Box of 1Night Stands: 17 Sizzling Nights Read online

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.

  This boxed set is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the authors’ imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Box of 1Night Stands: 17 Sizzling Nights

  ISBN: 978-1-61333-779-0

  Copyright © 2014 by Various Authors

  All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

  Look for us online at:

  www.decadentpublishing.com

  Box of 1Night Stands: 17 Sizzling Nights

  Table of Contents

  Two Men and a Virgin by Kate Richards

  Fierce by Sabrina York

  Melody’s Wolf by Mina Carter

  The Marquis and the Mistress by Dominique Eastwick

  Sweet Irish Kiss by JoAnne Kenrick

  A Dance with Death by Louisa Bacio

  The Two and the Proud by Heather Long

  Pharaoh, Mine by Kerry Adrienne

  A Different Class by Leigh Ellwood

  A Hard Day’s Knight by Cate Masters

  Curve My Appetite by Melissa Kendall

  Celestial Seduction by Jessica E. Subject

  Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Angela S. Stone

  Accidentally Beautiful by Deanna Wadsworth

  This Endris Night by D.L. Jackson

  Believe in Me by Rebecca Royce

  Ravished Before Sunrise by Lia Davis

  Two Men and a Virgin

  A 1Night Stand Story

  By

  Kate Richards

  ~Dedication~

  To my readers, who make it possible for me to spend my days doing what makes me happiest.

  Chapter One

  “So, where ya going?” The friendly cabbie’s nonstop interrogation shouted over blasting Mannheim Steamroller carols threatened to make Andie’s head explode. As he cut in and out of the insane holiday traffic approaching the airport exit, she fought the urge to destroy his Christmas spirit by telling him her plans. A picture of a pretty woman and three small children propped on the dashboard and a tangle of rosaries draped over the rearview mirror led her to the conclusion he would not approve of her intent to spend the holiday losing her virginity to not one but two men to whom she was not married.

  In fact, she could only lose it to one, but she planned to have sex with both of them. Many times.

  If she didn’t take the initiative, the three of them would end up going their own ways, a possibility she hated to entertain. And one she’d had no idea how to avoid until her friend Karin lent her an intriguing novella about two men and a woman who came together on an island for a magical—and erotic—winter’s night that changed their lives forever.

  Delving into the genre, she’d devoured every ménage story she could find. Could more than two people have a loving, lasting relationship? After agonizing for weeks, she took Karin’s advice and contacted Madame Eve about setting up a one-night stand with the two men she desired.

  But even Karin—a 1Night Stand success story—didn’t know all the details. Would she be shocked? Probably not. Her choice of loaned reading matter hit too close to home.

  Either way, Madame hadn’t indicated any surprise at Andie’s request. After asking a lot of personal questions, she agreed to set up the date….if Rex and Paul could be convinced to participate.

  By the time she exchanged her seat on the wide-body jet to Anchorage for one on a puddle jumper to Castle, Alaska, Andie had reached a state of panic. What insanity. Was it worth the risk of losing her two best friends for a single night of pleasure? They didn’t know they were meeting her, so she’d just stay on the plane and head back home, tail between her legs. They’d think a stranger had stood them up—and enjoy their holiday in The Last Frontier on their own.

  Paul, a firefighter, and Rex, a forest ranger, loved skiing and all other outdoor pursuits. No harm, no foul, and she’d emptied her bank account to pay for everything. They would have a great time, better than if she continued on her current path.

  Problem solved, she leaned back in the leather seat and closed her eyes, then opened them again when lurid images of the three of them in bed together played on the movie screen of her mind. She focused instead on the wild landscape below, hundreds of miles of open tundra and sheer mountains, herds of animals racing along. Alaska’s tourism pictures didn’t do it justice.

  Landing and taking off a few times on runways carved from the icy plains, they dropped off locals loaded with gaily-wrapped packages and supplies for their holiday dinners until only she and the pilot—a woman bush pilot!—remained.

  As the little plane lifted off, the pilot sighed. “What a crazy day. The holidays do make things busy.” She clicked a few buttons on the panel in front of her. “Come up front, if you like.”

  Andie blinked. “What?”

  “If you take the co-pilot’s station, I can show you the sights. I picked up some hot chocolate at the last stop, enough to share.”

  She unbuckled her seatbelt and made her way up the aisle. Sinking into the seat opposite the pilot, she said, “Thanks, this is so cool. I’m Andie, and I’ve never been in a plane this small before.”

  The pilot shot her a grin. “Kathryn. And I fly this one every day, so no need to worry.”

  Andie settled in and stared at the bewildering array of electronics. “Wow aren’t you afraid of being out here all alone? What if there was a storm?”

  “I’ve been doing this a long time. I know how to handle bad weather.” Kathryn gestured toward a thermos. “Pour us some, would you? There should be a couple of cups under your seat there.”

  She fished around and pulled out a short stack of Styrofoam cups. “There’s a box here, too.”

  “Aunt Ina’s famous sugar cookies. She was the lady we dropped off at the last village.” Kathryn accepted the cup of hot chocolate. “Break ’em out. We’ll start the celebrating early.”

  Sliding the ribbon off the flat gift box, she opened the lid and gasped. “Your aunt made these?”

  The other woman shrugged and held out a hand. “Ina is everyone’s aunt. And she’s famous for her holiday goodies. Pass me a whale, would you?”

  Whales, seals, walruses…polar bears. Exquisitely frosted, each wearing a red fondant bow around its neck. “Gorgeous.”

  “Have as many as you want, but leave a polar bear for my husband, Nick.” She winked. “He’ll be tickled, even though the lodge will be overflowing with holiday treats. I swear he wants to fatten me up.”

  Andie bit the head off a seal and groaned. “If you mean more goodies like this, it’s amazing you’re so trim.”

  Kathryn wore a bomber jacket and tight black jeans, reminding her of a young Amelia Earhart, except for the single fat braid of red-gold hair drooping over her shoulder, nearly to her lap. Slim and vivacious, she made Andie conscious of her own short stature and generous curves.

  She should have gone on a diet, lost t
en pounds or so before coming on her date. Since I’m going home anyway, it’s a moot point. She popped the rest of the cookie in her mouth, savoring the sweet buttery goodness dissolving on her tongue. “Ina is a baking goddess.”

  “She’s a sweetie, all right. No kids of her own, and her husband died a long while back, so she takes care of everyone. I think it keeps her from being lonely.” Kathryn set her cup down and focused on her instrument panel. “I’m checking the weather now. Looks like you’ll have a white Christmas.”

  In Alaska? “Aren’t they all, up here?” A mountain range came into sight, its peaks frosted like the polar bear cookies, gleaming against the perpetual dusk of the winter’s day.

  “Yeah, more or less.” She leaned back in her seat. “So, who are you meeting up with?”

  Don’t make me tell. “What makes you ask? I mean…how do you know…?”

  Kathryn swallowed a bite of cookie. “Just a guess.”

  She knows I’m here on a set-up date. She must think I’m desperate. Of course, I am. “I was…but I think I’ll just stay on the plane. Do you have room for me on the return trip?”

  Despair overwhelmed her and she choked a little. Giving up now meant giving up forever. She couldn’t afford to do this again, and if she didn’t have the nerve to go through with her plan thousands of miles away, where nobody would see her, she sure wouldn’t back home.

  “Oh, well yes, but my next flight is after New Year’s.”

  “What? I thought you were going to go home. To your husband?” In her panic, she tried to think what to do. “Can I at least hitch a ride wherever that is? I mean, not if you’re going just to your own house, but it’s in a town right? Somewhere I can stay for a few days until I get another flight out?”

  Kathryn set her cup down again, hit a button on the console, and sat sideways, facing her. “Castillo Lodge is home. I’m Kathryn Castillo and Nick Castillo is my husband.”

  She fought dizziness as her escape plan melted out from under her, leaving her as suspended in air as the little plane, but with fewer instruments to guide her. “Oh no.”

  “The weather’s good and we’re on autopilot for a few.” Kathryn looked at her with curiosity. “Why do you want out of your date?”

  Kathryn listened to Andie’s story then shared her own, explained how her doubts and fears nearly cost her the love of her life, and Andie understood. By the time they landed she was determined to go forward. Better to have loved and lost…. God, I hope all is not lost. Paul and Rex are going to be furious with me.

  ***

  Paul slammed into the cabin and stomped his feet, bringing circulation back. “I’ve never been so cold or had so much fun. You should have come along—I’d like to take dogsledding up fulltime.”

  “I don’t think there’s a lot of dogsledding in our part of Northern California.” Rex laughed. “I wouldn’t have missed skiing down a glacier though. I still can’t believe we won this trip from 1Night Stand.” He stood and stretched, loathe to leave the armchair in front of the roaring fire. “I guess we should go to the lodge for dinner.”

  Stripping off his heavy outer clothing and boots, Paul moved to stand in front of the licking flames, shivering. He avoided the sheepskin rug—as they both had. Even their socks could mar its pristine whiteness. “You can go. I’m going to heat up something from the kitchen here. Looks like it’s pretty well stocked, and I’m cold enough for one day. What time did you say our date is arriving?”

  Rex checked his watch. “A couple of hours yet. And we still have to decorate the tree the concierge left on the porch. The decorations are in the closet under the stairs.”

  Paul grimaced. “Maybe we should wait and let her do it with us—women like that kind of thing. We can get in a quick game of chess.”

  “The email said to do it before she got here. Something about a romantic atmosphere, you clod. And you just want to play because you won the last three matches.” Rex opened the door and dragged the ten-foot fir into the warmth. The cabin filled with the scent of pine, and he sniffed in appreciation. “Smells like Christmas.”

  “Do you think Madame Eve thought it was odd we wanted only one girl between us?” Paul opened cabinets and drawers, and finally the fridge. “Pot roast okay?” He held up a foil-covered pan. “It comes with instructions.”

  “Thank God.”

  “Hey! I’m not such a bad cook.” He read the sheet of paper and bent to turn the oven on. “It’s preheating.”

  “I could remind you of other dinners you ‘cooked,’ but since we’re about to eat, I won’t.” Rex leaned the tree against a wall and strode over to the stairs. Opening the door underneath, he chuckled. “Wow, whoever stocked this place is Yule crazy.” He hauled out half a dozen boxes and rummaged through. “Okay, here’s the stand.”

  “It’s the owner’s private guest cottage. The lady filling in at the front desk…I think she said her name was Mamie…told me he usually has relatives in this time of year, but Madame Eve requested it for us. I wonder how we happened to win this trip. Madame said something about an annual contest for former clients.”

  “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I think you had it right. We should move here.”

  “Might be a good idea at that. We’ll have to come back in summer and look around, maybe make some inquiries about buying property in the area.” Paul slipped the pan in the oven then continued to ransack the kitchen. “Lots of food here, but nothing else prepared.”

  Rex shrugged. “We can eat at the lodge when we have to. Unless our date feels like making something.”

  “Andie would be in heaven with all this stuff.” He shut the cupboard and sighed.

  “Forget her for tonight.” Fastening the tree into the stand, Rex grunted. “Come and help me with this.”

  Paul sighed and trailed over to hold the behemoth straight. “She’s hard to forget.”

  “That’s why we’re having the date. To get her out of our systems.” Tree secured, he stood and stepped back. “Let’s get some balls on this so we can eat.”

  “If we had any balls, it would be her coming here tonight instead of some stranger. We’ll never get her out of our systems.”

  Rex took him by the shoulders and gave him a hard kiss. “She doesn’t have a clue about us, lover. Nobody in that small-minded town does.” He rested his forehead against the taller man’s shoulder. “Until we’re up front with Andie, and she can handle it, we can’t have her.”

  Paul shrugged away and grabbed a handful of glass ornaments. “But, we have a girl coming tonight to be with us, who we can be open with and enjoy ourselves, and maybe…just maybe when we get home, we’ll be able to decide once and for all whether to let Andie in on the secret that we love her and each other…or call it done.”

  Chapter Two

  The driver stopped the snow machine at a cleared lane with drifts piled several feet high on either side, and hopped out. “The party starts at nine. Your bags should arrive shortly.”

  Andie climbed off, awkward after the bumpy ride, and pulled her hood tighter against the icy chill. “Thanks. Is it always this cold here?”

  The man laughed. “It’s only about thirty below today. It’s not cold.” He waved and gunned the machine away, his voice floating back. “Better get inside before your nose freezes off.”

  She took a tentative step, the frozen gravel crunching underfoot. She may have used the last available credit on her Visa to buy warm outerwear, but was glad she had. Nothing in her Northern California upbringing had prepared her for this.

  She paused to take in her accommodations. Two stories, real logs. Fragrant smoke from the chimney blew down to tickle her nose. A big front window showcased the two men inside, decorating a Christmas tree, their deep voices carrying to her.

  Her heart thumped. Paul, at six foot two, with his blond hair cut short, had the broader shoulders, the deeper chest. He wore a goofy Christmas sweater, broad stripes of red and green she remembered from the year before—and the
year before that. He loved that ridiculous thing. But Rex’s six foot, dark-haired, dark-eyed hunkiness was just as appealing in its own way. The flannel shirt and jeans he wore suited his brawny good looks. What girl wouldn’t want a sexy forest ranger? No wonder she’d never been able to decide between them, or look in any other direction.

  Best friends since kindergarten, the two were inseparable, and she adored them equally. Thus her problem. Each had let her know they’d be open to more than friendship….

  With their heads close together, they laughed. Rex tossed a shimmering mass of something in the air and it fell over them both, catching the light. They looked so happy together, as though they didn’t need anyone else in the world. Like a magazine ad for Christmas decorations. A yearning ache in her stomach bent her nearly double, and she rested her hands on her denim-covered knees and breathed through her nose. The icy blast shocked her into awareness. Could her nose freeze off?

  Straightening, she hotfooted it for the wide porch and knocked on the door before changing her mind again. This is it, girlfriend. One way or another, the cat will be out of the bag and the chips will fall where they may. Cat chips? Whatever.

  Paul stared, a clump of tinsel in his hand and a bite of candy cane in his mouth. A weakness for them both, only a few had made it to the tree. “That’s her.”

  Having such a good time decorating the cabin, they’d forgotten all about why they were there. As if it were just the two of them celebrating the holiday like a real couple. Why did they pretend anyway? If the townspeople judged them, they could just move away.

  And leave their families? Everything behind?

  They’d been through it a million times. Rex didn’t want to come out as gay. Neither had ever been with another man or wanted to. It had always been about loving one another. And Andie. Andie….