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The Three of Us #1
Just the Three of Us: An Erotic Romantic Comedy for the Commitment-Challenged
Meet Kathy, a thirty-seven-year-old drifter who’s constantly on the move: to new towns, new jobs, and new relationships. Imagine her surprise when she’s befriended by lifelong friends Sam and Ted, attractive young men who, though ten years her junior, are far more settled than she thinks she’ll ever be. Cheer them on as their three-way friendship succumbs to passion, then passion to romance, and romance to… well, surely it couldn’t be love. Could it?
With a Heat Level of 4+, dialogue that will make you laugh out loud, and a plot to tickle your most sentimental of spots, Just the Three of Us promises an entertaining read for fans of romance looking for a unique take on love and sexuality.
Excerpt:
Ted lay beside me, his hand resting on my hip, seeming perfectly at ease. His fingers took a few tentative steps down my thighs and warmth flooded into them. I guess it showed because he smiled meaningfully at me. I smiled back, my knees parting subtly in welcoming expectation.
I heard heavy breathing in my other ear. I turned and saw that Sam was hyperventilating.
“Are you all right?” I said, stroking my fingers against his chest.
“Are we going to…?” he choked. “We are, aren’t we?"
“We don’t have to,” I said uncertainly.
“We don’t?”
I put on my bravest face and tried to swallow my eagerness. I felt Ted’s fingers pressing into my thigh and disappointment overcame me again. I forced it down. We were friends first, after all. Even if I could pressure him into this, I wouldn’t.
“Not if you don’t want to,” I assured him.
He swallowed and gazed thoughtfully into my eyes. Behind my back, Ted remained silent.
“But you want to, don’t you?”
I shrugged away my ardor with effort. “It’s not all about me,” I said.
I saw him glance over my shoulder and knew that he was looking at Ted.
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he mumbled. “I’m just… I’m just not sure I’m ready.”
Ted laughed loudly behind my back, breaking the tension. I swiveled towards him, startled.
“This is all you’ve talked about all week!” he roared, rolling his body into mine.
“What?!” I said, turning back to look at Sam. He was grinning rather sheepishly.
“Night and day,” Ted confirmed, his hand abandoning my thigh and circling my waist instead. “How he absolutely couldn’t wait one more minute and couldn’t we get you to come over sooner and did I think you’d really go through with it.”
“Well, I…” Sam protested feebly, his cheeks coloring as he lapsed again into that sheepish grin.
“So the truth comes out!” I laughed.
“Hey, it’s totally different now that you’re actually here! I still can’t believe…”
“Believe it, buddy!” I interrupted and he gaped at me, surprised by my sudden change in tone. “Now get your butt over here before I lose my temper. It’s not polite to keep a woman waiting.”
“Yes, ma’am!” he said, sliding into me with the force of a mudslide. “Miss!” he hurriedly corrected himself.
“That’s better! Now by the time I count ten, I expect to be in bed with two very handsome and very naked young men. No more dilly-dallying!” I threatened, wagging my finger at them. “One…”
Abruptly they both jerked away from me, and I rolled onto my backside and watched as polo shirts and boxers went flying across the room like kites snapping in a spring breeze.
“Eight,” I breathed, but they were already done. They rolled sideways against me and then snuggled up close to each side of me, their cheeks pink with excitement. I sensed the weight of their bodies pushing against me from my chest to my legs; felt the sweat forming where their skin was pressed against mine. And into each of my hips poked something hard but soft; deliciously promising and hopelessly decadent, and I gulped, uncertain whether to savor the sensation or run away from it.
Maybe I, too, had the tiniest of doubts about this.
With a Heat Level of 4+, dialogue that will make you laugh out loud, and a plot to tickle your most sentimental of spots, Just the Three of Us promises an entertaining read for fans of romance looking for a unique take on love and sexuality.
Excerpt:
Ted lay beside me, his hand resting on my hip, seeming perfectly at ease. His fingers took a few tentative steps down my thighs and warmth flooded into them. I guess it showed because he smiled meaningfully at me. I smiled back, my knees parting subtly in welcoming expectation.
I heard heavy breathing in my other ear. I turned and saw that Sam was hyperventilating.
“Are you all right?” I said, stroking my fingers against his chest.
“Are we going to…?” he choked. “We are, aren’t we?"
“We don’t have to,” I said uncertainly.
“We don’t?”
I put on my bravest face and tried to swallow my eagerness. I felt Ted’s fingers pressing into my thigh and disappointment overcame me again. I forced it down. We were friends first, after all. Even if I could pressure him into this, I wouldn’t.
“Not if you don’t want to,” I assured him.
He swallowed and gazed thoughtfully into my eyes. Behind my back, Ted remained silent.
“But you want to, don’t you?”
I shrugged away my ardor with effort. “It’s not all about me,” I said.
I saw him glance over my shoulder and knew that he was looking at Ted.
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he mumbled. “I’m just… I’m just not sure I’m ready.”
Ted laughed loudly behind my back, breaking the tension. I swiveled towards him, startled.
“This is all you’ve talked about all week!” he roared, rolling his body into mine.
“What?!” I said, turning back to look at Sam. He was grinning rather sheepishly.
“Night and day,” Ted confirmed, his hand abandoning my thigh and circling my waist instead. “How he absolutely couldn’t wait one more minute and couldn’t we get you to come over sooner and did I think you’d really go through with it.”
“Well, I…” Sam protested feebly, his cheeks coloring as he lapsed again into that sheepish grin.
“So the truth comes out!” I laughed.
“Hey, it’s totally different now that you’re actually here! I still can’t believe…”
“Believe it, buddy!” I interrupted and he gaped at me, surprised by my sudden change in tone. “Now get your butt over here before I lose my temper. It’s not polite to keep a woman waiting.”
“Yes, ma’am!” he said, sliding into me with the force of a mudslide. “Miss!” he hurriedly corrected himself.
“That’s better! Now by the time I count ten, I expect to be in bed with two very handsome and very naked young men. No more dilly-dallying!” I threatened, wagging my finger at them. “One…”
Abruptly they both jerked away from me, and I rolled onto my backside and watched as polo shirts and boxers went flying across the room like kites snapping in a spring breeze.
“Eight,” I breathed, but they were already done. They rolled sideways against me and then snuggled up close to each side of me, their cheeks pink with excitement. I sensed the weight of their bodies pushing against me from my chest to my legs; felt the sweat forming where their skin was pressed against mine. And into each of my hips poked something hard but soft; deliciously promising and hopelessly decadent, and I gulped, uncertain whether to savor the sensation or run away from it.
Maybe I, too, had the tiniest of doubts about this.
200 pages, Paperback
First published February 9, 2015
97 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
About the author
Lori Schafer
65 books136 followersWhen I was in the seventh grade, my English teacher assigned us a creative writing project for Halloween. We were to compose short stories, which we would then read aloud before the class, coupled with a competition of sorts in which the students would vote on who had written the best one.
Now in my pre-teen years, I was not what you would term the most popular kid in school. Perhaps it was those horrible "Student-of-the-Month" photos of me hanging in the main hallway, which they somehow always managed to take right after gym when my hair was flying every which way, or perhaps it was the oxford shirts and corduroy trousers in which my mother dressed me because I refused to participate in ridiculous wastes of time like school-clothes shopping. It certainly didn't help that in addition to being smart and studious, I was also very, very shy, which led many to believe that I was stuck-up. I suppose if you're naturally adept at making conversation, it's difficult to understand that other kids might not be.
You can therefore easily picture the scene in the classroom that day: the anxious adolescent girl slouched in her seat, sweat drenching the armpits of her button-up shirt as she watched the clock, fervently hoping that time would run out before her turn came. You can imagine my nervousness when, five minutes before the bell, my teacher called me to the front of the class, the last reader to go; my terror as I stumbled up to her desk clutching the half-sheets of paper on which I'd scrawled my assignment. As usual, I had pushed the limits on the suggested length - my story was at least twice as long as anyone else's - and the only saving grace of this enforced public humiliation, I thought, was that I would undoubtedly run out of time to finish it before the lunch bell rang.
Tucking my loose hair back behind my ears and focusing my eyes firmly on my papers, I began to read. It turned out that reading wasn't so bad; unlike giving an oral report, you didn't actually have to look at any of the other students. And it was a decent story, I reflected as I flipped through the pages, concentrating hard on not losing my place. At least my classmates were sitting silently, which made them easier to ignore.
At last I reached the climax of my tale, which was where it turned gruesome. The main character had gotten trapped in a fire, and I remember describing, in disgusting detail, the sizzle of the hairs frying on his arms as the hot flames neared. I remember describing the flames devouring his flesh, great flaps of it falling from his skeleton as his skin seared away. And I remember the silence of the classroom; I remember it breaking, the moans and groans that swelled all around me as I depicted my main character's excruciating demise, only to be interrupted by the harsh clanging of the bell.
No one stirred; no one rose; no one left. I glanced at my teacher, who nodded. The other students sat rapt while I finished my story, and they applauded when I was done. There was no question that I had won the contest.
I was pleased that my story had gone over well, of course, but it wasn't until the following week, when other kids were still coming up to talk to me about it, that I understood that I had somehow made an impression that went beyond my gruesome, graphic horror story. It was as if I had revealed that somewhere beneath that classic nerdy exterior was a real honest-to-goodness person, a kid who thought about things like destruction and death, and flames eating flesh, and how best to describe such horrific events.
I never wrote horror again - I suppose it just wasn't my thing - and I've never made much of Halloween, either. I've never liked the pressure of having to pick out a costume and then explain why I chose it; I've never even understood the appeal of dressing up and playing pretend. I have other ways of exploring my darker sides. Nowadays you won't find me in a starched, striped shirt, or in old-fashioned slacks, b
Now in my pre-teen years, I was not what you would term the most popular kid in school. Perhaps it was those horrible "Student-of-the-Month" photos of me hanging in the main hallway, which they somehow always managed to take right after gym when my hair was flying every which way, or perhaps it was the oxford shirts and corduroy trousers in which my mother dressed me because I refused to participate in ridiculous wastes of time like school-clothes shopping. It certainly didn't help that in addition to being smart and studious, I was also very, very shy, which led many to believe that I was stuck-up. I suppose if you're naturally adept at making conversation, it's difficult to understand that other kids might not be.
You can therefore easily picture the scene in the classroom that day: the anxious adolescent girl slouched in her seat, sweat drenching the armpits of her button-up shirt as she watched the clock, fervently hoping that time would run out before her turn came. You can imagine my nervousness when, five minutes before the bell, my teacher called me to the front of the class, the last reader to go; my terror as I stumbled up to her desk clutching the half-sheets of paper on which I'd scrawled my assignment. As usual, I had pushed the limits on the suggested length - my story was at least twice as long as anyone else's - and the only saving grace of this enforced public humiliation, I thought, was that I would undoubtedly run out of time to finish it before the lunch bell rang.
Tucking my loose hair back behind my ears and focusing my eyes firmly on my papers, I began to read. It turned out that reading wasn't so bad; unlike giving an oral report, you didn't actually have to look at any of the other students. And it was a decent story, I reflected as I flipped through the pages, concentrating hard on not losing my place. At least my classmates were sitting silently, which made them easier to ignore.
At last I reached the climax of my tale, which was where it turned gruesome. The main character had gotten trapped in a fire, and I remember describing, in disgusting detail, the sizzle of the hairs frying on his arms as the hot flames neared. I remember describing the flames devouring his flesh, great flaps of it falling from his skeleton as his skin seared away. And I remember the silence of the classroom; I remember it breaking, the moans and groans that swelled all around me as I depicted my main character's excruciating demise, only to be interrupted by the harsh clanging of the bell.
No one stirred; no one rose; no one left. I glanced at my teacher, who nodded. The other students sat rapt while I finished my story, and they applauded when I was done. There was no question that I had won the contest.
I was pleased that my story had gone over well, of course, but it wasn't until the following week, when other kids were still coming up to talk to me about it, that I understood that I had somehow made an impression that went beyond my gruesome, graphic horror story. It was as if I had revealed that somewhere beneath that classic nerdy exterior was a real honest-to-goodness person, a kid who thought about things like destruction and death, and flames eating flesh, and how best to describe such horrific events.
I never wrote horror again - I suppose it just wasn't my thing - and I've never made much of Halloween, either. I've never liked the pressure of having to pick out a costume and then explain why I chose it; I've never even understood the appeal of dressing up and playing pretend. I have other ways of exploring my darker sides. Nowadays you won't find me in a starched, striped shirt, or in old-fashioned slacks, b
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 12, 2015
A sweet, funny, romantic, and incredibly sexy love story that tells how Kathy, a commitment-phobic gal who keeps moving around the country to avoid entangling relationships, suddenly finds herself seduced by two best friends who want nothing more than to share her in every way possible.
Having on-going sex with two guys at the same time (literally) offers lots of erotic possibilities, and author Lori Schaffer isn’t shy about detailing the pleasures and postures of a threesome that lasts for years. There isn’t much Kathy isn't willing to try or that our generous author isn’t willing to describe in juicy detail. The guys, Ted and Sam, may be a little over-romanticized… a touch more caring, generous, and non-judgmental than seems possible for any male of our species... let alone for two of them as a pair. But it does give Kathy the opportunity to be in charge and pretty much demand whatever fun and games her creative mind can dream up.
The problem of course is that... . Anyway, here's a work very well suited to fans of explicit erotica.
June 5, 2015
I couldn't put it down. I got my copy yesterday and read it from cover to cover. This story follows the natural progression of Kathy, Sam and Ted. Sam and Ted have been friends since childhood. Kathy is the new girl in town who is afraid of commitment. Whenever there is a chance for something permanent, she packs up and moves on. Can she stick around or will she pack up again? This is not just erotica without any rhyme or reason. You follow these three over years, not just "one hot night." The characters grow, and learn and change. They are friends first and foremost, so if you aren't interested in the thoughts, fears, and feelings that go into three people sharing their lives this will not be the book for you. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2015
3.5 stars for this threesome
Lots of sex, two guys, one mature woman, and a story for trying to make the relationship work. A lack of secondary characters with a secondary storyline kept this from being interesting to me. It seemed a bit limited in scope. It's a three some that evolves from an attraction and then takes over. Romance, sex, comedy, some drama.
Lots of sex, two guys, one mature woman, and a story for trying to make the relationship work. A lack of secondary characters with a secondary storyline kept this from being interesting to me. It seemed a bit limited in scope. It's a three some that evolves from an attraction and then takes over. Romance, sex, comedy, some drama.
November 15, 2017
Look, I did not enjoy this book. By the end of it I was so frustrated that I wanted to give it a 1 star rating. I decided to give it 2 stars, at least for now, because: 1) this book did provide a poly relationship, which I wanted to read about, and it was nice that it grew out of a friendship; 2) when communication did happen, then at times it was actually done well; 3) there were at least a few funny moments. Also, although I was bored by so much of the story revolving around sex, well, this book is shelved as an erotica, and I must rate it for what it is. So, as an erotica, I don't think the sex scenes got repetitive, although some of it was questionable, but I will refrain from getting into that.
In general, at some point it felt to me that all that the characters did in this book was have sex, think about having sex, or drink beer. I know it's not true, but everything else they did was drowned out by the woman thinking how horny she was or them having sex shortly afterwards or before, or before and after whatever else was happening.
Also, a lot of the non-sexual action that 'happened' was not shown. It was only later on that it casually got mentioned that they e.g. had been going grocery shopping as a group. I felt like that happened a lot, the book randomly told stuff that it wanted the reader to believe without actually giving any basis for it or putting in any work to show it (e.g. at the end of the book the woman claims she has been thinking about writing a book for a while and will now write one without having shown any interest in writing at all throughout the book. It could have been easy to drop hints about her interest when they discussed her jobs or at any point, really, as the book was written from her POV).
I also found it weird that at one point when the woman wanted to be submissive in bed, she "loathed to admit it" because of the "feminist in" her, while I would have thought that the actual problem lay not in her wanting to be dominated, but her accepting the two men making all kinds of decisions involving the three of them without her. At times it made sense that the guys would talk things through by themselves and then present the idea to the woman, but then there was, for an example, one instance when they were all in bed and guy1 told guy2 that he could go first, so guy2 was oh so thankful that guy1 let him go first, because it meant a lot to him, and then they shook hands over it while the woman just lay there left out of the decision-making completely.
That wasn't the only instance when the guys acted like the woman was just a toy for them to share, not that the woman was ever upset about it. And, to be honest, she didn't act much better. The men were there to fill her sexual needs. They all fit together real nice. The men were extremely thoughtful at times cartoonish bobbleheads in touch with the woman more than she was and she was a sexually insatiable drifter who got spoiled by her "boys". And they lived happily ever after. The end.
In general, at some point it felt to me that all that the characters did in this book was have sex, think about having sex, or drink beer. I know it's not true, but everything else they did was drowned out by the woman thinking how horny she was or them having sex shortly afterwards or before, or before and after whatever else was happening.
Also, a lot of the non-sexual action that 'happened' was not shown. It was only later on that it casually got mentioned that they e.g. had been going grocery shopping as a group. I felt like that happened a lot, the book randomly told stuff that it wanted the reader to believe without actually giving any basis for it or putting in any work to show it (e.g. at the end of the book the woman claims she has been thinking about writing a book for a while and will now write one without having shown any interest in writing at all throughout the book. It could have been easy to drop hints about her interest when they discussed her jobs or at any point, really, as the book was written from her POV).
I also found it weird that at one point when the woman wanted to be submissive in bed, she "loathed to admit it" because of the "feminist in" her, while I would have thought that the actual problem lay not in her wanting to be dominated, but her accepting the two men making all kinds of decisions involving the three of them without her. At times it made sense that the guys would talk things through by themselves and then present the idea to the woman, but then there was, for an example, one instance when they were all in bed and guy1 told guy2 that he could go first, so guy2 was oh so thankful that guy1 let him go first, because it meant a lot to him, and then they shook hands over it while the woman just lay there left out of the decision-making completely.
That wasn't the only instance when the guys acted like the woman was just a toy for them to share, not that the woman was ever upset about it. And, to be honest, she didn't act much better. The men were there to fill her sexual needs. They all fit together real nice. The men were extremely thoughtful at times cartoonish bobbleheads in touch with the woman more than she was and she was a sexually insatiable drifter who got spoiled by her "boys". And they lived happily ever after. The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2017
This is a love story! I am giving this book five stars because it, in my opinion, is pretty groundbreaking. Even though it does not contain the word polyamory in it, it is definitely a poly book. This is the first contemporary fiction poly book that I have read that's targeted to an adult audience.
Gracie X's wonderful memoir is still my favorite poly book, but it is a memoir. Love You Two by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli is also wonderful, but it is young adult. Schafer wrote this contemporary fiction novel that tells a story about how a non-binary relationship can evolve and be healthy in a way that suits the people in it.
Thank you Lori Schafer for writing a wonderful and sexy book that is not just about the sex. I enjoyed this love story very much. I know from personal experience that consensual non-binary relationships can be wonderful and fulfilling. More stories like this need to be told.
Gracie X's wonderful memoir is still my favorite poly book, but it is a memoir. Love You Two by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli is also wonderful, but it is young adult. Schafer wrote this contemporary fiction novel that tells a story about how a non-binary relationship can evolve and be healthy in a way that suits the people in it.
Thank you Lori Schafer for writing a wonderful and sexy book that is not just about the sex. I enjoyed this love story very much. I know from personal experience that consensual non-binary relationships can be wonderful and fulfilling. More stories like this need to be told.
September 4, 2017
A good (and sexy) adult story about three people, two best male friends and their close female friend who evolve into a non-dyadic relationship that works for everyone involved. It explores not just their relationships with one another, but also how they manage that in a culture biased toward couplehood. This book deals with this in a lighthearted (and did I say sexy) way. It's a quick and easy read.
October 24, 2018
The funniest book ever.
This book was straight up hilarious. It didn't candy coat things (anal sex ). I was beginning to think that I was the only person on earth that climbed the head board the only time I tried it.. I loved this book I'm even telling my non romance reader friends about it.
This book was straight up hilarious. It didn't candy coat things (anal sex ). I was beginning to think that I was the only person on earth that climbed the head board the only time I tried it.. I loved this book I'm even telling my non romance reader friends about it.
February 14, 2017
In my search for representations of polyamory in fiction, I seem to have found myself in the erotic romance section. This book is really mostly sex. It's fairly well written sex, that takes place in the context of a fairly healthy poly relationship, but the plot is pretty flat. There's a lot more telling than showing in the character development department. I got kind of bored and somewhat skimmed the second half. So yeah, erotic fluff.
July 26, 2015
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I just don't know what to make of this book. An older woman meets two good friends and ends up with a hearty threesome. Interesting concept but I just couldn't get into the story line. The writing was good and I have to wonder if the story line was different if I would have enjoyed it more even though this has got to be a major fantasy for some.
July 30, 2015
I really am not into these types of books but it is free so I read it. I am more of a mystery, thriller and history kind of guy.
August 14, 2016
This book was a delightful adventure all the way though. I'm digging into the sequel now and ready for more!
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews