Josh held out his hand triumphantly. She was cornered and she knew it.
“I promise I won’t step on your toes.”
She moved reluctantly into his arms, and he pulled her close. Her soft curves pressed into his body. He could smell her distinctive scent and feel the softness of her skin. His cock instantly responded, pressing against his fly.
So much for self-control.
They swayed to the slow, mournful music which Josh vaguely registered was something about love lost or maybe a lost dog or a broken-down truck. He wasn’t a big country music fan. AC/DC was more his style. But if it meant getting to hold Ava in his arms, he’d buy out an entire damn Blake Shelton concert.
He pulled back to look into her eyes. “I didn’t see you in the coffee shop Friday morning. I missed your smiling face. It makes my whole morning to see you.”
A reluctant smile came to her lips. “I bet you say that to all your customers. I had the day off and brewed a pot at home. It was horrible. I poured it down the sink. I’ve learned my lesson.”
He brushed a silky strand of hair off her forehead. “I hope so. Infidelity is a punishable offense. I won’t stand for it.”
Her expression became troubled and she stiffened in his arms. “I agree. Infidelity is terrible. I should head back to the girls.”
* * * *
Why did he have to mention infidelity? Better yet, why did it still bother her? She’d been divorced for almost a year and the fact that her ex was a lying, cheating dog was old news. She didn’t want him tainting her new life. She started to pull away as the song ended.
Josh grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips, brushing the knuckles softly. She shivered in response. She found him incredibly attractive. All three of them were sexy in their own individual ways. She’d thought her libido well and truly dead until she met them. Each of them could arouse her, but together, she was a mass of hormones, barely putting words into coherent sentences. When she was with them she felt like a high school girl, instead of the sophisticated woman of the world she was supposed to be.
“Hey, relax, beautiful. I was just giving you a hard time. Let’s go sit down and relax for a few minutes. Your feet must be killing you in those high heels.”
She opened her mouth to object, but Josh wasn’t having any of it. He tugged her over to the table where his friends waited. His hot and hunky friends. She’d gotten to know them a little over the past six months, and there wasn’t anything about them she didn’t like. As Jillian had pointed out, they were men any sane woman would say yes to.
First, there was Josh, whom she’d met first at his coffee shop. He was charming, playful, smart, and sexy. With his athletic physique, he was every girl’s dream man. He was the most personable of the three, always making her feel comfortable and at home. He loved sports of any kind and she loved to debate Chicago teams versus New York teams with him.
Falk could only be described as beautifully handsome, his face carved from the finest marble. He had a sarcastic, wicked sense of humor and a quick mind. She could debate him all day long about economics and politics and never get the better of him. When he looked at her with those bluer-than-blue eyes, it was like he could see right through her dress and down to her satin-and-lace panties.
Brayden was no less gorgeous, but in a completely different way. His hair was just growing back after cancer treatments when he had lived in New York, and his physique was now filled out, with wide shoulders and powerful arms. He was someone she would want at her side in a dark Chicago alley.
When she had first met him in Mark’s office, he had been pale and much thinner, recovering from the ravages of chemotherapy. His eyes had been shadowed and bleak. He was amazingly healthy now, a veritable powerhouse of vitality at well over six feet tall and two hundred pounds. He was a quiet man, not talkative until he got to know you. He’d said more to her in the last month than he had in the previous five months combined.
Josh pulled out a chair at their table and she sat down, feeling very nervous as three sets of eyes zeroed in on her. She simply wasn’t used to this kind of attention. Her ex had barely listened to her, while these men hung on her every word.
Falk gave her a flirtatious smile. “Hey, beautiful. Are you having fun tonight?”
“Yes, I am. I just love country music. I think Chris Young is my favorite. Who do you like?”
The men looked at each other and finally Josh spoke. “I wouldn’t say we’re the biggest country music fans. We prefer classic rock.”
“Then why did you come here tonight?” Ava frowned. “Classic rock night is on Tuesdays.”
Falk leaned in. She could smell the citrus tang of his aftershave mixed with his male smell. “Because you’re here, beautiful. We want to be wherever you are.”
Ava didn’t know how to reply. They had made it clear these last few months they were interested, but never this openly.
Josh grinned. “She’s speechless. That’s a good sign, I think. Why are you surprised, Ava? You must know we’re attracted to you.”
Ava shook her head and sipped the martini the waitress put in front of her.
“I guess I did, but you’ve never really said it out loud before.”
Brayden sat back in his chair, but didn’t smile like the other two. “We’re saying it now. We’re standing up like men to declare our intentions. Finally.”
“And what are those intentions?” Ava asked carefully. She desperately wanted to hear them, but was afraid of what they would say.
Josh grabbed her hand. “We want you to give us a chance. We want to date you. Get to know you. We want you to get to know us. We’re attracted to you and we think you’re attracted to us. Let’s see what happens.”
Ava arched an eyebrow at the three men. They were too handsome and sexy for their own good. She could feel herself weakening.
“See what happens? Get to know me? Are you speaking in the biblical sense?”
Brayden leaned forward, his silver-gray eyes molten. “Yes.”
Ava opened her mouth and then closed it. She was startled at his stark answer.
“Yes? That’s it? No details?”
Brayden reached across the table and lifted her hand in his, threading his fingers with hers, sending shivers down her spine. “Does it bother you that we’re so up-front? I guess most men would sugarcoat it, but life is too short, Ava. We like you. You’re funny, smart, a good nurse, and obviously a good friend. You’re also gorgeous and sexy as hell. We’re healthy men with a healthy sex drive. We want to get to know you and that includes making love to you. Don’t you like sex?”
Did she like sex? She liked the idea of sex. But so far, her sex life hadn’t been anything to brag about. She’d never achieved the kind of ecstasy she’d read about or saw in movies. After her divorce, she’d given up hope there was passion like that for her.
“I like sex fine. I’ve just never seen what all the fuss was about, that’s all.”
Brayden finally smiled, a slow, sexy grin that completely transformed his normally grim features. She felt her body instantly respond, her panties dampening and her nipples hardening. She was acutely aware she wasn’t wearing a bra. She was pretty sure the men knew it, as well.
“Baby, I promise you here and now, you’ll know what all the fuss is about when you’re with us. But we don’t expect you to jump into bed with us. Why don’t we start with a date?”
“A date,” she echoed, still mesmerized by his smile.
Falk put his arm around her. “A date. The all-American dinner-and-a-movie date. What do you say?”
I’d say I was insane. But isn’t being crazy fun?
“Listen, I just got divorced about a year ago. I’m not sure I’m really ready to get involved with anyone. Or three anyones, for that matter. The divorce was rather…bitter.”
Josh pushed his longneck away. “We know you’re divorced. We know your ex must have been a real idiot to hurt you.”
“How do you know he hurt me?”
Josh laughed. “Because we’ve been chasing you for months and you’ve kept running. That’s the sign of a woman who’s been hurt and thinks we’ll hurt her, too.”
Ava felt her face get warm. “I guess I’m pretty transparent.”
Falk shook his head. “We can see it because we watch you. We want you.”
“You watch me? Like television?”
Brayden rolled his eyes. “Way to creep her out. No, not like television. When we’re around you, we can’t help but look at you. Our attraction is strong. We notice the sexy way you walk in those high heels, the way you smile when you get your first sip of coffee, the way you scowl when your phone rings. Little things like that.”
“I’m a caffeine junkie and I wear high heels because I’m so short. Oh, and I scowl at my phone because my ex still calls me now and then to let me know how happy he is with his new wife and our former house.”
Falk rolled his eyes. “Stupid asshole.”
Ava nodded. “You summed him up well. But how do I know that you guys will treat me any better?”
The men were quiet for a long while before Brayden spoke. “You don’t. You’re going to have to extend a little trust.”
“Well, that’s honest at least. I thought you’d try and convince me how I should just know I can trust you.”
Falk chuckled. “We have to prove it to you. We get that. But you have to give us a chance to prove it to you.”
Josh gave her a charming smile. “Are you going to give us a chance, Ava? We promise you won’t regret it.”
Ava chewed her bottom lip, her emotions a mass of confusion. She was attracted to these men and wanted to say yes. But a little voice in her head kept saying that men couldn’t be trusted. She glanced back at the table with Jillian, Cassie, and Becca. They were watching her and the men like a reality show. Jillian gave her the thumbs-up and all the women were grinning from ear to ear.
Even her friends wanted her to go for it. Her heart wanted her to go for it, too. She loved Plenty, but she was lonely. She had her work and her new friends, but something still felt missing. She was still a young woman and she craved affection, passion. She wanted a man’s strong arms to hold her. She wanted to love and be loved in return. Her constant denials hadn’t been able to bury those feelings. She took a deep breath, ready, for the first time in a long time, to extend some faith and trust.
“Okay, we’ll go on a date. One date.”
Brayden shook his head. “Three dates. There are three of us to get to know. It will take more than one date.”
He had a point. It was hard enough to get to know one man on one date, let alone three.
“You drive a hard bargain. Okay, deal. Three dates. At that point, I decide if there are any more. Assuming, of course, that you want any more. You might be sick of me by then.”
Falk raised his beer in a toast. “We doubt that very much. Let’s drink to taking a chance.”
Ava lifted her martini glass and clinked each longneck. She wasn’t taking just one chance. She was taking three.
Chapter Two
Brayden leaned back on the soft leather couch in their large man cave and strummed his guitar. The three of them liked to kick back and play their instruments in the evenings. It was a great way to relax. They had been doing it since they were roommates in college. It hadn’t been easy in the apartments they had lived in through the years. Their neighbors had run the gamut of sympathy for their late-night concerts.
That was one of the things they loved about living in Plenty. They had built a house far away from people who could complain. Their home not only had a place just for them to jam the night away, but every comfort and luxury they had ever imagined. He was a little embarrassed at how they had lavished money on the house, but he couldn’t argue with the results. It was their dream home. The next step was wooing their dream woman. The maddeningly beautiful and frighteningly smart Ava Bryant.
Falk fell back into the leather recliner and groaned. “God, I fucking hate country music. I’m all depressed now.”
Josh smirked. “Let’s get playing then. If we play loud enough, it should drown out all those mournful voices in your head.”
Brayden set his guitar on the floor. “All in good time. First, we need to plan our offense. Josh, you should take Ava on the first date. What do you have planned?”
“Football and pizza. Ava loves sports, and I know she likes Charlie’s pizza.”
Falk quirked an eyebrow. “You’re taking her to a high school football game? Are you planning to make out under the bleachers, too?”
Josh laughed. “I wouldn’t mind it. It’s been years since I have. I wonder if Ava was a cheerleader? Can you imagine her in one of those short skirts and pom-poms? Oh man, that would be hot.”
Brayden propped his feet on the oak coffee table. “Just make sure after your date that we all three spend time with her. We want her to get to know us separately, but she needs to get to know all three of us together, too.”
Josh nodded. “Why don’t you meet us at the coffee shop for dessert and coffee? I’ll open it up just for us. We can be alone and talk, but I don’t think she’ll be as uncomfortable there as she would if I brought her back here.”
“Good plan,” Falk approved. “Ava loves the coffee shop and we can all relax and get to know one another without the pressure of sex. And way to go, Brayden, by the way. Telling her straight out that we want to have sex with her. I’m surprised she didn’t throw a drink in your face.”
“I was just being honest. We do want to go to bed with her. Life’s too short to pretend we just want to hold hands.”
Brayden inwardly winced. He knew he was saying life was too short often these days. But, fuck, he’d learned the hard way that life was too fucking short. You had to grab it by the balls and show it who was in charge. He wasn’t checking out before he got to do and see everything that was important to him.
“I’m planning to take her hot air ballooning. We’ll go early in the morning, of course. You and Josh can join us afterward for breakfast. So, what are your plans, Falk?”
“Football and a hot air balloon, huh? Seems like we need to give this woman some romance. I’ll take her to Tampa for a nice dinner. Then, I’ll bring her back here. To spend the night or dump us. Either way, we’ll know for sure. I’m hoping that’s when we’ll be able to tell her about New York. If she doesn’t trust us by then, I guess she never will.”
Falk’s lips thinned into a determined line. “She’ll trust us by then. We’ll make sure we treat her with the utmost respect. That means acting like gentlemen. No trying to get in her pants on the first date. That means you, Josh.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “I think I know how to romance a woman, asshole.”
Falk laughed. “I’m not so sure about that. You’re taking her to a football game.”
“I’ll make her feel special. That’s what romance is, not moonlight and roses.”
“Roses don’t hurt.”
Brayden sighed. “Stop, both of you. We’ll all court her in our own way. She has to want all of us, so she needs to see how we really are.” Brayden walked over to the drum set in the corner and sat down. “Now let’s make some noise.”
Josh grabbed an electric guitar. “I’m in.”
“Let’s do this. ‘Highway to Hell’ on three,” Falk said, flipping on the amp to his bass.
Brayden grinned. He really hoped Ava liked rock as well as country. Maybe they could get her to sing or play keyboards. He’d always wanted a hot, sexy singer to front the band. Ava fit the bill perfectly.
He also hoped the next three dates went as planned. It was hard to find one woman all three of them agreed on. It was even harder to find one woman who was attracted to all three of them. Getting to know Ava Bryant was going to be fun. And if there was one thing the three of them knew how to do, it was have fun.
Brayden tapped his drumsticks together. “One, two. One, two, three.”
They started playing,
the loud music filling the room and sending vibrations to his toes. This was what made life worth living.
* * * *
Practically every piece of clothing Ava owned was strewn across her bedroom. She was scowling as she looked down at herself, uncertain about the casual jeans she’d paired with a silky blue-gray short-sleeved blouse. She had let her hair down tonight. Her hair was so long and thick, her head began to ache after having it up all day at work. She added a slim gold watch and her tiny gold heart-shaped earrings to finish the outfit. She didn’t want to look like she tried too hard, but she didn’t want to look like she didn’t care either. She stared down at her bare feet.
“Tennis shoes, heels, or sandals?” she asked Jillian who was lounging on her bed. Jillian’s husbands were both working tonight and she had graciously offered to help Ava pick out her clothes for this first date.
“Tennis shoes. You’re going to a football game. You’ll be climbing on bleachers. You’ll want to be comfortable.”
Ava turned from the mirror. “Are you sure? The men are so tall and I’m so short. I’ll look like a shrimp walking next to Josh.”
“So? Are you insecure about your height? Who cares how tall you are?”
Ava grimaced, hating herself for even thinking it. “Mike’s new wife is tall.”
Jillian scowled. “Mike can kiss your ass. In fact, he can kiss my ass while he’s at it. Your ex is a joke of a man. Forget him. Concentrate on the three hunky men you have.”
“I don’t have them yet. And, well…I wanted to talk to you about that. You have two husbands and I was hoping you could tell me how this works. You know, with more than one man. How can you keep them both happy?”
Jillian’s scowl turned to a giggle, and she flipped her long auburn hair back with a smile. “I assume you’re talking about sex?”
Ava sat down on the bed with Jillian. She really needed to understand. “Not just sex, although that is an important component. How do you manage to spend enough time with them? How can you keep everything straight? The birthdays, the favorite foods, the likes and dislikes, and yes, the sex. How can one woman satisfy two men, or in my case, three men?”
Plenty of Trust [Plenty, FL 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2