Love Under Two Extroverts [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Cara Covington

  The dress was deceptively demure, with long sleeves and cut in a front wrap around style. The V-neck was far from daring. On the hanger it looked simple, nice…demure. On her was a whole different matter. The dress hugged her curves and displayed the girls and her cleavage to their very best advantage.

  When she’d looked in the mirror after she’d gotten dressed, she realized her instincts had been exactly right. She felt sexy as hell, and that sense of feminine confidence was just what she needed for her first date with a couple of New York city slickers.

  They were uptown GQ and she was, as they had so recently noted, all Southern belle. I should feel sorry for them. They don’t stand a chance.

  She had no idea what the future held—whether anything at all would come of this date. Hell, she didn’t even know if she’d let them kiss her good night when they took her back to her car later in the evening.

  It had been a long time since she’d felt this confident. It’s been a long time since you felt this alive.

  Jacqui pushed the unwanted thought away. It wouldn’t do for her to dwell on that truth tonight. Tomorrow would be soon enough for her to consider the why of everything.

  Right now was for the moment. She hadn’t been out anywhere with anyone since she’d come to Lusty, and it was way past time she had some fun.

  She looked up and saw Norm walking toward them, three longnecks in hand, held dangling between his fingers. But it was the intensity of his gaze that caught her attention and her breath. In his eyes she read heat, and a masculine kind of smug which shouldn’t have sent a thrill rippling over her skin.

  Unable to help herself, she turned toward Will, not at all surprised to see the same look on him.

  If I had any sense at all I would run screaming for the hills.

  In that moment, Jacqui realized that not only did she have no sense of self-preservation at all, but she wanted very much to explore whatever adventures those looks of theirs promised.

  * * * *

  It was going to be a challenge keeping his wood from getting stiff. Jacqui Bethune was the most desirable woman Norm Kendall had ever laid eyes on.

  The moment she met his gaze as he approached with the drinks, he knew that she’d seen everything he felt for her, everything he wanted, right there in his eyes. He’d always been good at hiding his true feelings—but not tonight, apparently.

  It’s just as well she knows what I feel and what I want going in. He nearly groaned at his unintended double entendre. Going in. That was an image he needed to keep away from the center stage of his mind.

  He watched as Jacqui looked at Will, and then swallowed hard. Hard. Damn it, he had to keep those damn images at bay.

  She looked back at him, and for just a moment, he saw something that made his spirits soar.

  He and his cousin weren’t alone in the attraction they felt. Until this moment, he hadn’t been certain he understood why Jacqui had agreed to be their date for the evening. Now he was a lot more hopeful than he’d been.

  We have to take it slow. They already had some fairly hefty clues the pretty brunette had been bruised, emotionally. That bruising had made her put up some very stout defenses. Neither he nor Will knew for certain that she was the one. But they intended to start out carefully, anyway, so that if they discovered she was, they wouldn’t have already shot themselves in the foot before ever really getting started.

  Or at least not any more than we already have with that silly game of spouting smarmy pick-up lines.

  Norm focused on Jacqui, and when he reached the table, he gave her as sweet a smile as his lips knew how to make when he set the bottle down in front of her. “It’s nice and cold,” he said.

  “Good. I like my beer cold and my…music hot.”

  She was going to give them a run for their money, he just knew it. In truth, nothing could have made him happier.

  He took a moment to remove his sport coat and hang it over his chair. Neither of them had any idea what the dress code might have been, so they’d settled for slacks, collared shirts and sports coats. Looking over the people who’d already gathered, he was relieved to see they didn’t stand out as over or under dressed.

  In the social circles they traveled because of their business, appearance was everything. Just one more reason why I’m glad we’re the hell away from it for a while.

  He and Will were in agreement that they’d had enough of the so-called rich and famous. There were a rarefied few of their clients who were people they were proud to know, people who didn’t let the glitz and glamour get to them.

  Many of the rest tended to believe their own press. Rick Wilde was a case in point. He’d been a sweet kid when he’d started out. The role of Tony Razor had been a gold mine for him, one that if he had played his cards right, if he’d only listened to them, could have been as successful a brand for him as Die Hard had been for Bruce Willis.

  Norm closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened them, it was to encounter Jacqui looking at him, her head held at an angle that told him she wondered where he’d just come back from.

  “Sometimes the job rears its ugly head.”

  “You’re both serious about decompressing and trying to become real again, aren’t you?”

  Ah, so she might have appeared to be aloof and disinterested in them, but clearly she’d heard talk—they’d both known in coming to Lusty that everyone would soon know their business.

  “Yes, we both really are.”

  “Too many of our clients ended up being individuals whose greatest commodity was their egos,” Will said. “We have been seriously considering selling our business and starting over.”

  “And do what?” Jacqui took a sip from her beer, but her attention was all on them.

  Norm met Will’s gaze. Then he looked at Jacqui. “That’s the sticking point. We’re not sure what we want to do. It’s not the work we dislike. People miss out on making the best of their assets, and on making their dreams come true, due to not knowing how to present themselves.”

  “It was better in the beginning when we mostly dealt with business people, educators, and public service people.” Will took a drink from his longneck and set the bottle down.

  “Watching a person’s belief in themselves grow because of the skills we taught them—that was, for lack of a better term, cool.”

  “I guess I’ve always just thought of that skill set in a negative way. I never considered that having those skills would give someone confidence.”

  “You acted, when you met us, as if you couldn’t decide if we were used car salesmen, or politicians.” Norm softened his words so she’d understand he was just making conversation.

  Jacqui scrunched her nose. “Yeah, I have to plead guilty to that.” She lifted her bottle in a toasting gesture. “So here’s to kicking our baggage to the side so we don’t trip over it, and just letting the moment live on its own.”

  “I’ll drink to that.”

  She chuckled because he and Will had responded at the same time and in the same words as he. Then they clinked their bottles, sealing the wish into reality.

  “Gooooood Saturday night, Lusty, Texas! This is JD the DJ, and we’re going to be making beautiful music together all night long. If you have any special requests, I’ll do my best to make them happen for y’all. I’ll also try to play the songs you ask for, too! Let’s get things started with a little Justin Moore, just ‘Lettin’ the Night Roll.’”

  Norm raised one eyebrow as he looked at his cousin. Will turned to Jacqui. “Would you like to dance?”

  “I would.” She set her beer down, and took the hand he offered. Norm’s gaze followed them as they made their way to the dance floor.

  We’re taking things slow. They’d take turns dancing with her, for a while at least. Then they’d see if she’d be interested in having two dance partners at the same time, the way they’d heard some of the triads liked to do.

  Plus, waiting would give them all the opportunity to
see exactly how that was done.

  Jacqui slid right into his cousin’s arms, didn’t even try to keep distance between them. Her steps looked effortless, and Norm wondered if she’d had dancing lessons.

  The sound of approaching voices told him they’d likely be sharing their corner of the hall shortly. He supposed it had been selfish of him to hope that everyone would go sit somewhere else.

  They were both determined to take it slow, but a lot of intimate fun could be had, both on the dance floor and sitting close together between dances in a darkened place.

  “There you are! Great, you picked an area with several tables. There’ll be room for us all! Holly, over here!”

  Norm turned his attention toward the feminine voice. He recognized Nancy, Jacqui’s friend and boss. He got to his feet when it was clear she was coming right over to him.

  “Norm, where’s…ah, they’re dancing.” She gave him a wide grin. “You’ve met Eli and Jeremiah, haven’t you?”

  His mother’s training had him extending his hand to first one, and then the other of Nancy’s husbands. Both men nodded, and looked distinctly apologetic.

  Holly came rushing over, her two husbands in tow. He’d met both Alan Wilson and Duncan Moore shortly after they’d arrived in Lusty.

  “Hi, Norm. Where’s…ah, they’re dancing.”

  Both Wilson and Moore looked a tad on the uncomfortable side, as well. Holly and Nancy hugged, and then Nancy pulled out her cell phone.

  “I’ll just text the others and tell them where we are. You guys”—Nancy pointed to the other four men—“start rearranging the furniture. There’s going to be a lot of us.”

  “What do you mean, there’s going to be a lot of us?” Norm wasn’t certain he’d heard right.

  “Isn’t it great?” Holly’s smile beamed wide, and not altogether, in Norm’s opinion, without guile. “We’re going to have a wonderful time tonight! It’ll be like a big, good ole southern party!”

  Chapter 6

  Will drew the line at the part of the plan that called for seating the women on one side of the table, and the men on the other. He’d had help with that as the rest of the men had put their collective feet down at that suggestion, too. But there wasn’t much he or Norm could do about getting rid of the large crowd that had, over the last few minutes, joined them.

  Jacqui hid her grin behind her bottle of beer. Will had brought her back to their table—or where their small table had been—after their first dance to find not only her aunt and best friend had arrived, husbands in tow—but several other Jessops, Kendalls and Benedicts flocking toward them, too.

  Their one table had now become ten…make that eleven, as Nancy’s brothers, Warren and Edward, arrived with their wife, Carol.

  “It does my heart good to know that Ed and I aren’t the only men to have to deal with family meddling.” Warren grinned.

  Ed came over and shook first Will’s hand, and then Norm’s. “The family did the same thing to us, on our first date with Carol.”

  “They did it to you, and now you’re here, doing it to us?” Will asked.

  “Damn straight,” Warren said.

  Carol giggled. Then she pointed at the seats. “At least you were able to keep them from gender-sorting the seating arrangements.”

  “Apparently, there’s a limit to the interference some of the men were willing to run at the behest of their wives,” Norm said.

  “See, I told you I had no idea anyone was going to do anything like this.” Jacqui tried to play the part of the poor misunderstood innocent, but it wasn’t a role that suited her. She ended up laughing, instead of the planned looking hurt.

  The men were a little frustrated at no longer being alone with her, and she thought it was funny as hell. They’re acting as if they’ve forgotten we’ll be alone when we leave here.

  Jacqui decided to let them cling to their frustration for just a bit longer.

  “It probably is my fault,” Carol said, “since I did tell Nancy about the incident not long after she came home from Washington.”

  The next song began to play and Jacqui recognized the guitar riff. It amazed her how quickly both men had become attuned to her. Norm took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Come and dance with me, Jacqui.”

  Billy Currington’s “We Are Tonight” was currently one of her favorite tunes. She loved the rhythm, and the way the chorus built and swelled. And even though the tempo could be considered a fast song, she really liked the way Norm matched his movements to hers, and the way he placed his hands on her hips and drew her closer.

  She was having a good time, and that was due mostly to the two men who’d proven themselves to be so attentive to her, and had spent the evening, so far, focused on her wants and needs.

  “Just to make one thing clear, Will and I really didn’t think you had anything to do with the co-opting of our date,” Norm said.

  Jacqui slipped her arms around his neck. “I know you didn’t. I remember thinking earlier, and just for a moment, that it was odd, when Holly and Nancy, and some of my other friends found out that y’all were bringing me to the dance, that no one volunteered the fact that they were coming, too. I really thought I wouldn’t see any of my friends here tonight.”

  “Now you know why they never said a word to you. If you didn’t know they were going to be here, you couldn’t somehow ferret out what they planned to do.”

  “Yeah.” She met his gaze. She wasn’t completely sure how she felt about this mass invasion. But she liked everyone, so it was really no hardship to turn what had been a private date into a more public party.

  Jacqui let herself move to the music, easily following the lead of her dance partner. “I like dancing with you, and I like dancing with Will. You’ve both got good rhythm.”

  “I was watching you with Will earlier, and I thought you’d had lessons.”

  Jacqui chuckled. “Grandmother insisted. But it wasn’t all classical ballroom dancing and two-stepping. We learned how to move our bodies to the rhythm of the music, and also a few provocative dance moves.” She took the opportunity to swivel her hips in such a way that the lower half of her body briefly brushed across the front of Norm’s.

  His eyes sparkled, letting her know he knew what she’d done, but he didn’t refer to it verbally. “You’re saying the dance lessons weren’t as bad as you were afraid they were going to be.” Norm’s expression invited conversation, and in that moment, she could almost believe she could tell him anything—anything at all—and it would be all right.

  “That’s exactly right. In fact, those dance lessons are one of my fondest memories.”

  “And tonight?”

  “What about tonight?”

  “Sweetheart, we both know you said yes to this date for tonight, and then had second thoughts. So I want to know if tonight is better than you were afraid it was going to be.”

  “Well, now.” She felt a little reckless and brazen and gave in to the sensation. She tilted her head to the side and said, “The night isn’t over yet, is it, slick?”

  “Not unless you want it to be.”

  “I don’t. Not yet. There’s at least one more thing I want to try.” She didn’t know if she could put it into words. So she let her gaze slide over to the left. Beside them, moving to their own mental and probably more romantic music, Matt and Steven Benedict danced with their wife Kelsey cocooned between them.

  “I’ve been watching,” Jacqui said. “It doesn’t look that hard.”

  “Honey, when Will and I get you between us, trust me, you’re going to be surrounded by hard.”

  Jacqui was really counting on it. “That doesn’t scare me away. I want to try dancing together, the three of us.”

  “Then we will.”

  The DJ followed Billy Currington’s tune with Brett Eldredge’s “Beat Of The Music.” Jacqui gave herself over to letting Norm lead and grinned when she realized his modified two-step was in perfect sync with—well, with the beat of the music.
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  It didn’t escape her attention that both men liked two of her favorite pastimes—dancing and reading. A woman could tell when the man she was dancing with was just going through the motions. She could also tell when a man tried to talk to her about books when he hadn’t even read them.

  That Will and Norm Kendall truly enjoyed dancing and reading was a good sign. Two things in common really was a good beginning.

  Well, three if you ever tell them what your college major was. Jacqui sighed inwardly. That likely wasn’t going to happen any time soon. She didn’t even know why she’d taken that career path in the first place.

  Don’t you?

  Norm got her attention by brushing his finger against her cheek. “No you don’t, sweetheart. You stay right here with me. No heavy thoughts tonight. Tonight is just for us having a good time and getting to know each other. At least for as long as reality—and the families—will allow.”

  Jacqui grinned. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” When Norm moved her so that she was able to see their table, she noticed three newcomers—tall, good-looking newcomers. “Wow. Those must be Nancy’s triplet brothers. I can’t believe they came tonight. Nancy says they’ve been playing hermit since they arrived on New Year’s Eve.”

  Norm looked over at the table. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

  It was a bit of a surprise to her that she was able to read him. “You know them?”

  “Yeah, and even though I knew their last name was Jessop, I never once considered that they were from Lusty.”

  The song wound down and they both stopped moving. “I haven’t met them yet.” Jacqui said. “Why don’t you introduce me?”

  “I can do that.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips once more. Then he used his thumb, as if he could rub that kiss into her bloodstream.

  She wasn’t altogether certain he wasn’t succeeding.

  “I like dancing with you, Jacqui Bethune. Your body fits mine just right.”

  The look in his eyes told her his words were about more than simply dancing. Careful. Words can be seductive, and these two men have made a very good living off the way they’ve used their words.