Natalie Acres - Sex party

Kane sneered. “We own part interest in a few properties with the owner of Clink. Don’t think we’d have a bit of trouble finding proof, darlin’.”

“What do you want, Kane?” She blinked back tears.

“I want you to be friends with Peyton for as long as she enjoys your company but I want you to shut your mouth about my future bride. Otherwise, one of these cold lonely nights, I’m going to send Evan out after you with my riding crop. Then you’ll see why little girls shouldn’t play in a big boy’s world.”

“Peyton does,” she squeaked.

“Honey, Peyton is far from a little girl. She’s a full grown woman in every way that counts. You should know. You watched her with Evan.” Kane gave her a pat on the head, deliberately trying his best to make her feel as young as her gossiping with school girls made her look. “Let’s go, Evan. Freda needs to get back to socializing. I imagine her friends can’t wait to hear details about what she does when she goes to Clink.”

Braden, forever the one with a conscience, offered Freda a warm smile. “Freda, don’t worry. These two here have their hands full with this ranch. We like your father and don’t want any trouble. Your secret is safe with us.”

Evan found a chair underneath one of the large umbrellas where party favors were scattered around the table. He licked his lower lip, plucked a cherry from one of the drinks and let it swing in front of her face.

“Freda, I like breaking in new subs. I think you’d be an awful lot of fun to train. Come snooping around here with gossip about Peyton, and so help me, what I did with Peyton at Clink will look like child’s play compared to what I’ll do with you behind closed doors.”

“Shit, Evan. Come on.” Braden pulled his brother away from the table and the three disappeared behind closed doors, making sure they shared a good, hearty chuckle.

“What was that all about?” Peyton asked as she approached Freda.

“You’re a crazy idiot for putting up with those three,” Freda said as she dabbed her forehead.

“It’s safe to guess. She’s jealous.” Annabelle, another one of their close gal pals must have witnessed the whole thing. “Evan gave her such a heated stare along with a somewhat seductive warning. I’d say it’s safe to say Freda here is sitting in damp panties about right now.”

Vicky looked at Peyton, and Peyton rolled her eyes.

“You might have some competition with Freda,” Annabelle said.

“I’m marrying Kane, in case you haven’t heard.” But her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was coming out of her chest. Evan openly flirted with Freda? Freda, of all people?

Freda stood up and set her jaw. The girl always had the ability to shoot someone down with a simple glare. She often stared down her nose at others like they weren’t worthy of standing in front of her. It pissed Peyton off but she tolerated her because Vicky grew up with her and liked her, for some reason.

“When are you going to knock off the act, Peyton? Everyone here knows the whole Kane engagement thing was for show.” She picked up her hand, stared at the ring and let her arm drop immediately. “Look at this ring. It’s almost gaudy. Three stones for three cowboys? Huh! I guess you just don’t care who knows, do you? In your own words, ‘trouble travels in threes’ and three stones sort of indicates you kind of like the trouble you’ve found here, huh?”

Peyton didn’t have confrontations. She didn’t like them, and she avoided them because she liked to laugh and play. She lived for the good times and since she worked hard, sometimes she felt like she deserved it. What she didn’t deserve was the arrogance of a judge’s daughter belittling her for loving three men.

Feeling their eyes on her, Peyton glanced up to the upper balcony. Sure as the world, there they were. All three handsome men standing in their cowboy boots, tight fitting jeans and button down shirts looked good enough to eat. And she was starving.

No, she didn’t think she’d justify her decisions or explain why she loved three men, but looking up at them then, she came to an understanding, a peace from within. She refused to deny what she felt for any of the Cartwells. She didn’t give a shit if it was right or if society condemned her because of it.

Freda pointed. “Oh! Well speak of the handsome devils. I guess you’re being summonsed to the bedroom now, Peyton.”

Before she thought better of it, she drew back and slapped Freda. Vicky flinched beside of her, and Freda whimpered as she held her face.

“That’s for being a bitch, for being so fucking proud that you can’t be yourself. For walking into Clink in a disguise and thinking you’re so much smarter than everyone else that you can fool people who’ve grown up with you and protected you. That’s for trying to make something beautiful into something ugly. I pity you, Freda, and half the people here do too.”

Vicky tried to stop her. As Peyton made her way back to the band podium, she realized she was right on her heels. “Peyton, think about this. Don’t do it. If you plan to stay here and live here, don’t do it. It’s one thing to let people think what they want but quite another to say something you’ll later regret.”

“I won’t regret this.”

She stepped to the podium and spoke to the town. Yes, the town. By the time she finished here, everyone at the party would know she was a Cartwell woman and her men were off-limits to all other women. It was the kind of gossip people didn’t wait to spread when they bumped into a stranger on the street. They picked up their cell phones and started dialing everyone on their speed-dial features.

“I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. This party has been very exciting. As you can imagine, I’m exhausted. All of the seniors here are exhausted. We’ve had a wonderful and busy week. Graduation has been so exciting, but with a new engagement pending and three very handsome men waiting…” She pointed to the upper deck. “Well, I think you all can put the rest of it together. If not, let me spell out for you.”

Braden shook his head. Evan smirked and Kane moved away from the balcony, no doubt on his way to stop what he knew she planned to do. He wouldn’t make it. She wanted to say her peace and then call it a night and go love on her cowboys.

She held up her ring. “There are three diamonds here because I am marrying, at least in my heart, all three Cartwells. I wasn’t going to bring attention to the love we share because when Kane proposed, it became clear to me, they might want to protect me from the whispers. For those of you, like Freda, who are concerned about my fling at Clink, I want to assure you. The gossip you heard about me and Evan is one hundred percent accurate.

“If you think words are cheap, you should see how I dress around these three. I like to act the part, if you know what I mean. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an after-party to attend.” She tilted her chin in the direction of the balcony. “And for those of you who are apparently interested, let me explain. It’s a private sex party, and I’m the guest of honor.”

“What were you thinking?” Braden said as he followed her ass into the media room. “Do you want everyone to know what you’re doing here, is that it?”

She turned the question right around. “What am I doing here?”

“Huh? What is it that I’m doing here because now I don’t know anymore! I told the world how I felt about the men I love, and you’re questioning it. I don’t tell it, and you think I’m ashamed. Kane proposes, and I see the hurt in your eyes and a flicker of it in Evan’s. He kissed Freda tonight, for crying out loud.”