A Delicious Taboo (2 page)

“Well, I still don’t think she’ll go home with you two,” Van smirked.

6 Jennifer Cole

“Hmmm, you seem pretty sure of yourself,” Philip said with a hint of irritation behind his words.

“Yeah, we are.” Calen leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms with confidence.

“Well, then, smart-ass, let’s let Mel decide which twosome she wants to be a third with, huh?” Again Philip glanced over his shoulder toward the bar. Making eye contact with the focus of their conversation, he motioned for a round for the table and blew Melanie a kiss.

Mel nodded and finished serving a customer.

“We’re going to do this now?” Jake and Calen asked together in surprise.

“Good idea. We should settle this once and for all. Two of us will be taking Melanie home tonight. May the best men win.” Van offered his hand to shake on the deal.

“May the best men win,” Philip repeated.

She’d been watching the foursome for the last twenty minutes or so, and their discussion appeared more heated than usual. Although she hadn’t heard a word they were saying, she could see the tense expressions marring each of their gorgeous faces. Curious, she wondered what they could possibly be discussing to get them so fired up.

Six months before, Melanie had met the four friends as a group the same night she’d started bartending at the club. They’d been sitting at the same table as now, laughing and carrying on like college kids after a final exam. One or all of them visited the club three or four times a week, usually to unwind after work. And she’d fallen for them…all four of them. Well, as much as a straight girl could fall for a quartet of gay men. Melanie was not deluded however; she knew her infatuation was one-sided, but that didn’t stop her from secretly lusting after the group of friends.

Approaching their table, she set their respective brands of beer in front of them.

A Delicious Taboo

7

Philip wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. His actions surprised her, and she stumbled trying to regain her footing.

“We need you to settle an argument for us, honey.” He took her hand in his, turned it over, and placed a gentle kiss, with some tongue, on her palm.

Now, her curiosity eating at her and shivering noticeably, Mel sucked in a breath.

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“We want to know which pair of us you’d like to come home with tonight,” Philip stated.

Mel gasped in shock, her eyes growing as big as saucers. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah, babe, which pair of us do you want to come home with?” A sly grin crossed Jake’s lips.

As she turned what felt like twelve shades of red before them, four smiles of amusement met her stunned gaze. Oh, my God! Mel thought. Were they fucking serious?

Did they know how she felt about them? How she’d love nothing more than to take them up on their offer? There was no way she could choose just one couple; she was greedy and wanted all four of them.

For the most part, Mel considered herself a quiet sort of girl. Preferring to keep to herself, she allowed very few a glimpse into her personal life. However, over the past few months, the four friends had somehow managed to burst through her defenses, gaining access into her personal space. She’d opened up to them in such a short period of time, more than she had with anyone else in probably her entire life.

Deep down, she knew it just wouldn’t be enough to gain serious interest from the men sitting in front of her.

Finding her womanly body and ample boobs to be a more than adequate display of her femininity, Mel did little else to draw attention to herself. Clips or a scrunchy kept her long dark curls from hanging in her face. A tube of mascara and a colorless lip gloss were the 8 Jennifer Cole

extent of the contents in her makeup bag. Being called a “plain Jane” didn’t bother her in the least; in fact, as far as she was concerned, the fewer people who noticed her, the better.

Melanie knew she wasn’t exciting enough, or pretty enough, or educated enough.

She just wasn’t enough.

Sure, men looked at her all the time, or rather, looked at her breasts, but none ever approached her. She’d convinced herself years earlier she just wasn’t dateworthy.

The attention the foursome showed her while patronizing the club she viewed as polite customer/bartender relations and nothing more. They were four gay men in committed relationships, and gay men weren’t interested in hooking up with a straight, plain-Jane woman.

Christ, if straight men couldn’t be bothered hitting on her or flirting with her, what the hell would make her think four gay men would? Anything outside of a platonic, work-related relationship with the friends was so far out of the realm of possibility that she just couldn’t stress herself with thinking about it further.

However hopeful, Melanie decided they were just teasing her, and masking her hurt, she composed herself, pulling out of Philip’s grasp. “Now, what would you guys want with little old me when you have each other to take home?” She flirted, batting her long dark lashes.

“Believe me, honey, there is lots we’d like to do to you,” Van purred across the table.

Mel groaned at his statement, thinking about all the delicious sexual things she would love to try with them. With effort, she swallowed down the words, Take me now, dammit.

She needed to put an end to this conversation quickly, to place some space between her and them, before she did something she might regret. Like throwing herself at their feet and begging them to follow through with their proposition. No matter the cost.

“Now, boys,” she teased, sticking out her bottom lip, feigning her feelings were hurt.

“You know it’s not nice to play with a girl’s emotions…teasing me like that.” The shocked A Delicious Taboo

9

look on their faces brought a smug smile to Mel’s lips. Oops! Had she hurt their feelings?

That certainly wasn’t her intention. Hell, they were the ones who’d started with the teasing in the first place, almost tempting her into taking them up on their offer.

“I’ve got ten minutes to the end of my shift; I need to go cash out.” She flicked the tip of her wet, pink tongue over her bottom lip. All four men shifted in their seats. “This has been a lot of fun, really…but listen, I think maybe you guys have had too much to drink, propositioning me and all. You better ask Justin to call you a cab, okay?” She offered the table a wink. “You boys have a nice night.”

After collecting the empties littering their table, she cashed out her till and disappeared through the kitchen door with a wave.

* * * * *

“She turned us down,” Jake mumbled, dejected.

“I don’t think she thought we were serious,” Van replied.

“Of course she wouldn’t think we were serious! Do you blame her? That was fucking pathetic, blindsiding her,” Calen said.

“Yeah, shit, what was she suppose to think -- four gay guys hitting on a heterosexual woman -- of course she wouldn’t take us seriously,” Jake agreed. “She doesn’t know we’ve all been with women in the past, and now we choose to be with men.”

“It’s your fault, asshole!” Calen said angrily. “‘Hey, let’s see who she wants to go home with,’” he snarled in a mocking tone.

“Okay, okay,” Philip raised his hands in defense. “You’re right, I didn’t think, I’m sorry.

I don’t think all is lost, but we’re no further ahead than we were an hour ago. Now what do we do?”

10 Jennifer Cole

“No problem.” Van leaned on the table. “Listen up…”

The four friends settled in to devise a plan to seduce Melanie Drake.

A Delicious Taboo

11

Melanie was halfway through her shift at the nightclub when the four hunky friends made their appearance. Wednesday was football night, and they walked into the club wearing ratty old jerseys and sweatpants, and were covered with dirt from head to toe.

Mel set a pitcher of cold beer and four frosty glasses in the middle of their table. “I’ve put the order in for your nachos and wings, suicide for three and mild for Philip.” With a wink at Philip, she shook her head, taking in their appearance. “You guys get filthier every week. I thought you played ‘touch’ football.” She chuckled.

“We do, but every now and again some thug forgets the rules,” Van bit out.

“Christ, I said I was sorry, Van. Jeez, I tripped; it’s not like I tackled you on purpose.”

Jake’s confession seemed sincere.

“Do boys ever grow up?” Melanie joked more to herself than to the men “Your food will be up shortly. I’ll bring you another pitcher with it.”

“Thanks, sweetheart, you’re the best,” Calen said.

“Yeah, right. I’m just the bringer of the beer.”

“Oh, you’re more than that.” Philip winked at her before she could walk away.

12 Jennifer Cole

Heat raced through Mel’s body, her pussy near dripping, and her breasts aching. God, they had no idea what they did to her. Melanie wasn’t ashamed to admit her self-control was zip when any of them were around. The proposition they’d made a couple of days earlier, offering her the opportunity to fulfill her darkest fantasy, had sent her raging libido right off the deep end. Although her pussy had been screaming, Yes, fuck them, her mind still had difficulty figuring out if their proposal had been serious.

Calen and Van were alone when Mel approached a couple of hours later to clean off their table. Their discussion stopped abruptly at her arrival, feeding her anxiety. “Sorry to interrupt guys, I just wanted to clean up your dishes and empties before I leave. I’ll just be a minute.”

Van reached for her hand, but she snatched it back before he touched her. He looked offended by her action, and immediately, she felt terrible. She really had to get over her jumpiness. “I’m really sorry, Van. You startled me. I guess I’m a little edgy tonight.”

His look softened, and he smiled a suggestive grin at her. “No harm done, sweetheart.

And you weren’t interrupting anything. Calen and I were trying to decide whether or not you would accept our dinner invitation.”

Mel’s heart stopped. Her body hummed with the naughty thoughts suddenly swarming her brain. Oh, Christ, it’s just dinner they’re inviting you to. It’s not like they’re asking you to jump into bed with them.

“Oh. Well, it looked a little more intense than that.” She shrugged and replied with a nod, “Dinner would be nice. I’d love to.” Right, she’d love to. “When? Where? What should I wear?”

Calen chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Friday night. You wouldn’t be too disappointed coming to our place for a barbeque, would you?”

A Delicious Taboo

13

“Absolutely not!

-- are you kidding?” she answered, a little too eagerly. “I mean…barbeque, your place…that would be great. I’m a ‘stay in’ kind of girl, anyway. What can I bring? Salad, dessert, appetizers?” Handcuffs, whipped cream, a blindfold?

“Just bring your gorgeous smile, honey. And a bathing suit,” Van winked. “Well, it doesn’t really matter. If you forget the suit, we can always skinny-dip.”

Mel gasped audibly. Oh, my God! Swimming naked with the two of them would be…

“Great,” Calen interrupted her dirty thoughts. “Friday it is, then. Here’s our address, and our home and cell numbers. We’re all off Friday, so why don’t you come by mid-afternoon?”

“All right, see you then,” she agreed.

When Calen and Van left, Melanie exhaled a nervous breath. “Oh no, what am I getting myself into?”

14 Jennifer Cole

Melanie rode her motorcycle into the driveway around four on Friday afternoon and pulled up beside Van’s 1969 Porsche 718 convertible. Climbing off her bike, she removed her helmet and shook her hair loose. The gate to the backyard opened, and Van and Calen came out to greet her.

“Wow, nice ride,” Calen said, checking out her Ducati Superbike 1098. “I’ve seen this at the club, but I had no idea it was yours.”

“Thanks. Do you want to take her for a spin?” she asked, watching him admiring the bike.

“You wouldn’t mind?” His brows shot up in surprise.

“Not at all,” Mel replied, handing him her helmet. “Have fun.”

Van placed his hand against the small of Mel’s back and escorted her into the backyard after Calen pulled out of the driveway on her motorcycle.

She shivered as the heat from his hand scorched her through her jacket.

“Any trouble finding us?” Van asked.

“Nope, your directions were bang on.” Mel cringed at her use of the word “bang.” She hadn’t been able to get her mind out of the gutter since Calen and Van invited her over.

A Delicious Taboo

15

Dropping her backpack onto the seat of one of the chairs, she took off her denim jacket, draping it over the back.

“I know you said not to bring anything, but I wasn’t comfortable with that, so…” She opened the pack, pulling out two six-packs of Corona and a plastic dish filled with cut limes.

“I hope this is okay,” she said, biting her lower lip nervously.

As Mel bit her lower lip, Van’s cock swelled with painful need. Christ, he groaned to himself, Calen better return soon, or he’ll catch me fucking Melanie right here on the table.

“That’s perfect, honey. It’ll go great with the steak and grilled prawns.” He took the beer from her and carried it to the fridge under the outdoor bar.

Across the deck, Van studied Mel as her gaze swept over the yard. With her eyes closed and head tilted, he enjoyed the rise of her breasts as she inhaled deeply. The aroma of fresh-cut grass scented the air. A soft smile played upon her lips, making his balls tighten as he wondered what she was thinking.

With the help of the elderly widow next door, the yard had been landscaped with a couple of small gardens, planter baskets -- nothing ostentatious. Off the deck, the water in the in-ground swimming pool sparkled invitingly. If he read her expression correctly, Van knew Melanie delighted in the simplicity of their gardening efforts.

Van had picked up early on that Mel liked to keep to herself. She had a small circle of friends, and he knew she wasn’t romantically involved with anyone. The foursome had discussed a few times that they all found her quiet demeanor alluring. And speculated, given the right circumstances, she would be a wildcat.