Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Shannon bit down on her bottom lip before speaking. “As long as he’s okay with it, would you want to join us?”
I heard Charlotte’s breath catch and my heart skipped a beat. “As in, all of us together?”
“You could just watch. You don’t have to participate. But,” she glanced at her husband, “we were hoping you might want to, because a group thing . . . that’s another one of my fantasies.”
My mouth went dry, and my hand tensed around Charlotte’s.
“We’re pretty sure our friend’s going to be up for it,” Patrick said. “Eli has a ‘the more, the merrier’ attitude. If y’all want to join, we could get together on Zoom. We’ll introduce you and then we can share our thoughts about how we see the evening going.”
Shannon drew in a breath and pressed out a persuasive smile. “What do you think? Would you be . . . interested?”
The answer burst from Charlotte with no hesitation. “Yes.”
Her statement hung in the air, and she turned to me abruptly, her face red. She hadn’t checked with me first, and now she was horribly embarrassed. Goddamn, it was the sexiest thing ever.
Shannon grinned and glanced at her husband. “Noah was right. I think she’s into it.”
I laughed and, beneath the table, I squeezed Charlotte’s hand. “I think it’s safe to say we’re both interested.”
TWENTY-THREE
Charlotte
The sun was so low in the sky, it was hidden behind the trees that lined the edges of Old Hickory Lake. It cast a warm glow on the dock and the trio of people standing at the end of it, who were waiting for Noah and me.
My pulse had been humming the entire forty-five-minute drive out here, and now it raced even faster.
The boards of the dock creaked underfoot as we walked toward the boat tied off at the end of it. When Patrick had invited everyone on a sunset cruise around the lake, I’d pictured a smallish boat. Maybe something sporty, or a little pontoon boat.
But this thing was large, sleek, and looked like a tiny yacht. There was a large awning over the top, covering the wheel, the lounge couches, and the entrance to go below deck.
“Hi.” Shannon’s gaze swept over me, taking in my emerald green top, white shorts, and gold sandals. “How was the drive?”
“It was good.” Noah ticked his head toward the boat, and he sounded as surprised as I’d been. “This is your boat?”
“Yep, this is Nauti-By-Nature,” Patrick said. “Would you believe me if I told you we didn’t name her? We bought her used, and the original name was a good fit for us. Plus, it’s bad luck to change it.” He gestured to the cooler Noah was carrying. “Here, I can stow that for you.”
While that was handed over, my gaze flicked to the other guy who stood beside Shannon on the dock.
As they’d expected, Eli had no problem with us joining in on their date, and Noah and I met him over Zoom.
He was similar to Noah in several ways besides the lifestyle. They were both in their thirties, in great shape, and attractive, which made it seem like Shannon had a type. Eli’s brown hair was clipped so close to his head it was nearly buzzed, but it looked great on him. He had an angular face, and a smile with honest-to-God dimples.
He’d been cute in the video on Noah’s laptop, and he was even cuter in person, wearing a designer shirt and shorts. If I’d seen him that night at the bar with Patrick and Shannon instead of Noah, I probably would have been interested in him.
But I was grateful it hadn’t been Eli, because he paled in comparison to the man I’d arrived with.
There was a magnetic pull to Noah that was undeniable.
Shannon handled the introductions today, and when Noah shook Eli’s hand, a spark traveled through my body. If everything went according to plan, these men would be with her tonight.
This shit was wild.
In fact, it was wild enough Noah had never done it before.
A gangbang. Or was it an orgy? Was there a minimum number of people for it to classify as an orgy? I filed it away to ask him about it later.
When it was time to get on the boat, I pulled off my sandals and accepted Patrick’s hand. I didn’t really need him to help me aboard since the lake was smooth, and the boat was right beside the dock, but it felt weird to decline his offer.
I got the sense he’d done it because it was habit and he was a gentleman, and not because he wanted to touch me.
My overall feeling about Patrick was pleasant indifference. He was decent looking, and nice, and he certainly didn’t give me ‘the ick,’ but he was far more interested in his wife than anyone else. Which was sweet. Maybe he was a little like me and his biggest kink was watching. Did he feel the same way about me as I did him?