Foundations: The Power of Three Love Series Read online

  Once, we even locked eyes. Of course, I tried to silently challenge her, and I would have bet my life that she loved what she saw. Honestly, if it were anyone else, I would’ve stopped. If it had not been for the fact that I’d just decided to make her ours.

  It happened that she turned around as I came, her eyes fixed on mine again. In the redness of her cheeks, her lips turned upward into a smile. Her words didn’t match the excitement that danced in her emerald orbs.

  She straightened her skirt with her hand on the door. “Arden, no matter what you try, this little bit of voyeurism is not going to work.” She waited for us to tuck our manhood back in our slacks before she opened the door and then slammed it behind her.

  “Well, hon, that was different. I can’t believe you continued to fuck me with her watching.”

  With a small smirk forming on my face, I only responded, “That’s why I came in here. I want her. I want Elliot as much as you do. Now after watching her watch us, I’m fucking more determined than ever to make her ours.”

  Even with the weight of my body against his back, he somehow turned around so we were eye-to-eye. His smile could charge the sun, it was that bright. From his mouth came the four words I knew would leave his lips. “I told you so.” Standing and pulling him up, I brought him so close to me, but I needed him even closer when he continued, “It took you long enough, you stubborn fucker.”

  18

  Arden

  My mind was still on the aberrant behavior of the past month. The blonde beauty we’d been falling in love with had absorbed the rudeness in Daimen’s steely eyes. His world was starting to make sense again after the agony of Spence and Lana had destroyed him.

  After our afternoon, and with his visceral need to overpower me, we’d made a plan. Slow and steady wins the race was his idea. Yes, Daimen was a lot of things, but patient was normally not at the top of the list. When his mind was fixed on something, his plans were methodical and purposeful.

  Elliot was at our penthouse as promised. The elevator announced her arrival, thanks to some very specific technology that Daimen’s cousin developed years ago. “Elliot Arnold has arrived,” SOPHIE announced.

  “You can let her in, Soph.” Yes, I gave our security system a nickname. Her head shot up at the voice, looking for the source of the female tone that echoed the entire room. With this new tech of ours, we had to input all our guests in our system. But I had programmed Elliot as an approved visitor the first night I’d set out on this plan to make her—ours.

  “Was that SOPHIE? Do you have S.T.T.S?” Her question surprised me. This device was costly but worth every penny. The operating system known as SOPHIE from Security to the Stars was installed in our more high-end units.

  “You’re familiar with SOPHIE?” I asked, and I guessed we were going to skip over talking about the little show we gave her this afternoon.

  “Of course, it’s revolutionizing home security. I mean, it’s out of my budget, but for my clients in the past, I’ve used her. But why was this the first time I’ve heard her in your penthouse?”

  “Honestly, Daimen hates it, but it’s his cousin’s technology, so he feels obligated to use it. When we have people over on Tuesday for dinner, he disables her.” Elliot was just not a beauty; she was smart as a whip too.

  “What, seriously?” She whipped around with this revelation. “I'm not sure why I'm so surprised. I don’t know much about you all and why would I? I work with you; I’m not involved with you.”

  Ouch, my intentions by reaching out to stroke her hair were certainly understood. Yet, she shot me down anyway. But I didn’t let that deter me. “I think you know, Ell, you’re more than just someone we work with.”

  She pulled away from my gentle touch; her darting gaze left me instantly. She bit her bottom lip, walking into the living room. She left me and the conversation I’d hope might lead somewhere. “Wow, Arden, I think this place is awesome, even more so in the daylight. I love the open space here, and these large windows just light up your great room.” Her remarks confused me because she’d seen our home at the many dinner parties she’d attended. But she didn’t fool me, not for one moment. Changing the subject was her goal. She continued, “I meant to ask you last month when I was here, who designed the kitchen? It’s awesome.”

  As much as I wanted to go back to the intimate touch we’d just shared, I let it go. “I designed it,” I answered when she took a double take from the kitchen, then back to me. “I have my degree in industrial design from SCAD in Georgia. That’s why I was down in Savannah when we met. I went away on a full ride. When I returned home, I reconnected with Spencer and Daimen, and that is when we came up with our business plan.”

  “It is beautiful.” But when her words fell from her lips, it was not the kitchen that still had her attention. It was me. But as soon as my one stride closed the space between us again, she’d moved toward the master bedroom, doors open.

  “Okay, so you mentioned something about the master bedroom?” she asked, looking at the blueprints of the penthouse. “I don’t understand some of the spaces shown here.” She pointed at the designs in her hands.

  My own face reddened because one of the rooms was Daimen’s secret play area. I was not embarrassed by it, and I never would be about anything in our life, yet it might not be to our benefit to show her this yet. So I concentrated on something that could lead to purposeful conversation with her. “Oh, there is a suite off our room, and we left that space open for when we add our final partner to the mix.”

  “What? Come again?” Her voice was not that of the normal Elliot Arnold. Her words assaulted me with a large gasp.

  I waved my arm toward our bed. “Have you seen our bed? It’s custom made.”

  She turned her body from the empty room in front of her to where Daimen and I slept. “Yes, I was going to ask if your bed had its own zip code,” she teased, and my anticipation was heightened. This was a great conversation starter.

  I walked closer, pulling her hand into my own. “Ell, Daimen and I are in love, like madly. It’s out of this world what I’d do for him. But we have so much love, and I never planned on keeping him to myself.” Her eyes were as large as saucers. “This space is for her. The woman we bring into our relationship. We’ve always planned to add that perfect girl. This other space will be her bath, closet, and personal room if she wants.”

  She moved her hands to her parted lips, stuttering but mute at the same time. Finally she formulated something clear, “You mean, you want to add another partner? And you say it as though this is just normal.”

  She was leading with the standard subject. My lips curled because, fuck, who was normal? No one had the answer to that question.

  Instead, I only replied, “Yes, we’ve always wanted a woman to make us complete, and it’s normal to us. And my partner’s opinions are the only ones that matter. Two men living together forty years ago was abnormal. Hell, it was looked down upon ten years ago.” Her reply came with a shrug of her shoulders. “I’ve never kept it a secret that I love being with a woman. I told you this. Daimen knows this, and we’re looking for a committed partnership.”

  Her eyes searched the blueprints as though she was ready to continue with the tour and just ignore all I’d shared. “And what is that over there?” she asked of the room behind our master bed with the door leading to our own play area.

  “Oh, it’s our personal room, mine and Daimen’s. Our own space.”

  “Separate from the girl’s area?” Her eagerness about this undisclosed room made me smile.

  “No, we’ll share it with her, but it is private. That is done the way we want it to be.”

  “Okay, so that is your way of telling me it’s none of my business.” I nod my head. “I will leave the space alone,” she said apprehensively, wondering what that space could be. “I have all my ideas written down, so I will draw up my plans and have them to you in the next week, alright?”

  “I can’t wait to see what you do,
Ell. But do me a favor, if you can?” I waited for her to acknowledge me. What I was about to say could go two ways. I wasn’t sure if this was the right time, but, fuck, I wasn’t patient either. “I was thinking of those designs you’re doing for us, of our home … When you design those plans, design the woman’s space from our bedroom the way you would want it if you were ours.”

  “What?” Elliot shuffled back a step or two, shaking her head. “No!” It was a statement at first, then realization hit her from the little show she’d walked in on earlier. “You wanted me to see you together, didn’t you?”

  “I won’t deny it, but we didn’t plan it that way. But I know you like what you witnessed, hot stuff.” Still, in our bedroom, my refuge I shared with the love of my life, I turned toward her, pulling her hand into mine. Wetting my lips, I bit the proverbial bullet. “We’d take such good care of you. And, Ell”—her hand was at my lips—“I know you care for me. Hell, you care for Daimen. If this is what you want, don’t be scared.”

  She jerked her hand from my own, so hard, she almost hit herself in the face. “You don’t understand boundaries. You may have worked for all of this, but now, you’re used to getting your way, and I’ll be damned if you take me down with you.” Pulling from the rest of my embrace, I watched her leave and was not prepared for her parting words. “I’ll be in tomorrow morning for my meeting with Daimen. Don’t find me, don’t talk to me. From now on, we’re nothing more than business associates. You feel me?” Her words were hurtful, but they were fueled by fear. This much I knew; I’d seen it too much since we’d taken our relationship public. And because this was Elliot, I wouldn’t stop until I eased her fears and she succumbed to us, the three of us together.

  19

  Elliot

  My phone had not stopped buzzing all night long. With my Shiraz as my only company, the beautiful voice of Norah Jones as my backdrop, and the memories of Daimen and Arden together in their office, I stared aimlessly at the same scuff mark on my wall. Hell, shit, and about a dozen other curse words flitted through my mind at Daimen taking Arden over his desk. Yep, of course, Daimen would top Arden. That did not surprise me nor did the way my body reacted to them. Two hot men together. Forget Pornhub, I’d just replay them in my mind forever.

  When the ringtone assigned to Andrew started to chime, I reached for my cell. Freaking hell, I had twenty missed calls from Arden and Daimen.

  “Ell, you okay?” No hellos or formalities, Andrew worked on facts, and in his tone,

  that was what he was after.

  “Hell, I’m not even sure how to answer you, but you were right. Arden told me tonight that they want to add a woman to their committed relationship.” I waited for some sort of reaction from my best friend, but I got none, at all. “I shouldn’t be blindsided, especially after I walked in on them fucking like rabbits in the office. But I am. I thought I’d dodged this bullet. But then, he told me they wanted me. Shit, Andrew. Can you believe this?”

  Andrew had not made a peep at my revelation. Looking at the phone to make sure we were still connected, I finally heard him. “First, fuck, was it hot, them fucking like that?”

  “Shit, Andrew, you’re not helping,” I screamed in the phone, and though I wouldn’t admit it to my best friend, it was hotter than hell.

  “Okay, okay, I’m sure I know the answer to my question anyway. But, you know, Ell, I’ve heard this is a new trend in the bisexual community. There’s validation to this, you know.”

  “Andrew, do you remember who my parents are?” I didn’t have the best relationship with my family, but they were still my family at the end of the day. It was hard enough that my best friend was gay. Plus, my twin brother, who couldn’t give two shits about my family’s beliefs, pretty much gave them the proverbial middle finger to their interference in his life. I sometimes wished I was that strong. “What would they do if they knew my bosses were possibly entertaining this idea with me?”

  “Hell, Ell, I get it. Your parents are not understanding, but you have to live for you and you alone. At the end of the day, they won’t fill your void of loneliness. Anyway, I don’t think two men loving you unconditionally is a bad thing.”

  “Daimen can hardly stand me.”

  “No, he’s challenged by you. But, fuck, I may not know what it’s like to lust after a female, but I see the way he looks at you. Do you know who else he looks at with that same hunger?”

  “What? I don’t have the foggiest,” I answered, not really wanting to think too hard.

  “Arden, Ell. He looks at you the same way he looks at Arden. I’ve seen it.”

  * * *

  True to my request, Arden kept his distance. But that didn’t mean Daimen did. The next day, he knocked on my door and walked into my office before I could answer. Due to my parting words with Arden, I was not entertaining any shit from Daimen. “I swear, you all don’t know how to respect boundaries.”

  His eyes were not brooding or domineering but engaging, and his lips turned up in a smile, something that was in rare form with this man. “Sorry, Ell, I’ll knock next time.” Who the hell are you? was on the tip of my tongue when his raspy voice internally awoke my idle body parts. They’d been ignored recently. Man, let it get a little horny, and my own body became a traitor. “Ell, are you with me?” he asked while my entire mind was on how my body was deserting me in my time of need. This was a necessity to stay strong against not just one but two wonderfully handsome men.

  Nodding in agreement as I tried to piece together my sanity, I smiled.

  “Oh, good. Well, I wanted to take you out for dinner tonight. Just you and me, as a thank you for coming in under budget.”

  “Dinner and that’s all?” Part of me understood this was a trap while the other part of me couldn't care less.

  “Of course, that’s it. You’ve put up with me for the past month, so it is the very least I can do.”

  I didn’t want to act overly excited. One-on-one time with Daimen might be the best thing to set him straight about his partner’s ridiculous ideas of claiming me as their third.

  * * *

  He didn’t pull any punches for our night together. A driver picked me up at my loft, then Daimen opened the door for me when I arrived at the restaurant.

  “Where did you appear from?” I asked as I surmised how beautiful he looked in a suit I’d never seen on him before.

  “I had a late meeting. I hated I couldn’t pick you up at your apartment but vowed I’d be here to escort you inside.”

  This was a business dinner, or so I kept telling myself. I picked a simple black dress, nothing much different than what I wore each day to the office. But I did pull my hair back in an updo, making my appearance a little sexier than it was during the day.

  He extended his hand, and I looped my arm around his. Turning toward me, he began, “Hell, Elliot. You look gorgeous tonight.” He stopped as if he was going to say more. Whispering into my ear, he continued, “No, I take that back. Gorgeous doesn’t quite cut it.”

  Throughout dinner, the conversation consisted of design and budget ideas for the continuation of the new blueprints I’d presented to him last week. As we waited on the last course while sipping our merlot, his eyes peeked over his glass, and he asked, “Mind if I ask you a question?”

  “Umm, I think.” I laughed. We must have been on our third bottle, easily, and my mouth was certainly a bit looser than normal.

  “Are you attracted to Arden?”

  Those words should have sobered me up, but I answered the question, though my common sense was screaming to change the subject. “Why do you ask? I’m not a threat, you know, right?”

  Displaying a wide grin, he answered, “I think you are.” His smile stayed on his face. “But that’s not why I’m asking you.”

  “This is a business dinner only. I expect this from Arden but not you.” I was direct without wine in me, so with as much as I had coursing through my blood, I was very bold.

  “You’re protesti
ng. It tells me something,” Daimen said, casually drumming his fingers on our table.

  “Well, I can’t deny it. Arden is sexy. You freaking well know that. You sleep with the guy each night.” Taking a long swig of my wine, I was more primed and ready to do this, whatever this was. “I may have even acted on that attraction if you weren’t madly in love with him.”

  “But we’re both attracted to you, Ell, and you freaking well know it.”

  Oh, I hated when people used my own words against me. “Let me make it simple for you. I want a traditional marriage. I want what is normal,” I added.

  Clearing his throat, I think I might have wounded him with my words. “Normal. Who fucking defines normal?” Yep, I went too far with that line. He was right; people measured normalcy differently. “But the truth is, I didn’t want anything to do with this, with pursuing you. I wanted Arden and him alone. Then you floated into our lives, and you’ve taken it over.” He reached for my hand, and I let him. “Think about it. We aren’t pressuring you.”

  “I don’t have to think about it,” I said, pulling my hand from his. I pushed the chair back so loudly the whole restaurant now had their eyes on me. This business dinner was over. I didn’t need dessert. I’d been watching my carbs, anyway.

  20

  Arden

  I rubbed the stubble on my jaw in physical pain. Daimen and I were on the same page, but all our effort was combined to make Elliot ours. We didn’t have time for each other. We lay in bed each night discussing new ways to win her over.

  I would have bet my life that she was indeed very interested. In her eyes, whenever mine would meet hers, she’d wrench her head away from our gaze as if I were some forbidden fruit. Just envisioning those plump lips of hers on mine caused my erection to push painfully against my slacks.