by Dawn Ryder
“I guess I wouldn’t have to look over my shoulder for your brothers if you took it.”
Mia laughed again, her happiness spilling through the phone. “So, you wouldn’t be mad if I took the offer?”
Cambria shook off her mental toying with Dack and Logan. She had good prospects for the night. There was no lamenting allowed.
“Mia, you so don’t need my permission.” She heard her friend scoff on the other end of the connection. “I’d only rag you endlessly, but that doesn’t make you beholden to me one little bit.”
Mia laughed briefly but stopped as her mother’s voice piped up in the background.
“Got to run. Family night.”
“Enjoy.”
Cambria snapped her cell phone shut and turned to walk back into her bathroom. The mirrored closet door in her bathroom reflected her from head to toe.
And it was quite the look, in her opinion.
Her corset laced firmly in place pushed her breasts up into display. The flare of the dress skirt teased her thighs as she turned to inspect the seams of her stockings running down her legs. Pantyhose just didn’t seem to couple well with a corset. Twisting around again, she tested the motion of the garter belt and hosiery. It was a deliciously naughty feeling, the top of her thighs brushing against each other as she moved. When she turned faster, there was a teasing glimpse of the lace edge of the belt and a peek at her bare thighs. Oh yes, it was an outfit tailored to promote gossip. Her mother would be amused, her brother would fume, and she just might get lucky enough to escape the memory of Dack and Logan while she enjoyed the unexpected invitation to the Play Yard.
Even the forty-mile drive would be worth it. It was all interstate anyway. The local entertainment night spots weren’t in the same category as the Play Yard. Anticipation followed her down the stairs and into her car. Pulling out of the garage, she punched on her iPod and slid into the traffic flow.
Feeling naughty had never fit her so well.
* * * * *
The door personnel at the Play Yard were huge. Cambria had to tip her head back for a chance to meet their eyes. At five-nine she wasn’t short, and she liked it that way. She wasn’t dainty by any definition, but she was feminine.
“She’s clear.”
Two little words and the two men parted to leave the entrance clear. Their eyes swept her again, with a marked difference this time. Now she was accepted, one of the “in” crowd, not a trespasser intent on prying open their private club. Her confidence swelled under the heat of their gazes. She offered them both a saucy smile before leaving them behind her with unhurried steps.
The interior of the place was filled with music, although it was kept below the blaring level found in most nightclubs. The lighting was dim but you could see and there wasn’t a single dark corner in the place. It was decorated in purples and deep golds with a smattering of scarlet. Several pairs of eyes cut towards her as she moved across the carpet. It wasn’t any great interest in her—more of an investigation of her movements. There was an edgy tension about the men inhabiting the place but it was the kind that half excited you. That “flirting with danger” feeling that sort of enticed you to linger on the edge of a cliff. Sure, it might be unstable, but the view was amazing.
Leaning up against the bar, she surveyed the impressive row of expensive bottles on display. Distinctive and diverse, there was no lack of impressive labels sitting on that shelf. However, since she was alone and therefore driving, her first drink was going to be her last. At least she had the option to make it a damn fine one.
The barkeep watched her from behind an unreadable expression. He didn’t rush her towards a sale, just surveyed her, waiting for her to decide. A fine Scotch whisky caught her eye, and he reached for it as her lips curved up with approval.
“Lagavulin, good choice.”
A chill shot up her spine. Turning around, Cambria faced Dack as she blinked just to make sure she wasn’t conjuring him up from her nighttime fantasies. She found him three paces from her, steady, strong and very much in the flesh. His eyes were dark, the same black as his hair.
“You can’t get that whisky year round. They run out halfway through the season.”
Her drink was set on the bar near her hand. Dack raised two fingers and the barkeep turned two more glasses upright.
“So nice to see you again, Cambria. Glad to see you liked our invitation.”
She turned her head sharply as Logan’s voice came from behind her. He was leaning against the bar, a black Stetson tipped low over his face. He tossed a twenty onto the bar and the barkeep picked it up, leaving her money on the polished wood surface.
“I’m sorry, did I somehow forget that I agreed to see you two tonight?”
Her temper flickered to life as she cut a quick glace back at Dack. Taking a step away from the bar, she then turned so that she could see them both. Being pinned between them was oddly unsettling, as well as a little too exciting, considering she was ticked at them.
“You’ve had plenty of time to think about it.” Dack lifted his drink and toasted her before taking a sip from the glass. “But I did arrange it. Trace is a friend of mine.”
A husky chuckle escaped her throat as she reached for her drink. “You’ve got interesting friends.”
“He does.” Logan touched the brim of his Stetson as his mouth twitched into a grin. “We both do.”
The small relaxing of his face transformed his features into a playful expression for a moment. His eyes were lighter than Dack’s. There were still deep creases on either side of his eyes, betraying his serious nature. Her curiosity stirred as she thought about what made their lives so stressful.
“So, are you two joined at the hip or something?”
Looking over the rim of her glass at Dack, she noticed the moment of indecision cross his face. A lot like he was deciding just how much to say.
“We’re partners.”
“This isn’t a cop bar.” She knew that much. Rem had introduced her to a few friends of his and spilled a little information in her lap. Casting a look about, she noticed the same caliber of people tonight. No pork sausage in sight. These people were lean, mean and completely controlled as they sized each other up. The funny thing was, Dack and Logan looked like a perfect fit.
“And you two don’t strike me as cops.”
“Point for the lady.” Logan’s voice was full of enjoyment as he toasted her with his drink.
“And the lady is noticing that neither of you are explaining the connection between you. If one of you is watching the other’s back, I can’t decide who’s riding shotgun.”
“You’re correct about the Play Yard. It’s a lot of things, but not civilian. And we’re not cops.” Dack considered her and Logan inspected her with the same hard look.
“We are a team, for the purpose of making it harder to knock one over because there is another set of eyes watching.”
“That’s really military.”
Logan shrugged. “You can take the man out of the uniform but not the team out of the man.”
“If you see one of us, the other is nearby.” Dack looked as if he was waiting to see what she thought of that.
“Well, some girls would consider that a real bonus.”
She was one of them.
Dack studied her. “Some would call it crowded.”
Logan stepped up. “We’re wondering what you think about it.”
Heat consumed her, she just couldn’t help it. “I think this conversation has gotten very heavy. It is our first date, after all, guys.”
Logan frowned at her. “Now who’s avoiding the questions?”
Lifting a hand up in surrender, Cambria had to give him that point. “Okay, let’s just say that an idea like that one takes a little consideration.”
Dack suddenly grinned. The expression looked so good on him, she was mesmerized by it. “You should do that more often.”
He was shocked by her comment but enjoyment sparkled in his eyes.
“Guess you’ll have to stick around and make sure I do.”
A little ripple of sensation traveled along the swells of her cleavage and towards her nipples. A slow wave of heat that awakened all the nerve endings and sent signals flooding into her brain. Inside her corset, her nipples tingled before tightening into hard buds. Her eyes dropped down his length, sweeping over the hard shoulders, across the taut belly and touching briefly on the set of his fly. She hid her look behind another sip from her glass.
His buddy Logan was every bit as distracting. Heat spiraled down her spine to her belly where her clit throbbed for attention, and not the kind she’d been getting from her toys. It was hunger for flesh-on-flesh contact, the sort of desire she kept on a short leash most of the time.
“Be careful what you ask for. I hear a lot of military men are looking for submissive girls. I’m nothing of the kind.”
Logan stepped past her, his hand lightly brushing her upper arm. It was just the whisper of a touch. An encroachment. The sexual tension tightened even further, making her jumpy.
“Well, I do appreciate you two boys setting me up. I see the compliment in it.”
She felt cornered, even if it was a tad dramatic.
Dack shook his head, still enjoying her sense of humor. “Most women wouldn’t.”
“Hmm, well I’ve never been much on letting other people tell me who to like.”
The both watched her, keeping an even distance between them as they moved towards her. She was forced to either fall back or let them get within touching range. Turning her back on them, she settled for selecting a plush couch to sit on. Logan slid into a chair nearby while Dack settled on another chair. Surprise filtered through her brain as she watched them ignore the space next to her on the sofa. Somehow, she didn’t see it as an oversight, more of a strategy move. Setting her drink on the small table in front of her, Cambria fluttered her eyelashes at them as she crossed her legs.
“So, now what, boys? Are we just going to play intimidation games?”
Logan shrugged as Dack considered her. He set his empty glass beside her own. “Well, our plan ran out when we surprised you.”
“Do tell.”
Logan chuckled at her dry tone. “You’re a hard woman to please.”
“Too true. You’re not the first man to come up short.”
Her words instantly took on a sexual meaning. Logan lost his teasing look as Dack’s lips pressed into a firm line. Cambria watched them both as she tried to decide how to deal with them. Flirting was an art she enjoyed, but this was the first time she hadn’t directed her interest at a single man. Not this intense sort of flirting anyway. Sure, there were times that you were just shooting the breeze in a group but that wasn’t what was going on tonight. There was an undercurrent feeding her hunger, driving the heat up a few more degrees every time she caught one of them tracing her cleavage or thigh with their eyes. Those subtle touches of the eyes that told you a man was thinking about undressing you, considering where to place his hand when he pulled you close. She was dangerously close to just saying “to hell with everything, let’s find a bedroom”.
“Okay, boys, enough playtime. As much as I confess to enjoying it.” Standing up, Cambria intended to walk away from the disturbing mixture of signals, but what she ended up doing was walking right into Dack. His hands cupped her elbows, lightly but firmly, as she looked up into his face.
“It isn’t intended as a game, Cambria. I wanted to see you, so I made it happen. Simple and direct.”
There was a note of sincerity in his voice that captured her attention, that same questioning need that had her wondering about the creases around Logan’s eyes. The hands holding her elbows moved as he stroked her bare upper arms. Sensation crackled through her as a small gasp passed her lips.
“I’m all for leaving right now, Cambria, but most girls would consider that sort of statement an assumption that they were easy.” His voice was low and he tilted his head slightly so that his words brushed her ear. “Nevertheless I’m very interested in discovering how far our reaction to each other goes. Logan is coming too.”
He was challenging her, flat out throwing a gauntlet at her. Not at her feet but right at the center of her chest. Her clit throbbed as the energy twisted through her. His fingers moved on her arms again, stroking her skin as her nipples complained about the tight corset they were bound by.
Logan chuckled next to her ear as she caught a whiff of his scent. Warm and male, his skin smelled good. Her hormones fired off as she felt the brush of his breath against her neck. The tender skin tingled, begging for a kiss. “That is, if you think you can handle it.
“Touché.” She mimicked a thrust with a saber to his chest before she turned and sat back down. Dack felt his throat tighten as she took her time, the little skirt swishing across the back of her thighs, taunting him with a mere peek at the lace edge of her stockings. He’d never thought outdated underwear could be so hypnotic. On Cambria it was. Her confidence added to the allure though. Somehow he got the impression that he’d still be hard and aching if she was decked out head to toe in Muslim robes. All he’d have to do was get a look in her eyes. The fire in them was so promising, he’d risk stealing her from some sultan’s harem.
“You two are unique, I’ll give you that.” Cambria considered them and their odd attachment to each other. Logan pulled a deck of cards out of his shirt pocket, flashing it at her.
She chuckled as she watched him open the playing cards. Along with the slightly odd clientele, the Play Yard also tended to have entertainment that wasn’t what you might imagine going down inside an exclusive, members-only establishment.
Glancing around, she noticed many of the tables were holding game boards, such as chess or backgammon. Logan tucked the box back into his pocket and leaned over the table to shuffle the cards. His fingers deftly handled the cards, flipping them and turning them like a pro.
That was part of the charm of the place, the seemingly low-interest games. That was a lesson she’d learned well on her first visit—there was going to be nothing tame about the game. It was a test of composure and grit, a moment when her tiniest motion would be noted by attentive eyes. One game could feel like hours, while she fought the urge to wiggle or give away her telling little nervous gestures. It was half witness stand and half celebrity red carpet walk. No panty line went unnoticed, no veiled comment was missed.
It turned her on even more. The competition was deadly, making her excitement stir up because there was part of her that wanted to rise to the challenge of competing against opponents who could very well win. She wasn’t giving up by any stretch of the imagination, only recognizing Dack and Logan for what they were—damn good.
“What’s the game?”
“Strip poker.” Logan’s eyes filled with humor as he tossed out his idea. Cambria clicked her tongue at him.
“How predictable.” She uncrossed her legs, placing both feet on the floor. “And I somehow thought you two were worth my time.” Standing up, she ran her fingers down her corset. “Sorry, boys, I don’t have enough to take off.”
“We were going to let you win.” Dack offered up his reason as he considered her. The intensity of his gaze made her slightly jumpy. His body looked poised, as if he was ready to spring out of the chair in one second flat. It fascinated her because it was so misplaced when you coupled it with his power suit. A little like seeing a muscle-bound soldier in his fatigues and a yellow running jacket. The top garment didn’t look like it fit.
“Let me…? I also don’t do ‘kiss ass’ sessions because you want to get laid.”
Logan captured her wrist, his fingers closing around her limb with a firm hold. He didn’t yank her down, but rose to this full height as he used the grip on her hand to keep her in place while he stepped towards her. Male interest filled his eyes but it wasn’t the sort of lust she’d seen before. It was somehow deeper, almost as though he appreciated her more.
That might just be her own arousal d
irecting her thoughts though, letting her see what she wanted because the idea of getting naked with them was burning her alive.
“What’s wrong, Cambria? The tension getting too thick?”
He smoothed his hand up her arm. Sensation lit out across her skin like a flame set to dry leaves. She shivered but enjoyed the acute sensation. Staring into Logan’s face, she indulged herself in a long moment of hunger. “Not at all, but I grew out of college dorm games a long time ago.”
He chuckled as his gaze dropped to her lips. He lingered there for a moment before looking back into her eyes. “You can’t blame a guy for asking. It’s just my inner boy looking to get into trouble.”
“Well that much I believe.” Taking a step back, she sat down and looked at Dack, expecting to find jealousy on his face. She didn’t. At least not the sort that she’d expected. Hunger blazed across the distance between them but not anger. Logan really wasn’t stepping on his toes. That was a level of trust most men never reached, unless they were lovers themselves.
“Are you two a couple?”
Mild surprise crossed Dack’s features. He shook his head too fast to be faking it. His lips twisted slightly with distaste before she looked at Logan to gauge his response. He shook his head as he picked up the deck of cards and gave them another shuffle.
“Because you two sure have a tight connection. I’m not homophobic, you know.”
Dack picked up his drink again. “I told you—partners. We watch each other’s backs. You can’t do that if you’re screwing each other.”
“True, except most people would consider a bedroom a relatively safe place to lower their guard.”
“We’re not most people.”
Logan dealt the cards out as she chewed on Dack’s comment. He frowned after it slipped out of his mouth, almost as if he regretted giving her such a personal piece of information. Slipping her cards off the table, she looked at them.
“I don’t fit into any mold either.” Slapping two cards back onto the glass, she stared at Dack, recognizing something in him that fit something inside herself. It went deeper than the sexual interest, she liked the guy. “Hit me.”