Tempting Meredith (21 page)

“I already knew some programming when I started the class,” one of the campers, Taylor, said. “My dad started teaching me when I was in fifth grade. We started with some easy stuff, Visual Basic. Then in sixth grade we moved on to Fortran. Then C. I wanted to design a website and taught myself HTML because Dad didn’t know it. So I thought a programming class would be fun. I was the only girl in the class, but I didn’t mind. We joked around, and I helped some of the boys.” She swallowed, and her eyes became suspiciously bright. “I thought they were my friends.” The whispered words were full of pain.

Cat was quiet, but the hurt in her eyes attested to the shared experience. The boys had turned against them. During her first WoSTEM camp, Meredith had given up hope that this generation of girls wasn’t facing the same prejudices she’d dealt with. It was difficult enough being a science geek without the added humiliation of sexist taunts, the subtle and not-so-subtle suggestions that she enroll in home ec and return to the kitchen. It blew her mind that they hadn’t progressed beyond sexism.

“I know it’s difficult,” Meredith said. “And I know it’s a lot to ask. But don’t let them win. The more women who go into programming, engineering and science—the more we increase our numbers—the less we’ll have to deal with this kind of discrimination. Our daughters will have it better than we did.” She desperately wanted that for her own daughter.

“Warriors,” Cat said, her voice quiet but strong. “My mom says we’re warriors.”

“She’s right,” Meredith said.

The girls’ shoulders straightened.

“Do you have a boyfriend, Dr. Burke?” Taylor asked, her expression hopeful.

She knew why they were asking. She doubted these girls had ever had a date. Not that they weren’t pretty enough or interesting enough. They were. “Yes, I do.”

The girls leaned forward, eager to hear the details of a life they’d only dreamed of. She wanted to warn them, tell them not to sleep with a guy until they were ready to deal with a baby. But the politics of sex kept her quiet. If word spread that she was dispensing advice of a sexual nature to teenagers, even tenure wouldn’t protect her from being tarred and feathered and run out of town. She was tempted to explain that love was for fools and not to let their emotions override good sense. But a warm, fluffy blanket pillowing her heart stopped her.

“Is he a scientist?” Cat asked.

“No,” Meredith said then shook her head. “Wait, I take that back. He’s a scientist of a sort. He’s a hunting guide. He observes animals and predicts what they’ll do based on his observations. But he doesn’t have a formal degree.”

“Oh.” Taylor sounded disappointed. “Then what do you talk about? What do you
do
together?”

Meredith couldn’t tell them about the phenomenal sex, and it probably wasn’t a good idea to talk about shooting. Editing herself, language and subject matter, was the hardest part of hanging out with these kids. “We play pool, watch movies, eat.” She chuckled. “We both love to eat, and he’s a good cook.”

“He cooks?” Cat said. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Meredith said.

“So you talk about movies and stuff?” Taylor pressed.

“Movies, political and religious ideologies, sports.”

“Are you smarter than him?” Cat asked.

“That depends on what you mean by smart. Do I know more about astrophysics than th—” She’d almost said “they.” She was already thinking of them as a threesome. “Than he does? Yes. I’m also a better pool player, but then, pool is just physics and hand-eye coordination. However, he knows more about wildlife and botany. And people. He’s much better at reading people than I am.”

Cat started to say something then bit her lips.

“It’s okay,” Meredith said. “Ask me anything. I might not be able to answer, but I won’t be angry.”

“I know it’s rude to ask, but do you make more money than he does?” She hurried on. “My mom says my dad left us because she made more money than he did.”

In the three years since she’d started the camp, this was the first time anyone had asked that question. Of course, it was the first time she’d been able to tell the girls she had a boyfriend. “I honestly don’t know,” Meredith replied. “It’s not something we’ve discussed. But I don’t think it would bother him if I did. He’s confident, self-assured. He loves his work as much as I love mine.”

“He sounds wonderful,” Taylor said, her eyes dreamy.

She’d never had a man try to push past her fears and insecurities, never had a man care enough to put out the effort. Yes, Charlie
was
wonderful, and she was beginning to think Blaine was, too.

Chapter Twenty

Meredith’s heart fluttered with nervousness and excitement as her car crunched along the gravel drive. There were a few other cars and trucks parked in front of the lodge. She recognized Charlie’s and Blaine’s, but the others were unfamiliar. Most of the cabins she’d passed had cars parked next to them. She’d also spotted a few tents and RVs. They wouldn’t have the place to themselves. No more sex in the kitchen or by the lake. They’d have to keep it in the bedroom. Might be boring.

Yeah, right.

Blaine and Charlie were down the porch steps before she shifted into park. No time to put on her game face. No time to reconsider and turn around.

She was barely out of the car before Charlie grabbed her ass, lifted her off the ground and pressed her against the car before giving her a long kiss. She forgot about confining their play to the bedroom and responded, wrapping her legs around his waist and opening her mouth to reacquaint herself with his taste. God, she’d missed him. Her hands slipped beneath his T-shirt, skimming along his smooth skin and kneading his muscles.

He murmured against her lips, “I’m so fucking glad you’re here.”

Blaine’s voice divided her attention. “Me, too.”

He stood about a meter away, not crowding them, almost unsure of his welcome.

Charlie slowly lowered her until her feet touched ground again. When she was steady, he stepped back, and Blaine stepped forward as if they were dancing. Blaine took her hand and leaned in. She held her breath, waiting. Her heart pounded. His lips tentatively brushed hers, so different from Charlie’s kiss.

He lifted his head and smiled shyly. “I missed you, too.”

She remembered to inhale. Their absolute joy was infectious. No leers, no sexual innuendoes. They didn’t even seem to have sex on the brain. Unlike her. It was all she’d thought about since she’d woken up this morning. Her nervous smile began to feel real, but she didn’t know what to say other than “Hi.” It sounded lame, but apparently it was just what they wanted to hear because their smiles grew even bigger, which she wouldn’t have thought possible.

Blaine released her hand. “I’ll get your bag. My sister’s inside. She’s our event coordinator during the summer. Barbecues, hay rides, hoe downs and fishing tournaments.”

“You have horses?” she asked in surprise. She hadn’t seen any and they hadn’t mentioned them.

“No.” Blaine hefted her bag from the trunk. “Horses are a pain in the ass.”

“How can you have a hay ride without horses?”

“Another outfit brings ’em in.”

Charlie picked up the hand Blaine had released and led her toward the lodge. “We’re taking a group to the shooting range this afternoon. You wanna come with us?”

“I’ll tag along, but no shooting.” She shouldn’t be handling a gun when she couldn’t focus on it.

He opened the front door and stepped back to let her through. “You sure? I’ve got a .22 you can use.”

Blaine followed her inside, and Charlie pulled up the rear.

“Yes. I’m sure.”

“Okay, but if you—”

“Hi.” A feminine voice interrupted him. “You’re Meredith.”

A tall, slender woman stood in the doorway of Blaine’s office. She was the female version of Blaine, sandy brown hair, blue-green eyes, the same smile and oval face. Were they twins?

“Meredith, this is my sister, Lindsey.”

Lindsey crossed the room and shook Meredith’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. How did camp go?”

They’d told her about camp? Not that it was a secret, but that meant they’d been talking about her. It made Meredith uneasy, especially since she hadn’t even known Blaine had a sister. She was at a disadvantage. Had they told Lindsey why Meredith was here? Had they explained the sexual arrangement? Surely not. Blaine was running for sheriff. He wouldn’t want rumors of a ménage spreading.

“Very well,” she answered, tempted to slip into her exaggerated southern drawl. She took a deep breath of resistance. “The girls were awesome.”

“Well, you’ll want to settle in, and I’ve got to track down my sons. We’ll talk later.”

The ranch had a different ambience than when Meredith had visited in May. It was busier, noisier. She met Grant, the cook, and his wife, Grace, who cleaned cabins after the guests checked out. On the drive to the shooting range, Charlie stopped on the side of the road next to two boys, identical twins, who were studying something in the wildflowers next to the road. They were Lindsey’s ten-year-old sons.

After Charlie and Blaine supervised two families at the shooting range, they headed back to the lodge. It was busier than when they’d left because four groups waited for dinner to be served in the dining room. Grant, Grace, Lindsey, Charlie, Blaine and Meredith ate dinner after the lodgers were fed. Meredith was past over-stimulated. This must be what her brother suffered when he was dropped in the middle of a huge party. Too many people, too much noise. So different from her last visit and so unexpected. To cope, she had a glass of tequila with dinner. As soon as they finished eating, Lindsey left for her cabin.

Meredith checked her watch. 9:14. Soon, she thought. The tequila had chased away her nerves, leaving excitement and pure, sexual desire. How much longer would they make her wait? Blaine hadn’t touched her since the kiss when she’d arrived. He couldn’t, not with so many people around. But her temptation to touch him was strong. She resisted—just barely—and directed that need to Charlie. She was practically in his lap by the time dinner was done.

“Let’s go to my office,” Blaine said. “Talk about some things.”

She didn’t hold back her sigh of disappointment. There’d already been too much talk.

Charlie smiled and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. It shouldn’t take long.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

Humming “A Little Less Talk and A Lot More Action,” Meredith carried her second glass of tequila to the office. Blaine shut the door, and she settled in a high-backed wood chair in front of the desk. Blaine took the chair next to her, and Charlie perched one hip on the desk.

Charlie spoke first. “Are you ready for this?”

“Past ready,” she said emphatically though her tongue was thick and uncoordinated. “You two are driving me crazy.”

“You remember your safe word?”

“Red. Red, red, red, red,” she repeated, the words slurred together.

“Mine’s still red.” Charlie slipped the glass of tequila from her hand. “What about you, Blaine?”

“Why the fuck do we need a safe word? I’m not into pain,” Blaine said.

Meredith sat up from her sotted slump. “That’s just what I said.” She pinned Charlie with her bleary gaze. “See? I told you.”

“And yet, you’ve used yours, haven’t you?”

Oh, right. She’d forgotten.

Charlie spoke to Blaine. “I hope we’re all comfortable enough that we won’t need it. But if things get too intense, I don’t want anyone getting hurt, physically or emotionally. I want everyone—” he looked pointedly at Meredith, “—to feel safe.”

She stood and clapped her hands together. “Okay. Everyone’s safe. Let’s go.”

“We don’t have Blaine’s safe word.”

She huffed and glared at Blaine. “What’re you waiting for?”

The man smiled. “Well, right this moment, I’m waiting for you to sober up a little.”

“Oh no, don’t do that. This is good. I’m less nervous. All those people today. How do you live like this? Strangers coming in and out all day long. It used to be so peaceful around here.” Tears filled her eyes. She missed the quiet. She missed the three of them alone together. She missed Charlie seducing them in the kitchen. “Where’re Abby and Zach? They don’t like the crowds either, do they?”

“The twins keep the dogs busy when they’re here. They even sleep with them.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Oh. That’s good. Okay, let’s go to bed.”

“Blaine?” Charlie said.

“Let’s make it easy and go with red,” Blaine said.

Charlie crossed his arms over his chest and stared sternly at Meredith. “Who’s in charge?”

She sighed.
Soon.
The butterflies in her stomach were as excited as she was. “You are.”

Charlie spoke to Blaine. “I was gonna do this in my room, but let’s use yours. We can check out the game while she sobers up.”

“No, I don’t
want
to sober up.” She reached for the glass Charlie had set on the desk, but he blocked her.

“Then it’s a good thing you’re not in charge.” He pulled her to her feet and dragged his hand from her wrist to her shoulder and down to the swell of her breast.

She held her breath, waiting for more. The room began to spin, and she closed her eyes to stop it, but it only spun faster. She opened them at the same time she grabbed Charlie’s arms to steady herself. “Uh-oh. I think I drank too much. The room’s twirling. Twirling,” she said in a singsong voice as she followed the motion with her head, hoping to counteract the constant spiraling. Didn’t help. “Oh, yeah. It’s definitely twirling.” She tightened her grip on him.

“Are you gonna throw up?” he asked.

“I don’t throw up,” she said, offended at the suggestion. “Not when I’m drunk.”

“That’s good news.” He scooped her up, sending a fresh surge to the merry-go-round in her head.

He jostled her as he walked, but she didn’t mind. She liked being carried by Charlie. He was warm and safe, and he smelled good, like...like...well, like something good. She supposed he just smelled like Charlie, and that was good enough. Even with the world spinning, it was nice. He laid her on a cushy bed. She curled up on her side and closed her eyes. She’d just sleep for a few minutes until the world stopped spinning. Except it twirled faster when she closed her eyes, so she opened them and stared at a beige wall. Then the light went out and the wall darkened.

She struggled to sit up. “What are y’all doing?”

Blaine pointed the remote at the TV. “We’re gonna catch the end of the Rangers game.”

She crawled to the head of the bed and leaned against the headboard. “Then can we please have sex?”

“If you haven’t gone to sleep by then,” Blaine answered.

“I won’t,” she said happily.

Blaine and Charlie bounced on the bed, bumping her shoulders then settling against her like earmuffs. They spoke in low tones to each other, the drone of the game in the background. Following their conversation took too much effort. But it was nice simply sitting here alone with them. No one else around. Just the three of them like before. She’d been waiting weeks for this. She snuggled down between them and sighed. No, longer than weeks. Years, maybe. Or her whole life, except that was rather dramatic.

Their voices soothed. She slipped further down, and her eyelids drooped. The world stopped spinning.