“You don’t worry about satisfying them. They worry about satisfying you.”
Ava burst into laughter. “You’re kidding, right? Those three men would never worry about satisfying any woman.”
“Well, they may not worry about it, but they take it seriously. The men in this town are quite proud of their sexual prowess, one could say. Listen, if they’ve shared women before, and according to Josh that’s why they moved to Plenty, they know how this works. God gave you only so many orifices and one body. They have to share.”
Ava felt her face get hot at Jillian’s plain speech. She was grateful for it all the same. She knew Jillian would tell it to her straight. No bullshit. After all, she has already fantasized about the four of them doing some very naughty, dirty things. If things worked out on these three dates, they would be doing them for real.
“Does it hurt?”
“Are we still talking about orifices here?”
Ava nodded. “I’m worried about it hurting. I’ve never done…that. But I’m realistic enough to realize that there are three of them and it’s going to be mandatory.”
Jillian gave her a sympathetic look. “If the man knows what he’s doing, it doesn’t really hurt. It’s uncomfortable at first. You feel the stretch and the burn. I’d never really had anything shoved up there before. Ryan and Jack took the time to stretch my muscles and get me used to it. Now I love it. There’s nothing like being able to make love to both my husbands at the same time.”
Ava chewed on her lip. “Thank you for telling me. The thought of being with all three of them at the same time is overwhelming. It’s hot, but scary. I just don’t want to disappoint them. Not that anything is going to happen tonight. It’s not.”
“Take your time. The men have waited this long for you. They can wait a little longer. And you won’t disappoint them. They’re crazy about you.”
Ava traced the pattern on the comforter with her finger. “I like them, too. I’m not too confident in my taste in men, to be honest. I thought my ex was a good man. He wasn’t.”
“All signs are these are good guys. As for your other questions, just take it one date at a time. All the men are individuals. You aren’t going to get them confused. You’ll get to know their likes and dislikes over time. If you can’t remember their birthdays, heck, just write it down. They won’t expect you to catalog everything on the first date.” Jillian laughed. “They’re men, after all. Do you think they’re all worried about tonight? What they’re going to wear and whether you’ll like them? No way. They’re probably sitting at home watching television and talking about football. Relax. Pretend you’re a guy.”
Ava got up and grabbed her tennis shoes from the closet and a pair of socks. “You’re right. I’m going to act like a guy tonight. Just sit back and take it as it comes. I’m going to be as relaxed as they are.”
* * * *
Josh checked his wallet one more time. He had cash and credit cards. It would be excruciatingly embarrassing to find he had forgotten his wallet when it came time to pay. He wanted to impress Ava tonight and letting her know how absentminded he could be wasn’t on the agenda. He compensated for his lack of organization by making lists. Lots of them.
“The game starts at seven. I’ll give you a call when we get to Charlie’s afterward.”
Brayden and Falk grunted and continued their sparring. They were both covered in pads, beating the crap out of each other. The two men had opened a mixed martial arts studio on Oak, just off of Main Street and only a few blocks from the coffee shop. It was a good outlet for their boundless energy. Brayden especially needed to be busy. If he had too much idle time, he started to come up with crazy ideas about jumping out of airplanes and running with the bulls.
Even now, Josh was amazed at Brayden’s recovery. It was hard to believe just one year ago, they weren’t sure if he was going to make it. With chemo and a clean diet, Brayden had kicked his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma’s ass. Now he was spinning around on the bright red mats and giving Falk repeated kicks to the head and chest.
Falk finally raised his arm and stepped back, pulling off his head gear. “Fuck, Bray. What’s your deal tonight? We’re just point sparring and you’re trying to fucking kill me.”
Brayden pulled his head gear off with a grimace. “Sorry, I got carried away. My phone’s been ringing all day with an unknown number.”
“Do you think it’s Roger?” Josh asked.
Brayden shrugged. “I don’t know. But I think it’s time to get new phone numbers. I hate to have to do it. Shit, I don’t know how he got these numbers to be honest. I’m guessing one of our so-called friends in New York gave them to him. I just want him to leave us alone. I don’t want the Justice Department to have any reason to get back into our lives.”
Falk’s expression was grim. “Agreed. The way they pulled my life apart was not a pleasant experience. Those smug bastard Feds would love a reason to have another crack at us.”
Brayden started pulling off his sparring gear. “This is why we left Wall Street. We wanted a new life. We have it. I’m not letting the past interfere.” Brayden glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s getting late. You better go pick up our date. Have fun and we’ll see you at the coffee shop later.”
Falk held up his hand. “One minute. Wallet? Keys? Cell phone?”
Josh rolled his eyes, but knew that Falk was only trying to help. “Check, check, and check. I made a list. I’m good.”
Brayden laughed. “You and your lists. Just be sweet to Ava. We’ve only got three dates to show her all men aren’t like her ex.”
Josh headed out the door. “Everything is going to be great. Ava’s going to be totally in love with us by the end of the night.”
* * * *
“I like a game with strong defense.”
Ava knew she was being kind. It wasn’t so much that Plenty High School had a strong defense as the other team had a horrible offense. The game was tied three to three, deep in the second half, and not much had happened. It was three and out pretty much the entire game.
Josh grinned. “Strong defense, huh? I think you and I have a different idea of what strong defense is. I’d heard Plenty had a pretty good team, but since the quarterback got hurt, they seem to be struggling.”
The quarterback had hurt his shoulder in the first five minutes of the game. But they were still having a good time despite the quality of the play. Josh was easy to talk to. He laughed and joked with her and as the evening flew by she was relaxing more and more. She also got to sit close to his gorgeous body, feeling the warmth from his skin and smelling his yummy scent.
“I hope he’s okay. They’re just kids.”
“You’ll probably find out on Monday. I bet he’ll be in to have Mark look at his shoulder. Isn’t Mark taking care of pretty much all the athletes in Plenty now?”
“He is. His orthopedic background makes him the ideal choice. He loves what he does. So do I, for that matter. I played hospital all the time when I was a kid. Did you always want to own a coffee shop?”
Josh laughed. “You mean did I play barista as a child? I didn’t even drink coffee until college. I wanted to be a baseball player, actually. I played for years. I thought it would be cool to be a professional player.”
“What happened? Did you get hurt?”
Josh shook his head. “Nothing so dramatic. I wasn’t good enough. Simple as that.”
Josh’s expression showed complete unconcern.
“That’s too bad. Were you upset?”
“Not really. My parents had prepared me to handle disappointment. They made me study and not depend on a sports scholarship.”
“School’s expensive. I had student loans to pay off. I worked, too.”
Josh’s eyes averted from hers. “I was lucky. I got an academic scholarship. My parents never would have been able to afford my college education. My dad worked in an auto factory and my mother was a second-grade teacher.”
Was Josh embarrassed
that he got a scholarship and she didn’t? He should have been proud of his accomplishments.
“That’s wonderful and lucky for you and your parents. Where did you go to college?”
Ava didn’t imagine the long silence as Josh stared at the field. Plenty High School was running a screen pass. He finally answered without turning his head.
“Harvard. That’s where I met Brayden and Falk.”
Ava was speechless. Getting into Harvard was a big, damn deal. Josh must be incredibly smart.
“You all went to Harvard. Wow, I’m dating a lot of brain power.”
Josh finally turned toward her and grinned. “I don’t know about that. Trust me, sometimes I feel like the dumbest guy on the planet. I have a little organization and memory issue.”
Josh had an abashed look on his face which made him look endearing in addition to sexy.
“You forget things?”
“Yep. My wallet, my keys, my cell phone, appointments, birthdays. You name it. I keep lists to help me remember. Brayden and Falk help me, too.”
Ava giggled. The foible made him more human. It looked like she didn’t need to worry about remembering their birthdays and favorite foods. Josh wasn’t going to remember hers without writing it down either.
A crack of lightning made her jump and Josh wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She peered up at the dark sky. “I thought the chance of rain was low.”
According to Becca, they were entering the dry season in Florida.
“So did I. The air is humid, though. Maybe we should head back to the car.”
Ava nodded, gathering up her purse. “Good idea. We don’t want to get rained on.”
Josh grabbed her hand to help her down the bleachers and a zing went up her arm. She’d never been as affected by anyone as she was these men.
They had almost made it to the car when more lightning and a loud clap of thunder made them stop. The sky opened up and a deluge of rain fell on them. Josh grabbed her hand and pulled her with him as he ran under the nearest overhang. There wasn’t much room as they sheltered in the doorway of the brick building, but thankfully, they weren’t getting any wetter. Ava pushed her damp hair off her face and grimaced. With all this moisture in the air, it was going to be a curling mess in short order.
“I’ll never get used to the rainstorms here in Florida. They can come out of nowhere.”
Josh tucked a stray curl behind her ear and gave her a smile. “Technically, we had warning. Although, I think they said the chance of rain was thirty percent. Are you okay?”
Ava nodded, very aware they were standing close, their bodies mere inches from one another. She was gazing up into his soft brown eyes that were now dark with passion. She knew he wanted to kiss her and she wanted to kiss him back. Her breathing sped up as he slowly lowered his head, letting her call a halt if she wanted.
Kiss me.
His lips tenderly touched hers, his hands gliding up her arms and then pulling her into the heat of his body. She could feel the hard muscles under her palms as she pressed them to his back. He was solid everywhere and she clung to him as their mouths explored, learning every part of each other. His tongue was rubbing hers and she felt her body’s pull of arousal. She’d never thought of herself as a passionate woman. But here she was, kissing this handsome man, with a curtain of rain around them, making her feel like they were the only two people in the world. She knew she had the ability to feel passion. Desire.
It made her feel like a sexy, wanton woman. It didn’t end when he raised his head, his expression stamped with arousal. He was as affected as she. There was no doubt he wanted her as a man wants a woman. She hadn’t felt wanted like this in a long time. Perhaps never.
Josh exhaled slowly. “The rain seems to be stopping. I guess we should head to the car. Not that I’d mind staying here and kissing you for an hour or two.”
Ava dropped her hands from around his neck and moved back, feeling instantly bereft at the loss of his body against hers.
“We should. You’re a great kisser. Maybe we can do it again after dinner.”
His thumb traced her bottom lip. “I’ll hold you to that. I like kissing you and I plan to do it quite a bit from now on.”
Ava giggled. “Oh you do, do you?”
Josh clasped his hand in hers and tugged her toward the car. “I do. Now let’s get some pizza. I want to hear more about being a nurse. I never thought about a career in medicine, but if I’d grown up with you, I definitely would have wanted to play doctor.”
She felt a blush creep up her cheeks. Her dirty mind had immediately conjured up a picture of Josh in a white coat, a stethoscope, and nothing else. She needed to get her mind out of the gutter.
“Feed me,” she demanded.
Josh opened the car door with a flourish. “Your wish is my command, beautiful. Let’s go eat.”
Ava got in the car and closed her eyes against her naughty thoughts. She would concentrate on football and pizza. She would not think about getting naked with Josh Ryder.
Chapter Three
“You kissed a blarney stone, Josh Ryder.”
Josh had Ava laughing so hard her sides ached. He was funny and flirty, and sexy as all hell. She hadn’t expected to have such a good time on their date, but she was relaxed and enjoying herself as he pushed open the door to Josh’s Java.
“I’m totally serious, beautiful. It’s a true story. The chess club rubbed Bengay in our jock straps in high school. We were hopping around, cussing our privates. Luckily, we didn’t find out who did it until after graduation. We were ready to hand out some atomic wedgies.”
Ava covered her mouth to try and hold in her bark of laughter. She could picture Josh jumping up and down, cursing in pain. She shouldn’t laugh, but it really was funny. He didn’t seem to mind. He was laughing, too.
“I’m sure you deserved it. And what the hell is an atomic wedgie?”
Falk was sitting on one of the overstuffed couches and drinking coffee. He gave her a welcoming smile that took her breath away. He was absolutely gorgeous. “‘Atomic’ refers to just how far the underwear gets pulled up into your anatomy. Ouch! How about a coffee, sweetheart? Brayden’s tending bar.”
“Oh, hell no.” Josh headed behind the counter where Brayden was humming and packing coffee into an espresso machine. Josh waved him away.
“You made a fucking mess last time. I’ll make the coffee. I know how Ava likes it.”
Brayden shook his head and laughed. “Fine. Although we should probably all learn how to make coffee for Ava.” He leaned over and brushed his lips across her forehead, sending a zing of electricity straight to her clit. “Hey, baby. Did you and Josh have a good time at the game?”
Ava felt her heart twist a little when he called her “baby.” She normally hated pet names, but these men made them sound good.
“We did until it started raining.”
Josh gave her a look that could only be described as smoldering. “Then the evening got even better.”
She flushed, remembering the hot kiss they had shared in the rain. Falk and Brayden noticed her expression, too, and grinned. Falk pulled a chocolate cake from the refrigerator. “Looks like Josh jumped the gun and got his good-night kiss early tonight. Lucky man.”
Brayden pulled plates out of a cabinet and she watched, fascinated, as his muscles bunched under his shirt when he moved. “Stop teasing her, Falk. How about some chocolate cake with your coffee? I promise we didn’t make it.”
“Yes, please. I love chocolate.”
Brayden slipped a plate in front of her. “What else do you like, Ava? We want to know everything about you.”
Josh placed her coffee next to her cake. They were all patiently waiting for her to speak. As if what she said really meant something to them. She’d barely gotten a word in with her ex.
“I like lots of things. Music, sports, reading, Italian food, politics, puppies. Um, what about you guys?”
Falk frowned. “What kind of m
usic, sweetheart?”
Ava took a bite of the chocolate cake and hummed with pleasure. It was heavenly.
“Lots of kinds of music. Country, rock, jazz. I remember that you’re not fond of country. You like classic rock, right?”
Brayden smiled and she was glad she had remembered. “Yeah, we do. We have something of a pick-up band. We like to play and kick back after a long day. How do you like to relax?”
She shook her head in bemusement as once again they were all quiet as they waited for her to answer. Wow.
“I like to read, mostly. And before you ask me, I like to read lots of kinds of books. True crime, romance, historical biography, the backs of cereal boxes.”
The men laughed as she had meant them to. “Josh said you all went to Harvard together. What did you major in?”
The men paused, glancing at each other, before Brayden spoke. “Mathematics.”
Ava looked from one to the other. “All of you?”
The men nodded. Ava sipped her vanilla chai latte. It was perfect, as usual.
“So, how did three math majors from Harvard end up in a tiny ménage town in the middle of Florida? It doesn’t seem to fit.”
They didn’t look happy about her question. In fact, they looked downright unhappy. After feeling happy and relaxed earlier, she was now feeling as uncomfortable as they looked. She almost wished she hadn’t asked the question.
Almost.
The question was innocent enough. It was their reaction that wasn’t. Their body language was stiff and tense. It was as if they were hiding something. Except it would be silly to hide why they moved to Plenty.
Once again it was Brayden, the leader, who spoke up.
“We wanted a change from city living. Working in New York can be stressful. We wanted a slower pace. And of course, we wanted to find a town that was tolerant of a ménage lifestyle. We had a few to choose from, but we picked Plenty. It had everything we wanted.”
Plenty of Trust [Plenty, FL 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 3