Rescue Party

by Cheryl Dragon

  “No! We were going to tell you when we figured out how,” Dean insisted.

  Her eyes were frozen, and Steve could see the tension in her. “I’m sorry we weren’t more upfront, but we wanted you to stay and give us a chance after that first night. We didn’t want to scare you off.”

  “Do you think I didn’t know about the parties? Everyone does,” she said sharply.

  “We’d never do anything like that without you. Not now.” Dean shook his head. “We’d never cheat on you.”

  “The parties gave you access to various women. You don’t want the parties now?” she looked Steve in the eyes.

  “That’s a complicated thing to answer,” Clay said.

  Steve wanted to punch Clay for a moment, but there was no quick fix for the long conversation ahead. They just had to keep Kacy from leaving them before they made their case and clearly got the message across. Angry women didn’t always listen. He’d learned that growing up with four sisters.

  Chapter Five

  The fact that they hadn’t handled this upfront, and they didn’t have any plan on how to talk about it, only pissed her off more.

  “Complicated?” All along, she’d told herself this was a fling. This was her time to be wild, and no one would have to know. But she’d grown attached to them and thought they’d felt the same way. “Not, it’s really not. Is this even real? Have you moved in, Clay? Does your family know about this, or is it just a fleeting bit of fun?”

  “It’s not. My uncle is judgmental, but my mom knows what’s going on,” Clay said.

  “We didn’t want to scare you off with the parties. But we’d love for you to go with us,” Steve said.

  For a second, the idea aroused her, but this wasn’t a fantasy. This was reality, and they’d waited so long to bring it up. Did they really want her along? “But I had to hear about it from my friends? I realized we’ve only been fooling around a couple of weeks, but we never talked about it being serious. Why not bring up the parties? If I’ll sleep with three men, what’s a party?”

  “It’s different,” Clay replied.

  Part of her really wanted to experience it, but they hadn’t been in any rush to share the adventure. “So I wouldn’t fit in. I understand.”

  “People are really careful about who they invite and who sees them at a party. If the wrong people learn about them, there could be problems,” Dean said.

  “Most people our age know about them. Not everyone goes, but I found out about you three going there. It’s not as secret as you thought.” She shook her head at them. What did she have to do to prove she wasn’t a prude?

  It didn’t really matter. This wild detour was over for her.

  “You learned about us because your friend’s sister goes to them. It's six degrees of separation, everyone knows someone who goes or has gone to a party. That doesn’t mean everyone comes back or is a regular. If you go for curiosity or to be with us once, people might get worried you’ll out them. It’s not something to rush into anyway,” Steve said.

  Clay leaned forward. “We didn’t want you to feel pressured to go either. It’s not for everyone. I never expected to find myself attracted to two men doing each other there. We wanted to make sure you’re into us, and you weren’t going to find a better offer.”

  “Right, because all the hot men in Lucky Springs are dying to date the goody-two-shoes from school.” She rolled her eyes, not buying the flattery.

  “It’s true. Think about if you showed up there. Three men all over you and getting you off and letting others watch. You’d be in demand. People do invite others to play at the parties. You can say no, we can be a fixed group, but that doesn’t stop people from asking. We wanted to make sure you wouldn’t want anyone else before we even brought up the parties. Plenty of people know about the parties and keep it private from those who’d disapprove. It’s been happening for years.” Steve blushed and shrugged. “We don’t want to lose you. We love you.”

  “After only two weeks?” She wanted to believe them. She wanted to give in and trust her own feelings, but, logically, it was too fast. It was insane. “That’s the flood stress and lust talking. When things are as crazy as they have been, feelings are skewed. It’s not possible.”

  “You know how we feel better than we do? Maybe what rubbed people wrong was less the goody-two-shoes and more the Ms. Know-it-all?” Clay teased.

  She glared at him but knew part of it was true. “You sound like my sisters. I just didn’t want them to make the same mistakes some girls do. Men, I avoided making my aunt’s mistakes there. Better I talk back and show I’m smart than play dumb and be talked down to.”

  “No one here is going to put you down verbally or anything like that. We know you’re smart, and you’re not the dependent type.” Dean smiled as if the very idea was truly funny.

  “I don’t want you to need us. Sure, in the flood…that’s an emergency. Everyone needs help sometimes. But for a relationship, especially as odd as this is, you can’t need us. You have to want us. And it won’t be easy or free of issues.” Steve sat back. “Rushing into anything is a mistake, I admit it. If we’d just met each other, it’d be insane to think we’d fall in love in a couple of weeks.”

  “We’ve known each other all our lives, really. People grow and mature, but I don’t see any major changes here.” Clay shrugged.

  “You like dick now,” Kacy replied.

  Clay laughed. “I do. If I were mature or open-minded in high school, maybe I’d have figured that much out. I had the popular older brother and jock dad pushing me to have lots of fun and win. Like Steve, he was a popular jock. It’s nice to be on top. Who doesn’t want that? It never consciously occurred to me I liked guys. I do like girls.”

  He’d proven that enough. She had no doubts the men craved her maybe more than each other. She loved being the center of their attention. But all the attention of this relationship in the future might not be positive. Was she willing to face it all and trust they’d be together?

  “I know we’re not strangers. I just think we rushed into it all and maybe my living here made it awkward. I’ll pack a bag and stay with some friends tonight. We need a break.” She headed for the spare bedroom where she’d unpacked her things.

  Clay followed her. “Come on, Kacy. You don’t want to go.”

  “You’re so sure you want to stay? It’s all happened so fast. How do we know what’ll last and what’s real?” She packed the essentials and hated feeling as if she were a nomad. Her house was done, but the furniture was being cleaned a second time to be sure. The stories of mold persisting in the humid climate had made her paranoid. Or maybe it was just another excuse to stay?

  “I know what I feel. I know the parties don’t scare me. I’m not going to lose Dean and Steve. You need to try one to get it. Truly, we weren’t keeping it from you. We didn’t want to scare you off with the idea we’re swinging with everyone in Lucky Springs. Those two have been a couple since college. They need a woman in the mix and somehow I fit in. Without you, no one will be happy.” Clay shook his head.

  “I’m sure there are other women at the parties.” She wasn’t going to let Clay or Steve, the two more aggressive men in the group, try to intimidate her into staying.

  She marched to the front door with her purse over one shoulder, keys in hand and suitcase rolling behind her. “I’m sorry, but I need some time to think.”

  Dean followed her out the door and into the driveway. “Think? I think we need to talk.”

  She turned and faced him. “Love? Sex parties? We’ll talk in circles about that stuff. We need to regroup and deal with reality for a while.”

  “We need to deal with it together,” he replied.

  When she turned back and headed for her rental car, strong arms snagged her by the waist. Dean wouldn’t! The animal lover was strong but not a caveman. Yet here he was, carrying her back in the house. The suitcase was abandoned on the pavement, but she clutched her purse.

  “Le
t me down, Dean. You’ve lost your mind!” She wiggled, trying not to let his hard and hot body arouse her. She had to stand her ground…if only her feet were on it.

  Dean dropped her on the sofa and straddled her legs, sitting on her so she couldn’t get away. “We haven’t been to a party since we rescued you. We haven’t cheated on you, and we don’t need any other woman in our bed. You might not believe people fall in love fast, but they do.”

  “Right. Prove it,” she said.

  “I fell for Steve the first time I stayed over at my friend’s house. I never had a crush on my best friend, but I wanted Steve. It took years for us to figure out what was right for us. Liking women and each other. Then for a long time, we used the parties to get our woman fix.”

  Steve sat next to her on the couch but made no move to free her. “It wasn’t really enough, but until we met the right woman, it worked.”

  Clay sat on her other side. “I fell for those two right away. Seeing them at the party together was seductive. I’d seen men screwing before on the Army post. It was good for me to be in that different world after high school. I realized macho and gay weren’t mutually exclusive. Until I came home and found those two…I never loved a man or men.”

  “And we hadn’t planned on another guy, but it was a high school fantasy come true. The wild guy giving in to his gay side. Then the smartest and sexiest girl in school falls in our laps. Stays in our house. We could go to every party thrown here and never have found out you like group sex,” Dean said.

  “I’d never have known it either. Crazy flood.” She shook her head. “It’s insane. A four-way relationship. Love is complicated enough with two people.”

  “So we have to be extra honest about what we need, want and fear. We screwed up with the parties. But just because it’s not a normal relationship doesn’t mean we can’t make it work.” Steve rubbed her shoulder.

  “You really think this can work?” she asked.

  “We love you. Of course, it can work.” Clay shrugged. “If you want to go to a party and see for yourself, we’re not going to touch anyone else.”

  “Well, Dean and Steve have been together for a long time. I feel as if they just added us. So now it’s a closed group? No adding other men or women? How wild could this get?” she asked Clay.

  Dean cupped her face in his hands. “I know it’s weird and fast. But no, we’re not adding anyone else. Some groups have five people, but the bottom line is we were patiently waiting for the right woman to make this a family. Clay was dumb luck, and we’re thrilled. We weren’t looking for just anyone. We were waiting for the right ones.”

  He kissed her, and Steve nuzzled her neck. Clay’s hand slid over Kacy’s breast, and Dean braced for a push back or slap from their lady. Instead, she sighed and leaned back.

  “Too fast?” Dean asked. “We can slow things down. Stay with us. If and when you’re ready for a party, we’ll take you. No one plays with anyone outside our group. And as things get more serious, you can tell us you love us.”

  She shook her head. “I already know I love you three. It makes no sense, but I can’t argue with my heart.”

  Steve stole a kiss, and Clay followed with a longer, teasing embrace.

  “So you’ll stay?” Dean asked.

  “Yes, but we can take our time and be sure it’s working before we announce it to the world, okay? I need to be absolutely positive this is right for me before I break this news to my family.” She rubbed her forehead.

  “Don’t worry about a thing.” Clay kissed her cheek. “I’ll get that suitcase out of the driveway.”

  “You guys are crazy. I want to try a party to see the truth. I’m not promising I’ll do anything there.” She hugged Dean, kissing him then Steve.

  “You got it. You’re a lot wilder than anyone ever imagined. Lucky us.” Dean inhaled her scent and knew he’d never let her go. Whatever came up, they’d fight for the group together. She was on board and loved them.

  Chapter Six

  It was another week before anyone had a party. The fact that Kacy hadn’t changed her mind made Clay seriously hope this would work out. He stuck close to her as they mingled. He’d told his cousins he was moving out but hadn’t made a big deal about it within the group.

  Kacy wanted to take things slow, and she might jump to the conclusion Clay had told his family in order to convince her he was serious. Tonight she was in a subtle bronze and black printed dress that showed off her curves and cleavage while still looking classy.

  “How many of these have you been to?” she asked.

  “A few. I didn’t know what to expect the first time, but it’s really relaxed.” He could tell by her darting eyes and how she fidgeted with her bracelet she was nervous.

  “I know people here.”

  “It’s your hometown, of course you do. The weird part is I saw one of my aunts and her husband at one.” Clay shook his head. “But we’re all adults, and I’d never have tried men if I didn’t come to one.”

  “You really love Dean and Steve.” She smiled.

  Clay spotted them chatting with the host. “As much as you do. I’m new to the group thing, but with you and them, I feel totally different.”

  “Different how?” she asked.

  “No urge to leave the relationship or move on. Before, I was never settled or content. I always wanted to know what else was out there. High school, the Army Reserve and even coming home were about not being able to relax and be happy in one place. Maybe I had to come home to find myself or be myself but without you, I’m not sure it’d work either.” He hugged her from behind.

  “So no pressure? You three seemed very united when you rescued me.” She leaned back on him.

  He kissed her neck and needed her to know how much it meant to him. “That’s different. Team sports and all that. Men can work together sexually, but I do like women. All three of us love women, but I couldn’t be content with the parties for long. I’ve needed a woman in my life, and I didn’t realize how much until you were staying with us.”

  She smiled and wiggled free of his grip before she turned and faced him. “But you were here with other women. Clara?”

  “You never came here before. She’s a nice person but not you. We never tried to date her.” He held both of Kacy’s hands so she couldn’t bolt. “I’d only been with the guys a month or so when the flood happened. People just thought I was staying with friends over family. Some tension at my uncle’s or something. But the truth is I wasn’t ready to announce I was dating two men. You’re not the only one who feels your high school reputation followed you.”

  “Your womanizing reputation followed you? Nobody cares if you like men.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his chin. “But I get it. We can’t stay in those boxes forever. Being a teenager is hard and any box is safe. Now we’re grown, and we can handle a lot more.”

  The affection soothed him and triggered a rush of need. “I won’t be content with them. It’d never be enough. You make it a family…for them, too. They don’t want to put pressure on you. Dean and Steve have been searching for the right woman for so long I think they’re afraid to believe it’s real. To hope you’ll stay.”

  “The group thing is new for me, too. I can’t believe I’m in this kind of relationship, but every day I wake up and I don’t want it to change.” She pressed her face to his neck.

  “Good. Because there’s no pressure here. You’re brave to try it, but if it’s not for you, don’t think I’ll let you go. These parties not a deal breaker.”

  “It seems such a big part of what you guys do. How can I not try it if I’m serious about the relationship?” she asked.

  Clay shrugged. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  She kissed him slowly and pressed her body to his. “I need to prove I’m wild enough to be in a ménage relationship. Even if it's just being here with you guys so others who are open can know it’s true.”

  “You don’t hav
e to prove anything, but if you love us, people will find out. It’d be easier to find out now than months and months into the relationship. You can only use the flood as an excuse for so long. People will ask.” Clay nibbled her neck.

  “I know. I can handle that.” Kacy had relaxed, but out of nowhere, she tensed.

  Clay looked up at the crowd. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I saw Clara. She’s with a couple and another single guy.” Kacy frowned.

  Clay cuddled his lady. There were plenty of beautiful women, but he only had eyes for Kacy. “You’ll see a lot of groupings. Some committed and some random. Don’t judge, just watch and enjoy. If you want to play with your men, you know we’ll aim to please.”

  She nodded, but Clay felt her uneasy posture. The idea of a party and the reality weren’t exactly the same. He nodded to the other guys to come over. They surrounded her in a safety zone as she watched some friends and acquaintances start the X-rated part of the party.

  As things heated up, Kacy tried not to be obvious as she watched. People stripped casually as if it were a nudist colony. Then again, others revealed little costumes, a woman in a naughty nurse’s outfit kissed another woman and two men watched. Kacy looked at faces instead of bodies and realized they were two couples. Swapping wives? Letting the women play?

  Kacy smiled. It wasn’t just horny men out for all the sex they could get. It was couples needing variety. Women needing attention. She leaned into Clay. “I’m not sure I can do it.”

  “You don’t have to do anything. Watch.” Clay led her to the other two guys who’d claimed a loveseat.

  She sat on one of the arms, and Dean hugged her waist. “It’s okay. Just a new experience. You’re not committed to parties for life.”

  Her cheeks flamed as she looked out at the crowd. Some groups were in full intercourse, positions she’d only dreamt of in the past, but now that she’d been with three men…she’d done them. “I know. Everyone is into their own thing. But people could watch us.”