**Z’s POV**

I laughed as Violet tried to figure out Ness’s car seat.

“You better not be laughing at me, Baker.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I deadpanned, “Here.” I leaned in and showed her, trying not to laugh again. She definitely was the opposite of domestic, which was fine with me.

I hadn't been sure if Violet should come inside my house with me or not, but she seemed more than comfortable with it for whatever reason. They were friends, so what did I know. Then as Meaghan explained that she had plans and we could stay there if we wanted because she’d be out, I caught the giggle the two shared. When I raised both brows in question, they both waved it off. Okay then….

“What was that?” I had to ask once we were on the road, “You two have personal jokes already?” I snickered, trying to keep it light.
Her sexy lips widened into a naughty smile, “Meaghan’s dating someone.”

To be honest, I was glad I was wearing sunglasses. Not that the information had a negative impact, I was just surprised, “Really? That’s great.” I smiled, “The sooner she moves on, the faster she’ll be more comfortable with us.”

“Exactly,” Violet beamed and almost bounced in her seat. She was in a good mood, which made me feel like I was king of the world that it was because of me. Well, partly anyway. I had to give her a sideways look when I said “us” by itself, and not followed by “fucking.” But she was cucumber cool.

*

I had followed through on a new realtor and spelled out exactly what I wanted, and damn, had he followed through. Not to be sexist, but going with a guy just made more sense. I was baffled that such a place like this existed. They were condos, which I had to admit I didn’t love but realized it would get me the other things I wanted. It was closer to the beach, walking distance to civilization, but still in a very nice neighborhood.

“It’s not, like, all bachelors is it? I do have this little guy to worry about,” I smiled down at Ness, who looked wide-eyed back at me and said that word that I love most--daddy--while pointing out something across the street. Violet was looking around inside, realizing I needed my time with my realtor.

“No, not exactly. The place to your right is, but to your left is a couple without kids, then outside them, you have two families with kids, then it’s pretty random from there. There are even a few single women scattered around,” He tried to say that last part without inference, but I caught the slight smile on his face and had to laugh. It was weird being single again.

“Earmuffs, buddy,” I signaled to Tennessee and he put his hands over his ears before I looked at the other man, “Can you give me some time here? I promise to lock up when we leave, and it’s not like I’m going to screw her in there with my kids around.”
He laughed, nodded, handed me the key, and walked off to his car. I pulled the little hands from his ears and walked back inside.

It was bare, but damn did it have potential. The master bedroom begged to be decked out with my imagination, followed by me fucking her all over it. One of the rooms was obviously meant to be a studio, in my eyes. I tried to see the place without considering Violet, but it was hard. Mostly because I saw her under me in most of the rooms in some position or another as we fucked. Dammit, I needed my mind out of the gutter but she had it planted firmly there. A pool and hot tub out back, set in a beautiful landscape of an expansive, multi-level deck and tall foliage for privacy--had my imagination running wild with late nights out there with her leaning over the edge of that hot tub.

But then there was the room I saw as Tennessee’s. Dammit, I saw her there, too. Putting him to sleep, reading him stories. I rolled my eyes at myself.
I mean, there was a strange comfort in knowing it would often be just him and me, which made for a huge sigh of relief. I knew that's what she wanted, so I tried to remind myself of that. Even if this worked out in something long term, I knew her well enough to know she’d never move in with me, would always want a place of her own. While that for whatever bullshit alpha male reason enraged me, it also made me adore her all the more. She didn’t need me, fuck she didn’t need anyone. She really was my little runaway.

As I watched her standing there, so extremely relaxed and comfortable in her own skin and being here with me, Ness snapped me out of it. He whined in my arms, reaching for her. I know how ya feel, buddy. I grinned, my eyes locking with hers as the Baker boys played her like a fiddle.

“Can you say Violet, buddy?” I walked towards where she stood checking out the huge, empty living room, pointing at her as I asked Ness the question. I laughed when he just put his arms around me, suddenly shy. She had some sort of connection with my son and I couldn’t help but use that to my advantage. Pulling him away so he would look at me, I continued, “What about Vi? That’s easy, right?”

He crawled easily into Violet’s outstretched arms when I offered him to her. Bubbling over, he reached up towards her face, “ViVi!” It came out VeeVee and the look on her face was worth a thousand songs.

Half expecting her to hand him back and storm out of my life, I was ecstatic when her widened eyes softened as she smiled at him, “I’ll take it.” The enamored look in her eyes called to me and I pulled Ness back out of her embrace and set him on the floor. The room was large and empty, so he was fine on his own for a few beats.

Steeling my resolve, I backed her up against a wall and boxed her in with both hands against the wall around her. The fake purple of her eyes shrank as her pupil dilated, her breathing picking up as she tried to figure out my game. Leaning on my hands, I gazed intently down at her, “You trust me to a degree, Violet, you proved that last night. I know you’re not looking for commitment, so what is this?”

***Vi’s POV****

I clutched back at the wall as my breath hitched and my body froze. Was he trying to ruin this? His viridian stare bore down on me. I tried to look away, but it was no use. His eyes were so enigmatic, so endlessly deep, that I easily fell into them as they questioned me.
Zack stepped closer into me so that I had to look farther up into those eyes. He was using his physical control of the situation to his advantage and damn, was it working. Flustered was my middle name as my entire being heated. My eyes finally fell to where Ness crawled around, but as soon as they had, a finger was raising my chin so that I was looking back at Zacky. I swallowed hard. Usually such a turn-on, his confidence in his ability to dominate the room was seriously to my disadvantage right now. Think, Vi! Seriously!

“No drama, baby. Just the truth.” He dropped the act and I immediately relaxed, “People are already calling us girlfriend and boyfriend. Are you alright with that? If not, what am I supposed to say? This is my fuck buddy? Because you are so much more than that, I hope you know that.” He ran a finger down my cheek and now I was melting into the wall, head leaned back against it as I tried to find my bearings. I reached out and pulled his hips up against me, just to have something to hold onto.

“You…” I licked my lips as I tried to make words, “You are definitely more than a great fuck, Zacky. I have to admit I loved it when Ben called you mine. But I’m not really sure what that means, if it doesn’t mean we’re exclusive. I still check the “single” box, I still want you to say you’re not taken, if someone asks. I’d rather not be plastered all over some tabloid as your newest piece of ass...but...I’m okay with acknowledging that you’re special to me, if that’s what you’re asking.”

That Zacky V smirk perked up one side of his face as if to say that’s good enough for me, and he lowered his lips to mine. As I opened my lips to his kiss, my hands traveled up his back. When I pulled away from the kiss, I swore I heard a tiny grunt rumble in the back of his throat. Looking up into his darkening gaze, I wanted to finish my thoughts.

“I realized while you were gone...that I...I accept that part of you, Zacky. The fact that....” That you’ll never love me, even if I fall for you. But I couldn’t say it. He quickly put both hands to my face to silence me from having to say it.

“Thank you.” He quipped, “That means a lot to me, Vi. My admission would send most women running for the hills, but you are so most definitely not most women,” He chuckled and I smirked narcissistically. I pulled him even closer to hint that I wasn’t done. And I made sure the look in my eyes let him know how serious I was about the following.

“Just know that I will have to distance myself sometimes, to keep from falling for you. Can you handle that?”

I could tell he hadn’t seen it coming, because he looked like I had slapped him in the face. His pretty eyes fell for a moment, the hard realization filling their beautiful depths when he looked back at me and only nodded--giving me a sad smile before kissing my cheek.

“C’mon, little guy.” He walked away from me and picked Ness up off the floor, swooping him high in the air, “Lets go home.”

***Z’s POV***

A few nights later Brian and I enjoyed one of our typical late nights out on his deck, Scotch and cigars as per usual. Even Michelle had made a few jokes about how the last few days and nights must’ve gone for me, but I refused to spill any specifics until she’d gone to bed.

“Alright, spill it, Casanova. I haven’t gotten laid in over a couple months, so you’re all I got.”

I grinned wide, “Good thing you’re sitting.”
He raised that brow and chuckled, “That good, huh? Can’t wait to here this. Have anything to do with why you finally shaved your ugly mug?”

“Don’t hate. And yes. But we’ll get to that,” I took my time, sipping my Scotch while he exhaled in frustration, “I wanted to take Brooks’ advice. Ya know, watch her be with someone else and see if I’m okay with it. So I drive over to Ben’s place to ask, turns out she’s already there and they’re already fucking. Or about to. They’d been edging for two and a half hours.”

Syn’s head tilted to the side to make sure he heard me right, blinking in disbelief.
“Fun ensues, and I was in a true-to-form devil’s threesome.”
Brian didn’t move, “Like, you and...Ben...inside her, at the same time??”
“Yep.” I popped the ‘p’ as the smile continued to adorn my face, “I can’t. even. describe. how good it feels.” I sighed heavily, the entire night all I could think about these past few days.
“Yeah? Like how?”

I gave him a look, but relented since I felt bad for the guy, “Well...there’s the tightness. I assume you’ve played with enough toys with Chelle to know a little bit of what I mean--just imagine that but...waaaay more. Then there’s the fact that he was basically rubbing up against me inside her. It’s almost like being stroked with two things at once. I came. so. fucking hard.”

“Damn.”

I laughed when Bri’s curse word came out raspy and broken and kinda pathetic, “Man, you do need to get laid.”
“Fucking tell me about it….so you’re telling me a devil’s threesome is that good, yet none of us had ever done it before?”
I scoffed, “C’mon, dude. I’m sure out of the five of us someone else has been in one.”
“I...wonder if they’re all like that, or if Violet’s special.” He winked, semi-mocking me.
“I bet you if anyone has been in one, it’s Brooks.” I giggled a little, but then my expression got serious when Brian whipped out his phone.

“Let’s ask him.” He started texting and I was really curious where the hell he was going with this. A few minutes later, he put his phone away, “He’s on his way over. Now where were we?” He grinned again, “What did that have to do with shaving your face?” He winked again, “She demanded it before you went down on her?”

I quieted a little. Brian was the only one who had previously known about my little fantasy. Megs knew I liked it to a degree, and therefore I figured the girls knew, which meant the guys knew. But he was the only one who I’d ever admitted the whole truth to.

“Bri...you know the crazy fantasy I admitted to having after that night in New York City?” He didn’t even nod, just slowly looked over at me, brows up in question and mouth a little slack, “After the threesome, I followed her to her place. She goes to her room and comes back with a razor and orders me to shave. I come out of the bathroom after shaving and she’s in this holy shit amazing outfit--and a fucking riding crop.” Brian’s face widened into a huge, naughty grin as I continued, “She had the role down. She had her way with me, I came two more times, and damn--was it fucking incredible.”

Gates smirked and narrowed his eyes over at me. When I caught the look, I gave him a weird one back, “What?”
“You do like getting fucked in the ass. So gay, dude. Just sayin’.”

Used to his ribbing, I shrugged, completely comfortable with what she’d done to me, “Just because I liked it doesn’t have anything to do with whether or not I’m attracted to men. Me thinks thou dost protest too much, Brian,” I tsked and he rolled his eyes, “If you’re that uncomfortable with the idea of other dudes, I guess you wouldn’t be interested in what my girlfriend said about you.”

Syn put up a finger and waved it back and forth, “Nononono, that is just mean. What did she say?!” He looked like a kid in a candy store.
I attempted to remain calm and collected, “I told her how you and I and Chelle used to...experiment.” I took a long drag on the cigar to torture him further, before I turned to face him, “She wants a threesome with us, dude. Like, a real one.”

Brian choked a little on his Scotch, “Violet does? With...me? I mean, us?”
I slapped his back, “If you’re not up for--”
“Dude, I am up for just about anything right now.”
“You’re literally up right now, aren't you?” I deadpanned.
He scoffed and waved me off, trying to hide the fact that he was so blushing, “C’mon, how could I not be with all you just said. And, seriously, like we haven’t all been hard around each other before.”
“Now who’s gay.”

Syn was in the process of attempting a witty comeback when Brooks quietly emerged onto the deck with an empty glass. Sitting across from us at the table, he poured himself a drink as he was handed a cigar. He only drank in private, with us or his wife, so sometimes it still took me a second to get used to.

“What’s up, guys? Brian said you needed some advice on the sex front?”
I slapped a hand to my face, pushing at my best friend’s shoulder as he lost it, “I do not. Jesus.”
Brian tried to get ahold of himself, “Zacky here had a real devil’s threesome. Says it’s fucking awesome. I figured if any of the rest of the guys had done this, it’d be you?”

The blonde looked back and forth between us for a few moments, “You mean...you haven’t? And you hadn’t?”
“Uh, no!” Syn gestured wildly.
“I guess I just figured. You know the reps you guys had,” He once again glanced at each of us, “So…??”
Syn scoffed a laugh, “Is it really that great, or is Violet that special? Or maybe Ben is.” He further taunted me.
“You had a threesome with Vi and Ben? Nice.” Brooks nodded approvingly, enjoying his cigar, “And yeah, it’s fucking amazing. You should try it.”

Brian laughed nervously from where he’d put his head in his folded arms on the table and mumbled, “Apparently I might have a chance.”
The drummer cocked a brow at the lead guitarist before he looked over at me. I let the question hang in the air so that Syn would have to answer. He finally raised his head and sighed, “According to Zack...Vi wants one, with...us.”

Wackerman chortled, trying not to spit out his drink, “You think Chelle will let you?”
Brian’s eyes rolled back in his head, “God, I hope so. I haven’t been with anyone new in like, a couple years. And I need some pussy, like, bad. Jerking off sucks.”
We both doubled over with laughter at his misery.

“So she’s apparently still totally into you after everything, huh?” Brooks finally calmed and changed subjects, “I mean, if she’s giving you threesomes, things have gotta be pretty serious--”
Syn snapped a finger, “She’s giving him more than--”
I reached over and ball-tapped him to shut him up. He leaned his head over on the table, “So not cool, man…”

I turned back to the drummer, “Yeah, um, she claims she’s cool with it--and if that night was any indication…” I gave a low whistle and raised both brows.
“Yeah?” He smiled sideways, shaking his head, “So you took my advice and it turned into that? She sounds fun.” Brooks wagged his eyebrows--at Brian, who shifted uncomfortably.

Man, I loved hanging out with them. While I would always give anything in the universe to have Jimmy back, I was glad that out of any other drummer in this world--we got Brooks. He added something intangible that eventually had felt like the piece to a missing puzzle--a heartbroken, frayed at the edges, puzzle.

I hadn’t always felt that way, though.

***

Notes

So they...kind of admitted...some things?? Haha.

Love, love, love to hear from you guys!! Thanks for reading!!

So...MORE threesomes? Yes, please! Will Chelle let him, though??

Thanks again to Larisa for helping me out a little with this chapter! Hope you liked the kid stuff ; )