Nailed to the Wall: Powertools, Book 5 Read online

  Chapter Two

  Devon popped another handful of caramel corn into her mouth, despite the fact that the credits of their third movie scrolled past on the muted TV. She smiled as she thought back to Dave and Kayla’s first fight—a battle over the installment of the enormous flatscreen. Secretly, she was glad her friend had compromised and allowed the technology in her haven. The custom oak cabinet the crew had devised to hide any trace of ugly black plastic was a work of art.

  Crispy, coated kernels surrendered to her chomping. She licked sticky sweetness from her fingers. When she looked up, she caught Kayla peeking at her from the corner of her eye.

  Devon knocked her knee into her friend’s. “Want some of this?”

  “Yeah.” Kayla made no move to grab a snack.

  Morgan refilled their pretty, hand-blown margarita glasses. Colorful blobs encased in the clear material looked like confetti. They swirled and mixed in Devon’s blurred vision. Last round for her. Being petite had been a curse she’d endured her entire life. Little to no tolerance for alcohol was a related inconvenience to suffer.

  When Morgan finished serving them—all except Kate, who’d opted for fancy tea instead of booze—she plopped on the floor beside her best friend.

  “So…” Kate leered at each of them in turn. “Truth or dare time.”

  “My favorite.” Devon grinned.

  “Good, then you first.”

  “Truth.” She had no qualms about sharing herself with these women regardless of the silly game they played.

  “Make it something juicy.” Morgan poked Kate in the ribs. “You’re evil at this. I should know. Remember when you forced me to admit my crush on your boyfriend in high school? Holy crap. I forgot his name. How can that be?”

  “I think it was Tim. Or Ted maybe. Damn.” Kate squinted. “It seemed like the end of the world at the time. Now that we have the crew, I can’t help but think you saved me from potential disaster.”

  “Plus you got even in college with…” Morgan paused.

  “Dan?”

  “Uh, something like that. No, no, Doug. Definitely Doug.” Morgan laughed. “I guess we’ve always had similar taste in guys.”

  “Great hormones think alike.” Kate winked. “And now I know you’ve got it good with Joe.”

  “Lucky bitch.” A slap on Kate’s bared thigh accompanied the half-hearted curse.

  “That’s me. Anyhoo… It’s been a while.” Kate tapped her chin, then glanced at Kayla and Morgan. “I’m rusty. Help me. Both of you.”

  “Hell-oooo. You’re the only sober one here.” Kayla rolled her eyes. “You’ve got a pretty big advantage.”

  “Good point.” Kate utilized their fit of giggles to consider. “Okay. But maybe we should change the rules. No singling anyone out. We’ll all answer the question.”

  “Why the hell not?” Morgan shrugged. “We don’t really believe in the whole solo thing around these parts. We’re like the nine musketeers. Or is that three, three musketeers?”

  “I can’t do math after four margaritas!” Kayla rubbed her temples.

  “You’ve had five,” Kate corrected.

  “You sort of proved her point.” Devon nodded gingerly enough to avoid rattling her brains.

  “Okay, okay.” Kate held her hands up in surrender. “How about this? What’s one thing you always hoped to try with our guys but haven’t had the balls to go for yet?”

  “Time to start planning our coup, huh?” Morgan clinked her glass against Kate’s teacup.

  “Yeah. I’ll kick us off with some honesty of my own. Part of me is nervous. It’s been a while now, coming up on two years, since I met the crew. I feel like we need to keep things fresh for Mike and the rest of them. They’re used to adventure. I couldn’t stand it if we didn’t satisfy them as much as they’ve done for us.” The rush with which the confession burst from Kate had them all sobering a tiny bit.

  “You’ve thought about this a lot. Worried.” Devon leaned forward to pat Kate’s shoulder. “Mike adores you. You’re all he really needs. You know that, right?”

  “Yes.” Kate swallowed hard enough for Devon to spot her throat flex. “I do. Deep down. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to give him the world. Better than only what he requires. Bare minimum isn’t enough for the man of my dreams. We’ve also…”

  “What, Katiebug?” Kayla defaulted to the nickname the guys had given their friend.

  She released a dreamy sigh, then confessed, “Mike and I have toyed with starting a family.”

  “No wonder you’re not drinking tonight.” Kayla stared at the cup of tea clutched in Kate’s white-knuckled grip.

  “I’ve been dying to tell you all. I just…” She shook her head.

  “You’ve been keeping too much inside.” Morgan glared at Kate. “Don’t you know we’re here for you when you need us?”

  “If we’d hidden something like this, you would have kicked our asses.” Kayla leaned in closer. Morgan didn’t harp, though. She glanced away, and her cheeks seemed to blush. Before Devon could dig deeper, Kate sighed.

  “I know.” At least she didn’t attempt to deny it. “I’m sorry.”

  “So what’s your main concern?” Devon tilted her head as she tried to decipher the issue.

  “Once we have more responsibility, what if Mike is restless? As much as I can already feel a burning love for the baby we’re praying for, I also know things will get harder. More stress. More obligation. More work. Our relationship could suffer. I’m terrified this brilliant magic we’ve created could fade into a perfectly comfortable, ordinary life. While he might be content, I can’t imagine him happiest like that.”

  “Never forget we’re a team.” Morgan smirked. “With this many aunts and uncles to love a child, he or she won’t be hard up for attention. And you’ll never have to worry about a babysitter if you two need some time alone. Then, maybe someday, you could return the favor for Joe and me. Just think, our kids will grow up like brothers and sisters.”

  “That is nice to dream about.” Kate brushed discreetly at the corner of her eye with a knuckle. “So I guess I’m going to answer my own stupid question. Tell me if I’m crazy.”

  “You are,” Devon answered immediately.

  “Brat.” Kate’s insult held no heat. Some of her seriousness dissolved. She took a deep breath, then admitted in a rush, “I’d like to watch one of you with Mike. I can’t promise I won’t get psycho jealous and try to rip you apart—gouge out your eyes or pull your hair or scratch you to shreds—but I’ll do my best. I think he should have the option. And secretly, though he’s never said anything, I think he’s a touch jealous of the other guys. They got to be with some of you and he never did. Not that he wants to screw around or anything. But he’s possessive. He considers all eight of us his in some way, you know?”

  “You’re both similar in that regard. Always taking care of the gang.” Kayla grinned. “So how about a trade? Dave told me you were pretty damn hot that first time they shared you in the pool. I’m sure he’d be up for another taste. And he’s plenty strong enough to keep your cat-fighting ninja moves in check should you make a break for me.”

  Devon noticed Morgan nodding in agreement. She thought about her relationship with the rest of the crew and how easy it would be to take the last step toward full-on intimacy. She loved each of the men for things they had in common as well as their individual strengths and quirks.

  Morgan added softly, “I’ve grown so close to you all, and our guys. Most of us have been with some combination of them already…when we were first finding each other. One thing I’ve wondered about is making our sessions a free-for-all. The guys share each other. So why not us too? There are times, when we’re all together, it would be so easy to reach out and touch Mike, Dave, Neil or James. They’re gorgeous, and I love each of them. I’m sure I could improve their experience, same for them with me, but I’m afraid they’re off limits. Why do we do that?”

  Devon gnawed her lip. It was no
secret Neil and James had played around with every one of her friends before she entered the picture. Truth be told, she imagined sometimes what it would have been like to be Kate. To have had all five men focused on her pleasure.

  Greedy much? Hell, yeah.

  She cleared the lump from her throat when no one spoke immediately. “Okay. I see your point. And I agree. None of us should be restricted. I trust you. You should do what comes naturally. If I’m being really honest, I’m envious of the time you had alone with the guys before I met you. Being the center of their attention had to rock. Sort of like Mike with you ladies, I’ve done the least playing with the crew.”

  “Holy shit.” Kayla put her hand on Devon’s knee and squeezed. “I never even considered you might feel like you missed out. Then again, you have two guys in your bed every night, so I don’t have too much sympathy for you.”

  Another round of laughter broke out. Morgan nodded so vigorously she tipped off balance. Kate launched a potato chip in Devon’s direction. Dev impressed herself by catching it in her mouth despite the alcohol dulling her reflexes. Useless skill #2184 learned in her years of working job sites filled with dudes, most of them a hell of a lot less evolved than the crew.

  When they calmed down a little, Kayla continued, “Seriously, though, being with Dave, Neil and James is an experience I’ll never forget. If you want that too, Dev, I’m fine with it. I think it would be hot to watch.”

  Devon’s eyes grew wide when her friend—her worldly, open-minded, naturist friend—blushed bright red. “Um…and as for me, and the thing I’d like to try…”

  Breath locked in Devon’s lungs. She should have said something, done something, to encourage Kayla to continue. Instead, she froze.

  “Uh oh. I think Morgan might be done.” Kate poked their friend with her toe. She only mumbled and curled into a tighter ball on the floor. “Let’s settle her on the couch before she’s out cold. Otherwise, she’ll regret it in the morning.”

  Together, the three of them managed to half-lift, half-coax Morgan onto the comfy, makeshift bed. Kate tucked a blanket around their sloshed friend, then fluffed a pillow to mitigate the awkward angle of her neck. Passing out like that all night would have guaranteed a strained muscle the next morning. Only once Morgan was set did Kate accept the quilt Kay furnished.

  “I’ll stay down here with her.” She claimed her spot, reclining on the loveseat.

  Disappointment rushed through Devon. Were they just going to abandon their discussion? Had things gone too far for her friends? They’d made some serious progress she would hate to erase. Maybe the other women had developed cold feet?

  “It’s okay, Dev.” Kate reached out to pat her hip. “No one’s going to change their mind between now and tomorrow. We’ll finish our chat when everyone has a clear mind. Sleep well, girls.”

  “Thanks.” Kayla smiled.

  “Okay. You too, Kate.” Devon wiggled her eyebrows. “Dirty dreams.”

  Morgan roused a bit when the lamp flicked off, leaving the glow from the dying fire as a soft nightlight. “Where they going? We’re plog-ging.”

  “Plotting?”

  “’S what I said. Blotting.”

  “Right. Well, we agree on the important stuff. Our plan of attack can wait until tomorrow,” Kate reassured their friend. “Go to sleep.”

  As Devon followed Kayla toward the loft, she wondered if Kate realized what a great mom she’d make. She took a mental note to share her opinion when Kate couldn’t blow off the compliment as an alcohol-induced warm fuzzy.

  Not surprising, Morgan seemed to be on the same page. Devon caught a snippet of the best friends’ whispered conversation while she and Kayla trekked up the steep, narrow loft stairs.

  Morgan murmured to Kate, “Wow, a baby.”

  “I know. I’m freaked out and excited. Nervous to get my hopes up. We just started trying.” She didn’t pause to catch her breath as she rambled. “Maybe it won’t happen for a while. Or ever. You know how much trouble my sister had…”

  “Gonna be fine. Cutest kids ever, I bet.” Their soft exchange drifted away as Devon entered Kayla’s loft room. “Can’t wait. Spoil ‘em rotten…”

  Kayla folded her thick down comforter to the foot of the bed and started to climb into the fluffy nest. Devon hopped onto the mattress and snuggled into the pile of pillows on Dave’s side. When the other half didn’t dip, she opened one eye and caught a shadow marking the spot where Kayla had paused.

  “Kay?”

  “Should I put pajamas on?” She sounded uncertain for the first time, maybe ever. “I can dig up one of Dave’s T-shirts.”

  “If I can handle sitting in the stands while your husband fucks you—or my guys—senseless, I’m not about to turn squeamish about sleeping next to your bare tatas.” She grunted. “Get your ass in here. These sheets are chilly.”

  Kayla didn’t need to be asked twice. She slid beneath the covers but stayed so far away, Devon thought she’d tumble out the other side if she so much as sneezed. Stiff, awkward silence ballooned inside the loft, making it hard to catch her breath.

  “What the hell is this crap?” Devon slapped a hand on Kayla’s shoulder and tugged until her friend faced her.

  “What?”

  If Kayla intended to play dumb, Devon could do the same. Time to force them both to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Anything less would drive her batty before sunrise.

  “You never did say what you’d like to try but haven’t.” Devon couldn’t remember the last time she’d been coy in her life. Still, some tiny insecurity kept her from whispering her own desire into the night. The admission would have been so much easier if Neil and James were there to coach her and hold her hand.

  “Okay, fine. I think you know what I’m after,” Kayla murmured. “When you’re ready. If you ever are. All you have to do is say so. No pressure.”

  Devon grew warmer the instant she laid her hand on top of Kay’s in the space between them. The other woman’s pulse tripped against her own wrist before tapering to a more regular rhythm. Kayla sighed, and entwined their fingers. The bond they created transferred heat and reassurance that lulled them both to sleep in no time at all.

  Chapter Three

  “Rise and shine, sleepyheads.”

  Devon groaned and burrowed closer to the warm body beside her without poking her head from beneath the jumble of covers. It wasn’t until the racket caused by two people climbing the hardwood stairs roused her a little more that she realized the person snuggled up to her was soft in all the places her guys were hard. Mmm, nice.

  “Kayla.”

  “Yeah, I’m awake.” Her clear voice didn’t seem to indicate she’d been jerked out of a wonderful dream about sexy, naked construction workers mere seconds earlier either. How long had she been lying there, thinking?

  “Damn. What time is it?” Devon blinked in rapid succession. She squinted into the unusually refulgent morning sunlight as she attempted to shove onto a straight-locked arm while clutching the sheets to her bare chest. She blew rogue strands of hair from her face.

  “Almost noon,” Kate informed them. She set a tall glass of orange juice on the nightstand, then towered over Devon and Kayla. “I couldn’t let you miss out on the chance for one of Morgan’s amazing breakfasts. She made waffles from scratch, the kind with fruit and her secret spices in them.”

  Devon sniffed the air. “Oh my God. Do I smell bacon too?”

  “Could be.” Morgan grinned. She set a tray of food carefully on the nightstand.

  “Hold that thought. If I don’t pee right now, I’m going to drown.” Devon scampered from the bed. Less than a minute later she bounded to the loft once more.

  Kayla, Morgan and Kate held congress in low tones from their perches on the rumpled duvet.

  “No, nothing happened…” Kay bit her lip and hesitated when she caught sight of Devon returning.

  “What’s going on?” Dev asked.

  “We’re waiting for you to get yo
ur act together so we can savor our feast.” Kate deflected genuine concern with sarcasm. “So hurry it up, punk.”

  “Oh yeah? I’ll give you punk.” Devon sprinted the last few feet. She leaped and tucked her knees to her chest, cannonballing into the pile of plush covers between her friends. The mattress bounced, jostling them all.

  “Very funny.” Kayla laughed as she whipped a pillow from the head of the bed. “But you left yourself unprotected.”

  Whap.

  Something puffy smashed into her face. “You did not just hit me with…”

  Whap. Whap.

  Kate and Morgan joined in the battle. They took turns pummeling her with the light bundles. Devon’s fit of giggles didn’t do much for her coordination. She lunged for the fourth pillow while unsuccessfully attempting to evade the incoming barrage.

  Battling to her knees on the mattress allowed her to launch a counterstrike. Her one-against-three odds improved when her friends’ coalition deteriorated. They whacked each other as often as they did her. Every woman for herself.

  They shrieked, chased, ducked, whooped, dove, tackled and smacked each other. Feathers flew through the air. They fell as thick as the flakes that had blanketed the mountain during the legendary blizzard that fused Dave and Kayla in an inseparable pair the previous winter. Busy daydreaming about what it would have been like to watch Dave, James and Neil ravaging Kay in front of the fireplace downstairs, Devon got caught off guard.

  Whap.

  She leaned into the force of the blow, but it was no use. Her arms windmilled. Gravity pitched her inevitably toward the floor. She braced herself for impact, heart racing as she completed a split-second assessment of the minimalist railing that kept the space open to the cabin below. It would probably hold.

  Instead of a slat of wood to the ribs, strong arms—too thick to belong to one of her female friends—banded around her.

  Neil. She would recognize his hold anywhere. A perfect blend of tender yet unbreakable.

  “It’s all fun and games until someone cracks their skull open.” He rocked Devon against his chest. “Careful, baby. I have plans for today that don’t involve a trip to the emergency room.”