Instead of arguing with Jocelyn, he leaned close to her and placed his hand on her upper thigh. She froze like a deer in headlights the moment he made contact. “I didn’t want them to stay because the only thing I want to eat in this restaurant is you. Having them here would be a distraction while I think of the best way to lay you across this table and spank your ass before I lick you to a bone-melting orgasm.”
Her beautiful aqua eyes were wide as saucers when he leaned back. She could never play poker with the naked expressions that flowed over her face. At the moment he could see both curiosity and nervousness in her eyes. That was good. If he’d seen fear then he’d have to question her attraction, but there was nothing negative about the look she wore. He knew that Matt would make a pass at her later and was disappointed that he wouldn’t be there to watch or join in. That wouldn’t stop him from making certain he had every intention of tasting her delectable skin as well, right after he warmed up her ass with his hand.
“Now that that’s settled.” Eric picked up his menu again. “Shall we order?”
It took a bit but Jocelyn finally found her voice again. No doubt she’d convinced herself that he’d been joking with her or something else equally wrong.
Eric watched Jocelyn as she ate. Not obviously but out of the corner of his eye. She reminded him of a girl he’d gone to high school with. She’d been so obsessed with her weight and had planned to be a model when she graduated. Every guy in school including him thought she was gorgeous and wanted to take her out. She accepted Eric’s invitation, and when they went out to dinner she ordered a small green salad and talked about herself for the entire meal. Jocelyn completely lacked a self-centered narcissistic attitude, but all she’d ordered was an appetizer-size quesadilla and a small salad.
“Are you feeling okay?” he nodded to the small portion of food she’d been moving around her plate with her fork.
“Yeah, we had such a big breakfast that I’m not really hungry.”
“Breakfast was hours ago,” Matt commented. “Besides, you could use a couple extra calories.”
She looked at Matt like he was crazy but his cousin had looked down at his plate and missed it. Eric didn’t want to get involved with a woman who starved herself in an attempt to fit an unrealistic, unattractive figure. Jocelyn didn’t fit that attitude though. She didn’t eat much, but she didn’t shy away from the homemade guacamole either. He waved their waitress and asked for another side of guac for her, earning him a big smile.
“I love guacamole.”
“I could tell.”
“Well, it has those extra calories I apparently need.” Her tone was even, but Eric could hear her humor in it. He didn’t believe that she took offence to Matt’s earlier comment. When she looked over at Matt, he simply winked at her.
“So, what other families have you investigated for your book?” Eric asked.
Jocelyn stopped chewing for a moment, and he thought he saw a flash of concern move over her expression but it was gone quickly and she finished before speaking. “I’ve done a bit of research on a few families that I’m not at liberty to speak openly about at the moment, but this is my first in-depth investigation with family members.” She took a sip of her water before sitting back in her chair. “There is so much research that has to be done before I reach any conclusions. I checked out the national database on families and even ancestry.com. You’d be amazed how much information is on that site, but I have to verify everything before including it in a report or work it into a book.”
“Sounds like treasure hunting.”
“Sometimes it feels like it, too.” Jocelyn’s eyes lit up when she talked about searching through books and libraries.
Eric and Matt finished eating as Jocelyn told them more details of her job. How important the smallest details could be. Her prickly mask slipped as she spoke, a slight color flushing her cheeks as she described a time she’d discovered an important fact in the background of two pictures from two different families and how that had verified her theories.
“Have you ever been geocaching?” Eric asked
“No, never heard of it. What is it?”
“Treasure hunting for grown-ups,” Matt interjected before Eric could reply.
“It’s more than that and certainly better than sitting on the sofa for twelve hours having a Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter marathon,” he shot back automatically. He and Matt never hesitated to jab each other when they had a chance, but it was old habits from when they were kids. A few women had tried to come between them, but that always ended with her on the outside. Jocelyn was the only woman Eric could say he was interested in having between them for the long-term, and he’d only known her for one day.
“Careful trashing some of the best movies ever created.” Jocelyn shook her finger at Eric. “I’ve done marathons of those movies as well.”
“Oh, no not another one.” Eric moaned dramatically. An idea hit him, and he wondered if he could get her to agree. He wanted to spend more time with her and had a suspicion she would enjoy his hobby as much as he did. “Promise me you’ll come geocaching with me tomorrow, and I’ll sit through all three of the Ring movies.”
“That’s a great idea,” Matt quickly agreed.
“Don’t you two have to work?”
“Matt and I have a couple days off before starting our night rotation.”
“When do you start your night shifts?”
“Tomorrow.” And it couldn’t be worse timing. Eric wanted to spend more time with Jocelyn, not start a rotation that would see them working while she slept and vice versa. What if she discovered everything she needed and left before he had a chance to kiss her? One taste to see if Matt was right and confirm the tension that he felt near her. He wanted to feast on every inch of her, share her with Matt, and see if she really could be theirs.
Chapter Five
Jocelyn hadn’t eaten so much food in her life as she had with Matt and Eric, although what she managed to consume was only a fraction of what they succeeded to put away in a sitting. A small voice in the back of her thoughts warned her that she’d end up packing on the weight, but she ignored that opinion. It was the voice of an insecure teenager. She was a grown woman now and didn’t have to starve herself in order to prove she could control her life.
Matt’s leg had brushed up against hers under the table shortly after they sat down and hadn’t moved until he stood when Eric’s mom came over. It had been a big distraction at first, but then she got used to the large warmth pressed against her ankles. It was almost as if he wanted to remind her of their interrupted conversation earlier. She took another swallow of her ice water and tried to ignore the tingles that danced along her pussy every time she remembered the feel of warm breath on her cheek and his tongue stroking her lower lip. He hadn’t made any obvious moves toward furthering her seduction, and maybe all that talk about sharing was just that. Talk. Or because you ran away he’s questioning if he should bother.
She glanced over at him and caught him staring at her. He sat forward, leaning against the corner of the table toward her. “Come here, Jocelyn.”
“What?” She leaned forward unable to resist. He hadn’t raised his voice, and he looked as though he wanted to tell her a secret. She glanced over at Eric, who was watching them both with an amused look on his face. Matt tugged on a piece of her hair, and she turned back to him.
“Since Eric is bailing after lunch, why don’t you and I spend some time together?”
“I’m not here on vacation, Matt.” I’m getting paid and can’t take advantage of my employer’s patience. “I do need to concentrate on my research.”
“A few more hours won’t hurt, will it?”
His voice was low, but it was his expression that made her heart trip along. If she spent any time with him this afternoon he was going to continue what he’d started earlier. Her brain instantly made a list of all the reasons she shouldn’t. It was a bad idea that had disaster written all over it. �
��All right.” Dammit, where’s my self-control?
Matt waved their waitress down and grabbed the bill before she could. “Hey, I said that lunch was my treat.”
“I heard you.” He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “But, I chose to ignore you.”
She pulled her hand back and rubbed the spot on her palm he’d kissed. No one had ever kissed her hand or acted like that toward her. What was is with them constantly touching her? It wasn’t that she didn’t like it, but she didn’t know how to process it. It felt like she’d stepped into a completely different world with numerous traditions she wasn’t accustomed to. With the extremes her parents went to in order to prevent any physical interaction, she’d wondered how she’d been conceived. No one wanted to think of their parents having sex, but Jocelyn was certain her parents had figured out a way to do it without actually touching.
When she got up, Eric moved behind her holding up her coat. He stood over her making her feel smaller than she was as he moved her coat so she could get her arms in it. Jocelyn had to give their parents credit for raising such polite men. She hadn’t opened a single door or put her coat on without assistance since meeting them. Eric rested his hands on her shoulders instead of stepping away, and she stiffened slightly, not sure what he was going to do next. She felt his fingers brush against her cheek and lift her hair back from her ear.
“I made a commitment to help my parents, and now I’m going to be fighting wood all day thinking about what you two are doing.” His low, gravelly voice went straight to her pussy. “I’m looking forward to having you all to myself as well.”
“I don’t…you’re misunderstanding…”
His laugh was low and meant for her only. “I don’t think so, darlin’.” She felt his lips brush her ear as he stood back up. Her pussy quivered, and she was glad her coat was on because she could feel how hard her nipples had gotten. He slid his hand to her lower back and led her past the booths and tables toward the exit. Jocelyn was certain that everyone must have felt the sexual tension coming off her, but everyone else in the Bandit wasn’t paying them a single bit of attention.
“We’ll drive you back to the station so you can get your truck.” Matt spoke to Eric as she stepped on the running board of the truck to get in. Eric’s hand trailed down from her back and over her ass. The blatant caress surprised her, and she practically jumped into Matt’s lap in surprise.
“Easy there, beautiful.” Matt wore a cocky smile and looked over her shoulder to his cousin. “Is my cousin pawing at your ass already?”
“No, not at all, I’m sorry.” Jocelyn stammered as she adjusted her position next to him. She turned and gave Eric a stern look, but the calm mischievous grin that curved his lips managed to make her embarrassment disappear.
“You’re welcome to throw yourself at me anytime, beautiful.” Matt started up the truck and pulled out of the parking lot. It only took a couple minutes to drive over to the fire station. She didn’t say anything. Instead she tried to pull her body under control. Her panties were soaked from their teasing, and she couldn’t decide whether to run or pull all her clothes off and beg them to take her.
Matt drove past the immaculate building that housed the fire trucks, and she saw a large towerlike structure that had smoke and streaks of black along it. Ropes hung down one side, and she watched as a man loaded down with equipment jumped off the side and rappelled down.
“Nice to see they’re still practicing when we’re not there to nag at them.” One of the men at the bottom of the tower lifted his hand in greeting, and both Matt and Eric repeated the gesture.
Behind the tower, a safe distance away, was a small bungalow with an old blue pickup truck parked in front of it. Matt pulled in on the other side of it and turned off the truck. The pickup truck blocked the view of the men working on the tower and prevented them from seeing her. She wasn’t certain if Matt had done that on purpose or not but she appreciated not being watched as she got out of the truck.
As soon as her boots touched the ground, Eric shut the door and then crowded her back against the side of the truck. “I wish I could have found those photo albums for you, darlin’.”
Jocelyn didn’t know if Eric understood the instant longing that pulsed through her every time he called her that. She wondered if he liked to talk during sex because she was certain he could make her come simply by telling her what he was going to do.
“It’s okay. I appreciate the effort, really.” Her heart was pounding wildly as she remembered what he’d said in the bar. Would he really have a hard-on thinking that I’m having sex with Matt? Would she even do that? Why not?
He moved closer still, trapping her between his body and the truck. She tried to take a breath, but it sounded choppy and nervous. “You have the prettiest blush.” His fingers feathered over her cheeks. “Are you thinking about what happened with Matt earlier or what might happen after I leave?”
“No,” Jocelyn automatically answered, even though it was the only thought left in her head. “We’re going to talk.”
“Little liar, I should bend you over and take my hand to your ass for that. I’m still kicking myself for interrupting you two. Next time, don’t run away. ” Eric pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “I’ll ask my parents if they know what happened to the albums.” He pressed a quick kiss against her lips.
A spanking? All her life Jocelyn had done what was expected of her, the right thing, and for once she wanted to do something wild, and if these two men were willing… Eric leaned his head closer to hers, the space between their lips closed, and she held her breath. He was giving her ample opportunity to say no, but she didn’t plan on it. Unable to stand the anticipation anymore she was the one to close the last inch and instigate a kiss. His lips were soft and gentle against hers, sparking her nerves as she pressed closer to him. She didn’t want it to end when he lifted his head. Bracing her hand on his chest, she rose up on her tiptoes to keep the contact as long as possible.
Eric had lifted his head but didn’t move his body that far. He cupped his hand along her jaw and sighed. His breath sounded as shaky as hers. “Darlin’, you’re not making this easy.” She could feel the hard length of his cock against her stomach as he looked down at her. He ran his thumb along her lower lip. She closed her lips together on the pad as if she was kissing him.
He groaned low and deep before pressing his hand against the truck, lifting himself off her. The chill in the air whisked in between them, colder now that she’d felt the warmth of his body. He straightened his hat before winking at her. “Have a fun afternoon.”
She was still leaning back against the truck with her fingers pressed against her lips when Eric opened the door of the pickup truck and got in. He winked at her through the window before starting it up and pulling out.
“Come on, beautiful. Let’s go inside where it’s warmer.” Matt wrapped his hand around hers and gave it a gentle tug. “Not that the two of you didn’t just raise the temperature a few degrees. Five more minutes and you two would have ignited something and given the newbies some real practice.”
Am I really going to go through with this? Why shouldn’t she? There were no laws against casual affairs. Hell, half the country would have to be locked up if that was true. What harm could one afternoon of fun be? But, I want more than one afternoon. She didn’t know what they wanted.
Matt took her coat and hung it up in the closet when they got inside. There was a small entrance that opened into an open-concept living room and dining room. The ceilings were higher than normal and made the space feel bigger than it was. A large flat-screen TV took up one wall and across from it was a long, comfy-looking sofa. There was a hallway past the kitchen she assumed must lead to the bedrooms.
“You’re blushing again.” Matt wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “Want to share what’s going through your brain?”
Jocelyn shook her head not certain what to say. Was he going to kiss her now,
so soon after Eric? Were they on a time crunch and had to get it on before he got back? Did he want her to make the first move this time?
Matt wrapped his other arm around her, both his hands resting on her lower back. She didn’t know what to do, and the tension and uncertainly was killing her. “Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter?”
“Pardon?” The question snapped her out of the spiral of nervous thoughts. He wanted to watch a movie? That was what all this was about? She didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. “Rings, I guess.” She could hear the disappointment in her tone but Matt seemed oblivious.
“Eric’s not here, it’s our big chance.” Matt stepped away but kept a hold of her hand, leading her around the sofa. “Get comfortable and I’ll put the first one in.”
Jocelyn flopped down on one end of the sofa, tucking herself into the corner as Matt loaded up the DVD and got the movie going. He blinked at her in surprise when he turned around. “You look even smaller trying to hide like that.”
“I’m not hiding.” The nervousness abated slightly, replaced by annoyance. He was the one who wanted to watch a movie, after making her think that she might see him naked. He didn’t actually say that.
“Oh, my mistake then.” Matt scooped her up and sat down where she’d been sitting. Stretching his long legs out along the sofa, he laid her down next to him.
She was tempted to make a comment about treating her like a rag doll, but she had to admit it felt nice to stretch out like this. Matt’s large form behind her was like her own personal life-size furnace. He slipped his arm under her neck, supporting her head.
“That’s much better,” he murmured as he slid his arm over her waist, resting his hand against her tummy. She lay very stiff and still as the beginning of the movie caught her attention. She wasn’t certain how much contact was proper in this situation. She didn’t want to break any unwritten rules or make a fool of herself. Maybe this was all he was looking for, a couple of kisses and a snuggle on the sofa during a movie. That’s an appropriate first date, if that’s what this is?
Trust in Sanctuary [Sanctuary, Montana 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 7