Capture & Surrender (Market Garden, #5)(16)

“I heard that!”

Frank laughed. “I think I’ll stick with goldfish.”

“Didn’t you kill the last couple you had?”

“I wouldn’t say I killed them.” Frank lifted his hands. “The cause of death was undetermined.”

“Mm-hmm. I’m sure there was a full coroner’s— Geoff, goddamn you!”

Frank looked towards the kitchen. Geoff was nowhere in sight, but the cat came trotting out with a piece of cheese in her mouth.

Geoff appeared, innocence writ large across his face. “What?”

Mike groaned. “God. No wonder she begs.”

“Begging, hell.” Geoff dropped onto the couch beside Frank. “She was this close to shanking me if I didn’t give her something.”

Frank laughed. “Definitely sticking to goldfish.”

Geoff eyed him. “I thought you killed—”

“I did not kill my f*cking fish!” Frank sighed dramatically.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, darling.” Mike patted his leg. Then his expression turned serious, and Frank barely resisted groaning. He knew where this was going. “Okay. So. Stefan.”

“Yeah. Stefan.” Frank took a long swallow of beer. “What about him?”

“Assuming he doesn’t elope with Chris tonight”—Geoff sidled up closer to Frank—“has it occurred to you that maybe there’s chemistry between the two of you for a reason?”

“Besides the fact that he’s hot and pushes all my fetish buttons?” Frank shrugged. “Guys, let it go. He’s hot. He’s promiscuous. He’s obviously a good f*ck.”

Next to Frank, Mike shivered and reached for his beer. “God. Yeah.”

“Mike.” Geoff glared at him.

“It’s okay.” Frank chuckled. “Isn’t like I’ve claimed him, you know?”

Mike’s cheeks darkened a little. “Yeah, but I did kind of feel bad moving in on someone who—”

“Moving in on him?” Frank snorted. “Nice try. I saw the whole thing. Yank captured you and claimed his spoils. All you did was lie there and take it.”

“Not going to argue with that.” Mike closed his eyes as he shuddered. “Fucking hell.”

“I’m getting details from one of you.” Geoff pointed sharply at Mike, then Frank. “Someone better tell me what the hell happened out there, since no one had the decency to film it.”

Frank laughed. To Mike, he said, “You know, we could drag this out for months. Feed him little details here and there.”

Mike stroked his chin. “Hmm, yes. We could.”

“I hate you both,” Geoff muttered into his beer. He took a drink and set the mostly empty bottle on the coffee table. “Anyway. To be serious for one bloody minute, I really do think you and Stefan should clear the air. Even if he and Chris do shack up and elope before sunrise, you two still have to work together. And whatever it is that clicked between you, it should be addressed.”

“And I’ve known him, what, a week?” Frank shook his head. “I can’t put my life story out there for him and hope he’ll keep it under his hat.”

“No, maybe not.” Geoff moved a little closer still and put his hand on Frank’s leg. “Except I don’t think he’ll believe you for a second if you try to convince him you’re not interested. That cat’s already out of the bag.”

Frank rested his hand on top of Geoff’s. “Then let’s hope Chris makes it a moot point.”

Mike looked at them, one to the other, then squeezed Frank’s other thigh. “You guys wanna kiss, I’ll grab the camera.”

Frank huffed, and then Geoff took his chin with two fingers and lifted his head just that little bit before touching his lips to Frank’s. Damn. Frank felt the tension slip from his shoulders. It was a friend’s kiss, a mate-with-benefits kiss. Maybe a mercy kiss, but he’d known Geoff long enough to take that from him.

He kissed back, surprised that Geoff was so tender, like he thought Frank was actually hurting. Frank managed to close his eyes and enjoy it, though he felt keenly that Mike’s hand was sliding up his thigh towards his groin.

When Geoff broke the kiss, Mike took Frank’s mouth and kissed him too, this one a different taste, feel, smell. Familiar, friendly, not dangerous at all. Care, respect, friendship. Rely on us, those touches said. Being crowded by two hot guys belonged to the better things in life.

One of them, or both, pulled at his shirt, tugging it free and then over his head. The first slide of open palm across his chest almost made Frank jump; he hadn’t realised how goddamned starved he was for touch. It wasn’t about Stefan. It was the whole goddamned situation, keeping other guys at bay by whatever means necessary.

Those barriers didn’t exist for these two, though. And that they cared about him despite everything, that was a bloody miracle.

“It’s okay, we got this,” Mike said in his ear. “Lie back.”

Frank settled against the large designer cushions and managed, barely, to open his arms and put them around both men, idly stroking and caressing their shoulders, necks, while they half-covered him, taking turns kissing him.

He’d almost forgotten how good that felt, that slow gentleness, no pressure, no performance to beat, no macho posturing, merely touch and drifting and an arousal that built but didn’t have to go anywhere.