Sierra grinned, realizing she was definitely treading on personal territory and based on Cole’s reaction, he wasn’t all that happy about it.
Thankfully the waiter chose that moment to interrupt them, bringing their food and refilling their wine. Allowing Cole a temporary reprieve, Sierra focused on eating, doing her best to leave Cole be for a few minutes. As much as she wanted to believe that Cole was just shy, and a little startled by her questions, Sierra got the impression that he didn’t want to talk about himself. To her.
“Cole.” She said, placing her fork and her knife down on the table beside her plate. When he looked up, holding his fork in front of him, halting midway to his mouth, Sierra continued. “I want to know everything there is to know about you.”
Watching the internal struggle Cole waged with himself had her wanting desperately to reach out and touch him. For such a strong, masculine man, Sierra felt there was something much deeper, which explained whatever was going on between him and Luke.
“Tell me.” She encouraged him, then picked up her fork and tried to continue eating. Truthfully, she wasn’t all that hungry, but she didn’t want their time together to end.
Right now, right here, with Cole, she felt at ease. He knew who she was, at least superficially, and he knew about her interest in Luke. He also knew of her interest in him, based on the way he looked at her.
Apparently he didn’t have a problem with her wanting another man. She wished she could be just as comfortable with the situation. This was the part of her that she had never been able to explain, the part of her she always felt was abnormal. Daydreaming about being that woman in her romance novels, the one who was showered with love and attention from two men, was a frequent fantasy.
When it came to sex, Sierra was open, wanting to express her deepest, most intimate desires, and if she wanted to be with two men, then the rest of the world be damned. She’d just never thought of it as more than just a dream. As long as everyone was on the same page, what did she have to worry about?
The only question was whether Luke and Cole were thinking the same thing she was.
“Let’s just say I’m very open.”
Of course he wouldn’t go into detail. Sierra smiled, wanting to laugh at his inability to tell her more. “Ok, we’ll leave it at that. But, you have to tell me one thing.”
He shot her a skeptical look but didn’t turn away.
“Are you bisexual?”
Cole hesitated, but then he nodded his head. “Yes.”
Well, that answered most of her questions all in itself. It explained his relationship with Luke and being that he was a member of the club it told her that he wasn’t discriminatory when it came to gender. Club Destiny was a swingers club after all.
“You think that answers all of your questions?” There was a hint of suspicion in Cole’s tone.
Had she actually spoken out loud?
She hoped she hadn’t, but the way he looked at her as if she’d grown two heads said maybe she had.
“It tells me enough.” She paused momentarily. “I don’t judge, Cole. I’m not interested in picking apart your life or determining whether it’s right or wrong. I just want to get to know you.”
Seemingly satisfied with her response, Cole clarified. “I engage mostly in ménages with married couples. Which makes me the third.”
He was letting her know who he was so she could make up her own mind.
“Now, tell me more about you.” Cole stated, turning the conversation to something much safer for him, but not so much for her.
With a deep, fortifying breath and a long swallow of wine, Sierra proceeded to tell him the details of her life. If he trusted her enough to share, she might as well divulge everything.
Chapter Ten
~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~
Cole charged dinner to his room, although they insisted that Luke had already instructed them to do no such thing. Taking the waiter aside momentarily, when Sierra had slipped away to go to the ladies room, Cole told him in no uncertain terms that he didn’t give a shit what Luke had instructed. That had changed the waiter’s perspective and resolved their issue entirely.
When Sierra returned, Cole was waiting, and the two of them wandered through the casino until they came upon an empty blackjack table. Insisting that he play, he found himself unable to tell her no. There was something so compelling about the woman that Cole wondered if he would ever be able to tell her no.
He didn’t bother to tell her that he had no idea how to play the game, so when he started losing she turned to him in wide eyed wonder.
“Have you played before?”
“Nope.” He admitted, grinning. “Can you tell?”
When Sierra laughed, Cole’s insides tumbled repeatedly. Her laugh was the sexiest sound he had ever heard. Her carefree attitude and always there smile was refreshing, and Cole found that he would do whatever it was she wanted, lose as much money as necessary if he could only keep her smiling.
His admission apparently didn’t sit well with her, so she ordered two beers from a passing waitress and insisted on teaching him how to play. He was doing relatively decent until a couple joined the table, but at that point, he didn’t give a damn how much money he won or lost, he just wanted to sit beside Sierra and watch the beautiful way her face lit up when she would win a hand.
The dealer turned her attention on Cole, and he glanced down at his cards. Two aces. What the hell was he supposed to do with that? “Hit me?”
“Wait.” Sierra pleaded. “Split them.” She urged, and Cole had no idea what she was talking about. “He wants to split them.” She told the dealer who then looked at him for confirmation.
“Whatever she says.”
Sierra told him what to do with his money, adding more to the table that he was likely going to lose, but what the hell did he care. Then the dealer proceeded to deal out more cards, and Sierra squealed in delight.
“Blackjack! Twice!”
Cole wasn’t sure what that meant to him, other than he had won, but when Sierra threw her arms around his neck, wrapping him in her sweet, spicy scent, Cole no longer cared. When she buried her nose into the crook of his neck and her warm breath whispered across his skin, he damn near came up off the chair. His dick swelled and throbbed, making his jeans increasingly uncomfortable – a sensation he was becoming all too familiar with.
“You won.” She told him when she pulled back, and Cole could only stare back at her.
Did she feel the same thing when they touched as he did? That sharp tingle that started somewhere deep inside and radiated outward. When their eyes met, and held, he knew instantly that there was definitely something going on between the two of them.
Throughout dinner, Cole had continued to answer Sierra’s questions, although he admittedly was trying to determine her motive. Yes, his insecurities had led him to believe Sierra was grilling him only to find out more about Luke. He’d been there before. On more than one occasion and he had to say, it wasn’t his favorite pastime. So when she seemed to be genuinely interested in him, Cole had let down his guard a little.
He’d tested her with his admission about his trust fund, and her reaction, or lack thereof, surprised him. Yes, Cole had money. Boatloads of it. More than he could spend in a lifetime thanks to his grandparents and his parents.
Did the money define him? No. But, he was the first to admit that the money was part of who he was. It allowed him to do what he loved without the worry of whether or not he would be able to eat. That was a blessing that he didn’t take for granted.
The one thing he had learned about his money… it changed people. Other people. They measured him based on the sum of his bank accounts. Which was partially why Sierra’s personal interest in him had been so shocking.
The questions she asked weren’t related to Luke or to Cole’s money, and for the first time, Cole had been taken aback. Almost to the point that he hadn’t known how to answer her questions.
But he did
and here they were, enjoying what was left of the evening without awkwardness and without the need to run off to bed in order to make the night tolerable. Not that he didn’t want to get Sierra in bed because he definitely did.
He fought to keep the blood flowing through his veins, rather than pooling in his groin. That was difficult when just the sound of her voice, the easy way she laughed, and the way the soft skin on her arm rubbed easily against his made him hotter than hell.
Sierra cleared her throat and smiled before turning her attention back to the dealer who was waiting for her to make her play. Cole shifted his gaze down to her hands, noticing the slight tremor in her fingers. He couldn’t suppress the smile that broke free. This night only continued to get better and better.
He just wondered how it would turn out after Luke showed up.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Luke returned to the hotel nearly an hour later than he anticipated, and instead of calling Cole to find out where they were, he opted to take a walk through the casino to see for himself.
He spotted them quickly at a blackjack table, another couple sitting beside them while they ribbed the dealer, laughing and joking and obviously enjoying each other’s company.
He paused to take in the scene, noticing how Sierra sat close to Cole, their arms brushing one another, the heated way that she looked over at him.
He couldn’t pinpoint what he was feeling, but the sight triggered that possessive instinct he harbored. When it came to the couple sitting at the table, their gazes locked on one another, Luke was overwhelmed with a need to keep them close, but there wasn’t an ounce of jealousy when it came to the relationship they were building.
Forcing his feet to move forward, he closed the gap and came up behind Cole, lightly brushing his arm against the man, then placing one hand on the back of Sierra’s slender neck.
“Hey.” Sierra smiled brightly, and something caught inside Luke’s chest. The way she reacted to him settled something deep; something that he hadn’t realized was insecure.
“Are you winning?” He asked, glancing down at the mountain of chips growing up from the green felt.
“I’m on a good streak, let’s put it that way. Though Cole hasn’t fared nearly as well. I think I’ve won the same amount that he’s lost.”
Cole didn’t seem to mind, if the grin on his face was anything to go by. As much as Luke hated to put an end to their good luck at the tables, he had other activities in mind. Naked activities. After nearly nine hours of business, his mind having been on Sierra most of the day, Luke was ready to get her to his room. He gave Cole a knowing look and the other man caught on quickly.
Offering up his chips to the dealer, Cole stood from his chair. “I say we call it a night. Cash me in?”
“Me too.” Sierra said, obviously unwilling to be left behind.
Luke’s body hardened, his dick twitched, and a slow burning heat started deep in his gut as he watched her. She seemed to anticipate what was coming next, and unless he missed his mark, she was eager.
Sierra tipped the dealer before they walked away, and Cole took her chips to cash them in with his. Luke continued toward the elevators with painstakingly slow movements giving Cole time to catch up. The man had better get a move on, or Luke would be getting on without him.
While they waited, Sierra slipped a twenty dollar bill into one of the dollar slots and stood beside it and played. After two tries, the machine lit up and started making noises.
“Oh my goodness! Did I…” Sierra stared at the machine like she wasn’t sure what happened.
Luke watched her expressions, the beautiful way her face lit up with happiness. For the first time in his life, Luke wanted to be the reason her face lit up like that, not the flashing numbers across the screen that announced she had won.
“Lucky today, are you?” Luke asked, lowering his voice so only she could hear when Sierra threw her arms around him, right there in the middle of everyone. Instinctively he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close and kissing her forehead, breathing in that sweet, sexy scent of her perfume.
“I’m hoping to get luckier.” She whispered in his ear, her fingers lacing in the hair at the nape of his neck, softly brushing against his skin.
Luke was afraid he just might lose his control when it came to Sierra. He could feel the need to take her building from the inside, the need to dominate her, to show her exactly the man he was.
Sierra pulled away when the casino attendant came up to pay her winnings.
“Shit, she’s on fire.” Cole added as he walked over.
“She is that.” Luke agreed, but he wasn’t referring to her lucky streak.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Ten minutes later, they were walking into Luke’s suite, choosing his over hers since he had an adjoining room with Cole. Once inside, Cole went directly to the minibar, making drinks for the three of them while Sierra took a seat on the small couch. The curtains were pulled back, the lights of the strip glowing and flashing brightly down below.
Luke removed his suit jacket and tie, tossing them onto the side chair, then unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves. All the while, he kept his eyes on Sierra, watching her as she fidgeted.
She was nervous, but he couldn’t necessarily blame her. She’d been all spark and flames early that morning on the airplane, thinking she knew what she was getting herself into until he’d called her on it.
Truth be told, Sierra hadn’t even dreamed about the type of man Luke was. Those books that she likely read wouldn’t touch on the darkness that swirled inside of him. In order to control some of his own hungers, he’d opted to engage in his brothers’ sexual exploits, allowing Logan to control the situation. They were safer that way.
Right now, he just wanted to strip Sierra down, to feel her writhe beneath him, to fill her completely while she came around his cock. He wanted her to watch while Cole dropped to his knees, and Luke buried his cock in Cole’s mouth hard and fast. He wanted to crush her between the two of them while Cole filled her pussy and Luke took her sweet ass.
She might have some fantasies about what she truly wanted, but tonight would be the first test. Tonight he would see what she was made of. Despite the fact that they were still getting to know one another, Luke didn’t give a damn. He wanted her. And he wanted her now.
“Sierra.” Luke controlled his words, the hunger rising, the ache throbbing harder. “Come here.”
Cole subtly jerked to attention, turning to look at Luke, waiting for what would come next. He carried the drinks forward, handing Luke his before passing Sierra one.
Still sitting on the couch, Sierra looked confused, but she slowly moved to the edge.
“Now.” Luke growled, staring at her, not moving from the wall he was propped against.
She jumped, standing from her seat and glancing over at Cole as though he might be able to help her. Luke wasn’t going to tell her again. She’d learn soon enough that when he said something, he expected compliance. She took tentative steps toward him, her hands faintly trembling as she held the glass in one hand.
“Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?” Luke asked, figuring now was the time to get this out in the open. He might be dominant, he might expect complete surrender, not submission, from his partners, but he didn’t take them against their will. He’d never been with anyone who wasn’t completely willing, and he wasn’t about to start now.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Sierra retorted, and Luke caught the twinkle in her eye when she smiled so sweetly.
“Baby, I always know.” He assured her.
“Then I think we have something in common. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t know what I was doing.” The confidence in her brilliant blue eyes glowed brightly.
“When I tell you to do something, I expect full compliance. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“I need you to be absolutely sure about this, Sierra. I need your complete trust. I
won’t hurt you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t push you to the point you feel like you might break. If you get scared, I need to know.”
“Like I said, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t trust you.” Sierra then turned to address Cole. “Or you.”
So she did understand the dynamic of what was happening between the three of them. She didn’t seem scared, but Luke could tell she was uncertain, more so than she was admitting.
“Have you ever done this before?”
“Done what?” She asked innocently.
So she wanted to play it that way.
“Have you ever been with two men at one time?”
“No.”
Luke pushed away from the wall, watching as Sierra took one step back, her reaction belying her cool confidence.
“And you plan to now?”
“Yes.”
Cole had taken a relaxed position standing near the window, one shoulder propped against the wall, his ankles crossed as he watched the scene playing out before him. Figuring now was as good a time as any to give Sierra a glimpse of his true nature, Luke addressed the man.
“Cole.” Luke only had to say his name before Cole was standing tall again, all strength and masculine grace. “Take your shirt off.”
The defiance in Cole’s gaze spurred Luke on, and he had a feeling the other man knew it. The way Cole battled his internal need to defy him turned Luke on more. “See baby, even Cole doesn’t understand me all that well.” Luke turned Sierra in his arms so her back was to his front, focusing her eyes on Cole. “He still seems to think that when I say something, I’m making a request. Take the damn shirt off, Cole.”
Sitting his drink on the side table, Cole unhooked one more button on his shirt, keeping a leisurely pace. With one hand, he reached behind his head, gripping the collar and pulling the shirt over his head, slowly revealing his impressive abs, followed by his smooth, well defined chest and then his massive shoulders.
Once the material was out of the way, Cole locked his gaze with Luke’s once more.
“He’s a fast learner.” Sierra commented, her sharp intake of breath letting them both know how much she appreciated the view.
Temptation (Club Destiny) Page 8
