Chapter One (3 page)

mind sharing.”

Grateful for the noisy atmosphere and blaring music,

“Oh, God.” Abby laid her head in her hands. “I can’t Abby gave them a recap of her bizarre conversation with Mike deal with this.”

and Seth.

“You can, too. I’d love to be in your shoes. Wanna

“Holy shit,” Callie said when Abby finished. “Girl, you trade?”

might as well go buy a lottery ticket, because your ship has Abby lifted her head and cast beseeching eyes on Blair.

come in.”

“Sure. You go instead.”

10

Jaci Burton/
Wild, Wicked & Wanton
/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007

Callie snickered. “She’d eat those two up and spit them

“I love when you grin like that,” Blair said. “It’s so evil.

out like she does all her men.”

Reminds me of the old days.”

Blair grabbed a chip and waved it at Callie. “Yeah, but Abby couldn’t help it. She had actually started to they thank me for it.” She popped the chip in her mouth and visualize events, from the country club to what might happen grinned as she chewed.

afterward. But could she go through with it if dining and Abby laughed.

dancing led to something else with Mike, or Seth, or even, God

“Seriously, Abby, what have you got to lose?” Callie help her, both of them? It hadn’t occurred to her that they asked. “It’s been forever since you dated. And it’s the country might be into that kind of action until Blair mentioned it. She club. Isn’t Chad a member?”

was hardly a woman of the world. She didn’t have experience

“Yes.”

with kinky sex like this. Not that she hadn’t fantasized about it.

Blair laughed. “Even better. Wouldn’t he just die to see But fantasy was one thing. Reality was something entirely you walking in there with Mike and Seth? I mean literally die different.

with jealousy?”

“I’d sell my soul for a hot night with two men like Mike

“Please. Chad didn’t care what I did when we were Nottingham and Seth Jacobs,” Callie said with a sigh. “Or even married. Why would he care now?”

one of them. Sex has been virtually nonexistent in my life for,

“Because he always thought he owned you. You know well, you know. A long time.”

he still does,” Blair said. “And it would kill him to see you Callie stared into her margarita like a crystal ball. Abby happy. He wants you pining away and miserable without him, knew she was thinking of Bobby. She slid her hand over the rotten, cheating bastard. I think you should go just to stick Callie’s. “You miss him.”

it to him, show him you’ve moved on. That you’ve got a career

“Yeah.” Callie smiled. “It’s time to move on, though.

and not one man, but two to take his place.”

It’s been long enough.”

It would be worthwhile to see Chad’s face while she

“And Bobby would kick your ass if you pined away too celebrated with Seth and Mike. Not that she had a single long,” Blair added, moving her hand on top of Abby’s and vindictive bone in her body. She took what she was entitled to Callie’s.

by law in the divorce, and nothing more, much to the irritation Callie’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. Abby knew of her attorney. She’d just wanted it to be over, wanted to how much Callie had loved her husband. Losing him to cancer forget the shame and embarrassment, the public humiliation had been a harsh blow. But Callie was one of the toughest Chad caused her with his overt cheating. But just once she women she knew and had weathered it well. She’d kept on would like to show him she’d made a decent life without him, going, because that’s what Bobby would have wanted her to and that she could get another man. Maybe even two.

do. But Callie was right. It had been long enough. She had to start living again.

11

Jaci Burton/
Wild, Wicked & Wanton
/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007

“So I guess you’re the only one getting any these days,”

Abby was almost afraid to ask. Blair had ‘that look’ in Callie said with a grin.

her eyes. And when Blair had that look, it meant trouble.

Blair arched a brow. “Honey, I’m always getting some.

“What does that mean?”

Though I have to admit, the pickings have been rather slim

“We need a bet.”

lately.”

“Oh shit,” Callie whispered.

“That’s because you keep turning down all those

“Double oh shit,” Abby added.

marriage proposals, and the ones you do accept, you dump at

“Cowards. You know damn well it’s what we all need.

the altar at the last minute. If you’d just jump on Rand McKay And another round.” Blair shifted on the bench and searched like you should have done fifteen years ago, your sex and love the now crowded bar, frowning when she couldn’t find their woes would be taken care of,” Abby teased, knowing it would waitress. “I’ll be right back. Start thinking.”

irritate Blair, but then again, Blair needed to hear it. She’d After she left, Abby cast a desperate look at Callie. “I carried a torch for Rand since high school. And everyone knew hate when she does this.”

it, including Rand. But for some reason, Rand was the only guy Abby nodded. “Me, too. God only knows what kind of Blair refused to have anything to do with.

bet she’s going to come up with. I’m too old for this shit.”

“Sheriff Rand McKay is not on my radar at the Nevertheless, they both giggled like they had back in moment,” Blair sniffed. “And frankly, he isn’t my type.”

high school at the thought of having to endure a bet. Though Abby looked at Callie, then turned to Blair, both of frightening, they had always been fun. Blair was usually the them bursting into laughter. “Not your type? Not your type?

instigator. And she was nothing if not inventive.

Puleez. He is so your type. You practically drool every time he When Blair returned with a slightly irritated waitress in walks by.”

tow, she had that gleam in her eye. “I’ve got it. And margaritas,

“I do not.”

too.”

“Do, too,” Abby insisted, glad the subject had shifted to

“You’ve got what?” Callie asked.

someone besides her.

“The bet, of course.”

“Okay, so maybe I do need sex. Which does not by any

“Aren’t we a little too old for this? I mean, we’re way stretch of the imagination mean that I need Rand McKay, past high school.” Callie cast hopeful eyes in Abby’s direction.

understand?”

“Callie has a point. We can’t very well toilet paper

“Got it,” Abby said, though she and Callie exchanged anyone’s house at our age.”

another knowing glance. Oh yeah. Blair had it bad for Rand.

“For heaven’s sake, that’s not at all what I’m

“I guess we all need a good fuck,” Blair said. “You suggesting and you know it,” Blair said. “And you’re right. We know what that means, don’t you?”

are past the days of egging and TPing. But the gauntlet’s been 12

Jaci Burton/
Wild, Wicked & Wanton
/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007

thrown, and I’ve suggested a bet, and you know damn well you mayhem, then Callie and I get to pick the guy who gets the can’t back out now.”

honors.”

Callie mumbled under her breath about some people

“You’re joking.” Abby’s eyes widened. “What if we never growing up.

don’t like the man?”

Abby groaned. She needed advice and commiseration, Blair cast a sly smile. “If you can’t trust your best not a damn bet. Sometimes she wondered why she bothered friends to choose a man for you, honey, who can you trust?”

asking for help when all she’d get in return was more chaos in Callie looked as shocked as Abby felt. Sometimes her already frenetic life. “Okay, what is it?”

Abby wondered if Blair had a screw loose somewhere. Then

“Sex.”

again, Blair had always been the most daring of the three of Abby waited, but Blair didn’t say anything else. “That’s them. Abby shouldn’t be surprised by this bet.

it? Sex?”

“I don’t know, Blair. This is pretty risqué, even for

“Well, where’s the rest of it?” Callie asked.

you.”

“There is no more, you morons. God, isn’t that what we

“Oh for the love of dick, Callie. We’re not plotting all want? One weekend of no holds barred, unbridled sex.”

espionage here. It’s sex. One weekend of sex. Orgasms galore.

“Sounds good to me,” Callie said. “But we hardly need With trustworthy men. And we’ll monitor each other to be sure a bet for that. The way things are right now, at least for me, we it’s safe.”

need a miracle. Where do you propose we get said sex?”

Abby looked at Callie and chewed her bottom lip, the Blair wriggled in her seat. “Oh, this is where the fun words
I don’t think so
hovering on her tongue. Then she comes in. Each of us takes a weekend turn. We have to enjoy thought of Chad, of all the nights she’d spent sitting at home one weekend of blistering hot sex. No strings, of course. It’s while Chad was out fucking the latest skirt. He sure as hell not like you have to locate and meet the guy of your dreams or hadn’t been discriminating. And for the past several years anything. You just have to fuck someone.”

Abby had worked her ass off while her libido had been wasting

“That’s doable,” Callie said, munching on a nacho. “So away, unattended.

what’s the catch?”

She needed a fuck. And an orgasm or several hundred.

Abby smiled. With Blair’s bets, there was always a

“I’m in.”

catch.

Callie arched a brow. “Well if you’re in, then I’m in.”

“The other two get to pick the guy.”

Blair rolled her eyes. “’Bout damn time. I was

“Huh?” Had Blair really just suggested what Abby beginning to think I was going to have to buy purple hats and a thought she suggested?

bridge club membership. Christ, you two. You had me

“You heard me. We get to choose your man. For worried.”

example, if it’s Abby’s turn for her weekend of wild sexual 13

Jaci Burton/
Wild, Wicked & Wanton
/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007

Abby laughed. “Not quite yet. I’m primed and I’m

“Start by accepting their offer to party down at the ready.”

country club this weekend,” Blair suggested. “We’ll figure out

“Good thing, Miss Abby. Because you’re up first and the rest before then.”

this weekend,” Blair said with a sly grin.

“We’ll”. Abby was always a little afraid when Blair Abby’s laugh died. “Me? First?”

spoke in terms of “we”. Nevertheless, she’d agreed, and now

“Oh yeah,” Callie said. “And I think we already know she had to tell Mike and Seth that she was amenable to a little who, too.”

celebration Saturday night.

“Oh shit. I think I do, too.” She’d walked right into this Now how was she going to turn a little dancing and and had a feeling she’d just been set up. Her cheeks flamed hot drinking at the country club into a full-blown ménage-a-trois?

with the thought of what she’d just agreed to do. Theory was

“So what happens if someone doesn’t go through with one thing, reality another entirely. Could she do this? Could the bet?” Abby asked.

she cast aside the old Abby Lawson and grab what was right in Blair looked at the ceiling for a minute, then back at front of her?

them with an evil grin. “All expense paid trip to Vegas for a

“And not just one guy, either. You’ve hit the mother weekend for all three of us.”

lode, Abby. You get to fuck both Mike Nottingham and Seth Callie whistled. “That’s a big bite to the budget.”

Jacobs.”

“You said it,” Abby said. “I don’t want to lose.”

“Both? Oh, no way. That wasn’t part of the bet.”

“Me, either,” Callie said.

“Too bad. They both want you, right? You said they

“Then you’ll go through with it. We all will. Game on, were both interested. Yours is actually the easiest. These guys ladies,” Blair said.

are already primed and ready for you.”

Abby took a deep breath. The bet was on.

“In
dating
me, not fucking me. At least I think that’s what they want. Oh hell, I don’t know.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and stared at them both. “Help!”

“We are helping you, honey,” Blair said. “They want you. It’s obvious.”

“Not to me it isn’t.”

“That’s why you have us,” Callie said. “To help you with your sex problems.”

Abby glared at her. “So not funny. I have a serious sex problem now. Like how the hell I’m going to approach them.

What am I going to say?”

14

Jaci Burton/
Wild, Wicked & Wanton
/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007

Why couldn’t she sleep? She was calm, relaxed, over-margaritaed. She should be passed out by now. Instead, she was wide awake and agitated.

And lack of consciousness was essential, dammit. The last thing she needed was to fall asleep in the operating room tomorrow morning. After all the praise from Mike and Seth Chapter Three

this morning, she didn’t want to disappoint them.

So, sleep already, Abby!

Abby turned off the living room light and strolled to the Restless, she knew a command to sleep was only going kitchen. She prepared the coffeemaker for the morning, to make it worse. The crisp sheets that felt so good a few inhaling the aroma of fresh coffee grounds. A cup right now minutes ago scraped her nipples, now a form of torture.

sounded really good. Caffeine was a bad, bad idea this late, She was aroused. And her mind whirled with visions of though.

being the creamy middle of an Oreo cookie between Mike and Not only would she be performing surgery tomorrow, Seth.

she’d also have to figure out how to tell Mike and Seth that she Damn. She needed to come. She wanted them both to was agreeable to their little celebration. And somehow, magically materialize in her bedroom and lick her pussy until someway, have to come up with an idea to maneuver them into she had a mind-blowing orgasm. Or two or three. To touch, a threesome before the weekend was over.