Insatiable (12 page)

Evan walked ahead, then slid his key card into the slot on the black wrought-iron gate and opened it. They walked through the gateway, then past the high bushes alongside a building to their right to a view of a huge pool with curved, meandering edges. Lounge chairs, most of them occupied by swimsuit-clad bodies or towels and beach bags, lined the white concrete deck surrounding the pool. People milled around the open area behind the chairs, holding tropical drinks and munching on snacks from trays offered by waitresses, each with a large blossom in her hair and wearing a bikini top and sarong. A waitress passed them and offered a tray of tidbits. Crystal took a square with a shrimp on top. Brent took a small meatball spiked with a toothpick. He nipped the meat from the wooden stick. Sweet and tangy. Not bad.

Another waitress passed with a tray of drinks. Crystal grabbed one of the stemmed glasses filled with dark pink liquid and took a sip.

“Mmm. Nice punch.”

“I’m getting something stronger.” Evan glanced toward Brent. “Beer?”

Brent nodded, then Evan headed off toward the bar.

“Brent, would you hold my drink?” Crystal smiled at him. “I’m going to the little girls’ room.”

“Sure.” He took the stemmed glass and watched her walk away, admiring the sway of her delightful derriere.

She looked sensational this evening in her floral sundress. Halter style, leaving her tanned back totally bare. He loved that. What he loved even more was that she wasn’t wearing a bra under it.

She disappeared from view. He swished the liquid in her glass and realized he was getting thirsty. A quick glance toward the bar, with Evan at the end of a long line, told him he’d have a bit of a wait. He gazed around the large pool area. Both other bars had similar lines, the large pool was filled with people, and more people kept entering through the gate. There seemed to be people everywhere.

Man, he was glad they were staying at one of the luxury villas. He hated crowds. He wouldn’t be at this party right now if it weren’t for the fact that he wanted to be with Crystal. He sighed and swirled her glass again. And, of course, he’d needed to get away from the closed-in feeling of the three of them together in that house. Sometimes three could feel like a crowd.

This evening would be good, though. Crystal liked parties and meeting new people.

He watched the people walking by, then glanced in the direction where Crystal had disappeared. She was walking toward him and smiled as she saw him looking at her. Then she turned, making a pointing gesture as she mouthed words to him. He couldn’t tell what she was trying to say, but he could see she was heading toward an extravagant buffet table. She was probably checking out the food. Glancing toward the bar, he saw that Evan was now third in line.

When he looked back to Crystal, he saw a dark-haired man in a tropical shirt and shorts talking to her. She shook her head, then walked around the table to the other side. The guy followed her.

Damn it. He was hitting on Crystal! Anger surged through Brent and he strode through the crowd. As he approached, Crystal glanced his way and a big smile claimed her face. His heart melted, taking the edge off his anger.

“But I just want to buy you a drink,” the guy said. “One little drink won’t hurt.”

“Crystal, here’s your punch.” Brent handed her the glass and glared at the other man.

“You’re with him?” the guy asked Crystal.

“That’s right. She’s my fiancée,” Brent proclaimed.

“Really?” The guy gazed at her hand. “I didn’t see a ring on her finger.”

Thirteen

Brent’s gaze darted to Crystal’s left hand. Her ring finger was bare—she wasn’t wearing the beautiful marquise-cut solitaire diamond ring they’d chosen together. It felt like a sharp punch in the gut.

Damn, she’d probably taken it off on their wedding day, after he hadn’t shown. How could he not have noticed before now? Of course, an engagement ring had been the least of his worries over the past few days. But now it felt as though their connection had been severed.

His heart clenched. God damn it, whatever it took, he had to win her back.

*   *   *

Crystal saw Brent’s stricken look when he noticed her naked ring finger. Damn, she didn’t even know where the ring was now. If Evan hadn’t retrieved it from the floor, hopefully Renee had found it when she came to finish packing up for them.

Crystal tucked her arm around Brent’s elbow and the other man wandered away. Evan approached with two tall glasses of beer and handed one to Brent.

“Problem?” Evan asked, his gaze following the man walking away.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Brent mumbled.

Evan said nothing, ignoring Brent’s defensiveness. “So how’s the buffet look?” he asked.

“Great.” Crystal moved to the big stack of plates on one end of the buffet table and picked one up. She hoped things would improve as the evening wore on. Maybe being out with other people, with music and drinks to relax them, they could get into a party mood and forget about the tension between them.

They filled their plates with chicken and salad and tropical fruits. Evan found an empty table, and they sat and ate in silence.

“I wonder if Sarah and her boyfriend will be here,” Crystal said. She would love the couple to join them right now and break the tension.

A couple approached their table.

“Do you mind if we join you?” the woman asked.

They were at a table with six chairs, and all the tables around them were taken. Crystal considered telling the woman the empty chairs were reserved for friends, but she didn’t even know if Sarah would be here.

What the heck … meeting new people was part of the fun of a party.

The couple sat and they all introduced themselves. Soon another couple joined them and pulled up another chair, and they all chatted about where they were from and what they’d seen of the island so far. All Crystal shared was that they’d been enjoying the lovely private beach and sitting by the pool. The other two couples were interested to learn that she was staying in a villa and had won it in a contest. No one raised an eyebrow at the fact that she was sharing it with two men, but then, why would they? They wouldn’t just assume she was having sex with both of them. Or maybe they did and just didn’t care.

The conversation drifted to sports, and the other women seemed as interested in the subject as the men. Brent and Evan chatted enthusiastically, and Crystal was glad they had started to enjoy themselves. She didn’t know anything about sports, so she just let the conversation drift around her while she continued to eat, keeping a watchful eye out for Sarah. These new people were nice enough, but she felt no connection with them the way she had with Sarah.

As the sun set, dramatic colors streaked across the sky. As it became dark, glittering strings of lights coiled around the palm trees turned on, enhancing the festive mood of the party. Couples began to dance to the lively music. The woman sitting next to Crystal glanced at her date and nudged her head toward the dancers, and he obligingly took her hand and led her to the dance area by the band. The other couple soon followed suit.

“Crystal, do you want to dance?” Brent asked.

Crystal glanced uncertainly at Evan.

“I’ll go get you some more punch,” he said.

She smiled and followed Brent to the dance area. His hand curled around her back and he drew her close to his body. He was warm and hard-muscled, and she loved being this close to him.

“Brent, I’m sorry this has worked out the way it has. I know it’s hard on you.” She glanced up at him. “And I’m sorry if this afternoon made you uncomfortable.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything. She felt guilty and awkward, not knowing what else to say.

They continued to dance, but Brent said nothing more. He seemed almost … preoccupied. He did draw her closer to his body, though, and held her as though he never wanted to let her go.

She really hoped that after she made her choice, the three of them could find a way to continue their friendship. Brent and Evan had been as close as brothers for years. They relied on each other. They cared about each other. She would hate to see their relationship end.

*   *   *

Evan returned to the table with Crystal’s punch, then sat and watched her dancing with Brent. This afternoon had been a strange and exciting turn of events. He and Brent had often talked about sharing a woman, though they’d kept it at a level that seemed more like kidding around, even though Evan was sure Brent found the idea as much a turn-on as he did. If Brent hadn’t started dating Crystal, it might actually have happened, but Evan would never have suggested they do so with Crystal. Though if Brent had ever suggested it, he would have jumped at the chance.

Now it was actually happening.

He’d found it exciting to watch her be so uninhibited. She’d become wild and sexy. Watching her sweet mouth wrap around Brent’s cock, knowing Evan was watching, was a major turn-on. Then watching Brent’s cock glide into her … God, Evan’s cock was swelling now just thinking about it.

But seeing her in Brent’s arms now, snuggling close to him while they danced, seemed more intimate than what the three of them had done this afternoon. In each other’s arms like that, they seemed to share an intimacy that made him feel like an outsider.

He wanted to hold her close like that. To be the man she loved. Wholeheartedly and forever. Out on the dance floor, it was just the two of them, in their own world.

Ever since Brent and Crystal had become engaged, Evan had felt a growing anxiety. He and Brent had been very close for a long time. Even when Crystal and Brent had started dating, they had included Evan in a three-way friendship. When they got engaged, however, Evan realized that their relationship would change forever.

At first, he just forced himself to come to terms with the fact that Brent would be married and although that would change things, they’d still be friends. Over time, however, Evan began to realize he loved Crystal, too. And now that it was all in the open, there was even a chance he could wind up with Crystal as his wife. And he hoped Brent would still be his friend.

But Brent had the edge, so Evan had to keep trying to convince her
he
was the man she should marry. He grabbed his beer and took a gulp, then stood up, ready to stride over to Crystal and cut in.

Just then Crystal glanced around, grabbed Brent’s hand, and led him back to the table.

“Evan, I just saw Sarah,” she said. “We’re going to go find her.”

He handed her the glass of punch and followed behind her, sorry he’d missed his opportunity to hold her in his arms. To establish the kind of intimacy with her Brent had just enjoyed.

She sipped her punch as they wound their way through the crowd, heading to the other side of the large pool.

A flash of blonde hair caught Evan’s eye. “Is that her over there?” he asked, pointing toward the woman he’d seen sitting by the pool.

“No, that’s not her.”

“I’m pretty sure I saw her go this way,” Brent said, heading to the right toward an exit. “She was wearing bright blue, right?”

Crystal nodded, put down her glass on a serving table, then followed behind him. Evan trailed behind, jealous that Brent still held her hand. They went out the gate and wandered a little ways until they found themselves in a parking lot.

“Maybe they drove over here.”

“You’re sure it was her?” Evan asked.

“Yes, it was definitely her. And she was with her boyfriend—or I assume that’s who he was—but we lost sight of them when we left the dance floor.”

“I think if we walk over that way, we’ll find the path back to the villas,” Brent said.

“I guess,” she said. “We wouldn’t catch up with them now.”

“Do you want to go back to the party and hope we spot them again?” Evan asked. “Maybe do some dancing?”

“Or call it a night?” Brent suggested.

Crystal sighed. “I guess we should just go now.”

Although Evan was disappointed he couldn’t hold her close on the dance floor, he was anxious to find out what she had in mind for sleeping arrangements tonight. Would she suggest all three of them share a bed? And if she did, how would Brent react?

*   *   *

Evan walked alongside Crystal as they strolled along the well-lit stone path lined with thick, well-trimmed bushes, Brent on her other side. The music and laughter from the party behind them merged with the sound of the ocean waves rolling along the beach.

Then he heard a noise. It sounded like a woman giggling.

“That sounds like Sarah.” Crystal turned onto a side path.

It seemed to lead to a garden, lit only by the glow of the full moon.

Evan had a good guess what the couple was doing, but he was pretty sure Crystal had no idea.

“Shouldn’t we just head home?” he asked. “They might want to be alone.”

“Oh, I don’t think they’ll mind if—” Crystal stopped in her tracks.

Evan peered beyond the bush beside them and caught sight of Sarah and a man ahead.

Crystal ducked behind the bush again, but she couldn’t seem to tear her gaze from them.

Sarah was crouched in front of the man, holding his cock in her hand. And it was the biggest cock, bar none, Evan had ever seen. Probably Crystal, too, judging from her widened eyes.

Sarah stroked the huge member, then pressed her lips to it. Evan could feel his groin tighten at the sight. She swallowed the huge cockhead in her mouth, then eased down the long shaft.

The sight was extremely erotic, but what turned Evan on even more was the sight of Crystal practically salivating. He was sure it was having the same effect on Brent, given the way he gazed at the couple, then back to Crystal, then at the couple again.

*   *   *

Crystal knew she should look away, but she couldn’t. Sarah’s boyfriend had the biggest cock she’d ever seen. It was huge, and she longed to be Sarah right now. Holding that big cock in her hand. Stroking it. Feeling it fill her mouth. Just as it did Sarah’s right now.

God, what would it feel like to have that cock drive into her? To fill her. Stretching her. Gliding in and out of her.