I spent most of the night wide awake as I lay between them in the huge bed. My mind was reeling from the events of the night and I stared straight at Jared. His eyes were closed as he lay on his side facing me, breathing softly as he slept. Twisting and turning, I glanced back at Shannon. He was also fast asleep and I watched his chest rise and fall as he lay on his back.
I was the only one who appeared to be having an issue relaxing and just as I started to turn away from Jared, he reached forward. "Why aren't you asleep, babe?" He whispered into my ear, pulling me closer.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you awake, I thought you were asleep." I whispered back, kissing his chest.
"You're not keeping me awake. Look, it happened, so quit thinking about it Carrie. Everything is fine between all of us, I promise. I love you, but we both need to get some sleep, tomorrow will be a long day."
Nodding, I shut my eyes and eventually fell asleep, curled up against his warm body. The next thing I knew, I heard the sound of a door closing and someone moving around the room. Lying flat on my stomach, I blinked, trying to adjust my eyes to the brightness of the room. The first thing I saw was Shannon. He was wearing the same pair of gray pajama pants he fell asleep in. He was holding a tray in his hands and smiled down at me when he saw my eyes open. I sighed, kicking the sheet off of my legs as he spoke. "Good morning, sweetheart. I have some fruit and coffee if you're hungry."
Still feeling uneasy about the night before, I sat up, accepting the mug of coffee from him. "Thank you." I replied, not allowing any eye contact between us.
"Carrie, would you please look at me. No sense in hiding how you feel from me, I picked up on it when we went to bed and Jared only confirmed it this morning. You're confused, upset and excited all at the same time. It's a lot to deal with and I get that, but you know that I love you, we both do."
As I sipped my coffee, I refused to look at him. The only rule I made, we broke and I went along with it, yes, but this situation was seriously fucking with my head. Putting my mug down, I winced as I sat up, still sore from the night before. "I need to get packed and ready to go back home. Thank you for the fruit and coffee, but please excuse me." I stood up, covering my nakedness with the furry robe.
With a sigh, he reluctantly got up and headed for the door, blocking my entrance into the bathroom. "I do love you, Carrie, don't forget that. I don't want things to be awkward between us. What went on last night only made our bond stronger." Leaning forward, he kissed my lips and then moved out of my way. Just before I shut the door, he called out. "Jared will be back in a few minutes, so don't be too long." Closing the door, I tried not to think about it as I got ready to head home, but it kept eating away at me. I showered and then packed up my bags, making certain I hadn't forgotten anything.
Two hours later we were boarding a plane for LA. All I could think about was how things would be once we were home. Would they treat each other differently? Would the way each of them felt about me change? Even though they both assured me that nothing would, my head continued to wander, shifting from one thought to the next and I knew that I needed a few days to myself.
After the flight, we walked through the airport without being spotted by the paparazzi. We quietly got into a car and I was the first to be brought home. They both walked me to my apartment, stepping inside and each saying their own goodbye. Jared's open palm moved against mine before locking around my wrist and pulling me closer. Without letting go, I stifled a surprised gasp when his warm, soft lips captured mine, causing my heart to beat like mad. It blew my mind how easily he could blend the perfect amount of rough and gentle.
Just as Jared released me, Shannon spun me to face him. His lips were so warm and smooth, I sighed into the kiss as my arms encircled his neck. I could sense his every emotion in that kiss and didn't want it to end. The man knew how to kiss passionately and if it weren't for Jared tapping his foot along the floor, we would have certainly ended up naked in bed. He whispered into my ear. "You and me, skiing, just the two of us, next month. I've already looked at your schedule and you're free, so, I'll text you with the dates. Do not accept any jobs that week and ruin my plans." He kissed my head and they both walked out.
After they departed, I got on the computer to respond to some emails and go over my schedule for the next few months. I was so happy to have a job lined up for later in the week and I knew that would keep me busy. No matter what I tried to do, my thoughts continued to drift back to last night.
The more I thought about what happened, the more my head hurt. Nausea eventually took over, causing the headache and I realized that I hadn't eaten much all day. I ordered some take out, but only picked at it. I showered and just as I was climbing into bed, I got a text from Shannon. Grinning, I turned out the light and tried to catch up on the sleep I missed the night before.
—— To Be continued—————————————
This story doesn't end here. I've continued my ending in the next part, titled, It's The Perfect Denial. AllAboutTheBear may write her own ending. I would also like to thank her for the opportunity to write an amazing and fun story together. ❤️
