The guests have become rowdier than ever now. There’s wrestling going on in one of the wading pools and a drinking game in progress. A close work colleague of mine has just flung off her bikini top. She’s straddling one of Lucas’s friends after having been introduced to him for the first time tonight. Since she’s normally the quiet type, I know she’ll be regretting this by tomorrow.
It makes me wonder if I’ll have any regrets of my own after tonight.
I’ve somehow managed to stay out of Lucas’s way, but I know I can only avoid him for so long. Even if I dodge any advances he makes during the party, I still have to live with him. The looks he’s been sending me over the past couple of hours suggest he’s still planning to make a move during the fireworks show. I’ve decided it’s for the best if I turn him down, but it doesn’t stop me from indulging in a few what-if fantasies.
Every time I think about him getting close to me and turning on the charm, my skin tingles and my body warms with pleasure. Saying no to him won’t be easy, but my friendship with Beth is more important. I’m certain my attraction to him is just a physical one, but that won’t matter to her if I take him up on his offer and she finds out later.
I’m standing near the tree where she and I had our encounter a few hours ago. It’s quiet over here compared to the rest of the yard and I’m enjoying the solitude. I’ve been mingling with the guests most of the night, but I just need a few moments alone now to gather my thoughts.
I turn and glance out at the lake that backs onto our property, watching as a group of latecomers make their way down to the water’s edge. They’re too far away for me to see them clearly, but I suddenly want to be among them and away from all of this tension and temptation. I wish I could go back to the beginning of the night when my life wasn’t so complicated.
“Ellie.”
I whirl around to find Lucas standing there. "You scared me," I say, flattening a palm against my pounding heart.
“Why so jumpy?”
He isn’t close enough for me to see his expression, but there’s no mistaking the humour in his tone. It helps me feel more at ease around him because I’m reminded again that this is only a game to him; shooting him down isn’t going to hurt his feelings. “I don’t know, I guess I just get that way when people sneak up on me in the dark.”
He lets out a huff of laughter that almost makes me smile. Without waiting for a response, I walk out from under the cover of the trees, moving closer to the fence so I’ll have a clear view of the show. I should be heading back to join our friends, but I know he won’t let up until we’ve had this discussion. It’s probably good timing because I’ve reached the point now where I’m tired of finding reasons to disappear every time he comes near me.
He follows me and stops at my side. “What are you doing over here anyway?” he asks. “Avoiding me?”
I shoot him a glance, unable to stop myself from smiling this time. “Not only are you pretty, you’re perceptive too.”
He chuckles as his gaze sweeps over me. The playful expression on his face makes me want to forget all about my decision to keep my distance. His hands are in his pockets, his stance casual and at ease. I’m never sure if his ability to appear unflappable annoys or impresses me.
“It looked as if you were enjoying yourself with my girlfriend earlier,” he says, returning his attention to the activity around the lake.
It’s just like him to try to throw me off balance by steering the conversation into inappropriate territory. He does it so naturally, too. The only way I can stay in control is to pretend it has no effect on me. “Hmm… maybe. What gave it away?”
He slants me a look. “Public orgasms are a pretty big clue.”
It surprises me that in the midst of all this, he’s still able to make me want to laugh. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Were you thinking about me when she had her hand in your panties?”
The sound of his deep voice and the rush of desire the memory triggers have me wrapping my arms around myself. “You shouldn’t talk to me like that,” I say.
He gives me a quick smile then glances in the direction of the party, leaning forward as if he’s searching for someone. When his gaze shifts back to me, there’s an intensity in his eyes that wasn’t there seconds ago. “Do you know what I wanted to do after I watched you come?” he asks.
How am I supposed to answer that? I shouldn’t be having an intimate conversation like this with someone else’s boyfriend in the first place. The part that annoys me most is that despite how wrong this is I desperately want to hear his answer. I raise my eyes and blow out a breath, choosing the wiser option of saying nothing.
“I wanted to grab Beth’s hand while you were still standing there and lick the taste of you from her fingers.”
God, I can’t stand this any longer. I wish he wouldn’t say these things to me. The huskiness in his voice brings goosebumps to my skin and the urge to touch him grows even stronger. My eyes close, and I focus on my breathing in order to hold back a reply.
“The way you looked at me when you came… I wanted to shove you up against the tree and fuck you right there while everyone was watching.”
My eyes shoot open, my mind flooding with sensual images that are so vivid I can almost feel him inside me. My arms unfold and I glance around to make sure we’re still alone. “Stop it, Lucas. I mean it.”
A ghost of a smile plays about his lips and he’s watching me as if I’m his latest form of entertainment. He looks like he’s trying not to laugh, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why he finds this so funny.
“She knows.”
My stomach drops and my heart pounds so hard that the noise from the party barely registers. “What do you mean?”
“It was Beth’s idea.”
I sweep my gaze over the row of trees that separate this area of the yard from the other, expecting her to step out into the open clutching her stomach and laughing. “What?” I’m barely able to hold back from grabbing fistfuls of his tank top to shake the information out of him.
“I told her it was fucking stupid. I didn’t think you’d go for it but she said you had this list of dares or a…” He pauses as if trying to remember the term Beth used.
“Bucket list, a sexual one.” It’s a struggle to form the words while my mind’s trying to grasp the concept that this might be real. I draw in a quick breath, my hands clenching and releasing at my sides.
“Yeah. She wants to watch me with another woman, but you’re the only one she trusts. You apparently had a threesome on your list, so...”
My pulse is fluttering in my throat. I blink and try to make sense of what he’s saying. “Watch you with another woman? Are you serious?” I’m not even sure he’s talking about the same Beth.
One side of his mouth quirks, and he pulls his hands from his pockets. He reaches out for me, hooking my elbows to bring me closer. “Maybe you don’t know this about her… but she’s a little kinky.”
That could qualify as understatement of the year. While I’m still processing that information, a movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention. I hold my breath and watch as Beth moves out from between a couple of trees to join us here in the clearing. My body jolts and the fight or flight instinct kicks in. I attempt to pull my arms free from Lucas’s hold but he only drags me closer.
I figure it’ll look worse if I make a scene, so I try to relax and wait this out. I need to know what’s going on here.
“I wondered where you two were,” she says, smiling. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Since Lucas and I have been gone for a while, she launches into an animated update on the party, reporting on the status of the food and alcohol supply, letting us know which guests have hooked up and who’s crashed already. All the while, her descriptions and the tone of her voice give the impression she’s completely unaware of the strange vibe going on here.
It all feels surreal because Lucas is still holding on to me like he has every right to touch me. He doesn’t meet my eyes but his thumb sweeps over the sensitive skin inside my elbow, keeping me all too aware of his presence. I’m sure it’s intentional.
“I told her,” he finally says, cutting Beth off.
She stops in the middle of a sentence and looks from him to me. Her eyes are unusually bright in the dim light, and her hand comes up to rake through her short, dark hair. The way her smile falters makes my breath catch, and it’s in that moment I realise Lucas has been telling the truth.
It feels like my heart stops beating and then I’m suddenly hit with a rush of understanding. The glimpses of humour he’s been showing these past couple of weeks, his flirtatious behaviour and his lack of concern over who sees him… it’s all been leading to this.
My best friend wants me to have sex with her boyfriend.
“I meant to talk to you about it while we were dancing before,” she tells me quickly. “I’ve been working up to it for days but… we kind of got distracted.” She gives me a meek smile that’s completely unlike her, and I realise for the first time that she probably feels vulnerable showing this side of herself to me. It shocks me that there’s so much I don’t know about her even though we’ve been close for years.
“She didn’t believe me.” Lucas keeps his attention on me but directs his words to Beth, smiling as he pulls me even closer. He slides his hands up my arms and strokes my shoulders. I let out a slow breath, trying to get my head around the fact that this is happening. He’s never touched me this way before and now Beth’s here to witness it all.
“Will you do it, Ellie?” she asks. “Just this once?” The back of her hand brushes mine and our fingers slide together while my gaze remains on Lucas. She leans in to me, pressing a kiss on my cheek. “It would turn me on,” she whispers beside my ear, “so much.”
I’m overwhelmed with longing, but I don’t know who exactly I’m longing for. I turn to face her. “I can’t even make sense of this,” I say, taking in her features as if I’ve never seen her before. “How can you watch us together and not hate me?”
Her attention darts to my mouth and she moistens her lower lip. “Because I love both of you,” she says.
It makes me wonder if it can be that simple. Before I can think too much about it she curves her free hand around the back of my neck and kisses me softly. The gentleness of the touch makes me sigh. My eyes close, and I feel Lucas sweeping his palms from my shoulders to elbows. He moves in close and cups my chin, urging my mouth to leave Beth’s.
When our lips make contact for the first time my knees quiver. I want to check Beth’s reaction but I can’t tear my attention away from Lucas. I let go of her hand so I can hold onto his forearms and steady myself. My mouth moves with his, my lips opening to invite him inside. He makes the most of the opportunity, his tongue diving in to tease mine.
I hear Beth whisper “yes” as her fingertips stroke the back of my neck. That single word and the force behind it sends my desire soaring and eases my doubts. She moves in behind me, slipping her arms around my waist.
The three of us stand like this for long moments, with Lucas and I kissing while Beth’s hands slide over my body, arousing me further. The intensity between us deepens, our touches becoming demanding rather than teasing. I feel Lucas’s need; the hunger in his kiss and the hardness of his cock pressed against me. I let out a whimper and push closer to him.
He groans against my mouth, moving his hands to my shoulders to slip the straps down my arms. Beth’s there to take over and pulls them to my elbows, helping me tug my arms free.
The knowledge that both of them are undressing me so that he can have his way with me in front of her only makes me kiss him harder. I grab his wrists and lift them, desperate to have his hands on me. When his palms cup my breasts, I thrust my tongue against his and make an urgent sound in my throat.
Beth works the dress over my hips, my mouth remaining occupied with Lucas’s while I step out of the bundled material. Suddenly I’m standing in our backyard sandwiched between my two housemates, wearing nothing but my panties.
He moves his mouth to my neck, his lips tasting my skin while his fingertips work my nipple into a hard, aching point. I tip my head back and watch Beth as Lucas kisses his way down my throat.
“We don’t have much time,” she says. “People will be looking for us soon. Please, Ellie. He’s so good.”
Lucas’s breathy laugh warms my skin. His hand glides from my breast to my belly, slipping between my thighs in one fluid movement. I let out a shocked cry as tingling warmth spreads through me. He massages my pussy with a confidence that has me wrapping my arms around him to keep him close.
It’s in that moment I decide I’m going to let him to do whatever he wants and just trust that Beth will put a stop to it if it goes too far.
My legs part to allow him easier access, and his groan rumbles against my throat. The heat of his palm penetrates my panties, his thumb finding my clit through the damp cotton. He presses a soft kiss on the underside of my jaw, and I sigh in response.
“Your pussy feels so good,” he says. The deepness of his voice makes my stomach quiver. “Want me to fuck it nice and hard for you?”
Oh, God. Desire slams into me. Rather than answer him, I grab fistfuls of his tank top and drag it up his chest. He plants a smacking kiss on my mouth then pulls back to help me tug the material over his head. Once discarded, he yanks me against him and his mouth closes over mine. His arms slide around me, and the kiss goes on as if neither of us can get enough of each other.