Page 22 of The Gift that Keeps On Giving

I’m starting to wonder if I’ve been unwittingly carrying a secret torch all this time. In fact, I never could explain the need to move to California, away from the Northeast. Now I’m wondering if I did it to avoid the married men I accidentally fell in love with at eighteen. There’s no avoiding them now. I don’t want to, either.

Hence, the guilt.

Swallowing hard, I text Polly and Molly, surprised when they respond.

Ruby: Hey there. Just checking in. Dean won the contest. LOL.

Polly: Aw! Proud wife moment.

Molly: Can’t believe I married such a loser. Just kidding!

Ruby: Hahaha

Polly: But I’m sure there were no losers tonight, right, Ruby?

No, I want to say. But it’s more complicated than that. Because me and Cameron haven’t actually had sex yet, the way the wives would assume. He’s only watched me and Dean, able to bring himself to completion by witnessing me please my Daddy.

MyDaddy?

When did I start thinking of him as mine?

Feeling a little winded, I start typing but stop again. Telling Polly and Molly about the circular kink we’ve accidentally stumbled into feels wrong. Like I’m betraying a confidence. A secret that should only be between me, Cameron and Dean. Is that…bad?

Ruby: No losers indeed.

Molly: Good. Are they starting to play nice with each other?

Ruby: Starting to. Yes. They’re speaking without arguing.

Polly: That’s great news. Keep up the good work!

Molly: I knew this would pan out.

Ruby: Any instructions for tomorrow?

Polly: Yeah. Make them take you on a date! You deserve it after all the hard work!

Molly: Wear that itty-bitty, pink corset dress. It’ll look insane on you.

Polly: Don’t forget the white heels.

Ruby: A date it is. I’ll check in tomorrow!

I plug my phone into the charger and head for the bathroom, taking a long soak in the tub to ease my sore muscles, washing my hair, shaving my legs right before getting out. Then I lotion myself all over, quietly dry my hair in waves and creep back into Dean’s room. But I don’t leave Cameron in the chair by himself. I wake him up and beckon for him to follow me. Then I settle into sleep, clean and naked, wedged in between two very different men, both of whom I suspect I’ve needed for six long years.

What on earth am I going to do about that?

Dean

I wake up to Cameron’s stupid face nestled into a pillow not two feet from mine—and it instantly pisses me the hell off. Especially because I was expecting to find a certain blonde looking back at me. Jackknifing in bed, I shout for said blonde, a little panicked that she’s not here. Did she leave? Was I too rough with her last night?

“Ruby!” I bellow, lunging out of bed, only pausing for a moment to put on a pair of boxer briefs, before continuing out into the kitchen. “Ruby.”

“Dude,” Cameron gripes. “Some of us were still sleeping.”

“I didn’t sign up to sleep in the same bed with you.”

“I didn’t sign up for it, either, but that’s where Ruby was.” He sits up in bed, scrubbing at his hair with a jerky movement. “Therefore, that’s where I wanted to be.”

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