STORY EXCERPT

Eyeing the facedown card, Aurora Bond concentrated on keeping a straight face. Her cheek already stung from biting the inside of it for the past five minutes. One tell, and she could lose the hand, her dignity, and every last penny she’d added to her rainy-day fund in the past three months.

She almost snorted.

This hand is mine.

The chance at a few extra bucks meant little after winning the last three hands. Exaggeration and melodrama were strangers to her list of behaviors—except when she had to convince her confident brain to tone down its arrogance.

If he folds, I still win.

The biker stared at her for several long moments, his gaze sending her stomach tumbling to her knees. He was going to be pissed about losing again. Then he glanced down at his cards and back up. A handful of chips clacked onto the mound in the middle of the table, the jaw of the skull tattoo on his forearm flexing in a mocking silent laugh. “Call.”

Eyebrows rose and grins broadened around the perimeter of the playing field. Evidently, those who’d folded this hand thought Felix had her beat. He should’ve, considering the ace, king, queen, and jack laying faceup in front of him. Sure, they were a mix of red and black, but with the cockiness he’d shown while betting, the chances of him having a ten were good. The third had played out in the last hand.

Giving a nod, Aurora added her bet to the pot. “Let’s see what you got.”

He flipped over a four, an eight, and a ten. “That’s a straight, darlin’.”

Her teeth ached from the tension in her jaw, and she frowned. “I really hate being called darlin’. And I know what a straight looks like.”

She turned over a hidden two of hearts to go with the jack, seven, and five of spades and the two of diamonds.

Felix laughed. “A pair of twos?”

Another snap against the table revealed the five of hearts.

He shook his head. “Sorry, honey, but a straight beats two pair.”

Toying with the last card, she sighed. “Yes, I know, sweetie pie. And another five makes a full house—which beats a straight.”

His gaping mouth and wide eyes morphed into a scowl. “No fucking way.”

“Ya be watchin’ yer language, or ya won’t be welcome here no more.” A piercing stare came from the old woman in the corner. She’d almost disappeared into the shadows with her quiet demeanor, black shawl, and latté-colored skin.

His chair scraped against the floor as he rose, his eyes flitting to his friends. “Sorry, Miz Deschamps. Didn’t mean to offend you.”

He handed her a fistful of bills on his way to the exit. The room cleared behind him.

“Smart ya be with da numbers, girlie, but ya best use yer head when dealin’ with da likes o’ what comes in here.” Crooking her finger, the old woman shuffled from the card room down the hall toward the bar. “Follow me. What be yer name?”

Aurora scooped her winnings into her tote bag before hurrying after the owner of the tavern. “Aurora, but most people call me Rory.”

Her guide made a quick left turn into a small office. “Ah, a bright ray o’ light. Ya give a gift to da world, and now ya get a gift in return.”

Actually, my bank account will get a gift.

Rory dug a handful of chips at a time from her bag. “My friends tell me my personality glows in the dark. I haven’t decided if that’s a good thing or not.”

Stepping behind the desk, Ms. Deschamps withdrew a key on a chain from the front of her flowing dress. “’S good so long as ya be true to yerself.”

Rory searched the bottom of her tote as she barked a laugh and then began stacking the chips in piles of ten. “Oh, I’m true to myself all right. The problem I have is finding a guy who’ll be true to me—especially after he finds out I’m sarcastic and I don’t take crap from anybody. And I tend to forget to keep my mouth shut sometimes.”

With the last of chips piled, the old woman counted out Rory’s winnings. “Nine hundred eighty dollars.”

The butterflies in Rory’s stomach did a happy dance. “That’d buy a lot of vibrators. Um, I guess I should tell you I’m a sex therapist. I’m in New Orleans for a convention.”

“Da gift I have will not seem odd to ya den.” Ms. Deschamps opened a storage cabinet, the door blocking Rory’s view of its contents. After several moments of unintelligible murmuring, the old woman emerged with a sack tied closed at the top. “Don’t look inside ’til ya get back to yer room. ’Twill help ya decide who to trust wit’ yer heart.”

Taking the bag, Rory nodded and slid the package into her tote bag. She tucked the wad of bills between her too-large breasts. Maybe she ought to spend the money on reduction surgery instead of sex toys. Men might take her more seriously if they weren’t so busy staring at her boobs while she handed out samples of sexual aids.

“Keep yer mind and heart open, and ya will find happiness, Aurora.” The old woman’s eyes seemed to see past Rory’s poker face to the skepticism beneath. “More love awaits ya than ya could ever imagine.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Glancing from wide-eyed Barrett to a gape-mouthed Winston to a lip-licking Miles, she unhooked her triple-D sports bra. None of the guys had ever made her feel self-conscious about her breasts, so she let the straps slide from her shoulders to free her endowments. Without losing a beat, she tucked her thumbs in the side strings of her panties and bent to remove the thong.

As she straightened, she put out her arms and spun in a slow circle. “Yes.”

Each man’s breath had gone from slow and steady to panting. She’d clearly been wrong about Miles’s and Winston’s sexuality.

Barrett crawled on his hands and knees to sit at her feet. “Damn, Rory. You’re so beautiful. And sexy. Holy shit, you’re sexy.”

Miles smiled up at her. “A whole lot of gorgeous to go with sweet and smart.”

Tracing the curve of her hip with his finger, Winston planted a kiss on her rear. “They talk too much. I’d rather show you how beautiful, sexy, and gorgeous you are. Do you mind if I eat your pussy and make you come?”

A flash of heat and wetness between her thighs almost made Rory lose her balance. Were Miles and Barrett going to watch or participate? Did they plan to take turns?

Miles stood, cupping her jaw in his palms. “I’d love to kiss your perfect mouth while Win goes down on you.”

Pushing up to his knees, Barrett cradled her tits in his hands. “These pretty nipples are going to need some attention too.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Swallowing hard, she tried again. “Please tell me you’re serious.”

Miles’s thumb brushed over her lower lip. “We couldn’t be more serious. We want to share you.”

“But you…and Miles…Aren’t you…” His light touch interrupted her train of thought.

He leaned in to press his lips to hers. “Miles, Barrett, and I want to include you in what we have.”

“Barrett, too?”

Can you tell if a man is straight or gay by looking at him? I’m such an idiot. I’ve known bi clients. How could I not have noticed?

Barrett flicked his tongue across her nipple, sending a shudder through her body. “Me, too. I recently discovered the joys of fellatio and anal sex.”

She held in a groan as her uterus contracted. Had she made him bisexual with her voodoo doll play? “I love sucking cock and having my ass fucked, too.”

Easing his hand between her thighs, Winston dipped into her cunt and wiggled his finger. “Will you let one of us love you here? Then we can all make you feel good at the same time.”

A moan escaped, and she locked her knees to keep from melting into a puddle. “You’re going to have a hard time doing that when you’re still dressed.”

Barrett stripped of his shirt in a single graceful movement then started on his pants. “Will you ride me while Miles fucks you from behind? I’m sure Winston would enjoy your lips wrapped around his tasty dick. He loves blow jobs.”

The freedom of hearing her desires spoken aloud and the invasion inside her triggered a sudden wave of pleasure so intense she doubled over as she cried out. Her muscles tightened around Winston’s finger, and he pushed deeper, prolonging the spasms. “Damn, that’s hot, but I still get to give you an orgasm with my mouth.”

Unable to resist the impulse, she hooked her hand around Miles’s head and dragged him close enough to kiss as she grasped Barrett’s now-exposed erection. Thrusting her tongue into Miles’s mouth, she savored his aggressive response, tangling and parrying until she had to pull away for a breath.

Multiple hands eased her back down on the couch, spreading her thighs and pressing her arms above her head. Winston nibbled his way up the inside of her leg, his finger still massaging her G-spot. Barrett traced circles around her nipple, and Miles licked a path from her jaw to her ear. Warm puffs of air heated her skin, and she almost closed her eyes to drown in the pleasure. Only the need to see that her fantasy was coming true kept them open.

Winston withdrew his finger, making her whimper from the loss of sensation. “Who wants a taste before I bury my face in Rory’s pussy?”

Grabbing his wrist, Barrett leaned down to guide the digit into his mouth. With a slow glide, he sucked the finger clean. “Mm. I want more of that later.”

“My turn for a sample.” Miles’s whisper tickled her neck.

Winston coated his finger with her juices again. This time he slipped up and over her clit as he lifted his hand to Miles’s lips, and she wanted nothing more than to pull him into position to repeat the action with his tongue.

Miles lapped the glistening wetness. “Delicious. I can’t wait to go down on you, Rory.”

“I can’t wait for Winston to eat me so I can fuck all of you. And I want to watch what you do to each other.” She’d been imagining Miles and Winston together for months. Would she finally get to see them making love?

“Anything and everything you want.” Grazing a path from her ear to her chin, Miles tipped Barrett’s face up and kissed him, the struggle for control between the men too apparent to miss. They abruptly separated, neither having conceded to the other. “You taste like Rory.”

About to spontaneously combust from the lusty glaze in their eyes, she arched her breasts toward Barrett. “Call me greedy, but I want another orgasm now.”