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“We’re good friends,” Deacon continued. “And we’re adults. “
Vico hesitated, and then smiled. He liked that because it was accepting, and that’s what he needed from Deacon right now. Deacon meant a hell of a lot to him. He couldn’t help teasing him a bit more, though. “I’m glad I didn’t put you off your stride.”
Deacon wiped his hands on the rag in his hands once again, and then cast it aside, but didn’t respond.
The gap only urged him to press on. “You know that I’ve been involved with guys, as well as women. I’ve mentioned it often enough.”
Deacon met his gaze, bold and sure. “I thought about it. I thought about it last night, when you were watching me.”
Deacon had never acknowledged his bisexuality before. Had the right woman enabled that barrier to be breached? Vico was glad, and more than that he was relieved. It was his way to state his bisexuality, so that people weren’t thrown by finding out accidentally. He also knew that Deacon was an old fashion man, deep down. He was a true friend as well as a business partner, and he didn’t want to offend him in any way. He’d been turned on by the both of them last night, and the last thing he would want was for Deacon to be upset by that.
“Sure,” Deacon continued, “it was hard to drag my attention away from the lovely Astrid.” He gestured fluidly with his hands. “She’s all my dreams come true, but I didn’t totally lose touch with reality, as hard as it was.” One corner of his mouth lifted. “I knew what you were thinking.”
Vico was more than a little surprised. Not only that, he was starting to get hard. “Have you ever been with a man?”
“Nope.” They stared at each other for several long moments. “I’m straight, but even straight men can be curious.”
Vico nodded, but he didn’t respond directly to that, he didn’t have to. Enough had been said. “So, about Astrid…”
Deacon laughed softly. “Ah, I see. You were softening me up by alluding to the fact you were turned on looking at my arse, and then you’re gonna come in and steal the woman from under me.”
Vico liked the way this was going. “Actually, I rather like seeing her under you.”
He’d thrown that out there on purpose, testing the water.
Tension ratcheted in the atmosphere between them. They both knew what he was getting at. Had he pushed it too far?
“What happens next?” he added, suddenly not sure.
Deacon smiled and then rested one hand on Vico’s shoulder. “We fix her car.”
* * * *
Despite the warm, languid physical afterglow that filled her from the night before, Astrid wondered if she had dreamt the whole thing. She’d woken safely at home, where they had dropped her, and pleasurable memories had filled both mind and body. Memories of a one night stand, she told herself, worried that she’d immediately wanted to see them again. That was all it was, and it had been hellish hot. Spur of the moment, wild and free. Nevertheless, her core fluttered into life and pulsed rhythmically, desire welling in her as she relived the physical memories.
When she arrived at work in a taxi she saw that her car had gone. She darted into her office building, only taking a sidelong glance at the nearby workshop. As she did, she caught sight of her car inside. Once she was in her office she peeped through the blinds, trying to catch sight of one of the guys. Stepping away, she told herself to get on with her work and forget about it. Switching on her computer, she checked through the post in her in-tray while the computer booted.
Mustn’t think about them, she told herself, and then proceeded to think about them a lot. Two hot, fit men, sexual studs. How could she not think about it?
“So, how did it go last night? They didn’t give you any hassle did they?”
Startled from her reverie, Astrid turned to her colleague, Susan, and then smiled when she remembered how Susan had given her a stiff talking-to before she’d left the office for the party the evening before. That trauma was but a distant memory, slipping away in the mists of time, replaced by everything else that happened along the way.
“It went well. I showed my face, and I wasn’t bothered by Roger at all.” I had much better things to think about. “Thanks for your support yesterday. You were right, I’m glad I went. It laid the past to rest.” It had worked out well, despite all those doubts she’d had. In fact, if she hadn’t been going to the party, she might have got a taxi home and arranged for her car to be picked up by her usual mechanic.
Susan chatted a while, and when she returned to her own desk next door she glanced out of the window as she passed. “Hey, there’s a bloke here in overalls, holding up a sign with your name on it.”
“Really?” In her haste to get up, Astrid hit her knee on her desk and tripped over the wheel on her swivel chair.
Deacon was standing in the lawned area below her window, the patch of land that separated their workshop from her building. He saluted when he saw her. He looked so good she could scarcely believe it. Then he lifted the sign he was holding in his hand.
Astrid. We have your spare part. You can call by at lunchtime to collect your car.
Businesslike and to the point. It gave little clue to his mood. Did they regret what had happened? She didn’t. Her mind raced as she thought about their early banter and the underlying tension between the two of them. In the end it hadn’t mattered. The three of them had enjoyed each other. But what did they think of that now? Would it make things awkward between them as business partners?
“Who is he, and is he single?” Susan said, with an approving growl.
The comment snapped Astrid into action and she waved, acknowledging his message.
