“I mean, I saw you dancing. You’re going home with two guys?”
Her face heated. “Uh, I—”
He lifted a hand. “Believe me, Lord knows I’m not judging. But this isn’t like you. I just want to make sure you’re okay. How much did you drink?”
His concern warmed her. She reached out and grabbed his hand to give it a squeeze. “I’m good. A little buzzed, but I danced most of it off. And . . . things have happened between the three of us already. I did that stone-cold sober. I’m just good at keeping secrets.”
A big grin broke across his face. “Well, goddamn, look at you.” He pulled her into a quick hug. “But text me in the morning to let me know you’re okay. I’ve heard of Ren Muroya. If you’re doing kink with someone new, it’s never a bad idea to let a friend know where you are and do a check-in. Got me?”
She leaned back and lifted her eyebrows. “You’ve heard of Ren? Good things or bad things?”
He smirked. “So good that I’m jealous. And if it were bad, you know I’d warn you not to go. Now, go have fun, be safe, and use condoms. Lots of condoms.”
She laughed. “Got it.”
She gave him another quick hug and found her way back to the guys. Hayes had grabbed a to-go soda for her from the bar. He handed it over. “I thought you might want a little caffeine.”
“We have plans. Many plans,” Ren added with a grin.
She laughed and took a sip of Coke. “Don’t think I can keep up?”
“We’ll see,” Hayes said. “Plus, we need to sober you up.”
She smiled. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. No beer goggles.”
She was a little buzzed, yeah. But alcohol had no part in this decision. She was under an entirely different influence.
The potent mix of two men who looked at her like she meant something to them.
And who were starting to mean something to her.
TWENTY-ONE
Hayes’s fingers flexed against the steering wheel as he pulled into the driveway behind Ren and Cora. He’d had the whole drive to contemplate what was about to happen, twenty minutes to talk himself out of this, but all of his old arguments had no shot against the magnetic pull he’d felt seeing Ren and Cora get playful on stage.
For the first time in as long as he could remember, he’d had fun. Seeing his best friend and the woman he’d known as Lenore goof around on stage had sent this light, helium-filled sensation through his chest. Like all the weight he’d been carrying around for years had lifted for a few minutes. He’d laughed and grinned like an idiot. And then she and Ren had gotten swept up in the moment and kissed.
He’d seen them do much more than that in the office the other day, but something about the way they’d grabbed at each other, the all-encompassing desire, had set off all of Hayes’s switches. He loved that they were so into each other. And he loved even more that they were into him. He wanted to capture all that desire in his hand and play with it, bring all three of them to places they may not have visited before.
So though he knew it was still a risk, was aware that nothing would ever be one hundred percent safe, he refused to let his past cling to him right now. Tonight, it was time to be himself, the Hayes who used to be able to walk into The Ranch with his head high and his confidence firm. To be the guy he’d let himself be in Hayven. Tonight, the outside world didn’t exist. All that was important were the two people climbing out of the car in front of him.
Hayes got out of his SUV and locked up. Cora was laughing at something Ren had said, and Ren was carrying her drink and spinning his keys around his finger.
“What’s so funny?” he
asked.
Ren sent Hayes a smile. “Cora’s got a hard-on for my car. I’m not sure what would get her off more tonight—going inside with us or tossing her the keys and letting her take this thing on the open road.”
Cora bit her lip and twirled her hair, feigning indecision. “Hmm, decisions, decisions . . .”
She stole the keys from him.
Ren groaned and swept an arm out, grabbing Cora around the waist before she could escape. “No way. No car until you put out. Thems the rules.”
When Cora started to playfully struggle, Ren handed the drink to Hayes and hiked Cora up over his shoulder. She let out a string of laughing curses. “Pig!”
“Oink, oink, baby,” Ren said, heading up the walk and giving her ass a playful smack.