Game On (Entwined Hearts) (6 page)

If she had stayed and taken command of the situation.

“Stay still,” she commanded.

Angela ran her hand back under the elastic waistband, adding her other fingers to the mix.

Jake let out a strangled grunt as she pulled his briefs down. His fingers clenched and unclenched as she took hold of him, feeling him grow and swell in her grip.

“I guess you’ve gotten pretty good at taking orders,” Angela whispered as she moved even closer, stroking him at a leisurely pace.

He nodded.

“So you do what I tell you to do, and we’ll both end up happy,” she murmured. “Take my skirt off.”

Her clothing disappeared easily in her imagination, Jake rapidly disrobing her from the waist down.

“Sit.” She placed her palm in the center of his chest.

Jake sat on the bench.

Angela put her hands on his shoulders and moved closer, preparing to straddle him—

A blaring car horn shocked her out of her imaginary rendezvous, and she snapped her head back so hard, she could have sworn she heard joints pop.

The traffic light had been red when she stopped at it. Now it glared an annoyed green.

She tapped the gas pedal and drove on, her cheeks burning.

Girl, you got it bad.

This is all Hunter’s fault,
she thought as she drove around the corner, navigating through what passed for downtown in Glen Barrow.

She swung back to the memory of Hunter gripping the back of her neck, fingers tangled in her hair.

A hot surge rocked her body, forcing her to grit her teeth to keep from stomping on the gas pedal.

Angela laughed in frustration.

Whatever happened, she’d be the one in charge. No one was going to make decisions for her ever again.

Her mind wandered, prompted by recent events.

She liked both men. Hell, she loved both men.

In a perfect world, I wouldn’t have to choose either.

The thought both shocked and titillated her.

Maybe—

She looked in the rearview mirror and saw a police car. It jolted her out of her introspection, sending the idea skittering to the back of her mind.

Angela shook her head as the red-and-blue lights came on.

“You have got to be kidding me.” She pulled off into an empty parking lot and waited.

Jake parked behind her. He sauntered up to the driver’s door and studied her before speaking, waiting long enough to send a frisson of anticipation up her spine.

“Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to get out of the car.” He curled his index finger at her. “Please.”

Angela stepped out and leaned against the car, facing him. “Is this okay?”

“No.”

Abruptly, the world spun and she was facing the top of her car, her hands behind her.

“I believe you might be carrying some contraband.” Something cold touched her wrists and she shuddered, recognizing the handcuffs.

The accompanying click sent a tremble through her, both her hands now secured at the base of her spine.

“For your own safety.” The heated whisper came at her left ear. “Don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“You’re so considerate,” Angela murmured.

“Thank you.” His left hand remained pressed against her spine. “I’m going to have to search you.”

She let out a gasp, caught up in the role play. “Why, Officer, what do you think I might be hiding?”

“Something.” A soft kiss on her ear sent her mind soaring even as his right hand slid up from her waist to squeeze her breast. “Anything.”

Angela gasped as Jake’s fingers deftly undid the buttons on her blouse before slipping inside with no fumbling, no missteps—as if they’d never been apart.

“Oh my,” he rumbled as he pressed against her from behind, urging her legs apart. “Looks like I did find something.”

His hand slid under her bra and onto her bare breast. His thumb brushed against her nipple, provoking a gasp.

“Jake,” Angela said, “we’re in public. You’re on duty.”

“Yes. Yes, I am.” The pressure on her breast increased, his index finger and thumb taking hold of her sensitized nipple. “So we’ll have to make this fast.”

Jake grunted as he fondled her breast, his hot breath coming in short pants as he took hold of her earlobe with his teeth and nipped lightly.

“Come for me, Angela. I know you can. Right here, right now. On my command.”

She gasped as he tweaked her nipple and bucked his hips against her with increasing speed.

It’d been years since she’d come like that, no one able to work the same magic Jake could with a simple dance of his fingers. Before Jake, she’d never believed she could come from this simple foreplay.

Now she wondered how she’d survived without it all these years.

“Angie. Come for me.” The order snapped across her senses as he gave one final squeeze, his hips pinning her against the car.

Her mind and body, overstimulated by recent events, betrayed her the only way it could.

The scream was muted, the last of her self-control pulling it back to a loud moan.

Her vision narrowed to a pinpoint, and she fell forward.

Jake’s right hand tightened against her chest and caught her from banging her head on the hood of her car. He laid her cheek gently against the cool metal.

She came back to herself amid the sound of the handcuffs being unlocked, the light bondage removed from her hands. Jake pulled her hands to her sides, dropping kisses on the back of her neck.

It took her some time, but Angela found the strength to turn around, her pulse pounding in her ears.

Jake stood in front of her, wearing a satisfied smile. “I knew that’d still work.”

She buttoned up her blouse, suddenly self-aware of how they looked, of how she looked.

“Can I take you out for brunch on Sunday?”

“Brunch?” Her world was out of focus, her mind doing cartwheels to catch up with reality.

“I’ve got to work until midnight, or I’d ask you out for dinner.”

“Dinner.” She shook her head, her vocabulary limited to single words. “No.”

Jake’s face fell. “Hunter got you already for dinner, didn’t he?”

Angela nodded.

“Hey. It’s good. We’re good.” He tucked the handcuffs back into his leather holster. “He’s got as much of a right to ask you out as I do. I’ll come by the house at ten Sunday morning.”

Angela shifted, her breast still throbbing from his touch. “I didn’t expect the two of you to come out of the gate so fast.”

Jake laughed. “What did you expect? We’ll both be doing our best to impress.” He jabbed a thumb at his chest. “And you’ll pick me.”

Angela leaned on her car for a good ten minutes after Jake had driven off, still stunned by the ferocity of his amorous attack.

She ran the back of her hand along her forehead, shaking. It took the last of her strength to rebutton her blouse, racing to cover herself.

The last thing she needed was someone driving by to call the cops and complain about her standing on the side of the road, exposing herself to the public.

Angela gave a nervous laugh as she slid in behind the wheel and closed the door.

She leaned her head back against the padded cushion.

Between fantasy and reality—

“Hell,” she repeated out loud.

This was a competition that might kill her.

You should go home. Think this all over,
she told herself.
Get your head together before Hunter shows up for your date.

She stared at herself in the rearview mirror. Her swollen lips and wide eyes said it all.

Not going to happen.

Angela put the car into drive and continued back to her office.

There was no way she could go home in this condition. Her mother was no fool, and one look at Angela’s flushed face would send her into a long discussion and rant on both men.

Especially if Angela disclosed the terms of their deal.

She walked into her office and turned the air conditioner back on, hoping it could bring the temperature down from sizzling to just boiling.

Angela didn’t need any more heat right now.

Her water bottle sat on her filing cabinet, condensation puddling around the bottom.

I know how you feel.

A brief pit stop in the bathroom had her looking more presentable, her long hair pulled into a ponytail and cold water dousing the heat on her cheeks.

She sat behind the old oak desk and held her head in her hands, trying to gather her thoughts and focus on what she needed to do this afternoon to keep her small business going.

And trying not to think about Hunter or Jake.

Which meant she couldn’t get either man off her mind.

The front door jangled, the tiny bell snapping her back into lawyer mode. Angela sat up straight and imagined a bucket of ice water being dumped over her head.

Jenny entered, smiling as she always did. “Hello.”

“Hello, yourself. I’ve got a stack of folders waiting to be filed.” Angela waved her in. “How are you doing?”

The young brunette shut the door behind her. “Same old, same old. Had two classes canceled, so I figured I’d come in and see if you had some work for me.” She laughed as Angela pointed at the teetering pile on her desk. “And I see you do.” She swept the stack up into her arms and headed for the cabinets.

Jenny Colter, a college student looking for any chance to pick up a few extra dollars, had been referred to Angela by a coworker of her mother’s. She was studying sociology and was glad to come in and do simple tasks such as filing and making sure the office stayed clean and tidy, giving Angela more free time. It was well worth the cost for the good, cheerful company as well, Jenny providing a welcome window into the town’s goings-on. She’d already earned her pay many times over, giving background details on some of the cases dealing with underage drinking on campus, listing the various fraternities and their histories.

Angela could have gotten some of the details through research, but hearing them from Jenny was a thousand times better and had helped her to understand her clients.

“So . . .” Jenny pulled open the first drawer, making the entire cabinet jump. “Anything hot and juicy happening today?”

A flush of heat sang through Angela’s veins at the memory of the encounters with the two men. “Maybe,” Angela replied. “My exile from dating is over. I’ve got a date for dinner.”

She left out that the exile hadn’t been her choice.

“Really? Who?” Jenny peered over at her from the top of the filing cabinet. “Chief Weatherly or Coach Hunter?”

Angela held back a scowl. She knew the gossip in town regarding her and the two men had risen to flood levels. “Hunter.”

“Cool. Hope you have a good time.” Jenny flipped through the dividers, folder in hand. “Coach Hunter’s a great fellow. Going to be interesting, the two of you getting back together after so many years.” She looked up. “Hope you’re not ruling out Chief Weatherly. Men always look better in uniform, but that man”—Jenny let out a low whistle—I’d let him put me in cuffs anytime, if you get what I’m saying.”

Angela tried not to look at her wrists, flashing back to the cool steel embrace of less than an hour ago.

Jenny continued, unaware of Angie’s reaction. “It’s a good thing you’re dating again. There’s no rule says you can’t see your old boyfriends again. Plenty of people break up, date someone else, and come back to the first one. It’s a good way to see if the feelings are still there, if they’re true or just hormones.”

Angela couldn’t help smiling. “You seem pretty knowledgeable in this area.”

Jenny pulled open another drawer. “Just common sense. Sometimes you have to step away and assess what you think, what you feel for someone without the pressure of having him or her right there. Don’t need a degree to figure that out.” She pushed the folder in and closed the drawer. “Coach Hunter. He’s pretty hot.” She eyed Angela, her cheeks tinged with red. “Hope you don’t mind me saying so.”

“No, no.” Angela leaned back in her chair. “I’m in full agreement with you.”

“Chief Weatherly.” The young woman sighed. “And you get your pick of either one. Or, you know, have them both.”

“What?”

“You know. A ménage.” Jenny gave a short laugh. “A threesome.”

“Is that all the rage these days in college?” Angela asked.

“Not only in college.” Jenny pulled out a divider and placed a folder inside. “It’s not uncommon these days for people to experiment with different pairings, see what works for all involved. Two women, one man. Two men, one woman. There’s less judgment out there in society.” She laughed. “Depending on where you go, of course. Glen Barrow versus New York City, for example. It might be harder to find a sympathetic ear here if you’re into BDSM than, say, in New York. But people are coming around slowly, becoming more open-minded about accepting and exploring relationships that were pretty well taboo in the past.” Jenny waved a folder at her. “I can see the appeal of a ménage. I like the idea of two men doing everything they can to make me happy.” She giggled. “With the right two men, of course.”

“Of course,” Angela echoed.

“Well, I hope you have a good time with Coach Hunter.” Jenny busied herself with the files.

If today’s any indication, it’s going to be downright dangerous,
Angela thought, before turning back to her work.

Hunter signed off on the last of the papers on his desk, scrawling his signature across a request for more sports supplies.

He flashed back in time to when he’d been running wild and free in high school.

Now you’re putting in requisitions for more towels and trying to figure out where to pinch pennies.

How the mighty have fallen.

If he could go back in time, he would leave that out of the briefing he’d give his younger self.

But he would include Angie’s homecoming, giving the heartbroken young man something to look forward to.

Hunter pushed the button on the side of his laptop, shutting it down.

He glanced at the clock.

Five o’clock exactly.

Hunter grinned, pleased with himself and his time-management skills.

It’d been a concentrated effort to work through the rest of the day, to keep from reliving those few moments right here, right in his office.

On his desk.

Hunter sucked in his breath.

On my desk.

Angie.

My Angie.

He reached out and drew his fingers along the edge of the desk, convinced he could still feel her body heat scorching the wood, leaving her mark here for only him to see.

Hunter swallowed hard, flashing back to their encounter a few hours ago.

The way she’d bent under his touch, her mouth open just enough to let a sigh escape—

It was as if time had stood still and nothing had changed between them.

Except they were older and, hopefully, wiser.

Not going to let you go this time.

He stood up and snagged his coat off the chair, checking his desk one last time.

Hunter nodded to Sally on the way out. “See you tomorrow.”

The secretary gave him a thumbs-up with a wide smile. “Tomorrow,” she replied with a wink.

Hunter couldn’t help grinning. He had no doubt the whispers had already started, the old tales of his misbehavior as a teenager paired with the noble route he’d taken to get here—along with tongues clucking at Angela’s bad luck, and wasn’t it interesting she’d finally decided to date again?

Angela ran her fingers through her long blond curls again. Maybe it was time to schedule a haircut. For a second, she considered getting the scissors herself but realized that way lay madness. If she snipped one lock crooked, she’d have to cut another and another. . . .

She couldn’t stop thinking.

Her mother looked at her from across the kitchen table. “I don’t want to interfere, but—”

Angela resisted the urge to groan. She’d heard those words a thousand times before.

And not once had it turned out well.

“You heading out tonight with Hunter is bound to set Jake off, wondering if he’s got a chance with you.” She eyed Angela. “Might be some angry sparks there between them.”

Angela gave an annoyed snort. “He’s not going to brawl with Hunter out in public. The two of them have—” She caught herself before continuing.

Trying to explain how each man had held himself at bay for three months and was now out to win her over in some strange competition would be awkward, not to mention likely to launch a round of gossip dwarfing anything Glen Barrow had ever seen.

“All I’m saying is not to get caught in the middle between those two,” her mother said. “There’s no rush. You don’t have to choose one right away.”

Angela flashed back to her brief conversation with Jenny.

Why choose just one?

The thought should have shocked her, embarrassed her beyond belief. But instead of being repelled by the imaginary scenario, Angela felt a surge of curiosity, of desire.

Maybe—

The doorbell rang.

Hunter shuffled his feet back and forth on the porch’s wooden boards, wincing as he heard the creaking and warping under him.

He couldn’t settle the butterflies in his stomach.

Despite the bravado he’d shown with her in his office, he was still nervous about taking this first step.

It was one thing to brag about reviving their old relationship, another to do it.

Without hurting anyone involved.

There’s the rub,
he said to himself. If it were anyone else standing between him and a relationship with Angela, he’d tell the guy to suck it up and get out of his way.

But it was Jake, not some faceless man from Angela’s past.

He didn’t want to hurt Jake. The man was a good guy, and Hunter would rather have him as a friend than an enemy.

Competition for Angela’s hand was fine.

An enemy was a different thing altogether.

The front door opened.

“Hunter,” Angela said.

“Angela.” He took in her appearance, enjoying the sight. She’d worn the right outfit for Annie’s, a perfect pairing of jeans and white blouse. “You look lovely.”

She blushed, as he’d known she would.

All these years, and she still can’t take compliments.

He offered his arm, and Angela stepped out and took it. They walked across the porch and down the steps.

“My mother’s thrilled,” she said in a low whisper as they stopped at his car. “I suspect she worried I’d be heading for St. Anne’s Convent in a few weeks.”

“Not on my watch.” He opened the passenger-side door for her. “Although I have had some fantasies about nuns—”

Her infectious giggle had him grinning all the way to the restaurant.

Annie’s was busy with both tourists and locals enjoying the thick slabs of meat the eatery was famous for. The building was originally a hunting lodge and had evolved over the years into a fine restaurant, garnering rave reviews and hiring plenty of locals to keep it running.

Angela hadn’t gone in since her return.

Now she was here with a man whom she’d known intimately years ago and who knew her.

And who was in active competition with another man for her heart and body.

It was hard not to feel both impressed and terrified.

She managed to get out a dinner order before cupping her soft drink with both hands, wishing she’d asked for a beverage stronger than a diet cola.

“You okay?” Hunter frowned.

“No. Yes. Sort of,” she confessed.

He cocked his head to one side. “Thanks for the clear answer.”

“I’m just not sure what to make of this.”

“This?” Hunter asked. “It’s the two of us out on a date.”

“You know.” She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “You and Jake and me. All this.”

Hunter smiled. “Consider it a woman’s greatest fantasy: two men fighting over her.” He stroked her hand. “Doesn’t get much better.”

Angela couldn’t resist, relaxing into his touch.

She kept her voice low. “If you think that’s a woman’s greatest fantasy, maybe you need to do more research.”

The shocked look on his face made her laugh.

Maybe I can teach you boys some new tricks.

The steak was fork-tender, the mushrooms dripping with butter, and the baked potato a carbohydrate mountain with crumbled bacon, sour cream, and chives daring her to try to finish it.

Hunter had ordered the same, but without the mushrooms and with shredded cheese added to his baked potato. She’d watched him devour the entire meal with gusto, his toned body showing no sign he’d regret it later.

She’d managed to put away all but a few forkfuls of the potato, making a mental note to jog an extra mile tomorrow morning to make up for the gluttony.