Fiona fought down the butterflies in her stomach as they crossed the threshold to her bedroom.

“That’s problematic,” Owen said as the three of them faced the two single beds on opposite walls.

“Should have thought that through,” she said. “I mean…actually, I did earlier, but then I smelled the bacon frying and got distracted.”

“Good to know where we stand as far as the pecking order. After bacon. Duly noted,” Asher joked, prompting Fiona to laugh with him.

Owen was the only one who didn’t laugh. Instead, he locked gazes with Asher. “So, what’s next?”

It occurred to Fiona that Asher and Owen hadn’t discussed what was going to happen. Which made sense when she considered Asher’s demand that Anything Goes be instinctive, but stupid on every other level. She’d made the comment to her cousins that Asher and Owen didn’t really strike her as threesome kind of guys, and seeing Owen’s reticence now only solidified that belief.

Fiona opened her mouth, ready to let them both off the hook. It would kill her to sleep alone tonight because she hadn’t been kidding about her dry spell. At least she wasn’t sharing this room with any of her cousins. She could whip out her newest vibrator—the thruster. That bad boy had three speeds, seven functions, a clit stimulator and some serious girth. Happy Clam clenched at the thought of it.

So maybe it wouldn’t kill her to sleep alone.

Asher stepped behind her, embracing her as she rested against his chest. She’d never noticed how…hard…Asher was. And not just below the waist, though there was a telltale bulge brushing against her ass that told her he was hard all over.

What she hadn’t realized was how strong, how built he was. It wasn’t that he was a slouch. She knew he worked out, and on rare occasions, he’d joined her for a jog and had more than held his own. The difference was in the way he was holding her now. In the past, his hugs had been either friendly or comforting, softer, like a pillow she could sink into. This embrace was different. It was iron and steel, and there was a certain strength that spoke of possession, of passion.

It was hot.

She revised her previous opinion, back to believing it would kill her to sleep alone…vibrator or not.

Asher’s hands drifted up until he was cupping her breasts. Owen’s gaze followed his movements and a quick peek told Fiona that while both men might be a little bit reserved, it wasn’t impacting their arousal. Owen’s hard-on was apparent beneath his jeans.

Her face must have given away her current opinion on Operation Ménage a Trois because Owen smiled. Then he moved in front of her, leaned down and kissed her.

She was transported back in time to sophomore year. His kisses were just as sweet, just as gentle as they’d been back then.

And they were a far cry from Asher’s. His kiss on the couch… Holy fuck. It had hit every hot button in her body all at the same time.

Asher remained behind her as she and Owen kissed, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t completely aware of every move he made. He was still cupping her breasts, the silk of her ball gown a barrier. Not that it mattered. Everything Asher did packed a punch. His light cupping soon turned to something more as he tightened his grip, plumping the flesh in a way that had her going light-headed.

She broke the kiss with Owen for a split second, desperate to draw in some much-needed air. He reached up, taking her face in his hands, pulling her lips back to his, greedily.

Asher’s hands disappeared, but Owen didn’t give her a chance to complain about it. When she felt Asher searching for the zipper at the back of her dress, the protest died anyway.

Fiona liked sex—a lot—but her list of lovers was pretty short. She’d lost her virginity to the nephew of her parents’ drummer, in a relationship that could only be described as summer love. The handsome boy had joined them on the bus during his holiday from school, and she’d fallen head over ass as only a seventeen-year-old girl can do. It ended when September came. Then there’d been an unfortunate one-night stand her freshman year in college that she blamed on too much alcohol. Then Owen. Then Brock.

Four lovers.

If she didn’t include the countless sex toys stashed under her bed at home. Teddy had found the box once—nosy fucker—and acted like she was some sort of sex maniac. Told her she could open up a sex shop with her inventory.

Fiona sucked in a deep breath as the silence in the room was filled with the sound of Asher sliding the zipper down. Owen pulled away, his eyes drifting lower.

She tilted her head and gave him a sassy grin. “Now you stop kissing me?”

He winked at her. “Making sure I’ve got a good spot for the show.”

“You’ve seen it all before,” she reminded him.

Owen never bothered to look at her face. “I was young and stupid and too worried about getting my rocks off to pay attention to the finer details.”

Asher released his hold on the zipper tab, and the entire dress simply fell to the floor. She’d tugged off her bra for Yvonne’s fake bonfire earlier, which left her in just a thong.

Up until that moment, everything had felt…easy. Controllable.

But now that she was standing in front of her completely dressed best friends, almost totally naked, a kernel of unease slipped in. Ordinarily, Fiona’s self-confidence was firmly in place, a staple that never faltered. Ailis had told her once that it might be easier if she actually toned back her convictions, her belief in herself and her abilities, but Fiona was smart enough to understand that only made things easier for other people, not her.

Now, however, for one of the few times in her life, she was struggling to stand with poise without worrying what they thought.

Well, not Owen so much. He was a bit like a loveable puppy dog who operated solely on pure adoration. She could see it now as his gaze raked her from head to toe, his expression one of appreciation. Something he backed up with a wolf whistle.

“You’re still the hottest girl on the planet.”

She giggled, wishing those words would sink in, would dim the flutter in her belly, but they didn’t. Because Asher was behind her, and she couldn’t see his face, couldn’t tell…

“Turn around, Fee.”

God, when had Asher’s voice gotten so grumbly and deep and sexy as fuck?

She took a deep breath, then twisted to face him.

Unlike Owen, his expressions were harder to read. There was no denying the hunger, the desire she saw there, but she needed him to say something. Anything.

She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until his eyes met hers.

He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. One look said it all.

She licked her lips, her lungs burning from a lack of air.

When did she forget how to breathe?

Asher saved her. He pressed his lips to hers and she realized air wasn’t necessary. All she needed in that moment, in that place and time, was him. To hell with the rest.

She started slightly when Owen took over Asher’s role, stepping behind her. His hands landed on her hips briefly before they started to roam, over her waist, then down to the bare globes of her ass. He caressed and squeezed and touched. Owen’s finger traced the line of her thong from where it began low on her hips until it disappeared between the slit of her thighs.

Through it all, Asher kissed her. No, he devoured her—with his tongue, his teeth, his lips. His hands gripped her face, turning her slightly whenever he wanted to deepen the kiss even more.

When his fingers curled into fists, grasping her hair, she moaned into his mouth. The sound must have spurred him on, because the grip tightened and he pulled. Hard.

Her scalp burned, then tingled, but Fiona didn’t seek freedom. Her hands rested on his chest before she moved them up to his face, using the single drop of strength she had left to push his mouth away from hers just long enough to say, “Harder.”

It was Asher’s turn to groan. He gave her what she wanted, but there was something in his eyes that told him she was getting her way because it was what he desired.

Fiona was taken aback by the beast she’d unleashed.

Her costume suddenly seemed perfect.

Fiona struggled to assimilate this intense, demanding alpha male with her affable, sweet friend. The crazy part was…this side of Asher had always been there, so her shock seemed misplaced.

He’d always taken charge of the writing team, keeping them on track, guiding them through dry spells, speaking on their behalf to the producers and director. But he always tempered the strength and made it seem less threatening, which, in turn, made him the perfect spokesperson. Everyone genuinely liked Asher, but no one would ever call him a pushover.

Asher broke off the kiss, his eyes never leaving her face, even as he spoke to Owen.

“Grab the comforters from the bed, Owen. Put them on the floor.”

She felt a chill as cold air hit her back at Owen’s disappearance. She’d been so snug between them she’d felt almost feverish.

Asher pulled her hair again, but this time he wasn’t kissing her. He was watching her.

Her eyes drifted closed and she shuddered.

“Why does that feel so good? It should hurt.”

Asher didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. The gentle gesture worked as a counterpoint to his rougher touches.

Everything he did felt like it was a contradiction.

“Asher.”

Asher released her and they both looked toward Owen, who’d built them a cozy nest in the center of the floor with all the comforters, blankets and pillows in the room.

Once again, Fiona felt overwhelmed. Standing naked in front of them was one thing, watching them undress and then lying down between them was another.

Her opinion of her aunts Lily and Lauren rose several notches.

A quick glance at Owen proved he was having the same thoughts. Like her, Owen wasn’t lacking in the confidence department, but there was no mistaking the uncertainty on his face.

She offered him the same encouragement he’d given her. She winked.

He chuckled, then reached for the hem of his T-shirt, tugging it over his head.

Damn. That might have been too much encouragement. Her heart started to race—with nervousness and excitement.

A shirtless Owen wasn’t an unusual site, but that didn’t soften the impact. The guy was ripped, like movie-star ripped, like PhotoShopped ripped, like—

“You got a little drool right there, Fee,” Owen said, pointing to the side of his mouth.

Before she could come up with some witty rejoinder, Asher chuckled and walked toward their makeshift bed on the floor. He began to unbutton his shirt, and every smart-ass thing she wanted to say flew out of her head.

Fiona’s gaze was glued on his fingers as, button by button, he revealed more of his chest. She wondered if they could hear her heart pounding because it was deafening her.

Asher shrugged his shirt off and tossed it toward her bed, then he took his glasses off and set them on the nightstand.

So long Clark Kent. Hello Superman.

The three of them stood there for a moment, a silent standoff. Fiona’s mind was whirling, touching on a thousand different things in a split second.

Her brain whizzed around like the pieces on a Candy Land board. She landed at Holy Hotness Times Two Town, traveled through What the Hell Am I Doing Grove, boogied across the How the Fuck Does This Work Bridge and finally drew a What Now card.

“So…what’s next?” They were the same words Owen had used earlier, and now she knew why. It was the only thing she could think to say.

Asher smiled and held his hand out to her. “Come here, Fiona.”

Her feet started moving before her brain. She walked over to him, then let him hold her hand as she knelt on top of the comforters. Asher followed her down, the two of them sitting beside each other. Owen was slower to join them, not moving until they both looked up at him.

And suddenly she was struck by the sense that he wasn’t as all-in as she’d thought.

That concern was eased when Owen knelt, then reached out to take her hand, squeezing it before raising it to his mouth and kissing the tips of her fingers. Using his grip on her hand, he pulled it across his chest, over his nipples, along the tight plane of his stomach.

“Lay down.” Asher’s request—no, he was using the power voice again, which made it a demand—distracted her.

Oh shit.

Moment of truth.

She licked her lips but all the moisture in her mouth had completely evaporated. When had this shifted from exciting to terrifying?

Before she could consider that or act on Asher’s command, Owen cupped her face to turn it toward him. He kissed her, and she tried to let the sweetness of it soothe her, calm her down.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work—and panic started to set in.

This wasn’t right.

Was it?

She turned her head away, her eyes connecting with Asher’s.

He took one look at her face and frowned. “Wait,” he said, when Owen made a move to resume their kiss.

Owen stilled, then looked at her. Really looked at her. “Fee?”

“Can we take a second?” she asked, feeling foolish. She’d been the one to invite them to her bedroom. She’d given them the green light.

Asher reached for her hand, his fingers caressing it, his thumb massaging her palm in a surprisingly soothing way. “We can take as long as you need,” Asher said, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. “We can also stop.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I just need to catch up and…” She blew out a long breath. “This is sort of intimidating. I mean, there’s one of me and two of…” Fiona pointed toward their crotches and both men laughed.

She narrowed her eyes, though she wasn’t really mad. “I mean it. Happy Clam is the only entrance down there, as far as she’s concerned, and I have to respect her feelings on that matter. Which leaves us with one lightsaber dangling while—”

“I wouldn’t say dangling,” Owen interrupted, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

She laughed—and her sudden attack of nerves vanished just like that.

No matter what happened tonight, these guys were always going to be her friends.

The second the truth of that sank in, everything that was freaking her out faded away. She was being silly, overreacting. Owen and Asher cared about her. They could make this work.

Maybe.

“Well, they do say two heads are better than one,” she joked, trying to distract them from her momentary lapse.

Owen cracked up, but Asher, typical lovely man, wouldn’t let her moment of panic slide by so easily.

“No sex tonight,” Asher said.

“Wait.” Now that she’d turned a corner, she didn’t want them to make any hasty decisions.

“No. I’m serious,” Asher insisted. “We’ll fool around, make out, test some boundaries. Owen and I will leave our pants on. If this still feels right in the morning, we’ll go all the way. Okay?”

Owen didn’t hesitate to agree. “Sounds like a good idea.”

Fiona tilted her head, wishing she weren’t so relieved. That response seemed pretty telling. “What about your lightsaber?”

Owen made a sound she assumed was meant to be him turning off the weapon. “Schoom.”

“It’s that easy?” she asked, feeling a wee bit guilty for putting the brakes on so suddenly.

He shook his head. “I wish. But some things are worth waiting for.”

Leave it to her oaf of a friend to find the perfect thing to say.

“Come on. Let’s all lay down,” Asher suggested.

They moved as a unit and now that sex was off the table, Fiona could simply enjoy the moment, the closeness, the warmth.

She lay on her back and both men turned to face her. Owen kissed her as Asher played with her breasts, then bent his head to suck one of her nipples into his mouth.

Fiona placed a hand on the back of each of their heads, running her fingers through their hair, taking time to study their differences. Owen’s hair was longer and softer, while Asher’s was much thicker.

That was as far as her studies took her before Asher playfully sank his teeth into her sensitive nipple, just hard enough to provoke a gasp.

Owen studied her face before looking down. “Take it easy on her, Ash.”

“I’m fine,” she hastened to say, afraid Asher would take Owen’s suggestion to heart.

Owen gave her a crooked grin. “Kinky girl.”

She snorted. “I wish.”

Their conversation ended there—because Asher bit harder.

Her back arched involuntarily, the action like a mallet against the knee.

“God!” she cried out. “That’s so…” A million words floated through her brain. Teddy called her the Queen of Vocabulary, and she was almost sorry he wasn’t there to hear this list. It was a doozy.

Incredible. Stimulating. Intense. Amazing. Mind-blowing. Spectacular. Astonishing. Fucktastic.

Finally, she just landed on the easiest one to say. “Hot.”

“We’re just getting started,” Asher murmured.

She sucked in a loud breath when he reached down, his fingers sliding under the elastic of her thong. He wasted no time finding her clit, pressing and rubbing until she saw honest-to-God stars.

“Asher.” His name came out with a gasp.

“That’s right, Fee. Say my name. Let me hear you scream it when you come.”