One Ring (Suncoast Society #28)(23)

Okay, her first buzz since college. Hell, there were a lot of things she hadn’t done since she and Mike had gotten married.

Having carefree fun was at the top of that unfortunate list.

She opened the sliding glass doors out to the lanai and left them open, letting the perfectly balmy breeze coast in from outside. It was one of those rare Florida days where the temperature was perfect, the humidity was low, and the breeze was light.

They had maybe five perfect days a year like this. She wanted to enjoy it.

Mike had always groused if she left the doors and windows open. His allergies, the dust, the pollen. Why bother living inside if they’d just open the windows and doors? Might as well live in a tent.

She took a long pull off the bottle.

Fuck.

Staring down into the serene surface of the pool, she realized how much of herself she’d given up to Mike.

Fifteen years she’d never get back. Sure, she’d thought they were really good years at the time, but here she was now, starting over, renting a room in a house with two guys, and she wasn’t even getting laid.

“Goddammit!” she muttered.

“Sorry?”

She jumped, spinning around. She hadn’t seen Carl hunkered down in the hot tub. “Oh, sorry. That wasn’t directed at you.” She walked over and perched on the edge, now feeling a little self-conscious that she didn’t have panties on.

“Thinking about Mike?”

Why deny it? “Yeah.”

“Did everything go okay today?”

She sighed. “It was easy. Fifteen years…” She snapped her fingers. “Gone.”

“Been there, done that. Want to borrow my T-shirt?”

She smiled. Carl could always make her smile. With his green eyes and dark-blond, nearly brown hair, he was handsome. She liked that he actually got out and did things other than housework and chores. He worked on his car.

He actually drove places in his car. Including several times the three of them had gone to local car shows in it.

They had fun together.

They did things that didn’t involve grocery shopping, work, or errands to buy stuff for the house.

They lived.

“Depends on how long your T-shirt is. Can I wear it like a dress?” She met his gaze as she took another swallow of beer.

She hoped she looked seductive. She was so damn out of practice it was hard to tell.

He leaned over sideways, toward her, head craning to look at her. “I don’t know. You going to go commando when you wear it?”

Heat filled her face.

When she started to brush down the hem of her sundress, he laughed. “I’m teasing you, sweetie.”

That only deepened her blush.

He noticed.

“Hey…” The eyebrow arched as he moved closer. “Is someone feeling a little bit of a breeze downstairs?”

She averted her gaze before nodding and quickly taking another swallow of beer.

He reached a hand over and, with just his thumb and forefinger, plucked the hem of her sundress and lifted it. “Niiice. Good to see you all shaved down there on a non-play day.”

“Seems like someone requested I keep myself like that.” Gawd, it felt like lava flowing through her cheeks, not blood. They usually didn’t banter like this outside of playing. Always friendly, sometimes flirty, but never so blatantly sexual.

“Someone certainly did.” He released the hem of her dress and sat back. “Good girl.”

When she looked, the smile he wore nearly made her come right there. How could the man do that to her? Without even touching her clit?

Hell, both of them could do it to her.

Don walked out onto the lanai. He looked freshly showered and wore shorts and nothing else. He also carried a bottle of beer. “There you all are.” He walked over and leaned against the hot tub. “Did I miss a staff meeting?”

“Check this out,” Carl said. Before she could stop him, he’d reached over again and lifted her sundress.

Don tipped his head to get a better view. “Ooh, niiice. Good girl.”

“That’s what I told her.”

Now her cheeks absolutely flamed. She’d be catching on fire in a minute and need to jump in the pool.

She pressed the cold bottle of beer against her right cheek, then her left one.

“I think you embarrassed her,” Don said.

When she looked, his blue eyes twinkled with mischief. He was overdue for a haircut, and his brown locks were starting to develop a little bit of a curl to them.

Hell, she was nearly single by legal definitions, the guys were single, and she was tired of waiting for her life to happen while she waited for her memories of her life with Mike to quit dragging her down.

“That’s okay. She’s our good girl. We can embarrass her if we want when it’s just the three of us alone.”

Her breath quickened. She knew this was a tipping point if she ever felt one.

And she wanted to fall.

Hard.

Because she instinctively knew their arms would be waiting to safely catch her.

“Because as of today, you’re officially our good girl now, aren’t you?” Carl asked.

She nodded.

“Then say it,” Don told her.

Her mouth went dry. She swallowed, then whispered, “I’m your good girl.”