They both stared at me for a moment, each of them clearly debating with themselves if they wanted to push me to talk, but eventually both decided that it wasn’t the time.
I let out a breath of relief and stood up. If we weren’t going to psychoanalyze me, we had shit to do.
“For work? Or play?” Holden cracked his neck and grunted. “I’m okay with either right now. I have a million ideas running through my head for potential menu items. Sugar managed to exhaust meandgive me enough creative energy to work through the next three days.”
Barrett rolled his eyes. “That’s nice. I’m super happy for you. Me, on the other hand? I would like to focus on the fact that I want to find Sugar and check on her. I don’t like not knowing how she’s handling the morning after.”
I ran my hand through my hair and tried not to run through the events of the night before. I needed to just press forward. Always moving was how I’d survived all my life. Slowing down or stopping meant that I was dead in the water. “I need to get to the office and get some work done.”
“You’re kidding. Come on, Dom. I wasn’t going to push you, but if you’re going to self-flagellate all over the place, I’m going to push.” Barrett crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at me like I was being a petulant child. “Last night was fucking great. Sugar seemed to think so, too. I’ve never seen your…style…in action, but it worked. You didn’t push things too far. If Sugar sprinted out of here for any reason, it’s me. I’m her best friend’s dad. I’m pretty sure I’m not looking too good to her this morning.”
“Don’t say it like that. Jesus.” I growled and strode away from them, just to turn around and march right back to where I’d been before. Beingsounsure wasn’t like me, but it also wasn’t like me to share one woman with my best friends.
Holden grinned. “It was a pretty weird way to say it. You saw hisstylein action? Giant fucking pervert.”
Flashing his teeth in a sardonic smile, Barrett ignored Holden and focused on me. “It worked for all of us last night. I won’t deny that.”
Clearing his throat, Holden stood taller and crossed his arms over his chest. “This is a weird fucking conversation. But it worked for me, too. I can tell you that I’ve been around. I never did the marriage thing like you idiots. I’ve had threesomes with two women and I’ve visited places that would make your mother clutch her pearls, but last night was the best sex I’ve ever had.”
They both looked at me and I shrugged like we weren’t having a conversation that made my balls want to crawl back inside my body. “Yeah, it was pretty fucking great for me, too.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
I glared at Barrett. “The problem is that Sugar fled the scene of the crime like a goddamn burglar, Barrett. Not everyone is into the same thing as me and I was just drunk enough to dabble a little too far last night. I might’ve crossed a line that I didn’t see because I wasn’t completely sober.”
“I’m sorry. Were we inside the same woman last night? Because there were no lines being crossed except for the ones she was begging for. Sugar went crazy for us last night. If anything, Barrett’s right. She woke up and realized she was sleeping next to her best friend’s dad and booked it.”
“Thanks a fucking lot.” Barrett scrubbed his hands down his face. “I’m going to figure how to reach out to Sugar. I’ll make sure she’s good.”
“And?” I rubbed my jaw. “If she’s good? What’s next?”
Barrett raised his brows. “What do you mean?”
“He means that if Sugar is good, maybe she would be good with us again.” Holden shrugged. “Am I the only one thinking a redo of last night, maybe in a bed, would be a great idea?”
“No.” I could still taste Sugar on my tongue and it was taking everything in me to remain calm. “You’re not.”
“You know you’re not.” Barrett cupped the back of his neck and looked between me and Holden. “Should we check in with each other first? We’ve never done anything like that before. Anyone feeling weird?”
“Jesus Christ, be less of a fucking dad, Barr. Clearly, we’re fine. We’re all functioning like normal, including you becoming Oprah when you think we need tocheckinwith each other.” Holden laughed. “I feel fine. I feel like I just had the best sex of my life and like I want to go work in my kitchen for a while. There’s nothing better. Unless you can promise me I’m coming home to find Sugar in my bed later.”
“Some days I want to strangle you.”
I grinned at the two of them and then fixed Barrett with a gaze. Holden was all in for most things. Barrett was typically the voice of reason. “What do you think?”
After a second of thinking, he tried to cover a smile by rubbing his face. “As long as Sugar is okay and I don’t come out of this with Sam hating me more than she already does half the time, I’m interested.”
“One problem, fellas.” Holden gestured between us. “This is a sausage fest. No offense, but I don’t want to touch either of you.”
Barrett gave in to his basic human urges and hit Holden. “I’ll get in touch with Sugar. Now, I’m going home to shower and change. I’m not going to face her looking like this.”
“Oh, honey, you look great.” Holden batted his eyelashes and then froze. “Sorry. I just remembered we’re supposed to be the mature men she was looking for.”
14
***Barrett***
Iscrolleddownandlaughed even harder. I’d been reading through Sugar’s blog for hours and my mind was racing with the possibilities. She was good. Not just good; she was talented beyond what I’d expected.