The Lost Days (Prairie Town Book 3) (36 page)

“I can’t, Mother.  I need to talk to him.” He picked up the pace and didn’t look back. 

“Devin!  Devin!” She called after him.

“Go on home, Mama.  I’ll call you later.”

“But what about the car?”

“I’ll call, Mama,” he repeated.

His eyes remained on Jebson, who was leaning against the bed of his truck with his muscular arms crossed.

I’m definitely going to get punched again.

He stopped a few feet away from him and swallowed his nerves back into place.  “Hey,” he said, listening to the sound of his mother’s car starting. 
Too late to turn back now.
  “Can I talk to you?”

“I don’t really have anything to say to you,” Jebson replied, glaring.  “It’s probably best for you just to go on home.”

“But I don’t want to go home – I want to talk to you.  Can’t you at least give me a minute?”

“No.” Jebson’s eyes dropped to the pavement.  “Better get a move on now.”

“Five minutes ago you couldn’t wait to beat the shit out of me, and now you can’t talk to me?” He rolled his eyes.  “Come on, Jebson.  The least you can do is hear me out.”

“It’s Jeb, thanks.  Only my mother calls me Jebson.”

“Okay, Jeb it is.”

Jeb nodded, pleased, but he made no move to step closer to him.

It’s probably best to keep some distance.

“Look, I know I’ve screwed up.  A lot.”

Jeb snorted.

“...And maybe I don’t deserve forgiveness from you, but I want to at least make an effort here.”

“Forgiveness?” Jeb laughed, loud and hearty.  He laughed so hard his shoulders bounced up and down, and he clutched his stomach.  “Is that why you called off that rabid dog of yours?  You want me to forgive you?”

“No.  I called him off because he didn’t seem like a good man of the law to me.”

“And you’re suddenly an expert about what a good man looks like?” Jeb lifted an eyebrow.  “You’re not exactly in a position to judge people, you know.  You’re an asshole.”

“I deserve that, I’m sure,” he replied, shaking his head slowly.  “But I hope that by not pressing charges, you realize I’ve changed.”

“I keep hearing that.” Jeb scratched at the scruff on his jaw and pursed his lips together, eyes squinting as he stared at him.  “Everybody keeps talking about how nice you are now.  Lydia and Laney pretty much never shut up about you.  I just don’t get it.”

“You don’t get what, exactly?  That I really have changed?”

“I don’t particularly believe that people change overnight.  I especially don’t believe they change when they’re headed to the state penitentiary for kidnapping a girl and her boyfriend.” His expression hardened.  “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t that seem a little fishy to you?”

“Trust me, I
know
how fishy it seems, but it’s the truth.  I don’t remember being that guy, Jeb.  I helped save Benji and Laney from that girl.  I kept her from killing him.”

“But you put them in that situation in the first place.  You,”—Jeb’s finger pointed at him once again—“You did it, Devin.  And I want you to admit that you did.”

“I never denied it.”

“Hm.” Jeb reached for the door handle and shook his head.  “Guess that really doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.” He slammed his body against the door to keep him from opening it.  Perhaps it was a suicidal move, but he couldn’t let Jeb leave without knowing his intentions were true. “And I want to make it right with you.  I need to.”

“We all need a lot of things, Douchenozzle.” Jeb shot him a warning glare.  “Now move before I move you myself.”

“You can hit me again if it makes you feel better.” His knees trembled. “You can hit me until I’m a bloody pulp on the ground, but we both know that isn’t going to fix anything.”

“Oh, okay.  So suddenly you’re Ghandi, too?” Jeb snickered and released the door handle, stepping back.  “Fine.  You want to make things right with me?  Buy me some lunch and let’s talk.”

“Lunch? Okay.  I can do lunch.”

K
elly

She really wasn’t sure what was going through her mind when she agreed to give the whole three-way-relationship thing a chance.  Though it was definitely on her terms, she still couldn’t help but wonder what the hell had made her think it was a good idea in the first place.

After an entire night and day of contemplation, she figured it couldn’t hurt anything to let two men dote on her for an entire month.  Nick and Devin had been perfect gentleman thus far. Coming over and helping fix supper; spending time with Jamie and Justin; giving her the most unbelievable orgasms...

Sure, it made her feel downright naughty to be participating in such a far-fetched fantasy, but she
liked
it.  Nick and Devin were like daylight and dark in every way, but God Almighty she loved the differences between them when it came to pushing her buttons.

Devin was tender in everything he had done, whereas Nick didn’t mind to push boundaries.  He tested her every time they were together and she knew—she just knew—it was only a matter of time before she caved and allowed them to have her as only one other man had.

It was terrifying and thrilling to think about.

Maybe tonight’s the night,
she thought, and her pulse quickened.

Justin was finally at summer camp for two full weeks and though she missed him greatly, she knew he was having fun.  He deserved to be happy; learning to build birdhouses and canoeing with kids his age was just the ticket.

Mrs. Harrington had just left with Jamie for the night, so she didn’t have to worry about rushing back home.

Not rushing back home meant one less excuse to give if things heated up later in the night.

Not rushing back home meant she might accidentally fall asleep in the comfort of Nick and Devin’s arms.

Not rushing back home meant there was a possibility she’d actually go through with giving herself to two beautiful, wonderful men.

Oh my god.

Lowering the tube of lip-gloss in her hand, she gazed at her reflection with wide eyes and a nervous smile. 

“I can do this,” she said.  “I deserve this.”

And that’s what she kept repeating, over and over again, all the way to Nick and Devin’s house.  With each step she took, her nerves only got worse.

What if it was a total disaster?

So far, it had been anything but.

Feeling their mouths on her at the same time had been nothing short of heaven; she wanted to know what it felt like to have both of them inside her at the same time.

“That so doesn’t make you a slut!” Laney had unwaveringly declared.  “If werewolves can do it, so can you.”

“Right,” she mumbled beneath her breath, ascending the porch steps.  “If werewolves can do it, so can I.”

It was such a silly thought to have – to truly believe something could be so carefree and easy just because it had been written into a book.  Unfortunately, she understood that real life was vastly different from fictitious books and even if it was completely acceptable for a she-wolf to have two lovers, there was no guarantee that anyone else would accept her new lifestyle...should she decide to stick with it.

I like them,
she affirmed, lifting her hand to knock.
Nick is a total dreamboat and he’s got the heart to match.  Devin has a lot of potential, too.

Nibbling at her bottom lip and smooth a palm over her hair, she waited for Nick to open the door.

They’re good guys. Any woman would be lucky to have either of them. 

She released a shaky breath and tugged at the hem of her skirt, hoping and praying she wouldn’t lose her nerve.  Turning around and going home now would be downright embarrassing.

Just keep your cool, Kelly.  Nothing has to happen if you don’t want it to happen.

But she
did
want it to happen.  She’d been fantasizing about it all week.  The promise of only thirty days meant there wasn’t time to waste. 

It’s now or never.

The door flew open and there stood Nick, looking deliciously handsome.  His button up shirt was open, revealing every smooth, scrumptious muscle he possessed, and damn it, her mouth watered at the sight of him.

“Evenin’, Kelly,” he said.  A smile slid over his lips as he stepped back to let her in.  “I was beginning to think you chickened out on me.”

“What?” She laughed.  “No.  That’s silly.”

Taking three steps in, she stopped dead in her tracks when she realized he’d decorated just for the occasion.  Three tall candles positioned on the coffee table illuminated the living room and immediately cast off a romantic vibe.

The rose pedals scattered across the rug in front of the fireplace caused her heart to sputter, stop, and restart, all at the same time as she felt his arms wrap around her from behind.

“Do you like it?” He asked, his voice low and silky.

That’s it,
she thought,
that’s where it’s going to happen.

“It’s...beautiful,” she whispered, swallowing hard.  “You really didn’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I did.” He turned her in his arms and gazed down at her, his eyes sparkling from the candlelight.  “Tonight’s a special night, Kelly.  I couldn’t possibly pass up the chance to go all out for it, no matter how cheesy it seems.”

“It doesn’t seem cheesy,” she replied, laughing softly.  Her eyes blurred with tears and she quickly blinked, tip-toeing to kiss his cheek.  “It seems wonderful to me.”

“Well, wonderful things should happen to a wonderful woman like you.”

Butterflies erupted in her stomach and she felt ashamed. 

Do I really deserve this?

“Come here.” He took her hands and guided her to the couch.  “I’ve got a bottle of champagne on ice in the kitchen.  Why don’t you make yourself comfortable, and I’ll get you a glass?”

“That sounds lovely.  Thank you.” She peered around and noticed something, or
someone
, very important was missing.  “Where’s Devin?”

“He went to have lunch with his mother and hasn’t come back yet.  He’ll be here soon though.  I threatened his life.” Nick snickered, giving her a reassuring nod.  “We’ll just have a few drinks and wait for him.  Or we can eat.  Have you had dinner?”

Honestly, she was so nervous she wasn’t sure she could eat anything.  She’d fixed a quick bite to eat for Jamie, but there was no way her stomach could handle anything – her nerves could get pretty fickle at times.

Now was definitely one of those times.

“I’m fine, thank you.  A drink would be nice.”

“Then a drink it is, beautiful.  I’ll be right back.”

Sinking back on the couch, she released a low breath and rested her hands against her lap.  Try as she might, her knee still bounced in anticipation of what would happen once Devin returned.

What if one of us backs out?  What if –I- back out?

Her thought process could be grueling, and right now it wasn’t helping at all.  Maybe she’d be able to relax after a few drinks.

This is worse than the night Patrick and I decided to have sex for the first time.

But it made sense.  She was practically losing her virginity all over again.

Maybe two virginities this time,
she thought.  And that only made the temperature of the room rise to ridiculous levels, and her pulse decided to go for a world record.

She would never admit it aloud, but she’d been watching some less-than-appropriate videos for the sake of research.  The people in those videos seemed to know exactly what they were doing – and they enjoyed it.

Three people in one bed—or on a rug in the living room—meant there were only so many holes available for filling.

“Oh, God,” she whispered, pressing a cool palm to her hot cheek. 

“Oh, God, what?” Nick asked, returning with two glasses of champagne in tow.  “Is everything all right?”

“It’s f-fine,” she stammered.  Reaching for a glass, she quickly gulped hers down and sighed.  “Just excited, I guess.  And nervous.”

Easing down beside her, Nick gave her that award-winning smile of his.  “Hey, it’s okay to be nervous.  I’m nervous, too.”

“You are?”

“Of course I am.  Kelly,
if
something happens tonight, and I’m stressing that word, then that means we’re going to share a bond.  You, me, and Devin will be closer than we’ve ever been and that’s not something I take lightly.  Being together like that, experiencing the pleasures we can give one another...it’s so mind-blowingly extraordinary.  It’s something most people will never have the gratification of knowing.”

“You make it sound like it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing or something.” Dropping her gaze to her empty glass, she caught her bottom lip between her teeth again.

What if it really was as magical as he described?

Then what am I so nervous about?

“It is.  But it doesn’t have to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing.  It can be every day, for the rest of our lives.”  He cupped her cheek and forced her gaze to meet his.  “You look so beautiful, Kelly.”

“Thank you.” She whispered, searching his eyes.  There was so much warmth behind his chocolate hues, so many promises of love and happiness.

She wanted those promises.

“You don’t have to thank me for stating the truth.”

He leaned in and pressed a passionate, hungry kiss against her lips, causing all the air to leave her lungs in the process.  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know a dormant beast resided within him, waiting to be released.

She hoped she’d have the courage to open that cage.

“Nick,” she murmured, pulling away.  “Nick, I need to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“What if...what if I do chicken out?” Licking her lips, she shifted on the couch to face him, kicking off her shoes and tucking her feet beneath herself.  “I mean...I don’t want to disappoint you or anything, but—”

“
Nothing
has to happen tonight, Kelly.  We’ve got an entire month to figure out if this works for us or not.  Look,”—he got up from the couch and quickly strode to the entertainment center—“I even have some DVDs picked out for us.  If you’d rather just make it a movie night, I’m fine with that.  Devin will be fine with it, too.”