Page 11

“Where? I stopped in the nail salon when we got back, but they said you’d quit.” Riley asked, leaning against the dresser as the muffled music from downstairs pumped through the floorboards.

“The Black Cat.” I wasn’t ashamed, not here. But the shocked look on Riley’s face had me doubting myself.

“You’re dancing?” Riley blinked. “That’s hot.”

“No, just a cocktail waitress, but the tips are amazing, and I’m saving up for a place of my own.”

“You can always stay with me.” Dylan lifted our joined hands and shook them. “I have an extra room.”

“And I’d drive you crazy within a week. But thanks.” As private a person as Dylan was, the offer hit me square in the heart. I should never have stayed away.

“I missed you both. How’s school?” I asked Riley.

“Fine, Cam’s been a lot of help, actually. He’s smarter than he lets on.”

“For sure.” Dylan agreed.

Riley’s russet hair was down, her face makeup free, save for a dusting of blush and lip-gloss. But she fidgeted in the mirror, then blushed. “Cam and I had sex on the bed.” Then giggled. “And this dresser.”

“Remember Andrew from Oklahoma?” Dylan nudged my hand.

I did. He was a King from the charter out there. He was super cute, charming, and only here for a few weeks.

“I had sex with him in this bed. More than once.” She pursed her lips, hiding a smile.

“No way!” I stood, dropping her hand, and laughed. “Dylan! How’d I not know that?”

Riley was less surprised, but she hadn’t been here long enough to really experience how many men Dylan had brushed off. The Desert Kings Princess of the Prude.

“Your dad would have killed him.” I snorted and inspected the room. “Jester hated that guy.”

“I wonder why,” Riley said, loaded with sarcasm, and sent a pointed look at Dylan.

“You’re fucking crazy.” Dylan laughed and fell back on the bed, fanning her dark hair around her on the crocheted blanket. “He only pretends to want what he can’t have. I will never be a notch on that bedpost.”

She thought about it for a minute. “I couldn’t fuck around with any of them. I know too much. Cam and I tried that when we were young. It was weird.”

I considered her for a moment, thinking back to that night at The Black Cat and how every shift since I’d sort of hoped I’d see him. Dylan had known me most of my life and didn’t miss the change in my expression. Her blue eyes widened impossibly. “Have you been screwing around with Jester?”

“No.” But I said it too fast. “I mean, I kissed him. But that’s it.”

She sat up, her interest piqued. “When was this?”

“Weeks ago.” I played it off, trying to deflect with a change of subject. “I can’t believe I’m the only one of us who hasn’t got down and dirty up here.”

“Nope, you don’t get out of this that easily.” Riley pinned me with her lawyer look. “Tell me about this kiss.”

“It was sexy. Happened once. He grabbed my ass, too. Honestly, I think he did it to put on a show for…”

I trailed off when I realized what I was about to say. My cheeks burned impossibly, and I tossed myself on the bed, arms under my chest to keep from landing on my boobs.

“For who?” Dylan half-heartedly smacked my butt.

“Puck,” I said into the mattress.

“Oh, the plot thickens,” Riley said, approached the bed.

“No, it doesn’t. There’s no story, so no plot.” I sat up, narrowed my eyes at Dylan, and changed the subject. “If you aren’t going to screw around with any of the guys, who are you screwing around with?”

“Nobody in Dry Valley, that’s for damn sure.” She snorted.

She had a point, who the hell would be brave enough to shoot his shot with Dylan Merrick? But there was something about the way she said Dry Valley that got my attention.

Riley hadn’t missed it either and pinned Dylan with her lawyer look. “Then where is he from?” Dylan’s cheeks pinkened and she flipped the script of me to save herself. “No way, back to, Puck and Jester at The Black Cat.”

“And your brother,” I amended, letting her keep her secrets. For now.

“Sounds like a regular orgy.”

“Then I picked the right door to open.” Jester’s jovial voice slid in, music chasing him.

“Were you eavesdropping?” I didn’t have to see Dylan to know she’d narrowed those blue eyes to slits.

“Nope.” He dropped her designer handbag beside her. “I’m itchy, and I wanted to see if y’all were naked.”

“Kenna was going to show us her new piercings.”

“You go see Puck?” He glanced at me as he pulled off his cut and hung it on the door handle. His t-shirt followed, then he turned and sat on Dylan’s knees, dropping the bag he held onto the bed.

“Ouch. Jesus. You’re heavy. Why do you do this to me?” But she was already digging around in her purse. “There are like ten different patch bunnies who would love to rub you down.”

I laid my head on my arm and caught Riley’s gaze. She made an I told you so face.

“Because you have the good shit.”

“My purse was locked up,” she grumbled.

“Who the fuck you think put it in the safe, anyway?” He grunted a little when she smeared expensive lotion on his back.

The scent was muted but still crisp and feminine. The colors on his tattoos exploded as she coated the skin.

Jester glanced over his shoulder. “Did you?”

“What? Puck? Yeah, that’s why I was looking for him earlier, so he can change these for me.”

“I can do it.” He winked. “We can let him watch.”

The sharp smack of palm on skin echoed through the room. “Stop being a horn dog.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He turned away from me, but his grin was one of pure pleasure.

Riley was probably right. But so was Dylan. Jester wasn’t the type to shy away from a challenge.

Dylan squirted some lotion into his open palm then shoved him off her lap. “Put my bag up and don’t go snooping.”

“You got something in there I’ll like?” He lifted a brow, rubbing down his arms and shoulders before tugging on his shirt. “And if you ladies need a fourth. I’ll be downstairs.”

Then he stopped, glanced at Riley, and shook his head. “Maybe a third. I like my balls too much to have Savage make me a eunuch.”

“Get the fuck out of here.” Dylan groaned.

On a laugh he did as he was told.

“Puck watched you make out with Jester. Puck pierced your nipples.” Dylan counted events off on her fingers. “Anything else we should know about?”

I pictured him licking my orgasm from his fingers and shivered.

“Absolutely not.”

“Okay then, let’s see the damage. Then you can go find your mountain of a man.” Riley pointed to my chest.

So, I sat up and let them see. I was proud. I’d healed well. No crusties, no real pain, but the barbells were too big now.