Kate's Crew Read Online Free PDF Page B

the afternoon sun scorched her cheeks. She squinted, catching sight of James indulging in a timeout under the dense canopy of the massive oak in their yard. When he saw her coming, he patted the ground.
    “As if I didn’t already crave your goodies.” He beamed. “Pour me some of that lemonade, and I’ll be your slave for life.”
    She sat cross-legged beside him but didn’t laugh. Somehow, their games had turned serious in the past twenty-four hours. As usual, James tuned in to her mood in a flash.
    “Ah, sorry, Kate. I’d give you a hug but sweaty doesn’t begin to describe me right now.”
    He accepted the glass she handed over then drained it in one long slug.
    “What? Do I have concrete dye on me?” James scrubbed at his neck.
    Thank heaven for the bright light. The heat climbing her cheeks had nothing to do with the thinning of the ozone layer. Still, she couldn’t meet his curious gaze. Why hadn’t she considered the guys’ privacy before she spied on them?
    “Oh. I see.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t think you’d judge me.”
    When he began to rise, she grabbed his forearm. “What? James! It was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. But how did you know I was there?”
    “Oh shit, were you feeling guilty?” He plopped onto the lush grass with a chuckle. “For a second there you really worried me. Katiebug, you couldn’t keep quiet to save your life. Plus, you forgot these…”
    From one of a dozen pockets on his cargo shorts, he withdrew her favorite thong. Mike must have gone back to grab the rest of her discarded clothing.
    “So you’re okay…”
    “Honey, knowing you were watching turned me on beyond belief. Couldn’t you tell?”
    “Well, you did look like you were enjoying yourself.” She rested her head on his shoulder, sweaty or not.
    “Sounded like you were, too.” He rubbed his cheek over her hair. “So, you’l be there tonight then?”
    “I…I haven’t decided. Do you want me to be?”
    “Hell, yes.” He didn’t hesitate even a fraction of a second before answering. “In my mind, sexuality is a continuum. Let’s take Mike. Based on the ten years I’ve known him, I’d say only one out of a thousand people he finds attractive are men. And I’m not talking go-to-bed-with-them attractive but, you know, some kind of spark. For me, it’s the opposite. I don’t want to lose the chance to act on that rare opportunity.”
    It seemed so simple when he put it that way.
    “I guess I just don’t know how to do this. How do you know what everyone wants? Each of you must fal somewhere different. Like Neil… I could tel he wasn’t into sucking Joe.” Her curiosity pushed her beyond embarrassment.
    “Yeah, each of us has boundaries. We respect everyone’s right to do or not do as they please. No one would ever hurt you or force you to go further than you want.”
    Kate feared she would be the one who needed to go further than the rest. Beyond physical pleasure. At least when it came to Mike.
    “But aren’t there rules? Mike said something about breaking his rules?” She’d be mortified if she violated some principle out of ignorance, but Mike had dodged her follow-up questions.

    “He only has one rule that I know of.” James grinned. “And it’s stupid. If he’s in danger of breaking it, I think we’re all in for a treat. He refuses to mix emotions with pleasure. Or, at least, he has in the past.”
    Hope blossomed in her soul, but she was scared to let it run rampant. “If he wanted me as something more than a plaything, why would he want to share me?”
    “There’s a difference. Do you know Neil and I consider ourselves life partners?”
    “You do?” Could she really have it all?
    “Yep.” His grin faded as he became serious. “I’d give anything for that man. I love him unconditional y, and so I accept that he likes both men and women. He accepts that I enjoy sex with multiple partners. We never have sex without each other but, sometimes, we