Dark Desire in Elk's Crossing [Sequel to Ecstasy in Elk's Crossing] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Robin Gideon Page A

surreptitiously, slipped his hand between Katie’s knees and ran his fingertips up the inside of her leg, from her knee upward to disappear beneath the hem of her skirt. The fact that Katie blushed a little, but didn’t react in the least bit negatively, told Annika that the two were lovers. When Katie stepped around the table, her full breast brushed against the back of another brother’s head. Katie wanted it to either go unnoticed or appear to be an accident, but Annika knew better.
    She had her confirmation, all the evidence she needed to believe beyond suspicion that Katie was having an ongoing affair with all four of the men.
    My God, I’ve got two big men as lovers. What in hell would I do with four? Sven and Joshua fucked me so long and hard last night that I’m sore. Where the hell can I get some lubricant in a minuscule town like Elk’s Crossing?
    A couple minutes later, Katie took away the dishes. Joshua and Sven said they’d like to enjoy a final cup of coffee before leaving, and Annika was grateful for that. She had something important to do, and she strongly suspected she had a compatriot with the saloon owner.
    “Katie, can I talk to you a moment?” Annika asked.
    She watched as Katie gave her the once over then said in a low voice, “I’m guessing you mean privately.” She nodded her head. “Let me step behind the bar. We can talk there and nobody’ll think twice about it.”
    They moved to the end of the bar. The waitresses remained busy with customers, which Annika was grateful for.
    “Now what can I help you with?” Katie asked, rubbing the bar in front of Annika with a towel.
    “Is there a drugstore within walking distance? One that I can get to quickly.
    “Elk’s Crossing doesn’t have a lot of people, but it’s spread out all over the place. There’s not much near the Mountain View Saloon except trees and mountain to the west and prairie to the east. What do you need? Maybe I can help.”
    Annika felt a warm blush of embarrassment turn her pale cheeks pink.
    Katie said, “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
    Swallowing the lump in her throat, Annika took a deep breath for courage and said, “I need some K-Y Jelly.”
    Katie reacted to this news with a quick smile and a brief lifting of the slender eyebrows. She said, “You don’t want to buy that in town. The busybodies at the drugstore will make sure every wagging tongue hears about it before nightfall.” She patted the back of Annika’s hand briefly. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into the back room.
    Alone, Annika was thankful that she’d listened to her own instincts and spoke with Katie. Had she gone to the drugstore and bought the lubricant, she wouldn’t have known how foolish her decision was until after it was too late to do anything about it. When she turned on the barstool to look at Joshua and Sven, she found them casually talking, with Sven using hand gestures as he described something.
    If Katie’s having an affair with the McGowan brothers, she’ll know how to keep a secret. It was a comforting thought for Annika.
    When Katie returned, she surreptitiously slipped a small, plastic bottle into the front pocket of Annika’s jeans.
    “You’ll like this,” she said. “It’s a different brand, but it works wonderfully. Just make sure you use enough of it. I get it through the Internet to keep Elk’s Crossing gossip to a minimum.”
    “I wish I was staying longer in Elk’s Crossing. I think you and I could become real friends.” She hesitated a moment and let her gaze flick over to the McGowan brothers. “I get the feeling we’ve got something in common.”
    This time it was Annika’s turn to watch a blush creep up Katie’s cheeks. “You guessed?”
    “It was a hunch. When the biggest of them slipped a hand up the inside of your leg and all you did was give him a little smile, I figured they were something more than just loyal customers.”
    “Oh, God, don’t tell anyone.