Page 43 of Subtracting the Heart

“Okay, instead of a foam party where the place is filled with foam and becomes a logistical nightmare, how about several bubble machines. We can assign waiters to make sure they’re working properly and adequately filled to keep the place full. Also, on television at a New Year’s party, I saw these cool helium balls with colored lights inside that change when they bounce. We could have various sizes of those for everyone to throw around.” Inspiration was a speeding car in Cade’s brain.

Cade continued his ramblings. “The dancers can wear white bikini briefs with some sort of bubbles sewn on. Oh, maybe plastic ones. Ugh. We need to go to the craft store to use our muse. Let me run up and grab the keys to Jax’s ugly behemoth. We can get lunch and bring it back, and I can pick up Jax at the stadium as well. Save me a trip later.”

Griff nodded, saying he was going backstage to pull on his coat. Cade rushed upstairs but paused at the door when he heard Cleveland laugh.

“I was gonna ask him on Valentine’s Day, but I’ll wait until I can plan a little trip. He snowboards or skis, and there’s thisplace not far from here with cabins and a lodge. I thought about it over the holidays, but this works out better. We can go after Valentine’s and before President’s, so there should be availability.”

“Of course,” Ford answered.

Cleve continued. “I’ve got an appointment this week at the doctor’s and then with a jeweler. You’ll cover for me if I tell him I’ve gotta run an errand for you, right?” Cade grinned and knocked before Ford could respond.

“Yeah. Come in.”

Cade opened the door and smiled. “Forgot my coat. Griff and I are going to the craft store to fuel our creativity. We can bring back lunch if you tell us what you’d like. I’m also going to pick up Lucky at the stadium and bring him here. I’ll bounce ideas off him or something.”

Ford laughed as he rose from his place atop his desk, sliding a drawer closed. He walked over to Cade and took his peacoat from him, holding it open. “He can use my computer and peruse the real estate section if he gets bored. We can go home at three, and I’ll change to come back tonight. Maybe you and Jackson want to have some time alone?”

Ford, Jackson, and Cade had been taking turns spending time in pairs, but Cade wanted the three of them together. He loved being with them individually, and he knew they had been alone together when he went to visit his mother one Sunday in Naperville to help her sort through the house that she was putting on the market.

Hudson Hayes had been arrested at his place of business, and it had been blasted on the local news for two days before the FBI raided the former gallery where Kenneth Shaw supposedly ran his business and Chicago Outreach Shelters. Whatever they found at his place of business, it wasn’t shared with local media.

They hadn’t heard from any of the boys, either. It had Cade worried until Ashton called to confide he’d heard from Kevin Ngu. He and Vance Blake were working for a courier service downtown and sharing a studio apartment. He didn’t have a number for anyone to call, but he’d asked about Jax, Ford, and Cade. He’d said they’d seen the news in the paper about Hudson’s arrest, and they wanted to be sure Ashton was okay. Cade knew his little brother would walk on clouds indefinitely over hearing from his crush.

Ash was happy to be home with his mother and Amy, and Cade was glad for him. He wanted to get to know his little sister, but Cheryl had recommended that the girl should be given some time to adjust to all the changes.

Apparently, Amy was having a hard time with the arrest because she’d been a daddy’s girl who believed Hudson Hayes could do no wrong. Cheryl wanted Cade and Amy to meet again under the right circumstances, and Katrina agreed with her, though no one could judge when therightcircumstances might be. Thus, they were waiting.

Of course, with Hudson’s arrest, the divorce proceedings halted because it was Katrina’s chance to get a better look at Hudson’s books, thus squeezing a better settlement out of Cade’s father. When Cheryl came forward with the prenup she’d signed at the onset of her supposedmarriageto Hudson, Katrina had laughed it off and said they’d divide his fortune and leave the “lousy, lying bastard” penniless. Much to Cade’s surprise, Cheryl was totally on board. The times, they were a-changin’.

Ford’s kiss to Cade’s cheek brought him from his thoughts. “I’d rather have the two of you with me at the same time. I have some very distinct ideas regarding things I’ve never tried, Bix.” Cade gave him a teasing wink.

The sexy blond laughed. “Bring back lunch, then. After we eat, we’ll go home for a little while, how’s that?” Cade nodded before he leaned forward to kiss Ford’s cheek in return.

“You’ve got a date,buttercup,” Cade teased for old time’s sake, causing both men in the room to laugh as he went downstairs to meet Griff.

On the way toward the parking lot, Cade turned to Griff and smirked. “So, do you ski or snowboard?”

“A little bit of both.”

Cade seriously doubted Griff and Cleveland would make it out of the cabin, but he was happy for his friends. He simply grinned at Griff as the two went out to the Blue Beast, giggling to himself the whole way to the craft store.

Cade hit the button to the garage door of the Greystone as his two companions got out and headed toward the entrance into the mudroom. Once everyone was inside and coats, scarves, and hats were secured on the rack in the mudroom, he turned to his two lovers. “I’m going up to do a little maintenance. You two decide who does what.” He was feeling quite powerful in that moment.

Their laughter carried up the stairs behind him as he went into the bathroom and closed the door. When he’d purchased the douche kits on a whim, he was hopeful he’d have occasion to use them. As he pulled out the last one, he knew he needed to add a douche bulb to his pharmacy list, along with condoms and lube.

After a quick clean out and then a wash-up, he swilled Jax’s mouthwash into his mouth for a few seconds, spit, and openedthe door, finding his two lovers naked on the bed. “Get over here, you little tease.” Jax’s voice was a low, sexy growl.

Cade ran and jumped between them, and before he knew it, he and Jax had each other’s cocks in their mouths. Ford had his tongue in Cade’s ass to loosen him up before he changed their positions, putting Jax on his back with Cade over him, still sucking each other while Ford pushed inside Cade from behind.

Jax grabbed the lube by his head and slicked up his fingers, slipping them inside Ford’s ass while he continued to suck Cade, moaning loudly when Cade took him into his throat. There were loud moans and swears. Love was declared, over and over, and when the three got into a rhythm together, the room was filled with satisfaction as the three of them were finally making love at once. Love poured from one to another.

The three men lay in bed, holding each other while discussing ideas about where Jax’s gym should be. “Any downtown properties where there would be a good client base are limited, I’m coming to find. I’d like to have a big place, but I haven’t found anything even remotely measuring up to what I’ve imagined.” Jax stroked his fingers through Cade’s hair as he rested on Jax’s fuzzy chest. Ford was snuggled up behind Cade, and he felt Ford’s hand on Jax’s hip over his body. It was exactly as he’d hoped it could be with the three of them.

Cade knew Jackson was frustrated regarding his career options, more so because of the cast than the geographic obstacles he encountered while searching for a location. Something occurred to him.

“How about before you run, you walk. I’d suggest you maybe step back from the gym for a bit and think about specialized training. Maybe something intense? You could call it Cajun Boot Camp?”

Ford moved closer and rested his head on Cade’s shoulder and smiled. “What’s that, sweetheart?”

---