Famous Read online

  The massages were out of this world. Listening to Cami, her moans had my erection so ready for her, but she was almost asleep. I carried her upstairs, following Miles and I was surprised I enjoyed the night as much, if not more, with just sleeping so close to Miles’s strong body. It had to have been the reason I slept so sound.

  18

  Cami

  “Seriously, I want to meet him. We all want to meet him, and it’s been forever since we’ve gotten together. This morning sickness has been kicking my ass.” Dane was sitting next to me and could hear everything Scarlet was complaining about.

  “We could always ask him and leave it up to him,” he whispered.

  “I heard you, Dane!” she yelled, and I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “See, Cam, Dane is on my side.” She inhaled, then exhaled as though she was going to make her case and had to prepare herself. “I’ve been held up in bed for too fucking long. Anyway, with Elliot and her guys out of town, along with Andrew and Brock, I’m lonely.”

  Being a part of Scarlet’s little entourage wasn’t actually little. There were so many people who were important to her, but for Scarlet, this was truly her family. We had been a part of Levi’s life for so long, I had gotten close to his twin sister in the years we’d been a committed triad. Breaking up with Levi meant losing Elliot, and it was almost as bad, not being a part of her life anymore. Reconnecting with Levi again meant getting Ell back in my life along with so many more.

  “So,” I began, attempting to change the subject, “what you’re telling me is we’re your replacements.” I started to laugh, and Dane shook his head, understanding I wasn’t ready for dinner parties, introducing Miles into our fold.

  “First, you know that’s not true and second—nice try on changing the subject. Just talk to him. Shit, you’ve not even told me his name, yet—bitch.” Name-calling was Scarlet Reeves’ love language, and it made me chuckle.

  “There’s a reason I haven’t. So here’s the deal, I’ll mention it to him. I won’t push the subject, so if he says no, then …”

  “All right, I’ll compromise, but who wouldn’t want to meet us?”

  We said our goodbyes, and I ended the call. “I think it’s too soon. Not that Miles won’t shine. He’s a born performer and knows how to charm the socks off a snake.” Dane cuddled into my side, his hand moving up inside my shirt between the fabric of my bra and breasts.

  “You’re trying to distract me, Daniel Gregory.”

  “Is it working?” he asked.

  “A little too much. But seriously.” I sat up so I could think, but he didn’t stop his assault, working my nipples. “What happens if he isn’t ready for a commitment and …?”

  He sat up, silencing me with a kiss. “Shit, Cami, we can what-if it all night long. Sure, we want to protect certain people like our kids. Scarlet understands this is very new, and she wants to get to know him. Remember, our relationship with them is still very new, too, and they want to be a part of our life. If Miles doesn’t want to go, then that’s his decision, and we’ll respect it, but let’s show him we want him to be a part of our life.”

  “Fuck, I hate it when you are right.”

  He moved, turning to his knees, straddling me, then leaning in so his lips were near my ears. “Well, hell, then you pretty much hate life since I’m right all the fucking time.”

  What a cocky bastard. But he was my cocky bastard, and I loved him very much.

  “Um, are you sure about this?” I asked Miles when he ran from the front doors of his building and slid into the back seat of Dane’s Volvo. He leaned over the seat and gave me a kiss on the cheek and then leaned farther over, doing the same to Dane who was driving.

  “Don’t worry, Curly Sue, I got this. I won’t embarrass you, I promise.”

  Dane pulled out into traffic while he began to explain. “Cam thinks it’s too early to meet our friends since this is technically just the third date, and you have four more dates to decide you hate us.”

  “Oh, believe me, I’m far from hating you two.” His voice was low, and I could almost hear the need in his tone. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you. The number seven? It’s an odd number. I mean five or ten but seven? Is there a significance to it?” Miles asked, and knowing my husband, we were about to get a Bible lesson.

  “Yeah, seven is the number of completion,” Dane explained, and I twisted my whole body around to Miles in order to witness the look on his face. And honestly, in his confusion, it was priceless.

  “What the hell? What do you mean?”

  Oh, here we go. Dane’s voice lowered, and the serious side of my husband came through. “Seven is known as the number of completion, sometimes even perfection, it is said. Think about it—God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. The weeks are completed in seven days.”

  “What? I’ve never heard you talk of God before,” Miles asked.

  “I was raised in the church.” He took a little breath. “I may not agree with everything, but I’ve always considered myself a man of faith. So when I thought of the number of times we should date, of course I thought five was a good even number. But honestly, it didn’t seem long enough. But seven popped in my head. After seven times of being around us, I just figured we all would know.” His voice changed. “Anyway, it’s the number of perfection as I mentioned, and you must already know how perfect Cam and I are.”

  He squeezed both our shoulders affectionately. “Hell, you’re right, Sexy Lawyer Man.”

  But what Dane hadn’t said was we knew already. We knew he was the man for us. We only needed him to realize it, too.

  Pulling into the parking garage we normally used, I wasn’t surprised to see Apollo pull in next to us. He wasn’t kidding when Miles told me he didn’t go anywhere without the big man. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll just hang out in Starbucks across the street in case he’s needed.” Miles was always so calm about this shit as if it were common to all people, especially us.

  I shrugged my shoulders, moving to the entrance of the building through the garage, when he took a ball cap I didn’t realize was in his hands and pulled it down, shielding his face. “So they don’t know who I am?” he asked.

  “No. Just in case we had to cancel, I wanted to keep it between us,” I assured him. After stepping onto the elevator and pushing the access code to enter the building, he’d pulled me close to his side. “You know, I care for you two as much as you care for me.” I was about to clarify what that meant when the doors opened to the lobby, and we switched elevators, taking us up to the apartments in this luxurious building.

  He still had me pulled to his side. “And before I met you two.” He paused for a moment. “I never thought this could be me. But now, you two have turned my life upside down, and I’m thinking things I’ve never thought before.”

  I stared at Dane, wondering if this was the best time to truly dig deeper into this revelation when the elevator doors opened to their floor, and the moment was gone.

  19

  Miles

  This was new level commitment kind of crazy. In my mind, I’d been honored to have been invited to meet her friends. But shit, I couldn’t say no. I was an actor for a reason. I knew how to play the part, but hell, was I shaking from the inside out. I feared this would implode and not only would I have to say goodbye to them but I’d also have to say goodbye to new friends I’d become fond of.

  But truth be told, Cami was more scared of me meeting her friends than I was. I socialized for a living and again understood how to play a role. Though I’d prefer a private night at home, especially now that I had two people I wanted to snuggle with, but, this was fun, too. I’d always had to make nice with those I didn’t like, so it was about time I made nice with those I actually might like.

  Dane was in front of Cami and me when the door to the apartment opened. I tried to hide my face a little, pulling the bill on my hat down even further than it was. I didn’t want to be recognized until I was in the apartment. “Where’s your new man you’ve been hiding from us?” one of the guys, a bigger man with dusty blond hair asked as he embraced Dane. By the level of intimacy and the way he held on to his shoulder a bit longer, I wagered to guess it was Levi.

  Something strange occurred in that instant where a pang of jealousy riveted through me. My body didn’t know what to do. My issues with the dipshits who walked away from me were not jealousy; it was trust. I’d never had a reason for the little green monster to take over my mind. Once he’d removed his hand from Dane, I was able to breathe again. “Let me go get Scar; she’s still in the bedroom. Come in, and I’ll be right back.” But as my nerves were about to relax, this same man leaned in and gave Dane a peck on the cheek. Cami’s hand wrapped around my neck when she sensed my stiffness.

  I was attempting to reason with my jealousy internally when a loud feminine voice began to shriek. “Oh, fuck, I thought you weren’t coming.” A redhead came barreling around the corner of a hallway, her hands in the air, about ready to hug Dane or attack him when she stopped mid-stride.

  “Wow, Scarlet’s sailor mouth has gotten ten times worse since being pregnant,” another feminine voice called down the hallway when the redhead simply stared at me as we entered the beautiful apartment, shutting the door behind us. It was then I pulled my ballcap from my head. Looking at Dane and then back at me, she lowered her voice to the smallest little whisper, but I didn’t have to hear what she had asked.

  From behind his body, I saw Dane nodding his head, and she straightened her dress over her baby bump and walked calmly past me. “Holy shit, Cam, no wonder you were so tight-lipped about him.” She didn’t extend her hand to me only pulled me into a large embrace.

  “Holy fuck, I just hugged Miles Sterling.” She
was back to shrieking, but this time in my ear. She towered over Cami’s little body, and with heels, she wasn’t far from my six-feet-two height. “By the way, I’m Scarlet. I’d like to blame my insanity on being pregnant, but this is pretty much what I’m like all the time.”

  This woman was gorgeous. No one could ever compare to Cami in my eyes, but the name Scarlet fit her raging red hair and bubbly personality.

  “Red, are you going to introduce us to Dane and Cami’s mystery man?” another voice called rounding the corner. But as they entered the room, it wasn’t just one but two men, holding hands.

  “Oh, this will be fun.” She snickered, looping her arm around mine.

  “Yeah, let’s go shock the fuck out of them,” I teased back.

  Looking over her shoulder as she moved me around the entry of this place, she called to Dane and Cami, “Hell, I like him already. Not sure you’re getting him back.”

  The second the two men’s eyes caught mine, they turned their attention to the redhead, then back to me. “Holy fuck, Scar, did you just go kidnap Miles Sterling? Shit, I knew you had a childhood crush on him but …”

  Cami and Dane erupted behind in hysterics. “You had a crush on me?” My tone was flirtatious, and her flushed skin matched her hair.

  “Oh, yeah, I’d kiss my doll, imagining it was you.” The man with dark features came storming to her, looping his own arm around her and bringing her into his embrace.

  “And we’re your fantasy now, Red,” he bit back.

  She turned toward me, but she was still in his arms. “Sorry, this one here is a little jealous, to say the least.” Turning toward the possessive man, she kissed him.

  Cami and Dane had joined me, flanking me on each side when a tall, curvy platinum blonde entered the living room. She stopped mid-stride, looking at Scar. I had no idea who she could be, but according to Cami, Scarlet surrounded herself with those she considered family.

  “Holy fuck! You’re Miles Sterling.” Turning toward the man who was holding Scarlet tight, she asked, “Um, bro, what is Miles Sterling doing in your house?”

  His hand was still around Scarlet’s baby bump, answering who I believed might be his sister, “Well, Kayla, if I’m not mistaken, either Scar kidnapped him off the street, or he is Cami and Dane’s new man.” The seven of us laughed at his remark; an icebreaker to what I knew could have been very awkward.

  “Okay, I’ll make the introductions,” Scarlet began. Her guy held her so tight, I thought he might squeeze the baby out of her. “Miles …” Her little schoolgirl crush was still so obvious, her cheeks flushed. “This is Jordan Peters, my protector apparently.” He let go of the pretty redhead when he held out his hand, after he marked Scarlet as his. “Levi is right in front of you with dishwater blonde hair. And this”—she pointed at the platinum blonde—“is Kayla, Jordan’s little sister. Her heat is out in her apartment, so she’s staying here until it can get fixed.”

  This was when it became awkward—everyone stood staring at me until the eclectic redhead broke the ice. “Geez, guys, stop staring at the poor man as if he’s just a piece of ass.” I thought no one could beat Cami’s sassy mouth. This girl certainly could give Cam a run for her money.

  It didn’t take long for the comfortable conversation to flow, and we sat at the long dining room table between the kitchen and living room. The wine was more than accessible as Levi started sharing stories of Cami and Dane when the three of them were all together. I’d searched Jordan’s eyes, and he didn’t bat an eye with any sign of jealousy. Of course, it was odd to me that it did bother me.

  Kayla shared her own story of coming out of the closet at an early age, revealing how I was an inspiration for her, knowing when she was young, she was a lesbian. “So, I gotta tell you, when everything broke in the news, you taking a stand for who you were, it made it easier for me to come out of the closet.” I had never thought about my pain being an inspiration for others, and hearing Kayla’s words, I felt the hurt lift a little, knowing it had an impact on someone else’s life.

  Shrimp, salmon, rice, mashed potatoes, green beans baked in what looked like three pounds of butter, and corn on the cob were set out on the table by Levi and Jordan as they doted on their pregnant woman.

  We were in festive conversation when someone knocked on the door loudly. Jordan and his sister shared a knowing look as Levi got up and opened the door.

  I couldn’t hear the person on the other side, but when Levi turned his head toward Kayla, she strolled toward the door, blocking the person in the hallway.

  Jordan turned to Cami, Dane, and myself. “That’s Garner Blakely. He’s the brother of our good friends who are in Australia for business. He’s a cop. When he and Kayla are together, they fight so badly and hate each other, but it’s an I want to fuck you at the same time kind of fighting. And the problem is, she’s only ever batted for the other team.” Jordan holds Levi’s hand affectionately, continuing, “And I understand confusion when it comes to sexuality. I just want my sister to be happy.”

  After Jordan’s words, the very curvy platinum blonde began, “You know what, Garner Blakely, this fucking building isn’t big enough for your fucking ego and me.”

  He stepped into the apartment, and Scarlet moaned. “Sorry, you’ll either laugh, or maybe, like us, you’ll learn to ignore it.”

  The young attractive blonde man replied, “No, it has nothing to do with my head, but your big ass boobs. Maybe if you let a real man please you, you’d let go of some of your pent-up frustration. And, baby, I have a big mouth and could suckle on those all fucking day. Not to mention, you need a dick between your legs.”

  I turned to Jordan, curious how he’d take his sister being talked to in this way. “Oh, she can take care of herself,” he explained.

  I was about to reply to him when Kayla screamed back at the man in front of her. “If you talk about your slimy and gross dick being between my legs again, I’ll fucking Lorena Bobbitt that bad boy. I’m sure he’s rather small anyway.”

  Garner’s body stiffened when he took in a long, deep breath, and I assumed he was getting ready for a rebuttal. But Scarlet stood and did a schoolteacher whistle with her fingers between her lips.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake. We have a guest room on the other end of the house, so please go fuck and put us all out of our misery.” They both turned toward the table, Garner apparently having no idea they were the main attraction for us all. “Since you’re here, Garner, you might as well join us for dinner.” He turned toward the kitchen as though this exchange between him and Kayla was normal.

  He casually walked by the table, stopping in front of me. Before he could do the standard “you’re Miles Sterling” everyone seemed to voice, I extended my hand. “Miles Sterling, nice to meet you.”

  Before he could say anything back my way, Kayla interrupted, “Scar, don’t encourage the jack ass. If I hear anything else about his cock, I’m going to stab him. Is it a normal thing for men to talk about their dicks that often?”

  In unison, all of us said, “Um, yeah, very normal.”

  “See,” she interjected, “this is why I stick to pussy.”

  With her words, all of us men agreed with her, but it was Levi who echoed what we were all thinking. “Halleluiah to pussy.” He raised his glass, and Jordan, Dane, and myself raised our glasses, too, saying the same thing. “Halleluiah to pussy.”

  We were in the garage deck, saying our goodbyes when I pulled them both toward me and the raging boner I’d had for them all night long. “Are you sure you can’t stay the night?” Apollo was waiting for me in the town car.

  Cami was adamant she’d be home in time to relieve her sister by ten p.m. “Do you know how guilty I feel for leaving the kids?”

  This was technically just our third official date, but in her mind, leaving her kids once a week with someone other than the parents made her a bad mom. I had a gauge on bad parents. They were people who shamed their son for his sexuality, then extorted money from him in order to obtain emancipation.