Chapter 4

Angela leaned on her car for a good ten minutes after Jake had driven off, still stunned by the ferocity of his amorous attack.

She ran the back of her hand along her forehead, shaking. It took the last of her strength to re-button her blouse, racing to cover herself.

The last thing she needed was someone driving by to call the cops and complain about her standing on the side of the road, exposing herself to the public.

Angela gave a nervous laugh as she slid in behind the wheel and closed the door.

She leaned her head back against the padded cushion.

Between the fantasy and the reality—

"Hell," she repeated out loud.

This was a competition that might kill her.

You should go home. Think this all over, she told herself. Get your head together before Hunter shows up for your date.

Oh, God. The date.

She stared at herself in the rear-view mirror. Her swollen lips and wide eyes said it all.

Not going to happen.

Angela put the car into drive and continued back to her office.

There was no way she could go home in this condition. Her mother was no fool, and one look at Angela's flushed face would send her into a long discussion and rant on both men.

Especially if Angela disclosed the terms of their deal.

She walked back into her office and turned the air conditioner back on, hoping it could bring the temperature down from sizzling to just boiling.

Her water bottle sat on her filing cabinet, condensation puddling around the bottom.

I know how you feel.

A brief stop in the bathroom had her looking more presentable, her long hair pulled back into a ponytail and cold water dousing the heat on her cheeks.

She sat behind the old oak desk and held her head in her hands, trying to gather her thoughts and focus on what she needed to do this afternoon to keep her small business going.

And trying not to think about Hunter or Jake.

Which meant she couldn't get either man off her mind.

The front door jangled, the tiny bell snapping her back into lawyer mode. Angela sat up straight and imagined a bucket of ice water being dumped over her head.

Jenny entered, smiling as she always did. "Hello."

"Hello yourself. I've got a stack of folders waiting to be filed." Angela waved her in. "How are you doing?"

The young brunette shut the door behind her. "Same old, same old. Had two classes canceled, so I figured I'd come in and see if you had some work for me." She laughed as Angela pointed at the teetering pile on her desk. "And I see you do." She swept the stack up into her arms and headed for the cabinets.

Jenny Colter, a college student looking for any chance to pick up a few extra dollars had been referred to Angela by a coworker of her mother's. She was studying sociology and was glad to come in and do simple tasks such as filing and making sure the office stayed clean and tidy, giving Angela more free time. It was well worth the cost for the good, cheerful company as well, Jenny providing a welcome window into the town's goings-on. She'd already earned her pay many times over, giving background details on some of the cases dealing with underage drinking on campus, listing the various fraternities and their history.

Angela could have gotten some of the details through research but hearing it from Jenny was a thousand times better and had helped her to understand her clients. Not to mention Jenny had come originally from San Francisco, giving her an interesting perspective on anything and everything.

"So…" Jenny pulled open the first drawer, making the entire cabinet jump. "Anything hot and juicy happening today?"

A flush of heat sung through Angela's veins at the memory of the encounters with the two men.

"Maybe," Angela replied. "I've got a date for dinner."

"Really? Who?" Jenny peered at her from over the top of the filing cabinet. "Chief Weatherly or Coach Hunter?"

Angela held back a scowl. She knew the gossip stream in town had risen to flood levels regarding her and the two men. Three months had been plenty of time for her past and theirs to become public knowledge. "Hunter."

"Cool. Hope you have a good time." Jenny flipped through the dividers, folder in hand. "Coach Hunter's a great fellow. Going to be interesting, the two of you getting back together after so many years." She looked up. "Hope you're not ruling out Chief Weatherly. Men always look better in uniform but that man—" Jenny let out a low whistle. "I'd let him put me in cuffs anytime, if you get what I'm saying."

Angela tried not to look at her wrists, flashing back to the cool steel embrace of less than an hour ago.

Jenny continued, unaware of Angie's reaction. "It's a good thing you're dating again. There's no rule says you can't see your old boyfriends again. Plenty of people break up, date someone else and come back to the first one. It's a good way to see if the feelings are still there, if they're true or just hormones."

Angela couldn't help smiling. "You seem pretty knowledgeable in this area."

Jenny pulled open another drawer. "Just common sense. Sometimes you have to step away and assess what you think, what you feel for someone without the pressure of having him or her right there. Don't need a degree to figure that out." She pushed the folder in and closed the drawer. "Coach Hunter. He's pretty hot." She eyed Angela, her cheeks tinged with red. "Hope you don't mind me saying so."

"No, no." Angela leaned back in her chair. "I'm in full agreement with you."

"Chief Weatherly." The young woman sighed. "And you get your pick of either one. Or, you know, have them both."

"What?"

"You know. A ménage." Jenny gave a short laugh. "A threesome."

"Is that all the rage these days in college?" Angela asked.

"Not only in college." Jenny pulled out a divider and placed a folder inside. "It's not uncommon these days for people to experiment with different pairings, see what works for all involved. Two women, one man. Two men, one woman. There's less judgment out there in society than there used to be." She laughed. "Depending on where you go, of course. Glen Barrow versus New York City, for example. It might be hard to find a sympathetic ear here if you're into BDSM, than, say, in New York. But even in small towns, people are coming around slowly, becoming more open-minded about accepting and exploring relationships that were pretty well taboo in the past." Jenny waved a folder at her. "I can see the appeal of a ménage. I like the idea of two men doing everything they can to make me happy." She giggled. "With the right two men, of course."

"Of course," Angela echoed.

"Well, I hope you have a good time with Coach Hunter." Jenny busied herself with the files.

If today's any indication, it's going to be downright dangerous, Angela thought, before turning back to her work.

Hunter signed off on the last of the papers on his desk, scrawling his signature across a request for more sports supplies.

He flashed back in time to when he'd been running wild and free in high school.

Now you're putting in requisitions for more towels and trying to figure out where to pinch pennies.

How the mighty have fallen.

If he could go back in time, he would have left that out of the briefing he'd give his younger self.

But he would have included Angie's homecoming, giving the heartbroken young man something to look forward to.

Hunter pushed the button on the side of his laptop, shutting it down.

He glanced at the clock.

Five o'clock exactly.

Hunter grinned, pleased with himself and his time management skills.

It'd been a concentrated effort to work through the rest of the day, to keep from reliving those few moments right here, right in his office.

On his desk.

Hunter sucked in his breath.

On my desk.

Angie.

My Angie.

He reached out and drew his fingers along the edge of the desk, convinced he could still feel her body heat scorching the wood, leaving her mark here for only him to see.

Hunter swallowed hard, flashing back to their encounter a few hours ago.

The way she'd bent under his touch—

It was if time had stayed still and nothing had changed between them.

Except they were older and, hopefully, wiser.

Not going to let you go this time.

He stood up and snagged his coat off the chair, checking his desk one last time.

Hunter nodded to Sally on the way out. "See you tomorrow."

The secretary gave him a thumbs-up with a wide smile. "Tomorrow," she replied with a wink.

Hunter couldn't help grinning. He had no doubt the whispers had started, wasn't it interesting Angela had finally decided to date again?

And who had she chosen first…

Angela ran her fingers through the long blonde curls again. Maybe it was time to schedule a haircut. For a second, she considered getting the scissors but realized that way lay madness. If she snipped one lock crooked, she'd have to cut another and another…

She couldn't stop thinking.

Her mother looked at her across the kitchen table. "I don't want to interfere, but—"

Angela resisted the urge to groan. She'd heard those words a thousand times before.

And not once had it turned out well.

It'd been impossible to avoid telling Mary-Ann about her dinner date. If she hadn't been living at home, there might have been a chance, but as soon as Angela announced she was going out for dinner…

Yeah. That.

"You heading out tonight with Hunter is bound to set Jake off, wondering if he's got a chance with you." She eyed Angela. "Might be some angry sparks there between them."

Angela gave an annoyed snort. "He's not going to brawl with Hunter out in public. The two of them have—" She caught herself before continuing.

Trying to explain how each man had been held at bay for three months and now were out to win her over in some strange competition would be awkward, not to mention launch a round of gossip dwarfing anything Glen Barrow had ever seen.

"All I'm saying is to not get caught in the middle between those two," her mother said. "There's no rush. You don't have to choose one right away. "

Angela flashed back to her brief conversation with Jenny.

Why choose just one?

The thought should have shocked her, embarrassed her beyond belief. But instead of being repelled by the imaginary scenario, Angela felt a surge of curiosity, of desire.

They weren't the same men she knew years ago—and she wasn't the shy, introverted girl from Glen Barrow High School or the more mature young woman from Penn State.

Maybe—

The doorbell rang.

Hunter shuffled his feet back and forth on the porch's wooden boards, wincing as he heard the creaking and warping under him.

He couldn't settle the butterflies in his stomach.

Despite the bravado he'd shown her in the office, he was still nervous about taking this first step.

It was one thing to brag about reviving their old relationship, another to do it.

Without hurting anyone involved.

There's the rub, he said to himself. If it were anyone else standing between him and a relationship with Angela, he'd tell them to suck it up and get out of his way.

But it was Jake, not some faceless man from Angela's past.

He didn't want to hurt Jake. Despite the stern tone Hunter had used in their office conversation, he liked Jake. The man was a good guy and Hunter would rather have him as a friend than an enemy.

An opponent for Angela's hand was fine.

An enemy was a different thing altogether.

The front door opened.

"Hunter," Angela said.

"Angela." He took in her appearance, enjoying the sight. She'd worn the right outfit for Annie's, the white blouse and jeans perfect for their destination. "You look lovely."

She blushed, as he knew she would.

All these years, and she still can't take compliments.

He offered his arm and Angela stepped out and took it. They walked across the porch and down the steps.

"My mother's thrilled," she said in a low whisper. "I suspect she worried I'd be heading for St. Mary's Convent in a few weeks."

"Not on my watch." He opened the passenger-side door for her. "Although I have had some fantasies about nuns—"

Her infectious laugh had him grinning all the way to the restaurant.

Annie's was busy with both tourists and locals enjoying the thick slabs of meat the eatery was famous for. The building was originally a hunting lodge and evolved over the years into a fine restaurant, garnering rave reviews and hiring plenty of locals to keep it running.

Angela hadn't come in since her return.

Now she was here with a man who she knew intimately years ago and who knew her.

And who was in active competition with another man for her heart and body.

It was hard not to feel both impressed and terrified.

She managed to get out an order before cupping her soft drink with both hands, wishing she'd asked for a beverage stronger than a diet cola.

"You okay?" Hunter frowned.

"No. Yes. Sort of," she confessed.

He cocked his head to one side. "Thanks for the clear answer."

"I'm just not sure what to make of this."

"This?" Hunter asked. "It's the two of us out on a date."

"You know." She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial tone. "You and Jake and me. All this."

Hunter smiled. "Isn't it a woman's greatest fantasy to have two men fighting over her?" He stroked her hand. "At least, that's what I've heard."

Angela couldn't resist, relaxing into his touch.

She kept her voice low. "If you think that's a woman's greatest fantasy maybe you need to do more research."

She laughed at his shocked look, the last of the tension easing away.

Game on.

They made small talk while waiting for the food to arrive, catching up on the years spent apart.

"You always liked basketball," Angela said. "But coaching—"

He rolled his broad shoulders back. "I originally was working toward teaching English, but got pulled toward sports. You remember how they kept trying to recruit me onto the team in high school."

"And you wouldn't play because you thought it didn't look cool." She laughed. "Until the coach pointed out you'd miss classes if you had to travel to a game."

"Signed up right away. But I didn't put my heart into it. You know that." He toyed with the napkin. "Right place, right time and the rest, as they say, is history." He grinned. "Bet it's nowhere as exciting as being a lawyer. All the juicy cases you've seen…"

Angela shook her head. "Nothing that exciting. I handled mostly low-risk cases, drunk-driving and so on—the partners got the flashy ones."

A flash of pain stole her thought away as she remembered the friends she'd made there, all left behind in one horrible moment.

"Hey." Hunter reached over and put his hand atop hers, squeezing lightly. "Didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't." She forced herself to smile, packing the memories away again. "It had nothing to do with you, not your fault. Not my fault either." She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm happy to be working here in town. Maybe not as exciting, but it's nice to feel needed."

He locked eyes with her, the intense stare both unsettling and seductive. "You're always going to be needed, Angie."

Dinner arrived, forcing them to break away from the conversation and eat.

The steak was fork-tender, the mushrooms dripping with butter and the baked potato a carbohydrate mountain with crumbled bacon, sour cream and chives daring her to try and finish it.

Hunter had the same, but without the mushrooms and shredded cheese added to his baked potato. She watched him devour the entire meal with ease, his toned body showing no sign he'd regret it later.

She'd managed to put all but a few forkfuls of the potato away, mentally making a note to jog another mile tomorrow morning to make up for the gluttony.

"Dessert?" Hunter asked.

"No." Angela shook her head. "Going to have to work hard enough to keep this from going straight to my thighs."

He raised an eyebrow. "Your thighs look pretty good to me. Along with the rest of you." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "But a closer look will be necessary for me to make a final decision."

She coughed and reached for the soda, feeling the heat in her cheeks.

Hunter laughed. "Still easy to get you to blush. Always loved that about you."

She couldn't figure out what to say so she pushed the remains of the potato around her plate.

He gestured at the waitress for the bill.

Hunter left a nice tip and escorted Angela back to his car, opening the door for her and going around to get in on the other side. The other vehicles that had parked nearby had left, leaving them alone at the back of the darkened lot.

She held back a laugh at the classic setup. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he had arranged for them to be isolated and in the shadows.

Hunter got in, closed the driver's door and looked at her. "What do you want to do now?"

"Guess."

"Don't have to." His arms went around her and pulled her tight against him. "I already know."

His lips moved along her jawline and onto her bare neck, teeth scraping along her sensitive skin.

Angela barely had time to register he'd undone the top few buttons of her blouse before he nipped her shoulder—not hard enough to break the skin but enough to send a bolt of desire through her, the tickle of pain a reminder what they'd shared in the past.

"Angie," he murmured as he pulled her under him.

Hunter hadn't been celibate since leaving Angela after high school.

There'd been relationships over the years. Short, sweet ones that ended usually on good terms when both of them realized there was smoke but no fire—or not enough of it. There hadn't been anyone long-term, no one he felt like he wanted to stay with, build a life with.

Except for Angela.

Now with her in his arms, all he could think about was taking her back to his house and up to his bedroom, to make love to her all night until they were both too tired to speak or cry or scream.

Except he'd have to let her go. And right now, that was the last thing on his mind.

He slid his hands up under her blouse and unclipped her bra with a flick of his fingers, enjoying the flashback of how many times he'd done this exact thing.

Hunter pressed his teeth again to her skin, nibbling the softness under his lips. He moved his hands to her front, wallowing in a mixture of memories and reality.

Just like I remembered.

But better.

We've both matured with age, like a fine wine now ready to be sampled and enjoyed.

Angela gasped as he cupped both breasts in his hands and squeezed gently, flicking his thumbs over her nipples.

She wasn't holding back either.

He groaned as her hands found the edges of his shirt and pulled it free of his jeans. Angela yanked it open and he heard buttons pop free to bounce off the dashboard. Her fingers scraped over his bare chest, nails digging into his skin as she let out a needy moan that pushed him to the edge in record time.

It was like she'd never left Glen Barrow, never left him.

Hunter caught himself, panting.

She was willing and ready—he could smell her arousal and hear the need in her voice, the wildcat waiting to be unleashed.

Whether it was here in his car or in his bedroom, Angela Kenzie was ready to be with him.

Angela hadn't felt this way in months. Maybe years.

Even during her best times with Eric, she'd never felt this connection, this merging of needs and desires threatening to rip all coherent thoughts from her mind.

She tugged the dress shirt off his shoulders with an annoyed grunt, eager to get her hands on the rest of Hunter's body. It'd been too long since she'd felt so hot, so alive, so—

"Hey." The gruff voice shot ice through her veins.

It wasn't Hunter.

She froze in place, confused.

"Fuck!" Hunter scrabbled for the window control button to the right of her head.

The clear glass on the passenger's side lowered to reveal a solemn-faced Jake, clutching a flashlight in one hand.

"You folks okay?" he deadpanned, staring directly at Angela.

Angela glared at him as the cool outside air hit her exposed skin. She didn't move to adjust her blouse, all of her focus on the policeman standing beside the car.

"Are you serious?" Hunter sat up. He flung the driver's door open, ignoring his disheveled appearance. He half-fell, half-jumped out of the car and walked around the front, advancing on Jake. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Jake stood there, one hand resting on his gun belt while waving the flashlight around. "Just doing a safety check. Saw the two of you out here all alone in the back of the parking lot and decided to make sure you were okay." He lowered his voice. "Not setting a good example for your students, Hunter."

Hunter bunched his hands into fists. "You want an example?"

Angela scrambled out of the car to stand beside Hunter, the edges of her blouse flapping free in the cool air. "I can't believe you did this."

"Did what?" Jake turned to look at her. "I'm doing my job, keeping the public peace."

"Jake." Hunter growled.

Angela felt Jake's gaze on her, on her exposed skin. She resisted the urge to pull her blouse up, letting him see what she'd been doing with Hunter.

"I figured you'd try something but this—" Hunter sputtered as he advanced on Jake. "This is beyond anything I could imagine." He brought up his fist. "I ought to—"

Jake took a step forward. "You want to assault a police officer?" He tapped his chin. "Right here. I'll give you the first shot."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Hunter snapped. "Put me in jail and take me out of circulation."

Angela stepped between the two men, spreading her hands. "Stop it. Right now."

Both men glared at each other, ignoring her.

"You want to go?" Jake snarled. "You want to go?" He tossed the flashlight on the asphalt. It rolled around in a circle, sending a strobing light over the scene. "Bring it."

Hunter spat on the ground. "If I start, I won't stop. Warning you."

"Seriously?" She grabbed at Jake's uniform shirt with one hand while pressing her palm against Hunter's bare chest. "I said, stop it."

Jake didn't break his laser stare at Hunter. "I'm doing my job. Nothing else."

"Bullshit." Angela curled her fingers in the dark fabric, bringing his attention around to her. "You're being an asshole."

After a second or two, his sneer turned into a sheepish grin.

"And as for you—" Angela turned to Hunter. "You should know better. You knew this was going to happen."

"Me?" Hunter pointed at himself, his eyebrows rising in disbelief. "How is this my fault?"

"Because the two of you decided to treat me like some sort of damned trophy to fight over, and I was stupid enough to go along with it. That's how we got here, ready to brawl in the middle of Annie's parking lot." Angela shook her head. "But I'm not a teenager and I'm not a college student. I'm a grown woman—a woman who knows what she likes and what she wants."

She yanked Jake close and gave him a searing kiss, startling the policeman. It lasted only a few seconds before she pulled her mouth away, leaving him wide-eyed and dazed.

"But—" Hunter's complaint was swallowed up as Angela delivered a follow-up to the intense kisses they'd shared only a few minutes ago. Her hand tangled in his light chest hair, keeping him still as she kissed him hard and without mercy.

Hunter was gasping when she finished.

Jake stood there, frozen in place with her hand still tight on his shirt.

"I decide who I want to be with and when. Not you—" This she directed to Jake. "And not you." Now she stared at Hunter. "When I said I liked the idea of a competition, I didn't mean this sort of juvenile crap."

"But he started it." Hunter pointed at Jake. "Don't blame me because he's an asshole."

"I'm not." Angela lowered her tone. "But it's my fault for expecting the two of you to play nice." She glanced at Hunter. "Thank you for dinner. I'm ready to go home now."

Jake let out something akin to a snicker, earning an angry snarl from Hunter.

Angela increased her grip on both men. "This is what I'm talking about." Angry and flushed, she didn't bother trying to censor her words. "You said you wanted this to be all about me. But how is it all about me if you're both trying to score points doing crap like this?" She dropped her hands to her sides, releasing them.

Jake bent over and retrieved his flashlight. He turned it off and slipped it back onto his belt.

"Lady's got a point," Hunter said.

"Don't pat yourself on the back," she warned him. "If he had asked me out first, would you have pulled a stunt like this?"

His silence said volumes.

Angela let out a sigh. "Exactly. So maybe the two of you should pull your heads out of your asses and figure out how you're going to play nice."

Jake hitched his thumbs into his gun belt. "If you'll excuse me, I've got the rest of my shift to finish." He eyed Angela. "Don't forget our date on Sunday. Let me know if you want to change it or not."

Before she could answer, he strode back to his car and got in. The police car spun out of the parking lot in a spray of gravel, leaving her and Hunter alone.

Angela got back in the car and tugged her blouse up over her shoulders, trembling from a mixture of rage and thwarted need.

Hunter got in and turned the engine on. He pulled out onto the street in silence.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Hunter said.

It was the only thing that came to him as he drove toward Angela's home.

She stayed silent, still adjusting her clothing.

"I mean, I wanted some of this to happen." He forced a smile. "Not the part about Jake being a bastard."

"True," Angela said. "That's all on him. But I can't say I'm surprised." She looked in her side mirror. "He pulled me over after I left your office."

Hunter ground his teeth together. "Guess it wasn't for a broken taillight."

"Don't be too mad with him. This is new territory for all of us. Usually I don't have men falling at my feet to get me into bed."

He slowed the car as they turned the corner. "Angie, I'm not playing to get you between the sheets for a fast tumble." He scratched his thigh, acutely aware of his arousal.

The fight with Jake hadn't dampened his desire. If anything, it'd driven it up a notch.

"I know. I just—" She sighed and looked down. "I'm not sure how we're going to make this work without someone getting hurt."

He stopped in front of her house. "Neither of us is going to pressure you to decide until you're sure of what you want to do. Who you want."

"Good." She opened the car door and got out. "Thanks again for dinner."

"Sure." He waved at her as she shut the door. "I'll call you later."

Hunter pulled away from the curb, flipping the air conditioner to full blast. The icy air pouring out of the vents helped curb his desire, but not by much.

He'd forgotten how intoxicating Angela could be. Her taste, her smell, her soft silky skin—

He shivered all the way onto his street where he saw the Glen Barrow police car sitting in front of his house.

Hunter smiled as he turned into his driveway and turned off the ignition.

He was in the mood for something.

If it turned out to be a fight, so much the better.

He had energy to burn.

Hunter adjusted his shirt and threw open the door. He stood up and leaned back against the car, waiting.

The night-light from the porch illuminated Jake as he got out of the police car and strolled up to Hunter.

"I figured you'd want to talk without Angie around," he said. "Get things sorted out."

"What the fuck was that?" Hunter clenched his fists. "You going to screw around with us every date? Because I won't stand for it."

Jake tilted his head to one side. "You won't stand for it?"

"It's not fair," Hunter said. "First you grab her ass on the highway and now you jump us in the parking lot—" He fell silent, anger choking his words.

Jake crossed his arms. "I've been holding my ground for three months. What did you think was going to happen when our deal was over?"

"I figured you'd at least be a gentleman," Hunter said.

Jake chuckled. "I am. I didn't write you up for making out in the parking lot." His expression grew serious. "You take her to a nice place like Annie's and try to screw her in your car?" He kept his voice low. "She deserves better than that. She deserves the best."

"And you're going to give it to her?" Hunter snarled, his patience almost at an end. "By chaperoning our dates?"

"No. Tonight was a mistake." Jake drew a deep breath. "I saw you two in the car, took advantage of the situation. Won't happen again."

Hunter felt his rage ebb a fraction. "You got a point. I should have done better than trying to roll her in my car like we were kids again." He jabbed a finger toward Jake. "Let's keep this civilized. Because I'd hate to lose my job because I beat the shit out of the police chief."

Jake grinned. "Not going to happen in this reality. But I like your optimism. Good night."

He headed for the police car, leaving Hunter behind.

Angela sat on the couch, praying her mother hadn't noticed her unhooked bra.

Mary-Ann had been waiting up, and now peppered her with questions about how the date went.

It was obvious her mother was rooting for Team Hunter.

"Have a good time?" Mary-Ann asked. "Figured Hunter would take you some nice place for your first date. Not sure Annie's qualified, but there you go."

"It's not our first date," Angela said. "Far from it."

"Technically," her mother admitted. "But might as well have been. Been years since you dated him. You've both changed, you're not the same people you once were."

You have no idea, Angela thought, flashing back to the conversation in the parking lot.

Not something she wanted to discuss with her mother.

Angela realized with a start that her mother was now staring at her. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?" she asked.

"No, no." Mary-Ann shook her head. "Guess you did enjoy yourself if you're fading out like that."

Angela yawned. "I'm pretty tired. Going to call it a night if you don't mind."

She froze, focused on Mary-Ann's hand held up like a stop sign.

"Are you okay?" Her mother frowned. "You look—unsettled. You sure you're fine? Everything go fine tonight?" Her gaze narrowed. "Did he say or do something?"

"No, no. I'm just tired." Angela began her slow retreat toward the stairs. "Been awhile since I had a night out—hit me a bit harder than I expected. Going to grab a shower and call it quits. See you in the morning."

Her mother's words followed her up the stairs. "Better fix that bra before you go out again. Looks like it's broken."

Steam rose up around her, turning Angela's world into a foggy haze.

The scarlet hickey on her right shoulder ached, reminding her how good Hunter could be with his mouth. With his tongue.

Angela leaned against the tiled wall, gripping the wet soapy washcloth in one hand. She was exhausted mentally but not physically, her body still crying out for release. Hunter had done an excellent job of priming the pump but she couldn't go to bed like this.

Where there's a will—

Angela ran the cloth over her nipples, shuddering as the fabric brushed the sensitive skin. It wasn't hard to imagine a naked and dripping wet Hunter standing in front of her.

The hot water pelted her back as he tilted her head and kissed her hard, his hands caressing and squeezing her breasts.

The washcloth dipped lower, circling her belly on the way south.

One imaginary hand dropped down, covering her hand as it followed the rough cloth.

Hunter.

Her fingers slid between her damp folds, pressing the dense fabric against her sensitive nub. Angela moaned as she felt the familiar trembling, the sensations spiraling out to swallow the rest of her up.

Hunter.

Suddenly she gasped, her imagination flashing into overdrive.

Jake.

Jake was behind her, nuzzling the back of her neck as Hunter kissed her again, pinning her between the two men. He moved his hand between her legs as Jake reached around to cup her breasts.

Hunter's fingers unerringly found their target, dipping inside her with a single finger.

Then two, pumping in and out with a growing eagerness as Jake brushed his thumbs against her nipples. His erection nudged against her ass, the gentle thrusts growing in intensity and demand as he mimicked Hunter's movements.

So… close…

"Come on, Angie," Jake whispered. "Give it to us."

Hunter growled, a low guttural order. "Now."

Angela choked, holding back a scream as the orgasm overtook her. She reached out and clawed at the tiles in an effort to stay upright, resting her forehead against the wall.

Oh. My. God.

The water sprayed on her as she struggled to take in a deep breath.

That was—

Intense.

She couldn't find another word for it. Her fantasy had taken her to new heights of pleasure, and the whole thing left her mind spinning.

Angela tilted her head up and took in a mouthful of water, trying to understand what she had done. It was crazy, it was insane—

Except her heart couldn't lie. She'd just had the most amazing orgasm, and it hadn't happened by accident.

But this isn't—

Normal.

She spat out the water, trying to force some logic into her arguments.

What was normal, anyway?

Angela shook her head.

You're tired and emotionally compromised right now. Go to bed.

Tomorrow—

Tomorrow is another day.

Then I can think about this with a clear mind.

Hunter didn't look through his front windows to see if Jake had left after their brief discussion.

He knew the police chief all too well. Jake had another hour on duty, and he wasn't going to leave Glen Barrow unprotected for longer than he needed to. He was probably already kicking himself for that little stunt in the parking lot, taking him away from his assigned patrol.

No matter what he thought of Jake, the man was loyal and hardworking to a fault.

Except now…

The gentleman's agreement had held for three months without either of them breaking it.

Now Angela had smashed it to bits and put them at each other's throats. He'd suspected it'd come to this, but hadn't reckoned on her being the one to fire the starting gun.

In his perfect scenario, she wouldn't have ever found out about the two of them agreeing to give her space. It was supposed to be a gentle immersion back into the dating pool, the two of them taking turns to seduce her with multiple dates, each giving the other space to present their case to Angela, leading up to an eventual commitment to one man, the other accepting gracious defeat and fading back into the woodwork.

Hunter would be the winner, of course.

Instead, she'd barged into his office and called him out, called them both out and forced his hand.

He found it delightful, a welcome return to the rebellious young girl he'd loved many years ago. The wild spirit scrambling out of the house late at night for a secret rendezvous while he pushed his old man almost to the edge of breaking.

It was good to see that side of her again.

When he'd first seen his sweet Angie three months ago, Hunter feared all her fighting spirit was gone, burned out by that idiot Eric.

But now the flash was back in her eyes, flaming bright.

Angela had changed in the years they'd been apart—small, subtle differences in the way she held herself, the way she spoke. He'd seen it in action during her time in the courtroom.

The hometown girl had become a formidable force to be reckoned with. During Angela's first few cases at the Glen Barrow courthouse, the prosecutor was taken aback, expecting a soft, gentle approach from the new lawyer in town.

Angela would have none of it.

She'd gone in there, guns blazing and earned the respect of everyone in the courtroom and, by proxy, the entire town.

Now she was calling both Hunter and Jake out, demanding only the best from both men.

This was going to be interesting.

The highway was quiet and empty, wisps of fog creeping up onto the road from the nearby river.

Jake glanced at his watch and maneuvered the police car back toward Glen Barrow. He'd arrive right on time to sign off and hand the reins over to the state troopers. The rest of the ride back was silent, giving him way too much time to think.

He parked the car in his usual parking spot and shut the engine off before resting his forehead on the steering wheel.

Damn.

He'd been an asshole.

Angela had been right to call him on it.

He hadn't planned to interfere. All he wanted to do is see where Hunter was taking her, do a little reconnaissance before his date on Sunday.

But when he'd seen her in the car with Hunter, the windows steamed up and the silhouettes rocking back and forth—

No way he was going to let him get away with treating her like that. Angela deserved better than a quick roll in the back seat for her first time with either of them.

Unfortunately, his intervention had placed a bull's-eye on him for a good ass chewing by Angela. He'd deserved it; of that there was no doubt.

But now he had to get his game on because if he screwed up again, he might lose her.

Brunch on Sunday.

Don't fuck this up, Jake.