by Krista Wolf
“That’s how serious I am.”
I stepped to Kyle next, and he stood fast. He was ready for my kiss, and he delivered it back to me. After all, we’d had lots of practice. And it showed.
“Don’t begrudge me my indulgences,” I said, turning back to Ryan. “Renovating this house would be my passion, yes. But if this were to happen? The four of you would always be my first love.”
I couldn’t believe I’d said the word. Of course it meant nothing at this point, but I had to put it out there.
“You’d be my boyfriends. My lovers.” I shrugged. “You’d be everything a girl wants and needs in a relationship, times four.” There was a pause as they stood there, weighing my words. The moment had gravity. We all knew it.
“And of course,” I went on, “I’d be there for you. Each of you. All of you.” I swallowed hard at the thought. “We’d be there for each other… the way you guys already have been for so long. And maybe that’s what might make this whole thing work.”
They were staring at me, each in their own way. I was in the middle of the room again, the sunlight filtering in through the high arched windows, bathing me in light.
“Like I said,” I added hastily, “only if this were to happen…”
For a long time no one said anything. Silence reigned.
“So… is this happening?” Kyle dared ask.
It was a good question… and one I’d agonized over greatly. But you know what? Nothing I’d done so far had worked out at all. My own dating history had landed me here — every relationship I’d ever started had failed miserably. I’d been ‘too much’ for most guys, or they hadn’t been nearly enough for me. Either way, it always ended the same: intimidation on their end, boredom, on mine. And then ultimately, breakup.
“For now, yes,” I said.
Kyle and Dakota’s eyes lit up. My whole body shivered with excitement… and fear.
“But first,” I continued, “we need to go over some things…”
Ten
DAKOTA
I was still reeling from her kiss.
It had been a long time since I’d been kissed like that, or even around someone this beautiful. It was all I could do not to throw this girl over my shoulder and carry her back to my bedroom, if for no other reason than to spend the next few hours kissing her the way she’d just kissed me.
And, I could tell, by the way her body reacted to mine? She wouldn’t object to that in the least.
Instead I just stood there, dumbstruck, watching this sassy but amazing woman tell us how things were going to be. Which was a pretty big turn of events from how things normally went. Especially for Ryan.
“For one,” she said, “I’m going to need a week. Consider it a trial. I’ll be trying you out, and you’ll be trying me.”
“Trying…” Ryan scoffed.
“Yes, trying,” she reiterated. “We obviously need to know if we’re compatible. Hell, you might not even like me. Or I might not like you...”
She looked at Ryan when she said this, as if making her point. Damn, I prayed he didn’t screw this up for us. Despite getting off on the wrong foot with each other, I was hoping he would at least give her a chance.
“So you’ll move in?” asked Kyle.
“Yes. I’ll grab some stuff. Stay here for the week.”
Ryan’s arms were still crossed. “And what exactly happens during that week?”
“I’m your girlfriend,” Sammara said with a shrug. “We hang out. Do things. You take me out, we make conversation, we laugh and have fun… you know, boyfriend girlfriend stuff.”
My body stiffened, and I couldn’t hide my grin. I liked the sound of all of that.
“But no sex,” said Sammara.
Awwww shit.
“At least not for the first week,” she went on. “With all that pressure taken out of the equation, we can find out if I’m a good fit for you. And if you’re a good fit for me.”
Kyle grinned. “But I already know I’m a good fit for you.”
“Oh you shut up,” she smirked back at him. “You know exactly what I mean.”
I had to laugh. I could tell she liked Kyle, and Kyle liked her. At least that was a good start.
“So you’re our girlfriend…” Ryan offered snidely, “but you’re not our girlfriend. We can’t touch you. We can’t kiss you—”
“Oh you can kiss me,” Sammara replied sweetly. She walked over to Ryan again and I winced. “You can kiss me all you want.”
She leaned into him. Looked back at him again, just as she’d done before.
“You just can’t have me,” she told him, face to face, nose to nose. “At least not yet...”
I was still marveling at how overall incredible she was. Physically she was stunning; long beautiful legs and the smoothest, most unblemished ivory skin. Her face was beyond pretty, but stopped short of angelic innocence beneath two intelligent, arching brows that were three shades darker than the rest of her hair.
She reminded me of Emma, actually — a girl I used to know back home. Moriches was a small town lost in a big place, but in that part of Iowa everyone knew everybody. Emma had always caught my eye — a ball of sarcasm peeking out from a big blonde mane very similar to Sammara’s.
I’d just never gotten around to asking her out, though.
And I’d always regretted it.
“So that’s the first rule,” she continued. “The second one is that you bear with me. Obviously I’ve never done this before, dated more than one guy. Much less three or four…”
Her face was flush with what I knew was excitement. That was good. It was a great sign.
“I don’t know how many other girls have answered your ad, but—”
“Other girls?” I laughed. “What ot—”
Kyle kicked me as Sammara’s back was turned, ending my sentence. He shot me a deadly look, then held up a closed fist indicating I should stop. So I stopped.
Other girls?
As crazy as it sounded when Kyle first brought it up, the whole idea of sharing a girlfriend was exciting to me. I’d shared just about everything else with these guys, including the places we’d lived. We’d traveled together, fought together, bled together. So why not share the same woman?
In theory it made sense. Especially when you considered our track record for past relationships. Kyle and I had toured Afghanistan together, both in the same unit, with basically the same job. We’d also both returned State-side to the same thing: our girlfriends (or in his case, his fiance) had moved on while we were gone. Run off with someone else, leaving us high and dry.
And hurt. Don’t forget hurt.
Yeah, that part honestly sucked. Anna had really broken my heart, and coming back to an empty apartment was the worst part of it all. She’d taken everything, including the glassware and even the bedding. Weird, because I hadn’t even done anything wrong.
Since then I’d bounced through a few short-term girlfriends, and a couple who were mostly looking to screw a soldier. Not that I minded, of course. But it was always good to have someone. Someone to call home for. Someone to come home to, eventually, when the tour was over and life could return to whatever passed as normal for a little while.
Sharing wasn’t a problem for me. In fact, Kyle and I had shared before, back when we’d bunked up together in a small apartment while stationed outside Fort Campbell.
Erika…
Erika had been Kyle’s girlfriend, initially. He’d shared her with me on a dare, after calling me into their bedroom while they were having sex to see if she’d really do two guys at the same time. I guess it was a fantasy for her. I’d never really asked. I’d only jumped right in, and that first night the two of us had taken care of her in ways that made Erika scream well into the wee hours of the morning.
After that we’d done it again… and again, and again after that. We kinda fell into a rhythm; two roommates sharing the same girl in bed. I have to say it was always hot, watching her with him. Standing over
her while Kyle took her from behind, feeding myself to her from the front… then eventually switching around.
Erika was insatiable. Whatever we did to her, she simply couldn’t get enough. I don’t know if this was something she’d done before, or if was just something she was born to do. Whatever it was, the way she handled the two of us — both individually and at the same time — made us realize just how much fun it really was.
“Double the pleasure, half the work,” Kyle had joked once, when we were alone. And that part was more than true. We took turns taking Erika out, doing boyfriend things with her in and out of the bedroom. While one of us worked or was on assignment? The other was there to pick up the slack. And when we were both home…
Well, when we were both home, Erika was always ridden hard and put away wet.
And some nights not even put away at all.
Sadly it all ended when we were once again deployed; the two of us sent in different directions this time, on different assignments. Kyle got back before I did, and informed me of what I’d already figured: Erika was gone, already moved out and moved on with the son of the Base Commander, or his nephew, or whoever the hell it was. That part didn’t matter, really. What mattered is that once again we weren’t enough to keep someone. Not even the two of us.
But then we threw in with Ryan and Briggs. Which led us all to the same conclusion, that—
“Hey!”
I blinked and looked up. Everyone was staring at me, including Sammara.
“You still with us, cowboy?”
I tried laughing my way back into the conversation. “My daddy kept horses in Iowa, and I’ve ridden more than my share. But a cowboy? No ma’am. That’s not me.”
“What are you then?” she asked, one hand on her hip. Her arctic-blue eyes were playful, but still penetrating.
“Hungry.”
Kyle laughed. Even Ryan let out a chuckle.
“Don’t mind Dakota,” Kyle smirked. “He’s always hungry.”
“Well that’s good,” said Sammara, “because when I get back from picking my stuff up later, I’m going to want to be taken out to dinner tonight.”
I rubbed my hands together. “I’m your man then! Lunch, dinner, breakfast at midnight… whatever the pretty lady wants!”
“Easy cowboy,” she repeated. “First night together in the house? I was thinking we’d all go.”
Kyle nodded, and I followed suit. It made sense. But then:
“Not me.”
I whirled on Ryan, and so did the rest of us. I should’ve known he’d ruin it.
“Gotta work,” he said, more to Kyle than everyone else. “Don’t take it personal. I need to be on base by fifteen-hundred. Not sure when I’ll be back.”
“We can always wait,” Sammara offered. “It’s not like we have to—”
“Don’t wait,” said Ryan. Then, a little less harshly: “I have no clue when I’ll be done.”
Sammara looked only mildly skeptical. I was hoping she wouldn’t push it… and she didn’t.
“Alright then,” she smiled. Her eyes shifted toward Kyle and I. “Just me and my two boys.”
I could feel Kyle staring at me. Thinking what I was thinking. Feeling the same rising excitement in the pit of his stomach that I was. Hoping that we were about to embark on an adventure very similar to our last one.
And that maybe, just maybe, this one would work out.
“Well since I’m here, you might as well show me around,” Sammara instructed. “Let’s see where your rooms are, and what you’ve got going on. How far along these clowns are on their ‘renovations’…”
She spun again on her heel and walked right toward the back of the house, as if she already knew the floor plan. I smiled behind her back as I bumped Kyle’s shoulder.
“… and which of your barbarian contractors I need to fire first.”
Eleven
SAMMARA
“It’s only for a week, Dawn. Shit, you’d think I was moving three states away.”
I knew my business partner wouldn’t like me taking some time off, but really I wasn’t. With my laptop, I could do everything I needed remotely. Answer clients via email, take phone calls — it was a lot like being in the office, only I didn’t have her breathing down my neck over every little thing.
“Besides,” I added. “I’m working on what could be a really big client.”
I didn’t dare tell her the two things were related. I’d only told her I was staying with friends for a week, who just happened to own a lakehouse.
“It’s just you’ve never mentioned these ‘friends’ before,” Dawn whined. She whined a lot, actually. “I don’t know, Sammara. This seems to be coming out of the clear blue sky.”
“Sorry,” I shrugged. “I have friends.”
“Friends I don’t know about?”
I paused in the process of shoving a folder into my bag. It was a weird question. Then again, Dawn and I had always had a weird dynamic. In business, we were unstoppable; she had a keen eye for layout and a natural affinity for marketing that drove our little interior design project into a full-blown, thriving business. But personally…
Personally we’d grown apart. Well, not really apart apart. If anything, we probably spent just a little too much time around each other.
Yet another reason why I was willing to give this whole thing with Kyle and company a chance.
“Never mind,” Dawn said, running one hand through her dark, silky hair. “I’m just being silly.” The apology was nice, but there was still an underlying irritation in her voice. “I’ll still be able to reach you, right? You’ll have wi-fi at this lakehouse?”
“Yes,” I said, although I had no idea. But knowing the work these guys did as active Army Rangers? I could only imagine they had the best of connections.
“Fine, then. Go. Have fun. I’ll just say here and…” she sighed heavily. “And work on making us busy again.”
Our business had been busy for a very long time. Recently though, things had slowed down a bit. Dawn, for all her martyring and moaning, was partially responsible. She’d been working less, in my opinion. Or been distracted. Or something else. Really, I had no idea. But she was a good friend, and a solid partner, so I cut her some slack.
“Wanna tell me about the big client?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, not yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because the whole thing could easily fall through,” I shrugged. “And then you’ll be disappointed.”
“C’mon Sammara,” she said, putting on her pouty face. “I promise I’ll—”
“No,” I smiled back at her. “Listen, trust me on this. It could be really lucrative. And I’ll be working on it at the lake house, so…”
You’ll be working on something at the lake house, my mind teased. That’s for sure.
In the end I didn’t even know why I’d mentioned it in the first place. I could spend a single night with the guys and realize the whole thing wasn’t working out. Already it seemed Ryan hated me, or at least disliked me intensely. I had a vague plan for winning him over, but who knew what would happen.
So yeah, if it didn’t work out between us I’d probably lose the renovation anyway. And if it did work out…
If you end up dating these guys, and living there… are you really going to charge them?
“Alright,” I said, shoving it all out of my mind. “That’s it. I’m gone.”
Dawn was beside me already, still wearing her pout. I pressed two fingers into the corners of her mouth and physically forced a smile. She fought me the whole way.
“Chin up while I’m gone, okay? And call me if you need anything.”
She nodded glumly, then hugged me goodbye. It was something she did a lot, but this time she held on just a little longer than normal. As if I were going off to war or something.
Or something…
“Have fun,” she said, forcing a smile. “I’ll hold down the fort.”
I laughed inwardly at yet another Army reference. If only she knew.
“Good girl,” I winked.
Twelve
SAMMARA
I’d taken an Uber back from the house, even though Kyle had offered to drive me. I’d needed some time alone. Some time to think.
I had that time as I packed, too, taking everything I thought I’d need for a week away. It wasn’t like I couldn’t come home and get anything I missed of course, but I wanted to show up prepared and make a good impression.
And that house… Oh my God!
In a way, Ryan was right about one thing: I was incredibly excited at the thought of renovating the old Victorian. But he was wrong about me putting it first. Especially not once I’d seen the rest of the guys…
Kyle. Holy shit, I couldn’t get my mind off of him! Sleeping with him might’ve been a mistake, but it was a beautiful, delicious mistake. One that my body certainly wasn’t complaining about, even as my mind told me I needed to be more careful with the others.
No sex for a week.
It was a hard rule, even for me, but in retrospect it had been a good idea. It gave me a chance to see what I was getting into. To really learn who these men were, and how they interacted with each other, and how serious they were about dating me.
And really, I wanted to be dated. I didn’t want to be only a fucktoy, or a housekeeper, or a general contractor for their big renovation project. No way.
I wanted to be a girlfriend.
I wanted to be adored. Protected. Loved.
I wanted to understand them, and they me. I wanted to get to know these guys intimately, both individually and in the dynamics of a group setting. To know them, I needed to see them in their natural habitat. How they acted and reacted around each other, when having me — or even competing for me — sexually wasn’t a factor.
