Chapter 1
Sadie Milligan was drunk. Well, okay. Maybe not drunk drunk, but she was definitely walking a thin line between tipsy and wasted.
Wait. Is that a thin line?
Damn weddings. They always depressed her. Not that she was unhappy for the couple who had just said their "I do's" a few hours earlier. She liked Sydney and Chas a lot and if anyone had a shot at happily ever after it was the two of them. After all, Sydney had waited for Chas as he served two terms with the military, stationed overseas in places no one wanted to fucking be. She knew Sydney was breathing a hell of a lot easier now that he was home to stay. If anyone had a shot at making it work, she figured Chas and Sydney topped the list.
Sadie did a mental eye roll. Yeah. Like she was capable of judging anyone's chances for success when it came to romance. Her batting record was a big fat zero. She'd struck out at the plate every single time. Enough times, in fact, that she'd decided to take herself out of that particular game. She wasn't destined for a forever kind of relationship. So she'd just settle for sex.
"That's a dangerous grin." Joel Rodriguez, the living and breathing embodiment of tall, dark and handsome, walked up and handed her another glass of champagne. It was his fault—as well as Oakley's—that she was three sheets to the wind. They'd been plying her with wine all night.
"I'm trying to pick out my hookup for the evening. Isn't that what wedding receptions are all about? Getting toasted and maudlin and desperately reaching out for some potential love match only to wake up naked the next morning in a strange bed, hungover and filled with regret."
Joel's brows creased. "Are you serious?"
At the same time, his best friend Oakley stumbled next to her and said, "Did I hear someone say ‘hookup'?"
Sadie laughed as she tried for the gazillionth time to figure out how in the hell the two guys in front of her managed to remain friends. They were as different as tequila and water. Not that she'd mind a drink of either from time to time.
Oakley was just her brand of tequila, wild and uninhibited. She'd enjoy getting a buzz with him between the sheets. And, of course, after that, she could chug a gallon of Joel's refreshing, soothe-you-straight-to-the-soul water. Joel was the rock and Oakley the roll in their friendship. Somehow, it worked.
But Sadie wouldn't indulge in either. Both men had made their interest in her known, but she had no desire to come between them. They were closer than best friends, more like brothers. And she wasn't going to have the bad karma of messing up something like that riding on her head for all of eternity.
"Sorry, Oak. Neither one of you guys is even on my radar," she lied. She'd lived in Maris her entire life and, sadly, she was too familiar with the items on the sexual buffet tonight. She'd sampled more than a few already and decided they weren't worth the calories. In all honesty, Oakley and Joel were the only guys she'd consider going home with. Which was why she was sleeping alone.
Dammit.
Oakley pretended to be listening for something. "Really? Because I'm sure I heard the beep beep beep of a sonar getting louder when I walked over here. Wait." He raised his finger and tilted his head. "Yep. There it is again."
She raised her glass, her lips lifting as she launched into one of her typical teasing refusals. "There's not enough champagne in the world to make me want to sleep with either one of you guys."
Joel placed his hand over hers, guiding the glass to her lips. "Let's keep trying, just in case you're wrong."
She broke free of his grip, trying to ignore the tiny shiver of excitement that raced through her. Both men were always finding friendly, playful ways to touch her, be it Oakley ruffling her hair or Joel placing a protective hand at her back as they walked across the grass to find their seats at the wedding this afternoon. Worst of all was the way her body reacted every time they got too close. She found Joel's jet black hair and eyes as well as Oakley's bear-like, muscular physique irresistible. She was seriously attracted to both of them.
Fucking karma.
It was just her luck the only two guys she wanted to sleep with these days were the ones she'd sworn off.
The three of them watched the throng of wedding revelers going "just a little bit softer now" on the dance floor. They grinned when one of the more respectable, older ladies of Maris dropped a bit too low, then needed her husband to help her get back up.
"What is it about weddings that bring out the crazy in everybody?" Oakley asked.
Sadie jiggled her half-drunk glass of champagne. "I'm going to say it's the open bar."
Joel studied her glass. "How are you getting home?"
"Cab, I suppose. I caught a ride here with Lorelie and her dad, but they just cut out a little while ago. Coach was getting tired. What about you guys? I wouldn't say either of you is fit to drive." Joel and Oakley had matched her drink for drink.
Oakley shrugged. "We had the same plan as you. We were going to leave our truck here and ride back to the ranch with Coach and Lorelie, but they left too early. Guess we should have told them they were our designated drivers."
Sadie laughed. "The taxi route was always my backup. Lorelie warned me when we got here that she didn't see her dad going the distance. He couldn't sleep last night."
"Yeah," Joel said. "She told us this morning. He's chomping at the bit to get back to work and depressed that Ty hasn't cleared him to do it yet." Tyson Sparks was the local doctor as well as one of Coach's former football players from way back when. "I suspected she'd get him out of here early. She worries about him getting too tired."
Sadie appreciated Lorelie's concerns. Like her, Sadie only had her dad left, and while they butted heads on a daily basis, Sadie didn't want to consider what life would be like without him.
Oakley finished his beer. "You mind sharing your cab with us? We can get the driver to drop you off at your apartment, then take us out to the ranch."
"We'll see," she said noncommittally. The idea of sharing the backseat of a taxi with the two muscular, sexy-as-fuck cowboys currently sporting their Sunday best would be too damn much for her champagne-induced horniness. Damn wine never failed to trigger some dirty, dirty needs in her. "I haven't discounted the possibility of a hookup yet."
Oakley laughed.
Joel didn't. In fact, his typically gentle smile faded as he leaned closer. "You don't want to go home with any of these yahoos. Shit. I wouldn't let you go home with them."
If she hadn't been so taken aback by his outright possessiveness, she would have raked him over the coals. Instead, she found herself incredibly turned on by his sudden dominant stance and dark tone. Her nipples budded and her pussy clenched.
Fucking champagne.
Oakley stopped laughing, clearly as shocked by Joel's comment as she was. The silence hovered for one beat too long as Sadie waited for the punch line. It didn't come.
"You wouldn't let me?" she asked when she finally found her voice.
He shook his head. "No, I wouldn't. I'm tired of pretending I'm okay with this, Sadie. Sick of watching you take guys to your bed who don't deserve you. Who won't treat you right."
"So, what's your solution, hotshot? I'm just supposed to be chaste for the rest of my life? Because I can tell you right now, I am not?—"
"No," Joel cut her off. "You take me up on my offer to go out on a date."
"What about my offer?" Oakley asked. "Or do I fall into that yahoo category?" There was no heat behind Oakley's question. Yet.
Sadie's chest tightened. This was exactly what she'd been trying to avoid by rejecting their invitations.
"You're cool, Oak." Joel turned to look at her. "You have two decent guys standing right in front of you, Sadie. Why don't you stop messing around with losers and just pick one of us? You know we're both crazy about you."
If only it were that easy.
"I've told you a million times before. I'm not going to come between you two."
"What if we promise to accept your choice? No sore losers. I know I'd sure as hell rather see you with Oakley than any of the other guys around here."
Sadie didn't doubt for a minute Joel was sincere. But it didn't matter. He was forcing her hand. Forcing her to say something she'd so far managed to keep secret.
She wasn't rejecting them simply to protect their friendship. She was staying away because the truth was she couldn't choose. She was completely attracted to both of them. It would be like trying to decide between sour cream or bacon on her baked potato. Who the hell wanted one and not the other? She was a glutton—always ordering extra of both.
But there was no way in hell she'd tell the cocky bastards she was hot for them. With that knowledge, they'd probably double their efforts, her weak ass would succumb to one—or both—which would cause them to get into a fight and then she'd have that damn bad karma thing to deal with.
So, like a true coward, she dodged the issue entirely. "Actually, I don't think sex or dating or anything else is on the table for me tonight. This champagne is giving me a wicked headache. I might go ahead and get a cab. You guys can stick around and take your own chances with the crop of carbon-copy blonde beauties who've been batting their eyes at you all night."
Oakley laughed. "No thanks. We prefer our women with purple hair, tattoos, and pierced noses."
She rolled her eyes. She'd added the neon purple streak to her auburn hair as a lark because it matched the dress she was wearing to the wedding, but she kind of liked it. She was considering keeping it for a while. "Nice try. I'm still going home."
Joel nodded. "I'm done too. How about you, Oak?"
Oakley agreed he was getting tired, so Joel called for a cab. So much for her great escape. She may have managed to shut down the dating conversation, but she was still going to have to survive the ride to her place with Joel and Oakley's strong legs pressed against hers. Truth was, her morality was paper-thin and not up for that kind of test.
Neither man pressed her for an answer in terms of who she wanted to date. Thank God. So instead they continued to watch the dancers as they waited for the cab. The crowd had thinned a bit, as the older attendees had already taken their leave.
What was left was the hardcore, came to the wedding toget wasted and dance until I drop contingency. The playlist had drifted away from the old standards meant to get Grandma on the dance floor, to the younger bump-and-grind beats meant to get the rest of the group laid.
Laid. Damn. Sadie really wanted to get laid. It had been months. She'd never suffered this kind of dry spell. She was hitting critical mass and something had to give. She'd been hopeful about tonight…until Oakley and Joel had plopped themselves down next to her at the wedding. From that point on, they'd become her shadows. Fun shadows who brought her drinks, but shadows just the same.
None of the other guys at the reception had dared ask her to dance with Oakley and Joel next to her, looking intimidating.
And possessive.
That word kept drifting back to her. Tonight, they'd sort of claimed her. She wasn't sure what had changed, but they weren't playing that touch-and-go game with a healthy dose of proper distance they usually enjoyed. She'd expected to see them tonight, anticipated the teasing, and she'd even planned to dance with each of them a time or two. But other than that, she figured she'd be on her side of the room, scouting out the eligible bachelors, while they charmed the local hotties on the other side. After all, that's what they always did.
So why had they spent the entire evening attached to her hip, hovering around as if she was theirs? It felt as if they were calling her bluff, forcing her hand.
Or maybe it was just what Joel had said. They didn't like watching her hook up with losers. She didn't care for that herself, but what other options did she have? She was tied to Maris. Her dad owned one of the only bars in town, Cruisers. Sure, it was kind of a dive, but it was her dive. She was queen of the bar and when her dad was ready to retire from slinging drinks, it was going to be hers. All hers.
She loved the damn place, with its sticky dance floor, wobbly pool table, and old-fashioned cash register. Every inch of wall space was covered with sports memorabilia that her dad had collected over the years. Joel and his state champion teammates claimed a fairly large section of wall near the bar. She'd catch a glance of seventeen-year-old Joel's grin as he posed alongside his team with the huge state trophy sitting on the ground in front of them, and she had to force herself to remember that was him. While his face hadn't changed that much over the years, his body certainly had.
Years spent working on the ranch had honed his body into a Magic Mike paradise in a way football hadn't. She'd caught glimpses of him and Oakley shirtless whenever she hung out with Lorelie at the ranch. Since her sexual drought had taken hold, she'd actually gone to the ranch a lot more often, just in hopes of seeing their sweaty six-packs, so she would have something nice and juicy to fantasize about while her vibrator took care of the rest.
She jerked when Joel placed his hand on her lower back.
"Sorry, Sadie. Didn't mean to scare you. The cab's here."
Her face was on fire. Unfortunately, it wasn't embarrassment sending the heat. It was hardcore, somebody fuck me already desires.
She allowed Oakley to take her hand and lead her to the taxi as Joel pressed his palm against her lower back. She caught more than a few sideways glances from people as the three of them left together. God only knew what everyone was thinking.
Actually, Sadie had a pretty good notion what they thought. As she climbed into the cab—Joel and Oakley doing exactly as she'd expected as they trapped her in the middle—she wondered if the dirty-minded people didn't have a great idea.
Oakley kept hold of her hand, his fingers absentmindedly toying with her rings. Joel leaned closer, his arm draping around her along the backseat. Sadie gave the driver her address, though it was hard to speak with a dry mouth.
They hadn't been in the cab more than two minutes before the darkness of the night wrapped them up in a cocoon that wasn't lost on the guys.
Joel's fingers began to stroke the nape of her neck—dear God, that was one of her favorite erogenous zones—as Oakley's hand released hers in favor of her knee.
"I like your dress," Oakley murmured.
She'd wondered when she bought it if it was too short for a fall wedding, but had decided fuck it. She'd liked it because it showed off all the assets she felt like revealing perfectly. She hadn't cared about the old biddies giving her the hairy eyeball as much as she'd wanted to find a lover for the night.
Instead, she'd snared the wrong two guys.
Or the right two.
Oakley's hand drifted higher and, because she didn't have an ounce of self-restraint, she parted her legs in silent invitation.
Neither man missed the movement. Joel turned toward her, his fingers gripping her neck more firmly as he leaned closer to kiss her cheek.
Her eyes drifted closed, savoring the heat from his breath as his lips lingered there, stroking the sensitive skin of her face.
Oakley didn't hesitate to explore deeper between her legs, his fingers lightly grazing her panties. They were wet, a dead giveaway to her desires, but it wasn't as if she was pushing them away or protesting. Instead, she slid her hips forward a bit more, making sure Oakley had even better access.
The smart cowboy never missed a beat. Oakley dipped his finger beneath her silky panties and found her clit almost instantly.
Sadie sucked in a loud gasp, then pressed her lips closed tightly. The cab driver's gaze found hers in the rearview mirror. There was no way she could play off the fact she was currently the cream filling in a cowboy Oreo, so she just winked at the guy.
What the hell did she care what he thought?
She didn't give two fucks about what she thought either. The champagne had done its job well.
Oakley applied some pressure to her clit and the world shrank down to just that tiny spot. Well, that one and the one Joel was currently sucking on her neck.
Sadie was in serious danger of spontaneously combusting when the cab pulled up to the curb outside her apartment.
Oh, hell no. She was about to tell the guy to circle the block a few times, but Joel spoke before she could make the suggestion.
"Thanks." He handed the guy a twenty, told him to keep the change and then he got out, reaching to help her. When she heard a second door close, she realized Oakley had gotten out too.
The cab drove away, leaving her on the curb, hot and bothered and still not alone.
"Did the plan change? I thought the taxi was taking you guys to the ranch."
Oakley chuckled. "Do you want us to call him back?"
She shook her head. "Fuck no."
Oakley gave her a sexy grin that made her pussy gush, but Joel's face revealed something way more dangerous.
She was tipsy. So were they. None of them would be here if they hadn't had so much to drink. Sober Sadie would have sent them packing.
Sober Sadie can suck it. She's no fun at all. Lame bitch.
"So, are you guys coming up?" Jesus. Where did that sexy, come-hither tone come from?
Joel nodded slowly, though she thought, like her, he was slowly starting to figure out this wasn't somewhere they should be. Oakley didn't give either of them time to let that realization take root. He clasped hands with her and led her up the stairs to the entrance of her apartment building.
When they reached the top, she glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see Joel was following them.
Relieved? Really?
When he reached out to take her key from her, unlocking the front door with big calloused hands that led her imagination down some hot paths, she knew that, yeah, she was relieved he was still here.
She lived in a three-story apartment building. Back in the day, the place had been a storage warehouse. About ten years ago, the owner sold the property to a big-city developer who converted it into three studio apartments. The place was damn trendy for small-town Maris, which was why she'd fallen head over heels for it. She'd scored the top floor eight years earlier when she started to fear she'd smother her father in his sleep if she didn't get out of her childhood home.
She loved her old man, but not as a damn roommate. First of all, he stifled her sex life. Bastard liked to show her dates his gun collection whenever they came to pick her up, and then he'd insist they bring her home at a reasonable hour. Like she was still a teenager in high school rather than a grown woman of twenty-five. No matter how hard she tried to break him of that habit, it was still there. Even now. In her dad's eyes, no one would ever be good enough for her. It was sweet, but annoying as crap.
Secondly, he was a freaking slob and she'd hit her limit when it came to picking up his shit.
"Nice place," Joel said when they entered her apartment. Neither he nor Oakley had ever been here before.
Because she'd never been stupid enough to get three sheets to the wind with them.
Because alcohol made her do crazy things.
Because her libido always switched into overdrive around them so she knew putting them anywhere near her and a bed would be the wrong thing to do.
"Yeah. I like it," she replied, distracted by the thought of her bed. Had she made it this morning? Did she have anything lying out in her bedroom that would be potentially embarrassing? Panties on the floor? Birth control pills? Vibrator?
Bringing both of them back to her place was ranking fairly high on her list of insane life choices. Right after getting her first boyfriend's initials tattooed on her ass. That tat had been turned into a butterfly after the breakup.
It also ranked after crashing her beloved first motorcycle into a tree because she'd taken a turn too fast. In addition to losing her sweet bike, she'd broken her leg in three places.
Those two decisions were worse than this one.
But not by much.
"Take a look around if you want," she said, inviting Oakley and Joel to roam around. She had eclectic tastes and it showed in her décor. She was sort of curious to know what they thought of it.
"Who took all the black-and-white photos?" Oakley asked, pointing to the pictures on the wall.
"Me. I went through a photography phase a few years back."
"They're good. Really good." Oakley's expression matched his words. He wasn't just bullshitting her, and she was flattered.
"Thanks."
Joel picked up a calavera. "Do I want to know?"
She grinned. "Sugar skulls. I collect them."
"You collect license plates too?" Oakley asked as he ventured farther along, getting closer to the kitchen.
"Not really. Those belonged to my mom. She was a bit of a hobo. She had a license plate from every state she'd ever been to."
Oakley's bright blue eyes widened as he took in the colorful plates, and she could imagine he was trying to figure out how many were there.
There were thirty-seven. She knew that because she'd counted them. About a million times. Sadie could only assume her mother had taken off in hopes of collecting the last thirteen. Hard to say that for sure, considering dear old Mom hadn't left a note or called to touch base. Not once. In twenty-seven years. She just vanished one day when Sadie was at school and her dad was working at the bar. Packed up a suitcase and left her husband and six-year-old daughter.
When Sadie was younger, she was convinced her mom would come back once she'd found those final dozen or so plates. However, that belief faded as she got older.
Now, she hoped the bitch never showed her face in Maris again. Some people might say Sadie's attitude was unhealthy, but as far as she was concerned, she was in a better state of mind on her parental issues than she'd ever been. The license plates were her reminder that the only person she could really count on sticking around forever was herself.
"It's a great apartment, Sadie. Thanks for inviting us up."
She was surprised to see that Joel had moved closer to her. Sadie thought the heated moment in the taxi had passed, but she'd been dead wrong.
Joel reached for her with no hesitation, no uncertainty. He simply grasped her waist, tugged her close and kissed her.
Holy shit. She'd kissed enough frogs in her life to know she'd just found a prince.
He pressed her lips apart, his tongue dipping into her mouth. She tasted the tang of beer and a hint of sweetness—wedding cake?—on his breath. It was a heady combination.
She'd always wondered what it would be like to kiss Joel. And Oakley. So far her feeble fantasies didn't hold a candle to the reality.
She started slightly when Oakley stepped behind her, his hand brushing her hair to one side so he could press his lips to her neck. They kept overwhelming her with all these sexy/sweet touches.
How could their kisses blow her mind while making her feel almost cherished?
Joel released her. They sounded like swimmers breaking the surface in search of air.
"You kiss good." She was aiming for levity, but her voice was too breathy to sell it.
Joel didn't seem to mind. "So do you."
"My turn." Oakley twisted her toward him and within seconds, she was right back in paradise, with Prince Charming number two. And Oakley fit the part perfectly too, with his dirty blond hair, blue eyes and chiseled jaw. He was basically the poster child for the Disney heroes of her youth.
She'd done some wild things in her past, but she'd never made out with two guys at the same time. A girl could get addicted to this…fast.
Joel didn't care when Oakley cut in. Instead, he raised the bar as he pressed his chest to her back, his arms snaking around her so he could cup her breasts.
She gasped, the action breaking her union with Oakley. Oakley narrowed his eyes in confusion until he glanced down and saw what had prompted the sound. Then he grinned, gave her a wicked wink and started kissing her again. Joel squeezed her breasts, gently at first, but then he pressed tighter.
Her even-keel, no-nonsense-friend Joel had a dark side. She wouldn't have pegged him as such a dominant guy, but there was no mistaking he liked his lovin' with a rough edge.
That knowledge was dangerous because she liked the same thing. The way he was touching her, pinching her nipples—holy fucking hotness—was going to make it harder for her to put things back to right tomorrow. When she was sober.
"Take us to your bedroom."
Sadie broke off her kiss with Oakley to look over her shoulder at Joel as he made his demand. "Ask nicely."
Joel's lips tipped up at the edges. Then he lifted the hem of her dress to reveal her panties. Before she knew what he was planning, he slapped her ass. Hard. It hurt and turned her on all at the same time.
"Take us to your bedroom. Please."
Adding the final word certainly didn't make it sound like less of a command, but Sadie didn't give a damn. She was into this side of Joel's personality.
"Jesus, bro," Oakley muttered. "You gotta scale back on that macho shit. It's starting to work on me."
Sadie giggled when she spotted Oakley's very apparent erection poking through his dress pants. Joel didn't seem quite as amused.
Oakley Fox was very open about his sexuality—his bi-sexuality. He didn't discriminate when it came to lovers. Boys or girls, he liked them all the same.
"Oakley." For the first time since they'd entered her apartment, Joel seemed to waver in his resolve.
Hell no.
She grasped his hand and dragged him to her bedroom before he could reconsider. She still had a lot of champagne flowing through her veins, heating up her girlie bits. She wasn't finished. Not by a long shot.
When they entered the room, Joel wasted no time taking things to a completely new level. He gripped the bottom of her dress and tugged it over her head in one fell swoop. The dress had a low back, so she'd gone braless. She wasn't packing enough on top for that to be a problem. She wasn't exactly-flat chested, but she was no stranger to padded bras either.
Neither man appeared to be disappointed.
"Shit, Sadie," Oakley murmured reverently. He stepped closer, compelled to run his finger along the edges of the watercolor hummingbird tat that rested over her right breast. "That's incredible."
She lifted her shoulder, pleased. Not all the guys she went out with liked her tattoos. "I go to this guy in New Orleans. I figure if it's going to be there forever, I want it to be perfect. Carper is the best. He's done all my art." She turned to show them the hibiscus on her left shoulder. They'd already seen the Celtic knot on her wrist, the fleur de lis on her ankle and the infinity symbol on her foot. Like her apartment, her tats were eclectic. If she saw something she liked, something that spoke to her, she got it.
Later, she'd give them a peek at the butterfly on her ass. Maybe she'd even confess to what it was covering up.
"I've always liked this," Joel lightly touched her belly button ring. Sometimes she wore crop tops just to show off a new ring or whenever she felt like annoying her dad. While he didn't mind the piercings or the tats, he hated when she wore clothes that were too revealing. Typical father response.
"Had enough of the tour?" she teased once they'd looked their fill.
Oakley laughed, his fingers stroking the side of her silk panties. "Sort of leaving out the best part, aren't you?"
She gave him a flirty grin. "You think you're up for the rest?"
He groaned and grabbed her hand, tugging her to the bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress, making it easy for her to straddle his thighs. She crawled on, facing him, kissing him and pressing her pussy against his hard cock, still trapped in his pants.
Oakley gripped her ass tightly, pulling her against him tighter. Neither of them seemed capable of getting enough.
She hadn't forgotten Joel was in the room, though she'd lost track of him. He remained somewhere behind her. She could feel his gaze on them, watching them. What the hell was he thinking of this?
She'd never considered herself a threesome girl, but she could definitely see the appeal. Like Oakley, she wasn't fussed with limits much. She'd done some hot-and-heavy making out and fondling with a girl back in high school and really enjoyed it. Sadie was a little too fond of being fucked with real dicks to go there permanently, but that wasn't to say she would turn down the experience again if it presented itself.
However, Joel was as straight as Oakley was wiggly. Sadie was sort of amazed he was here, taking part in this.
"God," Oakley groaned. "Gotta fuck you, Sade."
She reached for the button on his pants, but never made it to her destination. Joel suddenly made his presence known. He grasped both of her wrists and pulled them behind her back, holding them there, his large hands her shackles.
Her pussy clenched hungrily. Oh hell yeah. She may not have fantasized about a ménage, but bondage was another thing entirely. Unfortunately, she'd never dated anyone she trusted enough to tie her up.
Joel tightened his grip, causing her back to arch slightly, her breasts forced farther out. "What's your hurry?"
Using his hold on her hands, he pulled her off Oakley's lap. "Pull down the covers, Oak." Then—much to her dismay—Joel released her hands. Her annoyance was short-lived when he tugged off his tie, unbuttoned his shirt and stripped it off.
Oakley responded to Joel's demand, but Sadie could see what the dominant side of his friend was doing to him. Poor Oakley was as turned on as she was and fighting like the devil to hide it.
Once the bedspread was lowered, Oakley took off his own tie and shirt, climbed onto the mattress and scooted over to make room for her and Joel. Oakley was waiting for her as she and Joel lay down. He resumed their kiss, his hands caressing every part of her body he could reach, stroking her breasts, her waist, her hips.
Joel claimed the place behind her, his covered cock nudging against her ass. She pushed against it, seeking stimulation, hoping to encourage him to fuck her. Instead, he gripped her hips and rubbed his erection against her harder. She resented the feeling of his light cotton pants. She wanted flesh on flesh. Needed it.
Her head was swimming in a sea of alcohol and arousal. It was one hell of a buzz.
She flipped to her back when the heat of the kisses and the closeness of their two huge, muscular bodies became too much.
"God. Please." She reached down, intent on stripping both men out of their pants at the same time.
Both men.
Both.
Two.
The thought made her pause. Her hands were resting on two very hard, very ready cocks. She struggled to suck in a deep breath.
What the fuck was she doing?
"Um…"
Her arousal flickered out as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on her.
Joel must have sensed her hesitation and panic because he grasped her wrist, pulling it away from his dick.
"What are we doing?" he asked, his words mimicking her thoughts.
She shook her head slowly, common sense rearing its ugly head. "I don't know."
Oakley apparently hadn't caught up. "We're having sex. The hottest fucking sex ever."
She looked at him and bit her lower lip.
Oakley's expression fell as realization dawned hard. "Shit." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Sadie?—"
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I…this…it isn't…" She started to say right, but that was wrong. The problem was, this felt entirely too right. But sobriety was starting to clear a path and the voice of Sober Sadie was yelling for her to stop. "We wouldn't be here, doing this, if we weren't drunk. I know I said wedding hookups were all about sex and regrets, but I don't want to feel that way about you guys."
"You're right," Joel admitted. "We shouldn't be here."
Oakley didn't agree. "You're joking, right? I don't give a fuck how much we drank. There's no way you two can lay here and tell me this isn't fucking awesome."
Oakley was the only man in town capable of out-cursing her. Which was saying something, considering her gutter mouth.
"Oak," Joel started. Sadie recognized the tone as much as Oakley. Joel was about to issue one of his you have to be responsible speeches. She and Oakley had both been on the receiving end of them before, given their rather reckless approaches to life.
Oakley sat up, rising from the bed. "Save it. Tonight's not happening. I get it. I gotta take care of something." Sadie would have laughed when he pointed to his erection if she hadn't felt so guilty. "Where's your bathroom, Sadie?"
She pointed to a door on the left and Oakley stormed out. She released a long sigh. "Guess I screwed that up."
Joel gripped her shoulder, turning her toward him. "I share a room in the bunkhouse with that horny bastard. He's no stranger to his hand. Besides, we all got carried away. It's alright."
She studied his face, the dominant man had faded away and the friendly Joel she'd always known returned. "I have to admit your bedroom persona wasn't what I expected."
He rolled his eyes. "Sade." The word was laced with warning, so, of course, she ignored it.
"I mean in real life, you're just so…"
"I'm not going to like the word you fill in that blank with, am I?"
She grinned. "Passive."
He narrowed his eyes. "Seriously?"
Sadie laughed, glad that they could return to their usual teasing so quickly after such an intense almost-fuck-up. "I could always go with stoic, stodgy, serious, predictable or boring."
Before she knew it, Joel had pulled her toward him, tickling her as she giggled and tried to bat his hands away. She continued to wiggle, fighting to crawl off the opposite side of the bed, until he pulled her toward him, her back resting against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in a friendly, relaxed manner, a far cry from their previous touches.
"I guess I should get up and call for a cab to take us back to the ranch."
She shook her head. "No. Sleep it off here. We're going to have to deal with the awkward morning after for this fiasco at some point. Might as well get it over with right away."
He tightened his grip, accepting her invitation without words. Then he finally said, "You're still not going to go out with me, are you? Or Oakley."
She twisted in his arms, wanting him to see her face as she tried to explain. "The thing is…I can't choose, Joel. I like you and Oakley. A lot. And as I think you saw tonight, I'm attracted to both of you. You say choose, but it's just not that simple."
He nodded slowly, though she could see her words didn't make him happy. Hell, they didn't make her happy.
She needed to lighten the heavy mood. "Let's face it, put together, you and Oakley make the perfect man."
Joel chuckled, the sound short-lived when Oakley walked back into the room.
Sadie glanced at him over her shoulder, wanting to put a smile on his face again as well. "Damn, Oak. That didn't take long. You know that doesn't really speak too highly of your stamina."
"Shut up and scoot over," Oakley said, no heat behind his words. He spooned her, snuggling close to her in a way that was far too comfortable. Sadie could sleep just like this every night of her life.
She sighed. "You mad?"
"Naw," Oakley said. "I could never be mad at you, Sade."
She snorted. "Yeah, right."
"Fine," he amended. "I could never stay mad at you."
She closed her eyes. Alcohol was a fickle friend. Now that the possibility of sex was off the table, it was taking the opposite route, making her very, very sleepy.
Her last thought as she drifted away was of Advil. She should have taken two. And had some water. Because there was no way she wasn't waking up without a headache.
Fucking champagne.
Fucking karma.