by Mari Carr
“Is that what the new hairdo and wardrobe are about?” Max asked. “Changing yourself?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know that I can change totally. I mean, I’m twenty-six years old and I think, deep down, I am who I am. All I want to do is break some bad habits, escape the rut I’ve been traveling in.”
Shaw picked a blade of grass and put it between his lips. “That’s why you came back to Texas.” It wasn’t a question, and Keri sensed that Shaw understood what had driven her decision to return home.
“Yep. I figured if I was going to get a fresh start, a change of scenery might be the best place to begin. Texas is home to me. I figured this was the safest place for me to break out of my shell.”
“So what’s your plan?” Max asked.
She grinned. “That’s the beauty of it. I don’t have one. I’m taking life one day at a time and seeing where it leads me.”
“Well, I don’t know if this counts as going wild or anything, but what do you say to going out with me and Shaw on Friday night? We’ll take you to one of the honky-tonks in town. We can listen to some country music, shoot some pool, drink a couple pitchers of PBR and do a little Texas two-stepping.”
“You guys aren’t seriously still drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, are you?”
Shaw laughed. “I guess you’re an IPA girl now that you’re citified.”
She rolled her eyes. “PBR will be fine. That sounds like fun actually,” she said. “I haven’t gone dancing in ages, but I gotta warn you, I never got the hang of two-steppin’.”
Shaw stood up and reached down to give her a hand. “That’s because you never danced it with the right man. The secret to a successful two-step is to find a big guy and hang on for dear life.” As he spoke, he pulled her close and started dancing her around the front yard. She laughed as he twirled her. Max rose and leaned against a tree, shaking his head and chuckling at Shaw’s silliness.
When Shaw finally stopped, she clung to his arms, enjoying the dizzy, light-headed giddiness the dance had produced.
Max walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Easy now,” he murmured in her ear. “Don’t fall down.”
As his strong arms embraced her, pulling her tightly to his chest, Shaw stood his ground in front of her. For just a moment she let herself soak up their warmth, their vibrancy. Neither man seemed bothered by the fact that they were standing so near to each other. They’d always been best friends, closer than brothers, and their tight embrace blew her schoolgirl fantasies out of the water. She was a woman now—and her imagination was leading her down some racy, exciting paths. A wave of heat passed through her body at the thought of all the fun the three of them could have together.
She was tempted to test the waters, see if she could spark their interest. She’d been too young the last time they’d all been together, but now…
Max moved away before she could act, and she feared perhaps she’d wasted her chance by standing there like a mute fool.
Get out of your head, Keri, and into the moment.
Shaw winked at her and she licked her lips, her gaze going to Shaw’s mouth. What would he do if she closed the distance between them and kissed him?
Wild Keri wouldn’t question, she would do.
She took a step toward Shaw, but Max halted her by announcing, “Well, I guess we should be going.”
She blinked, trying to put the brakes on her libido. It was hard for her to let go of the idea that she really wanted to kiss them. Both of them. God, she was taking this spontaneous shit to a previously unexplored level. She’d never considered herself a ménage girl. Geez, she’d been an utter failure at keeping one man happy. What chance did she have at pleasing two?
Neither Max nor Shaw had indicated they were interested in anything more than renewing their old friendship and here she was, contemplating seducing both of them. Two men. How the hell did she intend to accomplish that?
“Okay,” she said, wincing slightly at the too-loud tone of her voice.
She turned around quickly and walked toward their Ford, careful to stay ahead of them so they couldn’t see her blush. Her cheeks were on fire from unrequited desire and humiliation.
Practical Keri taunted her.
I would never have gotten into such a state.
She closed her eyes and told practical Keri to shut up.
When they reached the truck, Shaw stopped next to her, bending to give her a hug. She’d noticed his hulking size when they were dancing. When he wrapped his arms around her, she felt as if she could disappear inside his muscular mass. It felt good.
“Welcome home, Keri,” he murmured against the top of her head.
She accepted the embrace as a friendly gesture, taking care not to let her horny thoughts run away with her again. However, when she tried to pull back, Shaw’s grip tightened. He lifted her face with a hand under her chin. When she looked up, he was there. His lips lightly grazed hers, just a gentle brush—a quiet promise of more to come.
When Shaw pulled away she frowned, but his wolfish grin answered her unspoken question. Obviously he’d recognized her desire to kiss him. She didn’t have time to speak before Max grasped her waist and turned her toward him.
His eyes were dark with lust. Her mouth went dry. “We’ll pick you up around eight on Friday.”
She’d barely nodded before Max’s lips were on hers. Unlike Shaw, Max didn’t leave any question in her mind. Her interest was returned. Tenfold. He pushed her lips apart, his tongue teasing hers. She started to lift her arms to wrap them around his neck, but he moved away before she could return the kiss properly.
Her mind and body were on system overload. She’d been home less than four hours and already she was standing in front of her uncle’s house being kissed by not one, but two of the hottest cowboys in the state. Yee haw for new beginnings!
Shaw broke the silence. “Guess you better be careful what you wish for.”
She looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“If you’re looking to go wild, you came to the right place.”
Chapter 2
Max splashed the last of the shaving cream from his face as Shaw emerged from the shower. He watched his best friend dry off through the reflection in the mirror and felt his cock twitch. He and Shaw had succumbed to their attraction to each other years ago. Regardless of the fact that they had sex more nights than not, his hunger for the man never wavered, never lessened.
Shaw caught his eye in the mirror and wiggled his eyebrows, gesturing to Max’s erection. “You wanna take the edge off that before we leave or suffer all night?”
Max shook his head. “Very funny. You realize we’re gonna have to work overtime to make up for that shit you pulled the other night at Brody’s place.”
Shaw wrapped a towel around his hips. He walked up behind Max, letting him feel his hard-on through the fluffy layer of cotton. “Shit I pulled? I gave Keri a neighborly little kiss goodnight. You were the one who took it to the next level.”
Max sighed. His best friend was right. Shaw had innocently kissed Keri, and Max’s brain handed all control over to his cock. The sight of her in Shaw’s arms had sent his arousal into orbit. He’d never been so turned-on. Even now, three days later, he only had to imagine Keri and Shaw kissing and his cock went brick-hard. “Yeah. You’re right.”
Shaw bit Max on the shoulder, making him groan. One of the main reasons sex with Shaw was so hot was the fact that they both enjoyed it rough.
“Take it easy, Max. Keri didn’t seem particularly upset by either kiss.”
Max turned quickly. Gripping Shaw’s hips, he roughly pulled the towel off his friend, tossing it to the floor. “That’s not the point, is it? It’s been a long time since we’ve had a woman in our bed, and even then it wasn’t anything more than a bar hookup. Keri’s different. You know that.”
Shaw moaned in reply when Max grabbed his cock, rubbing it slowly, firmly. “Keri’s different,” Shaw agreed, “but not in a bad way. Not
in a wrong way.”
Max shook his head even as he continued to caress Shaw’s erection. “I’m not gonna let you push Keri into something she isn’t ready for. Something she might not even want.”
“Oh, she wants us, Max. Make no mistake about that. She wants both of us. And she wants to take a walk on the wild side.”
Shaw leaned forward and kissed him with the same bullshit softness he’d offered Keri the other night. It wasn’t enough.
“Goddamn it,” Max growled. “Kiss me like you mean it or fuck off.”
Shaw grinned and pulled away. Max narrowed his eyes as Shaw instigated a round of chicken. Two could play that game. He released Shaw’s cock.
Max took satisfaction in the way Shaw shuddered slightly at the loss of his firm grip. Unfortunately, Shaw was too quick to recover. He stepped away and picked up the towel once more.
“Looks like we’re both gonna be in pain tonight.”
Shaw turned and walked toward his bedroom, while Max took a deep breath and released it in annoyance. He hated how Shaw could turn his arousal on and off so easily.
Max needed to get control of himself. He was walking around like a live wire, and he ran the risk of electrocuting himself with his pent-up lust. This was Shaw’s fucking fault. He’d purposely kissed Keri, knowing it would ignite Max’s libido.
He and Shaw had been best friends since grade school, ever since Max’s family took in Shaw as a foster child. It wasn’t until they hit their twenties that they admitted their friendship stretched beyond the boundaries of what the local cowboys viewed as normal.
They’d always enjoyed sharing women, but one night the caresses got a bit out of hand. In the morning, the woman left but Shaw and Max remained in bed, giving in to needs they’d suppressed for years.
They hid the true nature of their relationship from everyone, though Max thought there were a few folks in the area who suspected the truth, Keri’s uncle Brody being at the top of that list. But while he and Shaw sated their baser urges with each other, Max was aware something was missing.
Occasionally they traveled to Dallas or Austin on business, and it was there that they’d pick up a woman for a night or two. Max never felt closer to Shaw than at those times. While he loved the rough touch of his best friend, he missed the softness of a woman. Shaw felt the same way. Problem was finding a woman willing to take on two ornery cowboys, one who could also accept the fact she wouldn’t be the only one getting fucked every night.
Max rubbed his jaw in frustration and acknowledged his cock wasn’t gonna give up. “Fuck,” he muttered, slamming out of the bathroom and down the hall to Shaw’s room. He pushed the door open with more force than he’d intended, the wood crashing against the wall loudly.
Shaw hadn’t even bothered to get dressed. Instead, he lay on the bed—naked, lightly stroking his still-hard cock. “That took longer than I’d expected. I was actually starting to worry.”
Shaw laughed, but Max wasn’t in the mood for his friend’s jokes. He crossed the room, crawling onto the bed. “Fuck you, Shaw.”
“Okay,” Shaw teased, reaching for Max. They kissed roughly and Max enjoyed the feel of Shaw’s unshaven jaw against his smooth one.
“We’re not going to hit on Keri,” Max said as he moved away from Shaw’s lips, his mouth traveling down his friend’s chest.
Shaw threw his head back against the mattress as Max’s lips descended to his cock. “She wants us,” he said through gritted teeth. “Stop being so stubborn.”
Max took Shaw’s cock in his hand, stroking it deeply. “Despite her hankerin’ to go a little crazy, I don’t see Keri as a one-night-stand kind of girl. Or a threesome one, for that matter. We’re going out with her tonight as friends. Nothing more.”
Shaw moaned when Max dipped his head, taking his cock all the way into his mouth on one stroke. “Goddamn it, Max. So good.”
Shaw’s hand tangled in Max’s hair, pushing him onto his cock harder, faster. Max felt the urgency in Shaw, knew how badly his friend needed him. It had been like this since Keri crashed-landed—or should he say broke down—into their lives again. Ever since sharing goodnight kisses with her, Max and Shaw had both been insatiable, horny as fuck.
Max continued to work Shaw’s cock with his mouth. Years of practice had honed his skills and Max knew exactly what to do to make his friend come. Over and over he plunged, taking Shaw to the back of his throat. When he reached down and pulled firmly on his friend’s balls, he knew Shaw was a goner.
“I want her,” Shaw said, the confession coming out as a gasp when he came. Max swallowed Shaw’s come as the truth struck him like a blow to the head.
He wanted her too.
Max pulled away as Shaw’s cock softened. He wiped his mouth with the back of his forearm, his erection throbbing in pain, demanding release, but he couldn’t let go of his concern long enough to seek his own relief. He needed to convince Shaw before they left to pick up Keri or things could get real messy, real fast. “We can’t, Shaw. It’s Keri. Even if she doesn’t balk at the idea of a threesome, what’s she going to say when she realizes we won’t just fuck her, but each other as well?”
Shaw captured his gaze, refused to let it go. “She’s the one for us. I just know it.”
“She’s been back three days. That’s sort of an insane declaration to make.”
Shaw shrugged. “I knew she was special years ago.”
Max narrowed his eyes. “She was a kid the last time she lived here.”
“I know that, asshole. I’m just saying she’s always been easy to be around and talk to. She was never a typical, annoying teenage girl. Even back then she was down-to-earth—not prone to drama and all that eye-rolling shit most young girls do. I think it’s obvious that hasn’t changed. Hell, Max. We watched her grow up. We know her. Sure, she’s been gone a long time and I can see she’s changed a bit, but essentially she’s still Keri. Besides, I think she’s on to us.” Shaw spoke with self-deprecating humor. “She’s too sharp for us to fool her.”
Max sank down onto a chair beside Shaw’s bed. He suspected his friend was only partially right. He’d immediately sensed the other night that Keri knew about their penchant for sharing. If her pretty blushes were anything to go by, he’d say she was turned-on by the idea. However, he wasn’t so sure she knew about their bisexuality.
Besides, regardless of Shaw’s assumptions, there was a big difference between thinking something and knowing it. What if their suspicions were wrong?
“What if she freaks out? What if she tells Brody? Jesus, he’ll fucking kill us.”
Shaw shook his head. “No. I don’t think he will. And she’s not gonna freak, Max. Keri’s solid, you know that.”
Max lowered his head into his hands, suddenly feeling weary. Unlike Shaw and his let the cards fall where they may mentality, Max was too rooted in reality and all the shit that came with it. “It’s too risky.”
“It’s right.”
Max stood up, fury rising. “Goddamn it, Shaw. Think about what could happen if you’re wrong. This is Keri. I don’t want to hurt her.”
Shaw sat up, his face more serious than Max had ever seen it. He was quiet for several moments. “How long do you think this will last, Max?” Shaw gestured between them and Max felt his stomach sink to his feet. “I’m not the only one who realizes this isn’t what we want forever. I need more. This is companionship and great sex. I want a woman. Someone I can coddle, care for, make love to. I think you feel the same way.”
Max closed his eyes, wished he could deny that he felt exactly the same way, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t fair to Shaw to pretend otherwise. “I want that too,” he whispered.
“We’re not gonna find it if we keep hiding our needs. Keri’s a beautiful, sensitive, intelligent woman. We know her, and I don’t think she or Brody would freak out like you said. In fact, think about it. Brody reads us her emails—all of them. For years he’s told us everything about her. Sometimes I think—”
&n
bsp; Max cut him off, shaking his head. “There’s no way Brody’s pushing her toward us. At least, not both of us.”
Shaw shrugged, dropping the subject, but Max could see his friend wasn’t convinced.
Then he recalled Keri’s comments about the asshole who’d hurt her. It had killed him to listen to her put herself down as boring the other night after dinner. If she belonged to them, they’d find a way to prove to her that she was perfect just the way she was.
Shaw scooted to the edge of the mattress and looked at him. “You felt it the other night. Admit it. When the three of us were lying in that grass, it was like…”
Shaw paused, searching for the word, but Max knew it. “Electricity,” he said, finishing his friend’s thought.
“Yeah. That’s it. Electric. Listen, we’ll play it cool tonight if you want. Just three old friends going out for drinks, getting reacquainted. But I’m telling you right now, if Keri gives off the tiniest vibe she’s interested in more, I’m not gonna hold back.”
Max closed his eyes briefly and accepted he wouldn’t get any more than that from his friend. It was a typical Shaw approach to life—he always lived in the moment. Now that Max thought about it, he realized Shaw was living the life Keri was aspiring to.
Shaw rose from the bed and pointed at Max’s unwavering erection. “Want a little help with that?” he asked with a rueful grin. “Feelin’ kind of guilty about not returning the favor.”
Max shook his head. “I’m all right. It’s not like I wasn’t gonna walk around with a boner all night anyway. Keri inspires all sorts of wicked images in my head.”
Shaw laughed. “In both heads.”
Max didn’t move to his own room as Shaw began to dress. Instead he watched his friend, considering everything he had said. Maybe Keri wasn’t the only one who needed to break out of a rut, who needed a fresh outlook on life.
Shaw was right. The two of them had been spinning wheels for years and as much as it bugged Max to admit it, it was his fault they were stuck.
“We’ll play by ear,” Max finally said, hoping he wasn’t making the biggest mistake of his life.
