Page 19 of 3 Times the Heat
Stasia mock-frowns.
“Don’t be silly, Tams,” she states sternly. “Open communication is amustin any relationship if you want things to work out! You should tell your three lovers about your past, and why you think the way you think. They’ll understand, and if they don’t, then screw ‘em! I mean metaphorically, not literally. That would be bad. Or would it be good?"
“I get your point,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Thank you, Stas. Really, this conversation has helped me out a lot and I think you’re right. I’ll think things over. Hell, maybe I’ll even talk with Chris, Jamison, and Dane about my hesitations. Who knows.”
My pretty friend grins.
“It’s no problem, Tams. You know what they say: an open mind leads to a free heart. And you want that, right?”
I merely giggle because I’ve never heard of the “open mind free heart” slogan before. But Stasia has a point. Should I tell my lovers about my past? I could, but it gets to the crux of the problem: maybe they’re not interested in my past. After all, if I’m only a hook-up for the three men, then why would they want to look deeper? Why would they want to know more? I sip at my coffee once more, my thoughts whirling about what to do … with no clear answer forward.
9
TAMARA
“No thanks, I’m good,” I murmur as Chris tries to hand me a glass of wine. I’m once again sitting on the big couch in the penthouse, wedged between Dane and Chris as Jamison takes a seat across from us.
After all, I decided to take Stasia’s advice. I mulled on her words some, but then came to a decision. Filled with fire, I called Dane and said I wanted to talk.
“About what?” he asked in an amused tone. “Does it have something to do with those dolls?”
“No,” I said in a rueful tone. “But you do have to come pick them up sometime. I can’t have the three of them lounging around my living room like they live with me, or else somebody’s going to call the cops!”
Dane chuckled and said he’d take care of it. Soon enough, a truck arrived to cart the dolls off, and to be honest, I have no idea where they are now. They certainly aren’t in the penthouse at the Merovingian, as far as I can see.
But now, I turn to Chris, Dane, and Jamison, my expression serious.
“Thanks for having me here,” I begin.
“Sure,” Chris drawls. “It’s always a pleasure, honey.”
“We miss you,” adds Jamison with a knowing smirk. “Did you miss us?”
I roll my eyes.
“It’s only been twenty-four hours since I saw you last!” I pretend-huff. “You guys are crazy.”
Jamison grins.
“Okay, okay. We get it. No more teasing because you want some “serious conversation.” What is it that you wanted to discuss?” he asks, trying to look somber. “We’re all ears.” I take in a deep breath to calm my nerves and clear my throat before starting.
“Well, yesterday was amazing and I really enjoyed being with you guys. I liked…” I blush and bite my lip as I think back on it.Likedis an understatement. Ilovedeverything that happened between us yesterday. “I loved feeling like I was yours. I loved having you guys using my curves for your own pleasure. And I thought of it as a glimpse into what things could be like if I were to accept your offer…”
Truthfully, I would enjoy belonging to Chris, Dane, and Jamison. I feel safest when I’m with them and happiest when I’m pleasing them, and I know that I’m beyond lucky to have the attention of three gorgeous men focused on me. This is a total one-eighty because before I met my lovers, I wasn’t interested in settling down. But now, I’m contemplating a relationship, even if it’s only temporary.
“Oh?” Chris drawls as he leans closer to me. “So you’re going to accept our offer?”
I hesitate for a few moments before shaking my head. “No, I think that’s out of the question for me. It’s not the offer itself that’s the problem because it’s really generous. But I can’t accept it, and I wasn’t being completely honest when I said that it’s because I’m used to working for a living.”
“Really? What’s the problem then?” Dane questions calmly, his handsome face somber. I sigh as I glance at the three of them. The men counter with patient looks and reassuring smiles, so I continue.
“Well, I guess I have a personal history that makes it tough to accept. You see, my mother was a prostitute,” I finally admit. A weight lifts off my chest, and I feel that I can breathe better. “Yes, it’s true. My mom turned tricks for decades to support us, which was humiliating and demeaning in more ways than one. In fact, my father was an anonymous john, so you could say that I’m a product of her co-dependence on men. It wasn’t just the sex either. It was the emotional and financial toll that working as a call girl demanded.”
“Tamara, we had no idea—” Chris begins.
“Because I didn’t tell you,” I interrupt. “And I’m sorry about that. I probably should have been honest about why the offer didn’t feel right for me from the start, but my personal life isn’t something that I talk about often. Who would? Not a lot of people want the world to know that their mom was a hooker and their dad a john.”
Dane fixes me with a look, his blue gaze penetrating.