by Krista Wolf
“MMMmmmPPPhhhh…”
I came hard, screaming into Brody’s outstretched hand. Grinding myself against the other hand Corey had pinned between my thighs, using it as a scratching post to satisfy that ultimate, most glorious itch.
The constant vibration made everything more intense, my contractions that much more powerful. I could feel the beads shifting again, as I bit down on Brody’s hand. I slammed the table with one of my palms, causing a fork to clatter loudly against one of the plates.
If anyone else in the place noticed, no one said a word. I continued writhing against Corey’s outstretched hand for another full minute or so, enjoying the aftershocks as they lapped deliciously against my brain. Then I melted limply backwards, looking as if I’d been poured into my seat.
A button clicked. The beads stopped. I felt so incredibly warm and numb down there, but also wholly and completely sated.
“Still hungry?” Brody smirked.
Corey slid away, disappearing back in the direction of the restrooms. By the time he returned, rinsed and refreshed, Brody and I were already halfway through a platter of crunchy, lemony calamari.
We dug in. The food was mostly Italian, with a smattering of traditional American thrown in. Everything was light and flavorful. Salads and antipasto, in a savory blend of oils, dressings, and spices.
For a while we ate, we drank, we made small talk — about nothing in particular. The food was amazing. The company, even better. And it was still early, too. We could do anything. Everything.
Just as it was with New York, the lights never went out in Vegas…
And there it is.
I tried my best not to frown, but tomorrow’s return flight to New York still loomed in the back of my mind. I looked to Corey, laughing into his glass. Over at Brody, smiling so happily he looked like a kid on Christmas. I suddenly wondered if they’d miss me. How much of a lingering impact I’d still have on them, in the weeks and months after I’d gone home.
“So what do you really think of this place?” Corey asked again, this time more seriously.
“The food?” I asked.
“No, the ambiance. The location. The place overall.”
“Why?” I smiled. “You in the market for a restaurant, or—”
The two of them shot each other a quick glance Their look said everything.
“Oh shit, really?”
Brody shrugged and nodded. “Maybe,” he allowed. “Floyd wants out. He’s told us so. Taking the place over from him was something we’ve discussed. Something we’ve saved for, only—”
“Only we can’t decide,” Corey jumped in. “This place is dead right now,” he went on, “but mostly because it’s outdated. It’s entirely off the social media map. But the building itself has charm. Good bones. There are lots of things we could do with it.”
They were looking at me earnestly now, eager for my opinion. Possibly because I was a promoter, a publicist. Back in New York, I dealt with places just like this. But partly, I knew, because they respected my opinion.
I opened my mouth to speak. To tell them what I thought of their potential venture.
“YOOOOOOOO!”
And that’s when another man slid into our booth, so hard and fast he practically collided with Brody.
Twenty-Six
LAUREN
The new stranger was extremely tall and fanatically good-looking. He had handsome, model-like features. Gorgeous blue eyes, framed by magnificently arched eyebrows that gave him a distinctly devilish, bad-boy look.
And his hair…
His hair was jet black and incredibly thick, all gelled and spiked in many different directions. It was made to look randomly ‘tousled’, though I could tell his hairstyle had been carefully constructed and painstakingly manufactured in front of a mirror each morning, no matter what he said to the contrary.
“MASON!”
My two lovers jumped up and clasped the man on the back, ten times harder than they had with Floyd. He hugged them just as hard in return, finishing with Corey before his eyes crawled their way over me from head to toe.
I could feel him judging me. Sizing me up…
“Hi, I’m Mason,” he smiled, leaning past Brody to address me directly. He extended a hand that was strong and attractive and deliciously tan. “And you are?”
“Lauren,” I smiled back, taking it. His skin was soft. Flawless, even.
“My friends are piss-poor at introductions,” he apologized. “Good at other things, but when it comes to—”
Brody elbowed him back playfully. “Some things never change,” he said. “You’ve been here thirty seconds, and already you’re trying to steal our girl!”
“Our girl?” Mason arched an eyebrow.
“When’d you get in?” asked Corey. “You weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow.”
“Even better, how the hell did you find us?” asked Brody.
Mason reached out and casually plucked an olive from one of the trays in front of us. “Remember when you shared your location with me, so I could find that party?” He popped it into his mouth as the others nodded. “Well there you go.”
Brody was shaking his head in disbelief. Corey was looking around for a waitress, to order more drinks.
“Sorry,” said Mason, looking back at the three of us. “I didn’t mean to crash your date… uh… party, or—”
“I’ve seen you before…”
The words just slipped from my mouth. I was squinting at him hard, my brows crossed. As if that would somehow help me remember where—
“Wait, I know! You were in The Covenant!” I gasped, snapping my fingers.
Mason’s face broke into a charming smile. He nodded.
“I loved that show!”
“If only there were more people like you,” he sighed wistfully. “It got canceled after six episodes.”
My smile of triumph faded. “Oh. Sorry!”
“It’s okay,” he replied, still grinning. “You can still know me from a half dozen different car commercials, and one for tortilla chips.”
“SPICYYYYY!” Corey laughed, singing the tagline. Suddenly I remembered that too. It was a popular brand. They were popular commercials.
“That’s you?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah,” he admitted. His smile was more wan now, but still handsome, just as charming. “That’s me.”
“I think the girls stocked my suite with some of those chips,” I said, struggling to think. “I should have you sign ‘SPICYYYYY’ on a bag, before I leave.”
Mason cleared his throat. “Girls?”
“Five of them,” said Corey.
“Forget it,” laughed Brody. “They’ve already flown home.”
“All of them?”
“Half of them were married anyway,” I said. “Although you probably would’ve liked Bella. She’s the wild one.”
Mason sighed, pretending to be heartbroken. “I do like me some wild girls,” he admitted.
“Don’t we all,” said Corey, playfully nudging my leg.
“You still haven’t told us why you’re here early,” Brody pointed out. “Did we get the date wrong? I thought we said—”
“No no,” said Mason. “Date’s right. I’m just a day early.” He shrugged. “They canceled my latest audition. No explanation.”
“Sorry, man.”
“It’s all good,” Mason smiled. “It was a stupid part anyway. My agent said I should be glad I didn’t get it.”
The table went silent for a moment, and awkwardly too. In a snap decision I raised my glass high, holding it up over the middle of the table.
“Fuck that part,” I toasted.
The guys laughed out loud. Mason laughed harder. He nodded appreciatively my way, his smile so charming it melted my heart as they raised their own glasses and toasted with me.
“So what are you guys all doing tomorrow,” I asked, after we’d set our drinks down.
The three of them stared at me, and I real
ized how it must’ve come out.
“I mean… you said something about coming out a day early,” I said awkwardly. “So I just figured you—”
“We’re heading out to the desert,” Corey said, rescuing me. “Every year we rent a house out there for a week to decompose.”
“Decompress,” Brody corrected him with a laugh. “But yeah. We get the hell out of the city to unwind. The three of us shoot the shit, and run amok for a while.”
“Amok?” I smiled.
“He means we ride a bunch of fancy quads and buggies over really steep dunes,” said Corey. “Then celebrate by drinking beer.”
“We also wear war-paint and talk through grunting,” said Mason. “We fire machine guns and throw grenades. At night we run naked through the desert and howl at the moon,” he finished by winking at me.
“That part sounds like it could be interesting,” I admitted, trying my best not to picture Mason naked. It wasn’t working though.
“Been doing it what… three years now?” asked Corey.
“Four.”
“The machine gun rounds are expensive,” Mason teased. “But it’s always worth it.”
The picture forming in my head was crystal clear; the three of them out in the desert, laughing and drinking and doing their thing. Enjoying their one week away together — as I was supposed be doing with my own friends. Only the guys were going away from Vegas, and my friends had all flown toward it.
Mason looked back at me with his big blue eyes. He considered his friends for a moment, shot his gaze back to me, then smiled and nodded firmly.
“Anyway, let me leave you to your fun,” he said, emphasizing that last word a little too knowingly. “I’ll head out early, stock the fridge with beer. Grab a couple of things for the house, and meet you there tomorrow night.”
“You’re going tonight?” asked Brody.
The handsome actor drained the rest of his glass and stood up. “Yeah,” he said. “Just as soon as I hit the head.”
He looked around helplessly for a moment, and all three of us pointed simultaneously in the direction of the bathroom. Corey and Brody laughed. I blushed.
“What?”
“Nevermind,” said Corey. “Just go.”
Mason disappeared in the direction of the men’s room. The second he was gone, I turned on the others.
“Listen,” I said sincerely, “you guys should go with him.”
Their expressions were the same. They even spoke the same word together. “What?”
“Really, it’s totally cool. Start your little vacation tonight, a day early. No need to stay in town because of little old me.”
“Fuck that,” said Corey. “No possible way we’re ditching out on—”
“I’m serious,” I countered. “Your friend is here now. It’s okay. We’ve had tons of fun together already, and made some great memories.” At that part I couldn’t help but smile. “Besides, you’ve told me a second date is rare anyway. And I know it’s because the two of you try to maintain some level of… well, separation with—”
“Come with us,” Brody said abruptly.
I stopped talking mid-sentence.
“Yeah,” Corey said, suddenly excited. “The house is only an hour away. Come out there with us. Continue our date in style.”
“You can crash there too,” Brody added smoothly. “We can get you back tomorrow in plenty of time for your flight.”
“Crash there?” I swallowed hard. “You mean actually sleep with you?”
They looked at each other and nodded eagerly.
“Has anyone ever slept with you?”
“Not a single person.”
I wasn’t sure why, but that answer excited me more than anything else I’d heard all night. It made me feel worthy, sure. But beyond that… closer to them.
“But… what about Mason?” I said awkwardly. “I mean, he’s a really close friend of yours, right?”
“The closest,” said Corey.
“So he uh… probably knows… what the two of you…”
“Yes,” Corey confirmed. “He knows.”
The tightness was back in my stomach again. That little flutter of heat and anxiety, mixed with excitement.
“Mason’s a big boy,” said Brody. “He can handle us having a guest for one night. Regardless of what we do with her, or to her,” he winked at me. “He’ll be fine on his own.”
“He was going to sleep in the house alone anyway,” Corey pointed out. “At least this way we can all hang together for an extra night, at least until it’s time for bed.”
“And what happens in the bedroom with us…” Brody winked.
My heart was racing. I felt flush all over.
“Stays in the bedroom?” I asked haltingly, returning his smirk.
“Or whatever room of the house we happen to end up in,” he teased. “Yeah.”
Mason returned, whistling happily on his way back to the table. He was already pulling a set of keys from his pocket.
“So nice meeting you Lauren,” he smiled. “And I’ll be—”
“Hold on bro,” said Brody, raising one arm to call for the check. “Slight change of plan…”
Twenty-Seven
LAUREN
My feet were tired. I wanted very badly to put them up — to stretch out on a soft, comfortable bed. Preferably a bed big enough to accommodate my two gorgeous lovers, lying naked on either side of me.
Then Brody did me one better.
“Oh my God YESSSSS…”
I squirmed backward against the soft leather, sinking further into the darkness of the sedan’s luxurious back seat. Mason was driving. Corey was in the passenger seat, working the radio. And Brody…
Well, Brody was giving me the foot massage of my life.
“Almost there,” Corey called back. “Another ten minutes.”
“Please,” I begged. “Don’t stop. Keep driving.”
Somewhere up front, Mason laughed. “What’s in it for us?”
“I don’t know, something,” I said desperately. “Anything. Just…”
I shifted again, letting out a long, satisfied sigh. Thanks to a quick stop at my hotel, the vibrating beads were no longer inside me. But I was still squirming, still moaning.
“You know I can continue rubbing your feet indoors,” Brody pointed out. “Just saying.”
I blew him a kiss from the other end of the car. “Yes please.”
It was a little crazy, I knew. Driving out into the vast, moonlit desert with three practical strangers. They were men I knew of course, two of them intimately. And yet just a few days ago, I didn’t know any of them at all.
Heather would have a heart attack if she knew. Deanna would probably be calling the police. Bella however, would most likely be cheering me on.
You trust them, a little voice spoke up in the back of my mind. It’s okay.
We had practically no phone service. Virtually nothing to link us to the outside world. In every direction, the windswept landscape was barren and empty. There were no markings. Nothing except a long, dusty road to nowhere.
But in its own way, it was absolutely beautiful. The way the moonlight soaked into everything, giving it an almost spectral glow? Well that part was breathtakingly gorgeous.
Besides, it was my last night here. I wanted to make it memorable.
The ride out was nothing if not educational. I learned all about Mason, because the guys were constantly asking him to tell stories from California. He had some wild ones, everything from inside celebrity gossip to who threw the craziest Hollywood parties. But everything he talked about seemed a few years in the past. There was nothing recent.
“You still making it out there?” Corey had asked him.
“Barely,” Mason had admitted.
“Well you know you can always come back to Vegas with us,” said Brody. “There are plenty of movie stars here, who—”
“Movies stars come to Vegas when their careers wind down,” Mason had countered.
“They retire there. Make a decent living off the name they’ve made for themselves.” He pushed back in his seat, stretching his long legs. “My career hasn’t even peaked yet.”
It was a hard business, I knew. As a publicist for a few celebrities myself, I saw how easily a star could rise or fall. I saw people shoot to the top overnight, enjoying instant fame. But more often than not, I watched them slowly fade into obscurity. Some of them kicking and screaming, clawing for any last semblance of their former glory, as they were eclipsed by younger, more beautiful or handsome rising stars.
Eventually Mason turned off the main highway. He made a series of shadowed turns without the benefit of a single streetlamp, and then pulled into a long, hard-packed driveway.
“Home sweet home.”
The house we pulled up to was almost entirely glass. It had floor to ceiling windows on virtually all sides; a contemporary marvel of sharp angles and steel fixtures that made the silhouette of the building look sharp and deadly.
“You rent the same house every year?” I asked, as the car rolled to a stop.
“Every one,” Brody confirmed.
“And you’ve never brought a woman out here?”
The guys looked at each other, then at Mason.
“Nope,” Corey said, matter-of-factly. “You’re the first one.”
It made sense, I supposed. Three young bachelors getting away from it all. Vegas was an hour away. They could head back into town to pick up women whenever they wanted. All three of them were gorgeous. It would take only minutes, especially with an actual movie star amongst them.
But this was their place. Their time.
I felt actually honored they were sharing it with me, even just for a night.
We headed up the poured stone walkway, toward the contemporary-looking front door. My guys were each carrying two bags of groceries and essentials. Mason hung back a little, and offered me his arm.
“So I feel the need to warn you,” he smiled as I took it. “We’re outside the city limits. Which means we’re technically not in Vegas anymore.”
“Ah,” I said with a grin. “So you’re saying…”
