Strong, big hands took her upper arms and brought her to stand as his mouth crushed over hers. She held on, reveling in the way he felt against her.

“I love you, honey,” he said softly, kissing her once more, this time on her forehead.

“You’d better, buster.”

“I should get back to work. You gonna be okay?”

“Yep. I’m going to make some calls. To Adrian to tell him yes about the shows, and then to Jeremy to have him start getting this all in the works. I may work for a bit; I have a song I’m trying to finish.”

“I owe you one.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“Yes you do.”

He headed downstairs, where Ben just looked at him with a smirk.

“You’re a right bastard for teasing me like that. Twice now I might add. I’m beginning to wonder if we’re not all playing a game together in some sense.”

“Teasing you? I guess you could look at it that way. I thought I was teasing her with knowing you could hear.” Todd grinned.

“She seemed more than okay with it.”

“Yes.” While sharing in depth with Cope was fine, Todd had been initially unsure of how much Ben knew or wanted to know. He hadn’t heard much about Ben’s sexuality, but Erin had made a mention of Ben being kinky under the surface, and ever since, Todd had been intrigued with the idea. And then he’d been sort of uncomfortable that he’d been intrigued. He was still a work in progress he supposed.

“Too bad there’s only one of her.” Ben shrugged, but the air changed.

“Ah, it’s like that?” Todd hoped he wasn’t blushing. His buttons were being pushed in a big way. There was just one Erin, but could he live that fantasy of sharing her, of seeing her with someone else he trusted?

Ben laughed. “What? You think you’re the only guy who gets off on kink? Seattle is a kinky town . . . or so I hear. Certainly seems that way when I’m out and about.” He paused before continuing. “My ex Caroline and I had a triad, a relationship with another man, for nearly four years. I’m pretty sure I’m a poly kind of guy.”

Todd just stared at Ben, dumbfounded. Erin had known his best friend better than he had.

“I can’t believe you never said.”

“That what? I’m bi and lived in a threesome? You lived in Boston and until you came back here you seemed very straightlaced about sexuality, so I didn’t think it was something you’d want to know.”

Todd wondered what that tug low in his gut meant, but then only felt shame that he’d not been open enough for a friend to come to. “I’m sorry, Ben. Sorry you didn’t feel safe enough to come to me or to be open around me. I don’t care that you’re bi. I don’t care that you’re kinky. God knows I’m not one to judge; I get off when I bite my girlfriend and when I think about watching her have sex with other people.” He shrugged. “I only care that you’re happy. What happened? With Caroline, I mean.”

Ben grinned. “She got a transfer to Austin and I stayed here. I loved her and Greg, our third, but we all sort of went our separate ways. It was time to end it, I suppose. As for you, you kinky bastard, who’d have guessed? If you ever . . . Well if you’re ever looking for a third, let me know.” Ben blushed a bit and suddenly the front of Todd’s jeans seemed a lot tighter.

“Really? I mean, if she was up for it, you’d . . .” Todd sent a questioning glance at Ben.

“Would I love the chance to see Erin naked? To see her nipple rings and hear her gasp around the c**k in her mouth?” Ben raised a brow in his direction. “To quote the kids these days: duh.” He hesitated but then continued. “Uh, if you were interested in more, I’d be good with that, too.”

A flush worked through him at the image of Ben’s mouth on him.

“Okay. I’ll think about it.” He cleared his throat.

19

Erin had settled herself into the big overstuffed chair in a corner of the living room and was strumming the guitar, breaking to scribble something down occasionally, when the workday finished and Todd came back upstairs with Ben.

She stopped when she noticed them both smiling.

“Hey, you two.” She moved to put her guitar down and Ben put a hand on her arm.

“Wait. Will you play something?”

She blushed.

“Please? I love your voice.”

“I’d love that, too.” Todd sat across from her and Ben joined him.

She licked her lips and pulled the guitar back to her lap, dropping her legs to the floor. “Any requests? Covers? Sometimes playing my own stuff is odd.” She shrugged and Todd realized a lot of the stuff she sang on the Mud Bay CDs was about Adele and then about losing her.

Ben moved forward and touched her leg. “Yeah, I get that. How about ‘Untouchable Face’? I love your cover of that one.”

She smiled and started to play and Todd loved the magic she made. The song was sad but playful and her body language changed when she got to the title punch line.

When she finished, he and Ben both clapped and she laughed, putting the guitar in the case.

“Thanks. Stop now! I’m better on the bass, not singing, but I do love that one.”

“You write using a guitar, though? Not a bass?” Ben asked and then looked shy. “Sorry, I don’t want you to feel like I’m nosy. I just love your music.”

Erin leaned out to drop a kiss on his cheek. “Nothing to apologize for. Really, I’m flattered you’d actually care.”