Let It Snow (7 page)

A hockey player—a public figure no less—had no business being with two people.

Leo reached for the door when Bri’s sultry voice called, “Where are you going, Leo?”

“Bathroom,” he lied. He didn’t want to stop. He needed to keep going. Separation was good. It gave one clarity. But she had that way about her, that commanded him without the command. He faced her, as she curled on her side in the bed.

“I’m tired as hell. I was thinking about bed,” Garrett said as he crawled back under the covers and cuddled against his wife. He looked at Leo. “You okay, man?”

“Yep,” he smiled. “Grade-A perfect. Just going to the bathroom and then to bed.” He escaped the bedroom through the bathroom and went out into the living room, past the couch. The Christmas lights flickered like nothing had changed, bathing the room in a warm, holiday glow. He flipped on the kitchen light, breathing out the panic settling in his blood.

He glanced down at the eggs that he’d made earlier. They were beyond cold, and based on how long they’d sat there, he didn’t think they were edible. He sighed and trashed them, dropping the dirty dishes into the sink for later.

Grabbing a granola bar from the pantry, he turned and froze when he saw Brianna. She’d pulled on one of Garrett’s tees, covering curves he’d just reveled in touching a few short minutes ago. His cock jerked in his sweats and he was suddenly grateful for the island blocking his lower half from her.

“You’re not coming to bed, are you?” Her voice was soft, maybe a little sad.

“No,” he replied. Weight lifted from his shoulders as the truth left his lips.

“Why not?”

He walked over to her, hooked his finger under her chin and smiled. “This is a new thing for you, Bri. You need time to process it.”

“I don’t, though,” she said. “I’ve thought about this for years, far longer than even Garrett knows. Can you honestly tell me you haven’t thought about it before?”

He swallowed the squish of his fear in his throat. He couldn’t lie to her. “I have.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I’m sorry, Bri. I can’t stay in the same bed with you and Garrett. I just can’t.” He leaned over and touched her cheek with his lips, softly, tenderly. He loved the smell of her. Leaving that bed wasn’t what he wanted to do, not by a long shot. But that’s what he had to do. 

For his own sanity.

Leo woke hours before Bri and Garrett the next morning, scouring the kitchen. Cooking was something he used to relieve stress, and he was feeling a lot lately. He’d thought being in the same house as his favorite couple wouldn’t be difficult, but after the previous night, things were just downright complicated.  He pulled out a pound of bacon from the fridge, because bacon made everything better, and because it was Bri’s favorite.

He didn’t know how he was supposed to deal with this situation now that he’d touched them both, been touched by them both. His cock stiffened as he remembered the feel of Garrett’s tongue against his shaft, sliding along the underside from hilt to tip. He shuddered, then hissed, as a pop from the bacon sent grease flying at his chest again.

A shirt. That was a good idea.

As soon as he’d pulled on a tee from the clean laundry he’d left in the guest room, Bri and Garrett strolled from the bedroom. Bri wore a perma-grin on her face, two rows of pearly whites flashing at him. Garrett wasn’t much off from that. His big body’s muscles were relaxed. The two of them looked sated as Garrett held her hand within his much larger one.  Garrett wasn’t wearing a shirt, which only made Leo’s condition worse. The sculpted chest had a smattering of hair that Leo longed to run his fingers through.

Bri wore one of Garrett’s tees, which looked huge on her petite body, hanging halfway down her thighs. It didn’t look like she was wearing anything else, which made him burn all over again. He shouldn’t have been this into a girl, especially his best friend’s wife.

His only consolation was that this would end soon. They’d go back to their life, and forget all about him. Wasn’t that the way things worked? He couldn’t afford to lose his heart to them. But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t make the most of the time they had. Physical pain slammed into his body, from his heart down to his gut. He didn’t want to lose them, and that realization scared the shit out of him.

Brianna came over and wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked up expectantly at him, so he gave her a soft peck on the lips.  She frowned. “What kind of kiss is that?”

“The only one I can give you before I bend you over the table and fuck you.” Leo smiled down at her. Both he and Garrett towered over Bri’s five foot three frame. He liked her size. It was true that big things came in little packages. He’d forever compare any woman he would sleep with to her. She was his pedestal, his boundary. No one would ever live up to her.

Damn it.

He rubbed the small of her back, surprised by the smoothness of it. Fuck, she was going to kill him. There was no bra line. “You should eat and get your strength up.” He smiled devilishly, hoping she didn’t catch on to his discomfort. Garrett was right there, imposing and silent. It was both horrifying and convenient that he’d fall in love with his best friend and his wife, because he’d always be the third leg, the one that didn’t quite fit in.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” She asked as she saw the two plates on the table.

“Nah,” he said. “It’s for you guys. I gotta go to town and get some stuff.”

“Wait.” It was Garrett that grabbed his arm this time.  “We need to talk.”

Leo shrugged. “Nothing to talk about, G.”

“But—”

“I made you guys breakfast. I’m not really hungry, so I’m going to take advantage of the time and run into town to get some extra food. I heard on the radio that the storm might snow us in. I need to make sure we have enough food.” He turned away, hoping to make it to the guest bedroom to change before they said anything.

“Are you afraid of me, Leo?” Bri’s quiet voice broke the silence he’d hoped for. “Is that why you didn’t come to bed with us last night?”

Leo froze, still facing the bedroom, only a few feet from safety. Slowly, he turned toward the two of them. Bri’s eyes were pitiful, like she already knew what he was going to say. Garrett’s were full of disapproval and anger. They didn’t understand.

“It… no. I’m not afraid of you.”

“Then what is it?”

“I can’t do that with you, Bri.”

“Why? It’s not like we weren’t already in bed together.”

“Look, last night was your first time, Bri. Garrett and I… we’ve done this before. You need to… you and Garrett need to do couple things and figure out how you feel about what happened. This can get really complicated, really fast. I don’t want to be the reason you and Garrett have issues.” How much of a fucking gentleman was he? He sure as hell didn’t want to be.

“I want both my men with me, Leo.” Bri said.

“I’m not your man,” he shot back. Silence exploded between them, tension thick in the air. Had he gone too far? Or had he finally managed to make his point.

From her stunned expression, that wasn’t what she’d expected to hear. But if that’s what it took for her to understand, then that’s what it took. It didn’t make him any less an asshole in his mind. He stepped back to the kitchen, taking slow, deliberate steps. “Garrett is. He’s your husband. That already makes me the third wheel here.”

“Leo…” Garrett’s voice was growly and possessive. He put a hand on Bri’s shoulder. Protective. Just like Garrett. She leaned toward him automatically, a silent plea for support. If that wasn’t proof enough… She’d never lean on him for support like that.

“No, Garrett,” Leo shot out. “I’m not giving on this. You know the rules when we share. You take the girl to bed afterward and I go to sleep on my own. That’s how it’s always been.”

“That’s not how this is.” Garrett snarled.

Brianna stood up slowly and put her arm on Garrett for a moment. It was such a subtle gesture, but Leo caught it easily, especially when Garrett visibly relaxed. “Is that how you really feel? Is that how you see me? I’m just another girl?”

He knew he’d pissed her off. He could tell by the glare in her eyes and the way her jaw set. “Yes.”

Shock slammed into her expression, rage seeping in nearly as fast on its heels. “How dare you, Leo.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “How dare you compare me, as if I were nothing to you. You and I both know this isn’t just any other tryst for any of us. This means something!”

Leo swallowed hard. This was the hardest part. Because he was completely lying and he knew it. “No, Bri. This is just sex. This is just a way for us to have a little fun together. It means nothing.” He met her eyes and slowly reiterated. “This means nothing.”

Her hand flew to her mouth, tears in her eyes. She leaned back against her husband, again seeking that support he wished he could give her. He glanced back at Garrett. The scowl on his face told him everything he needed to know. He was being an ass. But at least they were getting it now.

“I didn’t agree to be part of your little relationship, like a fucking pet you keep around.” Leo picked up the pan he’d been using and tossed it angrily into the sink. A pile of dishes awaited him, but he wasn’t in the mood.

“I’ll clean up later.”

Leo knew as he walked away he was taking the coward’s way out, but they didn’t need him. He needed them more than they needed him, but they couldn’t know that. Angrily, he shoved his arms through his jacket and slammed the front door shut him. 

For ten years, he’d watched them together, wishing that he could have been a part of that. Now that he’d had a taste, he didn’t think he could go back to seeing them without touching. But he didn’t have a choice. He didn’t belong with them, as much as he wanted to.

~*~*~

Garrett pulled Brianna into his arms as the tears started to fall. Leo had been downright venomous, but they hadn’t exactly been honest with him. He couldn’t blame Leo for his resistance, once he’d figured out what they wanted. 

What Brianna wanted
, he reminded himself. He’d only agreed to sex this weekend. He hadn’t realized his lovely wife had had other ideas. He could have told Brianna Leo would be a little resistant to it. The man had a sports career to think of. But at the same time, Garrett was pissed that he’d treated Brianna so harshly.

In true Leo fashion, just like he had ten years ago, he’d run.

Brianna’s arms squeezed his torso tightly as he smoothed her hair down. Her body convulsed with light little sobs. He kissed the top of her head. “Come on, honey. Let’s go get dressed.”

“Don’t… want… to… go…” she hiccupped.

“Come on,” he said, lifting her into his arms. She wrapped hers around his neck and buried her head against his chest. 

She shook her head, but didn’t fight him as he took her into the bedroom. “It couldn’t mean nothing, Garrett.”

“It doesn’t,” he told her softly. He kept his voice soft, but inside, he was viciously pissed. Leo was a firecracker sometimes. It was what made him a great hockey player. But that didn’t give him the right to speak like that to Brianna, who was sensitive by nature. “He’s just scared. He took it out on you. I’m sorry, babe.”

“I don’t understand. Why is he scared of me?”

“It’s not just you.” Garrett’s voice was soft enough to soothe the tension from her body. “He thinks he’ll be the outsider with us.” He paused. There was something in the way she was upset that was strange. And there was something in the way the anger had grabbed her. “Bri, honey, are you saying you want Leo around permanently?”

“I thought—” she hiccupped. “I don’t know. Maybe.” Garrett kissed the top of her head, his arms around her like they were a safety net. He never wanted her to hurt. When she did, his chest hurt like fire burning, especially when he couldn’t do anything about it. But he could do something about this one.

“We’ve been together for ten years. He’s not been part of that.” He hadn’t realized that Bri had thought that this would end up permanent. Hell, he’d never even considered it. There was as strange part of him that did miss his best friend, and wanted the same things Brianna wanted.

“Don’t you want it too?” She glanced up at him, her teary eyes red.

How could he tell her what he thought? He and Leo had considered the idea a long time ago of being romantically involved. But in the end, his career would never have allowed it. He would have suffered for it. How could he do that to Leo?

“Come on, then. You were up way late last night. Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll tuck you in.”

“I just woke up,” she giggled in a half-hearted way. “Will you watch TV with me?”

“If we can get it. Looks like the snow is getting heavier.”

She glanced over at the window. Something sweet came over her expression. She wriggled out of his arms and sauntered over. The tree stood proudly in front of the large bay window, twinkling lights reflecting softly over her skin.

She smiled as she watched the lights on the tree. She did love Christmas. There was something about the festive atmosphere that always put her in a good mood. She touched one of the ornaments on the tree, a silver hockey stick he recognized.

“Remember this?” she asked.

“Yeah. Leo’s draft year.”

“And this one?” She held out an anchor ornament made out of brightly-colored stained glass. He grinned. He remembered that one. The three of them had made it the first time they’d come out to the cabin. It matched the tats he and Leo had, though. It hadn’t been an accident. The anchors were special to him and Leo, because they’d met on a ship. It was just a cruise-line, and they were kids then.

She looked over the ornament, an understanding of what she was finally seeing coming over her face. He stepped toward her as her gaze fell to his arm, down to his wrist. “I’ve missed so much between you and Leo.”

“We lied to you.” Garrett’s admission hurt, because he’d never wanted to lie to his wife.

“You did.” She released the ornament, watching it swing from side to side on the tree. She sniffled, the remainder of her sobs coming in uneven breaths.