Red Zone: Boys of Fall Read online

  Sadie sucked in a loud gasp, then pressed her lips closed tightly. The cab driver’s gaze found hers in the rearview mirror. There was no way she could play off the fact she was currently the cream filling in a cowboy Oreo, so she just winked at the guy.

  What the hell did she care what he thought?

  She didn’t give two fucks about what she thought either. The champagne had done its job well.

  Oakley applied some pressure to her clit and the world shrank down to just that tiny spot. Well, that one and the one Joel was currently sucking on her neck.

  Sadie was in serious danger of spontaneously combusting when the cab pulled up to the curb outside her apartment.

  Oh, hell no. She was about to tell the guy to circle the block a few times, but Joel spoke before she could make the suggestion.

  “Thanks.” He handed the guy a twenty, told him to keep the change and then he got out, reaching to help her. When she heard a second door close, she realized Oakley had gotten out too.

  The cab drove away, leaving her on the curb, hot and bothered and still not alone.

  “Did the plan change? I thought the taxi was taking you guys to the ranch.”

  Oakley chuckled. “Do you want us to call him back?”

  She shook her head. “Fuck no.”

  Oakley gave her a sexy grin that made her pussy gush, but Joel’s face revealed something way more dangerous.

  She was tipsy. So were they. None of them would be here if they hadn’t had so much to drink. Sober Sadie would have sent them packing.

  Sober Sadie can suck it. She’s no fun at all. Lame bitch.

  “So, are you guys coming up?” Jesus. Where did that sexy, come-hither tone come from?

  Joel nodded slowly, though she thought, like her, he was slowly starting to figure out this wasn’t somewhere they should be. Oakley didn’t give either of them time to let that realization take root. He clasped hands with her and led her up the stairs to the entrance of her apartment building.

  When they reached the top, she glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see Joel was following them.

  Relieved? Really?

  When he reached out to take her key from her, unlocking the front door with big calloused hands that led her imagination down some hot paths, she knew that, yeah, she was relieved he was still here.

  She lived in a three-story apartment building. Back in the day, the place had been a storage warehouse. About ten years ago, the owner sold the property to a big-city developer who converted it into three studio apartments. The place was damn trendy for small-town Quinn, which was why she’d fallen head over heels for it. She’d scored the top floor eight years earlier when she started to fear she’d smother her father in his sleep if she didn’t get out of her childhood home.

  She loved her old man, but not as a damn roommate. First of all, he stifled her sex life. Bastard liked to show her dates his gun collection whenever they came to pick her up, and then he’d insist they bring her home at a reasonable hour. Like she was still a teenager in high school rather than a grown woman of twenty-five. No matter how hard she tried to break him of that habit, it was still there. Even now. In her dad’s eyes, no one would ever be good enough for her. It was sweet, but annoying as crap.

  Secondly, he was a freaking slob and she’d hit her limit when it came to picking up his shit.

  “Nice place,” Joel said when they entered her apartment. Neither he nor Oakley had ever been here before.

  Because she’d never been stupid enough to get three sheets to the wind with them.

  Because alcohol made her do crazy things.

  Because her libido always switched into overdrive around them so she knew putting them anywhere near her and a bed would be the wrong thing to do.

  “Yeah. I like it,” she replied, distracted by the thought of her bed. Had she made it this morning? Did she have anything lying out in her bedroom that would be potentially embarrassing? Panties on the floor? Birth control pills? Vibrator?

  Bringing both of them back to her place was ranking fairly high on her list of insane life choices. Right after getting her first boyfriend’s initials tattooed on her ass. That tat had been turned into a butterfly after the breakup.

  It also ranked after crashing her beloved first motorcycle into a tree because she’d taken a turn too fast. In addition to losing her sweet bike, she’d broken her leg in three places.

  Those two decisions were worse than this one.

  But not by much.

  “Take a look around if you want,” she said, inviting Oakley and Joel to roam around. She had eclectic tastes and it showed in her décor. She was sort of curious to know what they thought of it.

  “Who took all the black-and-white photos?” Oakley asked, pointing to the pictures on the wall.

  “Me. I went through a photography phase a few years back.”

  “They’re good. Really good.” Oakley’s expression matched his words. He wasn’t just bullshitting her, and she was flattered.

  “Thanks.”

  Joel picked up a calavera. “Do I want to know?”

  She grinned. “Sugar skulls. I collect them.”

  “You collect license plates too?” Oakley asked as he ventured farther along, getting closer to the kitchen.

  “Not really. Those belonged to my mom. She was a bit of a hobo. She had a license plate from every state she’d ever been to.”

  Oakley’s bright blue eyes widened as he took in the colorful plates, and she could imagine he was trying to figure out how many were there.

  There were thirty-seven. She knew that because she’d counted them. About a million times. Sadie could only assume her mother had taken off in hopes of collecting the last thirteen. Hard to say that for sure, considering dear old Mom hadn’t left a note or called to touch base. Not once. In twenty-seven years. She just vanished one day when Sadie was at school and her dad was working at the bar. Packed up a suitcase and left her husband and six-year-old daughter.

  When Sadie was younger, she was convinced her mom would come back once she’d found those final dozen or so plates. However, that belief faded as she got older.

  Now, she hoped the bitch never showed her face in Quinn again. Some people might say Sadie’s attitude was unhealthy, but as far as she was concerned, she was in a better state of mind on her parental issues than she’d ever been. The license plates were her reminder that the only person she could really count on sticking around forever was herself.

  “It’s a great apartment, Sadie. Thanks for inviting us up.”

  She was surprised to see that Joel had moved closer to her. Sadie thought the heated moment in the taxi had passed, but she’d been dead wrong.

  Joel reached for her with no hesitation, no uncertainty. He simply grasped her waist, tugged her close and kissed her.

  Holy shit. She’d kissed enough frogs in her life to know she’d just found a prince.

  He pressed her lips apart, his tongue dipping into her mouth. She tasted the tang of beer and a hint of sweetness—wedding cake?—on his breath. It was a heady combination.

  She’d always wondered what it would be like to kiss Joel. And Oakley. So far her feeble fantasies didn’t hold a candle to the reality.

  She started slightly when Oakley stepped behind her, his hand brushing her hair to one side so he could press his lips to her neck. They kept overwhelming her with all these sexy/sweet touches.

  How could their kisses blow her mind while making her feel almost cherished?

  Joel released her. They sounded like swimmers breaking the surface in search of air.

  “You kiss good.” She was aiming for levity, but her voice was too breathy to sell it.

  Joel didn’t seem to mind. “So do you.”

  “My turn.” Oakley twisted her toward him and within seconds, she was right back in paradise, with Prince Charming number two. And Oakley fit the part perfectly too, with his dirty blond hair, blue eyes and chiseled jaw. He was basically the poster child for the Dis
ney heroes of her youth.

  She’d done some wild things in her past, but she’d never made out with two guys at the same time. A girl could get addicted to this…fast.

  Joel didn’t care when Oakley cut in. Instead, he raised the bar as he pressed his chest to her back, his arms snaking around her so he could cup her breasts.

  She gasped, the action breaking her union with Oakley. Oakley narrowed his eyes in confusion until he glanced down and saw what had prompted the sound. Then he grinned, gave her a wicked wink and started kissing her again. Joel squeezed her breasts, gently at first, but then he pressed tighter.

  Her even-keel, no-nonsense-friend Joel had a dark side. She wouldn’t have pegged him as such a dominant guy, but there was no mistaking he liked his lovin’ with a rough edge.

  That knowledge was dangerous because she liked the same thing. The way he was touching her, pinching her nipples—holy fucking hotness—was going to make it harder for her to put things back to right tomorrow. When she was sober.

  “Take us to your bedroom.”

  Sadie broke off her kiss with Oakley to look over her shoulder at Joel as he made his demand. “Ask nicely.”

  Joel’s lips tipped up at the edges. Then he lifted the hem of her dress to reveal her panties. Before she knew what he was planning, he slapped her ass. Hard. It hurt and turned her on all at the same time.

  “Take us to your bedroom. Please.”

  Adding the final word certainly didn’t make it sound like less of a command, but Sadie didn’t give a damn. She was into this side of Joel’s personality.

  “Jesus, bro,” Oakley muttered. “You gotta scale back on that macho shit. It’s starting to work on me.”

  Sadie giggled when she spotted Oakley’s very apparent erection poking through his dress pants. Joel didn’t seem quite as amused.

  Oakley Fox was very open about his sexuality—his bi-sexuality. He didn’t discriminate when it came to lovers. Boys or girls, he liked them all the same.

  “Oakley.” For the first time since they’d entered her apartment, Joel seemed to waver in his resolve.

  Hell no.

  She grasped his hand and dragged him to her bedroom before he could reconsider. She still had a lot of champagne flowing through her veins, heating up her girlie bits. She wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot.

  When they entered the room, Joel wasted no time taking things to a completely new level. He gripped the bottom of her dress and tugged it over her head in one fell swoop. The dress had a low back, so she’d gone braless. She wasn’t packing enough on top for that to be a problem. She wasn’t exactly-flat chested, but she was no stranger to padded bras either.

  Neither man appeared to be disappointed.

  “Shit, Sadie,” Oakley murmured reverently. He stepped closer, compelled to run his finger along the edges of the watercolor hummingbird tat that rested over her right breast. “That’s incredible.”

  She lifted her shoulder, pleased. Not all the guys she went out with liked her tattoos. “I go to this guy in New Orleans. I figure if it’s going to be there forever, I want it to be perfect. Caleb is the best. He’s done all my art.” She turned to show them the hibiscus on her left shoulder. They’d already seen the Celtic knot on her wrist, the fleur de lis on her ankle and the infinity symbol on her foot. Like her apartment, her tats were eclectic. If she saw something she liked, something that spoke to her, she got it.

  Later, she’d give them a peek at the butterfly on her ass. Maybe she’d even confess to what it was covering up.

  “I’ve always liked this,” Joel lightly touched her belly button ring. Sometimes she wore crop tops just to show off a new ring or whenever she felt like annoying her dad. While he didn’t mind the piercings or the tats, he hated when she wore clothes that were too revealing. Typical father response.

  “Had enough of the tour?” she teased once they’d looked their fill.

  Oakley laughed, his fingers stroking the side of her silk panties. “Sort of leaving out the best part, aren’t you?”

  She gave him a flirty grin. “You think you’re up for the rest?”

  He groaned and grabbed her hand, tugging her to the bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress, making it easy for her to straddle his thighs. She crawled on, facing him, kissing him and pressing her pussy against his hard cock, still trapped in his pants.

  Oakley gripped her ass tightly, pulling her against him tighter. Neither of them seemed capable of getting enough.

  She hadn’t forgotten Joel was in the room, though she’d lost track of him. He remained somewhere behind her. She could feel his gaze on them, watching them. What the hell was he thinking of this?

  She’d never considered herself a threesome girl, but she could definitely see the appeal. Like Oakley, she wasn’t fussed with limits much. She’d done some hot-and-heavy making out and fondling with a girl back in high school and really enjoyed it. Sadie was a little too fond of being fucked with real dicks to go there permanently, but that wasn’t to say she would turn down the experience again if it presented itself.

  However, Joel was as straight as Oakley was wiggly. Sadie was sort of amazed he was here, taking part in this.

  “God,” Oakley groaned. “Gotta fuck you, Sade.”

  She reached for the button on his pants, but never made it to her destination. Joel suddenly made his presence known. He grasped both of her wrists and pulled them behind her back, holding them there, his large hands her shackles.

  Her pussy clenched hungrily. Oh hell yeah. She may not have fantasized about a ménage, but bondage was another thing entirely. Unfortunately, she’d never dated anyone she trusted enough to tie her up.

  Joel tightened his grip, causing her back to arch slightly, her breasts forced farther out. “What’s your hurry?”

  Using his hold on her hands, he pulled her off Oakley’s lap. “Pull down the covers, Oak.” Then—much to her dismay—Joel released her hands. Her annoyance was short-lived when he tugged off his tie, unbuttoned his shirt and stripped it off.

  Oakley responded to Joel’s demand, but Sadie could see what the dominant side of his friend was doing to him. Poor Oakley was as turned on as she was and fighting like the devil to hide it.

  Once the bedspread was lowered, Oakley took off his own tie and shirt, climbed onto the mattress and scooted over to make room for her and Joel. Oakley was waiting for her as she and Joel lay down. He resumed their kiss, his hands caressing every part of her body he could reach, stroking her breasts, her waist, her hips.

  Joel claimed the place behind her, his covered cock nudging against her ass. She pushed against it, seeking stimulation, hoping to encourage him to fuck her. Instead, he gripped her hips and rubbed his erection against her harder. She resented the feeling of his light cotton pants. She wanted flesh on flesh. Needed it.

  Her head was swimming in a sea of alcohol and arousal. It was one hell of a buzz.

  She flipped to her back when the heat of the kisses and the closeness of their two huge, muscular bodies became too much.

  “God. Please.” She reached down, intent on stripping both men out of their pants at the same time.

  Both men.

  Both.

  Two.

  The thought made her pause. Her hands were resting on two very hard, very ready cocks. She struggled to suck in a deep breath.

  What the fuck was she doing?

  “Um…”

  Her arousal flickered out as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on her.

  Joel must have sensed her hesitation and panic because he grasped her wrist, pulling it away from his dick.

  “What are we doing?” he asked, his words mimicking her thoughts.

  She shook her head slowly, common sense rearing its ugly head. “I don’t know.”

  Oakley apparently hadn’t caught up. “We’re having sex. The hottest fucking sex ever.”

  She looked at him and bit her lower lip.

  Oakley’s expression fell as realization
dawned hard. “Shit.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “Sadie—”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I…this…it isn’t…” She started to say right, but that was wrong. The problem was, this felt entirely too right. But sobriety was starting to clear a path and the voice of Sober Sadie was yelling for her to stop. “We wouldn’t be here, doing this, if we weren’t drunk. I know I said wedding hookups were all about sex and regrets, but I don’t want to feel that way about you guys.”

  “You’re right,” Joel admitted. “We shouldn’t be here.”

  Oakley didn’t agree. “You’re joking, right? I don’t give a fuck how much we drank. There’s no way you two can lay here and tell me this isn’t fucking awesome.”

  Oakley was the only man in town capable of out-cursing her. Which was saying something, considering her gutter mouth.

  “Oak,” Joel started. Sadie recognized the tone as much as Oakley. Joel was about to issue one of his you have to be responsible speeches. She and Oakley had both been on the receiving end of them before, given their rather reckless approaches to life.

  Oakley sat up, rising from the bed. “Save it. Tonight’s not happening. I get it. I gotta take care of something.” Sadie would have laughed when he pointed to his erection if she hadn’t felt so guilty. “Where’s your bathroom, Sadie?”

  She pointed to a door on the left and Oakley stormed out. She released a long sigh. “Guess I screwed that up.”

  Joel gripped her shoulder, turning her toward him. “I share a room in the bunkhouse with that horny bastard. He’s no stranger to his hand. Besides, we all got carried away. It’s alright.”

  She studied his face, the dominant man had faded away and the friendly Joel she’d always known returned. “I have to admit your bedroom persona wasn’t what I expected.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Sade.” The word was laced with warning, so, of course, she ignored it.

  “I mean in real life, you’re just so…”

  “I’m not going to like the word you fill in that blank with, am I?”

  She grinned. “Passive.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Seriously?”