Leanna batted her lashes. When Leanna cooked, she left no counter, floor, or table untouched. Sometimes even the ceiling was peppered with jam or flour or other ingredients that had no business being on a ceiling.
Jenna took a swig of wine, then an even longer one at the thought of Leanna being set loose in her clean kitchen. She passed the bottle down the line, as the cookie dough made its way back toward her. “My life has turned into a really bad comedy of craziness.”
“Oh, Jen, I’m sorry you feel that way.” Amy leaned forward and looked at her around the others. “You have a great life.”
Bella smiled. “I take it your hot water got fixed. I saw that you used my shower. You lined up everything in my shower by height.”
“Sorry.” Jenna broke off another hunk of cookie dough. “Pete fixed it. You’re not going to believe what I’m about to say, and I can’t even believe I’ve waited this long to spill it, but with Charlie being sweet and sexy all night and Pete stalking me like prey…”
“See? Five bucks.” Bella held her hand out to Leanna.
“I thought Pete was just being sweet.” Leanna took a long drink of wine and handed it to Amy. “I hate that you guys all know and see things about men that I don’t pick up on, like when Jenna was talking about orgasms all last summer and thinking about Pete, and I was clueless.”
“If she’s thinking about orgasms, she’s thinking about Pete. That’s a given,” Bella said.
Jenna pushed to her feet. Goose bumps covered her legs. She hurried behind the girls and plopped down beside Amy, hoping to steal their warmth. “See? It’s all your fault this is even an issue. If you’d stop bringing up Pete and me in the same sentence like I can’t live without him, then maybe I could feel a zing when I’m with Charlie.”
The others shared an eye roll that felt like it shook the earth.
“Ugh!” Jenna clenched her eyes shut and spoke as fast as she could. “I ran into him in the living room and my towel fell off; then I clutched his chest for dear life while he stood there thinking who knows what. Then he promised me erotic sex and told me to tell him what I wanted.” Eyes still clenched shut, she fisted her hands and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Holy cow,” Amy said.
“Naked clutching? Erotic sex?” Bella said. Jenna heard movement in the water, then sensed Bella’s presence behind her.
“Tell him what you want?” Leanna sounded breathless.
“Open your stinkin’ eyes!” Bella shook Jenna by the shoulders.
Jenna’s eyes flew open and was met with Bella’s wide, toothy grin. Jenna couldn’t help but smile, but at the same time, she wanted to cry.
“Oh no. No, no, no.” Bella sat down behind her. “Jenna Jane, what on earth is wrong with you? Please don’t cry. You know I’m not good with tears.”
“She’s overwhelmed. She’s loved him forever.” Amy patted Jenna’s back.
Leanna handed Jenna the bottle of wine. “It’s a lot to take in.” She crinkled her nose. “Are you sure we’re talking about Pete? Our Pete? Quiet guy, tall? I can’t even imagine him saying the word erotic. Sexy maybe, but erotic?”
Jenna downed the wine, closing her eyes as the tangy liquid slid down her throat, quelling the panic inside her.
“Not only did he say it, but the man said it like he was good at it, and then…Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t tell you. When I went to the ladies’ room, he had this blond bimbo cornered, and she said she was out of his league, and that he was like a wild animal in the bedroom.” Jenna shook her head. “Blow your mind, that’s what she said. If she’s out of his league, what is he doing saying that stuff to me?”
“You’re a hundred times hotter than any woman at that bar,” Amy said.
“This is what you always wanted, Jenna. He’s what you’ve always wanted,” Bella reminded her.
Jenna covered her face and groaned. Then she peeked out over her fingertips. “I’m not sure I even know what erotic sex really means. Bondage? Threesome?”
“Jenna!” Amy covered her mouth.
“I think our sweet Pete has a dark side, and it scares me a little,” Jenna admitted.
Bella swatted the air. “Look at Caden. He’s Mr. Polite on the streets, but hotter than lava in the bedroom.”
“He’s freaking hot on the streets, too, Bella, and you know it.” Jenna looked away.
“Yes, but so is Kurt, and Pete, of course,” Leanna said. “Kurt’s an animal in the bedroom. My docile, quiet wordsmith turns my world upside down.” Kurt was about as even-tempered as they came, and as a writer, he often lived in his own head.
“We know,” Amy and Jenna said in unison. Leanna and Kurt often forgot to close their windows when they were fooling around, and they weren’t exactly quiet lovers.
Jenna lay back and looked up at the stars. “But what does it mean when a guy says erotic and sensual?”
Amy folded her hands in her lap. “Don’t ask me. I’m vanilla or chocolate. You’re talking about funky flavors I’ve never tasted.”
Jenna bolted upright. “Ha! I love you, Ames.” Jenna set serious eyes on Bella. “Well?”
“Why do you look at me?” Bella laughed. “Who knows? But I don’t think it’s any of the stuff you’re worried about.”
“Oh.” Jenna heard the disappointment in her own voice and it surprised her. “I mean, oh, good.”
“Yeah, whatever. What’s the big deal? It’s not like you’re sexually repressed.” Bella tore off a chunk of cookie dough and handed it to Jenna. “I mean, threesome, that would be a deal breaker for me, but you know what I mean. He’s a guy. He probably meant really good, hot sex. Passion and power, a lethal combination.”
“Finish the wine. I’m getting cold.” Leanna reached for one of Amy’s blankets.
“That’s because all you’re wearing is Kurt’s sweatshirt,” Amy said.
Leanna arched a brow. “If you slept with my fiancé, would you wear clothes?”
Amy took a swig of wine. “If I slept with your fiancé, you’d beat my backside, so it wouldn’t matter what I wore. I’d be dead.”
Jenna sighed. “Can we focus? I have one more confession.”
All eyes locked on her.
“When I was clutching him for dear life, buck naked…” She drew in a deep breath. “I didn’t feel a zing.”
Bella was putting a chunk of cookie dough in her mouth, and she stopped with her hand in the air. “What?”
“It was more of a ZING, POW, BAM!”
Amy squealed and hugged Jenna. Bella wrapped her arms around Jenna from behind. Leanna jumped to her feet, and then all four of them were jumping in a circle, hugging and laughing in a celebratory dance.
Bella tripped and reached for Amy on her way down, pulling both of them into the pool. Jenna doubled over in laughter and fell forward, headfirst into the water. The three of them broke the surface in fits of laughter, clinging to one another as they swam for the side of the pool.
“Shh!” Leanna reached for their hands. “Shh. Theresa’s going to catch us!” As they climbed from the pool, Leanna wrapped blankets around them. “Theresa’s light is on. We’re so dead.”
“Hurry.” Jenna ran to the gate and held it open.