Quality Assurance (7 page)

Not that he minded the parties or disapproved of exploring your options and all that. He just didn’t understand a man or a woman who didn’t want to have a group or a person of their own. Even in high school, Eli didn’t want to sleep around like some of the guys. Ash’s brothers were long gone from Lucky Springs, but they’d been jocks in high school, getting as far as the girls would let them. Youth and hormones played their part but, they’d all grown up.

Already hard, Eli let his brain work to slow his arousal a bit. If she was watching, no guy wanted to come in a second even though they’d been watching her fuck them one-by-one. Fred was hard too and sucking on Xavier’s spent cock.

Something in Eli wanted to keep Ash coming back, to make her addicted to the group sex and see what happened. Grabbing a condom, he pushed Fred onto his hands and knees. Eli put on the protection as Jackson lubed up Fred’s ass.

Without looking at Ash, Eli filled Fred’s ass. Like an expert, Fred backed up on Eli until the man was balls deep. Fred kept right on sucking Xavier, but Jackson’s erection wouldn’t be ignored. Protection and lube were automatic, and Jackson slid under Xavier’s ass so he could ride the way they’d made Ash.

Eli looked over and saw the sparkle in Ash’s eyes. There was no shame or disgust, only curiosity and arousal in her expression. She crawled closer and studied how Eli filled Fred’s ass. He went slow then slammed in the way Fred liked it.

The moans from Fred made Ash and Xavier smile. Ash took it all in and laid next to the men, watching Jackson fuck Xavier while Xavier fucked Fred’s mouth. Eli saw the wheels turning in her mind. Everyone was getting off somehow. They seemed content.

He leaned down and whispered in Fred’s ear to pull Ash into the mix. She needed to know how much these men had missed pussy. Hungrily, Fred snagged Ash around the waist and nudged Eli back a few feet. As naturally as anything, she sucked on Xavier’s cock and arched her ass up when Fred buried his face between her cheeks.

Watching his lover, Eli saw Fred lick her pussy, fucking her with his tongue and working her asshole with his thumbs. Massaging her into wanting more. Double penetration was a fantasy they’d shared. Both inside the same woman, feeling each other and her. The woman had the right needs, but Eli wondered if she could handle it. People would know she had four men. She wouldn’t always be the absolute center of attention either. Eli couldn’t let her hurt Fred and the others. She couldn’t break their hearts.

Fucking Fred harder, Eli pinched Ash’s ass. “Ride Xavier. Let him watch you this time.”

Ash eyed the challenge and stood carefully. Fred gave Eli a harsh look, and he just shrugged. “You can still eat her ass that way.”

Eli nudged Fred forward. “Come on, cheerleader. You can balance on a pyramid. You can ride that big cock.”

Xavier held her at first, and she found her balance and rhythm. Fred braced her hips and licked from Xavier’s balls to her ass, urging her on. The moans from her said she liked the suggestion.

Jerking Fred’s cock in his hand, Eli filled his lover’s ass. “She’s a natural. Loves the attention.”

Fred groaned and let go of the woman. “You love watching her. Don’t lie. Finish me off!”

Eli teased the head of Fred’s cock and rammed his ass until Fred bucked back and cursed into the sheets. Not to be outdone, Eli came deep in Fred’s body and pumped to extend the pleasure. When Fred started sucking balls, from Jackson to Xavier and then Ash’s ass, Eli rounded the group and watched Ash bounce.

She smiled so easily at him. The flush on her skin and arch in her back told him she’d come again. Whether she thought it was normal or not, she was made for this. Even if they dumped her, she’d find other men who’d give her a chance. Ash was too hot and sexually open not to have all the men in town fighting over her. Even if Eli’s group said she wasn’t very good or had cheated, Eli knew men would fall at her feet. They always had.

Reaching around, he wiggled his index finger in her ass, and she gasped.

“You’ll be begging for it in a day,” Eli said.

She came, and he felt her body clench around his finger and the cock in her cunt. The domino effect continued down, and Xavier orgasmed, snapping his hips. Jackson cursed and held still during his release. Eli loved watching, and Ash loved to be watched. She leaned forward and kissed Xavier then gave him a kiss.

“You really want to put things up there, don’t you?” She looked at her behind.

“Why not? We take it.” Eli slipped his finger from her. “I wonder if your old cheerleading outfit still fits.”

Ash wobbled as she stood. “Of course, it does!”

Eli just smiled and flopped on the bed. “I’m beat.”

“You looked amazing in that outfit, Ash,” Jackson agreed.

She kissed him then Fred. The men sandwiched her between them, and Eli saw her mind at work again. Part of him wanted to dress her and walk her out, as though they didn’t want her to spend the night. But the other men were so content and still touching her like a rare treasure that Eli didn’t want to be that much of a jerk. He snuggled up behind Fred and tried not to dream of Ash.

Chapter Five

It’d been nearly a week since Ash had experienced the four men, and she couldn’t get them out of her head. They’d worked together, and she’d gotten to know Xavier and Fred independently. Her friends had quizzed her, but she’d kept fairly quiet so far. Just sex, or so she said. It sounded easy, but somehow her feelings grew every day—every time she ran into them and chatted in the hall, when she went down to the QC room…things always got hot. They didn’t have sex, but she got hot and felt their singular focus on her. But they hadn’t invited her over again.

Entering a new quality claim into her computer, she wondered if she was supposed to make the next “outside of work” move. A movie? Invite them over to her place for dinner? Mother always said to never ask men out. Their job was to pursue you.

A shadow darkened her keyboard, and she looked up. Luckily, it was Xavier and Fred. Eli was the only one she wanted to have alone time with, yet she had no idea what to say to make it work.

“Hi, guys! What’s up?” She smoothed her hair and tried not to twist it.

“We’re going out to check on the scrap situation. We sell the metal to recyclers. Thought you might want to see it.” Fred made it sound very interesting and professional.

“Sure. The more I see firsthand, the better.” She grabbed her hardhat and glasses.

In the hall, she got a wave from Lizzie, and it made her stop. “Lizzie, have you met Xavier and Fred from Quality?”

Lizzie blushed and looked at the floor for a second then she stuck out her hand formally. “I haven’t had the pleasure. Nice to meet you.”

“You, too. Ashley tells us you’re from the bayou?” Fred asked.

“Guilty. I promise my family isn’t on the swamp shows though. They’d have thrown the cameramen overboard on day one.” Lizzie let her heavy Cajun accent slip out.

“That sounds like home.” Xavier grinned. “Do you miss it?”

“No way. I miss my family, but I wanted something more to my credit than ‘cooks a good gator gumbo’. Shreveport was a little scary, but I like it here.” Lizzie nodded. “I should get back to my desk.”

“We’ll see you around.” Fred called after her.

“Your friends are nice. Everyone is talking about the new ladies.” Xavier held open the door out of the factory.

“Thanks, we’ve been close since college. I swear it’s the only reason my mother didn’t freak out when I didn’t move home to Lucky Springs after I graduated.” Ash followed Fred toward the quiet area in the back of the factory where scrap seemed to pile up.

“Your parents are very protective.” Fred walked closer to her now that there were fewer people around.

“They are. High standards and no mistakes. Lizzie’s weren’t much different. Marry a nice Cajun boy and run a good home while they go hunting.” Everyone had family crap. She blamed them for her high school mistakes, but she’d been strong enough to go away to college on a scholarship. She’d refused to stay back and get married the way mom had wanted.

“That’s tough, but you’re independent,” Fred said.

“Not as much as I’d like. Being home feels like I gave up on my childhood dreams. But you guys started over here when other plans didn’t work out.” She smiled.

Xavier nodded. “My family wasn’t thrilled when I moved north even though it’s only to central Louisiana. They’re gulf people and weren’t going to leave.”

“But you never would’ve met Jackson.” Ash couldn’t imagine those two not together.

“I dragged Xavier up here so he owes me,” Fred said.

“I do. Back home I took crap for liking both. My brothers said just date girls. Quit exploring. High school was hell. We all have our problems. Here, I feel like I’m accepted without questions. Especially by you.” Xavier shrugged.

“I never judged people or was as mean as people thought, even back in high school. The crowd I hung with projected an image. Besides, there are four of you and one of me. It’s overwhelming in a good way. But I understand about family and pressure.” She squeezed his hand.

“Everyone knew what I was. I couldn’t hide it.” Fred smiled.

“Why should you? None of us should hide the truth,” Ash replied.

“Damn right.” Fred pointed to a big metal bin. “That’s the scrap.”

Ash watched as a forklift heaved a load of metal into the bin. “So a recycling place comes and picks it up?”

“Yes, they weigh it and pay us by the pound.” Xavier shrugged.

“Interesting. Is there a reason you guys haven’t invited me over again?” She wanted to wait and keep their relationship out of work, but the question just slipped out.

“We didn’t want to be high pressure.” Xavier looked at Fred.

“Exactly. You’re not at our beck and call. We’re friends with benefits. Things can grow from there, but only if everyone wants it.” Fred held her hand briefly.

“Someone doesn’t want me around?” she asked.

“Is that what it felt like that night?” Xavier turned her question around.

“No, but men love sex. I loved it too, but I’m not trying to complicate things.” She wanted to kiss them right then but held back.

“Last night, we did the weekly cleaning crap so it would’ve been a bad night to have you over,” Fred said.

“Okay. Whenever works for you guys. No pressure.” She turned and headed back to her office, not worrying if the guys were coming with her or not.

Either she didn’t fit in or Eli didn’t want her. They were being so nice she couldn’t tell, and even with so few women around, she still didn’t feel in high demand by the Lucky Springs male population.

Men! They’d never been her talent, no matter how pretty and popular she was. She never fully understood what they did or how they thought. Like it or not, Ash had to focus on her career because men weren’t the answer to any problem.

* * * *

At lunch, Xavier finally got Eli to turn off his computer.

“Fred and I had a chat with Ash earlier. She wanted to know why we haven’t invited her over again.” Xavier directed his comment at Jackson but knew Eli was listening.

“Then I say we invite her over tonight.” Jackson smiled. “She hasn’t made work awkward or talked about us. I haven’t even heard a cross word about Eli.”

“I haven’t been rude since the first day.” Eli opened a soda.

“You haven’t exactly been nice. Every time she tries to apologize, you shut down the conversation. She wants to clear the air, but you block her.” Fred leaned on the big table. “We see her at work and talk to her. Something is holding her back.”

“You said sex and nothing more. Now, you guys sound like she’s got you.” Eli stared at them.

Xavier took a deep breath. “She doesn’t have you?”

Eli shrugged. “Come on. She’s great in bed and available. I was crazy about her in high school, but we all grew up.”

“Please, you’re not over her,” Jackson said flatly. “You’re holding onto some crap from high school and not letting her apologize for it. Her parents were overprotective and so were her older brothers. You asked her out in front of them. She didn’t have a lot of options.”

Xavier folded his arms. “She said something about her family today—her mother and all that standards stuff. You two should have it out, do some great makeup sex and we can move on.”

“Invite her to dinner tonight.” Fred tapped Eli’s phone.

Eli ignored it. “I’m all for the sex. You invite her over.”

“No, you do it. That might show her you’re interested in talking to her and that you want her around.” Jackson tapped his foot.

“It’s been a couple weeks since she’s been back in Lucky Springs. We’re not proposing to her. You want the sex. You like having her around,” Xavier said.

Eli picked up his cell then texted Ash and copied the other guys. Seconds later, she accepted and insisted on cooking dinner and bringing the stuff.

“Happy? She’s getting all domestic,” Eli said.

“Damn right we’re happy!” Fred kissed Eli. “Don’t hide that you are, too. Hot food and sex. Plus it was your night to cook.”