Secret Temptation [The Callens 3] (Siren Publishing M?nage Everlasting) (9 page)

Damn
. He should have closed the drapes, but he’d assumed that with Blake gone, no one would see him or come visit. April was the last person he wanted to hear him play. She’d ask questions, ones he wasn’t sure he wanted to answer.

You’re full of shit
.
You loved that she heard your music.

Having her keep her gaze on him throughout the song stirred a longing inside him. Randy wanted someone to appreciate him, and April seemed to get the mood he was trying to create. When she closed her eyes and inhaled, he knew she was connecting with his soul.

She was wrong about one thing. He couldn’t make a living playing the piano. It didn’t matter that he didn’t need much money to live. He’d made more winning cage fights than he knew what to do with. Working at a manual job was what America was about. It was honest work.

He’d been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard the door open. He wiped the steam off the clear glass shower door and saw April standing there, her eyes wide. What the hell was she doing here? Couldn’t she take a hint that he could never be with her?

Conflicting thoughts raced through him. Too bad he wanted her so bad he could taste it. He knew what his roommate was trying to do. By not being here, Blake wanted them to make love. Since moving here, the opportunity to share hadn’t come up until now. Yesterday, Blake had said he was tired of short affairs. He was ready to settle down, and April was the one.

That was the precise reason why he couldn’t give in to his urges. While he had money, he’d dropped out of college at the end of his sophomore year. April needed a man who was smart. She and Blake would be perfect together.

Nope. His sharing days with Blake were most likely over.

He needed a way to encourage April to leave without hurting her feelings. “Just so you know, I charge for the view.” He wanted his comment to sound like he was in control, even though he wasn’t.

She jutted her hip out and tilted her head, looking way too cute. “How much? I’ll pay.”

He had to laugh at that. That was one thing he liked about this pest. She was aggressive when she wanted something. He bet if he called her bluff, she’d run. He took his time washing, taking extra care with his balls and his cock, which was getting longer by the minute. He expected her to leave, but instead, she stood there with her arms crossed.

She was an interesting woman. He’d grant her that. From the way she was staring at his cock, she wanted him. His dick turned rock hard when he considered taking her. Maybe he should test-drive her. Then she’d leave him alone where he could spend his days working with the horses.

He shut off the water and stepped out.

She waved a towel. “Mind if I dry you off?”

He’d never be able to have her hands on him and not make love to her. “I know how to use one on myself.”

When he reached for the cloth she moved it out of reach. “That’s not what I asked.”

If she wanted to play her game, that was okay by him. He wouldn’t let her nearness affect him. The hard-on he had needed to disappear and quick.

“Turn around,” she demanded.

If she started on his back, it would give him time to think of every mundane chore, and his cock would deflate. He offered his back and pictured mucking the stalls, reading bills, doing taxes, and thinking of all the names the kids in school used to call him when he first came to live with Blake.

Nothing worked. Every trick he used to lose his erection was countered by her dragging the towel down his back and over his ass. She patted his butt then threaded the towel between his legs. He hoped he’d swallowed his moan. Did she have any idea what she did to him?

After she thoroughly dried both legs, she tapped his leg for him to turn around. Heat actually raced up his face when he faced her. His erect cock was at her mouth level. He warred with himself. He’d give up the piano if she’d suck on him one time. Yet if she did, he’d have to have her and that would only lead to heartbreak.

Hers
.

Randy was used to people leaving him. Because he understood abandonment, he never wanted April to feel that way about him. Bottom line, he needed to stay the hell away from her before he did some damage. God only knew if he made love to her, he’d want her forever.

All reason and logic evaporated the moment her lips touched his cock. He hadn’t had a woman in a long time, but that was not why her touch reached into his soul. She understood him probably better than he understood himself.

She cupped his sac, and he thought he’d burst apart right there. Each lick of her delicate tongue tightened his already-solid balls. He stepped out of her grasp and pulled her up by the shoulders.

Without saying a word, he bent down and picked her up. She weighed next to nothing.

“Randy?”

Words wouldn’t form. His mouth became too dry. All he could think of was sinking his cock into her sweet pussy. But first, he wanted to tease her like she’d been tormenting his dreams since the first time he’d seen her. His gaze never left her face. He loved the sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of her nose and how those lips formed a bow. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with what he guessed was delight and anticipation.

He hoped like hell he was doing the right thing. What sane man turned down someone as provocative as April Callen?

April wanted this. Blake wanted this. He sure as hell needed this.

Careful that she didn’t bang into anything, he walked her to his bedroom. April needed discipline. That much was clear. Would she like his style of punishment? He placed her on the unmade bed and strode over to the dresser where he had to sift through his underwear drawer to find what he’d been looking for.

Velvet handcuffs
. He plucked them from the drawer and dangled them from one finger. If he detected even an ounce of fear, he’d put them away. April’s chin lifted as if she dared him to tie her down.

God, but he wanted her. She was worming her way into his soul more and more each minute. Never taking his gaze off her face, he dropped the cuffs on the bed and straddled her. “You sure about this?”

He never did anything a woman didn’t want first.

“Yes.”

She couldn’t be any clearer. He unsnapped her jeans and pulled down the zipper. He glanced to her hands to see if she’d stop him, but she didn’t move a muscle. After he removed her boots and socks, he slipped her jeans and panties over her hips. At the sight of her bare pussy, pre-cum dripped out of the tip of his cock. Looking at her perfectly formed body sent his heart into overdrive. He wanted to pack her pussy more than anything he’d ever wanted.

He expected her to chatter and to challenge him. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on him. Her T-shirt came off easily. Last but not least, he unclasped her bra and flung it off.

“Now you’re mine.”

He’d never spoken a more true statement. He didn’t know if he’d crossed the line, but he needed her as much as his fingers needed to touch the ivory keys. Using the velvet cuffs, he clamped her hands over her head.

She struggled a bit, but he figured it was her way to see how much slack she’d have. Opening her legs wide, he crawled between them. He couldn’t decide where he wanted to begin. Everything about her was so delicious he could spend an hour feasting on her.

“I want all of you.” His voice cracked.
Damn
.

She closed her eyes for a second. “I’m all yours.”

Those words shot straight to his gut. He wanted to touch and taste her tits, but with her honeyed pussy right in front of him, he couldn’t help but have a taste.

* * * *

The moment Randy licked her pussy, she was a goner. A torrent of ecstasy washed over her as he flicked her clit. He grabbed her hips and held on tight as his tongue probed her. She wanted to run her hands through his thick, black hair, but with her hands tied, she was at his mercy.

Not that she should be comparing the two men, but Randy seemed more desperate than Blake. It was almost as if this was Randy’s one chance to get it right, whatever that meant. His urgency made her gush even more.

“God, you taste good.”

He released her hips. With one hand, he reached up and played with her nipple. He pressed the tip between his thumb and forefinger. The pressure drove her wild with need. With the other hand, he slipped a finger in her pussy, and she groaned at the added pleasure. He alternated between licking her and delving his finger into her. When he crooked his finger and hit her extra sensitive spot, she bucked off the bed.

“Easy.”

“Can’t.” The words failed to come out. She’d wanted to be with Randy since the first time she’d seen him. His gentleness with animals told her there was a wonderful man inside his caged body.

Why did she need him so much? She’d just had sex with Blake, which meant she wasn’t driven by lust. No, it was more than that. She wanted to heal Randy and to love him. He was untapped potential personified.

She squeezed her eyes and pretended she was the keyboard, and he was playing music on her body. He flicked her nipple back and forth before massaging her breast. She wanted his mouth on her swollen crest, but that would mean he’d have to leave her pussy, which at the moment was in heaven.

He drew her bundle of nerves into his mouth and sucked. Forgetting her hands were tied, she pulled down on them.
Damn him
. She wanted to explore the plains of his body.

“I need to feel you.”

He looked up. “If I let you go and you touch me, I won’t last. This is the only way I can love you.”

Love me, or make love to me?
Her heart tripped over itself trying to decide what he meant.

As if he’d read her mind, he slid up her body and supported himself on his elbows. He pressed down on one nipple and watched it spring back to life. He repeated that over and over, as if he wanted to see if on the tenth press, the nipple would respond differently.

“You have perfect breasts.” He pressed once more then drew the tip into his mouth.

Holy moly.
His playful attention had made the end super sensitive. When he pulled the nipple taut, the nerve endings exploded. Tingles raced down her body and shook her pussy awake.

How much more teasing could she take? Prodding him, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He grinned but continued to lavish attention on the other breast. When he used his teeth to draw the tip tight, she dropped her head back and opened her mouth. Her breath lodged deep in her throat.

“I want you now. Come on. You’re driving me crazy.”

“You are so sensitive.”

“Let me torture you and see how long you’d last, Mr. Ultimate Fighter Man.”

He laughed, and the sound went straight through to her heart.

“You are something else, little girl.”

Little girl?
That did it. “Uncuff me.” She said it with as much authority as she could muster for only being five foot three.

“Not so tough, are you?” He smiled and reached over to the side table where he’d placed the key. With a flick, she was free.

She lowered her arms and threaded her fingers through his hair. She sighed at the soft silkiness.

“Happy now?”

“In part.”

“Need me to do something else for you?”

Before she had a chance to answer, he captured her mouth. Heaven met nirvana. His kiss was demanding and thorough. She had to taste him. The moment the pressure let up, she opened her mouth and he dove right in. He probed her hard as he filled her mouth.

She used her newfound freedom to rake her fingernails down his back. The muscles rippled as he shifted his body. “I need more.”

She lifted her hips and collided with his hard abs. Surely he knew she wanted his cock.

His kiss softened, just like the end of his musical score. Instead of coming back for more, he trailed kisses down her neck.

“You smell so good.” She could barely hear him. It was almost like he was talking to himself, trying to commit the scent to memory.

He rolled over, and for a moment, she thought he’d get up and leave. Instead, he went over to the dresser and scrounged through his drawer. He returned waving a condom.

“May I?” she asked in her sweetest voice. He handed it to her. She tore open the foil package and extracted the latex. The scent of coconuts floated up to her. “Lie down on your back.”

He didn’t move for a moment then did as she asked. Giving anyone control was probably hard for a man like Randy. His cock lay flat against his body, and she needed it more upright. “Can you sit up a bit?”

He did. “Do you know how to use one of those?”

Why did he have to say everything with a chuckle? “I’m not dumb.”

“Dumb, never, but inexperienced maybe.”

Uh-oh
. Was he fishing to see if she’d slept with Blake? “Blake showed me.”

She studied his reaction but got none.

“Good.”

Taking her time, she slipped the rubber over his length. Since he’d tied her up, she wanted to be the one in control. She straddled him. “Do you think you can handle me?”

“What does that mean?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

April had every intention of playing with Randy until he couldn’t stand it any longer. From what she’d learned from having four older brothers, men, especially macho men like Randy, took pride in not ejaculating too soon. She hovered her pussy over his cock, reached down to grab hold, then slowly slid his dick into her.

Her pulse raced at the intensity, but she wouldn’t give in to her carnal lust right away. With deliberation, she slid right off and got on her knees.

“What are you doing? That felt so good.” There was almost a hint of panic in his voice.

With her ass high in the air, she leaned over and licked his nipples. He jerked a bit. Since he was packed with muscles, she cupped his pectorals and thrilled at their strength. Tattoos were scattered across his arms, but the images flowed rather than distracted. She cupped his face and kissed him once before moving over to his ear. She sucked on the lobe and her pussy almost dripped on him.

As much as she wanted to fuck him hard, her need to explore his body took precedence. Running her fingers along the shoulders, she thrilled at his intense development. Her touch was light, but it was enough to feel his muscles flex.

Randy clasped her shoulder. “I need you.”

His desperate plea made her give in to her own desires. She sat up, grabbed his cock, and guided him into her wet pussy. The relief was instant. While she wanted to torment him, it was she who couldn’t stand not having him inside her. At first, she rode him up and down, milking his cock with each withdrawal. His mouth opened slightly as if he was fighting the loss of control.

She planted her palms on his chest and increased the speed. With each stroke, the friction intensified. He reached up and palmed her tits, adding to the pleasure bubbling inside. He pressed hard on both nipples. The pain became the joy. Arching her back, she drove down faster and faster. Her climax neared.

His hands clasped her hips. “Jesus, April, you feel so fucking good.”

With her head dropped back, she rode her cowboy for all he was worth. She was so focused on the incredible journey that she didn’t hear Blake come in until he was standing next to her.
Naked
.

Having two men in the same room catapulted her to a higher plane.

Suddenly, she wasn’t able to move. Randy had her hips in a vise grip and was bucking up into her, pounding her walls. The molten joy boiled inside her. Blake turned her chin and placed his cock on her lips.

She greedily lapped up his cock. The vein pulsed. Just as Randy filled her to the max, she opened up and sucked on Blake’s hard dick. She stilled for a moment while she tried to get her bearings. Since it was difficult for her to move much, Blake held her head and gently guided his cock in and out. She squeezed down tight, and he groaned.

“Your mouth is pure bliss.”

Randy shifted her hips, and new nerve endings exploded. As she continued to love on Blake, Randy drove hard, until a cascade of pleasure so intense drenched her. She shifted her hands to his biceps and held on as her climax rocked her.

Blake must have sensed her release, or else figured from her banshee-like scream that she’d climaxed, because he increased the speed for a moment before shooting his hot jism into her mouth, coating her tonsils. She leaned back and drank in his salty juices.

With her pussy still on fire, Randy did four quick upward thrusts until he held tight at the end. His cock throbbed and enlarged. His warm seed filled the condom. It was a while before he eventually loosened his grip.

Blake was the first to recover.

“Let me get a towel.”

She was still trying to figure out what had happened. Never had she been in the same bedroom as two men, let alone done what she just did. “That was truly a new all-time experience for me.”

Blake returned with a towel but had to wait until she had the strength to lift off Randy’s cock.

“I want some pussy.” Blake leaned over and kissed her. Sparks of excitement ran rampant down her spine.

She wanted his cock. How was that possible? She’d had explosive sex. Her pussy couldn’t want more. “Now?”

Blake laughed. “No, darlin’. You need to rest. Are you hungry?”

She was trying to figure out if he was asking if she was hungry for more cock or food. “Yes.”

“Then get dressed and I’ll take you out.” He turned to Randy. “You want to come?”

He waved a hand. “You two go.”

Now why did he have to act that way? She’d thought they’d broken through a barrier, and now he was back to his taciturn self.

“What? You afraid to be seen with two working stiffs who excel at what they do?” Maybe that wasn’t nice, but Randy needed a kick in the butt.

He tucked his chin in. “No. I wanted to work on my composition and do a bit of lifting.”

“That’s such a cop-out.” Since he hadn’t left his bedroom, she continued her attack. “Would you ever buy a high-quality hot dog, load it up with chili, cheese, onions, and mustard then only eat the bun?”

Both men looked at her like she was crazy. “Why would I do that?”

“The same way you’d play the piano brilliantly and take a menial job when you could be a great musician.”

He faced Blake and chuckled. “Take her out.”

She crawled closer and picked up one of his hands in hers. “For me. Come with us?” She placed his palm on her breast.

He shrugged. “I guess I have to eat, too.”

She turned around and, keeping her back to Randy, pumped her fist.

* * * *

After dinner, they returned to Blake’s. Randy stepped inside first, but Blake stopped her from entering. He waited a beat before speaking. “I hope you don’t mind if I don’t ask you in, but I need to speak with Randy alone. Ground rules needed to be set, if you know what I mean.”

If they were going to be in a relationship, she completely got that Randy couldn’t have sex with her then mentally disappear.

“Don’t worry about it. I can use the morning to study.” Otherwise, she’d watch Blake cook and they’d talk for hours.

Blake leaned over and gave her a toe-numbing kiss. “I have a surprise for us tomorrow. You free around one?”

She’d make herself free anytime Blake or Randy wanted to make time for her. “Sure.”

“Great. Randy and I will pick you up, assuming he’s up for it.”

Gus took over the chores at the barn on the weekends, so both men had the time off. “What are we doing?”

“It’s nothing fancy.”

She knew when to pry. Tomorrow would be soon enough to find out his secret.

When she got home, she recreated the evening, trying to figure out exactly how and why it ended so strangely. Yes, she’d had amazing sex with Randy. He’d been considerate and wonderful. Add in Blake, and the evening was spectacular. But even at dinner, Randy remained withdrawn. She’d asked about his music pieces, but he never elaborated.
Darn
. He was a hard nut to crack. She hoped that after his talk with Blake, Randy would be willing go out today to some unknown place with them and hopefully open up.

At one, her doorbell rang. She loved that Blake was always on time. As soon as she opened the door, he pulled her into a hug and kissed her. It wasn’t the hard and fast kind, but one that was made for slow afternoons. He came up for air then dived right back in. She pressed her hands to his chest. “Is Randy here?”

“He’s in the car. Let him stew.” He trailed kisses down her neck.

She dropped back her head and allowed the tender touch to streak down her body. Her panties moistened. “We can’t.”

“Don’t want to have sex in the open-air hallway?” He laughed.

She pulled back and swatted his arm. “No. I’m getting too turned on. I’ll want to drag you inside and do you.”

“Ooh. Promises. You ready?”

She’d already grabbed her purse. “Yes.”

They jogged downstairs. Randy was leaning against the passenger door and pulled it open for her. “Madam.”

She smiled, glad that he was in a better mood. His
I’m cool
persona was nicely back in place. “Thank you.”

She slid in. “So where are we going?”

“To Cheyenne.”

“No more info?”

“Nope.”

She leaned back to enjoy the hour-long drive. Blake had something fun planned, she was sure. When they pulled in front of the science museum, she really wasn’t surprised. She twisted around in the seat. “You okay with this, Randy?”

He cocked a brow. “Aren’t I smart enough for you, babe?”

She winced. “I didn’t mean that.”
Shit
. She’d hurt his feelings.

He laughed. “I like science. Didn’t you know that math and music go together?”

“I did know that.”

Blake cut the engine. “We are going to the Children’s Museum.”

Okay, now she was confused. “We are?”

He jumped out, rushed to her side, and pulled open the door. “This is going to be so much fun.”

“Have you ever been here?” They’d only arrived a few months ago.

“As a matter of fact, yes. Now come on.”

She expected Randy to protest, but he walked alongside them. Blake paid their entry fee. The sign said this exhibit would be here for another two months. Maybe she could bring her class here. It might be a great way to start the year.

The first part was on space. The first exhibit was on how much things weighed in outer space. Different sized weights sat in a can topped by a flap of plastic. “It says here that this is what a five-pound weight would be like on the moon.” She lifted the lid and pulled. It was really light.

Randy lifted the next one. “This is what it would feel like on Mars. In earth terms, it feels like two pounds.”

There was a whole row of them. She felt like a ten-year-old playing with the gear. Next, she headed over to the black hole display.

Blake came up behind her and handed her a penny. “Drop this into the slot.” He pointed to the spot.

“What does it do?”

“You’ll see.”

Randy joined them as she did the demonstration. The coin rolled around and around on its edge and seemed to take forever to go into the black hole. As it got closer to the bottom, the coin sped up. The movement mesmerized her. When the penny disappeared, she turned to Blake. “That was really cool.”

“That was good.” He took out a quarter and repeated the experiment.

All three watched in silence until the coin disappeared. She could see how much fun her students would have in here.

Next, Randy headed for the scale and dropped in a quarter. She and Blake watched what he weighed on earth as compared to five other planets. Randy clocked in at two hundred thirty earth pounds, but only thirty-eight pounds on the moon. She and Blake had to try, too.

Once they finished weighing themselves, Blake pointed to the sign above the next room. “Hey, it’s the Physics Room.”

They headed inside. After they walked around a bit to see what kind of experiments there were, Blake motioned them toward a black square. “This one is really interesting. It uses a Kirlian Aura Camera.”

She glanced at Randy, but he shook his head. “What does it do?”

“If you place an object like your hand on the plate, an electromagnetic force charges across it, and an aura of your hand appears. I’ll show you.” He placed his palm on the plate and pushed a button. A few seconds later, an outline of his hand appeared with what looked like white and red hairs coming out of it.

“That’s kind of cool.”

He tapped a chart. “In theory, this camera is supposed to show if two people are compatible. If there is a red aura between them, they are in love. A pink aura says they really like each other. Yellow is neutral and white implies there is no connection.”

This would be so much fun. “Why don’t you and Randy go first? We know you don’t love each other, at least not in the romantic way.”

Randy’s jaw tensed for a moment as if he was afraid it would show how much Blake meant to him. When Blake followed the instructions, Randy followed. They both pressed their faces on the place. Their noses were only inches from each other. She pressed the button and waited for the reaction. “It’s pink.”

Both men stepped back. “This is bullshit,” Randy said. “I don’t love him or even care that much for him.”

She laughed. “It says there is a strong connection. You’re practically brothers. Let me ask you this. If Blake were in trouble, wouldn’t you do anything you could to save him?”

He looked around. “Hell, yeah.”

“See?”

She spotted someone in a Children’s Museum T-shirt. She waved the young lady over.

“Yes?”

“Can you do us a favor and put your face on this with me? These men think it’s rigged.”

She smiled. “I get that all the time. The Kirlian Aura Camera is very accurate.”

Both she and the woman placed their faces on the plate, and the worker pressed the button. A few seconds later, the tiny hairs glowed white. April turned to her men. “See?”

“Thank you.”

The worker smiled and went to help another person. April pulled Randy near. After wiping off the plate, she made him press his face to the black glass. She did the same then pressed the button.

“Red,” Blake announced. “That’s hot.”

“That’s bullshit.”

She had to laugh. Randy did have a difficult time acknowledging a connection with anyone, it seemed. “Blake, how about you and me?”

He glanced at Randy. “I know it will glow red.”

She hoped so. They repeated the experiment and sure enough it turned red. He leaned over and kissed her. Randy pulled Blake back. “There are kids in here. Give them a break.”

She chuckled. If any one of her students had seen her, she’d never live it down.

Something else caught Randy’s attention and he moved over to it. Both she and Blake followed. The information panel stated this was a Chladni plate.

“What is it?” she asked.

Randy seemed to know what it was, so she watched as he picked up the bass fiddle bow. There was a square piece of thin metal, about eighteen inches on each side, with what looked like salt on it. Randy picked up the violin bow and dragged it along the edge of the metal. While the sound was painful to her ears, the salt moved into a beautiful pattern.

“That’s so cool.”

Randy changed the angle of the bow, played another “note,” and a different pattern resulted. There were pictures of the possible patterns on the information placard, along with directions on how to make the salt form the lovely designs.

Randy handed her the bow. “You try it.”

“What do I do?” She was determined to bring her students here, and she needed to be able to demonstrate.

“First, rub rosin on the bow.” She did as he suggested. “Next hold your fingers firmly on these nodes and run the bow along the edge of the metal.”

She tried it and the salt scattered randomly, creating nothing recognizable. Randy held his hand over hers and guided her the next time. Amazingly, thin lines formed. “How did you know to do that?”

He tapped his head. “I’m smart.”

They spent another hour trying out all the fun experiments from showing how light bends through a prism to looking at the stars in the galaxy at different times of the year.

Her stomach grumbled, and Blake wrapped an arm around her waist. “I think it’s time to go. I’ve made my grandmother’s famous meat sauce. We’re having spaghetti for dinner.”

“Yum.”

This day couldn’t have gone much better. They’d all laughed and played with the kids’ hands-on demonstrations. Even Randy got into it after a while. Blake said Randy’s innate ability to understand the physics of the Chladni plate was impressive. How he understood that playing between the nodes would result in a definitive pattern still perplexed her. But then again, she sucked at physics.

Once they got to their house, the two men went to work on the dinner. She’d been assigned to assemble the salad and set the table. In no time, the garlic bread was heated and the spaghetti cooked. They sat down to dinner and went over again what a cool day they’d had at the museum. Neither of the men brought up the fact that the Kirlian Aura Camera demonstration clearly showed an intense connection between them. Randy still seemed uncomfortable showing his emotions.

After dinner they watched
Back to the Future
since Blake said he loved to think about how much fun it would be to go back or forward in time.

She wrapped her legs under her and faced Blake. “Suppose you could go forward in time, say one thousand years, but couldn’t return. Would you go?”

“Hell, yes, assuming I could bring both of you with me.”

He was a dear man. “Not me. You wouldn’t know how to do anything. Cars might not even go on roads. I bet you wouldn’t recognize the food either.”

Randy leaned forward. “People will probably all be as big as me because of all the added steroids and hormones in the food.”

“Yuck. Can you imagine what their internal organs would look like? No, thank you. Given the change in technology, people might not even be talking. They’ll just text each other when they want to communicate.” None of that appealed to her.

“We could go back in time then,” Blake said.

“Yeah,” Randy added. “I’d be super smart. I could play the stock market once it was invented and help build the first car, assuming I remembered anything from high school shop class.”

“That would be pretty neat. I’d like to meet Jonas Salk and help him brainstorm ways to cure polio. However, the disadvantages would outweigh the advantages. I like to take a shower every day, which might not be possible, and I wouldn’t like taking hours to get anywhere, especially since I’d have to be on a horse.”

Randy laughed. “That reminds me. You never did stop by for your second lesson.”

She hoped he’d have forgotten. “I’ll be sure to stop by.”
Or not.

Blake tossed out what looked like a fake yawn. “I think it’s time for bed. You good, April?”

He was asking her to spend the night. That was a big step. She wondered if all three would share. “Sure.”

Randy stood. “I never got to work out today. Would it bother you to hear a bit of clanking?”

She was a bit disappointed that he didn’t plan on being part of the group. “No.” She then decided it was time to find out why he always pulled away. “Randy, can I ask you something?”

He turned around. “You can ask, but I might not answer.”

“Why are you so mercurial?”

“Mercurial?”

“Yeah. One minute you’re up for a good time and the next you’re withdrawn, like you don’t want to be around me.”