Sierra.

The memories of the night before, the way the three of them had come together, the way they had connected, still shocked him. Despite his need to take Sierra, to bury himself in her tight body, Luke hadn’t been able to make it that far. After Cole and Sierra made him come with their mouths, he’d been overcome with a savage intensity that he feared would cause him to hurt her.

Instead of taking that chance, he’d buried his cock into Cole’s tight ass and hung on while they’d both inadvertently fucked Sierra, Cole having the pleasure of being inside of her while Luke was rocked with the intensity of being inside of Cole again.

As many times as Luke had been part of a threesome, he’d never done that. In fact, Luke had never taken a man so intimately, until Cole. Until the night at Luke’s house when the overwhelming need had been too strong to ignore, the lure of Cole and all of the things the man made him feel had pushed him past the boundaries he’d inadvertently set for himself. Just like the last time.

Until that night, Luke hadn’t realized he had even been attracted to a man in that way. And maybe he just hadn’t found the right man. Deep down inside, he’d felt that with Cole and despite his reluctance to accept it, Luke knew it for the truth that it was.

Despite the intense sexual need and the desire that plagued him, Luke didn’t feel the overwhelming protective instinct for Cole the way he did with Sierra. Maybe that’s because Cole was strong enough that he didn’t need Luke to be protective of him. Sierra, on the other hand, he had a feeling that the woman was easily getting under his skin, though she hadn’t even tried.

Last night, Luke realized that although he enjoyed the pleasure that he found with Cole, he still longed to be buried inside of Sierra’s soft, slender body and to feel the depths of what the woman could give him.

He had refrained.

Afterward, when both he and Cole collapsed on the bed beside Sierra, he had managed to put up that barrier that would inadvertently push Cole away.

Luke might be able to accept the fact that he could find pleasure in Cole’s body, get lost in the heat and urgency, but that didn’t make it any easier to face the aftermath. And Cole must have seen the invisible walls fall into place because after he disappeared into the bathroom, returning moments later with a damp cloth that he gently and effectively used on Sierra, before he disappeared into his own room without another word.

Lying on the bed now, Sierra’s luscious body pressed up against him, Luke knew he needed to get up, to wake Sierra so they could get ready and meet Logan and Sam at the conference. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. Yet. Since the moment Cole slipped from the room, Sierra had been sleeping soundly, and Luke wasn’t anxious to wake her. Instead, he settled on watching her sleep.

She looked so innocent, the dark fan of her eyelashes brushing the tops of her cheeks, the silky, black, tangled tresses spread out around her, a dark contrast against the white sheets.

She was an angel. And she scared the shit out of him.

Luke was startled from his thoughts when he heard the shower in Cole’s room turn on. Doing his best not to wake her, he slipped from the bed and made his way into the adjoining room in time to see Cole’s reflection in the bathroom mirror as his naked form stepped into the shower. Luke was torn between what he wanted and what he shouldn’t want. And that was Cole. His body wanted the man. Fiercely.

Truthfully, Luke was scared shitless about the desires Cole brought out in him. He didn’t feel the need to deny the physical attraction between them. Luke was open to his sexuality, always had been, going after what he wanted for the sheer pleasure of it. Luke wouldn’t deny that he needed variety, and apparently he’d found what he needed in Cole.

Before he knew what he was doing, Luke was in the bathroom, pulling back the shower curtain and climbing in. Cole stood beneath the spray of hot water, his forearms resting against the tile while he leaned his forehead against them.

Need pierced him as he took in the sight of Cole’s strong back, his trim waist and perfect ass.

Unable to say a word, Luke simply moved up against him, pressing his chest to the other man’s smooth, well defined back, sliding his cock between Cole’s legs. The sharp intake of breath was Cole’s only acknowledgement, and when Luke leaned against him, reaching around with his right hand to stroke Cole’s rock hard erection, he gave in to his desires.

“I need you.” Luke stated firmly. Using his left hand, he guided his cock between Cole’s firm ass cheeks, teasing the puckered hole. “Right here. Right now. But I won’t be gentle.” He warned.

Cole nodded his head and leaned further into the wall, giving Luke better access as Cole used his own hand to stroke the steely length of his cock.

Luke made quick work of rolling on a condom, his cock hard as stone and pulsing with the need to be lodged deep inside of Cole again.

He caught sight of a tube of lubrication sitting on the edge of the tub and wondered whether Cole had anticipated this, or if the man had just intended to satisfy himself. Quickly flipping the cap open, Luke squeezed the cool gel over his cock and stroked gently. He was primed and ready, just from the remembered feel of Cole’s welcoming body.

With little finesse, Luke guided his cock into Cole, thrusting hard, burying himself to the hilt, slipping through the tight ring of muscles, the tense grip of Cole’s body milking him. Being inside of him was a pleasure Luke had never known before Cole and one he feared he would never know after.

Cole gasped, pressing back against him, his hand stroking harder and faster along his cock while Luke gripped his hips and pounded into him. Luke’s insides tightened; the tension building, Cole’s body gripping him, pulling him deeper. Grunts and groans erupted, echoing in the small space, barely heard over the sound of running water as Luke thrust deeper.

Until last night, he’d avoided this for two long months, the desperate need to own this man, to take him like this, to unleash all of his desire on one person. The one person who could handle Luke like no one else.

“You’re so fucking tight. I’m gonna come deep in your ass, and you better fucking come with me.” Luke growled, pressing Cole down with one hand on his back as he continued to pound into him. “Come for me, Cole!”

With that, both men growled out their release, the warm water pounding over them as they fought for breath, using all of their remaining energy to continue standing.

Luke slid from Cole’s body, pressing against his back, laying his head against Cole’s, taking a moment to relish the feel of the man. The differences between Cole and Sierra were like night and day, and for the life of him, Luke didn’t understand what he was drawn to. What he did understand was that no matter how hard he pushed, Cole continued to come back. What that ultimately meant, Luke had no idea.

Luke didn’t understand the conflicting feelings; the need to possess Cole – mind, body, and soul. Those feelings piggybacked on his need to have Sierra – the woman he had thought about constantly since the moment he first laid eyes on her. Both of them consumed every waking thought, every conscious desire, and for the life of him, he couldn’t explain it.

As much as he wanted Cole, as much as he was coming to care for him, Luke was scared shitless that it would all be taken away in an instant…the underlying reason Luke kept himself from getting attached, the very real knowledge that the ones you loved could be ripped from your life so easily. Like his parents had been.

Even as a small child, unsure of what it meant to love and lose, Luke vowed never to let anyone get close, never to rely on someone to be there because in the end, what happened to them was out of his control. And he couldn’t bear to lose anyone else.

Sierra brought on the exact same fears. Luke didn’t know her well enough, and he hadn’t pushed her far enough. Last night had been mild compared to what he wanted to do. Although she gave herself over to them both freely, trusting them with her pleasure, Luke still worried that he would scare her. Even though he wouldn’t be able to hold back forever, at least for now he had Cole who didn’t ask any questions.

When Cole turned in his arms, Luke took a step back, surprised when Cole latched on to the back of his neck, pulling him forward until they were just a hairsbreadth away, their foreheads touching. For a second, their roles were almost reversed, and Luke anticipated what Cole was going to say, holding his breath.

“This won’t be over, Luke. I’ll tell you that right now. What’s going on between us, the three of us, this doesn’t fucking happen every day.” There was an intensity to Cole’s words that Luke had never heard before.

“You own me,” Cole continued, his voice lowering, “you own every fucking part of me, and I won’t back off this time. From you or from Sierra. Don’t make me.”

The denial Luke had somehow come to terms with roared its ugly head, reminding him of what he didn’t want – or more importantly what he didn’t want to lose.

Before he had a moment to blast Cole with exactly what he thought about the whole thing, Cole pulled Luke to him, crushing his mouth down on his. Luke reluctantly gave in to the kiss, relishing in the hard, masculine feel of Cole’s mouth as they both fought for dominance.

Luke knew who would win the battle, but for the first time in his life, he wasn’t so certain he would also win the war.

* * *

Sierra woke up alone in Luke’s bed; the sound of water running in the next room had her stirring until she couldn’t fall back asleep. Instead of tossing and turning, aching for the loss of the warm body she had been curled up against all night, she ventured into the next room, just to see where Cole and Luke were. What she found rooted her in place and stole her breath.