ThreesACharm Read online

  Three's A Charm

  by Myla Jackson

  Copyright © 2011, Myla Jackson. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Editor: Layla Chase

  Cover artist: Myla Jackson

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Three's A Charm

  "Are you crazy?" Audrey hissed under her breath.

  A smile lifted the corners of Charli Sutton's lips. "Maybe, but I've never been more sexually...stimulated as this." Her hand rose to touch her breast through her tank top with a beer advertisement plastered all over the front. With near-giddy anticipation, she glanced around at the people lounging in lawn chairs outside Ed Judson's new two-story ranch house. If she hadn't RSVP'd a week ago, she'd have skipped Ed's house-warming barbeque to prepare for the night ahead.

  "You should have called the cops," her boss and best friend exclaimed.

  Charli's brows rose, her eyes widening. "You think a cop would have joined and made it a threesome?" She bit back the laughter bubbling up inside at Audrey's horrified expression.

  "No. I'd hope he'd arrest the bastards for gang raping you." Her voice rose with each word.

  Kendall Mason glanced in their direction, a worried frown pressing her eyebrows together.

  With a reassuring smile, Charli wiggled her fingers at Kendall then dragged Audrey farther away from the group. "Shhh. I was not raped."

  "You willingly let two men pretending to be cops cuff you, blindfold you and do carnal things to your body on a public highway?"

  Charli cringed at the recounting of the events. "That does sound awful, doesn't it?" But the sensuality of the experience flooded her. She couldn't hold back the smile for long, it burst through, her chest swelling with excitement. "I haven't been this turned-on in months. Hell, years.” She flung out her arms and spun in a circle laughing, staggering to a stop, still grinning. “You know the best part?”

  “What, that you’ve completely lost your mind?”

  “Yes, no. That we have another,” Charli frowned, hesitating before she finished the sentence, “date, tonight.”

  “Date?” Audrey shook her head. “Is that what you call fucking in a pool and on the highway?”

  With a shrug, Charli looked away. "Well, sort of."

  "Did you go out to dinner?"

  "No."

  "Did you have a drink?" Audrey crossed both arms over her chest, a foot tapping the ground.

  Charli didn't like the way this conversation was going. Mostly because Audrey had a point. She held her breath, knowing the next question Audrey would ask.

  "Did they bother to tell you their names?"

  To Audrey that had to be the deal breaker.

  To Charli, that had been what made the last two mad, crazy, insane nights so incredible. A shiver ran over her skin. She still didn't know who her cowboys were. Especially her cowboy number one, or as she'd dubbed him...the Original Sin.

  "Got you on that one, did I?" Audrey nodded, her mouth drawn into a smug line.

  That warm tingly feeling bubbled up in Charli again and she hugged her arms around herself. "Nope. I still don't know his name and right now, I don't care. I like the mystery. That fact makes me crazy with lust."

  With a shake of her head, Audrey sighed. "You're hopeless."

  "Yeah," Charli agreed without remorse. "I am."

  "Well, there's only one thing left to do?"

  "There is?"

  "Yes, ma'am. I have to go with you on your date."

  "I beg your pardon?"

  Audrey grinned. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't protect you from a man determined to take advantage of you?"

  "Oh, honey.” Charli shook her head. “I want him to take advantage of me. Please, don't do me any favors."

  Her friend smiled. "Okay, but I don't like all this secrecy. I wonder what he's hiding beneath his hat."

  "Who cares? He makes me smile." Especially when he touched her in all the right places.

  "He or they?"

  "Mostly him—the Original Sin."

  "Catchy nickname." Audrey shot a glance at the group of friends gathered in the yard. "Do you think he might be one of Ed's friends?"

  Charli had been wondering that herself. Last night she'd have put money on Connor Mason being her man in the black Stetson. She gazed across at her colleague Kendall Mason sitting on Ed Judson's knee and sighed, wishing she had a guy she cared enough about to sit in his lap in public. Someone she wouldn't be bored with in five minutes.

  Her gaze shifted to Kendall's brother stepping out the back door with a tray of raw hamburgers. Tall, light brown hair, blue eyes and ripped. Every muscle outlined by the tight T-shirt stretched over his shoulders. The guy was hot and he made Charli sizzle in all the right places.

  Her pussy creamed as she studied Connor. Hell, ever since the first night her guy in the black cowboy hat had dared her to skinny dip in the judge's pool, she'd been studying every man at the Ugly Stick Saloon where she worked, and now here in Kendall's backyard. Her senses were heightened, especially those involving her sex drive. Everywhere she looked, every male could potentially be the one. She was a bitch in heat, sniffing out the dog she'd hook up with.

  At the thought of doing it with her Original Sin, doggy style, her nipples tightened and another wash of juices drenched her panties. She glanced down at Connor's crotch, noting how it bulged nicely and wondering what he looked like naked. When she glanced up again, Connor was gazing her way, a smile tugging at his lips.

  "Damn!" She shifted, turning away from the gathering, uncomfortably aware of how turned on she was and that Connor had caught her staring at his package. Did she have sex on the brain? Hell, yes. And to think she wouldn't even see her mystery man until midnight. With a glance at her watch, she groaned. Eight o'clock? Really? Four more hours?

  "Penny for your thoughts?"

  A deep male voice sounded next to her ear. Charli jumped.

  Connor stood at her side. Having ditched the burgers, he held an ice-cold bottle of beer, his clear blue eyes twinkling in the sunshine.

  Her body on fire, with no extinguisher to douse the flames, heat rose in Charli's cheeks and she coughed into her fist to disguise its cause. "I don't think you want to know my thoughts."

  "That good?" His lips twitched as if he shared her joke.

  Did he have any idea what she'd just been thinking? Guilt skittered at the bottom of her stomach. Could he read her like an open book? Probably, since she'd practically been drooling over his crotch.

  He tipped the bottle, his throat working as he swallowed the cool liquid.

  Charli couldn't help staring at where his full, sensuous lips caressed the rounded edge of the bottle's rim. Her sensitized nipples contracted, her belly clenching.

  He tossed the empty bottle into a trash can and turned to Charli. "Still thinking of leaving Temptation?"

  Charli's head spun with a dozen questions she wanted to ask. What did he mean? Why was he asking? Was he her Original Sin? Was he testing her to see if
she'd had enough of the mystery dates? What if she was wrong?

  Before she could push anything remotely intelligent past her lips, he chuckled.

  "I take that as a yes."

  "No," Charli blurted. "I mean, I haven't even thought of leaving, lately." The realization shocked her. For the past two days, not once had she been bored or thinking about moving back to Austin. All because of one man with a black cowboy hat and a body that completely rocked her socks. She pressed her thighs together. And he had friends!

  "That's good. I'd like to get to know you better. What are you doing after the party?"

  "Why?" Charli said before she pulled her head out of the sensual clouds induced by her midnight capers and concentrated on the equally alluring Connor. He wanted to get to know her better? What...had she struck the jackpot of men?

  He shook his head. "Not the answer I was looking for. Want a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone at the drive through?"

  Charli squirmed, she could have kicked herself for her inane response to his first question. Now she'd have to turn him down altogether. Damn it, any other evening she would go out with him, but tonight she had plans. She had to leave enough time to get dolled up. Her mystery man had left her a note to meet him at the back of the furniture store at midnight, wearing a dress, of all things.

  Connor's smile disappeared. "Sorry. I thought you might be interested. My bad." He turned to walk away.

  Charli reached out and touched his arm. "No, really. I'd love to go out for coffee. Just not tonight. I have...plans."

  He faced her again and grinned. "How about tomorrow?"

  Her excitement faded. "I have to work."

  Connor's brow furrowed. "I forgot...at the Ugly Stick, right?"

  "Right."

  "That's at night, isn't it? How about lunch?"

  Charli laughed. "I can do lunch."

  "Great. Then it's a date." Connor stuck out his hand.

  Charli took it and shook, all at once awkward and just a little bit disappointed. If Connor was trying to make plans with her for tonight, he obviously wasn't her mystery man. Then again, he was beautiful, Charli hadn't committed to ever-after with the cowboy and the date was just lunch.

  "Excuse me, I need to check on the burgers." He hurried toward the grill where flames licked at the edges of the sizzling beef.

  Audrey sidled close, her brows rising. "What was all the handshaking about?"

  "Nothing." Charli brushed her hand across her thigh.

  "Spill, lady, or I'll go ask Connor."

  "Fine. I have a lunch date with Connor tomorrow."

  Audrey squealed like a teenager. "That's more like it. Then you're not going to meet with the mass murderer at midnight?"

  "Of course I am." Charli beamed. "I'm sure to have sex tonight. Whereas I'll probably only get lunch tomorrow."

  Audrey slapped a palm against her forehead. "I thought I taught you better."

  "Oh, honey, you did." Charli laid a hand on Audrey's arm. "You definitely did. Like you, I know what I want and I'm not waiting for it to find me. I'm going after it." Her core heated and her body hummed with excitement. Bring on the night. Charli Sutton was horny as hell and looking to get fucked thoroughly.

  Several hours later, Charli parked her truck a block over at the edge of an apartment building and checked the clock in the dashboard. Five minutes. She'd chosen this parking lot for a reason. After almost getting caught skinny-dipping at the judge's swimming pool, she needed an easy getaway location.

  The clandestine meeting had her hands damp and clammy and a bead of sweat running down between her breasts before she even stepped out into the balmy Texas night. Her hair escaped the carefully tucked pins, defying Charli's attempt at a sophisticated chignon. Hell the closest she'd come to an up-do was a ponytail braided and curled around the rubber band. The loose curls she'd worked on for hours had already started falling from the pins.

  Damn. Well, it couldn't be helped. If she'd planned this outfit right, the Original Sin wouldn't be looking at her hair, he'd zero in on the V of her long black dress. The gap dropped down almost to her belly button with nothing more than thick swaths of near-sheer fabric covering her breasts. The skirt completely covered her legs when she stood still. With each step, the slits on the sides parted to her hips. If anyone looked closely enough, they'd see she had chosen to go commando as the note had implied. Where a dress and nothing else.

  Her nipples puckered as she stepped from the car, her thigh exposed to the hot Texas night. Already her pussy creamed in anticipation of what her cowboy had in mind.

  Hugging the shadows, she strode along the sidewalk, the stars above glimmering brightly, lighting her way. As she neared the back of the furniture store, disappointment was quickly followed by uneasiness. Nobody awaited her arrival. The structure looked closed up tight and no light shone over the stoop, welcoming her.

  She stopped a few feet short of her destination, feeling silly and ready to run for safety. But the past two nights had been too good to give up without the requisite wait. She shrugged and stepped up to the building's back entrance. No sooner had she started tapping her red stilettos on the concrete than the store's back door opened.

  The Original Sin, dressed in a tuxedo, black cowboy boots and hat, held out a hand. "We've been expecting you."

  Charli gulped, placed her fingers in his and crossed the threshold. Once inside with the door pulled closed, her mystery man led her through the storage area where furniture was assembled and out onto the showroom floor.

  A grand dining table had been set for two, complete with lit candles, full wine glasses and from the looks of the plates, filet mignon. The aroma of succulent steaks wafted toward her, making her tummy rumble. She'd skipped the hamburgers of earlier that evening at Ed Judson's barbeque, too keyed up to eat a thing. Now, all at once, she found herself famished and energized.

  She glanced up, hoping to catch a glimpse of his eyes beneath the cowboy hat.

  Tonight, instead of relying on shadows, he wore a black swatch of material in the shape of a Zorro mask.

  Her heart flipped and butterflies swarmed in her stomach, as she nearly swooned at how closely Original Sin resembled one of her favorite movie heroes of all time. She swallowed hard on the excitement rising up in her throat and focused on the table. She couldn't decide if she wanted to eat steak or cowboy first. "This is very nice."

  "Thanks." He smiled. "We tried."

  Charli’s lips twisted. "That's the second time you've said 'we'. Do you have company, or is there a mouse in your pocket?"

  He laughed, the sound deep and titillating, making Charli's decision easy. Eat the cowboy, the steak could wait.

  Her Original Sin waved his hand in the air and two more men dressed in tuxedos, matching black hats, boots and masks stepped out of the shadows, grins pulling at their cheeks. Neither said a word, just nodded and pulled out a chair for Original Sin and herself to take a seat.

  Charli glanced at them nervously. What was with the clones in tuxedoes? "Are you two going to eat with us?"

  "We've already eaten," the one holding her chair said.

  She recognized his voice from the previous night.

  "We're here to serve," added the new cowboy.

  Equally tall, built and yummy, the man had testosterone oozing from every pore. Charli could think of ways he could serve that had nothing to do with food.

  He left the room and returned with a fiddle and drew the bow over the strings in a light, romantic tune, setting the mood for the elaborate dinner.

  The Original Sin motioned to her plate. "Please, eat."

  While Charli would rather start with the cowboy, she lifted her fork to her mouth with the first bite of an orgasmically delicious filet mignon. "Umm...this is to die for."

  "So glad you approve."

  She waved at the table, the candles and the food. "Why all this?"

  "I wanted to take you out on a date. It had to be private, in luxurious surroundings, with the finest ser
vice loyalty can buy." He waved a hand at the two men. While the new guy played the violin, the fake cop from the previous night slid into his role as waiter, adding and removing plates and refilling the wine glasses.

  Charli squirmed in her chair, her heart palpitating over The Original Sin's emphasis on the word service. She wanted to question him. Did he mean anything by the word choice? Would the other two guys come into play soon? Her core tightened, longing building with every bite of the delicious meal. Her gaze went to the huge display windows at the front of the building. The candlelight reflected off the glass, giving her a false sense of intimacy. She couldn't see out, but could others see in? "Aren't you afraid someone will notice us through the windows?"

  He smiled. "All part of the plan, sweetheart. Nothing makes a situation more intense than a little added danger." Original Sin's brow rose above the mask. "Am I right?"

  "You do have permission to use the store, I take it?"

  His brows rose, a sexy, bad-boy smile sliding across his face. "As I was saying...nothing makes a situation more intense than a little added danger."

  Charli's blood pounded intensely through her veins, stirring up more thoughts than she cared to admit. She gulped an unchewed portion of meat. "Okay, then. Add breaking and entering to trespass and public indecency. I'll have a criminal record longer than my arm before I even know who you are." Charli stared across the table. "Since this is a danger date, shouldn't we share more information about each other? Talk or something?" She lifted her wine glass, sipped and eyed her cowboy over the rim.

  "I know where you work, that you are bored with your life in West Texas and that you enjoy hot sex. What more do I need to know?" He lifted his wine glass toward her.

  "You know a lot about me...I'd like to be equally as knowledgeable about you." Charli leaned forward, her top loosening, a waft of cool air tickling her nipples. She was almost positive the men at her sides could view her full breasts, should they bother to look. The thought weighted her core with desire.

  "You may ask three questions." OS waved his hand. "But be warned. I guarantee no answers."