Oliver by Caitlyn Willows Read Free Book Online Page B

in. The bedside clock was the only thing that gave it away. That, and Oliver’s internal alarm.
    He crept from bed and made his way downstairs for coffee. He loved to see the world come to life each morning. One of the perks of having a home bordering an oasis canyon was the abundance of wildlife. Maybe the ritual would give him the peace he sorely needed to help him through this day. Mistakes weren’t an option, and he’d already made more than his fair share with these two.
    Sleep hadn’t come easily to Oliver. How could he expect Lucas and Merideth to obey his rules when he didn’t? He hadn’t taken anyone into his bedroom in years, yet there they were, feeling better beside him than anything should. Heartbreak was right around the corner. Oliver could see it coming and couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it. This time he’d only have himself to blame for letting them stay in the first place.
    And still he couldn’t order them out. Also couldn’t force himself to leave the bed permanently last night either. He’d tried too, wandering about his huge, empty house, checking his e-mail, watching TV, cleaning out the fridge while he planned meals in advance. Each time, the lure of having them next to him called him back. Each time, he’d fought an audible sigh of pleasure when he’d crawled under the covers with them. Each time, he’d wanted to wake them both up and have wild, crazy sex with them.
    Just like he did right now.
    He squeezed his cock into submission—a futile gesture. The thing had a mind of its own and was more determined than ever to have its way. He should have opted for tight jeans rather than coming downstairs dressed in the loose khaki shorts. Heading back to the bedroom to change wasn’t going to help. It’d only draw him further in. He needed distance, perspective. Coffee.
    A fresh-perked pot awaited him. He grabbed a cup and walked outside to his favorite chaise to watch the morning. The cushion welcomed him with a sigh. It reminded him too much of Merideth when they’d filled her. How content she’d sounded.
    The ache in his balls doubled. He willed Merideth to come down and take care of his problem, then cheered silently when he heard the patio door open behind him, only to discover it was Lucas.
    “You’re up early.” Lucas took the chaise next to him. He’d helped himself to the coffee and was dressed in jeans and flip-flops.
    “Always am. And you?”
    “I blame New York time. I saw you were gone and presumed there was coffee.” He hoisted his mug in mock toast. “There was. Glad to see some things never change.”
    But some things did. Some for the better, some for the worse. Richer, poorer. Sickness, health . Oliver shook the rambling thought from his head. He braced himself for a barrage of chatter and nervous energy from Lucas. It never came. Lucas seemed as content as Oliver to watch hummingbirds dashing between the bottlebrush trees and bougainvillea, lizards warming themselves in the growing pools of sunshine, and the twitter of birds waking to morning. They were on their second cup of coffee, noshing on a shared fruit bowl, when Lucas finally broke the silence.
    “Regret’s a hard thing to live with.”
    The words jolted Oliver. He’d started another conversation mere days ago with those same words, and he’d been referring to Merideth and Lucas at the time. “Yes, it is.” He could write a book about the subject.
    “But it was nothing compared to the guilt of having failed her.” Lucas snorted lightly. “Or maybe it was double agony, because regret and guilt were so intrinsically woven together. But none of that could compare with how I felt when I saw those scars on her back. It crushed my heart, making all the regret and guilt before pale in comparison. Had I not failed her, had I made a stand and insisted we stay with you, work things out…”
    He pinched the bridge of his nose. The emotion was more than Oliver could take. It cut through the years and made