“We don’t have to share her, but once we all agree we’re after the same thing, what do we have to lose?” Dean asked.
“We only lose everything if she decides to pick one of us.”
Dean nodded. “Right now, there’s a chance she’d do that. I’m simply taking out the probability of only one man being the victor. This way, there’s a chance all three of us will win and our partnership remains completely intact.” He took a drink of his whiskey. “You should agree with me, Micah. You’re the one floundering.”
“Fuck you.” He shook his head and then laughed. “You’re using me.”
There was a twitch to Dean’s lips, and this made Micah smile even wider.
“You say I’m out of the race, but you fuckers need me more than you’re letting on. I’m the one who can get close to Daphne. The one who rarely hurt her.” He chuckled. He had his place, and he wasn’t out of the race. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
He looked at Eric.
Seconds later, they all shook on it. Daphne didn’t stand a chance against them.
****
The following morning, Dean stood at the kitchen stove, cooking up breakfast. He’d put a call through to a grocery company to make a delivery. With the four of them now living together, food had to be kept in stock at all times. From his perusal of the garden, he’d seen a small vegetable patch that was clearly tended to.
With the coffee pot on, breakfast all set and ready to go, he smiled to himself. His friends didn’t think he had it in him to woo a woman.
Knowing Daphne didn’t have any experience at all, well, it certainly upped the stakes in their game.
He turned as the door opened and saw her without any makeup on, wearing a beautiful yellow sundress. The straps were thin, showing the white bra beneath. He wanted to tear her clothes off, to see her naked, and to have her wet virgin pussy rubbing against his face. Instead, he offered her a smile.
“Breakfast or coffee?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Good morning to you as well. I figured I’d make us both a really good breakfast. You don’t mind?”
She glanced past him toward the coffee pot.
“Cream or sugar?” he asked.
“Just a splash of milk,” she said. “You already know where everything is?”
“Yeah, you said to fend for ourselves, but I thought I’d be nice and make you breakfast. Show you that I’ve changed.”
He poured her coffee, adding a splash of milk before handing over the cup. She took it from him and he noticed she wouldn’t exactly look him in the eye. He was jealous of what Eric got to see yesterday. His friend was having more fun than him, and he didn’t like it.
“I saw the weather report. The weather is going to be beautiful.”
“Good. I’ve got some chores I need to do.” She sipped at her coffee and smiled. “You make good coffee.”
He winked at her. See, he could be nice.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Okay, I know we’ve got our history between us. I was a giant dick in high school. I’ve got no defense for the shit I did. I’m a man now and I’m not the same person as I was back then. Give me another chance to prove it to you.” He gripped the back of one of the chairs as she looked at him. Her cheeks were a nice shade of red.
She’d pulled her long hair back into a bun at the nape of her neck with tendrils escaping around her face.
He used to watch her back in high school, see the beauty she’d become, and she really was stunning.
“You’re right. My grandma would say people deserved second chances.” She smiled at him and damn if that didn’t nearly sucker punch him to the ground. It was a proper smile, not one she faked, reaching her eyes, sparkling and beautiful.
He stared at her for several seconds, not wanting to move.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“More than better.” He stepped back. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah. I could eat.”
He smiled. Good, because he was more than happy to feed her.
Serving them both up a large breakfast, he came back to the table, being sure to put the rest of the food in the oven for the others.
“Wow, this is huge!”
“It’s good, though. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
She giggled. “That’s what my grandma used to say. She only ever said it as an excuse to eat these large breakfasts. When she wasn’t eating, she’d always complain that eating so much on a busy day was only set to put her in a sour mood.”
“You loved your grandma?”
“Yeah. It was hard after she died.” She lost her smile.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, and you know, your parents, back then.”
She lifted her head, and this time, it was a fake smile. The insincere kind that people put on. She didn’t believe him and was only acting a part. Sadness swept through him, but he pushed it aside, determined to make her see him differently. “Thank you.”
He watched her eat before he started his own food.
“This is good,” she said. “You didn’t have to cook for me.”
“I wanted to do something good for you.” He winked at her.
She stopped eating and looked at him. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing is going on.”
She ate some more, chewing before responding. “I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to believe me. Just know that it’s true. I’m being nice to you.”
“Why?”
“Have you ever thought that I might like you?” he asked.
“You don’t know me.”
“We used to go to school together.”
She chuckled. “Twelve years ago. A lot of things can happen. People change.”
“Exactly.”
“Exactly
