The sweetness of the moment assailed her. She let one hand wrap around Jesse and the other drift around Cade as the music flowed over her. Her feet moved in time over Trio’s hardwood floors. She barely noticed when other couples joined them. Couples? Trios. Laura Niles danced with her men, her body moving easily. Alexei Markov held Holly Lang as he swayed to the music. And Caleb Burke kind of, sort of, moved behind her.
And she was surrounded by Jesse and Cade. She knew she should feel self-conscious, but it was hard when all she wanted to do was melt into them. Jesse’s hands molded her curves, skimming along her hips. Cade, who said he couldn’t dance, moved with such grace, his lean body picking up the beat and giving her something to follow. His chest pressed against hers, making her nipples peak. It wasn’t a dance so much as a seduction. Jesse and Cade surrounded her, not leaving an inch between them.
While the music played, she didn’t have to think. She didn’t have a past. She didn’t care about the future. All that mattered was the moment, and the moment included two men.
She let her hands drift around.
“That’s right.” Jesse’s breath heated her ear. “Touch me.”
Every inch of her body heated up. She felt drunk, but she hadn’t had that much to drink. She wasn’t drunk on alcohol. She was drunk on them, on what they represented.
A new beginning.
Tomorrow was supposed to be her wedding day. She should have been preparing to walk down the aisle, but tonight she felt. Felt.
Every choice she’d made had been logical—from where she’d decided to work, to her groom, to the dress she’d bought.
She let her head drift back, leaning against Jesse while her arms pulled Cade in. There was nothing logical about this. She wasn’t planning on staying in Bliss. She had nothing in common with the men.
Except she wanted them, and they seemed to want her.
She didn’t have to put a time limit on it. She could get her heart ripped out. She could completely fuck up. The world could end. Anything could happen.
And that was okay.
She suddenly didn’t need to know what would happen the next day or the next. She could live in the moment. She could embrace this weird life. No commitments. No promises. Just life.
Was that what her mother had been trying to teach her?
It didn’t matter. She took a deep breath and gave in. She wrapped her arms around Cade’s big body. He was so tall he made her feel petite. And Jesse was broad and built like a linebacker.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” Cade asked.
She nodded. “Can we go back to my place?”
“We can go anywhere you want.” Jesse’s lips played along her ear.
It was crazy. It was wild. It was everything she needed tonight. “Yes.”
Yes to them. Yes to the night. They led her outside. She followed with no thought to anything but the moment she was in.
Chapter Seven
Cade bundled her into her coat, deeply aware of just how hard his cock was. This was a bad idea. He was thinking with his cock and not his head, but all the blood in his body was in his cock, so he was fucked. She’d given him permission. Jesse was giving him permission. He could enjoy her body tonight and Jesse would take care of her in the morning. It was exactly what he wanted.
So why was he still nervous?
“Where’s your car, baby?” If Jesse had a single worry, he wasn’t showing it. Jesse kept a hand on her, moving from her back to her elbow as he started to show her out the door.
“McCann! Sinclair!”
Cade turned at Zane’s sharp bark.
The big bar owner stared at both of them. “You take care of her. She’s Nate’s secretary.”
Gemma frowned, her pretty face scrunching up. “I’m the office manager.”
Zane smiled. “Fine. She’s Nate’s office manager. You two understand what I mean. Nate or Cam should be giving you this lecture, but Nate’s at home with the kids and Cam is doing god knows what to his fiancée in my broom closet. I’m putting a lock on that in the morning. So it’s up to me. She isn’t without some men to watch out for her. You take care of her or we’ll have a long talk. Go on, then.”
Cade understood exactly what he meant. He’d just been warned to treat Gemma right or Zane and Nate and possibly Cameron Briggs would come after him and Jesse. Gemma worked for the sheriff and that was a small, tight family. Just because she was a new employee didn’t mean she wasn’t protected.
“Does he think I’ll be late for work?” Gemma asked as they walked into the cool night. She turned, staring back at the bar. “I won’t be late. Or do you think they have morality clauses? I didn’t actually sign anything yet, so I didn’t read the employment terms. That’s ridiculous. They can’t expect me to not have a life outside of work.”
Jesse stopped her. Gemma fairly vibrated with nervous energy. Jesse gave her a reassuring smile. “He wasn’t disapproving. He was warning me and Cade that he would kick our asses if we hurt you.”
She frowned. “Why would he care?”
She’d lived alone for way too long. “Because you work for his partner. That makes you a little like family. We’re a small town here. We’re isolated. We have to watch out for each other.”
“Especially with all the murders and stuff.” Jesse said it like he was talking about a bit of bad weather.
“Yeah, I read about those. It doesn’t bode well for my future employment.” She glanced back at the bar. “I don’t understand this place. And I don’t have a car. We only have the one car and Naomi took it.”
She’d been walking to work all week? He didn’t like the sound of that. It was a long walk from the little valley community of cabins into town. Even further to the shop and the small apartment he and Jesse shared. She needed a reliable form of transportation. He could look around and see if there was something he could pick up for cheap and then fix up for her.
He stopped himself. He wasn’t her boyfriend. He couldn’t make decisions like that.
“Come on, baby, we brought the car tonight. Cade can drive. Neither one of us finished a single beer.” Jesse took her hand.
Cade stopped them. “How many did you have, Gemma?”
He wasn’t about to take advantage of a drunken woman. He would see her home and make sure she was safe.
Even in the low light, Cade could see Jesse roll his eyes and mouth the word “coward.”
“A vodka tonic. And two sips of the second one. I’m fine.” She seemed awfully sober. And she didn’t exactly seem like a woman looking to party. She looked nervous. Unsure.
About what?
“Have you had dinner?” Cade asked.
Jesse jumped on it. He wouldn’t let her go hungry. Jesse was already taking on his role of indulgent caregiver. He loved having a woman to take care of. “We can go to Stella’s. Or we can stop by the store and we’ll make you something.”
She leaned over and kissed Jesse, her lips meeting his in a little bump. It wasn’t the world’s sexiest kiss. It was a little awkward, but Jesse let her explore, his hands coming out to cup her waist. She kissed him for a minute, getting a little more aggressive as the seconds passed. “I don’t want food. Take me home.”
“Yes.”
She turned back to Cade. Her face had lost its empty look and a hardness had taken its place. She put her hands on Cade’s chest. “Good, then let’s go and get this party started.”
She went on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his, the deep lack of passion overwhelming him. She was kissing him, but it seemed to be a practiced move. Cade stood there, his mind working. What was her game?
She stepped back and nodded as though she’d done her part and it was time to move on to the next phase of the evening.