Nathan dragged a hand over his scalp and cupped the back of his head with his palm. "I cant do this again, man. "
"Okay," Micah said calmly.
He opened and closed several cabinet doors before finally dragging out a bottle.
"Damons shit is all too refined," Micah said in disgust. "The man doesnt believe in having a fridge full of beer on hand. "
Nathan gave a half-laugh and waited as Micah poured them both drinks. Glancing around at the rich furnishings, he felt vaguely uncomfortable, like an interloper.
Micah handed him a glass. "Have a seat. "
Nathan sank into one of the leather seats and had to suppress a sigh of appreciation. He was boneless after the last few hours with Julie. All he really wanted to do was go hunt her down and lay down with her for the next forty-ei
ght hours or so. Sex was entirely optional. He wanted to sleep with her curled in his arms, her sweet body pressed to him in all the right places.
"Now whats bothering you?" Micah asked curiously.
Nathan grimaced and set his drink down on his knee, his hand curled cautiously around it to keep from spilling it on his pants.
"Im going to come clean with Julie. "
Micah arched a brow. "Uh-oh. "
Nathan shook his head. "I should have been up-front with her from the beginning. This was a stupid idea and it can only come back to bite me on the ass. "
"So if she wants another threesome, youre out?"
"Yeah. Im not coming here again, and Im hoping to hell she wont either. I dont like the idea of her being passed around like some piece of meat no one gives a fuck about. Shes better than that. "
Micah blew out his breath. "Okay, you know I dont agree with your assessment that her being here equates to her being treated like some whore or that the men here wouldnt treat her well. I respect your feelings on the subject, but I dont agree with them. That said, this is your gig, man. Im only along for the ride. At your request, I might add. "
"Yeah, I know. Look, this isnt about me being pissed at you or even Damon. It just doesnt feel right. I care about Julie, and it occurred to me that being here fucking her while shes blindfolded isnt the best way to start a relationship. "
Micah snickered. "Bet your mama never accused you of being very bright. "
Nathan flipped him the bird. Then he grew more serious. "I fucked up, Micah. This was a stupid idea, one I didnt think through. If I have my way, Julie and I will be seeing a lot more of each other, which means hanging out with our mutual friends. Its going to be awfully damn awkward once she finds out you and I both fucked her. "
Micah looked genuinely confused. "I dont get it. "
"Youre my friend. If Julies my girl, getting together will be awkward, given the fact you two have fucked. "
"Ah. "
Micah gave him one of those looks that suggested Nathan was still green. He hated that damn look. He continued to study Nathan for another long moment and then looked away and sighed.
"Look man, what Im about to tell you goes no further than us. Normally Id cut my lips off before Id say anything about either of these women, particularly if there was any chance it would get back to them and embarrass them. "
Nathan crooked an eyebrow. Leave it to Micah to get all brooding and mysterious.
"Okay, youve got my attention. Spill. "
"Ive slept with Faith. "
Nathans jaw dropped. "Faith? Our Faith? Little sister Faith Malone?"
Micah snorted. "If all you see is baby sister when you look at Faith, you need your equipment examined. The girl is Hot with a capital H. "
Nathan stared incredulously at him. "Youre serious, arent you? When the hell did you sleep with her? Does Gray know?"
"Considering he was there, yeah. "
Nathan blinked owlishly. Ooo-kay. "You mean you and him . . . "
Micah nodded. "Yeah, a threesome. Right before Gray was shot and Faith was kidnapped. "
"Wow, Id have never guessed. "
"Exactly. "
"What are you getting at here?" Nathan asked.
"Ive also seen Serena naked," he continued.
"That doesnt really surprise me. About Damon, I mean. He seems to have pretty relaxed standards about that sort of thing," Nathan said dryly.
Micah lifted one eyebrow and stared back at Nathan. "I think youd be surprised. Damon doesnt share what is his. Hes pretty damn primitive when it comes to Serena. Its a long story, but I saw her naked. Touched her even, but it wasnt sexual. I never had sex with her. I was there for a get-together, and he and Serena had a slight misunderstanding. She tried to embarrass him in front of his guests. He punished her for it. "
"Whoa, he hurt her?" Nathan asked aghast.
Micah scowled. "Do you think Id have any part in hurting a woman? Ever? Thats not what their relationship is about. I dont expect you to understand it. Thats not what Im getting at anyway. "
"What are you getting at then?"
"The point is, I see both women all the time. There isnt any awkwardness because none of us has any reason to be embarrassed or ashamed. Julie is a cool customer. I dont think much would make her tuck tail and run. She might twist your balls up for fucking her on the sly, but if you and her keep seeing one another, you arent going to have to worry about me and her acting like fourth graders around each other. "
"You know how to get to the heart of the matter, dont you," Nathan murmured.
"I understand your reluctance to keep doing it this way," Micah said as he stared down into his drink. "If she was my woman, I wouldnt be hip on her fucking another guy, unless it was at my instigation. "
Nathan cocked his head then shook it. "I guess its just not the turn-on for me that it is for you. Its hot in a porn kind of way but it makes me all itchy and knots me up inside to see another mans hands on her body. Ive done it her way. Ive given her the fantasy she wanted. But now its time to do things my way for a while. "
Micah chuckled. "Let me know how that works for you. Julie doesnt seem like the type of woman you can easily bring to heel. "