by Betty Womack
“It’s not getting any cooler in here, people.” His palm caressed her ass as he turned away to head for the basement. “You coming, Sham, or were you on your way to another job?”
Carol took the glass Sham held out to her and enjoyed the warm brush of his fingers on hers. His mouth softened into a stingy hint of a smile.
Like Baron’s, Sham’s voice was deep and rich in timbre. “You are a gifted artist, Carol.”
She seldom accepted praise with humility, but this mysterious stallion played with her desire to please.
* * * *
Down in the cluttered basement, Baron looked over his shoulder at Sham. “Well, what do you think?” Experience told him to not expect an immediate reply from his exotic friend. Baron slammed the switches in position and turned to see Sham bathed in the glaring light of the overhead fixtures. “Do you like her?”
Sham gazed at him for a moment. “She’s different.” Picking up a pair of tomato-red panties from the floor, he smiled. “How was she?”
To Baron, that meant he’d found the third member of their trio. “Perfect.” Remembering his recent fuck with Carol sent a surge of heat through him. He stood near Sham and leaned in for a light kiss. The cool reception he received worried him. “You’re not pissed, are you?”
Sham laughed softly, the sound tickling Baron’s balls. “I should be. You’re damn lucky Mr. Bell wasn’t here with a few friends. It was careless and, as usual, you run headlong into everything. Just don’t forget why we’re here. It’s her ex we’re after, not her.” His arms went around Baron, the press of his healthy body igniting Baron’s desire for more.
Kissing Sham was an unreal experience to Baron, soft and hard at the same time, and the scrape of his white teeth on his lips as the kiss deepened pleased him. Sham always tasted good, and the wine enhanced the mint already on his breath. “Shall we ask her over for a soak in the hot tub tonight?” The hard press of Sham’s cock to his almost sent him off in delirious space.
“Let’s wait.” Sham glanced toward the stairs. “She seems damn independent.” He added, with some hard meaning, “I didn’t think we were looking for a third party in our relationship. Slow down, okay.”
“She doesn’t have to know we are bounty hunters. She’s the bonus for taking her ex off the street.” Baron draped his arms over Sham’s shoulders. “You can teach her about wine, and you both like art.”
“Don’t be so fast to make plans, sweetheart.” Sham massaged Baron’s back. “She may not want any part of us, no matter what.”
With his normal cockiness, Baron shook his head. “She likes us both, especially you.” He picked up the fuse wrappers and tossed them in a trash can. “Come on. Let’s feel her out.”
“On the idea?” Sham’s quirked brow amused Baron, and Sham scowled lightly. “I have a feeling this is a mistake.”
Baron groaned softly. “What are you worried about?”
Sham glanced toward the stairway. “It was simply dumb luck she didn’t catch us messing around with the electrical box.” He lowered his voice, locking his gaze on Baron’s eyes. “What’s going to happen when she figures it out? I don’t like the idea of using her.”
“Using her?” Baron shook his head, gripping Sham’s arm. “She’s a woman that will make up her own mind. Hell, Sham. What’s gotten into you?”
“Okay.” Sham touched Baron’s shoulder. “She’s not a pick-up in a bar. I don’t want to play with her emotions.”
“That just proves you already have feelings for her.” Baron slapped his partner on the back. “All she has to do is say no.”
They went back upstairs to rejoin Carol in the living room. She’d draped herself in a silk sarong and had turned on the stereo. Baron stretched out on the couch, drinking another glass of the bad wine, getting himself worked up watching her move to the music. Disco.
She smiled at Sham and held her arms out. She wanted to dance.
He took her in his arms, and her body melted to Sham’s, her sigh drifting around the room as he brushed a soft kiss to her shoulder. She looked at Baron when Sham murmured in her ear. “You’re a kitten, Carol.”
She laughed and pressed closer to his cock. “I hope you’re a tiger, Sham.”
After a few minutes, Baron got off the couch and stretched his arms over his head. Sham kissed her cheek and walked away toward the door.
She clamped her hand over her mouth, laughing nervously. “I forgot to ask how much you charged.” She ran to get her purse off the television set. “How much?”
“This is on the property owner.” Baron waved off the bills she held out to him. “Maybe have dinner with us tomorrow night?”
Baron liked the way she looked at that moment, soft and sweet, and a little flustered.
“Sure.” She sounded breathless. “Where and what time?” She took the card he held out to her.
“Our house, around eight.” Baron had easily started the preverbal ball rolling.
Chapter Three
The air conditioner hummed happily while Carol finished the last of several sketches for La Gilda perfume. Black lace and red satin brought out the message of sensuality the manufacturer wanted to convey. As a bonus, they had sent her a dozen bottles of the pricy stuff.
The evening before slipped back into her thoughts. Two men all to herself. She’d wanted to try Sham out to be sure having both of them appealed to her. She’d done threesomes before, but in the back of her mind, she felt a little nervous. Images of being handled by snarling animals always accompanied her desire to play doctor with two guys. Maybe these two fuck baits would get her over that fear. What the hell, she wanted to have both of them at the same time. She was a big girl and needed a regular fix of excitement.
Sham’s beautiful dark hair came to mind as she piled her hair on top of her head. Everything about him intrigued her. There had been glints of interest in his dark eyes, and she had been disappointed when he left so early. Then there was Baron, his eagerness to do what she wanted made her smile. He was a gamer, fun and built like a brick outhouse. He reminded her of her younger days of experimenting, but he wasn’t a throwaway. She wanted more of him.
If it came to choosing one, that would be impossible. She liked them both. In fact, she was anxious to find out where she fit with them.
Soft, heart-melting music poured from her CD player, and the mood hit her fast. She closed her eyes and swayed to and fro, hugging herself, finally moving her hands up to cup her breasts, pinching her nipples until she gasped. Running her hands down to her crotch, she pressed her clit, her hips bucking against the flash of erotic pleasure. She sat on the edge of her bed and spread her legs, lightly touching her pussy. She had to have more.
Lying back on her soft mattress, she pulled her robe aside and spread her legs. She didn’t plan to orgasm, just wanted to warm up for the evening. Several quick strokes, and it was too late to stop. Her juices flowed, and her thighs were slick and ready for anything. She loved the way her clit came out of hiding the hotter she got. Flicking it several times, she enjoyed the quick slivers of red heat streaming to her pussy. Bracing her feet on the footboard, she arched her hips and drove herself into an explosive orgasm, drawing her legs up to completely enjoy the indescribable pleasure.
As quickly as it had come, the passion was spent. Carol bounced out of bed and showered, taking extra care to use lots of the free perfume on her crotch after toweling off. She wanted to be perfect that night. In her bedroom, she chose her clothes carefully. Pulling a white and mint green chiffon sundress off its hanger, she considered the underwear she wanted. Hell with that. She wanted to feel free.
She dried her hair, catching it into a soft ponytail and fastening it with a white agate clip. She applied a little eye shadow and mascara before slicking on a rose gloss, and she was ready. She grimaced with self-reproach. Those two would probably not even notice what she had on. She would make sure they noticed everything about her.
Looking around the quiet apartment, she dec
ided to take the chance the evening would be a pleasurable adventure.. She needed to get out. Besides, she still had to have Sham. At least once. What if they didn’t have a party in mind? She laughed lightly.
Of course they do.
She got in her vintage Beetle and headed off to the part of town where older homes had escaped the bulldozer. At one time, she’d considered renting one until she heard what rent ran on the prime real estate.
Twenty minutes and lots of mind-blowingly slow speed limits, she turned onto the street where her dinner dates waited. She sat in her car for several minutes, staring at the two-story house of cream and pink stucco. The windows gleamed in the street lights’ glow and she could see flowers in neat beds bordering the L-shaped porch. When they said house, they meant house.
Shrugging off her momentary awe, Carol got out of the car and hurried up the three levels of steps. She heard sprinklers close by and hurried to avoid a soaking. The porch light came on, and Baron opened the mullioned glass door.
He laughed and led her inside the foyer. “You didn’t get wet, did you?”
Here in his own surroundings, Baron seemed more relaxed but twice as predatory as she remembered He obviously had just showered, the glint of water in his spiky hair inviting her fingers to tug it a little. She tore her gaze from the navy lounge pants clinging to his cock and locked onto his handsome face.
“No. I heard it before it caught me.” She couldn’t help but gawk. The place was beautiful. “Don’t tell me you guys decorated this place by yourselves.”
“Not all of it.” He took her purse and dropped it on the antique hall table near the door. “I paint and Sham picks out the colors.” He cocked his gorgeous head and smiled warmly. “So, you like it?”
What a question. “I love it.” She turned slowly to take in the art pieces on the cream walls and the Persian rug under her feet. “I’m bowled over.”
“We’re glad you approve.” The soft, sensual voice belonged to Sham, who stood in one of the arched doorways, wiping his hands on a white towel. “Welcome, Carol. I hope you’re hungry.”
She was suddenly ravenous, but not for whatever he was cooking. Her mouth watered with anticipation for the taste of Sham.
“Yes, I am.” She slowly ran a practiced eye over him, loving his comfortable, put-together look. He wore a sensational short mulberry and white silk robe over black lounge pants. There was just enough golden skin showing at his throat to invite further exploration. “Did I arrive too early?”
Noticing they both wore foreign looking sandals, she slipped off her spike heels and tossed them next to the table her purse had been placed on.
“Come with me, Carol.” Baron took her hand, gesturing toward the large oval door across the room. “I’ll give you the grand tour. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
She noticed Sham had left them alone. Damn. Was he avoiding her?
Baron switched the overhead light on to what she assumed was the formal living room. This was definitely not an average working man’s home. “All this on an electrician’s wages?”
“You sound a bit cynical or, at the very least, suspicious.” Baron turned on a table lamp and doused the overhead light.
“Well, I find genuine Tiffany lamps and chintz upholstery a little out of the norm for two men.”
She didn’t mind him taking her into his arms to kiss her. This one was different, searching and delicious. Feeling his hands tug on the hem of her skirt brought back thoughts of the wild, uncensored sex they’d had in her home. Did he want a fast fuck before dinner?
He answered her question, squeezing the cheeks of her naked ass before searching out the warmth of her pussy. “What a woman. No panties.”
She gave into the waves of arousal swelling her folds and wetting his fingers. “What’s the matter? Can’t wait for dessert?” He smelled of the ocean, fresh and wild, his mouth catching hers in a demanding kiss that sent her tongue in search of his. He groaned, jamming his fingers up into her slick pussy.
“You have me so hot I can’t wait, baby.” Baron pulled his cock free of his pants and pushed against her. Pressing her to the wall, he pulled her leg up on his thigh, finding her throbbing opening.
She stiffened with ache and desire, bucking against him for every hot sensation she could grab. Already in the mood for uncontrolled emotion, she welcomed his rough handling, moaning with ecstasy while he dragged her dress down to suck hard on her nipples. Her orgasm ripped through her like a bolt of lightning, torching her pussy all the way up her backbone. She slumped against him as he finished, his mouth sucking on her neck while he came.
He seemed to have regained his senses, kissing her until she could stand on her own. “I’d like to have that sweet thing every day.”
She pulled her dress into order and laughed. “Sounds great, but I think we had better clean up before dinner.”
“You can use the bathroom down here.” He grinned, rubbing his cock. “I’ll have to change upstairs.” After a final deep kiss, he took the curved staircase in a hurry.
Wobbling some from her mind-bending climax, Carol found the bathroom door and was once again stunned by the elegance of the room.
Damn.
Mediterranean tile splashed out a scene of tranquil pools and water nymphs holding pastel conch shells and wearing nothing but sultry smiles. It was all tastefully done in muted colors, of course, but wasn’t that a pair of guys reclining on a couch in the background? They weren’t just talking.
She took a towel and wash cloth from the crystal rod over the tub and washed up. She opened her purse to take out a comb and lip gloss. Her hair clip hung on one side of her hair. She quickly combed it, secured the clip. After reapplying lip gloss, she was ready to see what the men had in mind. She couldn’t help but think the opulence of the house seemed out of place and wrong for two electricians.
Tossing the washcloth and towel into the hamper, she shrugged off her curiosity and left the bathroom. She met Baron coming back down the stairs, a satisfied grin on his face.
He held his hand out to her, his mood altered from red-hot lover to friendly host. “Let’s go into the dining room.” Baron seemed perfectly at home in the lavish surroundings, not at all like the rough repairman she’d met yesterday.
She eyed him with a half smile, hesitant to quiz him. “You and Sham are quite the puzzle.”
He arched his brows. “How so?”
“Oh, come on, Baron.” She glanced around the Hollywood-set dining room. “There has to be one hell of a story here. You, Sham, the rich boy trappings.” She tapped his chest for emphasis. “It doesn’t equate. Two young electricians, snuggled in the luxury of everything. What gives?”
“We save our money.” He laughed and caressed her breasts. “It’s a story better told by Sham.”
Carol rolled her eyes. “I can’t wait.”
“And I can’t wait for dinner.” Baron pulled a chair out and helped her get comfortable, then sat across from her. “And here comes the best food in the world. Sham is a miracle worker in the kitchen.”
And in all the other rooms I’ll bet.
She kept the comment to herself, unable to look at anything but Sham as he carried in a tray of baked chicken and rice. He filled their plates and poured wine in tall-stemmed glasses. The man had magical hands and looked like her favorite candy.
He sat next to her and picked up his fork. “I hope you enjoy jasmine chicken, Carol.” He took a bite and chewed slowly. “The fragrance lends itself to your eating pleasure.”
Sham had been right. The aroma softly filled her nose. “This is wonderful.” She sampled the rice and smiled at him. “You’re a master.”
Baron had been observing them, but he wasn’t letting that slow his eating with working man gusto. He stopped eating long enough to look at his pager. “Sorry to eat and run, Sham.” He stood and dropped his napkin on the table. “That was the Winslow complex.”
Carol took note of the look of doubt on Sham’s face. He no
dded and sipped from his glass. “I guess I shouldn’t wait up for you.”
Baron went to Sham and kissed him full on the lips. Carol was surprised when he kissed her as well. “You’ll be here when I get back, won’t you, Carol?”
He made it clear they wanted her to stay awhile. “I don’t see why not.” She wanted to spend the night with both of them. This cleared the way to do just that.
And leaves Sham all to me.
She followed the two men to the front door and waved goodbye to Baron as he drove away.
A touch to her elbow startled her, and she turned to find Sham gazing at her with a soft smile on his luscious lips.
“Come with me.” He led her to the stairs. “I have something to show you.”
Chapter Four
Carol’s thighs were damp as she climbed the steps, quivering a little with anticipation.
She was surprised when he opened the door to an empty room. “What’s this?”
A tiny bit of worry crept over her. Here she was in an empty room, alone with a man she wanted to sleep with but knew nothing about. He went to the windows and turned to look at her. “The sun comes in here almost all day.”
What the hell did she care? This was nothing like she’d thought would be going on after Baron left. “So, why isn’t it furnished? It would make a great den.”
“It would make a much better room for an artist.” His robe had slipped to the side, and she filled her eyes with the firm muscle and brown nipple exposed for her enjoyment. “Perfect for you, Carol.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You’re asking me to use this as my studio?” This was insane.
“We wouldn’t bother you or impose on your private time.” He stood in front of her, his gaze warming. “If you like the arrangement, you might consider using the room from time to time.”
She backed up a step. “No, that wouldn’t work.” It was too much, too soon. “I’m a rolling stone, never staying anywhere more than a few months.”
Why didn’t he say anything? He didn’t look upset at her refusal, just shrugged lightly and walked out into the hall. “Think about it.”
