Page 44 of Better When Shared
"Are you okay?" Caleb focused his bright eyes on me, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
I smiled, stretching between them. "Better than okay. That was..." I searched for the right word. "Perfect."
Chapter 6
Julian
In the morning, it took me a moment to register where I was—Caleb's hotel suite. Nisha lay nestled between us, her breath soft and even, hair spilling across her pillow like ink. Across her sleeping form, Caleb's eyes met mine, clear and green in the morning light. No awkwardness, just a slow smile that sent an unexpected jolt through my chest.
What the fuck was that?
"Morning," he whispered.
"Morning.”
His eyes drifted to Nisha's sleeping form, the sheet barely covering the curve of her breast, and something possessive flared in my chest. But not in the way I expected. Not jealousy that he was looking at my wife, but something more complicated—pride that she was mine, mixed with a strange satisfaction that he wanted her too.
"She's fucking gorgeous," he murmured, echoing my thoughts.
"Yeah." I couldn't help the stupid grin that spread across my face. "She is."
Caleb carefully extracted himself from the sheets. I watched him—just appreciating his athleticism and toned body, nothing more—as he padded toward the bathroom. The casual confidence in his nakedness hadn't changed since college. Then, I'd always attributed my fascination to competition, to measuring myself against him. Now, I wasn't so sure.
He turned back to me and caught me watching, brows shooting up. "Gonna brush my teeth," he whispered. "So we can wake Nisha with minty fresh breath. Feel free to join. I think the hotel supplies spare toothbrushes in the drawer."
I glanced at Nisha, still fast asleep, and delicately climbed out of bed to follow him. My muscles protested—evidence of last night's exertions—as I followed Caleb into the oversized bathroom. The marble countertop felt cool under my palms as I leaned against it, watching him through the mirror as he rinsed his mouth.
"There," he pointed, sliding a drawer open to reveal hotel amenities.
I grabbed a toothbrush, the absurd normality of standing naked beside him while we performed morning rituals striking me as both hilarious and strangely intimate. We'd shared apartments for years, but never quite like this.
"So," he said after spitting into the sink, voice casual. “I’m thinking we should have put on clothes before this.”
I laughed, the sound echoing against the bathroom tiles. "Perhaps. But we’ve both seen everything. How have you been?"
His eyes dropped to my dick and his left eyebrow shot up. “How have I been?”
“Yeah, like I mean before you came in my wife’s mouth.”
"Fuck, Julian, making the awkward moment even more awkward." He passed me the toothpaste. "I’ve been okay. Good. Better since I left the family business and joined my friend’s consulting company. Less pressure, more of making my own way."
"Less of Tristan?" I squeezed a line onto the brush. I’d met Caleb’s older brother only once, but he’d left an impression.
Caleb's reflection studied mine, something unreadable in his expression. "Yeah. And I couldn’t handle being someone so many people depend on, working on the same shit day in and day out. He lives for being the boss—inspiring people to work hard, yelling at people, threatening to write people up. I was terrible at management."
"Yeah, I could see that," I said.
He nodded, running a hand through his tousled blond hair. He splashed some water on his face, quiet for a moment, then stood up and met my eyes again. "Been a while since we did this. And never with someone who mattered to either of us."
The toothbrush froze in my mouth.
In college, the women had been fun, sexy distractions—playmates we shared for mutual pleasure. Nisha was my wife,my partner, the love of my fucking life. And yet sharing her with Caleb felt right in a way I couldn't quite articulate.
"It's different, but I like it." I said around my toothbrush.
"Better," he said simply.
I met his eyes in the mirror, surprised by the sudden intensity. "Yeah," I admitted.
