Challenge Protocol

by Dawn Ryder

  His dark eyes probed hers as Logan tossed two new cards towards her hand. Dack’s lips twitched up slightly as he discarded three of his cards. “I noticed, which is sort of a problem. It tempted me to place a phone call that got you invited here tonight. You’d be better off clearing out and forgetting you ever met us.”

  “Warning your lady friends off like that must make for an interesting dating life.” She clicked her tongue as he looked at her cards. “Or is it a matter of making yourself a forbidden man. Catch the ones who just love to touch what they’ve been told is off-limits?”

  Logan flashed her a solid look. “You’ll have to make the call on that one.”

  “I guess I think there must be one hell of a story behind it.”

  “Call.” Dack’s voice was razor sharp as he stared at her. Leaning forward, she watched his gaze slip for a brief moment to her cleavage. Fanning her cards out, she left them on the table. He was avoiding her comment and that made her sad for the briefest moment. Even if your life was hard, there should still be that hope of happiness.

  “The cards are unfriendly to the lady tonight.” Logan’s voice had slipped into a Southern drawl.

  Dack placed his hand on the table, a smug look taking command of his face. He cut a look over at Logan who revealed a hand that beat hers but not his. The tension doubled as she bit into her lower lip. Standing up, she left her drink unfinished.

  “It’s been fun, boys.”

  They both stood up, making her label of “boys” seem foolishly inappropriate when they were both a good head taller than she. Their frames were wide with muscles on the shoulders that declared them fully grown men. She knew it. It was the driving force behind her fascination with them. But the stakes were rising too fast for her taste. Losing her wits wasn’t her style. She only shared her body with partners, men she considered friends.

  “You owe us a payout.”

  “Do tell?” Walking right past Dack, she stopped then turned. “What did you have in mind?”

  Dack took a step towards her. She had to force her feet to remain in place as the urge to wriggle backward tried to undermine her composure.

  “A date.” Dack sounded hungry as he spoke.

  Hands on her hips, she sent him a hard look. “A date is when you ask a woman to accompany you and you wait to see what she answers in the affirmative. It isn’t a trophy bestowed after winning.”

  “I never was one for playing by the rules.” Dack closed the distance between them, looking down at her in appreciation as she stood her ground. “I get a little distracted by the idea of wrapping my hands around the prize.”

  Cambria pushed Dack back. She didn’t use enough strength to really move him, it was more of a demand. His eyes flickered with disgruntlement for a moment as his jaw tightened but he stepped back. Offering him a smile, she took a quick look over at Logan to see what he was up to. They did function as a team all right, which meant she needed to keep an eye on both of them.

  “Tonight is your lucky night. After that little warning you tossed at me, I’ve come to a decision.” She lifted one finger and pointed it at Dack. His eyes flickered with emotion as she let her lips curve into a smile. “You, Dack Tyden and your partner Logan, need to learn how to play.”

  “Excuse me?” Logan look confused.

  “What do you mean by play?” Dack just looked frustrated. The man’s eyes told her he was very interested in playing with her—between the sheets. In all honesty, she was just as interested in adult playtime with him but the way he was trying to scare her off stirred up her determination. She wasn’t going to be just a hot night to him. Not even if she wanted it as much as he did.

  “Play. That thing people do that isn’t work.” Taking a few steps towards the door, Cambria turned and crooked a finger at them. “Come on, boys. Let’s find a real game.”

  Chapter Four

  “You’ve got to be joking.”

  Dack sounded dangerous. Cambria smiled like a pirate as she pulled the lace out of her corset and tossed it onto the passenger seat of her car. One reason she wore a full dress under the thing, was so that it was easy to remove it when she was done with tolerating the constricting garment.

  “Playing is an art form, something adult life sucks out of us. Come on, I’m going to reunite you with your inner child.”

  He growled at her. “I sent him to boarding school.”

  Lifting her hand, she kissed her palm and blew it towards him. “Too bad because I love to play. You know where the highway is, Dack. Don’t let me stop you with all my games.”

  He rolled his eyes, but couldn’t quite mask the little flicker of amusement. He looked surprised to find any sort of liking for the moment and that only made her want to drag him, kicking if necessary, into the “golf castle”.

  “Kids get homework. I sure hope there isn’t going to be a quiz tomorrow.” Logan added his own grumpy tone to the moment.

  “Hang around me and you can bet on it. I need to escape from reality so if you want to be tense you can follow your stuck-up buddy and just leave me here. My inner child is very demanding.”

  “You’re really going to play miniature golf?” Logan didn’t look as if he believed that she really would go in and play.

  Poking him in the chest with one perfect fingernail, Cambria rose onto her toes to bring their lips close. “Every last hole.”

  His eyes closed to slits, a slow grin tipping up the side of his mouth. “Bitch.” He muttered it so low, she almost missed it.

  “My inner child is a princess.” Stepping back, she turned in a circle. “And her majesty wishes to play.”

  It was ridiculous. Even more so when she considered the suit jackets both men stubbornly refused to leave behind in their four-wheel drives. That was a glaring bit of information all in itself.

  They were packing.

  She’d learned that from Rem. Hidden beneath those jackets were shoulder harnesses. The night air was warm enough to dot both their foreheads with a light coat of perspiration but they remained suited up.

  Packing, no doubt about it. That fact didn’t turn her off. Guns weren’t a major concern for her, not with men like these. Any woman who worried about them using a weapon on her wasn’t getting the whole picture. Military training included hands-on technique. Her brother had the same edginess now that he’d moved from regular Army into “I can’t talk about it” areas. It changed a man, hardened him, but it also seemed to make them appreciate the small details of life a little more too. Like their priorities were shaken up and straightened out. But that didn’t mean that Dack or Logan should be so worried about a little fun time.

  Pushing her car door closed, she aimed her best honey-coated smile at them. “What’s the matter, Dack? Miniature golf makes you nervous? Or can I take that tic in your cheek as a stroke to my ego, because of my overpowering effect on you?”

  “If I say yes, can we leave?”

  She chuckled at the hint of desperation in his voice. But she felt sort of sorry for him—sorry for the fact that life had somehow transformed him and Logan into men who looked at a miniature golf course as though it were a mine field. Shrugging, she offered both of her reluctant companions an honest look.

  “I don’t own my dates, not now and not ever, but I do play. If that’s not your game, well I’m sorry, but I don’t do high-tension relationships. Or quick sex with a stranger. I’ve grown out of impulsive bed-hopping. But there are plenty of girls who wouldn’t turn either of you down. Diamonds and Denim western dance club is three blocks east.”

  Stepping off the curb, Cambria headed towards the entrance of the Golf Castle. The air was filled with kid’s voices. She was tempted to turn her head and look back, but she just couldn’t pity them that way. Her heart gave a twinge as she kept going, passing sugar-buzzed teens on her way towards the arched entrance.

  “You’re a hard woman, Cambria.” Dack growled next to her ear as he reached past her to grasp the large iron ring that served as the door hand
le. He pulled back a large wooden door to revel the arcade. Looking over her other shoulder she caught the disgruntled expression decorating Logan’s face as they walked into the arcade.

  The noise level was deafening. A hard hand landed on her back, pushing her gently but firmly towards the back door that served as the entrance to the golf course. Logan shoved the door open, going through it. He shook his head as she reached up to pat his cheek.

  “You’ll live. I promise.”

  Dack didn’t look as if he believed her.

  At the cashier’s window she paid for a game. Her fingers shook slightly, drawing her gaze as she waited for the sales slip to be handed over for her signature. Her companions were good at pushing her emotional buttons, possibly too good at it. There was just a little tingle of fear racing along through her veins along with all the excitement. Fear that she couldn’t remain in control of herself. She admitted to avoiding situations where she wasn’t confident in her self-control.

  Turning around, she looked at Dack and Logan and knew without a doubt that she was in deep water. The only saving grace was the similar look of uncertainty in their eyes. All three of them were a whole lot alike, and maybe that was the reason they’d tolerated her dragging them to a miniature golf course when hunger brightened both their eyes. Sex was on their minds—hell it was on hers too. The only real stress point was the fact that she really didn’t know what to do with the odd number. Neither man was falling back. Logan and Dack seemed more comfortable side by side and that was a real surprise. By this point in the evening, most guys would be jockeying for position, trying to gain the upper hand. It felt almost as though they didn’t mind sharing her attention.

  That idea sent her body into a meltdown.

  Hastily turning around, she made a grab for the small golf clubs sitting in a rack near the door. Her fear was well founded, because the idea of a ménage à trois with them was enough to set fire to every shred of common sense she had.

  A hand landed on top of hers as one large male body pressed up against her back. She caught a whiff of his scent and knew it was Dack. He lingered for a long moment, imprisoning her between the rack and his body.

  “What’s bothering you, honey? You look a little distracted.” He homed in on her emotional unsteadiness like a shark did on fresh blood, his voice razor sharp as his fingers slipped over the sensitive skin of her inner wrist. “Be careful who you let see that, Cambria. Some men would take advantage.” He pressed closer for merely a second, but she felt the brush of his cock against her back. Heat licked over her skin, as her mind offered up a need that almost buckled her knees.

  He took the clubs from her distracted grip, handing one over his shoulder to Logan. Turning to stare at the other man, she bit into her lower lip as she found Logan watching them without a trace of anger. Jealousy brightened his eyes but it lacked the competitive nature she expected. Grabbing a club, she pointed it at them.

  “This is my kind of game so prepare to be slaughtered.” Her voice was slightly husky, betraying her level of arousal. Both her nipples showed through her thin dress as she moved towards the first hole. It should have been impossible to maintain the edgy sexual tension on a miniature golf course, but it surrounded all three of them, refusing to vaporize in the face of the ridiculous sight of the two men wearing suits, teeing off with clubs they had to bend over to use.

  Instead, she felt the tension double as it sunk its claws so deep. There was no hope of escaping it. Her own inner beast wanted them enough to tell the rest of the world to go to hell. Dack turned and pegged her with a knowing look. His eyes were full of need and determination as she stared straight back with equal expectation. One dark eyebrow rose.

  “So, let’s see what you’ve got, honey. The course is yours.”

  * * * * *

  “That was sort of dirty.” Logan made his observation the moment Cambria passed through the ladies room door. Dack glared at him in response.

  “About as underhanded as her taking us miniature golfing,” Dack huffed, low and full of frustration. “And gloating in the face of our misery.”

  Logan shrugged. “I don’t know. Personally, I can’t recall when I enjoyed getting my ass kicked quite so much. I think being the target of her passion made up for the juvenile level of the activity.”

  Dack chuckled. “You’ve got a point. Cambria can hand me my butt anytime as long as she’s homed in on me.”

  The powder room door opened and the woman in question raised a black eyebrow at them both.

  “Oh my, it almost looks as if you two might, just possibly, be enjoying yourselves.” She moved forward, reaching out to run a finger across Dack’s forehead. “Better make sure it isn’t delusional fever.”

  “It’s a heated blood disorder, no doubt about it.” Dack caught her hand, his fingers slipping around until he cradled the center of her palm. Her teeth bit into her bottom lip as her attention shifted, with a jerk, back to sex. She wanted to get naked and let Dack touch every inch of her with his fingers. He tugged her forward, slipping an arm around her waist to hold her against his body as a group of teenagers passed behind her. The buzz around them dissipated as she locked stares with him, hypnotized by the promise flickering there. It made her mouth go dry as she anticipated his kiss.

  The horde of sugar-buzzed people around her suddenly pressed in on her space, agitating her. Dack’s body was too hard and hot to remain still against. She needed to move, needed to react in some fashion to the overabundance of impulses racing through her. Pressing her hands against his chest, she shivered as she felt the hard, corded muscles hidden beneath the suit jacket.

  Dack didn’t let her go. His eyes flickered with need as he refused to release her. His attention moved to her mouth and her breath stuck in her throat. He raised his eyes to hers again and she felt his chest rumble with deep amusement. As he leaned down, she felt his breath brush her ear.

  “You’re not the only one who knows how to win, Cambria.” He moved and captured her with his other arm, pressing her into contact with his lower body. Heat slapped her hard, making every inch of fabric she wore annoying. Her skin wanted to be free to feel his touch, not wrapped up in her dress. A soft kiss landed on her bare neck and she gasped, a low sound born from pure need. Her fingers took advantage of her imprisonment to smooth over his pectoral muscles, delighting in the strength built into the man.

  “Ready to meet me someplace private? I know I am.” One of his hands traveled down her back, skimming her spine as it went. The touch made her arch against him, and she hummed with enjoyment. He chuckled next to her ear once again. “I’d like to do that, someplace where you don’t need the dress.” Another kiss landed on her neck. “Someplace where I could get a closer look at the hard nipples pressing against my chest. Someplace…”

  “I get the idea,” she growled at him as his words sent her mind into a full meltdown. Lifting her thigh and indulging her need right there against a wall had never appealed to her before, but at the moment it taunted her with just how much she’d enjoy it. Fucking in front of the restroom was out of the question. Dack knew that. He was poking at her, herding her into a corner with his words. They’d been headed for the bedroom from the moment she turned around at the Play Yard and discovered his ambush, but he wanted her to break first.

  “Really, Cambria? I don’t think you have a full understanding of what I want to do to you. I assure you it isn’t as simple as jumping on top of you and screwing until we come.” He cupped her chin, raising it until their eyes met. “I want a whole lot more.”

  He pressed a kiss against her mouth. Hard and hot, it was only another teasing touch that didn’t delve as deep as she needed it to. He broke it off quickly as more teenagers entered the hallway, ending their privacy. Backing away from him, she found Logan only a step away, his eyes moving over them. His expression was tight with hunger and the fact that she felt like kissing him as well confused her.

  Nothing but trouble. The pair were temptation in the
flesh, and she was just one woman who was failing to ignore it.

  “It’s been great fun, boys. I hope you enjoyed yourselves.” Offering them a smile, she indulged herself in one more look at both of them. “But I think I need to be getting on home now.”

  * * * * *

  She needed a drink.

  Actually, she needed a man, but since she’d left Dack and Logan, a good bottle of wine would have to fill in the gap. Hot arousal clung to her as she pulled her car into her garage.

  Cambria kicked off her stilettos as she opened her laundry room door from inside her garage. Picking them up, she sat them on her washing machine. Her little lace panties needed to go as well. They were wet and irritating now. She removed them, tossing them into the laundry basket. She took off her garter belt, carefully unsnapping each stocking to keep them from running.

  Better.

  The air was still warm and getting rid of most of her clothing felt nice. She walked into her kitchen, lifting a wineglass out of its place. Opening another cupboard, she found a bottle of wine and pulled it out.

  She kept her alcohol consumption strictly monitored, but tonight she was having a glass of wine alone. Possible consequences be damned.

  Boy, when she decided to play with fire, she sure did try to pick up an entire barbeque pit full of it. She frowned as she realized that neither Dack nor Logan had said goodnight to her. Not that she’d given them much of a choice in the matter but something still nagged at her about the easy way she’d ditched them. As far as teasing went, she’d been hitting them pretty hard.

  Maybe she was just disappointed they had been so easy to cut loose.

  She sighed as she rolled her neck to loosen the tense muscles. She’d gone looking for a high-stakes game and had managed to find exactly that. A smile decorated her lips as the memory of them showing up replayed across her mind. Yes sir, they were something else and that was for sure.

  A flicker from her patio almost stopped her heart. She looked through the kitchen window as the two candles on her tiny patio table began to burn. Soft yellow light washed over the frame of a man as he turned his attention towards her. She cussed low and deep as a shudder moved down her body. Dack hadn’t told her goodnight because the man wasn’t planning on being sent home so early.