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Cale wasn’t a poacher. He also wasn’t a schemer. This whole scenario—which he’d been the one to bring up, though he knew Cale and Marcia had considered it plenty on their own—wasn’t a setup created by Cale so he could take his shot at Tony’s girlfriend. Cale didn’t work that way.
True, Cale had feelings for Marcia but as friends. He certainly wasn’t in love with her. After what had happened at Penn State, Tony honestly didn’t know whether Cale would ever be ready to go down that road again. When someone lost the person they loved so painfully, it took a hell of a lot to risk trying again.
More than anyone, Tony knew how badly Cale needed some fun in his life. Even with his seemingly endless partying, his best friend rarely truly relaxed. Only a jerk would let petty insecurity infringe on an evening all three of them would remember for the rest of their lives.
Whether it would be with fondness or regret remained to be seen.
“You coming?” Marsh asked them, stopping outside her bedroom door. Cale hadn’t made a move to go inside, instead lingering on the threshold like an unwelcome visitor.
That, more than anything, made Tony hang back.
“Give us a sec.” He flashed a smile at his girlfriend. “Get ready for us, okay? Why don’t you put on that red satin number I love so much?”
She immediately brightened. Clothes talk always made Marcia perk right up. “Oh, I bought something new. I’ll get changed.” Her eyebrows drew together. “Don’t be long.”
“We won’t.”
Once she closed her bedroom door behind her, Cale shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Look, man, I didn’t mean anything by what I said.”
“I know you didn’t.”
Cale frowned. “You sure didn’t act like it.”
“I know.” Tony scratched the back of his neck and lowered his voice. “She gets to me. This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten pissed when some guy looked at her the wrong way. It’s just the first time it happened with you.”
“You love her. Of course you’re possessive.”
Tony started to argue. He wasn’t sure he was in love with Marcia. Not for certain. If he loved her, that meant that he needed a commitment, something more permanent than a semi-standing Friday night date and sleeping over at her place a few times a week. He needed more of her. Desperately.
Fuck.
“News to you?” Cale asked, a grin lifting his mouth. “You look awfully green all of a sudden.”
Tony rubbed his jaw and shoved it all to the back of his mind. He’d known he was damn close to falling for her to begin with. Having Cale state the obvious meant now he could face reality and whatever that entailed.
“I care about her a lot,” he said, meeting Cale’s eyes squarely. “And yeah, I’m pretty sure I want forever with her. But that doesn’t mean she’ll go for it.”
“Is that what this is all about?” Cale circled his fingers between them. “Because if you think offering her sex with another guy will tip the scale in your favor…” He grinned again. “You could be right.”
“Such an asshole.” Tony laughed. “No, that’s not it. I love you guys.” Maybe someday he’d get to the point where he could say those words to Marcia too, except in the singular. “And I trust you. We’re having a good time.” He swallowed over the unexpected tightness in his throat. “Aren’t we?”
“I am. But then again, I’m the only one who hasn’t gotten a chance to actually, you know, get off yet.” He pried out the tiny purple lace panties he’d tucked in his jeans pocket. “Think these belong to you.”
“Thanks.” Tony grabbed them and let out a long breath. “Look, if I ever start acting like a dick, call me on it.”
“No problem there, trust me.” Cale clapped him on the back. “So we good?”
“Yeah.” Tony stepped forward and gripped the doorknob. “We’re good.”
“Hey, wait.”
Tony glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“If you love her, tell her. Make it count. You know?”
Since Cale was about as likely to spout poetry as he was to give relationship advice, Tony knew he meant business. His best friend also knew better than anybody the importance of not wasting time.
“Yeah, I do. And I will.” Tony smiled and turned the knob. “C’mon. Marcia hates to wait.”
