Free Playing with Piper (Menage MfM Romance Novel) (Playing for Love Book 3) by Tara Crescent Page A

against the wall, once, twice, three times for luck. I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe the way I threw myself at Owen and Wyatt last night. I need Wendy to slap some good sense into me.
    “Do you have time to come by my office before you open?” she asks. “You can buy me a cup of coffee.”  
    “Sounds good. See you in an hour.”
----
    “ I almost kissed them .”
    Wendy’s perfectly manicured eyebrow rises. “You did?” She sounds more curious than scandalized. “I thought you didn’t like them.”
    “They were nice to me yesterday.” Hearing those words spoken out loud, I wince. God, I sound pathetic.
    Wendy looks intrigued. “Tell me everything, Piper,” she orders. “Start at the beginning.”
    “Owen and Wyatt came into the restaurant last night to taste my signature dishes.” I tell Wendy the entire story. How afraid I’d been that they would back away from their deal, the way they’d apologized for assuming the worst of me, our plans for the reality TV show, and finally, the moment where I almost kissed them. “Damn that vodka,” I mutter. “Tell me something. I’m crazy, right?”
    “In what way?”
    I flush. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a guy,” I reply, looking down at the table. “And then there’s Bailey with Daniel and Sebastian, and Gabby had that threesome, and all of a sudden, there was a little voice in my head that whispered, ‘ Why not me?’ ”
    To tell the truth, I can’t even remember the last time I went on a date. Life has become all about work. Working three low-wage jobs to make enough money for culinary school, then slaving away in front of the stoves at Aladdin’s Lamp . The idea of getting dressed to go out seems foreign to me.
    You love what you do, I remind myself. You love the process of creation, of seeing people enjoy your food. Except the words feel like false comfort after the almost-possibility of last night.
    “How long has it been?”
    Trust Wendy to hone in on that little detail. “Five years,” I whisper, my cheeks flaming.
    She sits up straight. “Five years?” she repeats, her voice aghast. “You’ve been celibate for five years?”
    “Will you keep your voice down?” I demand, annoyed. “I’m well aware of how much my life sucks. You think I want this? I work every evening of the week except Mondays. I start work at ten in the morning, and finish at midnight. What guy would want to date me?”
    “Owen Lamb and Wyatt Lawless,” she replies. “How did they react?”
    I think back to last night. “There were a couple of moments where I thought they wanted me too,” I admit. “But they didn’t make a move.”
    “Still,” she points out, “they’re right there. All you have to do is reach out…”
    Reach out and touch them. Kiss them. Feel their hands all over me, the press of their bodies against mine…
    I set my coffee cup on the table and give Wendy a serious look. “Two guys? Can you imagine my mother’s reaction?”
    She shrugs dismissively. “Pardon my French, but your mother has a fucking kitten no matter what you do. You’re an adult. You’re allowed to do the things that make you happy. Running Aladdin’s Lamp , kissing Owen and Wyatt, whatever you want.”
    I shake my head. “I don’t think so,” I say bleakly. “I know my weakness, Wendy. I’m terrible at standing up to my parents. I’ve always been terrible at it. I made one brave move in my life when I turned down Anthony and moved to New York for culinary school. I can’t risk messing up with Wyatt and Owen. They are my partners, and they are investors in my restaurant. I’d be a complete idiot if I let anything happen.”
    “Maybe you’re right,” she says reluctantly. “You shouldn’t sleep with your partners. Things can get ugly if it doesn’t work out. Your focus should be on the restaurant.” She smiles at me cheerfully. “There’s a silver lining. When you win the contest and you’re beating away customers at the