to look at Calleigh. “I just got the proposal for a new game. It’s going to feature famous Olympic athletes and their sports. It’ll be released at the same time the Vancouver games begin.” He picked up the remote and turned off the television. “Calleigh, you said you needed to talk to us about something tonight. What’s going on?”

  She worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. She figured she couldn’t blow off this conversation, but it might be interesting to see their reaction to her announcement after the chemistry she’d sensed earlier. She stood and turned so both men were in her line of vision then sat on the large ottoman in front of the sofa.

  “Well, the thing is, I have a date.” She waited to see their reactions. Both men’s eyes darkened, but their outward expression didn’t change.

  Conor’s hands fisted into the sofa but he said, “I’m glad yer getting back out there. Is it someone we know?”

  She shook her head. “His name is Miles, and he works at the hospital with me. He’s a radiology technician. I met him in the cafeteria a few weeks back. We’ve eaten together a few times. He’s a nice enough guy.”

  Rick sat up straight and rested his elbows on his knees as he leant in closer to Calleigh. “Angel, I’m glad you feel you’re ready to start seeing people again, but what do you know about this guy? Have you talked to any other staff who know him? What if he’s a complete jerk? What if he only wants to get in your pants?”

  “Muirnín. I donna want ye doin’ a line with some paddy who just wants te shag ye.”

  Calleigh could tell despite their calm faces that they were upset. Co
nor’s accent always got a little thicker and his colloquialisms more frequent when he was riled up. Rick generally got stoic, and right now his face appeared as if it were a wooden mask.

  She knelt on the floor and took hold of a hand from each man. “I appreciate your concern. I even love you for it. But it’s time for me to try this again. Don’t worry so much. The two of you have spoiled me so rotten over the past three years that I have impossibly high standards. I’m sure we’ll just go to dinner, and I’ll be home before eleven o’clock.”

  She leant in and kissed each one of them on the cheek, letting the little caress linger a tad longer than usual. “I know this is a lot to ask, especially given your misgivings, but would you be willing to watch Mike and Brandon that night?”

  “Of course, we will. I plan on being here when he drops you off to make sure he behaves like a gentleman,” Rick said, looking over to see Conor nodding in agreement.

  Chapter Two

  Rick paced the living room waiting for Calleigh to get home from her date. He was too keyed up to watch the late night news. Thinking about that other man touching her, holding her hand, or God forbid, kissing her was driving him nuts. He heard Conor come down the stairs after checking on the boys, again. He could tell the man was just as much of a wreck. As Rick turned to face the front windows, he saw a car pull into the open spot in front of the house. Conor must have caught the direction of his gaze because he sprinted past him to peer out the curtain.

  “Conor get away from there!” Rick said, walking that same direction.