Falling, Freestyle (2 page)

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.

Something clicked inside and she took a deep breath.

They wanted to change the status quo? So be it, but she would be the one calling the shots. She had a few weeks to get everything in place, then come hell or high water she was going to make the most outrageous thing she’d ever dreamed of a reality.

She was going to seduce her best friends.

Chapter Two

Alpine Responsibility Code

Rule #2—Plan ahead…

Kane slammed his fist against the horn a couple of times. “What the hell is taking him so long?”

Dara sat on the bench seat beside him, her blonde hair pulled into two high pigtails. He forced his gaze away from where her sweater lay open at the top, one button too many open, leaving a gap that showed off the creamy upper swells of her breasts. One button too many, or seven buttons too few.

Ever since he’d mentioned to Jack he thought it was time to make a move on Dara, he’d found it more and more difficult to ignore her. The burning desire to treat her as more than one of the boys threatened to tear loose at any moment. Now that they were headed out for their long-weekend ski vacation, acting as if it was business as usual between them was going to kill him. Her light perfume filled the cab of the truck, and he rocked in place, attempting to adjust his half-hard cock without being too noticeable.

Jack stepped onto the sidewalk and Dara laughed. “He’s traveling light, I see.”

“Bloody fool.”

Their friend carried a large cardboard apple box in his arms. Before Kane had left for work that morning, he and Jack had brought down their ski gear and backpacks from their apartment and stowed it all in the truck. They’d grabbed Dara’s stuff from her place down the hall as well, so they could leave as soon as he and Dara got off work at noon. Kane couldn’t imagine what Jack still needed to bring. He rattled his fingers on the wheel as Jack sauntered past the truck cab, flashing his hundred-proof smile at Dara as he headed to dump his box in the back.

Dara slipped off her boots as she waited, and Kane watched closely as she assumed her usual traveling position, legs curled half under her. The girl never kept her feet on the floor. It was part of her charm that like some pixie creature you could find her up on the counter, or wrapped around a chair. Dara didn’t sit, she perched.

She wore his favourite winter outfit, the one that made him imagine all sorts of dirty things. Velvety smooth stockings of dark crimson covered her long legs, and he longed to touch her. To start at her ankles and run his palms all the way up and under her short flared skirt, the one that was barely respectable when she walked, but lost all semblance of propriety when she brought her knees up on the bench.

His cock pressed painfully against his zipper, and he slid his hips lower on the seat, adjusting the backrest as an excuse.

Jack jumped in, slamming the door on the freezing cold blast of air that followed him. Dara shivered and cuddled closer to Kane’s side. Her warm body felt just right next to him. Damn if he was going to survive this weekend.

“We finally ready to roll? There’s four hours ahead of us to the resort.” Kane peeled out into the roadway fast enough to force their bodies against the backrest. Hell, that had sounded as if he was pissed, but he was mere seconds from begging Dara to sit on his lap and help ease his pain.

Jack snapped on his seat belt and threw his gloves onto the dash. “Drive on. Sorry I’m late, but I’ve got a great excuse.”

“You won the lottery and you were making reservations for us to fly to Hawaii after the ski trip is over.” Dara leaned on Kane’s shoulder as she faced Jack. Kane casually lifted his arm and placed it along the back of the seat and she settled even closer, her head resting on his biceps. While she was in his arms under false pretenses, he would totally take it.

“How’d you guess?” Jack tweaked her nose and she laughed, her body shimmying against Kane’s ribs.

“You have that look on your face. Spill.” Dara poked Jack in the side, tickling him lightly.

Kane dragged his eyes off their interplay and focused on the road. They had a long way to go and staring at her was bound to get them stuck in a ditch.

“I got a call from the resort this morning after you left for work. Seems they had a bit of a reservation error.”

“Fuck it. Now what? I booked our rooms ages ago.” Kane gripped the wheel tighter. He couldn’t take much more. Fighting his growing need to tell Dara he wanted her was making him cranky and crazy.

“Don’t sweat it until I tell you the whole thing. The guy gave me some long-winded story about how someone mistyped digits and there’s a family reunion—whatever. We can’t have the adjoining rooms we asked for, but since it’s not our fault they wanted to make it up to us.”

That sounded more positive. “Complimentary drinks?”

“Better. The only other unit that was free for all of our booking dates is a private cabin—ski in/ski out.”

“No shit?” This was either a gift from heaven, or one from hell.

“Seriously. Master bedroom in the loft with a king, a bedroom on the main floor with two queen beds. Full kitchen, a fireplace and a private hot tub on the balcony overlooking the ski hill.”

Dara hadn’t made a sound since Jack started describing the accommodation change. Kane squeezed her shoulders. “You going to be okay with that, sweets? You can have the loft to yourself, and Jacky-boy and I will close the bedroom door so you don’t have to listen to him snore.”

There was a slight hesitation before she laughed. “I’ve slept in the same tent as you guys too many times to fall for that load of bull. You’re the one with the volume-control problem at night.”

“Only when I’m horny.”

Shit
. He hadn’t meant to let that slip out.

He glanced over and caught Jack shaking his head. “Right, because your dick is so heavy you can’t sleep in any position but flat on your back.”

Dara laughed out loud. “Play nice, boys. Jack, it sounds fabulous, but why were you late? I mean, he didn’t charge you extra or anything, did he?”

“No, he reassured me everything was already paid in full, so unless we watch dirty movies or get room service, we’re clear to go at checkout. I just decided if we were going to have a kitchen we should take advantage of it. I spent the last hour gathering treats.”

Kane let out a whoop of delight. “Tell me you brought beer and nachos.”

Dara’s priorities were clear. “Ice cream? Chocolate?”

Jack grinned down at her. “Even better. Banana-split fixings—chocolate sauce, whipped cream, even a jar of those nasty cherries you love.”

“The ones that are a million calories each? Score!”

She and Jack slapped hands in mid-air and she wiggled closer to give him a huge hug. Over her shoulder, Jack winked at Kane. A grumble of unease flicked through him. When Dara was going to have her own room, there had been a chance of getting through the long weekend without making a fool of himself. Now?

He was going to hit the slopes with a woody the size of his snowboard, constantly thinking of her nearby. Heck, he’d probably have to watch her wander the cabin in her PJs.

And the hot tub? Sheer torture.

“You okay to drive?” Dara shifted, tucking her feet under his right thigh.

“Of course, why?”

“You sighed like you’d had a hard morning or something. If you need a break, make sure you ask. I love driving your truck.”

Jack laughed. “You know you’re going to be fast asleep in under an hour.”

“Am not. It’s only noon.”

Kane and Jack exchanged amused gazes over her head. “Bet you she’s down in thirty minutes flat,” Kane said.

“Guys…” Dara folded her arms. “I am not sleepy. I’m going to stay awake the whole trip this time.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Jack twisted his torso and snuggled her against him and a shot of jealousy streaked through Kane. “Why don’t you stretch out? Kane doesn’t mind.”

No, Kane didn’t mind, not one bit. Not even when those crimson covered legs pressed against his groin and he had to bite back a groan.

“So the box is full of food?” Anything to keep his mind off lowering a hand to fondle her thighs.

“Breakfast cereal, bagels, treats. We’ll have to pick up fresh fruit and the ice cream, but with what we save on eating at the hill cafeteria, we can splurge a little. And, the pièce de résistance?” Jack dug into his pocket and held out chocolate bars.

Dana squealed with delight. “You remembered!”

“Have I ever forgotten?”

Kane waited as Dara unwrapped a 3 Musketeers chocolate bar and handed it to him. The tradition had begun before their first hiking trip years ago.

Kane lifted the candy in front of him, and the others met him, three hands resting together as if they were lofting swords.

“All for one…” he quipped.

“…and one for all.” Dara bit into her chocolate bar, closed her eyes and moaned with pleasure. Kane jerked the wheel to the side to put them back in the middle of the lane. Shit, he was going to get them all killed if he didn’t keep his mind on the road.

They settled into a comfortable silence, music filling the cab as they relaxed from their daily grind. He could do this. He could keep his mind off her legs resting innocently in his lap. He refused to think about sliding down the stockings and licking her skin from her ankles up to the warm honey between her thighs.

He had to resist. But once this weekend was over, all bets were off. It didn’t make any sense for Jack and him to sit back and watch her go out with other men when one of them could be the right one for her. Until now his footloose and fancy-free lifestyle had suited him fine, but he’d always known a time would come when he’d want something more permanent.

No use in ignoring the draw between them anymore. He and Dara had tons in common, and from what he’d seen of the best long-term relationships, that was the most important factor. If they could spend the next fifty years hiking and canoeing and fooling around, he’d be happy as a clam.

At least he knew they were compatible in the first areas, and somehow he thought they’d be just fine in the sack as well. Dara wore her sensuality like everything else she did. Honest, pure. She wasn’t an innocent, but pure as in what you see is what you get.

Even now she settled closer against Jack, the asshole’s ever-present grin stretching wider when she twisted to lean on him, her head resting on his chest. He cradled her close and she let out a long, slow sigh of contentment.

She wiggled her hips lower as she settled, and her skirt rode higher. Kane gritted his teeth together. He could see the junction of her thighs now, her legs slightly separated as she curled up drowsily.

Kane shot Jack a dirty look. Jack raised his brows and deliberately draped his arm around Dara a little more intimately. She was already slipping off into dreamland—woman never could keep her eyes open when they drove anywhere. Within minutes she was purring, her breath escaping in a low rumble of sleep that twisted something inside his gut. Okay, he wanted her body, but there was definitely something more to their relationship. Once it became a relationship.

“You okay driving?” Jack stroked back a strand of Dara’s hair from where it had escaped her elastics.

Kane glared at him. “What kind of dumbass question is that?”

Jack snickered evilly. “Just thinking if you had half the boner I’ve got right now, I’d hate to have to shift.”

“You know, talking about it isn’t going to make it go away. I’ll live.”

They sat in silence for miles. The skiing was going to be fantastic, the weather forecast fabulous. But the thoughts running through his brain on an endless loop included a king-sized bed and a hot tub on the deck.

So much for a relaxing après-ski time. He was in for a fight to keep his hands off her.

“Wake up, sweetie, we’re almost there.”

Dara stretched and yawned, her mind slow to come out of the fog. “Shit—don’t tell me I fell asleep again.”