by Lynn LaFleur
They’d been happy, truly happy, unlike so many couples he knew who tolerated each other because they had a marriage certificate.
He touched her cheek with one fingertip. “I miss you,” he whispered.
Griff replaced the picture in the exact spot where it had been. With one last glance around the room, he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Chapter Two
Emma chalked the end of her cue stick as she slowly rounded the pool table, searching for the best angle. She and Dax had each won one game. If she sank the eight ball, she’d win again and Dax had to buy the next round of drinks.
If it bruised his ego to be beaten by a woman, too bad.
Deciding she could make the shot if she banked the cue ball off the side, she leaned over the table, readied her stick and nodded at the far corner pocket. “Eight ball in the corner.”
Dax snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Emma straightened and lifted her chin. “You doubt I can make it? You wanna put your money where your mouth is?”
Dax’s eyes narrowed. “You’re on. Twenty bucks says you don’t make it.”
“Deal.”
She leaned over the table again, lined up her shot. The cue ball banked off the side. It tapped the eight ball, which traveled in a straight line right into the corner pocket.
“Well, shit,” Dax muttered.
Emma sashayed over to Dax and held out her hand. “I believe you owe me twenty bucks.”
Grumbling under his breath about pool sharks, Dax removed his wallet from his back pocket, took out a twenty and slapped it on her palm. “I demand a rematch.”
“Any time.”
She grinned and Dax returned it. He led her to the table where Alaina and Rye sat, his hand resting lightly on her lower back as a simple courtesy. Even though Dax flirted outrageously with her, he did the same thing with every woman around him. She couldn’t fault him for that, since she did the same thing with men.
Alaina had told her Dax liked to have a good time and wasn’t interested in any long-term thing. Neither was Emma. There were way too many available men out there to settle for one. Maybe she and Dax would become fuck buddies.
Her hormones did a happy dance at that thought.
“Hey, there’s Griff,” Alaina said.
Emma had her attention focused on Dax, so hadn’t seen Griff enter the bar. Setting her beer bottle on the table, she watched the third Coleman brother head for their table.
“Hey, bro,” Dax said with a smile. “Glad you changed your mind.”
Griff nodded toward his brother. “There wasn’t anything worth watching on TV.”
Rye dragged a chair over from another table. “We’re about ready for round two. Want a beer?”
“Sounds good.” Griff arranged the chair between Dax and Alaina, directly across from Emma. “Whose turn to buy?”
“Dax’s,” Emma said. “He lost the last pool game.”
“I still think you cheated,” Dax muttered in a pouty tone.
Emma couldn’t call it a smile, but she thought Griff’s lips twitched. “You let Emma beat you?”
“Hey, there was no ‘letting’ me do anything. I beat him fair and square.”
“Bet you can’t beat Griff,” Dax said. His grin dared Emma to take the bait.
Emma looked at Griff. His lips definitely twitched this time. “Oh? You’re pretty good?”
He shrugged.
“Twenty more dollars says you can’t beat Griff at pool.” Dax withdrew two tens from his wallet and laid them in the middle of the table. “Rye, you in?”
“I’m in.” Rye’s twenty joined Dax’s money on the table. “How about you, Alaina?”
“Not me. I’ll never bet against Emma when it comes to pool.”
“Thanks, Lainy. I knew you were my friend.” She looked at Griff. “You wanna lose to a woman?”
“I won’t lose.”
That cocky attitude had to be knocked way down. She pointed to the forty dollars already on the table. “Then show me the money.”
Griff gazed at her for several moments, his blank expression impossible to read, before he pulled out his wallet. “You’re on.”
The waitress approached the table as Griff added a twenty to the stack of bills. She grinned. “Is that my tip?”
“We’re generous, Lana,” Rye said, “but not that generous.”
“Darn. Y’all ready for another round?” She touched Griff’s shoulder. “You drinking beer, Griff?”
“Yeah.”
Rye handed Lana his empty beer bottle. “Cheeseburgers and fries all around.”
“You got it.”
Emma nudged Griff’s calf under the table. “Would you like to lose while we wait for our food?”
“I told you, I won’t lose.”
“Yeah, yeah. Show me your moves, Coleman.”
Emma led the way back to the pool table. She slid a dollar bill into the slot to release the balls while Griff chose a cue stick from the holder on the wall. He racked the balls while she selected the stick she’d used while playing with Dax.
“Who breaks?” she asked.
“Ladies first.”
She knew Griff would say that. All three Coleman brothers were gentlemen with a capital G. That didn’t mean she would show him any mercy in the game.
She lined up her shot and tapped the cue ball. It hit the rack with a satisfying crack, the two ball flying into the corner pocket.
“Nice break,” Griff said.
“Thanks.” She slowly circled the table, eyed the balls for her next shot. “Four in the side.”
She made that shot, and also the seven ball, before she missed her shot on the three. Griff had stood patiently while she took her turn, his eyes the only thing moving as he watched her. Now he stepped closer to the table, his gaze sweeping over the layout of the remaining balls.
“Ten in the side.”
The ball went in the pocket so smoothly, like a pastry knife through buttercream frosting. So did the eleven, fourteen and fifteen. Emma wondered if Griff would run the table, when his shot of the twelve into the side pocket missed by an inch.
Back and forth, until each of them had only one ball plus the eight left on the table. Rye, Dax and Alaina stood close by, silently watching the battle. Griff’s last ball sat between Emma’s, the cue ball and the pocket. Emma knew there was a good chance he’d either miss, or knock her ball into the pocket.
She didn’t want to win due to a foul. She wanted to beat him with skill.
He leaned over the table, stick poised for the shot. “Thirteen in the side.”
Emma held her breath as Griff banked the cue off the end and side to tap the thirteen. It headed straight for the side pocket, just as he’d called it, but stopped right on the edge.
His brothers groaned in sympathy, Alaina grinned and gave a whoop of excitement. “You can do it, Emma! Go for it!”
The cue ball’s position left her an easy shot of her last ball. She smirked at Griff as she lined up the shot. “One in the corner.” It sailed into the pocket, quickly followed by the eight ball. Still smirking, she walked up to Griff and grinned at him. “I thought you said you wouldn’t lose.”
He didn’t smile, but she could see humor in his eyes. He shrugged. “You’re better than I thought.”
“Food’s up!” Lana called as she approached their table with a heavy tray.
“Good.” Emma laid her stick on the table. “Winning makes me hungry.”
She was so different than Jana.
Griff’s gaze returned to Emma time and time again as everyone enjoyed Dolly’s cooking. She was very attractive, no doubt about that. Her short curly hair, big blue eyes and creamy complexion drew a man’s attention and held it. Her curvy body did the same. Jana had been a couple of inches taller than Emma with long, straight, dark brown hair. She’d been slim with barely any breasts or hips. Her lack of curves hadn’t mattered to Griff. His wife had been sweet and kind and shy, and everyone had love
d her.
He didn’t think there was a shy bone anywhere in Emma’s sexy body.
He wasn’t sure why he’d decided to come to Boot Scootin’. Another long, lonely night hadn’t appealed to him at all. He’d thought about what Dax said about Jana wanting him to be happy. Deep in his heart, he knew that. His problem was knowing how to let her go.
Griff’s gaze swung back to Emma. Her tight T-shirt was short enough to expose a sliver of her tummy. Seeing that strip of skin, along with the hint of nipples, made a man think of pushing her shirt up and pulling her jeans down to expose more enticing flesh.
Putting a halt to that kind of thought, Griff reached for another French fry on his plate. It shocked him to see his empty plate. He’d eaten every bite of his cheeseburger and fries. He hadn’t cleaned his plate since Jana died.
Lana came back to the table and began to gather up the empty plates. “Who wants peach cobbler?”
“I do,” Rye and Dax said at the same time.
Alaina looked at Emma. “Dolly’s peach cobbler is delicious, but huge. Want to split one?”
“Sure,” Emma said.
Lana picked up Griff’s empty plate. “How about you, Griff?”
Another shock. He wasn’t full. “Yeah, I’ll go for that. With ice cream.”
“I knew that part.” She grinned. “Be right back.”
Dax leaned forward in his chair. “Okay, bro, time to fess up. You let Emma win, didn’t you?”
Griff looked at Emma. She watched him while she sipped her beer. He could lie and say that he hadn’t let her win, or tell the truth and admit he had. He elected to fudge his answer a little. “You saw my last shot. I missed it.”
“Yeah, but did you purposely miss it?”
Emma’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare say you let me win.”
He wanted to laugh. Griff hadn’t felt like laughing in ten months. He wasn’t sure if he could smile anymore without his face cracking. “You won’t hear it from me.”
“But you did, didn’t you?” Emma’s bottle made a loud thunk when she set it back on the table. “You drew up on that shot so the ball wouldn’t go in the pocket.”
“Here you go.” Lana arrived with her tray loaded with bowls of peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream.
Saved by the dessert, Griff thought. He dug into his cobbler, but made the mistake of glancing at Emma again. She glared at him.
“I want a rematch, Coleman.”
“Rye has a pool table,” Alaina said. “Y’all could play at his house.”
“You and me,” Emma said, pointing her spoon at Griff. “Tomorrow night. No holding back.”
“I’ll bring the beer,” Dax said, grinning.
“I’ll pick up barbecue.” Rye also grinned. “Should be an interesting evening.”
“Are we on?” Emma asked Griff.
Griff had grown up with his two brothers. As triplets, they were naturally close, and naturally competitive. They’d all played many different sports in school and still enjoyed physical sports when they had the chance to play. He’d been raised to be considerate of women, be a gentleman at all times. That’s why he’d let Emma win.
Her challenge made the competitive beast inside him rear up on its hind legs and release a roar.
“We’re on.”
Chapter Three
When Emma decided to spend a few days in Lanville with Alaina, she’d wanted nothing but to relax, soak up the sun and enjoy the time with one of her best friends. She’d teased Alaina about Rye, saying if her friend was fucking a Coleman, then so could she. She’d expected that Coleman would be Dax, and still believed they would be really hot together.
Yet it was Griff who made desire curl in her belly.
She had no illusions about a lifetime with the widower. Nor did she want one. Her draw to Griff was all about having a good time. Alaina told her he hadn’t been with a woman since his wife died. It was a shame to let all that testosterone sit idle.
Especially since she would gladly help him use it.
Throwing back the covers, she stretched her arms over her head and pointed her toes. A long hot shower, a bite of breakfast, and she’d be ready to start the day. Since Rye said he’d pay for barbecue for supper tonight, Emma decided she could make the side dishes. Something healthy would be good, but baked beans and potato salad went perfectly with barbecue. She’d top off the meal with her quadruple chocolate brownies for dessert.
Everyone would be on calorie overload, but she suspected the guys would love it.
Since she knew Alaina and Rye had already left for Stevens House, Emma didn’t bother covering up her nude body with a robe. She wandered into the kitchen, where she saw a note propped against the coffeemaker.
Coffee ready to be brewed, just push the button. See you later. A
Lainy always took such good care of her. Emma pressed the button to start the coffee, then headed for the big shower in the master bathroom. She loved the feel of the water from all those jets hitting her body.
Steam billowed out of the enclosure before Emma stepped beneath the hot water. She tilted her head back and let the water roll over her for several moments, then picked up the bottle of liquid soap. The scent of jasmine drifted to her nose as she poured a generous amount into her palm. Their housemate Kelcey had her own bathroom in her house, while Emma and Alaina had shared a bathroom. Luckily they both loved the scent of jasmine. After working the soap into a thick lather, Emma slowly spread it over her body with her hands.
She drew in a sharp breath as she passed over her breasts. She hadn’t been with a man in two weeks and her nipples were feeling neglected. She pleasured herself on a regular basis, yet her fingers weren’t nearly as satisfying as a man’s mouth. A dildo didn’t fill her pussy as well as a man’s hard cock.
Emma plucked at her nipples as she imagined a man touched her. She imagined a man’s lips at her nape, his teeth lightly scraping over her skin, while he cradled her breasts. He’d rub his cock against her ass, the hard length sliding between her cheeks.
“Mmm, yes.”
She let her hands drift down her body to between her thighs. Her lover would press her against the wall of the shower, bend his knees and slip inside her from behind. He’d move gently, easily, his thrusts intended to slowly build up her desire. That would work for a while, but Emma would soon want it harder, faster. She always wanted it harder, faster.
The lather let her fingers glide over her swollen folds. She flicked her clit with her thumb, caressed it with her fingertips. As hot as she felt now, a climax was only a few strokes away. Although it would feel good, she wanted more than good.
She wanted amazing.
Alaina had shown her all the settings on the removable showerhead last night, including a pulsing action that she said was perfect for orgasms. Slipping the showerhead from its holder, Emma set the spray to pulse and checked the flow on her palm. Oh yes. Definitely perfect.
Emma sat on the built-in seat in the corner. She spread her legs and ran the spray up and down her labia. Closing her eyes, she leaned back and raised her feet to the seat. The new position let her reach every part of her intimate flesh. She focused the spray on her clit, moved it up and down her folds again. She groaned out loud when the pulsing water touched her anus. She held the showerhead in place, letting the warmth caress the sensitive tissue. Anal stimulation had always been a huge turn-on for her and the path to a staggering climax. She suspected today would be no different.
Her toes curled when the pleasure began to grow stronger in her body. She rubbed her clit with her fingertips as she kept the spray directed on her anus. The orgasm stole her breath as it flashed through her like a wildfire, gathering speed until it consumed every part of her.
“Oh yessssss!”
Eyes closed, mouth open, her body trembled with each wave that flowed over her. Her lungs were still fighting for oxygen when she managed to open her eyes. It took several more moments for the strength to return to her legs so she could
stand.
Alaina hadn’t kidded about the showerhead being a girl’s friend.
The climax had definitely been amazing, but it still wasn’t enough. Orgasms with her fingers or a showerhead would never compare to the ones she received from a man.
She thought of Griff as she shaved her underarms, legs and mound. She wanted her next orgasm to be with him. Tonight would be the perfect opportunity.
*
Griff noticed Emma the moment he stepped into Rye’s kitchen. She and Alaina were laughing and talking as they took dishes from the cabinets and food from the refrigerator. The scent of barbecued beef and pork filled the air. Leaning against the doorjamb, he watched the two women scurry about the room.
“How much time left on the barbecue?” Alaina asked with her head inside the refrigerator.
Emma stopped tearing the lettuce leaves in her hands and glanced at the timer on the stove. “Ten minutes.”
“I’m gonna warm up the baked beans.”
“Okay. Grab that cruet of salad dressing while you’re in there so I can toss the salad.”
Griff’s gaze slowly traveled over Emma. She wore tight, faded jeans that hit her right at the hips. A loose blouse in shades of turquoise, hot pink and gray was tied at her waist, leaving that sliver of skin exposed again.
Her toes peeked out from denim sandals. Hot pink polish covered her toenails and fingernails. She’d apparently given herself a manicure and pedicure today, or had it done in town. That color looked really good against her fair skin.
Alaina removed a glass casserole dish from the refrigerator. She saw him as she pushed the door shut with her hip. “Hi, Griff.”
Emma’s head swung toward him. He watched her gaze do its own traveling over his shoulders, chest and groin before returning to his face. He hadn’t seen that type of look in a long time, but he recognized it.
Desire.
A surge of heat flowed through Griff’s body, something he hadn’t felt in months. He didn’t want to feel heat, or desire, or any kind of emotion like that for Emma or any other woman. He couldn’t dishonor Jana’s memory that way. She’d been the only woman he’d loved, the only woman he could ever love. He lived, yet his heart had been buried with his wife.
