“Aww,” he pouted, a shimmer of flirtation in his eyes. “I thought I could eat it off of you.”
“Wouldn’t that be a health and safety violation?” I asked, holding my hand over my heart and pretending to be very shocked.
“I clean up very well,” Beck insisted. “Lots of alcohol swabs in here. Nobody would ever know.”
“Mm, then we’ll see.” I winked at him, finding that this flirting came incredibly easily. Beck had set me at ease fast, and all of my anxiety had completely disappeared. I was comfortable and more relaxed than I had been in a long time. Was this what it would be like to be with Beck all the time? Simple freedom? That was definitely tempting, and something different than both Ash and Calder could offer.
It made me wonder what kinds of adventures would be in store if I chose Beck at the end of all this. I’d probably have a washboard stomach from all the laughter, at the very least.
“You know the best way to eat this, right?” Beck asked, grabbing the can of whipped cream and spraying a whole dollop of it right into his mouth. He offered it to me, and I leaned back and opened wide. Beck pressed the nozzle down for a smidge too long, and I ended up with bits of whipped cream running down my chin.
“Oops,” he said, pulling an embarrassed face, but I was already laughing again as soon as I swallowed, wiping the cream off me and transferring it to his cheek.
His eyes widened in mock-offense, and he sprayed some in his hand.
“That’s not fair!” I insisted, ducking back. “I don’t have my own can!”
“True,” Beck agreed, holding the can out to me. I peered at him somewhat suspiciously, but grabbed it, and filled my own hand with cream. Then, I gingerly placed the can to one side, awaiting the incoming stand-off.
Beck and I watched each other closely, doing a few fake-outs as tests, before I finally took the first leap. I launched myself forward, letting my hand crash into his face, absolutely covering him in whipped cream. He quickly caught me, and I was surprised with how in control he was of the force he used when he returned fire. He got me good, but I could feel him holding back.
Soon enough, we were in a full wrestling match, smearing whipped cream everywhere in the ambulance. The rest of the picnic had been forgotten somewhere in the middle of rolling around.
Then, there was a pause where I was above Beck, giggling as I looked in his eyes, and a different urge came over me. I found myself leaning down to kiss him, and to my delight, he did the same. He lifted his hand and put it around my neck, threading his fingers through my hair, and pulled me into him.
His lips tasted like cream, and were as soft; less wild and insistent than Ash, but more adventurous and teasing than Calder. He got himself into a seated position and moved me so that I was straddling his lap, all with measured, gentle strength. I leaned into it, pushing my body against his and putting my arms over his shoulders.
There was that same overwhelming need for more that I had felt with the others; something deep and primal that pushed me forward and left me longing for the entirety of his being.
Beck seemed just as hungry as I was, one hand holding my face and the other curled into the fabric of my dress. I wanted him to lift it, to get his own clothes out of the way, to feel him move inside of me. In that moment, I didn’t care that it could possibly be too far; the venue wasn’t going to get in my way.
Unfortunately for me, the universe had other plans.
The station’s sirens suddenly began to scream around us, and I jumped away from Beck, hitting my head against the folded stretcher. For a moment, I was confused, but Beck was already on his feet.
“Oh boy, we might be in trouble,” he said, helping me up while checking my head. “Okay, good, you don’t look injured.”
“What’s going on?” I asked as I gathered the picnic up and bunched it all back in the basket.
“Call,” Beck answered, already wiping cream off the floor. “We need to get this clean and get you out of here before Chief sees you.”
9
~
Rhea
By Saturday, I was still dreaming of all three of the men. Even though my romp with Beck had been rudely interrupted by an emergency, the time that I did have with him had me head over heels. The feeling of Ash inside me was still lingering in my mind, too. And then there was Calder, whose charm and stoic strength had rooted itself firmly in my heart.
I sat on the daybed I’d put in my very own bay window — which I still couldn’t believe I actually had — sipping coffee and staring out into the neighborhood. From here, I could let my dreams run wild. I could imagine Ash taking me to the waterfall again, this time diving into the water and having my way with him. Or him having his way with me. Either way, I was sure that it would be world-shattering.
Then there was the adventure with Beck. Maybe we could go to some remote desert and roll around in the dunes. Or get a camper van and tour the country for a while. Or just have sexy picnics in every state.
And, of course, Calder could take me to all of the nicest restaurants, dressed like I just came from Hollywood. He made me feel like a queen, not a princess. Like I was the most elegant being he had ever laid eyes on.
How was I supposed to choose just one of them?
I sighed, and took another sip of my coffee as I stretched my legs out in front of me. It was a great problem to have, but one that I would eventually have to solve. But what would it be like if we could just keep going like this? If I never had to choose? It was a silly thought, but one that I could fantasize about all day.
