Something Sparked-nook by Mari Carr

away in need of a respite.
    “Wow,” she murmured when she finally had enough strength to speak.
    Luc grinned. “That was fucking hot.”
    She laughed lightly. “Yeah. It was.”
    Diego didn’t seem to share their mirth, concern in his eyes. “You’re not freaked out?”
    She raised one eyebrow. “Do I look freaked out?”
    Luc rolled his eyes. “Diego has trouble accepting good things. I blame his fucked-up childhood. He always seems to think everything comes with a cost.”
    Diego tilted his head in annoyance. “Thanks so much for the psychoanalysis, Dr. Kovach. I’ll be sure to pay your receptionist on my way out.”
    Jeannette understood Diego’s concern. Hell, she’d suffered the same fear when she’d agreed to a date with both of them. Social norms made it difficult to accept something different as anything less than wrong or offensive. Polite society didn’t view ménages as anything less than kinky or weird. And while the legal tide was definitely changing in terms of homosexuality, there were still too many people in the world unwilling to accept that love didn’t see gender or color or—in their case—one too many people in the embrace.
    “I think what you and Luc share is beautiful. I’m so touched that you were willing to show me. To include me.”
    Just like that, the clouds cleared and Diego smiled. “You’re too good to be true.”
    She snorted—the sound completely unladylike. “Yeah, right. Give it some time and I suspect you’ll reconsider that comment.”
    Diego narrowed his gaze. “You really don’t want to put yourself down in front of me, Jeannette. It pisses me off.”
    Though his face was dark, his tone deep, she didn’t feel a speck of fear. Neither of these men would ever hurt her. The longer she was in their presence, the deeper that conviction grew.
    She reached up, cupping Diego’s cheek and placing a soft kiss on his lips. Unlike their previous make-out session, this was more friendly than passionate. More thanks than desire.
    “Tonight was…” She couldn’t find a single word that would describe what the past few hours meant to her. “Perfect” didn’t even come close.
    Luc nuzzled her neck, and then he slowly rose from the couch. Diego followed suit as they prepared to leave.
    Luc reached down and she accepted his hand, allowing him to help her stand as well. “Tonight was just the first of many.”
    Jeannette leaned against the front door after they left for a long time, letting herself consider something she’d never entertained before.
    A future.
    One that didn’t consist of just her…and her cat.
     
     

 

Chapter Five
     
    Jeannette stared at the book in her hand and realized she hadn’t read a word since opening the damn thing. Instead she was daydreaming about two sexy firefighters.
    Nope. “Daydreaming” was too mild a description. She was fantasizing. Dirty visions that were far too graphic and explicit for her usual PG—pathetically gloomy—lifestyle. It was making her hot and bothered and nervous as hell. 
    A week had passed since her second date with Luc and Diego. She’d seen them every single day since then as they stopped into the restaurant for a meal…or sometimes two. They’d sit at the counter and flirt with her, and several times they’d snuck back to the kitchen when she was cooking to steal a kiss or three—much to Sydney’s delight.
    Her cousins enjoyed teasing her and her sudden about-face in regards to dating two men at the same time. Their joking was all done in good fun. The girls were thrilled that she was dating. She hadn’t realized how much they’d worried about her until this week, when they confessed delight over her new beaus.
    “Forget it,” she muttered to herself, pulling off her glasses and turning off the bedside lamp. She clearly wasn’t reading tonight.
    She lay down, but hadn’t even found a comfortable position when there was a loud crash outside.
    Even through her closed eyes, she could sense