"I'll talk to him. Don't leave, Zack." She wasn't sure why she was begging him to stay. After what they'd just done, maybe it would be better if he left. But that didn't feel right. She didn't want him to go. And where would he go, anyway? "Please, don't leave."

He hesitated. "I'll wait till morning." He too disappeared down the hall.

Maddie closed her eyes. This was all fucked up. How had this happened? Why had this happened? Had they put their entire relationship at risk just to explore some crazy, erotic fantasy? Oh yeah-she needed to talk to Aidan.

Chapter Ten.

Aidan paced the bedroom, hands clenched into fists. A tight band constricted his chest and his stomach felt like a rock had lodged there. A storm raged in his head. He wanted to be angry at Zack. Pissed the hell off at him. Why the fuck would he do something like that?

But how the hell could he blame Zack when he and Maddie had just blindly done everything he'd told them to? How had they gotten sucked into that depraved game Zack had been playing? And then he was back to the why-why had Zack done that?

The other thing that wreaked havoc with his attempts to be angry was the undeniable fact that what had just happened had been hot as hell. Fuck.

He paused, squeezed his eyes shut, head going back. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He'd resisted Maddie's timid suggestion to bring someone else into their relationship. He didn't want that. They loved each other. But guilt gnawed inside him. He knew he wasn't giving her what she needed. What if that really was a way for her to be satisfied?

What if it was a way for him to be satisfied?

He started pacing again.

Christ, he didn't want to go there. Having a third person in their relationship who was another man? Unthinkable.

Except, it had happened. Sort of. Okay, Zack hadn't really participated in the sex. He'd touched Maddie, but not in a sexual way. Much. Okay, some. Fuck!

Aidan stumbled over to the bed and dropped to sit on the side elbows on his knees, head in his hands.

He'd left them alone out there. With Maddie concerned that Zack hadn't been, uh, satisfied. Jesus. Was he an idiot?

Maddie wouldn't do that to him. Zack...Aidan would like to think he wouldn't either, but after what had just happened, his mind was blown.

He'd sensed something different in Zack from the minute they'd seen him again. Some kind of inner strength and confidence, a sureness of self. Aidan knew some of Zack's struggle to find himself back in college. What had transpired to bring about this change in him? It couldn't just be that he'd won a Pulitzer Prize.

Okay. Okay. He had to get his shit together here.

The bedroom door opened and Maddie slipped in. She closed the door quietly behind her and stayed there, looking at him. "You okay?"

"Fine."

"No, you're not."

He frowned, then exhaled sharply. "Whatever."

"Are you mad at me?"

He gazed at her. Her thin T-shirt was wrinkled and didn't hide her stiff nipples or the way her breasts jiggled. Her hair was a wild tangle around her head. Shadows darkened her eyes and her lips were still swollen. "No."

She swallowed and gave a short nod. "Mad at Zack then?"

"I'm trying really hard to be."

She huffed out a laugh and padded toward him. "Aidan. We need to talk."

"Yeah."

"Zack is going to leave."

His head jerked around as she sat beside him. "What?"

She nodded, her bottom lip quivering. "He thinks we want him to."

"Oh." He thought about that. "Maybe that would be best."

She tipped her head to one side, eyes tightening at the corners. "I don't want him to leave."

His chest constricted even more. "Why? You want that to happen again?"

Now her eyes flashed. "Maybe I do. But I also care about him. He's not fully recovered and he has nowhere else to go. He's our friend."

"Friend."

"He said he thought he was helping us."

"You liked it, didn't you?"

She met his eyes and slowly nodded. "I love you, Aidan. What you said...you can't give that to me...I don't want to lose you."

The rock in his gut ached. "I don't want to lose you either."

"I've been worried about us," she confessed softly, taking one of his hands. "Worried that if we aren't satisfied with each other...what will happen?"

"Nothing will happen," he said fiercely. "I love you."

She nodded, looking down at their joined hands.

He couldn't lose her either. He couldn't. But he got the point she was trying to make. "Maddie. If that's what you want...I want you to have it."

Her fingers squeezed his. "I'm not even sure what I want."

Neither was he. He tipped his head back once again. "I have a feeling Zack knows."

"I have that feeling too." Their eyes met. "What do we do about it?"

He'd do anything for her. Anything that was in his power. She was his to care for and look after and if there were things he couldn't give her, he'd damn well find another way to do that. If that meant...bringing Zack into their bedroom, into their relationship...he'd do it.

He rubbed the throbbing in his chest. "I'll go talk to him."

Her eyes widened, searching his. "What are you going to say to him?"

"I'm going to tell him not to leave. Because we need him."

This terrified him. But he could do it.

Her lips trembled again. She nodded, blinking rapidly.

He rose and walked out of their bedroom and down the hall, gave a sharp rap on Zack's door. The door opened.

Zack stood there, shirtless but still in his jeans. His body had filled out the last few weeks. He'd gained some weight, but was still lean enough that the muscles he'd been working on were sharply defined. Zack just looked at him.

"We have to talk," Aidan said.

"Go ahead."

"Fuck man, I'm not going to punch you."

"Maybe you should. I was out of line, obviously."

"I wanted to punch you." Aidan leaned against the door frame. "Honestly? I can't totally blame you for what happened."

"I was the one calling the shots."

"We didn't have to do it."

Zack nodded, his mouth a grim line. "Then why did you?"

Aidan sighed. "I keep asking myself that. Obviously, we wanted to."

"You talk to Maddie?"

"Yeah. We don't want you to leave."

Zack's eyes flickered. "No?"

"No."

Silence swelled around them, hot and thick.

"I have to ask you a question." Aidan gut cramped. "Are you in love with Maddie?"

Zack was good at keeping a poker face but even he couldn't help the startled look that flashed across his features. Then it was gone and he laughed. "Christ, Aidan. What kind of question is that?"

"Answer it."

Zack's eyes narrowed. "I care about her, yeah. But I gave up on love a long time ago."

"Are you attracted to her?"

Their eyes met. Silence pulled out taut between them. "Yeah." Zack crossed his arms, biceps bulging. "Not gonna lie."

Aidan nodded. "Okay then." He lifted his chin. "She wants more of that."

Zack's jaw tensed. His chin jerked up too. "And you?"

"I want to give her what she needs," he said quietly. "If that's you, taking control, then so be it."

Zack's head tipped to one side and lifted a hand to rub his thumb over his chin. Aidan felt scrutinized, analyzed...stripped down. Zack had always had that ability to see inside people. Aidan stood his ground.

Zack nodded. "We gotta talk about some limits."

Aidan narrowed his eyes at him. "We have to talk about what you've been doing the last seven years."

To his surprise, Zack smiled. "Yeah. Maybe we should."

"Hey." Maddie's soft voice interjected. "I had to know what you guys are talking about."

Aidan turned to see her standing in the hall behind him. "C'mere." He extended an arm and he pulled her to him. They all moved into Zack's room. Music played from some small speakers on the dressers, Indian fusion music with moody vocals and exotic instruments.

"Zack wants to talk about limits." Aidan wrapped his arms around Maddie from behind so they both faced Zack.

"I need to know...what do you want, Maddie?" Zack asked.

She didn't answer right away.

"I know you want someone else to take control." Zack took one step closer. "How far do you want me to take that? What kinds of things have you been wanting?"

"I, um...we have a flogger."

Zack nodded, apparently unshocked by this.

"I like being spanked and having my hair pulled."

"Restrained?"

"Yes," she breathed. "I like that."

"How far does this go?" Zack looked at Aidan. "Tonight I touched her. Nothing more."

"Are you asking my permission to have sex with her?"

Zack's lips lifted into another smile. "Yeah."

Aidan swallowed. "It's not my permission to give. It's hers. Her decision."