I didn’t have a clue what to wear to meet his best friend. This evening seemed more monumental than meeting his parents would have been. I’d heard more about Brett and Annie in the months I’d known Dan than I had about anyone in Dan’s family. Brett’s opinion of me held a lot of weight whether Dan wanted to admit that or not.

“Penny, I promise you no one will care what you’re wearing. Go comfortable. Please.”

I took him at his word and put on a fitted Vans T-shirt, snug fit boot-cut jeans, and my black Doc Martens. I glanced at him standing at my front door wearing dark wash jeans that fit perfectly and a shirt that appeared to have been made to highlight his gorgeous upper body and wondered what the hell he was doing with me.

“What’s wrong, beautiful?”

I snickered. “We’re quite a mix matched pair.”

He snaked an arm around my waist pulling me into him. “I think we’re a perfect pair. And just wait, we aren’t the anomaly you believe we are.”

We locked up my house and left Cosmo extra food in case I didn’t make it home tonight. He gave Dan the evil eye as we snuck out the door without his making an escape attempt. I wondered how Dan and I would ever be able to move forward if he couldn’t tolerate my beloved fur baby. Cosmo was non-negotiable in the deal. He’d seen me through dark days, and I wouldn’t turn my back on him.

The drive to the restaurant seemed short, far shorter than it should have. I was nervous, and my knee bounced in a strict staccato the entire ride. I wondered briefly if they were as anxious to meet me as I was them then realized just how preposterous that was—they all knew each other—I was the odd man out. This was just another night of them as a group.

“Please stop worrying, Lissa. I promise you’re going to fit right in, and they will love you.” He tried to reassure me one final time when he parked the truck beside a little Greek restaurant.

I wrung my hands in my lap, twisting them over and over trying to release some of the pent-up energy before hopping down out of the cab. When Dan came to the passenger side to open my door, I swung my legs out to face him, but just before I eased out of the seat, his hands met my hips, and his eyes held my stare.

“No matter what happens in there tonight, nothing will change how I feel about you. Understand?”

I nodded while staring at those soft green eyes I’d come to find so much comfort in.

“So, no hiding. I want them to see the woman I see every day. The snarky banter, your keeping me on my toes, just like it’s the two of us without anyone else around. Promise?”

“I’ll do my best.”

He leaned in to offer me a brief kiss to soothe my wild spirit and tipped his forehead to mine. “I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves, Penny. Trust me.” Then he kissed my nose and pulled my hand. I landed safely on the ground next to him before he closed the truck door, and the beep signaled it locked.

The instant we stepped into the restaurant, even in the mob of people waiting for a table, I knew exactly which couple were Dan’s best friends. I tossed my head back and laughed. My long hair brushed my arms as I brought it back up. Dan leaned down to ask if I was all right.

“Holy crap, Dan. They’re the spitting image of the two of us, only she has brown hair to my red.” Right down to her concert t-shirt and Doc Martens. She was adorable, and I knew instantly I wanted to be her friend. All of my nerves subsided, and suddenly I couldn’t wait to have a comrade in a city where I knew no one.

Annie was gorgeous, but what made her stand out was the fact she clearly didn’t know it. Her makeup was understated and flawless, her thin frame perfectly matched her height, and she had fuck-me hair. I’d thought I’d been blessed with great tresses, but that girl had me beat with long, thick loose curls that looked natural. I took them in as Dan approached his friends.

Annie noticed us before Brett, and she tapped her husband on the forearm. When she glanced up at him, he was several inches taller than she was, I saw it. Everything Dan had said existed between the two of them was right there on display. She was hopelessly in love with her husband, and the smile that spread across his face when he met her eyes said he loved her even more. Dan was right—they were sickeningly sweet. But if that were true, then so was everything else he’d said about them. A small piece of my heart did a happy dance at the notion I might have a family again—Dan might give that to me in this little group. I couldn’t dwell on it, or I’d get choked up, and crying in front of people I’d just met probably wouldn’t endear me to them.

Brett turned in the direction of Annie’s finger. The smile of love he had for his wife was replaced with one for this best friend. They were more to each other than just buddies.

“Hey, man. Glad you two finally showed up. This place is packed.” His eyes gleamed as he talked. The tone of his voice told me tons about him. He was a naturally optimistic person, fun-loving, but I’d bet my violin he’d kill to protect the woman on his arm.

“Hey, guys. This is Lissa.” He dropped my hand to secure my waist. “Lissa, this is my best friend Brett and his better half, Annie. We aren’t sure how he got her to accept his hand in marriage, but we’re grateful all the same. Now she’s legally tied to us.”

Us. He used the term to describe Brett and himself. Dan considered Annie just as big a part of his life as he did his friend’s—she was his family just as much as Brett.

I gave them a little wave and a meek hello but offered a large smile.

“Lissa, I love your shirt. I have a pair of Docs the same color. You’ll have to borrow them sometime…or let me borrow your shirt.” She stepped up to me, letting go of her husband.

Dan stepped aside to catch up on the last six hours he hadn’t been with Brett at work. I could hear them talking shop in the background and couldn’t believe how happy it made me to hear him interacting with Brett. Something in his tone, the way he regarded his friend. The more I listened, the more he confirmed just how genuine he truly was.

“Sorry, we were late. Dan kind of sprung this on me, and I had to go home to change.”

Her face scrunched up. “Oh no. You guys didn’t have plans, did you?”

“You’re kidding, right? Dan doesn’t make plans. Nor does he ask if anyone else has plans. He shows up and just takes the time he wants.” My grin was animated, and my whole face smiled. She knew I was being honest but could tell I was okay with his approach too.

Her giggle was infectious. “Doesn’t surprise me at all. He’s never been one to date, and women tend to flock to him. If you’ve put up any sort of resistance, or hell, not chased him down, then I’m sure he’s confused.”

“I haven’t been playing games with him.” I didn’t want her to get the wrong impression.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean that. I just know how Dan is. He’s like all men—they want what they can’t have, something hard to obtain. Especially the competitive ones. And trust me, Brett and Dan are cut from the same cloth. The only thing that separates them from being twins is their DNA. It’s uncanny how similar they are.”

Not knowing how to proceed with this conversation, I tried to change the subject casually. “So, what do you do for a living?”

“I’m a consultant. Companies hire me to come into failing or struggling businesses to assess their issues. Sometimes I create team building programs, others there’s a safety issue, at times it’s a moral issue, but whatever it is, my job is to identify it, create a plan to fix it, and then implement that plan. My staff then trains the management at that facility on how to keep it in place. Pretty boring stuff.” It didn’t sound boring, but what did I know. “You?”

“I’m a Professor at Furman. I teach music.”

“Oh yeah? I assume that means you’re a musician?”

“I play, yes. Primarily piano and violin.”

“Don’t let Dr. Jackson fool you. I heard her play today with her students, and she’d blow you away.” Dan beamed with pride that made my heart swell.

“You’re a doctor?”

“Ph.D. not MD. But yeah.” I could tell by talking to Annie she was just as smart as I was, regardless of whether or not she had the advanced degree to prove it.

“I’d love to hear you play sometime. I played the flute for years but haven’t touched it in forever.”

We talked music until the hostess finally called the Ryanns’ name to seat us. Brett and Annie Ryann. Their names even worked together in unison. My life was measured in meters and notes, everything from speech to reading, to the sounds a car made on a highway. It was the curse of a musical ear. But their names flowed in perfect time.

Throughout dinner we regaled each other with stories of our relationships. They seemed enamored to learn Dan and I had been seeing each other far longer than he’d let on. It was funny how I naturally gravitated toward these two. I wasn’t intimidated by them. I hadn’t hidden behind Dan. They were easy to be around. Dan, however, seemed suddenly shy, like he was waiting on their confirmed approval. It wasn’t blatant, but the signs were there. He needed them to like me because he’d never done this before. He had no idea what to expect because he clearly cared how they reacted. I had to assume either he had never introduced them to any of his other dates, or he hadn’t cared about their thoughts because he hadn’t planned to keep them around. Either reason was profound. And both gave me the confidence to put myself out there and be at ease with Brett and Annie.

When we left the restaurant, we moved to a pool hall down the street to grab a beer and shoot a few games. I could hold my own in the game but was never going to make a living as a shark. I found long ago the less of a spectacle I made out of not wanting to do something the easier it was to fit in. Pool was one of those things. Most people weren’t any good. They played for something to do in a bar—I was no different. I just wasn’t going to flounce around the table begging some man to sidle up next to me to “teach” me how to play. I may totally suck, but I wasn’t a damsel in distress—just alone.

We stepped up to the bar to order with Brett and Annie a couple of steps behind. Dan held onto my waist while we waited on the bartender. I glanced over to admire them, but a look of irritation crossed Brett’s face when he looked at her phone he’d just pulled from her back pocket.

“Whatcha looking at, Penny?”

“Brett and Annie. He looks upset.”

“Trust me, if he is, it’s not with her. She walks on water in his world.” He wasn’t judgmental—that was how he saw their relationship, and I’d be lying if I said he didn’t seem envious.

Seconds later, he kissed her and joined us.

“Brett, man. What’s wrong?” Dan was genuinely concerned for his friend.

“Fucking, Gray.”

I didn’t know what a fucking gray was, but it didn’t sound good.

“Why are we talking about Gray?”

“He sent Annie a text. You know his divorce was final today.”

Ah, apparently, a gray was a Gray, as in the name of what sounded like an ex-boyfriend. I listened instead of talking since I knew nothing about the subject at hand.

“What does his divorce have to do with Annie?” Poor Dan. I didn’t even know this guy or his relationship to Annie, but I could deduce why this was an issue for Brett.

Brett tilted his head to the side and eyed Dan with a scrunched expression. “You do remember they dated for years, right? And he still stakes some odd claim to her? And he told the entire DC when we got back from our honeymoon that she had settled for me? Or has all of that escaped your memory?” His face blossomed in color from the anger that threatened to spill over.

“What I remember is your wife said ‘I do’ to you. She committed her life to you. That woman is devoted to you like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Do she and Gray have a past? Absolutely, but so do you and Anniston and you and Megan. But if either of them walked in this door right now or blew up your phone, would it change the way you feel about your wife? Tempt you to do something you’d regret?”

Brett shook his head.

“No. That’s right. Why? Because she’s your fucking wife, Brett. Neither of you takes that commitment lightly so don’t stress out about Gray sending her a text message. And hell, if it comes down to it, I’ll take him out in a dark alley or accidently pin him with a forklift at the DC.” Dan laughed, but there was no doubt in my mind he was serious. I believed with everything I knew, he’d protect them and their marriage as though it was his own.

“This guy works with you?” Neither had paid me any attention until now.

Dan stared down at me, but I wasn’t able to discern the emotion in his eyes. “Yeah, he’s the weekend shift supervisor. The way he treated Annie was deplorable. That woman has been through hell and back. There’s no way she’d revisit that crazy train. Gray Dearsley is Annie’s ex-boyfriend for a reason.”

The conversation stopped the instant Annie rejoined us, and the bartender brought us drinks. She appeared unfazed by the text message and had put her phone away. Whatever Brett was concerned might be there wasn’t an issue by the looks of things.

The text message was quickly forgotten as drinks flowed, and the four of us huddled around the dart board making fools of ourselves. By the time we reached the pool table, the alcohol had set in, and that too was a hopeless cause, but it proved to be entertaining, to say the least. Every chance Brett got, he tried to cop a feel, and Annie would shrug him off or poke him with a cue. I leaned against Dan’s chest watching them team up against us, laughing more than I had in ages. There was something about them, as a couple, but separately as well, that drew me in. I wanted to be a fourth of this quartet. I hadn’t been willing to risk friendship in ages. Being that vulnerable wasn’t something I had been ready to embark on.

Standing here, with Dan’s arms wrapped securely around me, with my back to his front, I thought this might be safe enough to venture into. These were people I might be able to trust. Before I got too deep into the recesses of my mind, Dan drew me out poking me in the side.

“Our turn, Penny.”

I love the sound of my nickname whispered in my ear. It was private, just between us, and so intimate. The tone of his voice changed when he talked so only I could hear him, and it warmed me in all the right spots.

He patted my behind for me to lean forward, and I watched him stalk around the table looking for a shot. He had skills that were lightyears ahead of everyone else in our group. With a competitive spirit, Dan was playing to win. I leaned my chin on the end of my stick as I waited for him to set up. Just before he hit the cue ball, Annie burst out laughing, loudly.

“Lissa, you have blue chalk all over your neck and face.” That infectious laughter kept me from being self-conscious.

The more I swiped at my neck, the louder she howled. Dan missed his shot with the distraction, but when he turned to face me, his smile was filled with amusement.

“Stop wiping, Liss. Every time you move your hand you’re making it worse. You look like a Smurf.”

I joined in her laughter. There was no way for me to tell where the chalk was without a mirror, which I didn’t have on hand. I was afraid to brave the bathroom but thought I had no choice until Dan walked over to the bar, got a cup of water and a handful of napkins. He stalked back toward me and gave Annie a grimace who was bent over in gales of alcohol-induced hysterics. I straightened up with his somber approach and tried to conceal my incessant giggles. At that point, I was more humored by Annie than knowing I’d smeared blue chalk all over my pale skin.

Dan set the glass on the table beside me and dipped a couple of the napkins in. With one hand, he took my chin with his fingers, and the other wiped away the color. It didn’t escape me that Annie instantly stopped laughing in order to focus on Dan and watched the way he cared for me in rapt awe. I could see Brett from my peripheral vision and appreciated the gentle smile he gave his friend. Dan wasn’t paying attention to either of them, but I’d caught their reaction. I’d seen the shock, and then the happiness that replaced it, as they realized, I was more than a fling.

* * *

We left Brett and Annie several hours later.

“Come home with me.” Dan didn’t pose a question, he made a statement.

We had yet to spend the night together. Today had been the first time we’d had sex, and he wanted to take it further. I knew by agreeing, our relationship was going from casual dating to commitment in twenty-four hours. Sex, meeting the best friends, spending the night—it was all a recipe for a serious relationship. My mind struggled to acquiesce, but my heart wanted to go. Nothing had ever felt so right, not even with Matt, but I wondered if my heart were leading me down a primrose path I wouldn’t recover from. I hadn’t been honest with Dan. He didn’t know the skeletons in my closet, but he hadn’t revealed any to me either. The desire to throw caution to the wind was strong.

“I didn’t bring any clothes with me.”

“You don’t need any.” His heated gaze melted my remaining resistance.

He didn’t wait for my response. He turned his truck toward his house and took my hand while he drove. I stared out the window with a goofy grin plastered to my face. The lights were a blur as was the scenery. I was lost in a lust-filled haze until we pulled into his driveway. No sooner had he turned the ignition off than he appeared at my door to help me down.

I followed him into the house, through the foyer, past the living room, and down the hall to the bedroom. He was a man on a mission and didn’t bother to even turn on a light. With my hand in his, he led me to his room. The streetlight flowing through the windows provided enough illumination to see each other, but the blinds blocked out lurking eyes. He dropped my hand to take the neck of his shirt from behind, the way all men do, to drag it over his head. I watched in slow motion as the fabric unveiled the sculpted body beneath. His abs were impeccable, but the muscles on his sides, under his arms, were tiny etches in stone. Perfectly sculpted. He tossed his shirt aside and quickly ridded himself of his pants, while steeping out of his shoes when the jeans reached his ankles.

Standing before him, I remained fully clothed, and Dan stood in all his glory completely nude. He had an aversion to boxers although I had no idea what it was. It was sexy, and I didn’t care that he didn’t do underwear. In fact, it turned me on that he didn’t. He moved quickly, without faltering, stepping close enough to begin to undress me. But I halted him with my hand against his chest. He’d allowed me to watch, and I’d gladly do the same. He cocked his head to the side and smiled when I crossed my arms in front of my torso, taking the bottom of my t-shirt and shimmying it up past my torso and over my head. It quickly joined his on the floor. I sat on the bed, unlaced my boots, and slipped them off before lying back to unbutton my jeans. I wiggled out of the tight fabric and lifted my hips to get them over my butt before throwing them on the ground. All that remained were my bra and thong which I intended to remove quickly. He allowed me to take off the bra but stopped the removal of the lace that barely covered my most intimate spot.

He kneeled between my legs and spread my knees apart. “Lie back, Lissa.” The words were laced with need and hedonistic undertones.

I did as he instructed but flinched when his hands met my inner thighs. Gradually he stroked my skin, his thumb running along my sensitive flesh until I relaxed. He kissed along my knees and up my leg with just a hint of tongue, sensually caressing each bit of me encountered. When he reached my center, he gently propped both of my feet up on the bed and encouraged me to scoot back a bit. Then he opened me up like a butterfly’s wings, exposing me to him in the most personal way. He didn’t dive right in, he took his time, feasting on me like I was his last meal, and he wanted to savor every bite.

The way his tongue drew up my slit, flat like he’d lick an ice cream cone, sent warmth flooding over my body. He added two fingers to my tight opening, and my hips rose to meet his face. I didn’t want to rush it. I was desperate to make this last as long as possible. His hands roamed my stomach, up to my breasts, cupping them, squeezing them tenderly, then tweaking the nipples while never losing focus on the task below. Dan was a skilled lover, far more so than any I’d ever experienced. He exhaled onto my aroused flesh, blowing a steady, precise stream of warm air from the bottom to the top and circling my clit for what seemed an eternity. At some point, he’d have to inhale, and when he did, the rush of air sent a chill to my heated bits just before his lips wrapped around my clit. Sucking, swirling his tongue, he had me writhing on the bed. My fists closed around wads of fabric while I desperately held on to my composure. I wasn’t ready to release; I didn’t want to fall over.

I concentrated on my breathing, but nothing was slowing down the wave that threatened to drown me in an orgasm. He hadn’t said a word. He’d just given me what he wanted me to have. When his fingertips rested on my hips, and then dug in, I lost my ability to hang on. My moans filled the air and fueled his mission. His fingers resumed their position inside me, in and out, he rode the wave but didn’t allow me to come down. I didn’t know it was possible to climax, one orgasm on top of another, but Dan took me there. When he got the second release from me, he sat up and pulled his fingers to his mouth. Our eyes met, my jaw went slack, and my pulse increased the instant he sucked them clean. It was dirty and erotic, and suddenly, I was ready to go again.

He had never removed my panties and didn’t plan to now. When he stood, he moved toward the nightstand drawer. I grabbed the condom from him as quickly as he presented it, covering his thick length. He stroked his cock twice but never took his eyes from mine. Dan moved the black lace aside and lined up to penetrate me. Instead, he ran the tip up and down my slit, over my clit, and toyed with me. I groaned in frustration, desperate for him to fill me.

“What do you want, Penny?” His words rumbled through the air and washed over me.

Suddenly, bashful, I barely whispered an answer. “You.”

“Me?”

I grabbed at the wrist attached to the hand holding his teasing cock, trying to show him what I wanted.

“I want to hear the words.” The smirk on his face told me he got off on this. He wanted to be dominant in the bedroom, he wanted to talk dirty, and he wanted me to enjoy giving it to him.

“I want your cock inside my pussy. Fuck me, Dan…please.”

“That’s my girl.” There was no hesitation when he plunged inside me.

My mouth gaped open, a gasp I wasn’t able to complete, he’d stolen the air as I adjusted to him. There was no doubt I would be sore tomorrow but knew it would be that delectable feeling I would enjoy with every step I took that reminded me of this moment. He hooked his elbows under my knees for leverage and drove home his desire. Dan liked to fuck, but the way he held my eyes with his, I knew this was much deeper. I could easily believe Dan had never connected to another woman this way. He was power and control, but every move he made was for my pleasure, and he ensured I knew just in the way he stared into me, this was intimacy at its finest.

The authority with which he moved, the way each sway of his hips was perfectly timed, Dan was a virtuoso at the art of fucking, but a novice at making love. I reveled in the fact that I’d be his first, and hopefully his last. The thought fled as quickly as it arrived. The emptiness that resulted from him pulling out was more than I’d expected. Apparently unwilling to work around the lace thong anymore, he slid them down my legs, and they disappeared in the pile of clothing at the edge of the bed. Instead of hoisting me back up into a position he could drive into with force, he laid beside me, drew my leg over his hip, and slowly rolled into me. His hand tucked strands of my hair behind my ear; the rest lay in a fan around me. With each drive in, he made sure I saw his intention in his eyes, that I could read the emotion behind his actions. And in return, I allowed him to see the vulnerability in mine surrounded by feelings I never thought I’d get to experience again.

That night, in his room, with the yellow light from the street shining in, Dan and I told each other how deeply our emotions ran without saying a word.