Sterling New Year

by Cheryl Dragon

  Melody debated agreeing with Gretchen and coming down on Bethany. “Maybe she’ll get lucky and find a group of men that works for her. You don’t seem interested in that, but you’re still recovering. I’ll let you rest.”

  “We’re here for Isa’s wedding. Once I get a chance to sleep and feel normal again, I’ll be able to appreciate the local attractions. Thanks for the help.” Gretchen fell back on the bed.

  Mel headed for the door. “Feel better. Call me if you need anything.”

  She didn’t change clothes before driving straight over to the guys’ house. The boots with her dress looked odd, but she wasn’t taking the chance of slipping on ice. She knocked until Dale opened the door.

  “You have a lot of nerve!” she scolded.

  “Welcome. Come in.” Dale stepped aside.

  She barged in, and desire hit her. Ryan and Jason were on the couch, watching TV in nothing but boxers. Getting dressed up wasn’t normal for them, and this was their way of rebelling. At least Dale had thrown on a pair of jeans.

  “What did we do?” Ryan asked.

  She tried not to stare at the muscled bodies. The urge to cuddle and jump in bed with them could easily derail her. “Mostly, it was Dale. You flirted with Bethany.”

  “I did?” he asked innocently as he flopped on the couch.

  Jason grabbed the remote and turned off the television. “I think he was being friendly, Mel. Like Ryan and his videos.”

  “It’s not the same. Bethany is man crazy. She doesn’t need encouragement. She’s a handful. She loves to play games with men.” Mel didn’t sound like a good friend, but she didn’t want her guys hurt or to like Bethany more than they liked her.

  Dale hugged Mel. “Don’t worry about us. We’re just being polite. Jason gave Gretchen his card and asked how she was feeling. Is he in trouble too?”

  “No, of course not. We’re nothing serious, I know. But Bethany is trouble for men, so it’s not worth it. Even if she is prettier and thinner.” Mel turned and headed for the door.

  Dale grabbed her arm. “You think that? That’s nuts.”

  It wasn’t crazy. Mel knew Bethany’s measurements. Bethany was also better at flirting and getting men to do things. She was a charmer, and Melody felt clumsy with men by comparison. Isa and Bethany had the seductive talents.

  “No crazier than a group relationship. Jason, tell the truth. Was it a happy family growing up with two dads?” she asked.

  Jason stood and slid his body between her and the door. “It was great. Someone had time for me when I needed it. It’s challenging at times; more people means more moods, and there’s always stuff going on. But overall, it benefited me and my brothers. Why does that matter to you now?”

  She looked around the room. Three men, and she was falling in love with them all. It seemed impossible. Insane. Her heart wasn’t confused, though. “I don’t know. Maybe you’d like Bethany better?” She tried to maneuver around Jason, but he blocked her exit.

  Jason kissed her. Soon she was surrounded.

  The familiar feeling reassured her. When had her ego grown so frail? She let them strip her down to nothing. Hands were everywhere on her body as they took turns kissing her and nuzzling her neck.

  She turned the disrobing efforts onto Dale, and he was naked in seconds. This was supposed to just be fun and not mean anything, but she knew that was a lie. If she was jealous of her friend’s flirting, these men meant more to her than she’d realized. Mel didn’t want to admit it. Instead, she knelt and tugged the boxers off Jason first and then Ryan.

  Three hard cocks throbbed for her. Why had she worried about Bethany? Grinning, she sucked on Dale and massaged the other two. Bethany would always flirt, but Melody already trusted her guys not to stray. At least right now, in this moment, she did.

  “I was the only new woman around. Now you’ll have more.” She kissed Dale’s balls and then licked her way around Jason’s cock until he groaned.

  Ryan tugged her over to him. “You may think it’s only sex, but we’re not that casual about who we fuck.”

  Fear must’ve flashed in her eyes, because Dale knelt. “Don’t worry. He just means we’re not about to hop from one woman to the next or add another woman or man to this. That’s not how we are.”

  Dale kissed her lips and pulled Jason’s cock in to distract her. Dale sucked on Ryan’s cock. She loved the view.

  “Bedroom,” Jason suggested.

  They all headed in. Ryan dug out protection and lube from a nightstand. She pushed Dale down on the bed, then straddled his hips. If anyone doubted who was in charge tonight, she’d make it very clear. Once the condom was on him, she rubbed her pussy along his length until she was good and wet. No long foreplay tonight. As much as she loved it, she needed to get off.

  Sliding down on his cock, she moaned and pressed her nails into his chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryan coating lube on his already protected cock. She loved sex with these three. She didn’t even have to ask for it. They gave her what she needed.

  Ryan lubed her ass and slowly eased inside. Holding still, she looked at Dale and saw the arousal brewing as she felt another dick invade her body. Doubly filled, she rocked on them. She gripped Jason’s erection, then sucked on him for a bit before leading him to Dale’s mouth.

  She’d asked them to fuck in front of her a couple of times. However, they always managed to convince her that she was what they really needed. It was wonderful to be the center of attention, yet she wanted to see it all.

  As the cocks worked in and out of her, she leaned forward and sucked Jason’s erection, sharing it with Dale. Jason groaned and tugged her hair. She loved being surrounded by men. Her breasts pressed against Dale’s hard chest. Ryan rubbed his chest to her back, grinding his dick in her ass. She tongued Jason faster and rocked on the men.

  “You like being double stretched?” Jason asked.

  She moaned and squeezed both cocks inside her. “Very much.”

  Dale sucked on Jason’s balls roughly, and Melody took in as much of Jason’s big erection as she could. The pulsing sensation urged her to try harder to take more until he cursed and pushed her back. The cream hit her cheek, and more landed on Dale’s tongue. Watching him swallow it made her pussy throb.

  Ryan and Dale then coordinated their thrusts, and she was helpless to stop the climax as it gripped her. They were quite a team as they ground her in unison. Jason knelt and kissed her as the orgasm sent spasms of ecstasy through her. She clung to Jason as her body shook, and whimpers of thanks escaped her lips.

  * * * *

  Two hours later, exhausted, the group lounged naked at the kitchen table over some of the leftovers Isa had forced on them.

  “You like us,” Ryan said.

  Mel felt her face go hot. She couldn’t argue. “The sex is unbelievable. You’re great guys. How could I not like you?”

  It was freaking her out how much she liked them. She couldn’t control the strong feelings welling up inside her. While she was in Alaska, the temptation was too great.

  “Do you have a big dress shop back in Michigan?” Jason asked.

  Finally, someone was thinking of reality. “Not really. I work out of my home.” She did have a house that, if she moved, would require selling and cleaning out.

  I am not seriously thinking about this!

  It had to be the sex.

  Dale poured her a little more wine. “You probably have people who come from different states to get your dresses.”

  “I do. I work with a lot of plus-size brides who want to look good. What’s sold in stores is made for a size-two woman. Or at most a size ten, but the sizes are all jacked up. An average woman has to go up several sizes when trying one on.”

  “What do you mean?” Jason asked.

  “One of my cousins is a size twelve in normal clothes. She’s average size, not super skinny or overweight. She went to a bridal shop where she lives and didn’t fit in anything smaller than a size-eighteen dre
ss. It makes no sense.” She took another bite of cheesecake. “My dresses don’t have sizes. In the lining, I stitch the name of the owner, my name, and the year.”

  “Sounds far kinder, but I think you’d look good in anything.” Ryan leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  The other men murmured agreements.

  “Thanks. Every woman has a problem area she wants to cover up. One woman came in and was way too skinny. No meat on this girl. When she was trying on something, her mother pulled me aside and said she wasn’t anorexic, just ill. She wanted to look healthy, but the mom knew I wasn’t a magician. No pressure there.” She sipped her wine, then a deep breath. “I built some of the mannequin padding I use for plus-size clients into the dress and put a corset around it. She was comfortable and looked great.”

  “What about her face and her arms?” Dale asked.

  “Bethany did a great job with the makeup, bronzing her skin, plus adding extensions to fill out her hair. Bethany went big with the hair. I put her in long sleeves and lined those as well. It wasn’t perfect, but we weren’t trying to pad her out to a size six, just make her look a little healthier.” Mel realized she’d been rattling on about wedding dresses. They were dutifully listening. “Sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about wedding gowns nonstop. Isa’s is probably enough.”

  She stood and started to put away some of the food for later. Jason helped her. “We like hearing about you. If you hang around, you’ll have to listen to us talking about our latest boat creation.”

  Part of her wanted to hear all about it, but she didn’t want to give them any false hope. Moving and changing her life for men… It flew in the face of her independent streak. It seemed crazy. If she didn’t trust Isa’s judgment so much, she’d think her friend had lost her mind.

  Dale wiped off the table. “What happened to the woman? Do you know?”

  “I got a five-year-anniversary photo over the summer. She’s in full remission and still married to the same guy, so I’d call that a success.” She dried her hands on a dish towel.

  Ryan packed the fridge tight and flipped off the lights. “A lot of repeat business?”

  Melody didn’t want to sound jaded, but lying wasn’t her style either. “I have a few who are on their third and several on their second. I guess people never give up on love. We should get some sleep.”

  “Love is scary, but when it’s right, the fear goes away.” Dale kissed her.

  The foursome headed back to bed. She tried to block out all the options and wild dreams that kept teasing her. Three men all to herself, and they actually listened to her. Would it last?

  Chapter Five

  On Saturday, Isa took her bridesmaids over to Homer’s winery for a special tasting. At home, the men felt a bit lost. Ryan filled the time editing more of the prewedding footage. Jason was sketching a new design as he and Dale watched some sporting event from the lower forty-eight.

  Ryan paused the footage from the sewing space. Melody in her gown, alone. She looked too serious evaluating her work in the mirror. “Guys, come here.”

  The men grumbled a bit but moved to look over Ryan’s shoulder.

  “Damn, she’s gorgeous.” Dale sighed.

  Jason hid his sketch by setting it facedown on the desk. “I know she’s falling for us. Even if she doesn’t want to admit it.”

  “We love her. Don’t get your hopes up.” Dale hugged Jason.

  Ryan smiled at the affection. He felt like he was in the middle. Jason was totally sure it’d work. Dale was braced for losing her in the end. Ryan didn’t want to mess things up.

  “You don’t really think it’s just a fling. She doesn’t either. I know it.” Jason paced the room.

  “We want her as much as you do,” Ryan said. “The closer we get, the more she feels for us, the easier we can screw it up. We can’t push too far too fast, even with the wedding coming up. She’s under stress with the dresses and her friends.”

  Dale leaned on the back of Ryan’s chair. “Stress?”

  Ryan tried not to shake Dale. The guy had his priorities, and a big wedding wasn’t his top priority. “It’s like when we drop a new boat we made from the bottom up into the water for the first time.”

  “It’s not her wedding,” Jason said. “The dresses look great, and she rocked the shower thing. She’s not bitching about Alaska anymore. Instead, she’s helping her friends navigate it.”

  “I know. She cares about her friend. At least she’s not trying to talk Isa out of the wedding.” Ryan stared at the screen.

  Dale sat on the love seat near Ryan’s workstation in the family room. “You think she’s that against marriage and group stuff?”

  Jason flopped on his back on the love seat with his head in Dale’s lap. “I refuse to believe that. She’s enjoying us.”

  “I agree,“ Ryan said. “Her parents were weird. Stuck together for her and divorced as soon as she was off to college. She feels guilty and is determined not to make their mistakes.” He had given them the basics of his early talk with Mel but hadn’t gone into full details, in hopes she’d confide in them.

  Dale and Jason exchanged a look. “You said she didn’t have good examples growing up,” Dale said. “I assumed her parents were cheaters or something.”

  Ryan couldn’t answer that question. However, they needed to agree on an approach. “I don’t have all the information. It sounds like her mom got pregnant and her parents got married for her sake. They went through the motions. She feels like they were stuck because of her.”

  “And you’re worried three men will be more pressure?” Jason turned his head to Ryan.

  Dale rubbed a soothing hand on Jason’s chest. “The wedding is coming up. We don’t want her to leave.”

  “No, we don’t,” Jason replied. “But if we ask her to stay or move in or anything that’ll spook her before the wedding is done, she might panic. Maybe it’s not the love or trust that’s the issue. She doesn’t want to be stuck or a burden. I know if my mom hadn’t remarried a good guy, I’d have felt guilty leaving her alone. College is one thing, but she sacrificed a lot for me.”

  Ryan knew Dale and Jason might never fully understand because their parents were here in Sterling and together. Even if Mel didn’t feel like she needed to stay near her parents, she feared repeating their mistakes.

  “So her parents stayed together for the wrong reasons and sent her screwy messages because of it. We don’t have to be high pressure.” Jason sat up and hugged Dale. “It might be easier on Dale if we go slowly.”

  Ryan looked at Dale. He didn’t believe it. Dale liked everything nicely settled. If she wasn’t sure about the relationship, he might back out. Even mess it up without meaning to. Nerves made people say the wrong thing.

  “I want her to stay if it makes her happy,” Dale said. “We can suggest it after the wedding. She’s not flying home until a couple days afterward, anyway. Packing up all her stuff and shipping it will take time. We’ll have opportunities.” He slid from the sofa and grabbed the sketch pad Jason had been working on.

  “Don’t,” Jason said.

  Ryan looked over Dale’s shoulder. The sketch was an addition to the back of their building. Cameron Custom Dress Design. “It’s great! I wouldn’t show her this until we get a sign she wants more.”

  “Keep it, though,” Dale suggested. “That drawing looks awesome. It’d be wonderful to have her around all the time.” He stared at the paper, and Ryan knew they were all on the same page as far as feelings went. They had to be sure where Melody stood. They’d have to tread lightly. No one said ménage life was easy.

  * * * *

  A few days before the wedding, the dresses were mostly beaded and blinged out. Mel used a light hand compared to some of the Gypsy brides’ dresses she’d designed. But Isa was right; with all the darkness around this time of year, the ladies needed to sparkle.

  With her limited knowledge of Sterling, Melody had done her best to plan a bachelorette party. Luckily, Betha
ny had bought some fun decorations. The penis-shaped cake was classic. Isa insisted on pizza—nothing fancy. As the bridesmaids decorated the room, Mel realized her time in Alaska was winding down.

  Part of her had wanted to stop by the guys’ place and warn them not to get too wild with strippers. Still, she had no right to dictate the relationship. They were friends with benefits. She needed to be reassured they wanted her more than a scantily clad dancer.

  No! I won’t give in to wedding fever. Like with the bouquet toss, every woman thought she’d be next. Deep down, Melody wasn’t sure she could ever walk down the aisle and say forever. The foursome was fun, but could it last long-term?

  Forcing her mind off the men, Mel surveyed the snack table. Pretzels, chips and dip, nachos and such on one end, the big cake in the middle, and sweet treats on the other side. Pizza would go on the main table with the drinks. The gift table had three colorful bags from the bridesmaids.

  As Gretchen mixed the sangria, Bethany waved Mel over. Melody went after a quick check of the time.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  Bethany fussed over some penis-shaped confetti. “Nothing, really. Gretchen hasn’t been herself. She won’t tell me what’s wrong. Has she talked to you?”

  “No. I’ve tried a couple of times. She doesn’t seem ill anymore. Just sad until Isa comes around. Then she’s normal.” Melody had done her best to get information out of Gretchen at the fitting. Gretchen had brushed her odd behavior off. She was fine, work was fine, her family was fine, and no, no men in her life. Nothing bad. The same.

  Mel didn’t believe it for a second.

  Isa, a group of women from town, and some of the grooms’ sisters and cousins showed up. Isa was an only child, so Mel was her appointed sister for the wedding event.

  “It looks great, you guys!” Isa hugged Mel and then the others.