Several hours later, Elise was in the front yard, talking to a couple of Rachel’s friends, Heidi and Tera, about one of her favorite subjects—books. All of them were romance novel fanatics and had started comparing favorites and then offering suggestions of what the others should read, forming a fast friendship.

They’d ended up in the front yard because Tera wanted to show Elise and Heidi the book she was currently reading, which she had left in her car, because neither of them had heard of it. Tera still enjoyed the look and feel of holding a real book in her hand. After that, they hadn’t moved very far, staying in the front of the house rather than going to the back again since it was quieter and easier to talk there without the loud music.

“We should really exchange info, so we can get together or something. Maybe we can form our own book club,” Elise suggested.

“Good idea. I would love to have an all-romance book club,” Heidi suggested.

Heidi was a curly redhead with blue eyes and a kind smile.

“I’m open to trying a book club. I’ve tried them before, but someone always wants to include something just because it looks good. I’m a smut reader and proud of it,” Tera said.

Tera was a blonde with short hair and brown eyes. She seemed like she had a feisty streak in her.

Elise had liked them both immediately.

Tera and Heidi hadn’t met each other until that day either, and they all had just finished exchanging phone numbers and finding each other on Facebook and Instagram when they heard a loud, “Whoop, whoop,” and a high-pitched whistle from the backyard.

“Ooh, I think we need to go and see what we’re missing,” Tera said.

They all stowed their phones in their pockets and trekked to the back of the house. They walked through the garage, snagging a few snacks to take with them as they went.

When Elise stepped through the back door, all she saw at first was lots and lots of skin.

Sexy, sweaty male skin.

And her eyes zeroed in on one male in particular. Damn, that boy is fine as hell.

It made her wish their night together was clearer. She remembered it, but since she’d been drunk, parts were still fuzzy and didn’t have the clarity of a recent memory. Instead, it seemed like it had happened a long time ago, almost like a dream, which was a damn shame. Next time, she was going to be stone-cold sober.

Next time? Ha.

“Wow,” Heidi said beside her. “Break me off a piece of that.” She pointed to a guy. “Or that.” She pointed to another one. “Or that.” She pointed to a third guy. “You know what? Just give me a taste of everything.”

Tera added, “Oh, me, too. I’m willing to share.” She held out her arms. “Come to me, gorgeous men. I am yours for the taking.”

The three women fell into a fit of laughter, and a few people around them looked at them and smiled while some looked at them like they were a bunch of weirdos. It only made them laugh harder.

“I’d even take one of the…less fit guys,” Heidi said tactfully. “It’s been a long time for me—if you know what I mean.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Elise said. “I’ve thought about buying stock in Energizer and Duracell. BOB sure goes through them fast.”

“It’s only been over two months for me,” Tera said. “And, before that, I had a long dry spell. I think the hardest thing about being a woman is that I can live without sex, but I just don’t want to.”

“Amen,” said Elise.

“Word,” said Heidi.

And the three of them clinked their cups together.

Heidi turned her head to the side. “Of all those fine men out there, who do you think would be the best in bed?”

“Sean. Hands down, Sean,” Rachel said, coming up behind them.

Tera rolled her eyes. “You can’t say that. You’ve actually had sex with the man. This is supposed to be a hypothetical. We’re guessing. You actually know what it’s like to have sex with Sean.”

“Okay, okay, I see where you’re coming from.” She put her finger to her lips. “Hmm…”

Since Elise had had a few drinks and the conversation was going the way it was, she asked her friend, “Is Sean really that good in bed?”

Elise admitted to herself that she’d always wanted to know. Sean was built with nice muscles and a six-pack, but he wasn’t as tall as some men, and he was on the thin side. In fact, Elise had never known the guy was so muscular until the first time she saw him without his shirt. He reminded her of Adam Levine. Another guy whom she’d had no idea what he was packing underneath his clothes until he did that photo shoot a few years ago.

Elise’s eyes moved from Sean to Luke. If Sean was Adam Levine, then Luke was Jason Momoa. Big, broad, and alpha-like. Sean was good-looking, but Luke was sex on a stick.

A stick she wanted to lick.

“Hell yeah,” Rachel said, answering Elise’s question. “Do you really think I would have dated someone this long or promised to marry him if he were a dud?” She shook her head. “No way, no how. If I’m going to have sex with one guy for the rest of my life, he’d better know what he’s doing in the sack. Plus, Sean might be short, but he’s not short.” She smirked. “If you know what I’m sayin’.”

“Hey, why did it take the two of you so long to get engaged?” Tera asked, changing the subject.

Rachel told them about how she and Sean were in college at first and nowhere near thoughts of marriage, and then they’d broken up for a few years before getting back together. Elise had already known all this and had heard it all before, and she found herself contemplating what Rachel had said about enjoying sex with Sean.

In Denver, Elise and her ex Jason had actually talked about marriage a few times, and she had often thought that was where they would eventually be headed until they broke up. Yet she and Jason had had a very mundane sex life. Then, she thought about some of her other exes. Tyler, the college boyfriend whom she’d lived with, again, was just okay in the bedroom department. Also, there were Zach and Mike. She hadn’t thought about marriage with either of them, but she had dated each of them for about a year. Both could have used some pointers on pleasing women. Yet she’d had some one-night stands and friends with benefits who were great in bed.

Was it a coincidence, or did it mean something else?

Elise was jarred out of her thoughts when the girls started jumping up and down, shouting and yelling at the game. Elise hated to admit it, but she didn’t know all that much about football. She didn’t know exactly what had gotten her friends excited, but she clapped along with them.

Then, Luke threw a pass to some guy—Elise couldn’t remember his name—and the guy made it into the end zone and scored. She didn’t know much, but she did know how a goal was scored. Sean high-fived Luke and then smacked him on the butt, the two of them grinning and drawing the eyes of the female partygoers.

“Now, there is one fine specimen of man meat,” Tera said.

“Who?” Elise asked.

Probably ten to fifteen guys were playing out there, and part of her—a jealous part—hoped that she wasn’t talking about Luke.

“Luke,” Tera said with a sigh. “He is so hot.”

“Oh my God, so hot,” Heidi added.

Elise mentally winced, prepared to hear about how these females had slept with Luke. She didn’t want to be envious, picturing him with other women, but she was afraid that was exactly what was going to happen. She could already feel herself getting resentful, and it made her uncomfortable. She didn’t want to be jealous, nor did she have a right to be.

“I agree, and I’m engaged,” Rachel just had to chime in.

Now, if Elise didn’t say something, they’d think something was up.

“He’s hot,” Elise agreed. “But he’s kind of a player. At least, he was in college.”

“Man, I wish,” Tera said. “I’ve been trying to get with him since Rachel introduced me.”

“Same here. He never takes me up on my offers. And I don’t think I’m being subtle.”

“What? Are you sure we’re talking about the same person?” Elise asked, shocked.

“Yes,” Tera and Heidi said at the same time.

“To be fair, Elise is right. He was a total player back in college, and he still gets around some,” Rachel said. “Now, he doesn’t sleep with just anyone though. He totally would have taken you both up on your offers back then. Now, he stays away from anyone who is friends with Sean and me. Thank God, too. I lost a few friends back in college because Sean’s friends had slept with them and never called them back.”

“Man, I’m about ten years too late,” Tera said. “Does that mean you slept with him?” she asked Elise.

“Huh? What?” She hadn’t expected that question. “Oh, you mean, back in college? No, we never had sex back then.” No, instead, she’d had sex with him last month.

“Damn, I was going to live vicariously through you.”

“Sorry,” she said with a shrug.

“So, do you think Luke is more of a McDreamy or a McSteamy?” Tera asked.

“Ooh…that’s tough because he’s dark like McDreamy, but he’s built more like McSteamy,” Heidi said.

Elise didn’t understand why they were comparing Luke to the Grey’s Anatomy doctors whom all the females on the show thought were hot. She guessed it was because he was good-looking, like the actors on the show had been.

“I say McSteamy,” Rachel concluded.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Elise?” Tera agreed.

Elise shrugged. “McSteamy.” She’d always found McSteamy more attractive than McDreamy.

“Hey, I have to go inside and do a couple of things. I’ll talk to you guys later,” Rachel said. She stepped around them to head for the house.

Nobody else said anything, and the ladies concentrated on the game while Elise’s thoughts turned inward again.

She didn’t know what to think about Luke. She was slightly amazed that he hadn’t slept with either Heidi or Tera. And, earlier, when he had turned down Barbie, she’d been surprised. Barbie might have been young and brash, but she was a cute young thing. There is no way Luke would have said no to her back in the day. But he had told her he wouldn’t go there and that the whole situation creeped him out. Maybe Luke had matured more than she gave him credit for.

Of course, that was when the guys decided to take a break from football. Luke picked up his bottle of water and took several long drags. She stared at his throat as he swallowed. It was tan and sweaty, and she wanted to kiss him there and taste the sweat on his skin.

As if he knew that she was watching, he put the water down with one last big drink and looked at her. At the same moment, the stereo began to pump out “Inside of You” by Hoobastank, and Luke knowingly smiled at her. As the lyrics continued, he practically mouthed the words as her eyes caressed him. She knew she should look away before someone noticed, but she couldn’t. The words were making her hot. Her breathing became labored as Luke licked his bottom lip and stared at her like he had that night he fucked her. Of course, that part, she remembered perfectly.

Somebody laughed and broke her trance. She quickly glanced around to see if Tera and Heidi were paying attention, but they were looking at something on someone’s phone next to them. Elise had to use all her willpower to not look at Luke again. She turned and went into the garage to compose herself because she was only so strong. She took a position by the food table in case someone else walked in. Thankfully, although people were in the front yard and right outside the back door, she was alone, so no one asked why she stood there, breathing hard and staring into space.

Because the music was loud, she didn’t hear Luke approach, but she sensed him through her whole being. She didn’t turn to look at him, but she felt the length of his body almost touch hers, only millimeters separating them. He moved her hair off one shoulder and put his mouth right on her ear where he sang the chorus of the song as it came to a crescendo. She moaned softly because she wanted the same thing as the lead singer of Hoobastank did. As Luke did.

The words were over, and all that was left was music. Luke pulled his mouth away and pushed her hair back around her shoulder. When the song was done, she turned around, and he was gone.

Heidi and Tera came through the door.

“Hey, there you are,” Heidi said. “Are you getting something to eat?”

“Oh, uh…no, I thought about it, but nothing looks good.”

“Come back out here then,” Tera said.

“Oh, sure.” Elise put the plate down she hadn’t even realized she’d picked up. Her fingers ached from where she’d been clutching it.

“I love the song they just played,” Heidi said when Elise joined them.

“Oh, me, too. It always gets me in the mood,” Tera said.

“Same here. Whenever I hear it, I fantasize about a guy singing it to me from the other side of a room as he looks at me like he wants to do me.”

“Shit, yeah. To know a guy wants you that bad…H-O-T hot,” Tera said.

“Don’t you agree, Elise?” Heidi asked.

Elise squeaked out a sound and gave a small nod, unsure if she was actually able to form any words at the moment. Part of her wanted to brag that it had just happened to her from the guy they’d been fawning over earlier, but the other part of her wanted to keep it to herself. For some reason, it made the whole thing hotter that way.

It was her dirty little secret.

Suddenly, Elise looked at her new friends and smiled. “I definitely agree.”

If these ladies only knew what had just happened…

As if on cue, “Dirty Little Secret” by The All-American Rejects filled the backyard, and Elise laughed.