All Abby had to do was sayno. Neither Blythe nor Ricki would hold it against her. Instead, Abby heard herself say, “I am.”
What the hell apparition had taken over her body?
“All right.” Blythe grinned and held out her hand. “Shall we retire to the bedroom?”
When Abby took Blythe’s hand, she glanced at Ricki. Her face was flushed, and sweat continued to bead on her forehead. Abby’s heart went out to Ricki. With more confidence than she felt, Abby reached out her hand to Ricki. “Come on.”
Ricki took a hesitant step forward. The fear in her eyes matched Abby’s, while Blythe seemed unfazed. Abby encouraged Ricki with a smile.
When Ricki took her hand, she gripped it tight as if holding on to a lifeline that she couldn’t let go of. Abby gave Ricki’s hand a gentle squeeze, and Ricki smiled for the first time.
They walked hand in hand through the living room. When they got to the narrow hallway, Blythe and Ricki squeezed closer to Abby, but they didn’t release her hand.
When they entered the bedroom, Blythe flipped on the light switch, and the bright light blinded Abby. It was like a spotlight shining on her transgressions.
“Um, can we turn that off?” Before waiting for a response, Abby flipped the switch with her elbow. She released their hands and rushed to the small light on her dresser. The twenty-watt bulb illuminated the room but cast it in shadows.
Blythe reached for the brighter lamp on the nightstand.
“No. Don’t turn that on,” Abby said. “This lighting is perfect.”
Blythe dropped her hand from the lamp and gave Abby a knowing smile. With the lighting right, Abby’s gaze landed on the open bedroom door. Itmustbe closed. Though they were alone, she couldn’t imagine doing this with the door open.
She hurried across the room, where Ricki stood just inside the door, blocking Abby from her mission. “Come on in,” Abby said as casually as she could muster. “I want to close the door.”
“Oh, yeah. Sure.” Ricki stepped farther into the room. “I suppose Evelyn would approve.”
After Abby shut the door, she turned her puzzled gaze on Ricki, but then the reference came clear.Evelyn Hugo.Ricki was trying to make a joke—make light.
“I think she would,” Abby said.
“Are you two seriously talking books right now?” Blythe said as she pulled back the covers. “This won’t work for me if you two yell out book titles in the heat of passion.”
Blythe laughed at her own joke, but Abby and Ricki just stared at her.
“Okay.” Blythe held her hands out in front of her. “If we’re going to enjoy this, you guys have to chill out. And we should set some ground rules.” When they didn’t respond, Blythe said, “Agreed?”
Ricki and Abby both nodded.
“First.” Blythe held up a finger. “You and me, we don’t touch each other.” She motioned between her and Ricki. “You’re like my bro, and it would be too fucking weird. Agreed?”
Ricki’s head bobbed up and down, and the strain on her face ebbed. “Definitely too weird.”
Abby stared at the pair. That meant she’d be the center of attention. Was she ready for that? She liked to fade into the woodwork, not have the spotlight shining on her. While the thought made her uneasy, she felt a stirring between her legs. Not just a stirring but a rush of sensations.
Her face heated at her body’s reaction. With the realization of how turned on she was, her breath came out ragged.
“Abby, are you okay with that?” Ricki asked.
“Yes.” She could have left it at that, but she added, “I feel safe with both of you.”
Ricki smiled.
Blythe held up two fingers. “And that brings me to the second point. If at any time anyone gets uncomfortable or wants to stop, they just need to say the word.”
“Like a safe word?” Abby asked. She’d heard people used those, but she’d done nothing in bed that required one. Blythe seemed to know a lot about bedroom rules. Maybe she had donethis before. Obviously, she was much more experienced than Abby.
Lost in her own thoughts, she’d not heard what Blythe was saying until she said, “So what word would you like to use?”
