He slid his up her back, encouraging her to lean closer. “You heard the man. He wants to watch us kiss,” he joked.
Ariel shuddered. “This is surreal.”
“It is,” Tarin agreed. “All we can do is follow our instincts. Right now, my instinct is to kiss the sense out of you until your knees buckle.”
She smiled. “I like that plan.” She lowered her lips to his and cocked her head to one side.
Tarin’s lips parted as he kissed her, his tongue eventually easing along the seam of her mouth.
She parted her lips, letting him in, enjoying the way they leisurely melted into each other. This connection with Tarin didn’t have the urgency she’d experienced with Stuart, nor did it have the confidence Kester had exhibited, but she understood why now, and this was sweet and kind of perfect.
When they finally broke free, they were both panting. Ariel set her forehead against his, grinning. “That was nice.”
“It was. Very,” he whispered, his hands roaming up and down her back. He spread his legs and drew her between them. “I could do that all day.”
“Not gonna lie, that was hot,” Kester murmured.
Ariel flinched. She’d forgotten they had an audience.
“Maybe that sounds strange, but I’ve never watched anyone so intimately embraced before. I thought I would feel jealous, but I don’t. I feel turned on, and I want to watch you some more,” he admitted.
“It doesn’t make you jealous?” Tarin asked.
“Not at all. I’ll get my turn. No one is keeping score. I say we move this party into my bedroom where we can stretch out and get more comfortable, and then you two can pick up where you left off.”
Ariel searched his face, making sure he was serious.
“Unless that doesn’t appeal to either of you, of course. If you’d rather be alone, I’ll stay out here.”
“I’d rather no one be left out of anything,” Ariel stated. “But I don’t want either of you to ever be uncomfortable, so you have to tell me when you are.” She turned back to face Tarin. “I would love to lie down next to you and kiss you some more. It feels right. Leaving Kester out here does not. It would make me feel like I was cheating on him or something.”
Tarin held her gaze for a moment and then turned to face Kester. He held out a hand toward him.
Her heart soared when Kester gripped Tarin’s hand, one dark, one light. Neither man looked uncomfortable with the contact.
Tarin pulled Kester closer, forcing his friend to stand at the same time he did. “She’s right. Leaving you out here doesn’t feel right. I don’t have a fucking clue what right or wrong is, but come lie down with us.”
Kester nodded. “I’m truly sorry for being such an ass earlier. I swear it won’t happen again. I’m humbled that you saved yourself and that you two don’t mind sharing with me.”
All three of them made their way to the bedroom. No one bothered to close the door. Ariel glanced at it and figured there was only a slim chance Stuart would return to the apartment, and if he did, too bad. He would find the three of them moving on in a relationship he was throwing away.
Ariel trembled as she climbed onto the bed and dropped onto her back in the middle. It seemed reasonable for Tarin and Kester to each take a side. And they did, both of them kicking their shoes off first.
Kester propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at Ariel. He cupped her face gently and then leaned in to kiss her reverently before pulling back. “I want to watch.” He reached across her body for Tarin and slid his hand up the other man’s arm and back down until he gripped his hand. “Kiss her again,” he murmured.
Tarin threaded their fingers together and set their combined hands on Ariel’s stomach.
There was something exciting and alive in the room. Sizzling. Unexpected. A connection between all three of them. Ariel glanced back and forth as the two men stared at each other. She thought they were struggling to process their emotions too.
Finally, she licked her lips and spoke. “I don’t have all the answers. I don’t even have all the questions. But it feels odd that you would both love me and not grow to love each other. You can’t love me without loving each other. I don’t know what that looks like yet, but I’d prefer we all keep an open mind and go with the flow.”
Kester smiled at her. “Perfectly stated, honey.”
“I agree,” Tarin whispered. He lifted their combined hands, his and Kester’s, to his cheek and rubbed them against his smooth skin. When he released Kester’s hand to cup Ariel’s cheek, Kester set his hand on Tarin’s shoulder.
“I’m so fucking happy right now,” Kester stated. “Kiss her so hard and so long that she can’t lie still and sweet little moans come out of her mouth.”
Tarin grinned. “I’ll do my best.”