"Lick her more," Zack ordered.

Aidan lowered his face and did as he was told, and Maddie's eyes fell closed as his mouth closed over her flesh. Tingles ran circles where his tongue touched her, licking over sensitive, forbidden territory. When his teeth grazed her flesh, she jolted with electric shock. His tongue blazed a slow path up to her clit and circled it. She quivered with agonized wanting.

"Like that?" Zack whispered.

"Yes."

He leaned over and kissed her and she turned to him, needy and desperate. Their mouths fused as Aidan continued to torment her, tonguing her clit. Her orgasm built and she moaned into Zack's mouth.

He pulled back and the bed moved as he stood. She cracked her eyes open to see where he was going. He pulled out the bottom drawer of the nightstand and grabbed the bottle of lube along with a condom. Then he walked around the bed and then the mattress shifted again as he knelt behind Aidan.

Oh god.

Aidan was in a crouch, bound hands behind his back, mouth on her pussy, his own ass exposed. And Zack started touching him there. Aidan's mouth went still on her, and she sensed his entire body pulsing.

God, god, she wished she could see what Zack was doing. His hands played behind Aidan. Was he touching his ass? His cock? His balls? Oh sweet Jesus, that made fire burn inside her.

Zack's face wore a look of intent arousal and needful yearning. On his knees, his gaze went to where he touched Aidan. Aidan's mouth moved on her, but she sensed his distraction, the tension humming in his body as Zack played with him.

"Don't stop licking her," Zack ordered gruffly. "You're gonna make her come."

She was buzzing with it but not there yet. She swiped her tongue over her bottom lip, enthralled with what was happening between Zack and Aidan. The lube. The condom. God.

Anxiety flickered through her. She caught Zack's eye. Please, please, be gentle with him. Please, make it good for him. She tried to express what she didn't want to say aloud. Zack's taut face softened minutely and his eyes warmed. He nodded. And she knew. He cared about Aidan.

This wasn't just about giving Aidan what he wanted. It was about Zack getting what he wanted too. He wanted Aidan. And now she understood that he always had.

All these years, she and Aidan had both been missing something. Now she knew. They needed Zack.

Thoughts swirled in her head. Had Zack left because he was in love with Aidan? And Aidan hadn't felt the same way? But her thoughts flew away as Zack leaned in and put his mouth on Aidan. Aidan's head jerked back and he made a rough noise of pleasure that she loved. She waited patiently as Aidan got control and moved back to her. Then Zack rolled on the condom, slicked up his cock with lube and rubbed Aidan's ass. She would think about this later.

"Fuck." Aidan's breath puffed hot against her flesh. "Zack..."

Zack bent over Aidan's back. "I saw the strap-on," he murmured near Aidan's ear. "You want to be fucked up the ass, don't you?"

Aidan went very still. His eyes closed. He vibrated.

Maddie waited for his answer, her body quivering. Would he admit that to Zack?

Then Aidan groaned again. "Yes."

"Gonna fuck you." Zack rubbed Aidan's shoulder, then dragged his hand down Aidan's back as he straightened. "Gonna fuck you so good. Christ, Aidan."

Maddie watched in a daze, her body on fire. Aidan's tongue moved on her, kissing and suckling, licking over her clit. Sparks shimmered through her veins, and a tingle radiated from her center, spreading through her body in hot waves.

Then his mouth stopped again and he sucked in a sharp breath. His body tensed. He lifted his head to look at her, eyes hot and desperate, full of the same yearning she'd seen on Zack's face. She reached out to him, cupped his face in her bound hands, holding his gaze. "I love you. You want this. You need it. I want you to have it."

"Christ, love you too, Mad." His head jerked back and she knew Zack was entering his body. "Fuck yeah. Fuck me."

She shivered with delight, her pussy clenching hard.

Zack's hand slid around Aidan's body to his cock and pulled. Aidan groaned again, pressing his hot cheek to her inner thigh. His face tightened into a look of pain that she recognized-that dark erotic pleasure pain she loved so much.

For him. This was for him. She floated, breathless, flames burning beneath her skin.

"Lick her," Zack reminded Aidan. His hands gripped Aidan's hips, lifting him to his groin. Oh my god. Oh my god. His face had tightened into fierce lines, his eyes burning with sexual hunger and excitement.

Aidan's tongue found her clit and flattened on it. Sensation jolted her, and those tingles intensified. Her womb contracted and pleasure spread. She couldn't stop the helpless noises that escaped her lips, whimpers and near sobs. Then Aidan closed his lips over her straining clit and sucked. Wave after wave of heat rippled through her, surrounding her in a hot throbbing glow of pleasure. She came hard, knowing that Zack's cock was buried inside Aidan, her pelvis lifting to Aidan's mouth. He held her clit so gently until she relaxed, limp and breathless.

"Good man," Zack said. "Beautiful orgasm, Maddie."

She nodded, dazed, blinking up at them. Zack's body moved behind Aidan's. Hands bound behind him, Zack's arm supporting him, Aidan looked at her again, a soft look of pleading she'd never seen before. She gave him a shaky smile. "I love you."

His jaw tightened and his eyes went cloudy and drifted closed.

"He feels good, Maddie," Zack told her. "Tight on my dick. Hot. D'you like knowing I'm fucking him?"

"Yes."

"Good." Zack worked Aidan's cock as he thrust into him, again and again. Maddie's gaze went back and forth between their faces, loving how they looked, the tortured bliss, the dark pleasure.

"Aidan. Gonna come," Zack gritted out. "But not until you do." His hand moved faster on Aidan's cock.

"Yes." Aidan groaned and then shouted as he came. Zack gave him one last long squeezing pull, then released him and gripped his hips, pounding against his body, flesh slapping against flesh, Aidan gasping for air. Then went Zack still and taut. His eyes closed and his mouth opened into a silent grimace of ecstasy.

Maddie's heart slammed against her breastbone. It was so beautiful it hurt-an erotic, agonizing pain of pure joy.

Chapter Twenty-One.

Once Zack had untied their wrists, Aidan turned his hands in circles.

"Okay man?" Zack reached for Aidan's arms and massaged his wrists.

"Yeah. I'm good." He swallowed, letting Zack caress his arms, watching his face. He knew Zack wasn't just asking about his arms. They'd done something there was no going back from.

He'd wanted it. He'd been curious for so long, probably since the day Zack had confessed he thought he was bisexual. Aidan had never been interested in men, but found himself not liking the idea of Zack fucking other guys. Not because of his sexuality. Now he knew he'd wanted Zack himself.

After Zack had left, he'd turned off that part of himself. He had Maddie. Then when she'd wanted to start trying new things, that curiosity had come rushing back and he'd brought home the strap-on.

Zack's face held hints of uncertainty at odds with the way he'd taken charge. Aidan didn't want that for him. "I'm good." He leaned over and brushed his mouth over Zack's. Then he reached for the condom Zack still wore and dealt with it for him, his instinct to look after Zack. He got rid of it while Zack rubbed Maddie's wrists. She curled into Zack who then tugged the covers over them. Aidan turned off the lamp, slid in behind her and wrapped an arm around her...and Zack.

"You two were so hot," Maddie mumbled.

One corner of Aidan's mouth lifted. "Yeah?"

"Oh yeah."

Talking ceased. Aidan sensed their breathing change and deepen as they both fell asleep. But his mind was active. Thinking about what had just happened.

It meant something.

He just wasn't sure what.

Being fucked by a dildo was nothing like being fucked by Zack. He swallowed, remembering the edge of pain, then the fiery pleasure, the violent orgasm. So what did this mean about his sexuality? He wasn't gay. He loved Maddie and had always loved women.

He loved Zack. He always had. He'd thought it was a brotherly love, a friendship. Had he been in denial all this time that there'd been more to it than that? Or had things somehow changed for him? Spending this time with Zack, being with him, had gradually made him open to his true self. Parts of him he'd never even known existed.

It wasn't just about the fucking, although that was fantastic. It was about Zack taking control. Setting him free. Letting him give up all the problems he carried around that people expected him to solve, letting him shut off his brain and just have peace. To just do what he was told. The feeling was addictive.

He recognized now that he'd wanted that all along. That feeling of submission. And he recognized that Maddie would never be able to give that to him. Because she needed it too. And he also recognized that he'd probably never do it with anyone but Zack.

For a man to submit to someone else made him weak in many people's eyes. But Aidan trusted Zack. Zack understood. He understood because he knew what it was to submit, except for him it hadn't been by choice. Zack would never mock him or lose respect for him-instead, he'd praised him. Admired him. Zack understood the strength it took to give up control.

And Aidan trusted Maddie, that she too would still respect him and admire him and love him. There were no other people in the world he could imagine doing that with.

But Zack was leaving.

Aidan carefully rolled to his back in the dark and sucked in a long breath. They'd known all along Zack was leaving. It was partly why Aidan had allowed this to develop. While Zack was there, he'd learn from him how to give Maddie the things she needed.

But who would give him the things he needed?

Sadness and longing washed down through him. They'd learned so much about themselves, he and Maddie, these last few weeks. He loved her more than ever. But dammit. He loved Zack too. He wanted to make sure Zack was safe. He wanted to offer him a home, with them. He wanted to take care of him, the way he took care of Maddie.

Zack got something from this too. As a Dominant, he had needs as well. And for Aidan and Maddie, filling those needs had been amazing and special. Although they'd known there were things they wanted, and had been amazed and gratified to get those things from Aidan, they'd also learned that they were giving him something in return...the feeling of meeting a Dominant's needs.

Aidan was the one who solved problems and fixed things. But he didn't know how to solve this problem. He weighed options in his mind. Telling Zack the truth about how he felt. Begging him to not to leave.

But Zack was a talented, award winning photojournalist with an important goal in life. He wanted to leave, to get back to his passion, telling the stories the world needed to know. How could Aidan ask him to give up that?

And what about Maddie? Would she even understand his feelings for Zack? She was amazing, encouraging him to take what Zack was offering, wanting him to have it. She was loving and generous and beautiful. But would she welcome that kind of relationship?

They knew of open marriages. One of their friends was open about the fact that he had a wife and a girlfriend. The two women knew each other, liked each other, and accepted each other. He and Maddie had talked about it. They didn't judge their friends for their choice, because hey, it seemed to work-but they had a hard time understanding it.

Now here he was contemplating a similar arrangement. Except instead of another woman, he loved a man. But the other difference was that Zack and Maddie were involved too. They'd had sex. Aidan knew Zack was attracted to Maddie, he'd admitted that, and they were friends who cared about each other.

Fuck, it just made his head hurt.

He rolled out of bed and padded naked into the bathroom to find some ibuprofen. He washed down a couple of tablets with some water. Maybe that would help him sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, Zack was gone from their bed. Maddie slept on. Aidan's head hurt again and his neck and shoulders were stiff and tight. He dragged himself into the shower, hoping the heat would loosen things up. The shower reminded him of last night, Zack and Maddie in there with him, all steamy and soap-slippery, Zack's hands on his cock and balls and ass. Aidan had been hard and aching with anticipation, wondering what Zack was going to do with them, and holy hell, he'd blown his mind.

Once showered, he dressed in a pair of loose sweatpants and an old T-shirt. He paused outside Zack's bedroom door and saw his duffel bag on the neatly made bed with some piles of clothes.

Shit.

With a sinking heart he continued to the kitchen. There Zack sat at the counter with a mug of coffee and the newspaper.

"Hey."

Zack looked up at him. Their eyes met with a jolt of heat. "Morning." Zack paused. "I made coffee."

"Great. Need some." He poured a cup, added a big splash of milk, then picked it up. He leaned against the counter. "Saw your duffel on the bed. You're packing up?"

"Yeah." Zack too sipped his coffee. "Gonna fly to Washington for a few days while I figure out where I'm off to next. Been in touch with Reporters Without Borders there. Might do some lobbying work."

"Huh. Sounds interesting." Sounded like shit.

"Got a flight out tonight, actually."

"Jesus!" Aidan couldn't stop the word that exploded from his lips. "Tonight? Seriously?"

"Yeah." Zack's eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened.

"Okay. Well." Aidan looked down into the creamy coffee. He rubbed the back of his tight, aching neck. His chest hurt too. "I know you're eager to get back to work. So. Last day here."

"What?" Maddie stood in the entrance to the kitchen. "Whose last day here?"

Shit. Aidan shot Zack a narrow-eyed look. "Zack's. Apparently he's flying to Washington tonight."

She tipped her head and padded into the kitchen on bare feet. She wore a silky yellow nightie edged with white lace, her hard little nipples poking at the fabric. She'd stopped worrying about modesty around Zack a while back. She stopped in front of Zack. "But you're coming back?"

"Nah." He shook his head. "Just figuring out with head office where I'm off to next."

Her mouth moved and her eyes shifted from Zack to Aidan and then back. Tension hummed in the room. "I see." Her shoulders drooped and she nodded. "Well, then it is your last day here. We should do something fun."

Her voice had gone flat and monotone as she turned away and also reached for a mug in the cabinet. Fuck, she was as disappointed as he was. Aidan shot Zack a glare. He could fuck him over all he wanted, but hurting Maddie's feelings was unacceptable.

When she had her coffee, he pulled her against him, his arm around her waist. She smelled so good, her usual sweet pea fragrance mixed with Zack's unique scent and the smell of sex. Fuck, he loved her. He pressed a cheek to her silky hair, comforting her as much as himself.

He caught Zack watching them, his face etched into tight lines. Then Zack dropped his gaze.

"Yeah." Aidan rubbed his hand over Maddie's hip through the thin silk, warm from her skin. "Sure. Something fun."

"We don't have to do anything special." Zack folded the newspaper. "I'll need to leave for the airport around five. I'll take a taxi. And I need to do a load of laundry before I leave, if that's okay."

"Of course it's okay," Maddie said, a little snappish.

"Great." Zack ignored her tone and rose off the stool.

"And we'll take you to the airport," Aidan added.

Zack opened his mouth, then closed it. "Thanks. I'll get my laundry started."