Hunks, Hammers, and Happily Ever Afters (63 page)

Max wasn’t sure the off-key warbling qualified as singing precisely, but both he and Noah grinned at the upbeat tone.

“We did that,” Noah said, almost in awe. “We made her happy.”

“We did.” And they’d both made Max happy. Life couldn’t be any better than this.

“Oooh, coffee! You’re the best, Max.” Hayley reappeared, lightly brushing a kiss on his cheek before snagging a mug.

She loaded a plate with a selection of the food Max had fixed then clambered onto the bed, and wriggled into place beside Noah. Max pulled up one of the chairs from the reading nook by the window and propped his legs up on the end of the bed.

He marveled at how easy they all were, none of them feeling awkward, or embarrassed. Instead Hayley talked about the wedding, they discussed her plans for the next house, the staging of the one they’d finished.

Hayley waved her fork in the air, the strawberry stabbed on the tines punctuating her words. “You’ve done amazing things with this place. They’re exactly the colors I would have chosen. And the bathroom is divine. If Noah ever moves out, Max, let me know. I know some people who would pay top dollar for a loft like this. It would be better if it had a separate entrance of course.”

A shiver racked Max at the thought of Noah moving out. “The original plans called for one but—”

“—I came back and screwed up his plans,” Noah added. “But it wouldn’t be hard to slap up a couple walls around the stairwell to create a shared vestibule.” ”

Hay shook her head in confusion. “You came back? Haven’t you always lived in Toronto?”

“My father moved us out to BC halfway through grade twelve.” Noah regarded his coffee. “I went to college there too. Then about three years ago, Mrs. Moretti sent me a birthday card and since I didn’t have any reason to stay in BC anymore, the next thing I knew I’d sublet my apartment and was on a flight back to Toronto.”

Max rubbed his chest at the ache in Noah’s voice proving that even after all these years, Noah still hurt from his father’s rejection.

“Yeah, you should hear the way my nonna tells it.” Max raised his voice to a falsetto with a heavy Italian accent, “This boy arrives on the doorstep, with suitcase in hand, and no plans for where he’s going to stay, no job prospects.”

He pinched his fingers together and waved them in an approximation of his grandmother’s broad gesticulations. “You live there with my Maxxie. He needs a good boy like you as a roommate. You take care of each other, help each other like friends do, no?”

Noah snorted. “I’d been here before and knew it needed updating but for some reason I figured they were talking about painting or maybe redoing the hardwood.” He hooked his thumb in Max’s direction. “Then I walk in and discover hotshot here had torn the walls down to the studs, the water was turned off, and the furnace didn’t work—and this was in November, so it was getting pretty chilly at night. I slept on an air mattress in whatever room was in the best shape while Momma’s boy slept at his parents’ place every night.”

Max breathed a sigh of relief that his attempt at humor had lightened Noah’s tone. “Hey, you could have slept at my parents’, too. That pull-out couch in the basement isn’t half bad.”

“They had a houseful already without me adding to their burden.” With a groan, Noah stood and stretched. “I’m going to grab a shower. You guys want to join me?”

Hayley reached out to trail her fingers over Noah’s thighs as he passed. “I’ll be there in a minute. I want to finish my waffles.”

Max hauled himself to the head of the bed, pounded his fist into one of the pillows, and settled back, his hands clasped behind his head. Which gave him the perfect view of her breasts now that the sheet had fallen to Hayley’s lap.

Last night had been...mind blowing. No way did he want today to end and have to let her go. Not so soon. “Tell me you’ve got more planned for us.”

At her hesitation, he lifted himself up on his elbows. “Is something wrong?”

She pushed away the plate and curled one knee beneath her so she faced him. “I want to ask something but I’m worried you’ll be insulted.”

Oh oh. “I won’t be able to tell you if I will be or not unless you ask.”

“It’s just some guys get twitchy if another guy gets near their
equipment
so to speak, yet last night you and Noah seemed so comfortable with each other’s private parts touching.”

She’d thought he was comfortable? Okay, maybe later in the night he’d been but when Noah had felt up his ass, he’d cupped balls too—had Hayley been able to see that? Then again since she was on top of him at the time, maybe she’d been able to tell from the way he’d almost jumped through the ceiling.

“First off, that’s not a question, that’s a statement. But if you’re asking if Noah and I are lovers, the answer is no. I mean when we were teens, we did some experimenting one weekend but that’s all it was. We’ve just had threesomes before and it’s almost impossible to not have your junk touch.” While Max didn’t give a duck’s fart for what anyone thought, Noah would freak out at the thought of his sexuality being openly discussed. Then again Noah was bi, or pan, or whatever he called himself, and had more reason to be jumpy. Torontonians might be more open than their southern counterparts, but it didn’t mean there weren’t homophobes out there. “Now it’s my turn for a question. Does it make a difference to you that we’re not concerned about us crossing swords, so to speak? Did it lessen your enjoyment?”

“No.” There was no hesitation to her answer. “To be honest, watching the connection between you two last night. It was really hot, and I’d love to see you touch each other. Maybe kiss or jerk each other off or something. I guess that’s asking too much, isn’t it?”

Huh. “Seriously? You find watching two guys kissing sexy?”

“You know what they say about one guy being hot and two guys being hotter.” She patted his leg. “I’m going to run down and get some more coffee. You want some?”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

He waited until she’d disappeared down the stairs before he sank back on the bed. Holy crap. What did he do now?

Despite the occasional comment tossed their way about them living together, all their friends understood how it was impossible to afford to live alone these days, not with the average house in Toronto costing almost a million these days. Even rents were beyond what the average Joe could afford on their own. Hayley had understood that too. So why the hell had she suggested some man on man action unless she thought they were gay. Or at least curious.

Which they’d once been. How long had it been since he’d allowed himself to remember what they’d done the last weekend before Noah had left for BC. To this day, Max couldn’t remember if it was his idea or Noah, but they’d raided dear old Chuck’s private liquor stash and downloaded some porn that first night.

They commiserated about how hard it was to meet girls considering they attended an all-boys school. Oh, Max knew tons of girls, but they were all his sisters’ friends and were considered off limits. Just once, he’d confessed that night, he wished he could meet a girl with no limits. He was desperately horny, and wanted to experience sex beyond the limits of his own palm. But here they were, stuck out in the boonies.

They’d ended up jerking off to the moans and cheesy boom-chick-a-wow-wow soundtrack. Later he’d convinced himself it was the beer influencing them, but Noah had fumbled for Max’s cock and finished him off. To his own surprise, Max had returned the favor. By the end of the night, their hands, their bellies and chests were coated with their shared jizz.

While they could have blamed the alcohol for that first night of experimentation, neither of them could use booze as an excuse the next morning when Max woke up to find himself flat on his back, a still-drowsy Noah spooning him, grinding his morning wood into Max’s hip. Nor were either of them drunk when Noah had begged Max to fuck his ass. Which had been...well, he’d gotten off, but Noah had enjoyed it more than he had.

Then Max met Emily Johnson and she’d let him go all the way. Which only proved to him he was definitely in love with pussy over cock.

There were two issues here, he decided. One, when Hayley had given them the mutual hand job, when she’d alternated between them and their cocks had touched, it hadn’t bothered him. In fact, to be truthful, it sort of turned him on. What the fuck was up with that?

The second issue was that, though he’d never admitted it to Noah, Max had fallen hella deep in love with Hayley. The get-down-on-one-knee-and-pledge-himself-for-life type of love. And tied to that issue, or maybe it was an issue all its own, he was pretty sure Noah was in love with Hayley too.

But if they fulfilled her latest fantasy, if they touched each other again, would she realize it was for her benefit? Or would she consider them gay and not see either of them as a permanent relationship prospect?

“You promised you’d fulfill her fantasy, dude,” he muttered to himself. If she wanted to see him kiss Noah, he couldn’t back out now. Because Max Moretti never reneged on a promise.

CHAPTER EIGHT

It wasn’t the warmth of the shower that had Noah leaning his cheek against the cool quartz wall. He’d settled onto the bench out of the water’s reach, sure that the bones in his legs had changed to rubber. Being with Hayley—at the wedding reception, dancing with her, chatting on the way home, had been his personal fantasy. She’d been funny and open, supportive. And looked only at him without the “his family has money” glint in her eye. Being inside her had been holy-shit-I-don’t-want-this-to-end. Ever.

She was the type of woman that could reach into his soul. She’d hung around enough rich people to realize money didn’t buy happiness. That rich families could be just as fucked up as poor. In fact, maybe more because people like his father surrounded themselves with yes men. People who would never say boo if they were way out of line. Max’s family kept him level-headed. They weren’t afraid to slap the side of his head—literally—when he screwed up. And when things went wrong, they were there for each other.

Noah banged his head against the marble, welcoming the ache it caused. Why the hell had he agreed to share her tonight? Why hadn’t he taken her back to her place after the wedding and made love to her by himself, then arranged for the threesome some other time?

Because Max hadn’t brought her home the week before. Instead he’d given her space to think about having the threesome, but also time to decide if she wanted to date either of them. For Noah to take advantage of Max’s chivalry, well, that wouldn’t make him a good friend. To either of them. Except if Hayley had seen Max’s face just now, which he was pretty sure she had, Noah was certain they might as well hang a runner-up ribbon in the “who does Hayley want” competition.

Which hurt like a splinter under his fingernail. Hell, under all ten fingernails. Toenails too.

“Noah? Mind if we join you?” Hayley’s voice floated out of the bedroom, the warmth in her voice descending around his shoulders, soothing his psyche, like a comforting blanket. “I’ve just decided soaping both you guys up in a shower is part of my fantasy.”

“And we’re here to fulfill her fantasy, aren’t we, Noah?” There was a weird tone in Max’s voice, not playful but almost as if he were trying to warn Noah of something. Why would Max think he’d object? If Hayley’s fantasy included a shower scene, they’d already agreed they’d do anything to make her happy.

Except it wasn’t just Hayley whose fantasies were being fulfilled, was it? The heat in Max’s face just now had brought back every memory, every need and desire, of that long weekend in May back in high school. Hearing the tenderness in his voice, and how it changed to rough grunts, feeling the slide of his cock against Noah’s through the warm barrier Hayley provided combined with the heat and longing, pure sex in his eyes when he came...

His cock jerked at the memory. Shit.
You’ve let yourself fall in love with them both, doofus.

He banged his head once more. “Talk about a fucked-up head-case, McNaughton.”

“Noah?” The door creaked open and Max peered around it. His gaze zeroed in on his erection and he grinned. “Oh good, you’re not on the can.”

Without waiting for Noah to respond, he walked in, Hayley trailing him.

“Is your bathroom like this, Max? I’d love to see it.” Hayley traced her fingers over the stone.

Jesus, McNaughton, when did you become so insecure?

When he realized it was a competition between him and his best friend for the woman who could be
the one
.

“You guys did a fantastic job with this space.” Her smile lit up the room.
Geez, you are totally insecure if her liking your choice of stone makes you feel better.
“And it’s huge!”

“Yup, there’s room enough for six people.” He moved aside letting Hayley step under the spray. The water beaded and sluiced down her, dripping off her nipples in an erotic waterfall. His semi hardened into a full-on woody.

“He’s not exaggerating.” Max eased past Noah as if he were afraid of touching him. “My entire family dropped by when we were laying out the wall lines. The entire herd fit into this area which totally scandalized Mom.”

“Yeah, but your father approved.” After his wife and daughters had wandered back into the bedroom, Mr. Moretti had murmured something about it being big enough to have an orgy. And then he’d winked. God, he loved that old man.

Hayley picked up the fresh bar of soap Noah had placed there as an afterthought. It was a special French milled soap that had been a client’s thank you gift, but up until now the floral scent had kept him from using it. “Hmm, pretty.”

“Just remind me to shower with my own soap before I go out again,” Max grumbled. He dropped the soap and cursed, bent to pick it up and dropped it again.

Noah bent to retrieve the bar as it skidded across his foot and held it out to Max. Who jumped back like he’d been bitten. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing, it’s just weird being in the same shower as you.”

“We showered together through four years of high school, dude. It’s not like you’ve never seen me naked before.”