Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
“ M mm.” Lucy rolled to her back and lifted her hands above her head when the alarm went off. “Morning.”
She giggled when Joey’s hand slipped under her pajama top to cup her breast, tweaking the nipple. Last night, they’d reverted to simply making out for a little while before curling up to sleep. She’d begun using one of her guys as a pillow, resting her cheek on their chest, her arm wrapped around their waist, while the other one spooned her.
At home, she had a full-sized bed all to herself. She’d always thought that was the most comfortable way to sleep, but she was wrong. Dead wrong. She was already dreading returning to the farm and sleeping alone.
Lucy had expressed her concerns about taking things to the next level, but as the nights passed with her as the cream filling in a sexy man sandwich, her restraint was gone. She loved being the center of attention, the recipient of their touches and kisses and dirty talk.
She wasn’t sure she’d ever had anyone pay so much attention to her. That wasn’t a complaint against her family. It was just that she’d been one of many, many kids growing up on the same farm. Between that and her parents’ contentious marriage, Mom’s desertion, then Mom and Dad’s untimely deaths, Lucy had stopped being a kid around the age of eight, taking on more and more adult responsibilities. Whenever Mom and Dad fought, Lucy rounded up her younger sisters, taking them outside to play or to Grandma’s house for a snack, anywhere they would be out of earshot of the arguments.
After her parents died, Lucy’s sense of responsibility was already well-entrenched, and while Grandma and Granddaddy were excellent caregivers, she’d tried to lighten the load as much as she could because they were older and hadn’t expected to spend their golden years raising four little girls. When Grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, then Granddaddy with cancer, Lucy had tried once more to bear the brunt of the duties. She was determined her sisters should have as comfortable a life as she could give them.
She couldn’t ever recall a time when she was someone’s primary, sole focus, when there was someone taking care of her . The past week with Miles and Joey had given her that, made her feel special, happy, and best of all, carefree. With them, she could let go because she knew they were there, watching out for her, giving her things she never would have asked for on her own.
Her physical attraction to both men had flashed hot from the day they’d met, burning brighter the longer they were together. She’d held back at the farm, making the typical excuses, like she didn’t know them well enough or—the biggie—she couldn’t have both.
Obviously, she’d heard the term menage a trois before. She’d read a few polyamory romance novels from Mila’s stash of books, but she’d always placed that concept in the column titled fiction. She’d never met anyone who was part of a committed threesome. God, she suspected such a relationship would set the sleepy town of Gracemont on its ear.
Lucy had adopted the mindset that everything happening on the road was a break from reality. One where she could indulge in kisses and a dream job and travel without any repercussions. And while she was enjoying every second, she was also careful to remain cognizant that this wasn’t something she could hold on to forever.
Because she had responsibilities at home—to the farm and to her family.
Because she had a job—a real one at the brewery.
Because she hadn’t known these men more than two weeks, so these feelings she had couldn’t be anything more than fondness wrapped up in a healthy layer of lust.
Because this wasn’t the real world. At least, not her real world.
She worked hard to convince herself that, one day, when she was old and gray, she would look back on this grand adventure—the trip and the men—with nothing but fond memories and without an ounce of regret.
Or at least…she hoped so.
Miles stirred at the sound of her voice and the alarm Joey turned off. He twisted to his side, smiling at her.
Lucy hadn’t realized just how much Miles had been holding back during those first two nights of kissing. Not until last night, when he came to bed, drew her into his rock-hard embrace, and kissed her senseless. He’d turned a corner during their interlude after his shower, his reserve all but gone.
They were all mostly clothed. She was in her pajamas, while Miles and Joey had opted to sleep in lounge pants. Last night was the first that they’d eschewed wearing T-shirts. It had given Lucy the perfect opportunity to explore their chests. Miles’s was smooth and bare, his dark skin silk over steel. Meanwhile, Joey’s chest was hairy. Not gorilla levels, but there was enough there for her to play with.
“How’s the blue bean today?” Miles asked, grinning as he used her expression.
She sighed. “It’s a chronic condition, I’m afraid. Treatable, but not curable.”
Joey chuckled behind her. “Sounds dire.”
“Not really. Because apparently all I need to do is take a shower,” she teased.
Miles narrowed his eyes. “Thought we established that was not the answer for you.”
Joey tsked. “Sounds like we might need to teach our girl another lesson.”
“Yes please,” she replied enthusiastically.
Miles laughed. “Hard to punish the willing. Besides, we don’t have enough time. We need to be on the road in the next hour. Got that meeting with Hank Cooper set for lunchtime, and Maris is still four hours away.”
Lucy sighed. “Spoilsport.”
Miles cupped her cheek, giving her a soft kiss. “Remember you said that after.”
She frowned. “After what?”
Miles moved before she’d finished asking her question, ducking under the covers. Her pajama bottoms and panties were off within seconds. Then Miles lay between her outstretched thighs.
“Punishment takes time to do right. But this little bean…” Miles stroked her clit with his thumb. “Well, I think we established that we can fix it up in minutes. Besides, I didn’t get a taste yesterday.”
Joey, not one to be left out, lifted the covers, stealing a peek as Miles ran his tongue along her slit. “ Fuck that looks hot.” He reached for her shirt, tugging it over her head, and Lucy was thrown back to that day in her kitchen when she’d indulged in her first fantasy starring both of them together.
“God! I’ve dreamed about this,” she admitted.
Joey cupped her breast, running his forefinger over her sensitive nipple. “Oh yeah?”
Lucy nodded, unable to speak when Miles drove his tongue inside her, his thumb wreaking havoc on her clit. He was right. This wasn’t going to take long.
Joey added more fuel to the fire, sucking her nipple into his mouth, pinching the other with his free hand. Then his lips traveled upward, as he planted kisses along her neck, her cheek, behind her ear.
After three nights of kissing, touching, and exploring, Miles and Joey had officially found every hidden erogenous zone and hot button on her body. Even some she hadn’t discovered.
Kiss the back of her neck? Check.
Nip her earlobe? Check.
Tickle the crook of her knee? Check.
Suck her finger into their mouths? Check.
Pull her hair? Hell fucking yeah. Check.
Lucy’s hands drifted under the covers, her fingers sliding over Miles’s tight curls, the broad shoulders holding her thighs wide apart. Any shyness she might have harbored around them had vanished yesterday on that dining room table, when Joey finger fucked her to one of the strongest orgasms of her life.
At this point, modesty be damned because she was a junkie, willing to burn every piece of clothing she owned if it meant another hit of Miles and Joey.
“God,” she breathed, when Miles’s mouth replaced his thumb, sucking on her clit. Her hips lurched upward as she sought more. He didn’t disappoint, pushing two thick fingers in deep.
His groan was music to her ears, especially when he lifted his head, the covers rising enough to let her see his face, his mouth shiny from her juices. “So sexy,” he murmured. “And tight. You’re going to strangle our dicks, honey.”
It was the first time Miles had ever used Joey’s term of endearment, and it sounded just as sweet coming from him. Especially when combined with dirty talk.
Marco and Billy had been passive in the bedroom, more apt to ask permission or make sure she was alright than to take charge. Neither of them had ever used such graphic terms when they told her what they wanted from her.
Joey’s lips were wrapped around her nipple again, but he stopped sucking after Miles’s comment. He didn’t move otherwise, didn’t give any indication that he’d heard the same thing Lucy had.
Miles had been resistant to the three of them having sex together, but given his words, it appeared he thought that was a foregone conclusion now. Not that Lucy was complaining. Any concerns she had about engaging in a threesome affair vanished that first night they’d made out, then cuddled in this bed together.
Their first week together was already over. Time was going way too fast for her.
So, she needed to make every second of these next two weeks count.
Miles didn’t appear to realize what he’d said, or the impact it had on her and Joey, because he lowered his head and sucked on her clit like it was his fucking job.
His fingers thrust in and out several times before he curled them, finding her G-spot.
Lucy went off like a bottle rocket, her climax coming out of nowhere and taking her down hard. “Jesus!” she gasped, her back arching, stars exploding behind her closed eyelids.
Miles didn’t relent, didn’t give way. Instead, he continued thrusting, stroking that spot over and over until Lucy feared she would pass out from the prolonged orgasm.
While Joey still cupped her breast, he’d shoved the covers off the bed and lifted his head so he could watch as she came completely undone from Miles’s talented touches.
“Fuck, man,” Joey murmured.
His words captured Miles’s attention, the other man finally pausing.
Miles slowly drew his fingers out, her pussy clenching around them, trying to hold them in. Apparently, it hadn’t gotten the memo that Lucy was on the verge of death by orgasm.
Kneeling between her legs, Miles sat back on his haunches, then licked his wet lips. “Delicious.”
She felt flames lick her cheeks. God, what these men wouldn’t say. Perhaps what was most surprising was how much she liked it.
Lucy lay there boneless, shocked when both men rose from the bed.
“You want to take the first shower?” Joey asked Miles. “You earned it.”
The two of them laughed, Joey slapping Miles on the shoulder as they left the bedroom together, leaving Lucy lying there so blissed out, she couldn’t speak.
She was still there when Miles returned to the room after his shower to dress. “You okay, Luce?”
Lucy raised one hand, giving him the thumbs-up.
Miles chuckled as he dressed and headed back out of the room again.
She was just managing to recover her wits when Joey showed up, his hair wet from his own shower.
He bent over the side of the bed to kiss her. “I’m going to scramble up some eggs, honey. And Miles is demanding bacon. Want some?”
Lucy blinked a few times, suddenly concerned that none of this was real. Because there was no way she was lying in bed after the longest, most satisfying orgasm ever, given to her by the two sexiest men on the planet, who now wanted to make her breakfast.
“Shh,” she said to Joey. “Don’t wake me up because I’m having an amazing dream.”
He gave her another kiss, this one deeper, with tongue. His breath was minty fresh from brushing his teeth.
“Best dream ever,” he agreed.
It was.
It really was.
Lucy stretched as she stepped out of the RV, grateful they’d divided the drive from Tennessee to Texas into thirds. She was used to moving around a lot at the brewery, and completely unaccustomed to sitting for long periods of time. As such, even their short four- or five-hour stretches left her stiff. So much for hitting her daily steps. Her Apple Watch was going to give up on her at this rate.
As she stood on the sidewalk, she glanced down Main Street, feeling oddly at home. Maris, Texas, reminded her a great deal of Gracemont. They were both small towns with a unique down-home feel. This Main Street mirrored the one that ran down the center of Gracemont almost perfectly, right down to the coffee shop—not a Starbucks—on the corner, the local pharmacy, and the smattering of family-run restaurants. There wasn’t a single McDonald’s, Cracker Barrel, or Taco Bell to be seen.
Joey stepped up next to her, placing his hand on the small of her back. Just that one light touch sent heat to her cheeks.
Miles joined them, glancing around as well. “This place reminds me of Gracemont.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Lucy confessed.
“I suspect Maris, Texas, wasn’t on your list of dream cities,” Joey mused.
Lucy shielded her eyes with her hand, wishing she’d thought to grab her sunglasses from the RV. “It wasn’t, but that’s just because I didn’t know it existed.”
Joey tucked her closer. “That’s one of the benefits of our lifestyle. Seeing little corners of the world others never get to enjoy.”
Lucy was jealous every time Joey mentioned their adventurous existence. When Marco had asked her to take off with him in search of greener pastures, she’d refused without giving it a moment’s thought, unwilling to leave Gracemont and her family.
Now, when she thought back on Marco’s invitation, she wondered if maybe it wasn’t the leaving that had felt wrong, but the person who’d asked her to come along.
God knew there hadn’t been more than a few minutes of hesitation when Joey asked her to come with them. Of course, he had offered a short-term adventure, not a lifetime. It was the only reason she’d agreed, even though that little voice in the back of her head spoke up, telling her she’d been a fool to rip the lid off Pandora’s box.
Lucy had avoided leaving the farm because she’d always known if she did, if she took one tiny bite of that apple, she’d never want to go back. And she had to go back. Leaving the farm felt too much like betraying her father’s memory, of doing the same thing her mother had. He’d loved the farm so much he couldn’t conceive of leaving it, even if it would have saved his marriage. Lucy knew her sisters felt that same devotion to the land, so it was only her who felt out of step when it came to home.
She’d talked to at least one of her sisters every single day since leaving. Each of them had assured her everything on the farm was running fine and she should enjoy herself. Hearing that helped a little, though she still felt a fair amount of guilt. Especially in regards to Sam and Theo, who were holding down things at the brewery on their own.
Remi had called when they were en route to Maris this morning, to say she’d watched the latest episode of Kiss and Tell . Lucy had finally managed to put it up last night after dinner. She had been touched by Emily and Tate’s love story, and anxious to share it with her viewers. The second it finished uploading, she’d texted Remi, who was her second set of eyes and typically the first viewer, the one who made sure everything uploaded correctly and Lucy hadn’t messed anything up in the editing.
Lucy had been too distracted by Miles and Joey this morning to check the views, so it was Remi who’d told her it was a hit. The views were already significant and, according to her sister, there were several comments from people wanting to know if Lucy planned to travel through their hometowns.
The second she said goodbye to Remi, Lucy had done a search on her phone and discovered her sister hadn’t been exaggerating. For so long, she’d called Kiss and Tell a hobby…but she was starting to genuinely believe she could turn it into a career. Her royalties from subscriber numbers and advertising continued to grow, and she was already making a living wage.
Not that it mattered.
She had a permanent job at the brewery and a home. Her life was on that mountain. It had to be.
She didn’t mention the success of the most recent episode to Joey or Miles for two reasons.
One, she was a firm believer in the jinx. Saying something out loud felt like a great way to ruin it. She didn’t want the views to stop.
Secondly, she feared Joey would hop on that information and press her to spend more time on the road with them. While she was doing an okay job at holding her emotions at bay, too many more days—and nights—with the guys would ensure she lost her heart to them entirely.
Miles reached for the front door of the restaurant, the words Sparks Barbeque painted in bright red letters across the large storefront window. A bell tinkled from above, announcing their arrival.
The heads of several older gentlemen sitting in front of a long counter swiveled in their direction. She caught the look of recognition on a couple faces when they saw Joey and Miles walk in. The guys had, what Lucy considered, just enough fame to live comfortably. In Nashville, they hadn’t been swarmed by rabid fans, but over the course of the three days, they were approached by at least a couple dozen viewers who’d kindly asked for autographs or taken selfies with them.
“You made it!” a woman exclaimed, walking around the counter to greet them. She slapped one of the guys on the shoulder as she passed. “Stop gawking, Bucky, or they’ll think we’re nothing but a bunch of rednecks.”
Lucy couldn’t help but laugh, even as the woman stretched her hand out to shake theirs. “I’m Macie Cooper. It’s really nice to meet you,” she said to Joey and Miles before looking at Lucy, eyebrows lowered. “Damn, you’ve got a familiar face. How do I know you?” she asked.
Lucy took Macie’s outstretched hand. “Maybe I just have one of those faces? I’m Lucy Storm. It’s nice to meet you.”
Macie’s eyes widened. “You’re that Kiss and Tell girl!”
Lucy was taken aback by the fact Macie knew who she was. While people very occasionally traveled to the farm to meet her because of the show—which was pretty freaking cool—she’d never been recognized out in public.
Lucy was so stunned, all she could manage to say was, “I am.”
“You’re famous, Luce,” Joey said, bumping his shoulder against hers.
“You are around here,” Macie said. “My dad TJ—the lazy ass—surfs YouTube regularly, usually when he’s supposed to be working a shift here. He stumbled across your show and shared a link to one of the episodes with me and my sister. Said we should write to you to see if we could be featured on your show.”
“No way!” Lucy’s feet hadn’t touched the ground since Remi told her how well her new episode was doing. With this, Lucy was in danger of hitting her head on the ceiling.
Macie guided the three of them toward a booth. “Dad’s very fond of my and Adele’s husbands, mostly because they took us off his hands. Loves to tell anyone who’ll listen how lucky in love his girls are.”
Lucy wasn’t sure what Macie’s love story was, but she would die to hear it because it was clear Macie would be an entertaining storyteller.
She slid into one side of the booth, Joey following her in. Miles claimed the opposite bench seat, while Macie grabbed some menus from another waitress who was passing by.
“My husband, Hank—everyone around town calls him Coop—called a few minutes ago. He’s running a little bit late, but he wanted me to tell you he’s on his way.”
Joey and Miles had made plans to meet Hank Cooper here, as the man insisted they couldn’t come to Maris without sampling Sparks Barbeque’s famous sandwiches. If the smell was anything to go by, Lucy already knew it would be the best she’d ever had. Her mouth started watering the second they walked inside.
“Oh, hey.” Macie waved as a man entered the restaurant. “There he is.”
Lucy had never seen a real live cowboy up close and personal, but Hank Cooper certainly fit the bill of what she imagined one looked like, with his darkly tanned skin, loose-fitting, faded jeans, cowboy hat, and dusty boots. When he reached their table, he tilted his hat back, giving Macie a kiss on the cheek. “Hey there, Whiskey.”
Lucy practically melted at the sound of his slow Texas drawl and the nickname. They were in Maris to film Hank on his ranch, but Lucy decided right then and there, she was going to ask Macie and Hank to do a Kiss and Tell episode as well.
Hank tipped his head toward them as Macie did the introductions, then he claimed the spot next to Miles while Macie took their drink orders. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they got down to business, Joey and Miles discussing what they would need from Hank over the course of the next few days.
Lucy listened with half an ear, feeling a bit like a ManPower expert after filming her own episode, then hanging out behind the scenes as Joey and Miles worked with the catio guy. While they talked, she was more interested in looking around the restaurant, which was busting at the seams as the lunch crowd rolled in.
It appeared pretty much everyone in the place was a regular, considering Macie greeted them all by name as they walked in. Macie had mentioned when she delivered their drinks that all the employees were family, as she, her sister, and several female cousins ran the place.
Lucy felt a kindred spirit in the woman, watching Macie and her sister Adele cracking jokes behind the counter. They were clearly as close as Lucy was to Mila, Nora, and Remi. She hadn’t felt homesick once on this trip, but a small wave of it passed through her now. This was the longest she’d ever been away from her sisters, and a familiar wave of guilt hit, hard .
Lucy had been busy—and distracted by two hot men—every single day since leaving home, so she hadn’t had much time to think about her life when she returned to the farm.
Or maybe it was safer to say she was trying not to.
She’d been young when her parents died, but she recalled her mother enough to recognize that Lucy took after her in a lot of ways. Her mother had a zeal for life, a strong sense of adventure, and more than her fair share of wanderlust. Mom had felt trapped on the farm, and with each passing day she spent there, her light dimmed a bit more.
Granddaddy always used to say Lucy was the spit of her mother, looks and personality-wise. That never felt truer than at this moment, when her own wanderlust was in full force. Lucy loved the farm. Hadn’t she said those words at least a million times in her life? While she knew they were true, it occurred to her now, as she watched Maris and Adele, that it wasn’t so much the place she loved, as much as the people.
She had chosen to work in the brewery after high school because her family needed her. Grandma had just been diagnosed with dementia, and Granddaddy was working overtime to take care of her. As such, Lucy stepped up so that she could be there for her sisters, who were all still in school, helping them with homework, offering them advice about boys—she’d been the one to give them “the talk”—and taking care of the million other little day-to-day things a mom would have.
She’d just turned twenty-two when Granddaddy died, she and her sisters essentially orphans again. By that time, working in the brewery had become second nature to her, something she got up and did every day without giving it much thought, and any dreams she harbored about leaving the farm had long been snuffed out.
If someone had asked her a month ago, she would have said she loved her job.
Now…
Now, the idea of returning wasn’t sitting as comfortably as it should. There was a pit in her stomach that told her she didn’t want to go back.
God, this was why she’d never left to begin with. Ignorance was bliss. And she’d just shattered her unawareness to a million pieces.
“Lucy?”
She blinked when she heard her name, realizing Miles had said it a couple of times.
“Sorry,” she said. “You caught me daydreaming.”
Miles jerked his head toward Hank. “He’s seen Kiss and Tell too.”
Lucy smiled at the handsome cowboy. “Did Macie make you watch it?”
Hank chuckled. “Only the first time. I really liked the episode that featured your grandparents.”
“That’s my favorite too,” she confessed. “I was actually wondering if you and Macie would let me record your story while I’m here.”
Hank grinned. “Oh, I don’t think that would take a bit of convincing. Macie’s a huge fan. I also don’t think I’ll have to do much more than sit there. Not sure if you noticed or not, but my wife likes to talk.”
Lucy pretended to be shocked. “I hadn’t noticed that at all.”
All four of them laughed as they looked toward the bar, where Macie was basically holding court, weaving a tall tale that had no less than seven people sitting nearby enraptured.
“Truth be told,” Hank said, “Macie’s whole family could be on your show. Lots of interesting romances in the Sparks family.”
“Really?” she asked.
Hank nodded. “Yep. I have a feeling that once they find out you’re filming me and Macie, you’re going to have them lining up for their turn.”
If Hank thought that might concern her, he’d missed the mark by a mile. Part of the appeal of this trip was the opportunity it offered to meet and interview more people. If the rest of the Sparks clan was as entertaining and funny as Macie, she’d be set up for a string of great episodes. With the success of Emily and Tate’s show, she was anxious to keep the momentum going.
After they finished eating, Miles and Joey walked to the counter with Hank to pay, while Macie came over to clear the table. “So, what did you think of the food?”
Lucy gestured at the plates, which they had all but licked clean. “So freaking good. Seriously. Have you considered bottling that barbeque sauce? Because I swear you’d make a killing.”
“It’s been discussed many times, believe me. My cousin, Paige, has put out some feelers about how we might get started. She’s the brains of this organization, while my cousins Jeannette and Sydney create their masterpieces in the kitchen. The rest of us—me included—provide the entertainment.”
Lucy had just spent nearly two hours watching Macie and Adele work the room, serving drinks and food, along with a hearty helping of humor. She’d joked earlier that it was almost like dinner and a show, and Hank, who’d been a widower, confessed he’d fallen in love with Macie while eating dinner at the counter, listening to her stories. The more she watched the couple, the more excited she was to record them.
Lucy gestured at the still full dining area. “Can I just say? You’re very good at your job.”
“So…inquiring minds want to know,” Macie began. “And by minds, I mean mine, because I’m a nosy bitch from way back. How in the heck did you wind up traveling with Joey Moretti and Miles Williams? Are you dating one of them?”
Lucy wasn’t sure how to answer that question. “Um…”
Wow.
She probably should have worked on some sort of explanation for being with the guys. Joey had told the ManPower crew that Lucy was joining them because she’d always wanted to see Nashville, and because she was interested in learning more about the makings of a show. Luckily, they’d bought it, no one questioning if she, Joey, and Miles were anything more than friends and travel companions.
“They filmed an episode at my family’s brewery, featuring me and my cousin, Sam. We hit it off, and when they invited me to join them for the next leg of their journey, I couldn’t say no.”
Macie studied her face, the observant woman obviously aware there was more to it than that. “So, Joey or Miles?” she asked again. “Or both?”
Lucy’s eyes widened, wondering why in the hell Macie would leap to that conclusion. She, Joey, and Miles had simply sat in the booth, eating together in a completely platonic fashion. “Um,” she said again, resisting the urge to slap her forehead for sounding like such an idiot.
“Both. Got it,” Macie said, as if they were discussing something as casual as the weather.
“I didn’t say both,” she hastily replied.
“Nope. But your face did.”
Lucy reached up, touching one of her cheeks, wondering if she was blushing and didn’t realize.
“Not right now,” Macie added. “During lunch. I’m not even sure you know you’re doing it, but whenever one of the guys speaks to you, your eyes light up and you lean toward them. Hank tells me I’m good at reading body language, which is a nice way of saying I’m meddlesome, with a talent for sniffing out good gossip. Not that I intend to pass on any of this conversation.”
Lucy wasn’t sure why, but she trusted that was true. Macie had stumbled onto her secret—a juicy one at that—but Lucy wasn’t worried she’d tell anyone else.
“You like them,” Macie said, not bothering to pose those words as a question.
Lucy nodded. “Very much. Maybe too much. To be honest, I’m not this kind of girl,” Lucy said, feeling like she should defend herself.
“What kind of girl?”
“The kind to hook up with two men at the same time.”
Macie waved her words away with a quick swish of her hand. “Screw that. You can be any kind of girl you want, Lucy, and you don’t owe anyone an apology for being who you are. Besides, anyone with eyes can see those guys have got it bad for you.”
Lucy couldn’t stop herself from hoping that was true. “It’s just… Well, you have to admit threesomes aren’t exactly a normal thing.”
Macie pointed toward the counter. “See those two good-looking guys at the end of the bar?”
Lucy glanced over, even though she already knew who Macie was talking about. She’d seen them walk in, both wearing identical Maris Fire Department shirts. “Yes.”
“They’re living with my cousin Jeannette. And when I say living with, I mean living with .”
Lucy blinked, shocked. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Back where I’m from, no one has ever engaged in a threesome as far as I know—not for one night, and definitely not forever.” Lucy wasn’t sure why she was confiding in a woman she’d just met, but something told her Macie wouldn’t just understand, she would offer some much-needed insight. “The thing is…” She paused.
Macie wouldn’t let her hesitate or stop. “Yes?”
“I’m only on vacation. This entire thing—the trip and the guys—is a break from the norm for me. I’ve never left the family farm before, so when Joey and Miles offered me a chance to see a bit more of the world, I jumped on it.”
“So you came for the travel, not for the guys?”
Lucy grimaced. “Well, I’m not going to say they weren’t a bonus, but I guess I didn’t expect things to progress…” She sighed. “As far as they have. We only just met a couple of weeks ago, and yet when I’m with them, it all feels strangely natural.”
“I think that’s great. You’re falling in love with them,” Macie said.
Lucy jerked back as if she’d been struck. “No. Not at all. I mean, I barely know them.”
“So?” Macie asked.
“So you can’t fall in love with someone that fast,” Lucy insisted.
“Of course you can. I’m pretty sure I was head over tits for Hank about ten minutes into our first date. And while you’re worrying about being some sort of girl, let me tell you, that man had me out of my panties before the date was over. I think if you know, you know. So stop trying to set up some sort of timeframe.”
Lucy considered that, wondering if perhaps Macie was right. Because she’d felt this feeling even before getting on the RV. It was what had prompted her to get on in the first place even though her brain was screaming, “Abort! Abort!”
“Even if I am starting to get feelings for them, I can’t follow through on them.”
Macie frowned. “Why not?”
“Because this isn’t forever. It’s for now.”
Macie scoffed. “I’m pretty sure most forevers started as a for now.”
“I have to go home to the farm, to my job, and my family, and Joey and Miles have to, well…they have to keep going.”
Macie didn’t seem to like that answer. “Maybe that’s true, but I think you owe it to yourself to at least consider some other resolution. Especially since being with them feels right. If you ask me, it sounds like the beginning of one hell of a Kiss and Tell episode. You’re a lucky woman, Lucy Storm.”
Macie loaded the rest of the dirty dishes on her tray and walked back to the kitchen, just as the guys reappeared.
“Ready to go?” Joey asked as she stood, wrapping his arm around her waist.
She nodded.
Joey and Miles discussed their plans for interviewing Hank Cooper. It was obvious they were excited about the show. Joey climbed behind the steering wheel of the RV, while Miles rode shotgun. Lucy was happy to claim the backseat because it gave her time to consider what Macie had said.
She wasn’t in love with Miles and Joey…yet. She hadn’t known them long enough. However, there was a big part of her that suspected she could fall very hard for both of them if she let herself.
No. Macie was wrong. This wasn’t Kiss and Tell . This was a casual-shrug kind of what-the-hell.
She wanted them, and they wanted her. She was going to keep it as simple as that. To do otherwise would be the height of stupidity.
Lucy watched the houses fly by as Joey took them out of downtown Maris, following the GPS that would lead them to the campground where they’d reserved a spot for the next few days. Once they arrived, they set up the RV. After so many days on the road, they were professionals when it came to arranging the campsite.
While the guys put down the RV jack pads and hooked up the electric and water, Lucy turned on the appliances and pulled out all the loose items they tucked away during long drives.
Mack was staying with the rest of the crew and producers at Maris’s lone hotel, and as always, he would serve as their driver, transporting them to and from the ranch.
Lucy turned at the sound of the RV door opening, Miles and Joey returning.
The moment the door closed behind them, Lucy stepped in front of Miles, gripped his shirt in her hands, and pulled him in for a kiss.
If he was surprised by her impromptu, hungry kiss, he sure didn’t show it, his hands gravitating to her ass, gripping it tightly.
Joey remained where he was, less than two feet away, watching them kiss. He didn’t reach out to touch her. Probably because this was the first time Lucy had initiated anything physical. It felt as if he was still tiptoeing around them, careful not to push too far, lest he push them away entirely.
She was starting to hate that. Lucy had turned the corner on this affair, and now that she was there, she wanted them with her. All in.
Tonight, they were diving into this adventure with both feet.
Lucy broke the kiss, reaching over to draw Joey closer.
He leaned toward her, clearly expecting a kiss, so he frowned when she took a step away.
She turned her attention to Miles. “I liked you giving orders yesterday.”
Miles grinned. “Is that right?”
“I was hoping you would do it again,” she purred in her sexiest voice.
She knew what Joey and Miles were thinking, loved the way they both offered her an enthusiastic grin. So far, they’d taken care of her little horniness problem for her, while dealing with their own issues alone.
“Of cour?—”
Miles stopped mid-word when Lucy dropped to her knees in front of them.
“But this time, I want you to tell me what to do.”