by Sahara Kelly
She was a threat, he realized. A combination of heated sexual attraction and an enigma that piqued his natural curiosity. And her nickname was Slash. If that wasn't an invitation to dwell on decadent thoughts, he didn't know what was.
Those same decadent thoughts roared back through Logan as he sat next to her and let himself drown in the scent of her body and the extraordinary cleavage thrust prominently into view by her costume.
Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be experiencing any sort of reciprocal erotic arousal, since she was staring at him with a mixture of amazement and horror.
"What the f... hell are you doing here?"
He grinned. "Enjoying the faire, same as you. And right now honestly compels me to confess that I'm also enjoying the view." He let his gaze deliberately drop to her breasts. "There's a lot to be said for the fashions of the seventeenth century. And those are saying most of it right this minute."
She sighed, colored and he noticed her hands flutter as she repressed the urge to hide herself. Good for her.
"You're a perv." She snorted the insult.
"Not at all. Merely an appreciative audience. If you hadn't wanted your assets to be noticed and admired, why lace them into a corset?"
She was silent for a moment. "Okay, you have a point." She grimaced. "I'm here on a dare."
"Why is it when I hear a woman say that, I get seriously turned on?"
Susannah swiveled at the sound of Tyler's voice. He'd taken a seat on the other side of her without her realizing it, and Logan could sense her confusion.
"You're his friend." She made it a statement as she waved her hand at Logan. "I've seen you two together."
Logan chuckled. "Yeah. Tyler Adams, meet Susannah McGill. . He's my best bud. And my hunting partner. "
Tyler laughed as well. "We're not quite a pack, but we do okay."
"Hunting?" Susannah frowned, her head turning from one man to the other. "What do you hunt?"
"Women." Logan lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "Beautiful women."
"And we've hit the jackpot." Tyler edged close and let his arm rest behind Susannah's back.
"Uh…"
For once, she was off-kilter, unsure of herself and without a ready quip. Color heated her cheeks as she glanced from one to the other. Logan found her confusion charming and appealing. He wondered if she was equally as hesitant in bed or if she liked to be in control.
He hoped they'd find out. "So tell us about this dare."
"Better idea?" Tyler stood and held out his hand. "Walk with us and tell us your story. Escorting a lovely lady through these forest paths in the sunshine--well, you gotta work really hard to beat that for fun."
Chapter Two
So they walked. And it was, she was forced to admit, fun.
Susannah couldn't help but be aware that they attracted some attention as they strolled through the growing crowds. Both men were taller than she was--an accomplishment, since she wasn't short by any stretch of the imagination.
Their costumes were complimentary; Susannah's corseted gown an admirable foil for the dark breeches and boots of both men, and the bright red medieval jacket Logan wore with such flair.
Tyler had opted for a white poet's shirt and a black vest to match his breeches. With his long sandy hair and single earring, he was jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Both outfits, on two such good-looking men, well they should've probably been stamped with some kind of government warning.
She noted many women doing a double take as they strolled by. And yes, she couldn't help a tiny smirk of pleasure from crossing her face now and again. The chance to score one on some scantily clad young thing who thought she was all that and a bag of chocolate chip cookies--well, shit. It was much too good to pass up.
She'd worn her sneakers beneath the gown. A sensible choice, since the going was rough, there were several steep inclines, and although the paths were covered with woodchips and sawdust, ancient roots crossed and tangled above the soil in more than a few places and posed a threat to the unwary.
She was glad of the two stalwart men on more than one occasion, finding the strong arms very useful for clambering around while clad in a confining corset and restricting skirts. How the hell women actually lived in this stuff all those years ago, she had no clue. She was simply thankful she didn't have to.
Sneaking a quick glance at Logan, she envied him his relaxed poise. It would be easy to think he wore medieval garb every day of his life. Same thing with Tyler. Both men were comfortable in boots and breeches, apparently oblivious to the strangeness of their apparel and the looks they were getting.
She realized that she was the focus of their attention and couldn't help but be flattered. And as they walked on, their hold on her moved from casually attentive to definitely sensual.
Susannah wasn't used to thinking of herself as sexually attractive. But an hour into her stroll with Logan and Tyler, her erotic self woke up. Their arms would brush against her corset, their hands touched her casually but often, and their eyes wandered over her, straying again and again to her cleavage.
Just that look alone, that expression they wore in their gazes--it was enough to make her nipples hard beneath the silk. She felt her blood heat beneath her skin and caught herself glancing at their crotches. Were they aroused?
It was possible. Medieval breeches were looser than regular twenty-first century trousers, so it wasn't easy to tell. But she was pretty certain there were bulges beneath the black folds. Short of reaching over and feeling them up, there wasn't much she could do to confirm her hypothesis.
She wasn't quite ready for public groping. But if they kept the subtle heat building, she might get there before too long.
The mere thought made her miss a step and Logan caught her around the waist, pulling her tightly against him. "Come on. Time to sit and grab a breath I think."
Tyler nodded ahead. "Over there. I think we can find a seat before the rush for food gets too busy?"
"Gotcha."
Together, they steered Susannah to a small picnic bench, shaded by some pines and just out of the way of the main thoroughfare.
"Wine, my friends?" Logan tilted his head.
She grinned. "And two swift horses."
Both men chuckled and Logan headed over to a vendor for some refreshments, leaving Tyler to seat himself next to Susannah and lean back against the table as he looked at her. "So you need a photo of yourself with a handsome knight to fulfill the dare?"
Susannah nodded, knowing full well she wasn't about to let thoughts of the rest of the dare show in her face. "Yes. Sophie said she'd be okay with a cell phone shot."
"I take it you don't do this kind of thing much." He waved his hand at the multi-hued throng of faire-goers.
"Never." She shrugged. "I'm more of a jeans-and-t-shirt girl. Take me out to the shooting range for a day and I'm a happy camper. This is…" she paused, searching for words, "really way out of my field of experience."
Tyler smiled, his eyes doing that I-love-looking-at-your-breasts thing again. "And yet you do it so well."
"It's the corset," she answered dryly. "Engineering principles applied to sixteenth century garments."
"They worked then and they're working now." He quirked an eyebrow. "It's simple animal attraction. Women let men catch a glimpse of heaven and we poor males are ensnared."
She thought about that. "Ensnared. Lovely word."
"Lovely experience." Logan spoke from behind her and she turned to see him juggling three large-handled glasses of liquid and a tray of what looked like hors d'oeuvres. "But before we get to the ensnaring portion of the day's entertainment, how about some snacks?"
"Mmm. Good lad." Tyler nodded approvingly and distributed napkins while eyeing the plate. "Dibs on the chicken wings."
Susannah took a sip of the wine and sighed. "Oh. That's good."
Logan reached toward the plate, then paused, looked around, then stood and hurried to a nearby couple.
She glanced at Tyler. "Wha
t's with him?"
The answer came on the heels of her question as Logan returned and held out his hand to her. "Let me have your phone, Susannah? This nice lady is going to take our photo."
She fished beneath her overskirt to the little bag containing her valuables. "That's great. Thanks so much." She smiled at the couple, noticing the woman giving both Logan and Tyler a thorough perusal.
"No problem." The man folded his arms and stood patiently as Tyler moved close to Susannah on the bench and Logan moved behind them, putting his hands on her bare shoulders.
When Tyler's arm slid around her waist, she felt encompassed, surrounded by testosterone and almost frail next to all that muscle mass. They had formed a tight grouping, linked by more than proximity.
Both men were touching her now, unafraid to stroke her skin. Logan's fingers were a caress and Tyler's arm held her close to his body. She could feel their heat and every single girl-part she possessed suddenly sounded a red-alert and cleared the decks for action.
"Oh my." The woman had taken several shots. "You three are quite amazing. It's making me hot just to look at you."
"Jesus, Carol, you'll embarrass them."
From the looks of him, it was Carol's husband who was embarrassed, but Logan quickly put him at his ease, thanked them both and then laughed and nodded as Carol hesitantly asked if she could have a photo taken with them both.
Finally it was done and Carol left, smiling down at her camera, oblivious to the puzzled frown on her husband's face.
Susannah found herself staring at the shot of the three of them.
God. Sophie was going to love this.
There was something there, something in the pose or the interaction or the chemistry…whatever it was had come across through the lens of her cell phone. The image could be subtitled "Milady and her Cavaliers". They looked ripe and ready to tear each other's clothes off.
Which thought did absolutely nothing at all for the state of her underwear.
*~*~*~*
Logan watched as the awareness of their growing sexual attraction dawned on Susannah's face. He could see the change in her expression as she stared at the photo on her phone. He knew what she saw, because he could feel it down to his toes.
It was a heat, a shimmer of something sharp and edgy, a glitter of pleasure mixed with the darting pinpricks of desire. And all three of them were responding to it as clearly as if they'd been outlined by a glowing aura in the picture.
He didn't need to even look at Tyler to know they were one in their goal. Susannah was now prey, a woman they wanted, craved, needed naked between them and beneath them.
A woman to whom they would give as much pleasure as she could bear and from whom they would accept the gift of pleasure in return.
All that remained was to get her to agree, and then the games could begin in earnest.
Logan looked forward to that moment with eager anticipation, but that didn't mean he wasn't enjoying the preliminaries. He loved flirting, reveled in the subtleties that led to sex, thought that foreplay was an art in and of itself, and always refused to rush something he felt should be treated with the awe and respect it deserved.
Good sex should always be awesome.
And he had a growing feeling that sex with Susannah was going to fall into that category. Or maybe even create a new one.
They finished their wine and decided to walk on, relaxing in the sunshine. Tyler echoed Logan's mood, playful now, and with a sensual edge. He flirted and insinuated, hinted and touched, letting her know how appealing he found her and how much more he would like to have.
When he took a breath, Logan moved in, doing much the same thing. He made sure to brush the side of her breast with his arm. He stroked the skin of her neck as he pushed her hair away from her ear and dropped a light kiss on her cheek as he helped her clamber over a large knotted root.
He stood behind her as she tried on a garland of silk flowers and let his fingers drift down her spine, enjoying the tiny shiver he sensed as her eyes met his in the mirror in front of her.
Then he insisted on buying her the garland and arranging it perfectly as she stood close enough for him to see the gold flecks in her irises. He could smell her fragrance, soft and powdery and all woman.
Tyler was not to be outdone, finding a lovely chain necklace with a tiny key on it. It was long and ended with a clasp, which he announced would go around his wrist so that she would not stray from his side.
It was all very dramatic and fun and was designed for one thing and one thing only. To seduce Susannah into their bed.
It was working.
He realized how well when they paused again in the middle of the afternoon, having walked most of the lanes. It was time for the jousting and they'd had the foresight to get to the field early and snag seats in the shade.
While they waited for the rest of the visitors to arrive, Susannah sighed. "I have a confession."
Tyler stared at her with a somber ecclesiastical expression. "Tell me, my child."
"Not that kind of confession." She chuckled. "More a sin of omission."
"Pity." Logan wrinkled his nose. "But it's early yet."
"Stop." She laughed aloud. "I'm serious."
"Go ahead then." Logan encouraged her. "We'll hear your confession and then tell you your penance."
"It's about the dare." She stared at her hands as her fingers nervously twined together in her lap. "There was more than just a photo with a man."
"Really?" Tyler's voice was polite interest, but Logan heard the slight edge of anticipation beneath the question.
"Yes. Sophie is…well, she's a devil sometimes. She knows how to goad me into doing outrageous things."
"By offering a dare, I take it?" Logan idly toyed with the laces of her corset.
"It's my fatal flaw. I have never not taken a dare. And now it's a matter of honor, I suppose."
"Okay…" Tyler encouraged her.
"So…" she took a breath, "the rest of the dare was tohavesexwiththemaninthephoto." She fired the words out like buckshot then swallowed, lifting her chin and staring straight ahead. "There. I've said it."
"So you have." Logan bit the inside of his cheek to stop the shit-eating grin he knew was itching to plaster itself over his face. "How…how…"
"How wonderful." Tyler couldn't hold his grin back. "I'm on board. Here? Now? Or somewhere more private?"
"Jesus." Susannah choked back a laugh. "Couldn't you manage to be more outraged or shocked, or something?"
"Hey." Logan reached into her lap and took her hand, folding his around it. "No, we can't be shocked. It's what we've wanted ever since we saw you."
Tyler took the other hand. "He's right." He dropped a kiss on her knuckles. "You're it, sweetheart."
"It what?" She darted uncertain looks at both of them.
Logan took a breath. Here was the moment. "How would you feel about a ménage? With us?"
There was silence for a few moments while a myriad of expressions chased themselves across Susannah's face. Both men were still, waiting, wondering--and in Logan's case, hoping like hell to hear the right answer.
She opened her mouth…
And a massive burst of drums heralded the arrival of the tournament parade. The cheers of the guests who were rapidly filling out the seats drowned every attempt at conversation.
Logan clenched his teeth, saw Tyler's cheek muscle twitch with annoyance as he rolled his eyes, and felt Susannah's grip on his fingers tighten.
He looked down to see her squeezing both men's hands, hard enough to whiten her knuckles. She drew them together in her lap, intertwining them, making sure she had their attention over all the noise.
And then, only then…she lifted the combined handclasps to her bodice and pressed them against her breasts.
And nodded.
Chapter Three
"So…how does this work?"
Susannah tentatively asked the question that had been thundering in her brain ever since she dev
eloped a severe case of inexplicable insanity and agreed to have sex with two men.
Shit.
Just thinking about it was getting her wet and hot under her medieval skirts. There must be something seriously wrong with her.
But then again, a quick look at the two gorgeous guys who wanted to share her in bed--well yeah, she might be insane, but she sure as hell wasn't stupid.
Her curiosity had overwhelmed her common sense, and given that she'd been in a sexual dry spell for far too long, she'd been more than ripe for the picking. Logan had been an object of her purely female interest for a while, and tossing Tyler into the deal had all but guaranteed she'd go for it.
Shit again. I'm out of my fucking mind.
Tyler linked arms with her as they joined the guests heading away from the tournament field.
She knew there'd been horses and knights and stuff. What they'd done or who won, she couldn't have begun to guess. She'd been lost in a deluge of erotic imaginings. It had, clinically speaking, been a nice kind of private foreplay.
But she had questions and decided that the best thing to do was ask. If she heard anything she didn't like, she was so out of there before anything got out of hand.
"We'd like to take you to our pied a terre."
"Pied a terre?"
"Torture chamber designed specifically for serial killers who like to have sex with their victims first." He paused. "Kidding."
She swallowed. "Shit, Tyler. That wasn't funny."
"I thought it was, but I admit to a twisted sense of humor." He chuckled. "Seriously, we have a suite of rooms at a small B&B near here. It's permanently reserved for us and a great place to get away after a rough week."
"A sex pad, huh?" She raised an eyebrow skeptically.
Logan frowned. "No. One or other of us will come up on weekends as Tyler said, just to get away. Do we bring our dates there? Yes. Occasionally. But don't go thinking it's some kind of guy sex cave. It's not."