Page 64 of The Triple Play

Griffin shifts his body so he’s angled toward me. “That morning at your apartment, you seemed kinda freaked out. And since we didn’t exactly talk about everything that happened,” he starts in a low voice, “it seemed like the best idea was to step back and give you some space to process it all.”

“Space. You’ve been giving me space.”

I’m so confused. Why would they think I needed space? “Guys, I didn’t need space. We had some fun together. It was all consensual, everyone enjoyed themselves. It’s all good.”

A voice in my head wails at how flippantly I just described our time together, but I dismiss it immediately.

Griffin’s face is unreadable as he rakes a hand through his ginger waves. “Right, yeah. I guess I misjudged things.” He grimaces. “Anyway, Foxxy helped smack some sense into me, pointing out that the only thing accomplished by avoiding each other was to add confusion to an already confusing situation.”

It hurts a little to hear him summarize our time together as a confusing situation. But I suppose that’s not an entirely inaccurate description.

“Did I really say all that?” Denver says smugly, pretending to buff his knuckles on his shirt. “Damn, I’m smart.”

A laugh escapes from my closed lips, but his joking does release a lot of the tension inside of me. Until Griffin continues.

“The truth is, what happened at the cabin and at your apartment was incredible, Liv. Unexpected, sure, but fucking incredible. Leaving you with so much unsaid was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But right or wrong, I really did think the best thing to do was give you space to sort out how you felt about it all.”

“He was wrong, obviously,” Denver interjects. “Here’s the deal, Pix. We both like you. Like, a lot. And we both want you again. A lot.” He grins and winks.

“Jesus, Foxxy, could you be any more blunt?” Griffin grumbles. “But yeah, what he said. We had a really good time with you, and we’d like to do it again. Spend time with you. But it’s your decision, whatever happens. We just wanted to clear the air.”

“Wow. Okay.” I blink rapidly, trying to make sense of what they’re saying. “You both… And you want…” I force a light laugh as it starts to become clear.

Having two sexy baseball players proposition me for an ongoing threesome was not on my bingo card this year. Or, well, any year.

“You’re saying you want to have ‘fun’ together again.” I draw air quotes around the word fun, dropping my voice low, so no one overhears.

Denver’s brows draw together for a split second before they clear and he grins. “We want whatever you want.”

My throat feels dry, and I pick up my glass of water and take a drink. “Okay.”

I can feel the weight of both their stares on me, as if they’re waiting for me to say something more. I won’t, because there’s no chance I could ever admit that I’m secretly thrilled at the prospect of being with them again. But I’m equally terrified of when the time comes that they decide they’re over the thrill of having a threesome-friends-with-benefits situation and want to end things.

I’ll have to pick myself up and carry on, which will be infinitely harder if I let feelings get involved.

Thankfully, I’m saved from having to say anything more by Dottie finally showing up to take our order. As we eat, the conversation stays clear of any difficult subjects. The boys fill me in on the upcoming baseball season, and then they both surprise me by having insightful questions about my work.

We make plans to hang out, and they seem genuinely excited for us to spend time together.

All too soon, we’re walking out of the diner, Griffin having paid for all three of us, despite my attempts to pay for my own food. The borderline insulted look he gave me when I suggested it shut me up pretty quickly.

We step into the sunshine, Griffin’s hand grazing my lower back and Denver at my other side, holding the box of cupcakes. My earlier worry about someone overhearing our conversation in the diner resurfaces as two men walk past, one of them doing a double take when they realize who I’m in between.

I come to a stop, putting some distance between me and them. “Can we keep this between us?” I use my free hand to gesture between the three of us. “Whatever we’re doing. The fun, I mean. It would be hard to explain to people, and you know I’m trying to secure funding for my research. I need to be professional and make sure the university has a good impression of me when they review my grant proposal. I know that might not matter to you, you’re athletes, and you can do whatever. But I have to be careful.”

I hate how both of their faces fall when I stop talking. Maybe it’s unfair, but it had to be said. I stand to lose a lot if certain people decide they don’t like how I act outside of the university. Ethical standards and all that.

One of their researchers being with two men at once? Probably not a good look. And I have to get that funding, or…

Denver looks dejected, but he nods.

Griffin’s hand lifts as if to touch me again, but he lets it relax back by his side. “Yeah, that makes sense. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with that sexist crap, but we’ll protect you, Liv.”

I exhale at Griffin’s quiet words. I know I can trust them to do just that. Protect me. Well, most of me, at least.

My heart? I’m not sure anything or anyone can protect that.

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