Chapter 5
Chapter Five
J ordan stared at her computer screen, failing to see the numbers listed there. She sighed.
Jeez. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
She’d made a promise to her friends to start dating and she’d followed through. She’d had a great time with Casey at the mall, her initial attraction sparking into a full-blown flame. Then, her prayers had been answered, and Gabriel asked her to the party on Friday night. He’d touched her, confirming every sensual suspicion she’d ever had about him. Sex between them would be out of this world.
And yet, here she still sat.
Alone.
Dreaming impossible dreams.
She rubbed her eyes wearily.
This morning, she’d come in early and thrown herself into her work, hoping it would help her forget the mess she’d made of her life in just two days. She’d asked Stephanie to run interference, claiming she had a migraine and didn’t want to talk to anyone.
It hadn’t really been a lie. Her head did ache a bit, but she suspected that was due to lack of sleep. Talk about a restless night. She’d fluctuated between confusion and horniness for hours.
She was stressed out about Gabriel and Casey, and so fucking hot for both of them, she’d be wise to buy stock in a vibrator company.
Leaning back in her chair, she recalled the sexy, disturbing dream that had kept her up all night.
“That feels so good,” she murmured as Casey kissed the side of her neck. Her entire body tingled with the sensations he provoked with that simple touch. “But I should be working.”
He reached for the hem of her T-shirt, pulling the soft cotton over her head. “Work later.” He unhooked her bra and tossed it to the floor with her shirt.
She looked over her shoulder and smiled at the lust in his eyes. God, he was hot.
His hands wrapped around her, grasping her breasts. His fingers were calloused, rough from working with clay. She didn’t care. It felt too good.
“Did you do as I asked? Skirt with no panties?”
She nodded, recalling his suggestion for sexy work attire.
“Good. Then open your legs,” he whispered, his breath hot against her bare skin. “Put one foot on your desk chair and let him taste you.”
Him?
Glancing down, she immediately recognized the familiar chestnut hair.
Gabriel was with them? When had he come into the office?
She jerked slightly but Casey held her tight, her back pressed firmly against his muscular chest.
Gabriel knelt in front of her, waiting patiently for her to follow Casey’s directions. His gaze was intent on her pussy.
She was spellbound, shocked, unable to move. They were both here? Gabriel looked up, his eyebrows raised as if to say, “What are you waiting for?”
She parted her legs. Gabriel smiled then moved forward. He spread her open with his fingers, his tongue and teeth tormenting her clit.
Casey tightened his grip on her breasts while whispering beautiful, naughty things in her ear.
She gasped when Gabriel pushed two thick fingers inside her pussy. Her trembling grew but Casey contained it, kept her still as Gabriel drove her closer and closer to climax.
“Please,” she cried. She needed sex. The real thing. As amazing as this sensual torment was, she needed a cock. Hell, maybe two. Driving into her.
Gabriel didn’t respond. Instead, he continued to finger fuck her as Casey pinched her nipples, bit her shoulder, pushed her higher.
“More,” she demanded. “I need more.”
Gabriel answered the cry, but not in the way she hoped. Rather than take her, he removed his fingers from her pussy—and reached a bit farther back.
When his wet finger rimmed her anus, she knew she was lost. She screamed with her orgasm, and even Casey’s strong arms couldn’t halt the tremors rattling her body.
She was there, with both of them. It was perfect, incredible.
Impossible.
That final thought jerked Jordan from her dream, and she sucked in a deep breath as she opened her eyes.
Fuck. She swiped at the sweat gathering on her brow then rested her palm against her forehead. She must have a fever. She was delusional.
Glancing down, she was embarrassed to discover her skirt hiked up around her waist, her panties thrust to the side and her fingers wet from playing with herself. As if her original fantasy wasn’t making her crazy enough, now she was adding another out-of-her-league hottie to the mix.
“Brilliant,” she muttered, wondering if she should consider committing herself. What would she tell the psychiatrist? I’m having nonstop sex fantasies and masturbating at work. Yeah. That wouldn’t be a humiliating conversation.
She tried to clear her head. Standing, she pushed her skirt down, pressing the material against her legs to smooth out the wrinkles.
“Work. Work. Work.” She repeated the word over and over as she resumed her seat, forcing herself to focus on the computer screen.
The image of Casey’s hands on her breasts returned.
“No. No more of that. Work.”
She pressed her legs together as she imagined Gabriel’s wicked tongue.
“Work.”
She recalled how Gabriel’s finger touched her ass, and her eyes drifted closed once more. Dream Casey was right. She could always do her work later.
* * *
“I’m calling a meeting.”
Jordan looked up from her computer to find Jayne, Stephanie and Sophie all standing at the door of her office. She’d been so deep in thought she hadn’t even heard them come up the squeaky staircase. Mercifully, she was decent, though she suspected her face was flushed. An entire day had passed, and all she’d managed to do was indulge in sexy daydreams about not one, but two guys. Something had to give.
Jordan cleared her throat. “Um, okay. What are we meeting about?”
“You.”
Jordan sighed. Shit. So much for her poker face. She’d come back to work from the mall yesterday and offered a breezy hello to Stephanie while avoiding the storage closet, where Casey banged away on the AC. She’d barricaded herself in her office for the rest of the night, sneaking out just before closing time so she didn’t have to answer any questions about her date with Casey—if that’s what it was.
Clearly this is why she’d remained in fantasyland for so long. It was a helluva lot easier than getting mixed up in real life turmoil. She wasn’t cut out for the dating scene.
Her friends came in, Jayne and Sophie claiming the only other chairs in the room while Stephanie leaned against some boxes.
“What’s that?” Jordan pointed to the pitcher and plastic cups in Sophie’s hands.
Sophie placed the four cups on her desk and began pouring. “What meeting is complete without Screwdrivers? Besides, you look like you could use a drink.”
Amen to that. Jordan accepted her cocktail, nodding her thanks.
Her friends grabbed their cups as well and then waited.
Jordan crumbled under their curious stares. “If this is about the dating deal, it’s only been two days. You said you’d give me a month before forcing any blind dates on me.” Although Stephanie’s setups were looking pretty good—pretty safe—right about now.
“Doesn’t look to me like you need any more men in your life.”
Jordan looked at Stephanie, surprised. “What’s that mean?”
“Casey and Gabriel. Details. Now.”
Jordan sighed. These women were her friends and they were all far more experienced than she was. “I need advice.”
Sophie grinned. “Actually, I think you need to write a book. Two days after declaring yourself on the market, you manage to snag the interest of two of the most eligible bachelors in Portland. You are my goddess.”
Jordan laughed despite her anxiety. “I wish it were that simple.”
Sophie leaned forward. “Gabriel said he was bringing you as his date Friday.”
“He said I was his date?”
Sophie nodded. “He also put Casey’s name on the guest list. Is that going to be awkward?”
Jordan started to shake her head, but it quickly morphed to a shrug. “I don’t know. I’m so fucked up right now.”
Stephanie crossed the room and perched on the end of her desk. “Why? You’ve been hot to get in Gabe’s pants for years. You’ll go to the party Friday night, get laid and live happily ever after.”
Jordan crinkled her nose. “Nice to know my future can be wrapped up so easily.”
“What’s wrong, Jordan?” Jayne asked.
“Casey. He’s terrific. Really awesome.”
Stephanie shook her head. “Wow. Talk about irony. You get Gabe on the day you decide you don’t want him.”
“It’s not that simple. I still want Gabriel.”
Jayne tucked her hair behind her ear and let out an amazed whistle. “You’re interested in both of them?”
“They’re so different. I like how easy Casey is to talk to. He’s silly and he makes me laugh. But then, Gabriel and I have so much in common. We read the same books, like the same music. We can talk about stuff that interests us for ages. He challenges my ideas and makes me think.”
Sophie adjusted her skirt and crossed her legs. “You’ve only known Casey for a couple days, Jordan. You’ve known Gabe forever.”
“I know that. And there’s a nasty little part of me that feels like Gabriel had his chance. For years. Then the second another guy notices me, he finally makes his move.”
“No.” Jayne shook her head. “I don’t think it’s like that. You weren’t honest about your feelings for Gabriel. You never told him how you felt or even gave him any hints. I’ve watched you with him, Jordan. If I hadn’t already known you liked him, I wouldn’t have had a clue you were attracted to him. Instead you dismissed him out of hand and went on a date with his friend, Casey. Your first date in two years, I might add. Gabe saw it and realized he didn’t like it. He approached you about Friday night, right?”
Jordan nodded. “Yeah. He did and you’re right. I’ve said the same thing to myself at least a dozen times today. It’s completely impractical for me to harbor this secret crush and then get mad at the man for not noticing. I keep using that as my excuse for picking Casey. Then I realize I haven’t known Casey very long and I’m back to picking Gabriel.”
Sophie dismissed Jordan’s concerns with the wave of a hand. “You’re two days in. Who says you have to pick right away? Date them both. That’s what I’d do.”
“I’ve thought of that too, but it doesn’t feel right to me. Casey and Gabriel are best friends. I’d never want to mess that up or turn it into some sort of competition.”
“Yeah, but trying to make a decision now is too hasty and uninformed. I think they owe it to you to at least give you a few dates each.” Sophie, for all her debutante ways, was always surprisingly practical. She gave the appearance of a spoiled princess to anyone who didn’t know her, but Jordan knew better. Her gorgeous friend had a heart as big as Texas and a soul that matched her beautiful exterior.
“So I shouldn’t be worrying about this?”
Sophie sipped her drink. “Not at all. It could be a completely moot point by next week. Go out with them a couple of times, see what clicks. I have a feeling the answer will be obvious—one way or the other—after a few more dates.”
Jordan rubbed her tired eyes. She’d been a fool to hide. If she’d sought her friends’ help yesterday, she wouldn’t have tossed and turned all night. “Okay. That sounds reasonable.”
Stephanie stood and paced the room. Jordan was used to her friend’s boundless energy. Stephanie never sat for long. “What Soph says makes sense, but when you’re with them, you might want to remember something.”
“What’s that?” Jordan asked.
“You know they’re both good guys, but it wouldn’t hurt to check out their abilities in bed as well.”
Jordan groaned. “Ugh. Really, Steph? You think I’m going to sleep with them? Both of them?”
“Why wouldn’t you? Personally, I think sex is a pretty important factor when picking a prospective boyfriend. Take Jared, for instance?—”
Jayne put her hands over her ears. “God. No more details about your sex life. I already have a hard time looking at Jared without picturing him doing one of the umpteen million sex positions you’ve described to us.”
Stephanie seemed unfazed by Jayne’s reaction. “So sue me for wanting to spark some creativity in you. I keep hoping my stories will prompt you all to get off your asses and get laid. Hell, Jordan, if you really want to shake things up, fuck both of them at the same time. How freaking hot would that be?”
Jordan tried not to succumb to the image, but it was too late. Stephanie had triggered the memory of her fantasy. Heat crept into her face, and she tried to cover her blush by taking a long swig of her drink. “I appreciate your advice, Steph. I really do. And I think you’re right.”
“You do?” Stephanie and Jayne asked in unison.
“Not about the threesome,” she said loudly. “Dear God! Can you imagine me trying something like that? I just think it’s time I stopped making sex all about love and marriage and forever, and started thinking of it as something casual and fun. Besides, I’m so horny I’ve worn the batteries out on my vibrator twice in the past few months. Something’s gotta change since it’s clear marriage isn’t in my immediate future.”
“I don’t know about that. I think sex and love should go hand in hand.” Jayne would always be their hopeless romantic.
Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Lay off the romance novels, Jayne. It’s not healthy.”
“Please. Let’s don’t go there again.” Jordan warded off the coming debate. She’d heard it one too many times. She let herself believe her friends were right. That things weren’t as dire as she thought. But there was one more niggling idea rumbling around in the back of her mind. One she couldn’t say aloud, but it was the thing that bothered her the most.
She wasn’t sure either man wanted her at all. They’d both spent a large part of yesterday telling her how great the other guy was. What if neither of them was interested, and they were trying to find a way out by pawning her off on someone else? She swallowed heavily and put the thought from her mind. Everything would be clearer after Friday. She’d just have to hang on until then.
She stood and walked around her desk. “Thanks for listening to me.”
Sophie stood and hugged her. “That’s what friends are for. And for what it’s worth, I think either one of those guys would be lucky to have you. Now it’s time to start worrying about the really important stuff.”
Jordan frowned. “Like what?”
“Like what you’re wearing to the party on Friday.”