Power of Three Read online

  The next day, she thought. She thought long and hard.

  Does orgasm always provoke catharsis like this?

  With the frolicsome boy-girl-boy trio getting frisky around the pool, and her two "lovers" gone off scuba diving or pursuing some other strenuous island activity, Laurie found a quiet beach about twenty minutes walk away, on which to lie and mull things over. It dawned on her that she'd been in a sort of thee-way relationship for a while now, with Jim and Melanie, but she just hadn't known about it. She'd kept telling herself since she'd arrived on the island that her fianc's betrayal didn't bother her, but now she knew it did. She'd been living in denial, mainly, until last night. When hot night air, over-proof rum and simmering grief had transformed her into someone who'd do the sort of thing that she'd never dreamed of ever doing before.

  But watching, and pleasuring herself with Dark-Eyes and Blondie had changed her. Outre and not her as it seemed, she was part of a new threesome now. And despite her qualms, and the sense of shock she felt when she reminded herself what she'd done, she felt closer to her ersatz partners than she had to anyone in a long time. Despite the fact they'd never touched, and barely yet spoken.

  She still wasn't really sure which was which. Either one could be Ed; either one could be Denny. But she was bound to them whichever one was which, joined by that sweetest of stolen orgasms.

  There was a note lying on her mat when she returned to the villa, and her heart leapt, knowing who it was from.

  Hey, neighbor!

  How about a drink with us tonight, eh? Or a bite to eat. Or a chat. Or something.

  About eight? Please come, it'll just be us three. We're looking forward to getting to know you better.

  Ed and Denny in Number Three.

  Oh God, what did "something" mean? Part of her feared it and wanted to run, and run now, straight back to the island's little airport and get on a plane back to normality, even though that normality was a pretty grim state.

  But then again, the provocative Ed and Denny might just be being neighborly and taking pity on a singleton.

  But that was absurd too. She couldn't ignore what'd happened last night, and neither could they. Unless they did things like that on a regular basis, just for fun, and it didn't mean anything.

  Her head whirled, even in the absence of rum. But she made a decision. She wouldn't be a coward. She'd go. Take her chances on whatever "something" was.

  With silly smile on her face, Laurie headed for the shower. Better make herself as gorgeous and fragrant as possible, just in case.

  What did one wear for a hot date with two men?

  ACT TWO

  It'd taken four changes of clothing to decide what to wear, and even then Laurie had ended up in the first outfit she'd tried on — a floating tropical print sundress with a halter neck that tied in a bow at the back.

  It was a daring choice for her, but she'd been planning to wear it for an all-sex honeymoon, luring Jim back to bed almost as soon as they'd got out of it. Now, even though there was a little guard fire of anger and pain still burning inside her, the thought of sex with her former fiance was starting to make her cringe. She couldn't get over the image of him with chubby Melanie, sweating and heaving.

  An especially repugnant thought, after the competition quality erotic exhibitionism she'd observed last night from both the villas across the patio. And particularly from beyond the door she was about to knock on now, taut with nerves.

  Doubts had resurfaced as the appointed hour had rolled around. How could she face them? It was the moment of truth. She'd spent a large part of the day, alternating between reliving last night, and convincing herself that it had probably been just a tipsy dream, even though she knew it wasn't. She'd never seen herself as a brazen woman, but last night she'd not only come close to the border of brazen, she'd smashed right on through it.

  You can still change your mind, kiddo. You can plead a headache tomorrow. I'm sure they won't be offended. They don't seem like the type to bear grudges, and maybe they'll just get the message that you're not interested and keep it all friendly, but distant?

  But another voice murmured coward. The same one that told her she was interested. Listening to that one, she took a firm grip on the neck of the bottle of over-proof she'd brought as a gift for her hosts, and knocked sharply before she could prevaricate and chicken out.

  A low masculine murmur emanated from beyond the door. Hard to tell its tenor, but she hoped it was the sound of someone who was pleased by her arrival. Maybe she wasn't the only one having second thoughts. After all, these were a couple of gay lovers, into each other, not some stray woman.

  The door swung open, and Dark-Eyes' warm smile both quelled her fears and reminded her of the pleasures of last night. His eyes twinkled, and up close she could see they were brown, rich and glowing as the rum in her bottle, and very, very sexy.

  "Well, hello! So glad you decided to join us. Do come on in!" He threw back the door and waved her through, his gesture expansive and graceful. Dark-Eyes was the skinnier of the two men, but he looked fit and strong in a black, long-sleeved cotton top and snug fitting jeans.

  His partner, Blondie, unwound himself from the planter's chair he'd been lounging in, and came towards her, his smile just as welcoming, but quite different to his fellow's.

  Blondie, up close, was simply dazzling; there were no two ways about it. His hair was a tousle of dark gold curls and his face bordered on the angelic it was so pretty, yet still it was full of character, and strong. He was slightly broader built than his friend, but moved lightly and lithely as he held out his hand. The acknowledged beauty of the two, he looked like a film star in his white shirt and cream linen trousers and waistcoat, as if he'd fallen from a screen showing Brideshead Revisited.

  "I'm Denny. Delighted you could come." He grinned on the word come, and it sent a frisson through Laurie's vitals. She smiled back, feeling a bit idiotic, but very turned on, remembering last night. Denny might look a bit fey with his cherubic curls and his creamy linen, but his handshake was firm and excitingly manly. "And this is Ed, my lover."

  Just like that. No shilly-shallying about. Well, why would they be anything but up-front after their unequivocal display?

  Ed smiled, stepped forward and shook her hand too. Like his lover, his grip was firm and his skin smooth and warm.

  Laurie blinked, just staring at them. She felt like laughing out loud, nerves notwithstanding. She'd come to the island to get away from men and their complications, and now she'd managed to end up here with two of them. Two who were completely gorgeous examples of the gender and who probably came with twice as many complications.

  The lovers stared back at her, and a little tilt of Denny's blond head seemed to be asking a question.

  Oh hell, of course, my name!

  "Oh, sorry… I'm Laurie Jones. Pleased to meet you…" Meet? How absurd was that after she'd masturbated to orgasm in front of the pair of them last night, not to mention the fact that they had already shared smiles and vague pleasantries around the pool in the last couple of days. A bubble of laugher escaped her lips, and suddenly Ed and Denny were laughing too, as if they'd both known her for years.

  "I suppose I should say sorry for spying on you last night… and… um… making an exhibition of myself too." She could feel a fresh sizzle of blush start to rise up through her decolletage and her face and throat. "But I blame that lot in Cabana Two, they started it with their… um… performance."

  "Indeed," said Ed with a grin, "It would have been cowardly not to, well, rise to the challenge." He winked at his lover. "At least that's what we thought."

  "Yes, it just had to be done, didn't it?" Denny waggled his sandy eyebrows at her, reminding her more of a naughty boy rather than of the hot, mature, rampantly sexual man he so obviously was.

  "Absolutely," concurred Laurie, still blushing but feeling her edginess ameliorate and the promise of relaxation with the two men beckon.

  "Shall we have a drink… Just
chill out a bit, eh?" suggested Denny, reaching for her hand again and leading her towards the large wickerwork sofa that matched the planter's chair. As Laurie sank down onto it, he sat beside her. "Ed's ordered some food from the hotel kitchen. Just finger stuff, seafood, chicken and the like… It'll be here in a little while, so we can have a bevvy first and get to know each other." he paused, dropping an outrageous wink "… with our clothes on."

  "At least for the time being," added Ed, from across the room, presiding over the drinks tray.

  For the time being?

  Trying to suppress her quivers, Laurie looked at her left hand and realized she was still clutching the bottle, a bit like a protective talisman. "Maybe we could have some of this?"

  "Good idea. Thanks for bringing it. You're very thoughtful, Laurie." Denny took the bottle from her, almost having to prize it from her fingers because she was still processing the implications of "For the time being". He strolled across to Ed and set it on the tray while his lover did the honors with highball glasses, ice, and slices of lime.

  "Rum and Coke?" enquired Ed.

  "Yes, please!"

  A shot of rum was just what she needed; anything to settle her nerves a bit. She was feeling quite giddy from the sight of so much raw male pulchritude, and the transition from last night, which still felt like something she'd imagined, to tonight, which was oh-so real. As the two men stood by the cabinet, it was all she could do not to ogle them and wish she had X-ray vision so that she could admire them as if they were standing there naked, as they'd done last night.

  Laurie stole a glance at the innocuous woven rug on which they must have been standing for their performance, and then flipped back to the men. Even in their clothes they were devastating. Ed's legs were long and lean in close-cut denim, and Denny's ass was a poem of spectacular desirability beneath the creamy linen of his trousers.

  "Here you go." He handed her the tall, generously proportioned drink on his return, as Ed took up station in the planter's chair, just a couple of feet away, at her other side. "Chin-chin!" He clinked his glass to hers as Ed raised his in affirmation.

  "Here's to a happy holiday."

  Momentarily, Laurie felt as chilled as the icy drink. It seemed stupid to think of what might have been, in such warm, sexy company, but she couldn't help herself. To cover her pang of angst, she took a sip from her drink. It was strong, but a delicious balance of spirit and mixer, just the job.

  But meeting Denny's eye, she saw he was frowning, concern writ large across his heavenly features. He wasn't a fool, he'd seem her sad little twist, and as she glanced across at Ed his expression was an echo.

  "Are you OK, Laurie?" Ed asked, "I know it's a bit weird, us all being together here, after what happened last night. But I swear, last night was last night, and tonight is tonight. There's no pressure. We don't even have to mention it any more if you're uncomfortable. We can just hang out, eat some good food, and then maybe go for a stroll on the beach?"

  "Yeah, just three new friends, hanging out on holiday, simple as that." Denny laid a hand lightly on her arm as he spoke.

  But it wasn't simple, and in a flash vision, she suddenly saw that hand on his own flesh, caressing, laced with Ed's, and flexing, flexing, flexing. At the same time, she desperately wanted Denny's hand upon her own body, moving and exploring in intimacy. It didn't matter that they were patently gay, she couldn't help desiring them. Both of them.

  "I'm fine, thanks… both of you." She turned from one to the other, enjoying the little squeeze Denny gave her forearm before releasing her. It seemed strangely filial almost. "And weirdly, despite everything, I feel quite relaxed here with you." She smiled at both of them, aware that she was beginning to loosen up. "Although that might just be Ed's demon interpretation of rum and Coke… Phew!"

  "There's plenty more where that came from. We've got a few bottles of this and that in reserve," Ed said roundly.

  Laurie sipped her drink, eyeing them both. For a moment or two, there seemed to be no need to speak while they all enjoyed the killer cocktails. Just as Laurie was feeling she should open the conversation, there was a knock on the door and their buffet meal arrived.

  Chat, over food that was just as delicious as predicted, was light and strangely innocuous. They discussed the resort, the beaches, and Denny's first forays into scuba-diving, which apparently hadn't exactly been all that accomplished.

  "He swims like a baby hippo with the tanks on," teased Ed, but Denny seemed unfazed and laughed it off, saying he had other talents.

  You certainly do.

  Laurie stole a glance at the golden boy out of the corner of her eye, imagining him naked and writhing again. When she flicked a look to Ed, she could almost believe he was thinking the same thing himself, his eyes were so intent on his partner.

  The evening sped on, becoming more relaxed and easy, despite the slow simmer of confused desire Laurie felt. The men seemed to know that she didn't want to talk about the reason she was here in this romantic place, all alone in a Cabana appointed for two. Instead they launched into their own lives, telling her all about who they were, what they did.

  Good grief, not only brawn and beauty, but brains too.

  Laurie was slightly awestruck. Both her new friends were scientists, quite eminent by the sound of it, but in entirely different fields. Ed's research specialty was climate studies, with a particular interest in long term weather patterns, global warming and other issues; while Denny was a leading volcanologist. Laurie actually fancied she'd seen him on the television, interviewed when there'd been a large eruption. His hair had been much shorter, and the clip had been barely seconds, but thinking back, she was sure it'd been him.

  "That's why we're here, really," he said, swirling his glass as they touched on field work. He was drinking water now, Laurie noticed. Did he think that he needed a clear head for something? "We've been loafing around in colleges and cozy cloistered seats of learning long enough, so now we're both going out in the field. This is a last hedonistic holiday for a while, a chance to have some fun together before we head off to the ends of the earth, in different directions."

  Ed shrugged, quirking his lips. "Well, not quite the opposite ends, but near enough. Denny's off to Indonesia to study his pet volcanoes there, and I'm away to Antarctica at the end of October, to monitor the ozone layer amongst other things."

  "Bloody hell! Antarctica? No wonder you wanted some late season Caribbean sun." Laurie stared at him, trying to see him with a bushy beard and bundled up in multiple layers of insulated parka, looking like a sexy Ernest Shackleton. It was difficult; she still kept seeing him naked. "And I suppose half way up the side of volcano in Indonesia isn't a bed of roses either."

  "No, it can get a bit hairy, sometimes, close to something active," admitted Denny.

  They were back in the conversation area now, with her and Denny sharing the settee again. She'd noticed that contrary to her expectations, having seen Ed fuck him last night, the blond was the ever so slightly dominant persona, in conversation at least. Ed seemed content to be quieter, listening and watching shrewdly while almost basking in the golden glow of his stunning partner.

  "So how long will you both be away for?" She glanced from one to the other, and caught a look passing between them. It was fleeting, but also telling. They cared deeply for each other and it was going to be hard to be apart.

  "Well, Denny's off for five months and me just for four." Ed swirled his drink in his glass. "I'm looking forward to it, professionally speaking, but it's going to be tough without sex for all those months." He case Laurie a seductive glance. "I'll just have to rely on being absorbed in the work… and internet chats and my good right hand."

  Laurie's blushes had settled during their over dinner conversation, but now, instantly, she was glowing again. Especially when Denny added, "His very good right hand."

  "Um… yes, it must be difficult when you're established couple," she observed, at a bit of a loss. The looks being exchanged betw
een the two men were sultrier now, and Denny had this particular quirk of running his tongue over his bottom lip that was doing devilish things to her libido. It was crazy, but still, she couldn't help herself. "Do you… do you live together?"

  "Part of the time," said Denny, returning his attention to her, "We have a place in London, that's near to my college… and Ed commutes and we spend weekends together. A good thing too. Because if we lived together all the time we'd probably spend far too much time shagging and never get any work done."

  "Er… yes," was all she could manage.

  "Pack it in, Den… you're embarrassing our guest," chided Ed, although his eyes were sparkling as he spoke. No doubt eager to get to the shagging.

  "It's okay. No harm done… although maybe I should be on my way. I'm a bit tired."

  Chicken! Scaredy cat!

  But even as she chastised herself, Denny shot out a hand and prevented her from rising.

  "Don't go, Laurie… please." His eyes were clear and blue, and the request seemed genuine. "Tell us about you. What's your story?"

  Ah, the crunch. She'd known it would come and here it was.

  "There's nothing much to tell you, really. I'm an office manager, working in a boring office for a boring firm. I don't do anything exciting or valuable to society. I'm twenty seven… but… well, at the moment I feel old as Methuselah and about as interesting. No special hobbies, except reading and sometimes I do a bit of sketching. I like art."

  She was babbling, and avoiding the issue. Ed clearly knew that, because he leant forward in his chair, his warm brown eyes intent. "What are you doing here, Laurie? It's not usually the sort of place where a woman, or a man for that matter, holidays alone."

  To her horror, Laurie's eyes started to water, and a strange wobbly feeling gripped her. If it hadn't been for Denny's gentle hold on her arm, which seemed to be supplying strength directly into her bloodstream, she might have had dizzy turn. She squared her shoulders, blinked, and mentally braced up.