I’ve changed my outfit five times ... and my underwear twice.

Sure, I’ve had dates before that I more or less assumed would end in sex, but I’ve never had anticipation like this. I swear it took two hours for my legs to stop shaking last night, and much, much longer for my pussy to stop clenching at the thought of Deke and what he’d done to me.

My pussy’s tingling again right now.

My other challenge in choosing clothing for the party tonight is covering the incriminating marks he left behind on my neck and chest. I’m a marked woman, but I’m not quite ready to share the story with my friends.

I know Megan and Zoe would be supportive — maybe too supportive. I’d rather have my fun with Deke tonight and tell them about it later when it’s all said and done. Besides, they both have a lot going on right now.

All I have going on is the dinner party and a night of what I’m sure will be extremely satisfying sex. After that, my life will go back to normal. I’ve got to stop thinking about tonight, or I’m going to need to change my panties again!

At the last minute, I find a silk scarf in the back of a drawer and arrange it strategically around my neck. It’s a good thing, too, because when I arrive at the Beasts’ ranch with Deke by my side, Megan’s eyes nearly pop out of her head.

She’s met some of my dates, not to mention my ex-boyfriend Neil. I have a definite type: well-groomed, professional-looking men in suits and ties. To say that Deke, in his denim and leather, with his hair on the long side and his bulging muscles covered in tattoos, is a departure from my norm would be a massive (in all senses) understatement.

She covers her reaction well for Deke’s sake, but I can see the list of questions forming as her eyes dart back and forth between us.

“So glad you could make it, sweetie,” she says before she gives me a hug. Her baby belly makes the embrace challenging, but she manages to get close and add, “Whoa, Tara!” for my ears only.

“Megan, this is Deke,” I say, and she impressively manages to keep her eyebrows at a normal level as she shakes my date’s hand.

“C’mon in for more introductions,” she tells us. “Everyone else is here already.”

We follow her into their expansive living room, and it’s my turn to hide my surprise. I’m used to Megan’s guys, Brock and Cody, twin brothers and NFL stars. I’ve even been out on double dates with them, posing as Cody’s date so their unconventional relationship can remain a secret to the outside world.

The brothers deserve their nickname. They play like beasts on the football field, and even in this palatial ranch house, their size is impossible to ignore. They’d be intimidating if I didn’t know what sweethearts they are to my best friend.

The surprise tonight is that my other bestie, Zoe, has shown up with her own set of twins! Alex and Lucas Wolf are just as big, fierce, and undeniably hot as Megan’s pair.

I’m doubly glad that I found Deke. Neil would look like a sapling among sequoias at this testosterone-filled party.

But Deke? He more than holds his own. Not only is he every bit as tall, built, and sexy as the other men, he’s totally unfazed by their macho presence.

And he doesn’t bat an eye as all the introductions take place and it becomes clear that Megan, Cody, and Brock are a threesome — and Zoe has brought two dates.

We all wind up sitting in a circle in the big living room, with Cody on my right and Brock on Deke’s left. Utterly undaunted, Deke starts chatting football with Brock like they’re old friends.

Cody wiggles his eyebrows at me, a fond but mischievous grin lighting his face. “A biker?”

I hitch one shoulder up. My answering smile is half-sheepish, half-defiant. “It’s not like my usual dates are anything to write home about.”

His gaze turns thoughtful. The Beasts treat Zoe and I like sisters, and Cody would happily terrorize any of my exes if he knew how bad they were. Which is why I try not to give him and Brock too many clues about my pathetic love life.

Before Cody can ask any awkward questions — the answers to which Deke would surely hear — I change the subject. Football is not really my thing, but Zoe and I go to the Panthers’ games when we can to support Megan. “So how was this week’s gladiator contest? Sorry I missed it.”

Cody’s gentle smile tells me he knows what I’m up to, but he lets me get away with it. “We won, but we need to tighten up some weak spots in our defense. We let the other guys score too many points.”

He knows if he gets more specific than that my eyes will glaze over. “Well, at least you won. And you know what you need to work on.”

“That we do.” His eyes go to Megan, on his other side. He and Brock try not to hover, but their usual level of protectiveness went into overdrive when she got pregnant. She’s six months along now, and she’s got that glow some women have when they’re expecting.

Sensing Cody’s regard, she turns and smiles at him. He smiles back, capturing a strand of her hair to play with, and then both of them start talking to Alex, who seems very intent on what they have to say.

Deke is doing even better with this group than I’d hoped. He’s relaxed and amiable, comfortable in his own skin, and completely nonjudgmental about how other people live their lives. Though he interacts with everyone, I often feel his eyes on me.

I try to stop thinking about what will happen later — afraid my friends will read my lustful intentions — but it’s nearly impossible.

The preview Deke gave me outside the bar last night removed any question of whether we’d have a good time between the sheets. I’m looking forward to great sex, no entanglements, and none of the emotional crap I’ve had to put up with from some of my exes.

Before Deke caught my eye outside that restaurant, I’d never paid much attention to bikers, but everyone knows they’re all about enjoying life. The open road, freedom, brotherhood and beer.

Which is perfect for tonight.

“How long will we be hanging around here?” he asks when no one else is nearby.

“We haven’t even eaten dinner yet.” I use a mock-scolding tone, but the truth is that I’ve wondered that same thing myself.

“I’m planning to save plenty of room for dessert.” Deke drops his eyes to my lap, making his meaning crystal clear, and I squirm in my seat.

By the time we’re all sitting around the dinner table, I can tell that Zoe’s not her usual cheerful self. Megan notices too, and starts telling stories about some of the shenanigans we all got up to when we were growing up together.

I join in, and then Zoe can’t hold back, and before long we’ve got everyone laughing. And then Deke starts rubbing my thigh! I try to push his hand away without alerting everyone else at the table. There are enough romantic entanglements here without me and my biker date being the center of attention.

Really, though, I should have known better. Since when are my besties going to pass up the chance to quiz me about my love life? After dinner, Zoe corners me and wants to know what’s up with Deke.

When she encourages me to enjoy my time with him, I try to play it cool. “He has a very specific purpose,” I tell her, “which is nearly concluded.” I don’t mention that the specific purpose includes one night of what will surely be mind-blowingly good sex.

Naturally, Zoe urges me to “take him for a ride.” Like me, she assumes that he won’t be interested in anything long-term, which is reassuring. I’ve had too many disastrous relationships to want to commit to anyone. Definitely not now, while I’ve got work and school to contend with, and maybe not for a long time.