by Mari Carr
Her inexperience had her wondering if this was simply something guys did to get into a woman’s pants. Was she falling for the oldest play in the world or were they really as sincere as she believed?
The music changed, the fast song giving way to a much slower melody. As promised, Diego was there, ready to claim his turn on the floor. Luc gave her a sexy wink as he relinquished her to his friend and returned to the table.
Throughout the dance she’d shared with Luc, she had been aware of Diego’s eyes on them. Somehow knowing he’d been watching had excited her, though she was hard-pressed to understand why. It was as if she wanted Diego to know how Luc was making her feel…because she sensed that made Diego happy.
Which was bizarre, because she had no idea if that was true or not.
Diego took her into his arms, tugging her until her breasts were pressed firmly against his chest. He didn’t ask, didn’t hesitate. He simply took. While that idea should terrify her, it didn’t. Instead, he had a way of making her feel cherished, safe, protected.
Like Luc, Diego was a skilled dancer. With subtle pushes and pulls, he guided them, taking over so that she could just enjoy the moment.
“You liked Luc’s kiss.”
It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway. “Yes.”
“I liked watching it.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Do you understand now?”
It was a vague question, but Jeannette didn’t need clarification. She knew what he was alluding to. She nodded.
“You feel it too. I can see it in your eyes. Even though you’re dancing with me, focused just on me, you know he’s there watching us. It makes you hot and shivery inside, doesn’t it?”
She swallowed, struggling to find her voice. “It does, but—” She tried to stop herself, tried to beat back the fears. It appeared Nettie refused to go down without a fight.
“But nothing.” Diego tightened his grip. However, this time she couldn’t sink into the embrace. Her back stiffened as self-preservation and years of running away ganged up on her.
He loosened his hold, tipping her chin up, forcing her to face him. “We’re going to take this nice and slow, Jeannette. But we’re not stopping.”
“I can’t…do…” Again, the words died. She couldn’t go where they wanted to take her. But damn if she didn’t want them to try anyway.
“You can’t tonight. I can see that. But we’re not going to stop trying. We’ve got as many nights as we need, all the time in the world.”
She frowned and asked the question that had tormented her since they’d pulled her into the park and insisted on this date. “Why would you go to all that trouble?”
“If this weren’t our first date, I’d take you home and turn you over my knee for that. Even now, I’m sorely tempted.”
Had he seriously just threatened to spank her? And was she honestly disappointed he was resisting? God, this whole night was confusing. And maddening. And sexy as hell.
Regardless, her spine stiffened. “All I’m saying is, you and Luc could basically have your pick of women around here. I’m not sure why you’d want—”
Diego placed his finger over her lips. “I’m going to advise you to stop while you’re ahead. If I hear one more self-deprecating comment come out of those pretty lips of yours tonight, I won’t be held responsible for my actions. And believe me, angel, as much as you might want to tempt me on that, you aren’t ready for it.”
Jeannette wasn’t sure how to reply. Diego’s thumb stroked her lower lip, his gaze glued to her mouth like a starving man eyeing a steak.
Though the slow music continued to fill the air, couples swaying back and forth around them, neither of them moved. Instead, they stood there, on the edge of the floor, and looked at each other.
Diego didn’t seek to close the distance between them. In fact, it seemed as if he were waiting for something. Waiting for her.
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
He smiled at her request. He had been waiting for an invitation. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“Smartass,” she murmured. She would have laughed, but Diego didn’t give her a chance.
Unlike Luc’s, there was no sweetness, no gentleness in Diego’s kiss—not that she’d expected any. His lips were hard, hungry, demanding. When his tongue pressed against her lips, she opened her mouth, savoring the heat of his breath and the tang from the beer he’d drunk.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. While they were putting on quite a show, there was only one person in the audience she cared about. As she accepted Diego’s kisses, she imagined Luc sitting at the table, his attention riveted.
Did he feel any jealousy at all or was this exciting for him? The concept of two men sharing a woman felt so foreign to her and yet, she felt the heart-thumping, pussy-pounding pull of it.
She gasped at the thought and jerked away. Diego frowned, but didn’t try to force her back.
This was why she avoided these situations. She knew where this was leading. And it wasn’t somewhere she’d ever go.
Diego’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing her face too closely. He was too adept at reading her expressions. It made it so much harder to hide.
She started to walk off the floor, toward the door and escape. She’d call Macie to come pick her up. She’d go home, crawl under the covers and stay there until she found a way to forget she’d ever thought this night was a good idea.
Diego gripped her upper arm, halting her before she managed to take three steps away from him.
Then Luc appeared in front of her. He had been watching. He’d seen it all. “Going somewhere?”
“I think we’ve accomplished our goal. Shattered the image of Nervous Nettie once and for all. I appreciate the help, but I really need to—”
“Stop.” Diego’s arm had snaked around her waist from behind, holding her tightly. His breath was hot in her ear.
Jeannette was fighting a strong impulse to stomp on his foot and run. She didn’t want them to see her fall apart, but that was definitely where she was headed. Hot tears burned the back of her eyes and bile rose to her throat.
They wanted to have sex with her. She didn’t do that. Couldn’t do that.
“Luc, go settle up the tab and grab Jeannette’s purse. We’ll wait in the truck.”
Luc nodded and walked off in search of the waitress.
“Slow and easy, angel.” Diego stepped to her side, but he kept a firm grip on her waist as he propelled her toward the exit.
Somehow she made it to the truck on rubber legs. Once Diego had her inside the vehicle, the doors closed, she realized she was panting loudly.
“It’s okay, Jeannette.”
She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. She’d made a complete ass of herself. Had she really believed she could go out with them and remain detached? Unaffected? She had become a master at stifling her sexual urges for years, but the truth was, she’d never really been tempted. Men gave her a wide berth, so it was easy, untested.
She jumped when Luc opened the passenger door and climbed in. “Shit, Jeannette,” he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Jeannette kept her eyes forward, refusing to glance left or right. She couldn’t bear to see the confusion—or worse, the pity—in their expressions. “Can you just take me home?”
Diego started the truck, but didn’t put it in reverse. “Put on your seat belt, angel.”
His words were gentle, as if he were speaking to a child or a lunatic, which wasn’t too far from the truth. She buckled the belt, relieved when he shifted into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.
Mercifully, neither man attempted to make conversation. She could feel them both glancing at her from time to time and she could only imagine what was going through their heads. She kept herself calm by counting down the minutes until they would arrive at her house and she could get the hell away from them.
She had the seat belt
unbuckled before Diego turned into her driveway and she was fully prepared to claw her way out of the truck if need be. Once Diego put the vehicle in park and shut off the engine, Luc opened the door and stepped down.
She intended to jump to the ground, but Luc was there, his hands lightly grasping her waist as he lifted her out and set her to her feet. She couldn’t help but notice how quickly he released her. There was no lingering touch or hold this time.
She really had fucked up.
Jeannette walked to the front door hastily as they followed. Five more steps. Key in the door. Step inside. Freedom.
She made it as far as the key in the door before Diego’s hand covered hers. Jeannette jerked away as if she’d touched a hot stove. “Thanks for tonight. I had fun.”
Any normal guy would read the dismissal in her tone and get lost.
“Turn around, Jeannette.” As always, Diego used that deep, commanding voice that had her body reacting before her brain could kick in. She turned, but she kept her eyes averted.
“I owe you an apology.”
Her gaze flew up at his unexpected comment. “What?”
“I pushed too hard. Taking more than you were willing to give. It won’t happen again.”
Her heart fell. She’d accomplished her goal, shoved them away. So much for creating a new Jeannette. This old dog was way beyond the learning-new-tricks phase.
“It’s okay. I understand.” She truly did. She was hard work and she wouldn’t wish herself on anyone. “Good night.”
Diego slid the key from her door before she could twist it in the lock. She glanced back at him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not finished talking.”
Jeannette leaned against the front door, weary beyond words. The night had been one long roller coaster of mixed emotions. She wanted off the ride.
“Diego—”
“I can see in your eyes that you don’t understand a damn thing. So I’m going to spell it out. This isn’t over.”
She frowned, her gaze drifting from Diego to Luc and back again. A wall of sheer determination surrounded her. “I can’t do what you—”
Luc reached for her hand. She forced herself not to react, not to pull away. “Aren’t you tired of running, Jeannette?”
She nodded slowly.
“It’s time to stop.”
“I don’t know how to do any of this,” she admitted, giving voice to just one of her many fears.
Luc gave her that affable, crooked grin of his and she found herself returning it. “We’ll teach you. It’s as easy as dancing.”
Strangely, his assertion comforted her. Dancing with them had been easy. Actually, the whole night had been. Until she’d freaked out.
Regardless, she offered them one more out. “I think it would be a lot easier if we just left it here.”
Diego crossed his arms. “I’m not looking for easy.”
She owed him some sort of olive branch. After all, he apologized for something that wasn’t even his fault. “I’m sorry for walking away from you on the dance floor.”
He smiled, and then he cupped her cheek. “We’ll have plenty more chances to dance.”
She wasn’t sure she had any more dances in her.
“I can see you’re not finished fighting this,” Diego continued, “so let’s go ahead and make plans for the next time. I don’t intend to spend the next few days listening to your voice mail while you try to avoid us. When’s your next night off?”
The damn man was pushy as hell, which didn’t annoy her as much as it should. “Wednesday.”
“Great. Luc and I will pick you up at six and take you out to dinner.”
“Fine.”
Luc chuckled. “That’s it? No argument?”
She lifted one shoulder. “Would there be any point? Despite what I say now, you’ll both be here at six on Wednesday, won’t you?”
Luc winked. “Damn right.”
“Then my answer is the same. Fine.”
Luc leaned toward her and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “See you Wednesday.”
He backed away as Diego stepped forward. He ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “Wear a dress for us?”
She’d never heard a question in one of his commands before. It touched her.
She rarely dressed up. In fact, she only owned two dresses, both Sunday dresses that were appropriate for church, but not very exciting for a date. Of course, the wholesome dresses would probably serve her purpose better.
Even as she thought it, she knew she was going shopping for a new dress. “Okay.”
He didn’t try to kiss her. She was grateful and disappointed. She was becoming accustomed to the contradictory emotions these men provoked.
Diego handed her the house key. “Good night, Jeannette.”
She watched them drive away, no longer in such a hurry to escape. When they’d first arrived, she’d wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and cry her eyes out. As she opened the front door now, she reached down to pick up Penny and headed to the living room. Finding repeats of I Love Lucy on TV, she sat in quiet solitude as a completely new emotion washed over her.
Hope.
* * *
Diego followed Luc into their house, shutting the door and leaning against it. He’d almost let his overbearing need for control ruin things with Jeannette. Luc had been uncharacteristically quiet on the drive home. Diego could only assume he was pissed off.
Luc tugged off his jacket and hung it on the back of a chair. “You want to tell me what happened on that dance floor?”
Diego shrugged, trying to keep a rein on his temper. He’d been wrong to push Jeannette, but he resented Luc’s tone. “I’m not going to lie to her about who I am. What I want.”
Luc threw up his hands. “Jesus, D. It was the first fucking date. You can’t at least try to hide some of that macho shit until we get our foot in the door?”
Diego stalked toward his friend. “Don’t hear you bitching about that ‘macho shit’ when it’s just you and me.”
Luc held his ground even as Diego stepped close. “Don’t try to intimidate me. Not now. It won’t fucking work.”
“You can act as pissed off as you want, but I think the person you’re really mad at is yourself. I’m not hiding my true colors from her, Luc. What about you?”
“I want her. I’ve wanted her since the first time I saw her.”
“And you’re willing to pretend this,” Diego pointed to himself, then Luc, “doesn’t exist? For how long, Luc? How long will you keep her in the dark about your other lover?”
“As long as it takes,” Luc replied through gritted teeth.
Diego snorted. “Yeah. That’s obvious. Three fucking years, man. It’s been three years since we’ve really been together with a woman. Don’t you miss it?”
Luc looked away. He didn’t need to reply. Diego could read the answer on his face. He was wrong to call Luc out for this. Especially considering they both wanted the same thing.
They’d walked into Sparks Barbeque two weeks after moving to Maris, deciding to try out the place so many people had raved about. Jeannette had been behind the counter and had taken their order.
Luc had been smitten from the start, not that Diego was surprised. Jeannette had a quiet, kind spirit. She was friendly, unassuming, and as tonight had proven, the woman didn’t have a clue how damn pretty she was. They’d met more than their fair share of women who came on too strong, working overtime to gain their attention.
Instead, Jeannette had been the first to make them feel welcome in a close-knit town that tended to treat outsiders with cautious distance and sidelong glances. She’d asked about their new jobs, given them some advice on where to pick up affordable furniture for their house, and filled them in on a bunch of stuff she thought they needed to know in order to survive in Maris. She had whipped out her cell phone to share pictures of the cat she’d just taken in. The thing had been little more than skin and bones, but it was obvious Jea
nnette thought the cat hung the moon. And then she’d fed them the most delicious barbeque sandwiches they had ever eaten.
Luc had insisted they ask her out, so the next time they were in the restaurant, they issued the invitation. Jeannette had called them shameless teases and walked away quickly before they could press their suit.
Her dismissive response had confused Luc, but intrigued Diego. After that, he began to watch her more closely. There was something very sad lingering just below the surface that called to Diego’s need to protect, to save.
They’d decided to bide their time, asking out other women, thinking perhaps it was the idea of a threesome that was holding her back. Jeannette was a Maris girl, through and through. They hoped she’d see the locals’ acceptance of their unorthodox dating style and then feel okay about saying yes.
The plan hadn’t worked. So for a while, they’d actually tried to move on. The attempts had been miserable failures as Luc insisted on hiding the true nature of their relationship.
For three long years, they’d hidden a huge part of who they were. Diego wanted to cast the blame solely at Luc’s feet, but he couldn’t. He’d gone along with it. Now, the harness was too tight and rubbing him raw.
His temper was frazzled. Luc was pushing him in the wrong direction.
“How do you think Jeannette is going to feel when she finds out about this?” Diego asked, reaching out, cupping Luc’s cock. It was hard, thick. And he didn’t bother to pretend Luc’s current arousal had a damn thing to do with him. Like Luc, Diego had been walking around with a hard-on ever since Jeannette opened the door tonight in her tight jeans and silky blouse. He’d been hard-pressed to look away from her creamy white breasts.
Luc didn’t pull away, didn’t offer any resistance. Instead, he gave as good as he got, reaching over to unhook Diego’s jeans. By the time Luc had freed his cock and tugged his jeans to mid-thigh, they were both panting, breathing heavily through their noses.
“Suck me,” Diego demanded.
