by Marla Monroe
Alice closed her eyes and pictured him without clothes but couldn’t quite get it right. Was he hairy all over or just his groin? What about Landon? Did he have chest hair? Was it thick or just a sprinkling? She wanted to know what they looked like without their clothes, but that wouldn’t come until they’d been dating for a while. She refused to let things get out of hand until she was sure she wanted what they were offering.
What were they offering? She was almost positive it was a forever kind of relationship. If they got along and found that they cared for each other, she could see it happening. Love? She wasn’t sure she believed in love anymore. Too many soured relationships where she’d have sworn they’d been in love only to have them walk away as if it didn’t even bother them.
I want it all. I want marriage, children, and love. But is love real? And what about marriage? How can I marry two men?
She was getting ahead of herself. She needed to drop that line of thought and concentrate on getting to know them better for now.
I need to let tomorrow take care of itself and live in the moment for now.
It was something she’d been telling herself ever since she’d moved away from Dallas. Worrying about the future only complicated the present. She would see where they went while they met at the diner and went out on Saturday nights. That was enough to think about.
She’d let her subconscious worry about the sex and what they looked like while she slept. She was sure her dreams were going to be humdingers for however long everything lasted.
Chapter Eight
Alice waited nervously at the table in the diner for the guys to show up. It was Tuesday, and they’d agreed to meet at twelve thirty for lunch. It had been hell trying to concentrate on work all morning knowing she’d be seeing them in a few hours. She’d have to work later than usual to make up for her poor focus that morning.
The doors opened, and her heart skipped one then two beats before it slammed into her chest like a locomotive. They were amazing to look at despite the grungy jeans and stained T-shirts. She loved how Ben’s face seemed to always be in a scowl until he saw her, and then it relaxed into a lopsided smile. Landon’s clothes seemed a little less dirty than Ben’s, but he wasn’t glowering either. Instead, he smiled just for her as they strode in her direction.
She beamed up at them like a teenager with her first crush. How could she not when they had all of their attention on her?
“Hey, babe.” Ben bent over and gave her a quick kiss on top of her head before taking a seat to her right.
Landon walked over and kissed her on the cheek then sat on her left. “How has it been today, honey?”
“Work’s work. Honestly, I’ve had trouble concentrating all morning. I guess I was nervous about meeting you guys for lunch,” she admitted.
“Why?” Ben stiffened next to her.
“I don’t know. Just that newness when you’re first getting to know someone. Haven’t you ever been a little bit nervous right before a first date?” she asked.
Ben cocked his head to one side. “I guess. Before you it had been a long time though.”
Landon chuckled. “Ass, that’s how we were when we were waiting to call her Sunday.”
“Well, yeah. True,” Ben said.
“What can I get you guys to drink?” One of the waitresses interrupted them.
They all got tea and went ahead and placed their orders. She returned with three iced teas seconds later. Alice looked around to see how many people were in the place. It seemed to be a full house. The diner was always busy for lunch. She hadn’t been there at night yet to know if that carried over.
“Are they as busy at night as they are at lunchtime?” she asked.
“Diner stays busy just about all the time. They have a breakfast crowd, a lunch crowd, and a dinner crowd. Some even stop by around ten for pie and coffee, as well,” Landon told her.
“They make good lunches, that’s for sure. I only let myself eat here twice a week, or I’d end up as big as a house. I love their meatloaf and their chicken and dumplings.” Alice had ordered the chicken and dumplings for her meal.
“Don’t worry about your size, babe. You’re afuckingmazing just like you are. A few extra pounds would only give me more to hold on to,” he said.
Landon sighed and rolled his eyes. “He’s not going to curb his tongue. I warn you about that right now.”
“I think I already figured that out,” Alice said with a chuckle.
“What? What did I say?” Ben demanded.
“Nothing. Thanks for the compliment. I’ll remind you of that if I do add on a few pounds dating you guys. I have a feeling I’m going to end up eating more than I should around you.”
“We’ll work it off you.” Ben shook his head at Landon’s scowl. “Now what did I say?”
Alice couldn’t help but laugh at the two men. They were so much fun to be around.
“Have you been busy today?” she asked, taking pity on Ben.
“Got two trucks in that need transmission work and a car that’s making one of those weird noises that you can only hear when you drive it at forty miles an hour,” Landon said.
“Ah, and they really didn’t want to leave it for you to drive. They just expected you to know what was wrong and fix it,” she said.
“Exactly,” Ben said with a snort.
“So you’ve got a full house for the week. I know transmission work takes a little while. I had to have something done on my last car that took nearly a week,” she told them.
“Depends on what it is and if the mechanic is any good as to how long it takes. Neither of these look to be too bad. At least we aren’t going to have to replace the entire thing,” Landon said.
The waitress returned with their meals then topped off their tea before walking to the next table to take their order. Alice took the first bite and hummed her appreciation. As always, it was delicious. They ate in silence for a few minutes. Then Landon spoke again.
“I saw that you had one of those E things that people read on. What do you like to read?” he asked.
Alice had to swallow hard since she nearly choked at that. “I like to read a lot of different things. You know, romance, murder mysteries, things like that.”
“Romance?” Ben grinned over at her. “Like those erotic romances that women like?”
“Um, well, I have some of those on it. It depends on my mood as to what I read though.”
They didn’t have to know that she’d just downloaded another twenty-five dollars’ worth of erotic romances the night before. She had murder mysteries and thrillers on the little e-reader, as well.
Landon got into it. “So what kind of erotic romances do you read?”
She was being double-teamed. That wasn’t fair. She’d have to point that out to them the next time they weren’t in public.
“Not the kind I’m going to tell you about, and especially not here. Now stop teasing me.” She lifted her nose and proceeded to ignore them while she ate her meal.
They kept making comments about what they thought she might be reading until she couldn’t help but laugh.
“Stop it, you guys. Someone’s going to hear you and we’ll be on the front page of the newspaper on Sunday.”
“Give us a hint and we’ll let it be,” Ben said.
“Okay, one hint. There’s a woman in the book.”
Landon burst out laughing. “Well, I sure hope so.”
“Hey, there might not have been. You know there are erotic romance novels about two or more men, don’t you?” She smirked at the horror on both Ben’s and Landon’s faces.
“Are you fucking with me?” Ben asked.
“No,” she laughed. “A lot of women love to read man-on-man romances. I don’t, but a lot do.”
“That’s a new one on me. I never would have believed women would go for that sort of thing,” Landon said.
“Hey, can you honestly tell me that the idea of two women having sex doesn’t get your motor running?”
she asked.
“Hell, yeah. That’s probably one of the biggest turn-ons with porn tapes,” Ben said.
“Ben,” Landon warned.
“No. Be honest, Landon. You’ve probably got a cache of porn movies at home and at least one of them has some girl-on-girl action. Right?”
He looked around then shrugged. “Well, yeah. All guys do.”
“So, why is it so hard to believe that women like to read male-on-male?” she asked.
Ben snorted. “Whatever floats their boats I guess.”
“Well, before we add to our column in the gossip rags,” Landon began, “we better go.”
Alice stood and fished in her purse for money to pay her meal.
“Nope. You’re our date when we eat together,” Ben said, staying her hand. “Always.”
“I can pay for my own meals, guys.”
“We know, but when you’re out with us, even if we’re just meeting up like this, we pay. No discussion allowed,” Landon added.
“Okay. Thanks. I enjoyed my lunch break more than I have in a long time.” She walked with them to the front then allowed Landon to walk her out while Ben paid.
“Thanks for meeting us for lunch, hon. I know we’re kind of dirty when we come from the shop, but I promise when we take you out on Saturday that we’ll be nice and clean.”
“Don’t worry about it. Be glad I don’t always wear pajamas when I’m working, or I might just show up in them to lunch one day.” She winked at him.
“What about pajamas?” Ben asked as he joined them in the parking lot.
“Evidently, she doesn’t always get dressed to work,” Landon said.
“You can wear anything you want or nothing at all.” Ben smiled in a very suggestive way. “We’ll come pick you up for lunch from now on, so don’t bother to get dressed on our account.”
“Ben. I swear. Ignore him.”
“You guys crack me up. Thanks again for lunch. I’d better get back before I have to work late tonight to make up the time.” She turned to walk toward the street in the opposite direction of their shop.
“Be careful, babe.” Ben’s words followed her all the way home.
What I need is to be careful of my heart. I really like them. Maybe too much.
* * * *
Kthump. Alice frowned. What in the world was that? It sounded as if it came from just outside her bedroom window. She waited for a few seconds but didn’t hear anything more. Then another noise got her attention.
Meow, meow.
A cat? Where had that come from? She stood and walked through the house to the back door then walked outside and around the house. There she found a kitten attempting to climb up the brick wall. It hung halfway from the ground to the ledge outside her window. Had that been the thump she’d heard? Had the poor thing fallen from the ledge? What the hell was it doing there in the first place?
“Hey there, little guy. Hold on.” She scooped it off the brick and held it close as she walked around to see if there were any more or a momma cat looking for it.
“Looks like you’re on your own. How is that working out for you?” She felt its little heartbeat hard against her hand as she strode back inside the house.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you. Don’t know what I’ll do with a kitten, but maybe you’ll like it here and I’ll like having you.” Alice grabbed a saucer and poured some milk into it then set it and the kitten on the floor.
The poor thing all but dove head first into the saucer. She watched as it coated its little face with milk as it lapped as fast as it could swallow. It didn’t take it long to lick the plate clean, and then it sat down and attempted to clean itself even as its little eyelids drooped over sleepy eyes.
Alice picked up the empty saucer, deposited it in the sink, then scooped up the kitten. She stopped by the bathroom for a towel then carried it into her office and fixed a spot next to her computer and bundled the little thing up nice and snug for its after-meal nap.
She’d checked and found that it was a little girl. She’d have to name her and pick up some things in town for her. She’d watch for lost kitten posters and check with the local vet in case someone was looking for it, but deep down, she hoped no one would be. The kitten was a blue-gray soft ball of fur. Her eyes were just as smoky as her thick coat. She tried out a few names on the little thing but just couldn’t settle on anything right away. She had work to do, so that could wait.
Out of the blue she wondered what the guys would think about her owning a kitten. She imagined Ben would scowl and Landon would think it was cute. She still couldn’t get over how different the two men were. Yes, they both were a little gruff, but Landon was softer on the edges than Ben.
I like the roughness. I like to think that I can handle them, but even if I can’t, I’ll enjoy trying.
Funny enough, she liked them both just like they were. She was sure their attitudes would make her mad at times, but as long as they weren’t users, druggies, cheaters, or slackers, she would give them a try. She’d had enough of guys like that. Somehow Alice didn’t think Ben or Landon were anything like anyone she’d ever dated before, and that was fine with her.
She caught herself thinking about them off and on all day as she replayed lunch in her mind. They’d cracked her up several times, and she found their brutal honesty refreshing. She also couldn’t get how good-looking they were off her mind. She liked how Ben had felt pressed against her when he’d helped her down from the wrecker the other night. The long, hard length of him had been tantalizing. How long would she be able to hold out if they put the moves on her? She wanted to take her time with them, see if they had anything between them other than physical chemistry. She wanted more than that with them.
The kitten took that moment to stretch then mewl at her as it rolled around in the makeshift bed she’d made out of the towel. The little thing had a dainty, but loud meow.
“I get it. You need a litter box. Well, we’ll have to fix something up for you until I go to the store later this afternoon.”
Alice found the top of a box and shredded some newspaper in it for the little thing to use. She watched as the kitten scratched around then settled to do her business. When she jumped out, she raced around the room, sniffing and pawing at things while Alice watched. She shook her head. It was obvious she wasn’t going to get anything more done for work until she outfitted the kitten with what she needed plus a few toys to occupy her.
And she needed to give her a name.
When the kitten meowed at her several times until she picked her up, Alice decided on Sassy. The little thing had a mouth on her despite being so small. She decided she’d take her to the vet on Saturday for a checkup and to get her shots if she were old enough. Hopefully the vet would know her age since Alice sure didn’t.
She closed the kitten up in her office with the makeshift litter tray, a bowl of water, and some balls of paper while she went shopping. When she returned, it was with a carload of supplies including food, a scratching post, some toys, a covered bed, and the much-needed cat litter and litterbox. She couldn’t believe what all was required for one little kitten. It was almost as much as a new mother would need for a baby.
She set everything up in her office, choosing to make that the kitten’s home. She’d take her around the rest of the house at times but wanted her to have one room she always felt safe in. Plus, it was where Alice spent most of her day during the week and sometimes on Saturday.
“I hope you’re happy now. You’re going to cost as much as a pure-bred kitten.” She snuggled the playful kitten under her chin then set it down to play with its new toys.
Naturally it returned to the balls of paper, ignoring the play mice and crinkly balls. Figures. She shook her head and set up the litter box then set out cat bowls of fresh water and kitten food on a placemat with fish all around the edges. Then she fussed around until she decided that the best place for the cat bed was under the shelf next to her desk. She’d keep the towel on the d
esk for when the kitten wanted to sleep near her during the day.
Since Alice worked from home, the kitten would never have a reason to get lonely. That was nice because she really didn’t want more than one kitten that would one day grow into a cat. That had her wondering how big she would get.
Wondering how big the kitten would grow led her back to wondering just how large the men’s cocks were. She was obsessed over them for some reason. She knew Ben was large, but what about Landon? Would both men stretch her to her limits should they get that far in their relationship?
Relationship? Was she truly thinking about having one with both men? Well, yeah, if she were going to go out with both of them at the same time, she had to consider that. Why else would she go out with them? She wasn’t a tease and didn’t plan to go out for a few weeks then call it quits unless they did something she didn’t like or she could tell that she wasn’t honestly attracted to them outside of the physical. Because she was physically attracted to them. They were hot, hard, and heady to her senses.
Her pussy tingled just thinking about the two men. Maybe, while the kitten was occupied with the expensive ball of paper, she’d spend a little me time with her vibrator. Just thinking about the finger butterfly hidden away in her drawer sent tingling zings of anticipation to her clit.
Alice pulled off her clothes, climbed on the bed, and pulled out the magical little toy. She didn’t need lube as wet as her pussy had gotten as she thought about Landon and Ben. She leaned back and closed her eyes, picturing them in her head as they pleasured her with their hands and tongues.
The little butterfly vibrator whirred and vibrated as she applied it to her clit. It stimulated her to the point of orgasm long before she was ready. Alice moved it off her clit to slide up and down her pussy lips, side to side, as she used her other hand to pull and twist her nipples, imagining that it was Landon’s mouth and fingers there. Ben would be between her legs, licking and stuffing her full of his fingers.
Large, callused fingers that stretched her as he pumped them in and out. Oh, how she wanted more than those talented fingers in her cunt. She wanted to feel his big, thick dick there, spreading her wide and touching every part of her.