Resplendence

Four Aces By Suzanne Graham

Resplendence Publishing, LLC http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

Resplendence Publishing, LLC 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349 Daytona Beach, FL 32118 Four Aces Copyright © 2011 Suzanne Graham Edited by Jessica Bimberg and Venus Cahill Cover art by Les Byerley, www.les3photo8.com Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-421-5 Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Electronic Release: October 2011 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

To Will, thanks for all the great memories at Bocce’s.

Chapter One

Stacy Thomas glared at the song lyrics in front of her as the breeze off Lake Michigan ruffled the notebook page. She was missing something with her words. They sounded flat and deficient, kind of like her sex life at the moment. Sipping her small, plain coffee under a shaded café table, she glanced at the sandy-haired guy in the black T-shirt at the next table. Since he was engrossed in the Chicago Tribune’s sports page, she ignored her dead mother’s voice in her head—which had grown louder since Stacy had moved back into the Evanston house she’d inherited—telling her it was rude to stare. He was just the kind of man who could spice up her fantasies, but who she wouldn’t have a shot at, especially today with her hair pulled back in a no-fuss ponytail and her dark-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Neither did much for her too-round face. And she certainly wasn’t dressed to impress in her old T-shirt, shorts, and worn-out Teva sandals. Without taking his eyes from the newspaper, he grabbed his coffee cup and bought it to his full lips. The motion brought Stacy’s attention to his tanned, muscular forearms covered in blond hair. She imagined he must have similarly dense hair on his chest that would feel silky under her fingertips. Her gaze followed the line of his arm, over his nicely defined biceps and up to his broad shoulders. He wasn’t bulky like a bodybuilder, more like a football player or a physical laborer, and he wasn’t top-heavy. Having watched him walk out to the patio with his coffee earlier, she knew his jeans hugged some nice thick thighs and a tight ass. He caught her gawking and winked one of his blue eyes. Her cheeks burned as she dropped her head and stared at her notebook on the table.

A soft chuckle reached her ears from his direction. “Do I have a chocolate moustache?” His deep bass voice vibrated through her. “Chocolate?” She looked up in surprise. He lifted his cup as if he were toasting her. “Hot chocolate. I can’t stand the taste of coffee.” “But it’s close to eighty degrees out here.” He raised a brow. “What’s in your cup?” “Coffee.” The cheapest thing she could buy that allowed her to get out of her empty shell of a house and occupy one of the café tables. He shook his head. “I’ll never understand the prejudice against drinking hot chocolate in the summer when drinking hot coffee is deemed acceptable in any weather.” She laughed, pleased that he seemed to have a brain to go with all his yummy brawn. “I never thought of it that way.” “Yeah, it’s tough to be a chocolate fan. Takes lots of perseverance and thick skin.” Before Stacy could come up with a witty reply, a dark-haired guy rushed up to Mr. Hot Chocolate and sat abruptly at his table. “We’re screwed. We just lost our lead singer for Friday’s Battle of the Bands.” The intensity of his voice made it easy to overhear, so it wasn’t really eavesdropping when she listened. At least, that’s how Stacy justified it to herself. “Hello to you too, Jason,” Mr. Hot Chocolate said while sending Stacy an eye roll. “What happened to Tricia?” he asked the visibly agitated guy. “She just realized she double booked. She says she has to take the guaranteed paying gig.” “We’ll get paid when we win.” Mr. Hot Chocolate’s pose remained relaxed in contrast to the tension radiating from the man named Jason. “Apparently, she’s not willing to chance it.” Intrigued, Stacy found it too hard to turn away from their conversation and continued to eavesdrop while checking out the new guy. He looked to be a similar height to Mr. Hot Chocolate, around six feet tall, but his build was slighter, more like a baseball player, but still showing nice muscle contours under his gray T-shirt. Definitely another one to add to her fantasy play list.

“Shit, Jason. Couldn’t you have at least waited until I finished parking the car?” A third guy joined the men at the café table. He swung a chair backwards and straddled it with his forearms crossed over the top of the backrest. Damn, he was the biggest of the three. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall. His well-built arms and legs seemed to go on forever, and in his shorts and T-shirt, plenty of his lovely ebony skin was showing for Stacy to admire. If Mr. Hot Chocolate had the football player body and Jason the baseball type, then this one was basketball all the way. And she would be more than happy to be the cheerleader for all three of them. Yeah, right. She was more band geek than cheerleader material. “Stop your bitchin’, Pace. I waited until you stopped,” Jason responded to Mr. Tall, Dark and Desirable. “Did he give you the fabu-freakin’ news?” Pace asked Mr. Hot Chocolate. “Yeah, but we only have to perform two songs. It shouldn’t be that hard to find another female singer.” Mr. Hot Chocolate’s voice was cool and casual. Jason shook his head. “I’ve already been through my contacts. No one’s available on Friday night.” Without thinking it through, Stacy chimed in. “I’m available.” She didn’t know what made her say it. Usually her natural shyness and fear of not being accepted held her back from going straight for what she wanted, but here was the perfect opportunity to get closer to her goal—her music goal, not the sexual one. Guys this good-looking certainly wouldn’t be interested in her. Pace, Jason and Mr. Hot Chocolate looked over and stared at her, the first two men with confused looks on their faces and the last one with a welcoming smile. This contest could be just want she needed to get her career going again if— “Are you guys any good?” “Hell, yes!” Pace exclaimed. Instead of retreating into her shell, she leaned over and stuck her hand out to Mr. Hot Chocolate first. “I’m Stacy Thomas. Singer and wannabe songwriter.” More like had-to-be, in order to silence her mother’s voice telling her it was an unreachable dream.

His grin widened. “Trace Connors.” He swept his free hand in the direction of the darkhaired guy. “Jason Hamilton.” Then he jerked his thumb towards the third man. “Keith Payson, otherwise known as Pace, the best damn drum player ever.” She freed her hand reluctantly from Trace’s large, warm grip and shook Jason and Pace’s hands. “Hi.” Jason studied her with dark eyes that seemed capable of exposing her secrets. “What do you sing?” She swallowed hard before answering. “Everything. Yeah, I know that’s a horrible answer. You want a full resume?” At his curt nod, she continued. “I graduated from the University of the Arts in Philly, but just barely. It was way too proscriptive. After knocking about, I found myself in the right place at the right time and landed a job singing backup for Five Clocks on their Afterhours album and on their short American tour last year.” Pace leaned forward, drawing her attention to his long fingers resting on his forearms on the back of the chair. “Are you still singing with them?” She glanced up quickly to meet his deep brown eyes. “Uh, no… They’ve managed to keep it quiet so far, but the band is undergoing some artistic difficulties. I had to leave before I got caught up in the undertow.” “What are you doing now?” Jason asked. “The occasional voice work when I can get it, and I’m working on my own songs.” She held up her notebook. “Can I see?” Trace grabbed it before she could say no. “It’s really rough, and it’s missing something still,” she apologized as Trace read her lyrics. “These are good.” Trace pushed the notebook at Jason. She tried to make a grab for it, but Trace blocked her hand with his forearm. With Pace looking over his shoulder, Jason moved his lips as he read silently to himself. When he finished, he stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. “You’re right. They’re still rough, but they’ve got potential. Do you write music too?” “I can, but I prefer to put my energy into the words and collaborate with someone else on the music.”

“I have an idea for the melody.” Jason handed back her notebook and pulled an iPhone out of his cargo shorts. Tapping quickly on the screen with his index finger, he hummed softly to himself. Trace leaned closer to Stacy. “In addition to possessing magic fingers on the keyboard, he’s a bit of a songwriting genius, but we keep that opinion to ourselves.” He tapped his temple with his index finger. “He’s already got a big enough head.” For a moment, Stacy lost herself in the intimacy of being so close to Trace, listening to his softly spoken words. Magnetism flowed from him and caught her in its force. “Got it!” Jason exclaimed, causing Stacy to jerk back into her seat. “Do you have ear buds on you?” He looked from Trace to her to Pace. All three of them shook their heads. “The speaker on this thing sucks, but at least you’ll be able to hear the general idea.” Jason pressed play on a music-writing app, and a haunting melody spun out of the tiny speaker on the iPhone. A shiver ran over her skin. How had he caught the perfect notes to accompany her words? She glanced at her lyrics and sang them quietly to the music. Immediately, she saw how to fix the bridge. She grabbed her pen and scribbled madly on the notebook page before the music ended and took her inspiration with it. When the song sample finished, Stacy looked up to find the three men staring at her with acute interest. A yummy flutter in her girl parts had her envisioning some wicked possibilities involving all four of them. Oh, she was going to enjoy having these three men starring in her next self-loving fantasy. Pace broke the silence first. “How fast can you memorize songs?” “Does this mean you want me to sing with you on Friday?” she asked. “Oh, yeah,” Trace said before letting out a whoop. “Did you guys hear her sing? We’re going to clean up at this contest.” “We need a new name,” Jason said. “Why?” Pace asked. “Fortitude was Tricia’s idea, and I don’t want anything of hers touching this.”

“What about Four Aces?” Stacy offered. Jason looked thoughtful for a moment. “Not bad. Where’d you get the idea?” Stacy grinned. “Jace, Trace, Pace and Stace—the four aces.” Trace’s laugh came from deep in his chest and rumbled through Stacy. Her nipples pebbled against her bra, and her panties grew damp. Damn, all that just from his laugh? It really had been too long since someone had touched her. She studied his fingers and imagined them skimming across her skin, reaching her breasts and plucking at her nipples. Her breasts felt tender, craving physical contact. She stuffed her hunger under the more pressing need to meet her music goal. Raising her gaze back up to his face, she asked, “What do you play?” His lips twitched as if he were considering a suggestive comeback. She prayed her nipples weren’t showing through her T-shirt. She sure as hell wasn’t going to glance down to check. “I play guitar,” he finally answered. “We all do vocals.” “What are you doing the rest of today?” Pace caught her attention. “We’ve only got two days to teach you the songs.” “Not a problem.” “You’re pretty sure of yourself.” Trace grinned. “Oh, did I forget to mention I have a photographic memory? Show me the score once, and I won’t forget it.” Jason turned to Trace. “Where the hell did you meet this wonder woman?” “Right here… She came on to me.” Stacy blushed. “I did not!” Trace winked. “But you wanted to. I saw you checking me out.” It was true, but Stacy didn’t like having it thrown in her face. “Um, maybe this isn’t going to work out after all.” She picked up her notebook and shoved back her chair. She’d never been very good dealing with guys socially. That’s why she’d been single most of her twenty-six years. Getting involved, even if it was only musically, with three guys she’d just met was obviously more than she could manage. “Wait!” Jason stopped her with his hand on her bare forearm.

The warmth from his palm spread over her skin, heating her all over. She met his forceful gaze before her gaze fell to his lower lip, which was fuller than the top one. She imagined licking it before sucking it into her mouth, feeling an attraction as strongly to him as she did to Trace. And a mere glance at Pace sent her pulse skittering through her veins. She was equally attracted to all three of them and not in the same league with any of them. “He’s teasing you,” Jason said to her before glaring at Trace. “Apologize. We can’t let her get away.” All thoughts of “getting away” fled as she pictured herself sandwiched between the three men…naked. She shook her head and glanced at her coffee cup. Had it been spiked with an aphrodisiac or something? She’d never fantasized this vividly about guys she’d just met before, but it didn’t matter because she knew she’d never be capable of initiating something with any of them. She wasn’t introverted so much as she’d just never developed the skills for flirting. Trace grabbed her free hand and brought it to his lips. He placed a warm, soft kiss on her palm that she swore ended with a tiny swipe from his tongue. It was a good thing she was still sitting because her knees definitely wouldn’t have held her. Hell, she might not know how to flirt, but he definitely did. “I’m sorry,” he said, holding her gaze with his vivid blue eyes. “Will you play with us?” She stifled a moan before it escaped her lips. Oh yeah, her girly parts were begging to play with these men. But they could only be interested in her vocal skills because hot guys like them didn’t usually hook up with slightly chubby girls like her. “Yes, I’ll sing with you,” she managed to answer without sounding too breathless.

Chapter Two

She’d looked so cute when Trace had first noticed her sitting there with her long blonde ponytail, dark-rimmed, studious-looking glasses and a dimple in her right cheek, but the sound that came out of her mouth when she sang was all woman. Trace had hardened instantly as she sang her lyrics about loving a man. She’d brilliantly written it as a simple love song, but when he’d listened more closely, the eroticism of her words became apparent. When Jason added his music with the subtle bass beat and Latin-inspired melody, Trace knew this song was going to be a hit at the contest. Because there was no question, they were going to perform her song at Friday night’s Battle of the Bands. “So, are you available for the rest of the day?” he asked her, hoping she was available all night too. He couldn’t wait to remove her glasses and take down her hair. From what he could see of her shape under her T-shirt and shorts, she was curvy and tasty-looking. “Yeah, I have nowhere else to be today. I finished a book-recording job this morning. What about you guys? Don’t you have jobs?” “Self-employed,” Jason said. “I do freelance composing, mostly writing jingles for local commercials, but I’ve done some movie work too.” “And you?” she asked Pace. “Bartender, but I’m not working again until Saturday.” She turned to Trace. “Construction, and my brother gave me the week off.” “Do you need that much rehearsal time?” She looked like she was reconsidering her offer to join them, as if they were a bunch of amateurs.

“No.” He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. “He didn’t want me smashing up my fingers this week and ruining my performance.” “That’s supportive.” Trace smirked. “Not so much. It’s unpaid leave. So, I really need to win this to earn back some of what I’m losing in wages this week.” And now, he had a great idea how he could fill the hours before Friday’s night competition. “Do you have to work the rest of this week?” Frowning, she shook her head. “No. I’ve got nothing else scheduled. So, I could really use some extra cash too. What’s the prize?” “Five hundred for first place, one hundred for second and third,” Jason said. “And recording time in the studio for the winner,” Pace added. “Then let’s get to rehearsing.” Stacy grabbed her notebook and a small bag at her feet before standing. “Do you have a car here?” Trace asked. “Nope, I live within walking distance.” “Then you and I can go in my truck. Jason and Pace can follow us.” Stacy hesitated. “Uh, where’s your rehearsal space?” Apparently, her common sense had kicked in and was telling her it wasn’t smart to go off with three men she’d just met. Trace glanced at Pace and Jason. What could they say to make her feel comfortable going with them? “We practice at my place,” Jason chimed in, seemingly not picking up on Stacy’s nervousness. “How about calling Tricia for a character reference?” Trace asked her. “What are you talking about? Why would we call Tricia when we’ve got Stacy?” Jason asked. Pace laid a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Because Stacy doesn’t know us.” Jason’s gaze flicked from Pace to Stacy. “Oh, right.” Jason chuckled. “And you are kinda intimidating, Pace.” “It’s not just me, idiot.” Pace backhanded Jason’s shoulder. “She’s being cautious about going off with three guys she just met.” Stacy bit her bottom lip while she seemed to consider her choice. “Okay, give me Tricia’s number.” She pulled an older model cell phone out of her bag.

Jason rattled off the seven digits. “Do you want me to talk to her first?” “No, I’ll introduce myself.” Stacy held the phone to her ear. After a few seconds, she said, “Hi, is this Tricia?” Trace stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans as he listened to Stacy confirm with Tricia that he, Jason and Pace were perfectly respectable musicians who weren’t in the habit of luring women back to their place for wild sex. Though he couldn’t honestly say the thought of having sex with Stacy hadn’t crossed his mind, but hell, he was a guy. It was a chronic thought anytime he met an attractive woman. It didn’t mean he didn’t know how to control himself and act like a gentleman. Stacy snapped her phone closed and returned it to her bag. “All right?” he asked. She looked at him with a small smile tilting up the corners of her mouth, not quite enough to fully display her dimple. “Yes. She gave you guys a safe rating.” She laughed lightly. “What’s so funny?” Pace asked. Stacy headed for the sidewalk. “She said you were all nice enough, but none of you were her type.” Then under her breath, so Trace almost missed hearing it, she said, “How could these guys not be a woman’s type?” He grinned as he strode to catch up with her, pleased there was some mutual appreciation happening here. As he led the way to the parking lot, Jason walked next to Stacy with Pace bringing up the rear. Trace glanced over his shoulder and caught Pace eyeing Stacy while she looked in the shop windows they passed. Damn, he was going to have to stake a claim on Stacy before Pace got any ideas. When they reached his truck, Stacy got into the passenger seat while Trace stopped Pace from continuing on to his car. He gave his good friend a meaningful look followed by a quick flick of his eyes in Stacy’s direction. “Uh, uh.” Pace shook his head and spoke in a low tone so Stacy wouldn’t overhear. “Just because you saw her first, doesn’t mean you get her.” “She’s got talent, and I’m not letting you use her and dump her.” “And what happens when things end between you two?” Pace glared. “You know she’s more likely to remain my friend.”

Pace grumbled, “Just like all your exes.” “Come on, guys. Knock off the pissing contest,” Jason interrupted. “You can’t force her to pick either one of you…especially when she’s most likely to pick me.” He smirked. Stacy stuck her head around the doorframe of the truck. “Uh, guys. Are we gonna make music today?” “Shit,” Trace swore under his breath. Pace shook his head. “Yeah, she heard,” Jason said before walking off towards Pace’s car. **** Stacy smiled as she stared out Trace’s windshield at the passing rows of manicured lawns. She couldn’t believe her luck. They all wanted her. She was going to be able to pick between them, but—she glanced at Trace with his strong, broad hands gripping the steering wheel, then thought of Jason and Pace—how was she going to choose? Of course, her ultimate fantasy was she wouldn’t have to choose. I wonder how well they would share. She had to laugh at herself, like that would ever happen. Besides, she’d never have the guts to expose herself to that level of vulnerability. Taking her clothes off for three men at once? She’d barely been able to undress in front of her last boyfriend with just the light of a single candle burning. And these three studs didn’t seem to be the type that would be satisfied with making out in the dark. Within ten minutes, Trace was parking his truck on the street in front of a small row of townhouses. Pace’s black sports car pulled in behind them. “How do your neighbors feel about your music?” she asked Jason, following him through the front door. “Not a problem. We have a soundproofed practice room in the basement.” He led them through the hardwood-floored living room into the open kitchen at the back. “Do you want a drink before we start?” He stuck his head in the fridge. “I’ve got beer and water.” “I’ll take water for now. Thanks.” She wasn’t much of a beer drinker, and water was better anyway if she was going to be singing all evening. He closed the fridge and got a glass from a cabinet, then filled it from the sink. “Sorry, I don’t believe in plastic bottles.” He handed her the glass.

She took it and sent him a smile. “No problem. Thanks.” In the meantime, Trace and Pace had helped themselves to beers from the fridge. “Let’s get started.” Trace turned and walked out of the kitchen. Walking behind him gave her ample time to admire his tight buns and long legs. If only they were going up the stairs instead of down, then she’d really get a good view. She laughed quietly and took a sip of the tepid water in her glass, acknowledging that she wouldn’t want Pace and Jason checking out her ass as they followed her. They would surely find it too expansive. Once in the basement, Jason led them into the back room that was indeed soundproofed with professional quality wall panels. “Wow, nice set up,” she said, walking over to the drum kit in the corner. In the opposite corner sat several guitar cases next to a high quality electric keyboard and sound mixing equipment. The amps and wires in the room were neatly laid out. She moved to the microphone stand in the center of the room. “So, what are we singing?” Pace slid gracefully onto a stool behind the drums, and Trace clicked open the latches on a guitar case while Jason took his position behind the keyboard. “Let’s start with some warm up songs,” Pace said, rolling his shoulders. “How about some Santana?” “His latest hit?” she asked. “You know it?” Trace pulled the guitar strap over his head then flicked on the amps. “Of course.” She switched on the microphone and hummed the introductory bars. “Let’s do it then,” Pace said, setting the beat. They went through a variety of songs, taking turns with suggestions. During a drink break, Jason fiddled with the controls on the sound mixer. “Let’s hear some of our playback.” Stacy listened carefully to her vocals and smiled as she heard how well they were complementing the men’s voices. Then she concentrated harder on the sound of the instruments. When Jason stopped the music, she said, “We’re missing an entire range of notes. We need bass in addition to the guitar.” Trace shook his head. “I’m talented, but I can’t play two instruments at once.” She gestured to the cases in the corner. “Do you have a bass in one of those?” “Yeah.” “Do you mind sharing?”

“You play?” Pace’s eyebrows rose. She nodded. “Yep.” “How the hell did we get so lucky to find you?” Jason asked. “I could just kiss you.” Trace wrapped his big hands on either side of her head and grinned down at her. She stared up at him, momentarily stunned. He wanted to kiss her right here, right now? Oh yes, please, but before she could formulate an appropriate response, he dropped his hands and stepped back. Jason shoved a bass at her. “Let’s hear you.” She fumbled to grab the instrument as her eyes stayed glued to Trace. How could she get him back to holding her and talking about kissing? But the moment seemed lost, especially when Trace broke their eye contact and turned away. She shook her head. He’d obviously meant it as a figure of speech. Damn.

Shit. Trace wanted to kick himself. He should have just gone for it. Why didn’t he move that little bit extra and kiss her? She’d stared up at him with her lips parted slightly, almost as if she was anticipating his touch. But he’d backed away. Idiot. He shook his head, glanced at Jason and caught him smirking. Great, now Trace looked like a wimp who couldn’t take what he wanted. He watched Stacy adjust the strap of the bass over her shoulder and realized he didn’t want to just take from her. He wanted her to give as well. Maybe that was why he’d stopped himself. He wanted her to make a move in his direction and not just wait for him to advance. “Are we ready to try Stacy’s song yet?” Pace asked. Jason pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Yeah, let me plug into the speaker so you can hear my sample.” As the notes played, Trace picked out the major chords and strummed softly on his guitar. Pace mimicked the beat, adding a little of his own flare. Jason elaborated on the keyboard while Stacy played the bass.

When she opened her mouth, her voice flowed with smooth, sensual sophistication, sending Trace’s blood rushing hot through his veins. Again, he kicked himself for missing his opportunity to kiss her and mark her as his in the eyes of his friends. He’d just left the field wide open for either of them to run with the ball.

Chapter Three

“Time out, bro,” Pace stopped Jason in between songs before he could suggest another one. “I gotta get some chow before I pass out.” Trace checked his watch. “Damn. That was a fast three hours.” Pace stood, reached over his head and stretched the kinks out of his back. “Let’s go grab some tacos.” Stacy shook her head as she disconnected the bass from the amp. “I’ll just eat when I get home.” Pace glanced at Jason and Trace and nearly laughed out loud at their matching looks of frustration. None of them wanted to see Stacy go home yet. She was hot in a completely unaware way, and talented as hell. “You sure you won’t eat with us?” Pace asked her. “I promise we all have passable table manners.” “I really have to get home. I wasn’t expecting to be gone all day when I went to the coffee shop.” “I thought you said you didn’t have anything pressing,” Trace jumped in. “I have a cat.” “A cat?” Jason stuck his hands on his hips, looking doubtful. “You have to get home for a cat? I thought they were independent beasts.” Pace shared Jason’s skepticism about her flimsy excuse. “Mitzie is a bit temperamental,” Stacy explained. “She gets destructive when she doesn’t get her meals on time.” “Really? What does she do?” Pace asked.

“She knocks things off my counters. Usually, I keep them cleared off if I’m going to be gone for a while, but I didn’t think to check today because I only thought I’d be gone about an hour.” “If the damage is already done, you might as well come out for a bite to eat with us,” Pace reasoned. Shaking her head, she carried the bass to the corner of the room. “I have to go home. Trace, could you give me a ride back to the coffee shop?” She bent over to set the instrument in its case, giving Pace a nice eyeful of her sweet, round ass. She had all the right stuff going on back there. Pace met Trace’s gaze and shook his head. Just say no, he pleaded silently. But Trace ignored Pace’s message. “Sure, I’ll give you a ride,” he said with an easy grin while putting away his guitar. What the hell? Why was Trace so anxious to get Stacy out of here? Well, duh. Pace practically slapped himself on the forehead. The little fucker thinks he’ll have a better shot at their beautiful songbird if he can get her alone. Ain’t gonna happen, bro. “I’ll drive.” Pace moved out from behind the drum kit. “We can all ride together in my car and stop at Taco Shack before dropping off Stacy.” He pushed his agenda, not willing to let her go yet. “I’m sorry to be a pest,” she said, turning her big blue eyes on him. “But would you mind dropping me off first before you go eat?” A small vertical line creased her forehead right above the bridge of her nose. Something was bothering her, and he damn sure was going to find out what it was. But he wasn’t going to analyze why he cared so much after only knowing her for one afternoon. He was fine admitting physical attraction, but he wasn’t getting emotional about her or any other woman. He’d seen what happened to guys who got soft over a woman. They let their women run right over them. He wasn’t going there. “What’s your rush, Stace?” Jason asked. “I’m sure your cat is fine. Or are you getting tired of us already?” “No, this has been a great afternoon. I’ve really enjoyed making music with you.”

“Then eat tacos with us,” Pace said. “Afterwards, we’ll check up on your cat and maybe come back here and make more music.” And maybe a little love, too, if he got his way. “I can’t,” she said and the crease in her forehead deepened. “Aversion to tacos?” Jason asked. A slight smile turned up the corner of her lips as she shook her head. “No.” “Got a date waiting?” Jason pressed. “No.” “What is it? Why won’t you come out with us?” Pace asked. She briefly met his eyes before flicking her gaze over his friends. Her cheeks flushed as she tucked her thumbs in her back pockets and bowed her head. The position made her T-shirt pull tightly across her ample breasts, and Pace’s hands itched to get a feel of her. A feel, a taste, and more. When she finally said something, her words were so soft Pace had to strain to hear. “I can’t pitch in for the food.” With her confession, Pace felt an unfamiliar twinge in his chest that he chose to ignore, rather than identify as an emotional connection of some kind. “Ah, hell. We’ve all been broke a time or two, haven’t we, guys? And who said you had to pay? Don’t you know that’s the benefit of dating three guys? You never have to pick up the tab.” Her head snapped up, and the pink in her cheeks darkened to red. “Dating?” “Yeah, what else do you call it when you go out to dinner with three guys you just met?” Trace said, surprising Pace by switching gears so fast. Trace seemed to have given up the idea of getting her home alone. Pace glanced at his buddies, wondering if they remembered the drunken conversation from that night a few months ago. The idea of working together to bring a woman to her highest point of arousal had appealed to all three of them. Could Stacy be the right woman to fulfill their fantasy? She seemed to show Trace some interest, and Pace thought he’d caught a few of her glances in his and Jason’s directions as well. Jason nodded slightly at Pace, as if they were sharing the same brainwave, before addressing Stacy. “Besides, we’re not done practicing. We can get our second song much tighter. We need to put in a few more hours tonight.” “You’re not going to bail out on us now, are you?” Pace pushed her a little harder.

She met his gaze directly. “I’m not bailing.” “Great, let’s go eat.” Pace wrapped his arm around her waist, liking the softness of her body under his hand. “I’ll pay you back out of my share of the winnings,” she promised, looking up at him earnestly. She was so cute in her dark glasses and blonde ponytail. He couldn’t stop himself from teasing her. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I can think of a better way you can pay me back.” Her body grew rigid at his side, and he regretted his timing. It was too early for such jesting, but when he turned to her to apologize, he caught sight of her tongue running over her bottom lip as if she were getting ready for his kiss. His blood rushed south. Letting his instincts guide him, he stepped in front of her and bent down to reach her mouth. He wasn’t going to miss this opportunity, not the way Trace had earlier. She looked up at him with wide eyes that gradually closed halfway as she angled forward into his approach. He gathered her body closer with one arm and used his other hand behind her head to position her. Her skin was warm from their rehearsing and smelled faintly of sweat and something flowery. He drew in a deeper breath, appreciating the combo. Ignoring the other two men in the room, he pressed his mouth against Stacy’s. When she leaned into the kiss, it was the only encouragement he needed to take it deeper. He licked her lower lip, catching the faint taste of sweetened coffee before slipping inside her mouth. She sucked lightly on his tongue, and he plunged into her. She looked like a good girl, but she kissed like a bad one. The realization sent blood pounding through his head. Her hands tugged on his shoulders as if she wanted more body contact. He ground his growing hard-on against her soft stomach and caught her moan with his mouth. Their kiss sent him from zero to incineration instantly. He slipped his hand under the back of her T-shirt. Her skin was hot and silky, sending ideas to his brain about exploring her other hot, silky parts. He wanted more of her. Hell, he wanted all of her. Then Trace’s cell phone rang, reminding Pace that he and Stacy weren’t alone.

Pace raised his head, breaking their kiss. The dazed look of sexual arousal on Stacy’s face was rewarding. He’d gotten to her as much as she’d gotten to him. From the other side of the room, he overheard Trace talking to his mother about coming by in the morning to give her a hand mowing the grass. To Stacy, Pace said, “I didn’t mean it about paybacks for the tacos.” “So that kiss was a freebie?” she asked with a shy smile. “It was a promise of what’s available. You interested?” If he weren’t still holding her in his arms, he wouldn’t have been able to detect the slight shiver that ran through her body. She nodded. “Yes.” Trace slapped a hand on Pace’s shoulder. “I thought you were going to pass out if you didn’t get some chow.” Pace turned his head towards his friend and found Trace’s eyes glued to Stacy’s rosy, just-kissed lips. “I’m an idiot,” Trace mumbled. Stacy’s eyes widened. “Why?” “Because I forfeited my opportunity,” Trace said, still crowding Pace. Stacy’s gaze flicked from one man to the other, and Pace definitely read interest there. He nodded reluctantly. “Yeah, give him a kiss. Otherwise, he’s going to be kicking himself all night.” “You want me to kiss him?” Stacy’s voice sounded airy. “We might as well hurry up and figure out who makes the best couple,” Pace explained. “Just get it out of the way before it distracts us from the music.” “Hey,” Jason came along Pace’s other side, “I getta shot at it too.” Stacy swung her gaze from man to man to man. “You all want me to kiss you?” Trace chuckled. “If you’re handing ‘em out, I’m next.” He boxed Pace out of the way and pulled Stacy to him. Her arms wrapped around Trace’s neck, and Pace watched as the two of them sucked face. He’d expected to feel jealous, seeing his best friend kissing the hot girl Pace wanted, but instead, he couldn’t deny the increased throbbing in his dick. Listening to Stacy’s moan of pleasure, he thought again about that fantasy of sharing a woman’s pleasure with his friends.

Jason was quick to step into Stacy’s arms when Trace finally ended his kiss, and again, Pace found his heart rate accelerating with desire rather than resentment. Pace met Trace’s gaze, and his friend’s smile conveyed a shared goal. It was a done deal. They were going to make Stacy an intimate member of the Four Aces. **** The ride to Taco Shack was short, and dinner was a lively event with the men sharing funny stories from their history together. It wasn’t until they got back into Pace’s car and were heading to Stacy’s house that she had time to process what had happened at Jason’s place. She glanced at Pace and Trace in the front seat, discussing the programming changes at their favorite radio station, then she looked at Jason sitting next to her in the backseat, fiddling with a music composition app on his iPhone. Kissing all three of them, one after the other, had been strange but pretty damn hot. They each kissed so differently. Pace had dived right in and made her toes curl. Trace had eased into it, building her desire slowly, and Jason had teased her lips until she was squirming with frustration. But she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t keep kissing all three of them. That’s what easy girls did, and however she wished differently at the moment, she wasn’t one. Far from it. In fact, it had been so long since she’d had sex, she felt like a born-again virgin. Yeah, getting it on with three guys was totally beyond her abilities, but it made for a fantastic fantasy—especially as she sat in the car surrounded by their masculine scents. Pace had an exotic, hot spiciness to him. Trace reminded her of fresh air and sandalwood, whereas Jason’s scent invoked images of leather jackets and motorcycles. She glanced at each of them again, wondering how the dynamics would work. Would one of the men take the lead? Who would be on top, bottom, in the middle? Would they take turns or fill her up all at once? The scenes played through her mind, and she wiggled in her seat as her pulse throbbed between her legs. She gazed out of the car window, barely registering the passing scenery, only vaguely noting the rows of ranch houses with their trimmed shrubs and mature trees. If she were going to do it—actually sleep with all three of them—it would have to be after the contest. Then she could walk away and not have to face them ever again in the light of

day. Though, if they won the contest, they would have to be together in the recording studio; however, if they lost… She could offer consolation sex, then be on her way. Ha, ha. As if sex with her would be much consolation for them. For her—yes!—but she couldn’t imagine it would be so great for them, though they had seemed to enjoy her kisses. When Pace had suggested a second round, it seemed the only thing stopping them was Jason’s warning that they might never get dinner if they didn’t leave immediately. That had sounded promising. So, maybe she did have something to offer them, but only if she didn’t have to see them again. How embarrassing it would be to have to continue working with them if hooking up turned out to be a major fiasco. So, that was it. If they won, she couldn’t follow through on this fantasy. If they lost, she would offer herself to them. Which left the question—would she blow the contest just for a chance to be with all three of them just once? Only sluts have sex with three men at one time, her mother’s voice chided. Damn, her mother was getting more insistent inside her head. Stacy wished she knew how to silence her. She really didn’t need a voice of morality telling her how to live her life. It would be nice to have her mother around if they were able to have cozy mother/daughter talks, but they’d never had that kind of relationship when she’d been alive. It was probably too much to ask for now that her mother was dead. Other than her dead mother, no one else would care what Stacy did. Her father had died when Stacy was eight, leaving her and her mother with no other family. Since moving back home, Stacy hadn’t reconnected with anyone from high school. All her childhood friends had moved away. Her closest friend, Heather, had only gone as far as Chicago, a mere fifteen miles, but the differences in their life choices made it seem more like fifteen hundred miles. The last Stacy had heard, Heather was a married lawyer expecting her first child. And here was Stacy scraping by with whatever voice work she could get while dreaming of her big break. God, maybe it was time to listen to her mother and get real about her future. But if she abandoned her dream, the time she’d spent away from her mother when she’d been ill would have been wasted. Then, how would Stacy justify her decision to pursue her career when her mother could have used her help at home?

No, Stacy had to continue down this path. She had to be a success. Otherwise, how could she live with her selfishness? Stacy snapped out of her dark reflections when Pace pulled into her driveway. Her house was dark and neglected looking. The overgrown bushes nearly hid the paint peeling off the siding, and she barely managed to get the grass cut weekly with the old push mower. Anything else was beyond her abilities. She’d never been handy with tools, nor did she have the inclination to learn. But now, she cringed at how it must look through the eyes of these three capable men. The inside wasn’t in much better condition, though it was easy enough to keep clean. She’d sold everything she could to pay for her mother’s medical bills, so there wasn’t much to get in the way when it came time to vacuum the floors. How pathetic would her empty rooms look to these guys? But she didn’t think she could keep them outside while she ran in and fed Mitzie. Jason had already expressed his interest in meeting the destructive beasty, as he referred to her cat. The men exited the car, and she crawled out of the backseat when Trace popped forward the seat for her. “Thanks for the ride, Pace.” When the guys started towards her front door, she stood in their way and put her hand over her mouth, pretending to cover a big yawn. “I’m sorry to bail on you guys, but do you think we could call it a night and start fresh tomorrow? I’m kinda beat.” Trace stepped closer to her, his forehead creasing. “You feeling okay?” “Oh yeah, just tired. I haven’t been putting in much rehearsing time lately. I guess I forgot how much it can take out of you. I promise I’ll give you everything I got tomorrow.” Pace and Jason exchanged a look that she couldn’t quite decipher, but if she had to guess, it was a look of anticipation for something sinfully delicious. She nearly relented and let them follow her inside, but her rational side told her to slow down. She was getting involved in something that was way beyond her experience level. It was better to put some space between her and them for one night. “You get a good night’s sleep.” Pace moved to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I’ll pick you up at a quarter to one tomorrow.” Before she could insist that she could drive herself, Pace’s mouth covered hers. At the feel of his tongue licking at the seam of her lips, she opened to him and welcomed his invasion.

He was big and solid, hot and hard, as she pulled him closer to her body. She forgot about the world around her as she lost herself in the intoxicating effect of their kiss. Too soon, Pace broke contact with her mouth and rested his forehead against hers. They both breathed fast. “I’d ask for my good night kiss too if we didn’t have such an audience,” Trace said, glancing over his shoulder at Stacy’s neighbors across the street. Stacy looked at the Millers’ house and saw the two elderly folks sitting on their front porch watching Stacy bid good night to her three dates. Her cheeks flushed. “I’ll be waiting impatiently for my hello kiss tomorrow.” The heat in Jason’s eyes was nearly palpable. “Sleep well, our songbird,” Pace whispered before delivering a kiss to her cheek. “Now go on, so we can see you get safely inside your house.” Stacy glanced at the three men one more time, then hurried up the front sidewalk. She unlocked her door and turned to wave goodbye. All three men watched her with what looked like hunger in their eyes. She quickly shut the door, locked it and leaned against it while she caught her breath. She could only imagine where their hello kisses would lead to tomorrow, and she wondered if she was adventuresome enough to go there.

Chapter Four

Jason glanced out of his living room window, anticipating Pace and Stacy’s arrival. He checked his watch again, only two minutes after one, but he felt like he’d been waiting much longer. What if Pace was having a hard time convincing Stacy to join them today? Or what if he was taking advantage of having Stacy to himself, despite their agreement last night? “Chill, bro,” Trace called from the kitchen where he was helping himself to a beer. “They’ll be here soon.” Jason stepped back from the window and rolled his shoulders. It wasn’t like him to be so anxious about a woman. Hell, it’d been a long time since he’d thought about women with any emotion at all. After his breakup with Claudia, he’d chosen to shut down his feelings once the emotional wreckage cleared. And before that, he’d always been very much in command of himself and his relationships, but with Stacy, he felt out of control. Maybe it was the additional element of involving his best friends. After dropping Stacy off last night, the guys had come back to Jason’s for beers. They’d talked several hours about what they hoped to get from her. They’d all agreed that they’d let Stacy take the lead, but they would certainly encourage her in the direction they wanted to go. And that route led to sexual satisfaction for all of them. Trace came out of the kitchen and handed an open beer bottle to Jason. “I haven’t seen you twisted up like this since the witch left.” Jason set the bottle on the coffee table without taking a sip. He didn’t want beer on his breath when he kissed Stacy. “We’ve got a lot of practicing to do to get ready for tomorrow night.” He refused to acknowledge the real reason for his insecurity out loud.

Trace’s brow rose with a doubtful look, and Jason knew he hadn’t fooled him. Trace was too good at reading people. He knew this was a big step for Jason. He was finally letting himself feel again. The front door opened and prevented Jason from having to answer Trace’s unspoken challenge. Pace escorted Stacy inside while Jason waited for his opportunity to properly greet her. She looked up at him shyly. “Hi, Jason. I’m sorry I kept you waiting.” She spoke softly as she took another step toward him. Her hesitant readiness made something click into place in his head. He stepped towards her, and his old instincts reawakened. He was going to make her his. Encircling her with his arms, he drew her to his chest. Her body was soft and warm under his hands. He lowered his head and caught a whiff of her floral shampoo. He couldn’t wait to taste her again, but he wanted her to want it as badly as him. He started with a gentle brush of their lips. Then he pressed his mouth against hers a little more firmly. When her lips parted, he drew back and licked lightly at the corners. She tilted her head to catch his mouth, but he stayed in control of the kiss by sucking softly on her lower lip. Her breaths came faster as she pushed her belly against his growing erection. The slight friction sent his blood shooting south, and he hardened fully. He slid one hand up her side and thumbed her nipple through her T-shirt. She leaned into him as if her knees were no longer capable of keeping her upright. He tightened his hold on her and plunged his tongue deeply into her warm, sweet opening. He captured her husky moan with his mouth and continued to explore her velvety heat with his tongue. God, he wanted more of her. He wanted all of her, but it was time to back down. It was too early to take this as far as he wanted to go. He eased his way out of the kiss, leaving little nips and sucks on her lips until he lifted his head completely free. Her eyes were still closed, and her mouth was still open. It was nearly too great a temptation, but Jason steeled himself to back away once he was sure she was steady on her feet. Her eyes slowly opened, and she blinked up at him. He grinned down at her. “Hello, Stacy. I’m glad you finally made it over here.”

“Me too. I mean we’ve got practicing to do still, right?” She glanced around at Pace and Trace who were standing very near, watching closely. Trace cleared his throat, drawing Stacy’s attention. “Oh, Trace. Hello,” she said before looking up again at Jason as he still held her in his arms. “I think I owe him a hello kiss too…if you don’t mind.” He was surprised to find he didn’t mind. In fact, now that he’d had his taste, he was looking forward to observing her with Trace. “You’re free to kiss any one of us, but we’d like you to keep it between the four of us.” “Oh! I’d never tell anyone about what we’re doing.” He shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I don’t care who you tell.” “We don’t want you kissing any other men,” Pace explained. “No one other than us.” A nervous giggle slipped past her lips. “That really won’t be a problem. I could never manage more than what I already have here.” She waved a hand to include all three men. “Then how about my hello kiss.” Trace stepped to Stacy’s side, and Jason released his hold on her. He didn’t move any farther away though. He wanted to be as close as possible, to see, hear and feel the heat she created with Trace. Jason was enjoying his role as voyeur, more than he’d expected, as Trace eased into his kiss with gentle pulls on Stacy’s lips. Stacy responded by drawing Trace’s bottom lip between hers. The tip of her pink tongue darted out and into Trace’s mouth. Then Trace tilted her head with his hands and took control of the kiss with full mouth contact. Moans sounded from both of them as they delved into each other. Unable to keep his hands to himself, Jason ran his palm up Stacy’s back, feeling her muscles tighten as she pulled Trace closer to her. Pace crowded the kissing pair from the other side with his hand sliding over Stacy’s ass. Pace met Jason’s gaze over the top of Stacy’s head, and Jason recognized the burning lust in the other man’s eyes. God, when they finally all got naked together, it was going to be explosive. But first, they had work to do. Even though, he’d loved to spend the day in bed exploring this chemistry with all of them, they really needed to practice for tomorrow night. He stepped back from Trace and Stacy and waited for their kiss to end. When Trace came up for air, Jason spoke. “We’d better start rehearsal before these kisses get taken too far.”

Stacy shook her head as if to clear the sensual fog clouding her eyes. “Right. Right, we’ve got a contest to win.” She backed out of Trace’s embrace and turned to head downstairs. Jason followed her, enjoying the sight of her sweetheart ass in her denim shorts. “I stuck a couple of sodas and a pitcher of water in a cooler in the practice room in case you need something.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Thanks. You didn’t have to run to the store for me.” “Who says I ran to the store?” “I saw your fridge yesterday. You didn’t have any soda. So, thanks.” She walked to the cases in the corner and retrieved the bass she’d played so expertly yesterday. Trace and Pace chuckled behind him. “She’s got your number,” one of them mumbled. He ignored them and strode over to his keyboard. She had seen right through him, and he wasn’t ready to admit what that meant to him. He flicked the power switch and warmed up his fingers with the scales and a little easy playing. Trace gave a song suggestion, and they started making music together. It sounded even sweeter than yesterday, and Jason grew sure of their win tomorrow night.

Not only had Jason been to the store to buy Stacy’s preferred soda—which he must have noticed her drinking at the Taco Shack last night—he’d also bought snack foods. After two hours of rehearsing, they had stopped for a break, and he’d pulled out potato chips and dip. But now, another two hours later, Stacy was starving for some real food. During a break between songs, the microphone picked up the sound of her stomach growling. She avoided eye contact with the guys, hoping no one had heard. “Uh, oh. Someone needs her dinner,” Pace teased from behind his drum set. Her face burned. Yeah, it was too much to hope for that if he’d heard, he wouldn’t say anything. “Guess that’s a wrap for now.” Trace pulled out his cell phone. “What do you like on your pizza, Stacy?” “Pizza? No, thanks. You can just drop me at home.” Shaking his head, Pace stood and walked over to her. “Nope, we’re not going through that again. You’re dating three guys with jobs. We’re taking you out for dinner.”

“Yeah, let’s go out. Bocce’s pizza is always better fresh out of the oven.” Trace slipped his phone in his pocket, but then had to take it back out when it started ringing. “Hello?” Stacy tucked the bass away in its case while Trace took another call from his mother. He seemed really close to his folks. A pang of longing lodged in her chest. Maybe that was what drew her to explore this improper arrangement with the three guys. It was the closest she’d felt to being in a family for a long time. Trace ended his call. “Hey, guys. We’ve got to stop at my parents’ house on the way to Bocce’s.” “Your dad?” Jason asked. “Yeah.” Trace stowed his guitar. “No problem, bro. We’ve got your back.” Pace squeezed Trace’s shoulder. Stacy admired the bond between the best friends and felt momentarily like an outsider. The feeling didn’t last long because Pace turned and lifted her off her feet, dropping a sizzling kiss on her. When she’d thoroughly lost sense of her surroundings, he gently set her back on her feet. She wobbled slightly, but Jason caught her and delivered a deeply penetrating, tongue tangling kiss. Apparently, Trace wasn’t to be left out because as soon as Jason finished, Trace drew her tight against his broad, muscled chest and gave her the sweetest, most sensual kiss of her life. Her panties were wet with the need the men were building in her, and she might have done something crazy—like suggest they all get naked—if Pace hadn’t reminded them that Trace’s dad was waiting. She followed the guys out to Pace’s car and jumped in the backseat with Jason again. As the guys discussed the pros and cons of various pizza toppings, she pulled a compact mirror out of her handbag and checked for signs that she’d been making out with three guys. The light makeup she’d applied this morning was mostly worn off. She wiped away the mascara smudges under her eyes with a finger and refreshed her lip gloss. Then she tucked the mirror away just as Pace pulled into the driveway of an older ranch home. It looked neat and tidy with the lawn freshly cut by Trace this morning.

“This should only take a few minutes,” Trace said, getting out of the front seat, “but come on in. Mom will want to see you guys. And meet you, Stacy.” He popped the passenger seat forward so she could climb out of the backseat. She got her first foot out onto the driveway fine, but her left foot caught in the seatbelt. Trace grabbed her around the waist before she nose-planted on the asphalt. “Oh! Thanks.” She laughed self-consciously as she straightened up with both feet under her. “Grace has never been one of my finer points.” “Grace is overrated.” Trace pulled her closer to his chest. “I’d have missed the opportunity to kiss you again.” Before she could reply, he bent his head and brushed his mouth against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she leaned into him and prolonged the kiss. His hands slid up, caressing her back, then down to grab her ass. She tightened her hold on him as her head swam. “Hey, Trace,” Jason called over the roof of the car. “You might want to keep your hands above the waist. Your mom’s watching from the front door.” Trace groaned softly against Stacy’s lips and gave her a final peck before stepping back. Stacy swayed slightly at the loss of contact. Trace chuckled and kept his arm around her waist. “Guess I gotta introduce you as my girlfriend now.” “I’m sorry.” Heat flooded her cheeks, and she tried to step away from him. He squeezed her waist. “I’m not. Mom and Dad will be thrilled to meet you. You’re exactly the kind of girl they’ve been telling me I should date.” Stacy tried not to think about what kind of women he’d been bringing home before this. But trying not to think of something was impossible, and as she walked up to the house, she wished she were taller, thinner and wearing more makeup.

Chapter Five

Trace stepped up to the front door with Stacy at his side. “Hey, Mom. Where’s Dad?” “Still in the bathroom. I couldn’t move him.” “I’ll get him.” He attempted to walk through the doorway, but his mother blocked his path. “Introduce us first.” She waved her hand towards Stacy. “Oh, sorry. Mom, this is Stacy. Stacy, my mom.” “Nice to meet you, Stacy. Do you have a last name?” Trace winced, hoping Stacy wouldn’t give away that they’d only met yesterday, but they’d already moved to soul kissing in the driveway of his parents’ house. He really wasn’t in the mood to hear one of his mother’s lectures about how long you should know someone before you got physical. “Stacy Fortino.” She shook Mom’s hand. “I used to know a nurse at the hospital named Lily Fortino. Any relation?” “My mother.” “How is she?” “Um…” Stacy bit her lip and looked away. “She died two months ago.” Trace’s gut clenched with sympathy, but when Stacy drew herself up straight and rigid, he fought back the urge to wrap his arms around her. She seemed to be holding tightly onto her composure and didn’t seem like she would welcome his attempt to comfort her. “I’m sorry to hear that, dear. Lily was a terrific nurse.” Stacy shifted from one foot to the other, her discomfort obvious as she ducked her head and avoided eye contact.

“Mom, are you going to keep us standing here all day while Dad waits on the bathroom floor?” “Oh, of course not.” Before stepping back into the house, she called over Trace’s shoulder. “Hi, Jason and Pace. Maybe you boys can give Trace a hand? Jim’s not as steady as he used to be.” To Stacy, she said, “My husband has multiple sclerosis. He falls sometimes, and I just can’t get him up on my own like I used to.” “You shouldn’t even be trying, Mom. We don’t need you to throw your back out. You know I’ll come whenever you call.” He slid past her and headed for the bathroom, taking a steadying breath in preparation for seeing his dad. He hated how the disease robbed its victims of coordination and strength. He much preferred remembering the physically active father from his childhood. “Hey, Dad.” He crouched next to his father sitting on the bathroom floor. “You ready to get back into your Barcalounger?” “God, I’m sorry to drag you over here again, Trace.” His dad barely met his eyes. “No worries. I was going to Bocce’s anyway. You were on the way. I’m just glad you got your pants up before I got here,” he teased. “Your mother’s doing. She even washed my hands for me with a washcloth, as if I were a child,” his old man grumbled. “Hey, Mr. C.,” Pace greeted from the bathroom doorway. “I hear you called for a lift.” “Hi, Pace. Sorry to interrupt your dinner plans.” “You didn’t interrupt a thing, but I bet that tile floor’s getting cold and uncomfortable. Let’s get you up.” Trace wrapped his dad’s right arm over his shoulders, and Pace got the other side. Together, they easily got him on his feet. With his arm around the older man’s waist, he could feel how much weight his dad had lost. If he lost anymore, Trace was going to be able to move him around without any help. He didn’t look forward to that. His father had already lost too much muscle mass and was approaching the unhealthy skeletal look. As they helped him through to the living room, his dad caught sight of Stacy at the kitchen table with Jason and Trace’s mom. “Wait a second, guys. I want to meet the new young lady first. A man should always greet a lady while on his feet.” “Stacy?” Trace called.

She looked up, and Trace’s breath stalled in his chest. Her blue eyes met his with such sympathy and something that looked like a shared understanding. He wondered if she’d had to take care of her mother before she died. Did she understand the helplessness of watching a parent’s health fail before your eyes? She stood and walked towards them with a sunny smile. “Hi, I’m Stacy Fortino.” Dad removed his arm from Trace’s shoulders while Trace maintained a firm hold around his dad’s waist. He shook Stacy’s offered hand. “Lovely to meet you, Stacy. I’m Trace’s father. Jim Connors. You can call me Jim. You let me know if my son doesn’t treat you well, and I’ll set him straight.” “Come on, Dad. Let’s get you in your chair.” Trace redirected his father’s attention before he could embarrass him or Stacy. His mom came into the living room. “Do you all want to stay here for dinner? I could throw some hamburgers on the grill.” “No, thanks, Mom. We’re just running out for a quick bite. We’ve got more rehearsing to do tonight.” “Are you in the band too?” Dad asked Stacy. “Yeah,” Jason spoke up. “Trace found her at the coffee shop. Wait until you hear the song she wrote, Mr. C. She’s going to win us first place tomorrow night.” Stacy’s cheeks grew rosy. “I’ll do my best.” “She’s got the most amazing voice,” Pace added, and Stacy’s cheeks reddened further. She sure had a habit of blushing sweetly, which had Trace picturing her flushed after an orgasm. Definitely not where his mind should be while talking with his parents. He refocused on the discussion around him. “You’ll be in our thoughts. Be sure to bring us a recording,” Mom said. “We will,” Trace reassured her. He looked at his friends. “You guys ready to go?” “Yeah. Thanks for the iced tea, Mrs. C.” Jason hugged Trace’s mom. “It was good to see you, Mr. C.” Pace shook Dad’s hand. “Thanks for the lift, Pace,” Dad said humbly. “Anytime, Mr. C. Anytime.” Pace hugged Trace’s mom on his way out of the room. “It was nice meeting you both,” Stacy said. “Thank you for the iced tea, Mrs. Connors.” “Call me Carol. It was a pleasure meeting you as well.”

“Bye, Dad.” Trace leaned down and gave his old man a one-armed hug. “I’ll be over tomorrow to fix that broken sprinkler head.” “Bring Stacy with you,” his mom insisted. “We can have a nice long girl talk while you work.” “Uh, yeah. We’ll see if she’s available.” Trace ushered Stacy quickly out of the house before anything more embarrassing came out of his mother’s mouth. He hoped his parents hadn’t freaked her out too much because he really wanted her to like him. **** Jason studied Stacy across the table as she picked at the pizza crust on her plate. Ever since they’d left Trace’s parents’ house, she’d seemed withdrawn. She wasn’t meeting any of the guys’ eyes or participating in their debate about the best album from the past decade. “Did you get enough to eat, Stacy?” he asked. Her head jerked up at the direct question while Trace and Pace continued arguing over nominations for best rock album. “Uh, yeah. Thanks,” she mumbled, dropping her gaze to her plate again. The crease above the bridge of her nose deepened. Maybe she was concerned about eating too much since she couldn’t pay for her share, even though they’d explained she was their date. “There’s plenty here. Do you want another slice?” She shook her head. He didn’t give a fuck whether she chipped in or not, but what he didn’t like was seeing her shut down like this and not knowing why. “What’s the prob, Stace? Are you rethinking joining the band?” “What?” Trace’s full attention snapped to Stacy. “You’re leaving us? Why?” Pace demanded. “Um.” She drew her bottom lip between her teeth. Jason had to force himself to concentrate on her next words rather than on remembering the taste and feel of that luscious mouth. He didn’t want to walk out of here with a tent pole in his pants. “This is all happening really fast,” she spoke softly. “Why are you having second thoughts?” Jason went straight at the issue.

Her gaze flicked between the three men before coming back to his. “I don’t think I’m the right one for you guys.” “You heard our playback. You make us sound better than ever,” Trace reasoned. Stacy ducked her head and resumed picking at her pizza crust. Then it dawned on Jason. “It’s not about the music,” he said, keeping his gaze on her. She glanced up at him from under her lashes with a look of misery on her sweet face. Shit, he couldn’t stand seeing her that way. He would fix whatever this problem was. He stood and threw some money on the table. “Come on, guys. I think we need some privacy while we have this conversation with our lady.” Pace grabbed the box of leftover pizza slices as Jason helped Stacy out of her chair. Trace scrambled to his feet with a confused look on his face. It was obvious the poor dude hadn’t even realized there’d been a problem until Jason spoke it aloud. “There’s really nothing to talk about,” Stacy protested as Jason escorted her out of the restaurant with his arm around her waist. “I’m sorry to let you down, but you’ve still got a great sound without a female vocalist. I’m sure you’ll do fine tomorrow night.” “Nope. We’re going back to my place where you’re going to tell us what’s really going on.” He led her towards Pace’s car with his buddies following behind them. “Are you kidnapping me?” He shrugged. “If I have to.” “What if I resist?” She stepped to the right, but he matched her move. He met her gaze. “You won’t.” “I won’t?” “No. You want to be with us, but something is holding you back. We’re going to find out what that is and take it out of the equation.” “You’re awfully sure of yourself,” she huffed. He shrugged again. “I’m sure of who I am and what we,” he waved his hand to include his best friends, “can offer you.” When Pace unlocked the car, Stacy climbed into the backseat without any further objections, and that worried Jason even more. He hadn’t pegged her as the type to give in so easily. He hoped it was because she did want to be with the three of them and was willing to work out whatever this issue was.

Chapter Six

Back at Jason’s place, the men surrounded Stacy as she sat on the couch with Trace and Pace on either side of her. Jason sat on the coffee table directly in front of her. His eyes bored deeply and seemed to penetrate her soul. She twisted the hem of her T-shirt around her finger, growing nervous under his steady gaze. He was so brutally direct with his piercing questions. She didn’t think anything could get past him. She wanted to slide away from him, but his stare pinned her in place on the couch. He was sharp and seemed determined to get at her secrets. He leaned forward and rested his hands on her knees. His touch was warm and gentle, such a contrast to his sometimes prickly, thorny attitude. “It began when you met Mrs. Connors. I saw you tense up when she mentioned your mother,” he said. Trace rubbed her back in soothing circles, but it only made Stacy feel worse. “Don’t be nice to me. I don’t deserve it,” she bit out. Pace grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Why’s that?” She shook her head and refused to meet any of their gazes. How could she admit that she’d been a lousy daughter when it was obvious how good these men were with Trace’s parents? Once they knew her story, they would reject her. It was better if she just left now and didn’t expose herself to being that vulnerable. “I gotta go.” She yanked her hand away from Pace and tried to shove around Jason to stand. Pace gripped her shoulders, holding her in her seat while Jason boxed her in with his thighs on either side of her knees.

“What’s the matter, Stacy?” Trace stroked his palm down her arm. “Why won’t you talk to us instead of trying to run away?” They weren’t going to let her get out of this without spilling her guts, so she might as well let them have it. Then she’d see how fast they showed her to the door. “You want to know what the problem is?” The three men nodded without taking their eyes off her. “Fine. I’ll tell you the truth. My mother was a fantastic nurse just like Trace’s mom said. She was kind and considerate and one hundred percent there for her patients. Then she got sick. Stage four lymphoma…” She choked on the word, but kept going. “She deserved the best care after spending her life taking care of others, but her lousy daughter was too selfish to come home and provide it.” The men studied her without interrupting. Trace’s thumb wiped a tear from her cheek that she hadn’t even realized was there. “I was too busy chasing a ridiculous dream to come home and be with her during the worst of her treatments. I barely made it home in time for her last two weeks. I suck.” She faced Trace. “I didn’t have the guts to be there for her when she needed me, not like you’re there for your dad.” The compassion in his eyes was too much. It fueled her anger. “Don’t look at me like that,” she snapped. “I don’t deserve your kindness. I was a horrible daughter, and I don’t deserve…I don’t deserve…” She dropped her head. With a hand on either side of her face, Jason forced her to meet his gaze. “What is it you think you don’t deserve? Happiness? Success? Love?” The fire in his dark eyes seared her, and her breath came out in hiccups. “We all have to live with decisions in our lives we later regret, but we don’t let that stop us from living. We can’t let that stop us from loving.” “Really, Jason?” Pace said. “I’m surprised to hear those words coming from you. You haven’t let yourself get close to anyone since your stupendous breakup with Claudia…two years ago.” Jason kept his focus on Stacy. “Maybe I needed the right woman to show me the way back.”

Stacy shook her head as much as she could while Jason still held her firmly with his hands. “That’s not me. That can’t be me. I told you, I’m selfish and awful.” “I don’t think you’re selfish and awful,” Trace spoke softly. “I think you’re human, and you dealt with the impending loss of your mother the best you could. Maybe your mother was grateful you weren’t around to watch her succumb to her illness. I know my dad hates the increasing demands his illness is placing on my mom.” “Maybe your mom was proud of you pursuing your dream,” Pace suggested. “I’m sure she wanted you to be happy,” Jason stated firmly. She pulled Jason’s hands off her. “You don’t get it. I should have done better.” “We all have times we wish we could have handled better,” he replied. “Enough,” Trace said sharply. “Whatever mistakes any of us have made are in the past. It’s time to live in the moment.” Surprised by Trace’s sudden outburst, Stacy turned to face him. Of the three men, Trace seemed to have the most generous supply of patience, but evidently she’d used it all up. Trace looked her straight in the eyes with unabashed honesty. “You are the most talented singer I’ve met, and I like you. A lot.” He glanced at Pace and Jason. “We all like you a lot.” Stacy’s body temperature soared as her gaze took in the intensity of the three men surrounding her. “All of you?” Were they really asking to get with her? She hadn’t imagined they’d still want her after her confession. “We want to share you,” Jason affirmed. Pace’s large hand slid around the side of her jaw, pulling her face towards him. “Kiss me,” he demanded. The authority in his voice had her melting in her seat, and she grabbed his shoulders to steady herself as she met his mouth. Turning off her internal censor, she gave in to the intoxication rushing through her brain as Trace’s brawny, hot body pressed up against her back, sandwiching her between the two men. Vaguely, she was aware of Jason pushing the coffee table back so he could kneel on the floor in front of the couch. With firm hands on her knees, he pushed her legs apart and inserted his body between them. He tucked his hands below her ass and pulled her hips closer to the edge of the couch.

The sudden movement disrupted her kiss with Pace and made her more aware of Trace’s mouth dragging steamy kisses down the side of her neck. Her head dropped backwards as a soft moan escaped from her lips at the tingles cascading down her back. Her senses went into overdrive when Jason lowered his head and sucked her breast through her T-shirt and bra. He blew out a breath, and even through her clothing, she felt the heat on her skin. And it made her crave more. “Oh, God,” she mumbled with her head resting on Trace’s shoulder. “What is it, Stace? What do you need?” he asked huskily. “More,” she begged, and immediately, she felt Jason’s fingers tugging at the waistband of her shorts. Trace removed her glasses and set them on the side table. Pace lifted her T-shirt over her head, and Trace unhooked her bra. And just that fast, she was sprawled between them, naked. Her eyes snapped open. “Oh, shit.” Her hands flew to cover herself, completely ineffective. “Strip, guys,” Jason ordered as he stood. Before undressing, he drew the drapes on the front window and flicked on the side table lamp as he returned. Stacy hadn’t noticed the growing darkness during their tense conversation. She was grateful the lamp only threw out a soft light. Everyone looked better in low lighting. Then she forgot some of her self-consciousness as she watched the up-close and personal Chippendale show in front of her. Trace shucked his jeans and T-shirt with little fanfare and sat back down on the couch next to her, his erection standing tall and proud in his lap. Jason also wasted no time in getting naked and took Pace’s place on the couch at her other side. But Pace seemed to read her thoughts and added a bit of flair to his disrobing. He drew his T-shirt slowly up his body, revealing one ridge of his stomach muscles at a time until his entire six-pack showed. Dizziness swamped her as he continued raising his shirt past his shapely pecs and over his head. His kind of definition must require hours in the gym, especially since she knew he didn’t stick to a low-fat diet. She’d lost count after he’d eaten four slices of pizza. Jason lifted her hand from her lap and placed it on his thigh. His coarse leg hair tickled her palm, and she stroked absentmindedly as her gaze followed Pace’s fingers to the waistband of his shorts.

He seemed to be teasing her as he hesitated. A glance up at his face confirmed her suspicions when she caught him grinning at her. “More, Stace?” Pace taunted as he dragged his waistband down an inch. She nodded enthusiastically, her eyes glued to the trail of dark hair disappearing under the top edge of his shorts. While she waited to see what Pace had for her, Jason wrapped her hand around his erection. Momentarily distracted by the velvet-clad steel rod in her hand, Stacy dropped her gaze to Jason’s cock. He grew harder and longer under her slow strokes, causing a rush of wet heat to gather between her legs as she reveled in her power to make him want her. When she glanced at Trace, his hot eyes seemed to burn through her. She dragged her free hand up his thigh and paused within a hairsbreadth from touching his twitching cock. He nodded at her unspoken question, and she wrapped her fingers around him. He was slightly thicker than Jason, but only by having each one in hand at the same time could she ever have known that. She drew her hands up and down in unison as the men let out matching groans of pleasure. Pace’s deep chuckle brought her attention back to the half-dressed man standing in front of her. “You’ve sure got them at your mercy, but I want something warmer and wetter around my cock.” Leaning forward, Stacy licked her lips in anticipation. Pace dropped his shorts and stood in front of her, positioning himself at her mouth. She swirled her tongue around his tip before sucking him deep into her throat. “Oh, God,” he moaned. She lifted her gaze to his as she continued to suck. He grabbed her head with his hands and pumped his hips. She loved the feel of being under his control, yet she could see by the tightening of his lips and jaw that he was losing his control as well. Her pussy clenched with her rising need. She worked her tongue over his slit, and he jerked out of her mouth. Before she could grab him back, he was on his knees in front of her, taking her mouth with his in a violent, possessive kiss. She moaned and leaned into him, her hands still wrapped around Jason and Trace.

Their fingers slid around to her breasts and pinched her nipples into hard, tight buds. Pace slipped his hand between her legs and gently circled her clit with the pad of his middle finger. Hot shivers swamped her as erotic sensations bombarded her from so many sources. Pace eased his finger deep into her. Her muscles squeezed tightly as his long finger reached her hot spot and stroked her to her climax. “Oh, shit,” she screamed as she came hard over his hand. Her body shuddered with aftershocks as she floated back to reality and found three pairs of hands stroking her skin. She kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the feeling of being the center of their attention. As Trace drew one of her nipples into his mouth, Jason nuzzled her neck with warm, wet kisses. He trailed his tongue around the whorls of her ear, and icy heat skittered down her back. “You’re so hot when you come.” Jason’s voice was husky. “Have you ever squirted?” Her eyes flew open. “What?” Trace left her nipple and drew his hot mouth up the other side of her neck. “Female ejaculation,” he whispered into her ear. “That’s possible?” she asked, confused. Pace gently caressed her clit. “Yeah, and I bet we can get you there.” “How?” Pace met her gaze. “Do you trust us?” She studied his brown eyes, then looked into Trace’s blue eyes and Jason’s dark ones. They looked at her intently and completely sincerely. Was she willing to give herself over to these three men? Did she trust them? She’d only known them for a day and a half, but she’d seen the way they respected each other, Trace’s parents and her. Maybe she was a naïve fool, but she nodded. “Yeah, I trust you.” Trace dove off the couch and grabbed his jeans. “What are you doing?” she asked, feasting her eyes on his naked, muscular backside. “Got condoms.” He fanned three small, square envelopes in his hand as he sat back on the couch. The men each took one and covered themselves. Stacy’s nerves rattled as she realized she’d committed to having sex with all three of them. She knew they’d be okay if she changed her mind, but she wouldn’t. When would she ever get an opportunity like this again, to have

three men seeing to her needs? But now she felt totally out of her league. She’d only been with three guys total in her entire life, and now she was about to double the number of men she’d slept with in a single night. She glanced nervously between them as they eyed her with focused intent. “Uh, h-how’s this going to w-work?” she stuttered. God, she was such a boob. Three deep chuckles surrounded her. “Just relax and let us guide you.” Jason swept his hand up her inner thigh, sending goosebumps down her leg. “Trace, bottom?” “Yeah, thanks,” he responded thickly. Before she had a chance to figure out what that meant, Trace grabbed her by the waist and sat her on his lap on the couch. His hard cock nestled between her butt cheeks. She wiggled slightly, and he groaned. Clamping his hands around her hips, he said, “Not yet, sweetheart. Let’s get everyone in position first.” She looked up at Pace and Jason standing shoulder-to-shoulder in front of her and laughed softly. It was as if they’d just realized there were two of them and only one hole left. Maybe she did have some clue as how this could work. She started to rise from Trace’s lap. His grip tightened. “Where’re you going?” “To the floor. I know how we can all be satisfied,” she said over her shoulder. “Get on your back on the floor, Trace.” He released his hold on her and scooted off the couch to lie on the area rug. She straddled him, then giggled as she looked down at his eager face. “Oops, you were supposed to go in the back door, weren’t you?” “Up,” Jason ordered Trace. “I see where you’re going with this.” As soon as Trace vacated the rug, Jason was on his back under Stacy’s spread legs. Trace knelt between Jason’s thighs at Stacy’s back. His large, warm hands stroked up and down her sides as Jason played his fingers across her clit. “Do I need this?” Pace gestured to the condom covering his thick, black cock. “You healthy?” she asked, realizing she should have discussed this before she’d started getting intimate with them. “Yeah, baby. I wouldn’t hurt you,” Pace answered gruffly.

Something in his manner touched her more intimately than anything they’d done so far. “Come down here and give me some of your kisses,” Jason directed her. As she bent forward, her ass stuck up. Trace’s hands rubbed over her cheeks and lightly down her crevice. She shivered with the anticipation of what was coming. A man had never entered her there, but she’d experimented with a plug during her solo play. She couldn’t wait to feel the real thing. Trace’s fingers tickled across her tight opening, then dipped lower into her wet channel while Jason’s mouth on hers demanded her attention. She worried that Pace was being left out until Jason kissed down her chin and positioned his head at her breast hanging over him. Then Pace knelt at Jason’s head, facing her, and with his fingers on her chin, tilted her head up for his kiss. His full lips swept over hers, and she worked to capture his mouth. She nibbled gently on his lower lip before sucking it. He responded by diving his tongue deeply down her throat. She moaned and sucked harder, loving the feel of his control over her. At her back, Trace was finger-fucking her towards another orgasm with Jason’s help at her nipples where he bit and pinched her to the pleasure-pain edge. She gasped into Pace’s mouth as the waves crashed over her. Her arms, holding her above Jason, quivered. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body down to his. “Let go, Stace. Give yourself over to us.” She sprawled over him as her breath returned. “Haven’t I already?” She kissed the side of his neck, up to his lips, her strength returning as she considered what was still yet to come. Behind her, Trace was preparing her tight hole with the slick juices from her two orgasms. She pushed back against his fingers. From deep in her throat, a groan escaped as two of his fingers slipped inside. She reached between her legs and positioned Jason. Without warning, she sat up and took him in fully. “Oh, yes!” she hissed. Jason grunted as his jaw tightened. “Damn, girl. You are hot and tight.” She grinned down at him. “This is the first time I’ve seen you not in control of the situation.” He thrust his hips up, bucking her. “Who says I’m not in control?” Trace’s hand pushed her shoulders forward. “Lean towards Jason, sweetheart. I’m coming in.”

Stacy placed her hands on the floor on either side of Jason’s head. She raised her head to see Pace sitting back on his heels, seemingly enjoying the show. She licked her lips at the sight of his bare, black cock. “Come here, Pace.” He rose to his knees and positioned himself at her mouth. She swallowed him deep, and his body trembled. Just as she was getting into a good sucking rhythm, Trace pushed at her back entrance, and she froze. “Relax, sweetheart. Nice and easy. Push back against me.” Trace grabbed her hips and guided her backwards. “That’s right. You’re taking me all in.” Stacy’s head swam with the rush of desire swirling through her. God, she was really doing this. Having sex with three men…and loving it. Trace eased all the way in. “Ah, shit. You feel so good. I’m not going to last long.” Good, she thought, because she wasn’t going to last long either, fully filled like this. She ran her tongue over Pace’s slit, hoping to speed his progress towards climax so no one would be left behind. He twitched in her mouth, and she smiled to herself. Trace rocked back and forth into her ass, and Jason matched his movements with thrusts from underneath her. “Oh, God,” she moaned around Pace’s cock in her mouth. She felt stretched and full—so right. Trace’s fingers dug into her hips, and she used the sharp edge to drive her closer to her release. Jason twisted her nipples, adding to her pleasure, and Pace wrapped his hand in her ponytail. God, they all seemed to know exactly what she needed. She whimpered with her excitement. Trace’s thrusts grew faster and more frantic, shoving her down harder on Jason. Her eyes watered as she took Pace deeper down her throat, and she wondered which man would break first. Pace was quick to answer her question with a guttural grunt and small, quick jabs in her mouth as he spilled his hot seed over her tongue. She swallowed quickly and swiped her tongue around his tip as he withdrew. He sat back on his heels again, this time with a satisfied smile, as Trace and Jason continued to pound into her.

“Oh, God,” Trace groaned as he jerked into her more erratically. With his climax, his cock pulsed against her sensitive nerve endings, driving her ecstasy higher. When he was spent, he slowly eased out and collapsed on the floor next to Jason, panting. Jason’s thrusts grew deeper and bolder, nearly throwing her off him. She clasped his shoulders and held on as she raced towards her orgasm. He reached behind her head and forced her mouth down to his. As his tongue penetrated, he erupted, triggering her own release. Her inner muscles clamped down on him, milking him for every ounce of pleasure, wanting this ride to last forever. Unfortunately, all good orgasms came to an end. Her tremors eased as she sprawled over his chest, feeling boneless. A huge yawn overtook her before she could stifle it. “Our girl’s tired,” Pace said, lightly stroking her head. Jason lifted a hand off her back, and she sensed him checking his watch. “It’s getting late. We should call it a night, so we can get some good practicing in tomorrow.” Stacy did the best she could to tamp down the disappointment that the evening was over. She wasn’t ready to say goodnight to these three men. She especially wasn’t ready to face them in the awkwardness of the light of day. She wished she could stay curled up on Jason’s chest with Trace and Pace lying next to them. That would be perfect. Trace rolled to his side and rubbed a hand over her backside. “Let’s get our sweetheart in the shower before she falls asleep.” Stacy raised her head. “Shower? Here? Isn’t someone going to drive me home?” Jason shook his head as he looked up at her. “We’ll take you by your place tomorrow so you can pick up some clean clothes, but for tonight, you’re staying here.” “With us,” Pace added. Stacy closed her eyes as she lowered her head back to Jason’s shoulder. A small smile played on her lips. This was going as well as she’d hoped. Somehow, she’d gotten exactly what she’d wanted from…rather, with these three men. Maybe her luck was changing. It seemed like she was getting everything she wished for. Now, if they could only win tomorrow night… Even if they didn’t, she already felt like a winner. Surrounded by these three incredible men, she was determined they would achieve their music dreams, as well as continue exploring this unconventional relationship.

About the Author

Suzanne Graham has always been an avid reader and diary writer. After inheriting boxes of romance books from her aunt, she decided to try putting her own stories on paper. Suzanne met her husband, a fellow American, as an exchange student at the University of Warwick in England. They are proud parents of three boys. In her spare time, you can usually find Suzanne on the living room couch reading romance. Suzanne loves to talk to her readers and can be found at http://www.suzannegraham.blogspot.com.

Also Available from Resplendence Publishing

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Red Hot Party by Cheryl Dragon A Lucky Springs Tale Being secretly in love with your brother’s boyfriend’s sister is problematic enough…but when Hamilton Meriwether is caught at a sex party by that same beautiful woman, he’s got some explaining to do. Lolly Martinez grew up sheltered, but being an EMT and working with the brave firemen of Lucky Springs gets her away from her overprotective family. Wanting Ham was nothing new, but suddenly, she has a chance to act on all her fantasies with him and a couple other volunteers Lolly thought were just friends who haunted her naughty dreams. The three hot firemen want her body tied to the fire pole and a lot more. But deep feelings and family pressure complicate the fun for the quad. Risking their lives for each other has always been part of the jobs, but now it’s their hearts on the line and that might be the most dangerous situation of all.

Belonging to Them by Brynn Paulin On the run from her past, Rayna Halliday is devastated when her old car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. She soon finds that her ex has managed to block her credit cards, her

accounts and even her cell phones in an attempt to exert his control over her. Giving in to him is something she refuses to do. When the owners of O’Keefe’s Gas and Repair come to her rescue, they make her an offer that tantalizes the forbidden desires within her—she can find a way to pay for the car repairs, or she can belong to them for two weeks and they’ll see to her repairs for free. At the sexual mercy of four gorgeous men for two weeks… Why not? She can have fun and get things straightened out, all at once. But there are two problems heading her way: an ex on a rampage and her heart that’s in for more than just fun.

Plays Well With Others by Brynn Paulin Paisley Szuzman came to the Laurel Ridge Ranch in Daly, Wyoming to interview for an administrative position, but she’s shocked, and secretly aroused, to find that the job might entail more than she envisioned. Anyone filling this spot must meet the criteria of plays well with others, and the “others” are the men on the ranch— four hunky cowboys who are pure, rugged temptation. Adventurous to the core, Paisley takes the challenge and finds more in store for her than she ever imagined.

Birthday Party Surprise by Cheryl Dragon Turning thirty-five isn’t easy for Jessica. Most of her life is going fine, but her love life has been in a holding pattern. Tired of waiting, it’s Jessica’s turn to go a little wild and her friends help arrange it. One night, one fantasy, and four sexy men make for a happy birthday! The urge to repeat the fun haunts her, but when she finds out exactly who her mystery lovers were—all the rules change. Four men she loves want more than friendship or sex. They become caught in a web of passionate love that can’t be denied. The quad of hunks wants to share her and each other every night. Her patience paid off times four but can this traditional girl commit to group love?

Faery Surprising by Mia Watts Flora Harper isn’t amused when her faery “gift” transports her in the middle of a self-induced orgasm to a professional football locker room after practice. The fact that it’s the team she works for, and their new quarterback, Ian Tate, wants to finish what she’s started, flies in the face of the non-fraternization policy. Ian has been traded to a rival city so he catch a blackmailer red-handed. Time is against him, as are the number of injuries he’s had in his career. It sounds like a great deal, except filming the Public Relations specialist in a sexually compromising position leaves a sour taste in his mouth. When he discovers that the PR person is emotionally distant, hard-on inducing Flora, getting a whole lot closer to her feels so incredibly right…until she finds out why he’s really on the team.

FU by Mia Watts When a screw-up by the Fullerton University Housing Office leaves Parker Galloway shacked up with four sexy men, Parker thinks four just might be her lucky number...as long as she can get Kei Yamamoto to join in the fun. But will taking advantage of FU’s mistake end up getting all five roomies kicked off campus, or will it be the closest thing to heaven Parker has ever experienced?

Key West by Demi Alex What a time for a revelation! The moment Prince Charming proposes, Addison London realizes that she is about to say “yes” to a lifetime of love and stability—and constancy—having never really lived her life to the fullest, and runs. As a straight-laced good girl grown into a responsible, respectable woman, Addison is always prim and proper, and…well, boring. She always does the right thing, plays it safe, makes the right decisions, and suppresses her own longings to meet the expectations of others. But she will have no regrets. Before committing to a life wrapped in a white picket fence, she will have a little excitement and adventure, she will throw caution to the wind, and she will live out her most secret sexual fantasies—if only for a weekend. Desperate to break free, she travels to Key West and surrounds herself with willing, gorgeous men. All she has to do is pick one. But with only one weekend in the tropical paradise, and one chance for a hedonistic experience meant to last a lifetime, she discovers that “one” is not enough. After all, what happens in Key West stays in Key West, right?

Oriana and the Three Werebears by Tia Fanning Oriana Ricci has taken over the family business—flying cargo and rich tourists around Alaska’s barely inhabited Kodiak Archipelago. When her plane malfunctions and she’s forced to make an emergency landing, she finds herself stranded in the middle of a National Wildlife Refuge. With no civilization for miles and no hope of rescue, she thinks all is lost… Until she stumbles upon the entrance to an underground bunker.

Jack, Jordan, and Jonathan McMathan own and operate a secret intelligence firm contracted by the US Government. Hidden away in an old Cold War spy station located the middle of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, the brothers are not only able to do their top secret jobs safely without fear of discovery, but are better to protect their other, more personal secret: They have the ability to shift into Kodiak bears. Like a fairy tale gone bad, the brothers return home to find their lunch tasted—or eaten, their computer chairs adjusted—or broken, and a beautiful blonde sleeping in one of their beds. This situation poses a big problem for the brothers… Their location is now compromised. But more importantly, what are they to do with the lady?

Just Right by Bronwyn Green When Department of Natural Resources officer, Gwendolyn Locke, hits a black bear on the way home from work one night, her entire view of reality changes. She discovers that shape-shifters exist, and she’s just become Goldilocks to three gorgeous, very aroused men who also happen to be werebears. Being snowbound has never been so hot.

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