by Leah Brooke
Charity whirled on him, her brown eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Beau Parrish, I’d appreciate it very much if you’d keep your threats to yourself.”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, missing his satisfied smile. Opening them again, she turned back to Alison and gave her a strained smile, gathering several sheets of paper and handing them to her.
“This is the itinerary for today. Sandwiches, snacks, and drinks are available at the bar. Enjoy yourself and if you have any questions, please let me know.”
Alison knew damned well it was none of her business, but curiosity ate at her to know the relationship between Charity and Beau. Thanking Charity, she accepted the papers and turned away, stepping into the large room, and found herself surrounded by noise and laughter.
Pausing, she looked around, feeling more than a little out of place when she saw several of the women standing in groups, talking and laughing with a familiarity she hadn’t been a part of in a long time.
The loneliness that she’d managed to push aside for months hit her hard, making her stomach tighten.
She didn’t belong here.
Adjusting her purse higher on her shoulder, she turned with the intention of leaving. She would never fit in here and, after meeting Dillon and Ryder, knew she didn’t have the courage to use any knowledge she might get anyway.
“Hi. Welcome. I’m Jesse.”
Turning, Alison stared into the face of one of the women who’d been standing in one of the laughing groups and swallowed heavily, taken aback by the woman’s beauty. Recognizing her from the restaurant the previous night, she eyed her curiously, wishing she had the courage to ask the barrage of questions that raced through her mind at the thought of a woman being shared by two men.
One thing she couldn’t deny, Jesse looked happy. She’d never in her life seen someone so radiant.
Jesse’s friendly smile put Alison at ease almost immediately.
“Please, come join us.”
Alison found herself smiling back, determined to at least give this a try. She desperately missed the company of other women and thought of the women she’d used to consider her friends.
“Thank you. I’m Alison. I guess you could tell I don’t know anyone here.”
Jesse slipped an arm through hers and led her farther into the room.
“Believe me, before tonight’s over, you’ll know a lot of people.”
The next several minutes became a whirlwind of activity as Jesse introduced her to several other women, each as friendly as the last. It quickly became evident that the group of women who lived in Desire seemed to be especially close.
Several minutes and at least a dozen introductions later, Alison had started to feel a little overwhelmed by all the attention. After excusing herself, she made her way to the bar where an assortment of finger food and sandwiches had been set up.
She’d been so upset at Danny’s early morning phone call that she hadn’t eaten breakfast, and she was starving. Not about to give up free food, she helped herself to a sandwich and ordered a beer, determined to enjoy herself.
Warmed by the camaraderie of the women she’d met, she couldn’t help but smile as she watched others come up to the bar and help themselves to food and drink. Settling back, she exchanged pleasantries with them, enjoying herself immensely.
To her surprise, a beautiful woman she hadn’t yet met came to sit on the stool beside her, turning to her immediately.
“Hi. I’m Charlene. I haven’t seen you here before. Which men are you after?”
Blinking, Alison almost choked on her sandwich and had to wash it down with a sip of beer.
“Excuse me? Men? What men?” She looked around, her stomach clenching, hoping like hell no one expected her to actually do anything with a man. After what Dillon and Ryder said, she didn’t think she’d be required to, but she’d ask Jesse just in case.
Charlene laughed, a tinkling feminine sound that Alison would give anything to duplicate. Fluffing her hair, she sent her long, dangling earrings swaying and tapped her blood red nails against the bar.
“No, silly. Not the men they use for the demonstrations. I’m talking about the men who live here. None of the men in Desire are allowed to come in here, well, not during the demonstrations, anyway. Did you get an eyeful of Beau? Yum. He only has eyes for Charity, but if she doesn’t let him catch her soon, someone else will. And Devlin? Jeez, sex personified. I know several women who would love to have Lucas, Devlin, and Caleb in their bed.”
Alison paused in the act of raising her glass to her lips. “What? Devlin shares women, too? With two other men?”
With an enthusiastic nod, Charlene finished her drink and ordered another. “Yep. Not that they come to the club very often, but I’ve seen them at the auctions. They’re dreamy. Lucas is a little too serious, but in that really sexy way. Devlin’s an absolute hunk. Caleb’s playful, but you can never tell what he’s really thinking. He’s almost as wild as Ryder.”
Meeting Charlene’s gaze again, she smiled faintly, fighting back a surge of irrational jealousy that this woman knew Ryder. “I met Devlin briefly last night at the bar. I really didn’t talk to anyone, and I don’t think I’ll get the chance to before I leave. The only men I’ve really had much contact with are Dillon and Ryder, and that’s only because they’re fixing my truck.”
Leaning forward, Charlene nearly spilled out of her tight camisole, her eyes alight with laughter.
“Ooooh! Dillon and Ryder. Dillon’s like a sexy teddy bear, and Ryder’s an orgasm in boots. They’re always really popular at the men’s club. I’ve never been with them myself, of course, because I go after Hunter and Remy.”
Charlene’s bright smile disappeared, and a hard look came into her eyes.
“If you run across Hunter or Remington, I feel it’s only fair to tell you that I’ve been subbing for them at Club Desire off and on for months now, and I consider them mine. I’ve been learning quite a few tricks to please them, tricks they seem to like.”
Recognizing the insecurity behind the hostility, Alison finished her beer and stood.
“I don’t know Hunter or Remington, or you, for that matter, but I’ll give you some advice, something I learned the hard way. Fighting for a man is a waste of time and energy and only makes you end up feeling worthless. If they want you, they’ll pursue you until they get you. As soon as they find someone prettier, sexier…whatever, they’ll get rid of you.”
Sliding her purse to her shoulder, she smiled humorlessly, clenching her jaw against the remembered pain.
Charlene smiled faintly, lifting her brow as she reached for her drink.
“If you really believe that, why are you here? Why are you so anxious to learn about pleasing men if you don’t think there’s anything you can do to keep them?”
Alison shrugged, more certain than ever that she’d made a mistake by coming here. “Good question. One I’ve been asking myself ever since I walked through the door.”
Turning, she almost ran straight into Jesse, whose smile didn’t quite match the concern in her eyes.
“Oh, Jesse! Hi. I was just—”
“It sounds like you were thinking about leaving. Come with me. I’d like to talk to you.”
Alison didn’t have the heart to pull away when Jesse looped her arm with her own and led her through the throng of women and across the room to a table on the far side.
Sitting around the table, three women she’d met earlier, Nat, Kelly, and Erin, appeared to be deep in conversation, but all three smiled in welcome as Jesse led her to the table they all shared.
As the lights dimmed, Alison scanned the room and saw that the other tables had begun to fill. The woman she saw on the sidewalk the other day, the sheriff’s wife, stepped forward on the small stage with a microphone, introduced herself as Hope, and began to speak.
Alison listened with half an ear as Hope welcomed everyone and talked about what they would hope to accomplish this weekend.
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She jumped, startled, when Jesse leaned close and whispered in her ear.
“I understand your truck broke down on the way into town, and Dillon and Ryder have been following you around ever since.”
Uncomfortable at learning she’d been the topic of conversation, Alison shrugged and looked toward the brightly lit stage where a woman led three men to the center.
“They’re just helping me with my truck.”
Unable to keep her curiosity at bay, she turned to Jesse.
“I saw you in the restaurant the other night with two men. Your sister, Nat, was there with one man. When I first came to town, I saw a woman with two men pushing a baby carriage. Does everyone have two men? Does your sister have another man somewhere? Does every woman have to have two men? The woman I spoke to at the bar said that Devlin shares women with two other men. How do the men decide who’s going to share a woman?”
Jesse laughed, touching Alison’s arm.
“I’m pretty new here, but those were the same kinds of questions that baffled me when I got here. Come closer. We’ll talk while we watch the show.”
Smiling her relief that Jesse didn’t seem to consider her questions as stupid as they sounded, Alison moved closer, wishing that she could stay in town. She had a feeling that she and Jesse would have become good friends.
“I was a little afraid you’d be insulted. It’s nosy, I’ll admit, but when I saw the way those two men were with that woman with the baby, it just brought up all sorts of questions.”
With a smile of understanding, Jesse lifted a shaped brow.
“I’m not insulted at all. Thank God I had my sister here. I know it must be confusing for someone who doesn’t have anyone to ask, especially when Dillon and Ryder started coming on to you. The same thing happened to me the day after I came to town to visit Nat. By the way, that woman you saw is Rachel, Erin’s sister.”
Swinging her gaze to Erin, her chin dropped. “Really? What does she think about that?”
Erin obviously heard her and sat forward, smiling. “I hated it at first. I figured the people in this town were crazy, perverted, and only cared about sex. But once I saw how much both Boone and Chase loved her, well, I had to accept it. Even when she was pregnant, I was trying to get her to leave town with me. I figured that marriage would fall apart in no time.”
Knowing that others had a reaction similar to her own made Alison feel even better.
“They seemed really happy and in love when I saw them. Have you changed your mind since then?”
Nat and Jesse both laughed hysterically, as a red-faced Erin looked on.
Jesse caught her breath first.
“Erin is married to three men. She got her mind changed for her in a hurry.”
“Shut up, Jesse. It wasn’t in a hurry.” With a sly smile, she studied her nails and accepted the chocolate cock Hope handed to her, eyeing it with interest.
“They had to work very hard to get me. I didn’t give in easily, and I could never have respected a wimp.”
Jesse grinned. “And Jared, Duncan, and Reese could never be called wimps.”
Hardly able to fathom such a thing, Alison stared at Erin in shock. “How in the world—”
Erin laughed and twirled the cock by the stick.
“Don’t ask me. I still don’t understand how it works. It just does. We make it work. God knows I couldn’t live without any of them.” She paused, smiling, before blowing out a breath and turning back to Alison, her expression thoughtful. “I used to worry about it a lot at the beginning, especially when they argued, and told them so. They told me to stay out of their disagreements and to make time for each of them. I do, and it works. When they argue about something, I stay out of it. It can be frustrating, believe me, when the three of them agree on something and decide they can make a decision for me, but I have to tell you, it’s nice to have men to count on. It’s like it frees me somehow.”
Jesse nodded immediately. “I know what you mean. When I was married to Brian, I had to do everything. He didn’t want any responsibility at all. I always felt as if I had a huge weight on my shoulders. Now with Clay and Rio, I have two husbands to take care of things, ones who don’t wait around for me to do it. They’re a hell of a lot different than Brian.”
Erin sat forward, a dreamy look on her face. “There are fewer fights than I expected, too. Jared’s so bossy, he can make me crazy, and he won’t budge at all. When I get pissed at him, I go find Duncan or Reese. Duncan loves to argue, and I vent my temper on him a lot of times.”
She laughed, blushing. “We usually end up in bed, of course, but he usually makes me see Jared’s side in a different light. It’s frustrating as hell when they get bossy and domineering, but once you learn to get around them, it can also be a hell of a lot of fun.”
Fascinated, Alison propped her hand on her fist, absorbed in the conversation. “I guess that’s what these seminars are for, so you can learn how to get around them. My ex-boyfriend was like that. Bossy, domineering, always having to have everything his way. It didn’t really matter what I liked or didn’t, everything had to be his way. I guess when you get good at sex, you can get around them.”
All four women stilled and looked at each other. Jesse shared a look with the other women before turning to her and touching her arm.
“I think we’ve given you the wrong impression, and for that, I apologize. The men in Desire are different. No, I know what you’re thinking. I thought the same thing, but they are. If you care about them and they care about you, sex doesn’t need any technique. Hell, technique usually flies right out the window with us. Our men love us and will do anything to make us happy. You want to get around Dillon and Ryder? Pout. Blink as if you’re going to cry. They’ll cave like a house of cards.”
Trying to picture either Dillon or Ryder caring enough about her that a simple pout would affect them proved impossible. Men, in her experience, cared only about themselves.
Kelly sat forward. “Alison, my ex-boyfriend was a nightmare. I don’t want to go into details, but it was bad. I was scared to death to trust another man again. Then I met Blade.”
Shaking her head, she grinned. “Trust me to fall in love with one of the owners of Club Desire. A Dom. Talk about controlling. But we love each other, and that makes all the difference.”
Alison’s jaw dropped. “Weren’t you scared? I mean, don’t men like that like to inflict pain?”
Kelly laughed, her face flushed. “Some, but only the good kind. Please don’t ask me to explain that. We both enjoy it very much. But let me tell you something that might help you understand. A little while ago, I had a miscarriage.”
Her eyes filled with tears as the other women smiled sympathetically.
“Blade held me while I cried. He took me into our bedroom and sat in the chair and held me on his lap. All night. Every time I woke up, he had his arms around me, holding me. We stayed that way until morning. He didn’t go to the club the next day like he was supposed to. He made me stay in bed, and he brought me meals and stayed with me all day. When I wanted to talk, we talked. When I didn’t, he just held me. When we could finally make love again, he was so gentle, gentler than he’s ever been. It was wonderful.”
Sharing a smile with Jesse, she played with her straw. “But it stayed that way. I missed him. I missed what we had before. I had to practically threaten him before he would even spank me again.”
Alison blinked. “Wait! What? You wanted him to spank you?”
Jesse laughed and patted her arm. “If you hang around Desire much longer, you’ll understand. I’ll tell you a little secret. The men think spanking keeps us in line, when in reality, most of the time we use it to get their attention.”
Not knowing how to respond to that, Alison looked up as Hope approached the table, wearing a grin. Staring at her, Alison tried, and failed, to picture the petite effervescent woman with the huge, grim-faced sheriff.
Plunking a bucket of what appeared to be chocolate
cocks, each wrapped in cellophane, in the middle of the table, Hope wagged a finger at them. “Control yourselves, ladies. They’re for the demonstration.”
Alison laughed at some of the comments the women made, surprised to find she’d begun to thoroughly enjoy herself. It felt good to laugh again, and she couldn’t help but think about Dillon and Ryder.
After a phone call from Danny this morning, she’d been so angry, she’d walked around town to cool down, thinking about what she should do. She knew Dillon expected her to have breakfast with them, but she hadn’t been able to face them.
As soon as she left the seminar, she would go in search of them, but first she wanted to enjoy herself with her newfound friends. Still finding it hard to believe that people could actually live this way, nice people, people who appeared to be smart and mature, Alison leaned forward, eager to learn more.
“Erin, have you been married a long time?”
Erin shook her head. “Not even a year yet, but my mother-in-law has been married to my three fathers-in-law for close to fifty years.”
Alison paused with the drink halfway to her mouth. “You’re kidding!”
Shaking her head, Erin rummaged through the bucket, measuring the chocolate cocks against each other. “Nope. Kind of blew me away, too.”
Tapping her fingers on the table, Alison weighed her words carefully. “Dillon said that the oldest actually marries the woman but that the other man”—she shot a look at Erin—“or men consider themselves married, too. Do they really?”
Thinking of Ryder, she hoped the semidarkness hid her red face. “What if one of them met someone else? I mean, what if they decided not to share anymore?”
Nat sat forward and grabbed one of the chocolate cocks, ripping the bow and paper from it. “Not all men share.”
A strange look came over Nat’s face but disappeared just as quickly. “The men in this town are faithful. They don’t wander. If they do, they’re run out of town.”
Alison’s brows went up as she watched Nat slide the chocolate past her lips and so far back Alison feared she would choke.
