Three for Dinner Read online

  “Sex is the most important part of a relationship, darling,” Sean said, a smile on his lips.

  “Are you asking us for a commitment, Tesa?” Erik asked.

  Tesa shook her head. “Not at this point.” She turned and started to pour the coffee. How could she tell the men that she was uncertain about their sharing her? They had just spent the night having sex and her emotions felt tangled when she thought about being in love with both of them. Was it possible for her to commit to two men? Both twins seemed adamant that they could share her without a problem. It seems so unnatural.

  “Darling, we’ll help you at the restaurant and you’re under no obligation to either of us,” Sean said smoothing one hand along her spine.

  Tesa turned, a smile on her face. “Thank you.”

  “Your food is getting cold,” Erik warned.

  The city remained dark and Tesa’s patience was stretched to the limits. How much longer must she endure this uncertainty? She was losing money with the restaurant closed. The backup system would need checked before the day was out and now she had been forced to fire yet another chef. She stood at the window in the living room and looked down on the city. Lines of traffic were visible along the wide avenue leading into downtown. Thoughts of checking on things at the restaurant filled her mind.

  “I’m driving to the restaurant. Come with me. I’ll show you around the kitchen,” she said, encompassing both men with her gaze.

  Delight filled her when she saw the excitement in both twin’s eyes. This arrangement might work out after all. In the back of her mind, she cautioned herself about getting her hopes up.

  Three for Dinner

  Chapter 11

  The restaurant kitchen was hot and the instant Tesa stepped through the door, she wanted to cuss. Of all the things to have happen, a blackout in the middle of summer was the worst thing she could think of. Mumbling beneath her breath, she opened the door to the basement to check on the backup generator for the refrigeration system. A surge of relief engulfed her body when she heard the familiar whir of the motor.

  Returning to the kitchen, she saw Sean and Erik checking the large stainless steel refrigerators and stoves. “You both look pleased,” she said, smiling.

  “I’m very pleased. This is a perfect kitchen. There’s ample room to work at the two stoves and plenty of workstations for prep and pastry making.” Sean grinned. “I like the way you have everything arranged. It’s very similar to the kitchen at the institute.”

  Tesa nodded. “I’m trying to use everything I learned at the school.” She felt proud walking around the large kitchen with its bevy of stainless steel appliances and worktables. It was truly the kitchen she had always dreamed of. The ringing of her cell phone interrupted the conversation. She crossed the room to her purse and removed the telephone. Glancing at the lighted screen, she cocked an eyebrow.

  “Miss Reynolds, I’m just trying to touch base with my clients,” the air conditioner repairman said.

  “Mr. Wright, I trust you’ll move the restaurant to the top of your list just as soon as the power is restored to the city.”

  “Yes. And I’m sorry for the delay in getting to you.” He chuckled. “I’ve been on the phone to the utility company and they assured me that the power will be back on within the hour.”

  Tesa’s heart lurched in her breast. “Really? Oh, I’m so glad to hear that.” She stopped, hoping she wasn’t sounding too grateful. Dealing with repairmen meant paying their fees, sometimes in excess just to get them on the premises, and acting too needy only gave them the assurance that they could inflate their charges.

  “I’ll be over this afternoon, Miss Reynolds, once the power is restored.”

  “I’m at the business now, Mr. Wright and I’ll be expecting you.” Tesa broke the connection and turned smiling to Erik and Sean. “My prayers have been answered.”

  “Honey, I really hope you asked for more than a call from a repairman,” Erik remarked, chuckling.

  “You could at least pray for a happy threesome,” Sean added, winking.

  I’ve already done that.

  “Let’s have sex right here, in the kitchen, on the pastry table, just to christen the business,” Sean suggested.

  Erik and Tesa laughed, but then Sean started toward her. A small hesitation on her part and momentarily she was being undressed and hoisted atop the stainless steel work station. She laughed and tried to relax on the hard surface.

  The coolness at her back was refreshing what with the heat filling the room. And the caressing hands were busy touching every nerve she had. She stretched her arms above her head and closed her eyes, allowing the men to have their way with her. When her knees were parted and one of the men climbed on the table with her, she opened her eyes and cradled Erik in her arms. He entered her cave and she turned her head to receive Sean’s cock in her mouth.

  The table rocked with every thrust of Erik’s cock into her body and just as she thought Sean was on the verge of orgasm, she felt the beginning tingles of her own climax. She sucked his cock harder, pulling the long stick of flesh to the back of her throat. The sensations were so electric, so overwhelming that she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on every single wave of delight as it filtered through her body.

  When both men came at the same time, Tesa could hardly believe it. Her own orgasm had barely waned when Sean ejaculated in her mouth. Erik grunted and collapsed on top of her, signaling his release. She lay beneath Erik, thinking. The fact that they can both orgasm at the same time is uncanny. Maybe I should believe they can share me without conflict.

  Having ended the sex play on the workstation, Tesa dressed and prepared disinfectant to wash down the table. She chuckled, wondering how long it would take for her to stop thinking about sex on the table while she made her mouth-watering pastries. Maybe I’ll always think of it. She darted a glance at the twins across the room. They were busy studying the restaurant menu.

  “You have several dishes we cooked at the institute,” Erik said, making eye contact with her. “And I see you serve a Parisian wine.”

  “If you wish to add a dish,” she stopped, wondering whether she dared alter her menu.

  “Honey, if your menu is pleasing to your customers, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  Tesa nodded. She was glad that her silent thought had been fulfilled. “I’ve been open for three years and the menu is the same, except for a few variations in drinks. I remember one of the instructors at the institute saying that when you find a winning recipe, keep it. All my entrees are good sellers. So I suppose I must be doing something right.”

  The overhead lights in the room blinked, then illuminated. “Oh, thank God!” Tesa exclaimed, throwing both hands into the air. She hurried toward the control panel at the back of the room, flipping the switch on the overhead fans. “Now where’s that repairman? I’m ready to get things back on track.” She glanced at the twins. And I’m ready to get my personal life headed in the right direction, too. A smile touched her lips as love swelled her heart.

  Three for Dinner

  Chapter 12

  The tantalizing aromas of succulent beef and tangy sauces filled the dining room as patrons were shown to tables and handed menus. Tesa opened the restaurant to the public once again, having had sufficient time to cool the inside and prepare entrees for the evening diners.

  All seemed back to normal, except there were two new chefs in the kitchen and a nervous work crew hopping under their barking orders. Tesa listened to the exchange between Sean and one sous chef. The man wasn’t moving nearly as fast as Sean wanted and he was adamant that if he wanted to keep his job, he would step up the pace.

  Tesa plated the individual custard tarts and slid the plates onto a waiter’s tray. It was good not to have to worry about the interaction between the chef and the work crew. The twins had begun the shift with a short meeting. Once she introduced them to the workers, she had stepped aside and allowed them to take charge. A smile pulled at her mou
th when Sean began telling the crew what was expected of them.

  The kitchen was a flurry of clanging dishes and shuffling pots and pans. Young waiters with stoic expressions hurriedly retrieved trays and dashed through the swinging portal separating the kitchen from the main dining room.

  The prep cooks worked diligently making ready the ingredients either chef would demand for the completion of a dish. Tesa glanced around, pleased to see such order and dedication. The twins at the two stoves in the back of the room moved as though mechanical, flipping, stirring, adding ingredients to the pots, tucking thick steaks into the oven to finish cooking.

  When the dinner hour was over and activity slowed in the large kitchen, Tesa peeked through the doorway into the dining room. It was pleasing to see the white draped tables filled with diners and to know that business seemed to be as it was before the power outage took over the city. She turned back, intending to thank the staff, but found Sean and Erik staring at her. She made eye contact and walked toward the office at the edge of the room.

  “I can never thank you both enough,” she said once they were all three in the small cubicle.

  “Thanking us is easy,” Sean alleged, touching her breast through the cotton apron. “Sex is payment enough.”

  Tesa laughed and pushed his hand away. “The night isn’t over yet.”

  “Tell us, sweetheart, what do you have in mind? Perhaps we could have sex on the way back to your apartment or in Central Park?” He smiled. “I’ve always dreamed of having sex in Central Park. Do you suppose we could fulfill that dream someday?”

  The thought seemed daring, to say the least. Tesa eyed Sean, wondering about his motives. “Why would you want to have sex in Central Park? There’s police all over the place. What if you got caught?”

  “What if we got caught? I wouldn’t dream of having sex in Central Park without you, darling. It wouldn’t be my fantasy at all.” He reached for her apron again.

  Tesa slapped at his hand, and turned toward the door. “Behave. We still have work to do.” She chuckled and returned to the kitchen. As she entered the room, she was keenly aware of all the inquiring glances she received from the work crew. Uncertainty gripped her insides. Maybe I’m imagining things. She made a mental note to discuss the incident with Sean and Erik once they closed for the evening.

  “It’s none of their business, Tesa. You’re the boss. You can have lovers for chefs if you want to,” Erik remarked, then laughed.

  “He’s right, honey. You own the restaurant and if you want to cook in the buff, you can do it.”

  “Can’t you be serious?” Tesa protested. She unlocked the apartment and stepped inside. “The curious looks in the crew’s eyes just mirrored my wonderings about how society will look at the three of us together.” She turned to the twins, a tear standing in the corner of her eye. “I worry about what everyone will think.”

  “Sweetheart,” Erik said, stroking her cheek. “It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks. It only matters what the three of us think.”

  “He’s right, as usual,” Sean said, chuckling.

  “This is not funny,” Tesa warned, pushing Erik’s hand away.

  “I’m sorry,” Sean replied. “But Erik is right. If the three of us want to be together, then that’s all that matters. If we want to sleep in the same bed and eat out of the same plate, then it’s our decision.” He shrugged. “We’re in charge of our lives, Tesa, not your employees or the rest of the world.”

  It made sense. After all, she was her own boss. If she wanted to do something, she usually did it. She thought of her family back in Colorado. Only her Aunt Claire and Uncle Tom remained. Her mother and father had passed on when she was in college. Was she worried about the rest of the world and how they would react? Or was she merely thinking about her own ability to be with two men?

  Puzzlement clouded her thinking, pulling her brows together. “I guess I’m just being silly, guys.” She forced a laugh. I should be overjoyed that two gorgeous men want me.

  Three for Dinner

  Chapter 13

  “Order up!” Tesa screamed the words as she slid a tray of pastries across the pickup counter. A harried waiter grabbed the tray and dashed across the room. Tesa wiped her forehead with one hand. The kitchen staff had hustled all evening long to keep up with the demand of the patrons. She had not had time to poke her head out the kitchen door and assess the dining room. She had been constantly preparing desserts and sending them out to tables.

  Behind her, she heard Erik and Sean calling for various items to finish their dishes. The rattle of cooking utensils, shuffling feet as the staff rushed to accommodate the two chefs filled the steamy air in the room. Aromas of grilling meats and succulent fish grabbed at the senses. Tesa turned as the oven timer dinged and slid a tray of cheddar cheese biscuits from the rack.

  “Damn! Business is good!” Erik shouted over one shoulder.

  Tesa caught the humor in his tone as she returned to the workstation with the tray of biscuits. She dipped a pastry brush in garlic-flavored olive oil and brushed across the tops of the hot bread. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had not taken time to have her own dinner.

  “There was a message for Erik and Sean.”

  Tesa glanced up to see Janet standing across the table, a note in one hand.

  “I’ll take it,” Tesa answered, accepting the scrap of paper and poking it into her pocket.

  Janet returned to the main dining room and Tesa resumed tending the cheddar biscuits. She didn’t think about the note again until they were home and she was getting undressed.

  “I thought the night was never going to end,” Erik remarked, stripping out of his shirt.

  “Me either,” Sean added. He loosened his belt and slid his zipper down.

  “I forgot,” Tesa apologized, taking the note from her jeans pocket. “There was a message for you both at the restaurant.” She handed the folded paper to Erik and turned to the bathroom. “I get the shower first,” she called over one shoulder.

  “Don’t you need someone to scrub your back?” Erik called.

  “I can manage,” Tesa countered a smile on her face. She was tired and wanted a quick shower to revive her senses before crawling into bed with the men. A shiver of lust snaked up her spine. She was still finding it hard to believe that the twins were there with her, sharing her bed and her life. It seemed almost unreal, but very wonderful.

  Tesa finished her shower and returned to the living room. As she stepped through the doorway, she saw Sean and Erik on the couch. They were talking but paused and looked up, making eye contact. A note of uncertainty raced through her insides. “What’s wrong?”

  Erik smiled and extended one hand. “Sit with us. We have something to tell you.”

  “And something to ask you, sweetheart,” Sean added.

  Tesa sat down between the men, a look of concern on her face.

  “The message we received at the restaurant was from our attorney.”

  Tesa looked from one man to the other, waiting. Oh God, please don’t take them from me.

  “Our only surviving relative passed away last year. I suppose you’ve heard of him. John McGinnis, founder of McGinnis Sports stores.” Erik paused, looking at Tesa.

  Tesa nodded. She had heard of the billionaire. His chain of stores stretched from one coast to the other and into Europe.

  “Uncle John left his estate to me and Sean. The estate has been in probate for the past year.”

  Tesa realized then the reason the men had returned to the States. A note of anger sprang up inside her. She had wanted to believe that they came back because of her, that they couldn’t stand being without her any longer and simply had to find her. That’s not the case. They came back for money.

  “The court has finally reached an agreement and the will is finalized.” Erik paused and dragged in a long breath. “We can either return to the headquarters of McGinnis Sports and run the company, or put everything into the hands of the
CEO and hope for the best.” A short laugh leapt from his throat.

  “I never imagined myself sitting behind a desk and overseeing a company,” Sean said. He wound his arm around Tesa’s shoulders and squeezed her against his side.

  “Would you like to live in California, Tesa?” Erik asked.

  Tesa jerked her head around, staring at Erik with an open mouth. What did he say?

  “Or do you want to remain here, in the Big Apple with the power outages and irate cab drivers and run Caleigh?” Sean added, laughing.

  “I’m not sure I understand,” Tesa began. “Are you both rich now? Do you own McGinnis Sports?”

  “Yes and yes.”

  “Sweetheart, we should have told you before you left Paris, but it gets a little tedious when everybody knows you’re rich. It’s hard to understand whether you’re being catered to because you’re liked, or because you have more money than you can spend in one life time.”

  Tesa’s brows rose. She took each twin’s hand, raised them to her mouth and kissed them. “My darlings, I never thought for one instant that I would want either of you for your money. And I never dreamed that you had two cents to your name. I fell in love with you because of who you are.” She turned to Erik, smiling. “I fell in love with you first, because I didn’t know you had a twin.” She turned to Sean. “And when I learned about you, I was terribly confused.”

  “Another faux pas on our part, sweetest,” Sean said. “We’re sorry.”

  Tesa nodded. “I know. I should have realized something was different from the start. Erik talked too much about his brother and when he told me he loved me, he added that his brother would, too.” She laughed. “He just as well said that he had a twin right then for the very next night, you appeared and pretended to be him.” She combed one hand through her hair. “I couldn’t tell the difference until—” her words broke off and her cheeks flushed. “I couldn’t tell the difference until you reached orgasm, Sean. Your reaction was different from your brother’s.”