Dara stared into the mirror. Ordinary stared back. She was nothing like the women they dated. She was solid and plain, and tended to let other people speak for her far more often than she should. She even had a freaky dusting of freckles across her nose that made people who described her use words like “cute” and “wholesome”.
Well, she doubted most people who were considered “cute” spent a day on the hill with her friends before returning home to a vibrator. The last in a long line of toys she’d burnt out in an attempt to tame all the wild fantasies streaking through her mind every time she thought about the guys.
And she was sure those “wholesome” girls would never daydream about what Jack and Kane looked like in the shower when they’d all head home after the day’s excursions were done. The worst part was she didn’t have to imagine much, not after dozens of trips together where the guys both stripped to nothing but boxers when it got hot. To say nothing about the time they went swimming in the buff. Not that she’d been looking.
Much.
Ripped bodies, great attitudes. Kane and Jack had been best friends since forever…and that was the kicker. There was no way she wanted to screw up their friendship, not only with her, but with each other. The kind of loyalty they’d shared over the years was precious. Getting involved with either of them would be a recipe for disaster. She patted her face with water. Nope—she could satisfy herself with her fingers and her rubbery friends, and keep her relationship with the guys clean and clear.
Her pocket vibrated and she straightened with a jerk. It took her a second to figure out it was her walkie-talkie—the guys must be looking for her. She should have just told them to go ahead and grab the fries. The hard plastic slipped in her wet hands and she nearly dropped the thing. In her mad scramble to catch it, she hit listen instead of talk.
Jack’s voice rose to her ears, and he sounded pissed off. “Shut up. This isn’t the time or the place for this discussion. You really want to mess with what we’ve got?”
“You know as well as I do that someday she’s going to find someone she likes, and we’ll be out of luck. You want to sit around and wait until then?”
Dara listened for a minute before she realized the guys didn’t know she was on the line. She reached for the call button when her name caught her ear.
“If Dara wanted to get involved with either of us, she would have done something by now.”
What?
“You think so?” Kane’s deep voice drawled. “I think since we’re always together, there’s not much chance for the girl to express interest in one of us. Like she’s going to come on to me when you’re around. She’s too polite.”
“Yeah, right.”
Dara picked her jaw off the floor and glanced around the bathroom in shock, hoping no one else was listening. One stall door was closed, so she turned down the volume and held the receiver tight to her ear. She should turn it off, she really should, but she couldn’t resist eavesdropping a little longer.
“What’s the solution? You going to step back and let me show her who’s the better guy?” Jack’s husky voice sent a shiver racing over Dara’s skin.
Kane laughed. “Here’s where this conversation stalls every time. This is why neither of us is with Dara. We both think we’d be good with her, and that she’d be a good match for either of us.”
Jack swore softly. “So why are we discussing this? The day we met her we agreed to keep our hands off.”
“I’m saying maybe we need to change our rules. Frankly, I’m getting to the point I’d rather see her with you than with anyone else.”
“Likewise, dickwad, but your timing sucks. With the ski trip we’ve got planned, I think we should just keep the status quo for now and change the dynamics when we get back. I’d hate to upset our getaway if…well if anything does happen. We’ve had this in—”
Loud crackling noise filled the speaker, nearly deafening Dara. Their voices faded, then cut out completely. One of the guys must have moved the receiver and accidentally clicked off the send button.
She leaned back on the wall and fought to catch her breath. Holy shit. They were both interested in her. It was every woman’s fantasy to have guys like Jack and Kane interested in her except…
There was no way on earth she could choose between them.
Every memory she had of Jack was wrapped up with thoughts of Kane. All the things she loved about Kane were connected by experiences with Jack.
Jack was her solid rock. Sturdy and dependable, even though he looked like he’d be at home pillaging a village. He fixed her shower, helped her with her computer and brought her chocolates when she got into a funk. They discussed books and movies, and somehow he instinctively knew when she needed a hug. His smile made her darkest day bright.
In comparison, Kane was her laughing buddy, rioting out with his loud mannerisms and boisterous good humour. He wasn’t embarrassed to be caught sniffling during the chick flicks she forced them to watch. She never knew what to expect from the practical joker, except she trusted him to always be on her side.
As she made her way up the stairs to the cafeteria, her mind continued to race a million miles an hour, going down roads better not imagined. Like wondering again what Jack would be like in bed. Cautious? No, thorough, maybe forceful even. Kane, on the other hand, would be the type she could laugh with while they fooled around.
Damn. She shook her head and pushed through the cafeteria doors, clomping in her heavy boots toward their usual table. The swelling volume of voices drowned out her thoughts.
She should confess she’d heard their conversation, but what could she say without it being really awkward? In fact, doing anything about what she’d overheard seemed completely impossible.
If she knew which man she wanted to get involved with, it would be simpler. With her affections spread so evenly between them, that option was eliminated. In fact she couldn’t imagine being with one and not the other.
Being with both of them? Together. Oh Lord, yes. As if she hadn’t fantasized about that a million times as well.
Her face flushed hotter. The erotic books she’d read returned to her, and suddenly she wondered if she was brave enough to go through with the idea flashing through her brain. Their annual pre-Christmas ski trip away to another resort, just the three of them, was fast approaching. If she opened the door just a crack, what would they think of spending time getting to know her better—both of them?
Maybe if she introduced the concept of a ménage as a fantasy, asked them to help her out. She’d be able to see if there was a difference in the way her heart and body felt—see if she was more drawn to one than the other. In the meantime she’d be experiencing a dream come true.
If she could convince them to give it a try.
She stepped next to the table and they both turned their full attention her way. Darkness and light met her, in their eyes, their hair. Something inside her belly tingled with anticipation, and this time she let it build instead of beating it into submission.
Wanting them both wasn’t wrong, she was sure of it. Wanting them both, together…that seemed more risqué.
“I thought you’d fallen in and drowned.” Jack grinned and pushed the plate of fries toward her. “I saved some from the bottomless pit over there.”
“I’m a growing boy. I need to keep my strength up.” Kane slid to the side to give Dara room to join him. He had one leg on either side of the bench and as she nestled in she realized just how intimate the position was, her hip inches from his groin.
She choked down the fries, her gaze flicking from one to the other as they laughed and joked. Her guys, their faces glowing with health and energy. Drool-worthy Jack. Invigorating Kane. Daydream inducing—together or apart.