Free Leaf, Erin M. - Tango Trio [Dream Marked 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Erin M. Leaf Page A

ever dream about Jared before? I mean, before the bond?” She thought about Jared, how she had the same dream over and over again for weeks. She didn’t realize it before in the chaotic heat of the bonding, but Jared had already been a part of her, long before they actually met. And Parker was her best friend. She didn’t have to get to know him at all. She already knew him inside and out. He was six years younger than she was, sure, which made her hesitate, but the real difficulty was realizing she suddenly wanted to fuck him until they both collapsed. She wasn’t used to wanting anything that bad. After her husband died, she felt numb for a long time, but she was ready to wake up again. Parker fidgeted, looking out the back window. Tessa frowned. Hmm. He’s hiding something.
    “You’re right. I am hiding something,” he said, still staring outside. He swiveled his head, and Tessa almost flinched at the look on his face. Love? Fear? Maybe both? She forced herself to pay attention as he explained further. “Or rather, I was hiding something. I dreamed about Jared, every single night for weeks. I was scared. I knew that people who bonded often dreamed about their mates beforehand, and I didn’t want to be tied to a stranger. To another man. I wanted you, Tessa. I’ve loved you forever. And I’m not homophobic, but it was weird to suddenly be dreaming about a guy. That’s never happened to me before. I fought it.” Parker shook his head. “Then, last night, I dreamed about you, too. You were in my dream along with Jared, and suddenly I knew, but I didn’t understand. Not really.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I hoped that I was going to be able to have you, too, but I don’t think I truly believed it until we met Jared. That changed everything.”
    Tessa felt tears pricking. “Why didn’t you say anything?” She remembered how scarce he’d been the last few months. He didn’t return her calls as quickly as he used to. Their visits dropped down to once a week, then once every two weeks. “I would’ve understood. Hell, I was dreaming about Jared, too! Maybe if you’d told me we could’ve figured this out sooner!” Tessa wanted to scream at the lost time.
    “I don’t think it’s that easy, Tessa,” Jared interrupted, his voice soft. “I was dreaming about both of you for a while, but I don’t think we would’ve really recognized each other until today. At first I didn’t see either of your faces in the dreams. I didn’t know your names until last night.” He sighed, rubbing his fingers over his bonding mark. “I knew how you smelled, though.” He smiled. “Imagine how ridiculous that would’ve been, me trying to hunt the two of you down by smelling everyone I met.”
    Despite her frustration, Tessa couldn’t help but smile. She imagined Jared sniffing strangers on the street. “But Parker and I knew each other already.”
    “I think that’s why you dreamed about me.” Jared looked at Parker, who nodded. “You needed to get to know me. You already knew Parker and vice versa. That’s why Parker dreamed about me. And it’s why I dreamed about both of you. I didn’t know either of you.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “And were you really ready to accept Parker as a lover? In some ways, it was a struggle for you to think of him like that, even with the bonding.”
    Tessa bit her lip then sighed. “You’re right. That makes sense. I just wish it had been sooner. Or easier. Or something. I didn’t even know trio-bonding was possible.”
    “Neither did I.” Parker stood up and started pacing. “I mean, I’d heard about Duncan Green, so I knew who he was when you mentioned him before. But I didn’t think about it. It wasn’t part of my life.”
    Tessa sighed. “It is now.”
    Parker stopped in front of her. “It shouldn’t be any different from any other bonding, except we’ve got three people in it instead of two.”
    Jared slipped up behind