by Heather Long
Not just want them. “I need you, too,” I reminded him. “And I do love you. I love all of you.” Ian was the only one I hadn’t really admitted it to. I mean, I’d danced around it some. Said it in the heat of the moment, but this was different. I thought it might even be hard to say. I laughed and shook my head. “This is crazy, right?”
“Maybe,” Coop said with a shrug. “But the only people who matter are here.” The smile on his face was gentle. “Don’t be afraid of it. Or of us. If we were gonna kill each other, we probably would have when Bubba pulled his shit.”
I winced, but Ian ran his knuckles down my cheek. “He’s not wrong. I’m surprised only Jake tried to kick my ass.”
“I thought about it,” Archie admitted. “But Jake was always better at just doing it. So next time, I’ll make sure I get my punches in.”
Coop snorted, but his grin was unflagging. “Let’s not let there be a next time. We can all settle things with our words.”
Jake let out a little sigh, then kissed my temple before passing me to Ian. I saw it coming and so did Coop, ’cause he put his beer bottle on the edge and then Jake grappled with him and water flew everywhere.
It was hilarious. Ian looped his arms around my waist and kept me in his lap as we all lost it laughing. Only after the two settled and Jake reached for me did Ian scoot to the side and shake his head. “Not happening. Mine now.”
That generated more laughter, and I leaned my head back against his shoulder. Coop pointed at Archie. “Okay, spill. What are our plans for the rest of this two weeks, Mr. I’m Playing Everything Close to the Vest?”
Archie snorted. “Just enjoying surprising all of you. Can’t a guy just be nice to his friends and our girl?”
“Yes,” I told him. “Absolutely.” The smile on my face hurt. “But I kind of want to know, too.”
“Yeah?” He grinned slowly. “Do you want to know enough to come sit on my lap while I tell you?”
“Hey!” Ian tightened his arms. “That’s cheating.”
“No, that’s just playing with style.” Archie lifted his wine to toast us, and the giggles hit me. It was ridiculous and fun.
“I’m with Bubba,” Jake said. “That’s cheating. But I’d totally do it if I had something sneaky for Frankie, too. Oh wait…” He eyed me. “I do.” He patted his lap. “Wanna know what it is?”
With a snort, Coop said, “Come sit with me, Frankie. I won’t cheat or try to use blackmail. We all know I’m your favorite, anyway.”
“Longevity doesn’t make you the favorite,” Jake countered.
“It does when she told me she wanted to help me make some wishes come true.” He waggled his eyebrows, but three sets of very speculative eyes turned on me, and I made a face.
“Wow, Coop, did you really just do that?”
“Oh yeah,” he said. “We’re all one big happy little family right here. I’m not shy.”
I wasn’t either, but…
“Tell you what,” Archie offered. “What wishes of his are you making come true? You tell me one, and I’ll tell you one of my plans.”
“Girl wants to see the cookies before she gets in the van,” I retorted.
Not missing a beat, he opened the container with the edible cookies, and I burst out laughing. Even Ian was chuckling, and he spread his hand over my stomach as he pressed his lips to my shoulder. “You’re all cheating.”
“Hey, you have her, why are you complaining?” Coop challenged him.
“I do, don’t I?” Ian’s hand dipped down to my bikini bottoms, and my eyes opened wide. Was he really going to… When he stroked his fingers against my pussy, I let out a little gasp and my face heated, and at the same time, the laser focus from Coop and Archie had the tension tying me up in knots.
When he cupped his hand and applied just a little bit of pressure, I clamped my thighs together. This was a little…
“Too much?” he murmured against my ear, and I shifted a little.
“Maybe.” I didn’t sound certain.
I wasn’t certain.
“Okay.” And just like that, he rubbed his hand on my thigh as he freed it and then back over my stomach. I was burning up now, and I was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the water.
“No rush,” Ian said, but there was just a hint of smugness in his voice, and when I glanced up to meet his gaze, he kissed me soundly, and the little flare of self-consciousness slipped away as I groaned.
Eventually, pruney as hell, we had to get out of the water. Thankfully, I was hot enough that even if my nipples pebbled at the icy air, I wasn’t freezing. Coop scooped me up gallantly after wrapping me in my robe, and the guys gathered up the wine, my glass, and some of the food to carry back inside. We toweled off just inside, but nobody bothered with going to change. Instead, we ended up in the living room, around the fire, eating pizza.
That was what Archie had meant about dinner. I was also in Archie’s lap, since he never got a turn in the hot tub, and they laughed and teased each other as much as they did me. I was still smiling when Archie whispered in my ear, “Tell me what wish you’re giving Coop.”
I glanced at him and shook my head, then leaned over to whisper my answer. “Why don’t you think about what wish I can give you?” Maybe it was the wine or the edibles or the company, but even if I flushed at making the offer, I wasn’t remotely embarrassed by it.
Not even when he said, “You already did,” and kissed me until I was gasping and needy.
“Keep it up, Arch,” Jake murmured. “She’s going with me and Coop tonight.”
“That’s okay,” Archie said against my lips as he stared down at me. “We have lots of time.”
Wow.
All for me.
All four of them.
Chapter Twenty-One
Talk Like Lovers, Laugh Like Friends
It was late when I finally dragged myself up from the sofa and headed upstairs. We’d talked for hours. Talked. Laughed. Teased. Devoured pizza. I finished the wine bottle. I was definitely floating, but I wasn’t…out of it. I kept expecting to be drunk, but I was just effervescent. Maybe it was the edibles. Either way, I gave each of them a sound kiss before going up. My body hummed from each one. They all kissed differently, and I didn’t really think about it that much except…
Well, I’d kissed them all a lot tonight. I went from being curled up with Coop, to sitting in Ian’s lap, to sprawling across Archie, and finally, sitting on the floor with Jake. The crackle of the fire and the twinkle of the Christmas lights and all my guys in one place hanging out. We’d debated a movie, but ended up just muting some random action flick for the background while we talked.
About so much.
My head was kind of full from all of what we talked about. The topics ranged from the inconsequential to the important. I drifted into my room and danced in a small circle as I stared at all the roses. It was even better than it had been when I’d first discovered them. Shedding my robe, I padded into the bathroom.
I could probably fall on my face as I was and sleep. But the fact that I still had chlorine from the hot tub on me would leave me itchy in the morning. I paused to brush my teeth as the shower warmed up and used the toilet. Some things were just better in private, thank you very much. Then I stepped under the hot water and let out a sigh.
The sound of the shower door alerted me to the arrival of someone. Yeah, no way I would be sleeping alone. That much had been made clear over the course of the evening. They all had their own rooms, too, but they liked sleeping with me.
No complaints here. I liked sleeping with them.
Warm hands settled on my hips and drew me back against his chest.
“Hi, Coop,” I murmured, and his soft chuckle rolled over me.
“What would you have done if I were Jake?” he teased, taking the loofa out of my hands and beginning to run it over my chest.
“Said ‘oops,’” I teased, and then sighed as he massaged my breasts. I didn’t know if he was trying to h
elp me get clean or just using it as an excuse to touch me. I didn’t really care either. Especially when he flicked both nipples with his thumbs. “But I know Jake’s hands,” I continued. “Just like I know yours.”
I knew all of their hands. The callouses on them were different. Archie’s had more scars along his fingertips from soldering iron burns. Ian’s were as familiar with the different callouses from playing guitars. Jake’s were work hands, his callouses from weights and from working on large parts. Coop’s hands were softer in some ways, smoother maybe, yet still rougher than mine, but his hands were probably the most familiar of all.
He pressed his lips to my throat as he skated his hands down from my breasts to my stomach. “You feel good,” he said as he rubbed his erection against my ass, and I chuckled.
“So do you.” I twisted to steal the loofa and began to soap him up. He ran his hands up to my face and then tilted my head back so that my hair got soaked. I closed my eyes as he began washing it, the gentle scrape of his fingertips over my scalp almost more intoxicating as the wine. “If you keep that up,” I warned him, my whole body going languid. “I’m going to fall asleep on you.”
As if to make a liar out of myself, I wrapped my hand around his cock and stroked it. The soap made my hands slick, and Coop’s breath huffed against my cheek as he tipped my head back to rinse it, and then he kissed me until I half forgot what we were doing and it was just me sighing into his lips. He rubbed the conditioner through my hair and rinsed it before pulling us both under the spray.
I might have swayed a little when the water shut off. The door opened, and I belatedly realized we weren’t alone as a damp haired Jake took me from Coop and wrapped me up in a towel. “Hi,” I said, giggling as he grinned down at me.
“Hi,” he murmured before kissing me with a kind of thorough slowness that melted my bones. He lifted me like I was nothing and perched me on the cool marble counter. Not even the chill could really jolt me out of my happy place, though it did wake me up a little. “How are you feeling, Baby Girl?”
“Pretty good,” I told him. Not even the earlier muscle soreness was an issue. I didn’t think I’d been this relaxed in like, ever.
“Yeah?” He was dressed in a pair of black pajama bottoms and nothing else, which left me all of his chest to play with as I ran my hands over him. “And how sober are you?”
I burst out laughing. “Not drunk,” I told him, then peered up at him. His pupils were huge against the pale blue. “Pretty sure we’re high though.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, that crooked grin on his face making my heart do flip flops as he toweled me dry and then squeezed the dampness from my hair before pulling a comb through it. Coop watched us from where he leaned against the wall, a towel around his hips and seeming not to care about the water droplets chasing over his chest. I cared.
I kind of wanted to trace the path with my tongue.
Jake tucked his finger under my chin and nudged my mouth closed before tilting my head so I was looking at him again. The amusement on his face made me grin wider. “Coop said you were interested in experimenting, but…”
“But?” I raised my eyebrows. You know, this should be a really embarrassing conversation. Especially after the hot tub talk, but it wasn’t. I was more curious than anything.
“But I don’t want you making any euphoria-infused decisions,” he warned gently, and I swore my grin grew.
“You’re always trying to protect me,” I told him, and ran my fingers over his cheek. “Oh, smooth. You shaved.”
“Yes,” he said with a chuckle, bracing his hands on the counter on either side of me. He wasn’t really touching me at all now. “I shaved.”
“See, protecting me.” I leaned forward and nipped his lower lip. “Wanna know a secret?”
Coop laughed softly behind him, and I caught the amusement in his gray-green eyes as we locked gazes. “Jake loves your secrets,” he teased me. “He loves knowing everything about you.”
“That’s so he can protect me,” I agreed solemnly. For the most part, Jake just studied me, and I let out a little sigh. “You don’t have to protect me all the time,” I chastised him.
“Yes, I do,” he disagreed. “I protect what’s precious, and you’re the most precious thing in my life.”
Just like that, and my heart squeezed so tight, I wasn’t sure I would be able to take a deep breath. Which would suck if I stopped breathing because, you know, oxygen. “Jake,” I said almost sighing, because really, these guys made me feel so damn cared for. “I told Coop this on the mountain, and I promise, I was very sober. Right? Back me up here, Coop.”
He chuckled. “She was very sober, and she was worrying about having to choose between us. So, I know this isn’t the edibles talking.”
“Exactly,” I agreed, and then ran my fingers over Jake’s chest. “But it’s okay if you’re not into it.” I mean, it would suck, because Jake seemed to be really into it. “I get it. Well…okay I get it and I don’t, because you really didn’t seem to mind—”
Jake cut the rest of my statement off with a kiss that robbed my breath. I wrapped my arms around him, and he slid his hands under my thighs and lifted me. The heat of his chest against my breasts had me sighing as I sucked on his tongue. The soft huff of Coop’s laughter followed us out of the bathroom into my rose-bedecked room. Not missing a step, Jake sat on the edge of the bed, and I straddled his lap.
Was it possible to be writhing in anticipation and utterly relaxed at the same time? Coop smoothed a hand down my back as Jake fell backward and pulled me with him. Not once did Jake let go of my mouth as he fisted my damp hair to keep me in place. When Coop stroked a hand over my ass, I let out a little whimper and ground myself more firmly against the stiffness of Jake’s cock. The pajama bottoms added to the friction, and his groan vibrated through him.
When he ran his hands down my sides, Coop gripped my hair and then tugged, and I arched up to kiss him. The angle was awkward, but then Jake sucked a nipple against his teeth, and I stopped caring about angles so much as touching.
“Any preferences?” Coop asked against my mouth before tracing my lower lip with his tongue.
Drowning in sensation, I stared at him a little blankly. “Preference?”
“Hmm,” Jake murmured, then eased two fingers into me, and I let out a little whimper of sound. Oh, that felt so good. “Yes, Baby Girl. Preference on who fits where.”
On who fit… Oh.
Oh.
A shudder raced up my spine, and I leaned back a little to glance from Jake to Coop as Coop pressed a finger against my anus. It was slick and warm as he pressed it into me, and my whole body seemed to ripple at the dual intrusion.
Oh.
“Did we break her?” Jake asked, a smile flirting around his lips as he curled his fingers to stroke inside of me, and I was torn between pushing back against Coop and writhing at the pace Jake set. They were both different.
“Nah,” Coop murmured as he nipped a kiss to my neck. “She’s just wrapping her mind around where she wants our dicks to go.”
A groan tore out of me as Jake scraped his teeth over the nipple he neglected earlier. “Should we make it for her?”
“We could,” Coop debated as he eased a second finger in, and the burn had me fighting to catch my breath. Okay. I never imagined anal. I’d read about it, sure, but this was… I really couldn’t bring my scattering thoughts together. “But I really think she needs to tell us…”
I really didn’t catch the last of that as Jake curled his fingers and brought his heel up to rub my clit. My vision whited out, and a cry tore out of my throat. They didn’t slow their touches. If anything, Coop added more slickness to my ass, and it hit me that it was lube.
That thought just sort of floated out there and back. Lube made total sense. Right. As soon as I grasped that thought, it splintered along with the rest of my focus. I gripped Jake’s shoulder and fisted the bed covers. They were wrecking me in all the best ways, and I’d b
arely gotten to touch them.
“Shh, Baby Girl,” Jake murmured, smoothing my hair back as he eased his fingers out of me, and I let out a whimper at the loss. Coop’s fingers were still in my ass, but he’d gone still, and like Jake, he sought to soothe me, running his free hand up and down my back. I trembled and then flicked my eyes open—when had they closed—to find Jake smiling at me. “There she is. Back with us?”
I kind of nodded dumbly. At least I think I did. I didn’t really trust myself to speak.
“It’s okay,” Jake continued. “You’re okay.”
“I know,” I told him, suddenly aware of the tears on my face and my breath coming in sharp, fast pants. It was too much and not enough. “I am.” The last came out more like I believed it.
Coop bit down on my shoulder where it met my neck, the feel of his teeth grounding as my pulse continued to race. “We can ease off here,” he told me. “Do it like we did before…”
“No,” I rushed out, swallowing hard and then licking my lips. I met Jake’s gaze, and he gave me a soft nod, almost encouraging. But the warmth in his eyes was the only promise I needed. This only went as far as I wanted. Maybe he was overprotective, he always had been. I was very much aware of that. But it also made me feel treasured. “I want this,” I told him, and then tore my gaze up to look at Coop. I pressed back against his hand, and his smile grew. “I want both of you.”
I could do this. I wanted to do this.
“How do you want us?” Coop asked again, and there was no doubt in my mind this time. I glanced at Jake, then at Coop.
“Do either of you really care who goes first?” I licked my lips. “It was your wish,” I reminded Coop.
“I care,” Jake said in the same breath Coop released an amused, “Not even a little bit.”
We both looked down at Jake, and his eyes fixed on me, his face flushed.
“I care,” he repeated. “I want that first if Coop doesn’t care.”