Ducking Ugly: a Menage Ugly Duckling Story (Stud Ranch Standalone) Read online

  When they got around to the side of the room where they’d left Mack, Calla looked around for him. She felt bad. It was probably bitchy to just leave him and dance off with Liam. She didn’t know what the hell she was doing. She was just going with whatever felt good in the moment—probably a disastrous way to go about things.

  When had she ever not thought out everything she did from ten moves back? That was the only way to run a ranch. She had to be on top of all the everyday tasks in addition to putting out whatever inevitable problem cropped up, whether it be a sick cow, a broken section of fencing, hiring and firing ranch hands, or the hundred other things that went wrong on any given day. She’d dropped into bed each night exhausted but unable to sleep because she was worrying about the list of everything she needed to see to the next day.

  It was non-stop, dawn to dusk, seven days a week, three-hundred sixty-five days a year. A night like tonight, with no responsibilities and going out just to have fun? Unheard of. She hadn’t been out dancing in years and tonight reminded her just how much she’d always loved it. The most she ever socialized these days was hitting Bubba’s a couple times a week before evening chores so she could actually be around humans other than her ailing, taciturn father and the ranch hands she’d been in charge of.

  Liam spun her again and her stomach swooped as he grinned at her and pulled her back into him.

  God, every time he did that he drew her even closer to his body afterwards. Her chest bumped his in a way that made her nipples tighten and her sex clench. She gasped and Liam only grinned bigger. He knew exactly what he was doing to her.

  And if she was living each day like it was her last, she damn well sure didn’t want to head to the great beyond with her virginity intact. It’d be best to lose it to a man who knew exactly what he was doing, wouldn’t it? There wouldn’t be any awkward fumbling with a man like Liam. If the way he led her so confidently around the dance floor was any indication, he’d be right at home taking the lead in bed. Didn’t they say how a man danced told you a lot about how he was between the sheets?

  The second she thought it her cheeks burned but Liam was spinning her out again and banishing any other thought except what it felt like in his sure grip.

  That was, until she glanced over and saw Bethany in Mack’s arms.

  Her ebullient mood popped like a balloon and her feet got tripped up with Liam’s when he stepped into her and she didn’t step back.

  She yelped as she almost went down. Only Liam’s hands gripping her waist saved her from toppling ass over head.

  “Sorry!” Liam said, almost shouting to be heard over the music. Then he followed her train of sight to where Bethany was urging Mack into a two-step. The song finished and Calla stood there lamely attempting to get her breath while also forcing herself not to stare at Mack with Bethany. She tried to flash a smile up at Liam. Hadn’t she just been contemplating losing her virginity to him? So why was she reacting so strongly to seeing Mack with her arch nemesis?

  Was it just because it was Bethany or would she feel that way if Mack were dancing with anyone? Because as much as she’d admired Liam from afar, it was Mack who’d come up to her first. Him who’d she had the intense moment with at the kitchen sink last night. Him who’d said he wanted to explore things with her. Sexually.

  Or maybe she was just stupid, reading far more into all that than he’d intended. Of course when he was presented with a far more tempting option like Bethany he’d jump at the chance.

  “Hey asshole.”

  Calla’s head jerked to Liam. He was walking up to Mack. Oh crap.

  These two guys already obviously hated each other. She was just driving a deeper wedge between them, making everything worse.

  She moved to grab Liam’s arm, ready to tell him… What? That she had a headache and was heading to bed for the night?

  God, what was she even doing here, wearing this ridiculous dress? It felt like a Halloween costume. She’d had fun playing dress up, but she was not this woman. What the hell had she even been thinking?

  Mack’s head swung to look at Liam and then Calla. He dropped his arms from around Bethany.

  “You owe this beautiful woman a dance.” Liam’s voice was biting as he addressed Mack. He moved Calla toward Mack with a hand low on her back and it took all her wits not to stumble over her own feet again.

  “I do,” Mack said, stepping away from Bethany.

  Calla didn’t miss the way Bethany’s eyes narrowed and then went wide with surprise, like she was just recognizing who Calla was. Fair enough. She’d barely recognized herself when she looked in the mirror earlier.

  “That I do,” Mack said, smoothly pulling Calla into his arms. The band had switched to a slow song and Mack urged her closer. Calla looked over at Liam even as she raised her arms around Mack’s neck. What exactly was going on here? Was Liam passing her off so he could dance with Bethany?

  But Liam turned his back on the other woman, still with a wide smile for Calla. Then he came up behind her until she was sandwiched between the two most gorgeous men she’d ever known.

  Calla’s breath caught as Liam’s hands gripped her waist from behind, just above where Mack held her.

  It wasn’t until they both started moving in tandem that Calla completely lost the plot of what was going on.

  Mack pulled her closer to him so that, like earlier with Liam, her breasts brushed his chest. And then there was Liam’s heat at her back, his hands slipping around the front of her waist as he moved his hips forward until they made contact with Calla’s ass.

  Her eyes shot wide and she looked over her shoulder at Liam. There was a wicked gleam in his eye as he looked down at her. She couldn’t hold his gaze and turned her face back toward Mack’s chest. It wasn’t a second until she felt Liam’s breath hot on her ear. “Tonight is all about making you feel good, baby.”

  She blinked, feeling light-headed. Her arms tightened around Mack’s neck. Then Mack’s hand was on the back of her head, urging her to lay her cheek against his chest. Turned out she was wrong earlier when she’d thought Mack had no rhythm.

  He had plenty, it turned out, when he was dancing in a way he was used to. And damn was he good at it. He notched his legs between hers until the red fabric of her dress strained at the slit. So close that it was almost like she was riding him.

  And Liam was still just as tight at her back, his thumbs rubbing tiny circles on her waist as all three of them swayed back and forth to the music.

  She swallowed hard and her fingers gripped the collar of Mack’s shirt. Why were they—? What did this even mean? Were they trying to get her to choose between them? She’d just wanted to come have a night of carefree fun. Maybe join a few line dances. Try out getting drunk for the first time. But this felt like some game she didn’t know the rules to.

  When Mack danced back and forth with his leg between her knees, she couldn’t help her breath hitching. Oh God. Did he realize that with their height differences, his upper thigh was rubbing against that spot?

  Instead of Mack reacting, though, it was Liam’s fingers who clenched on her waist. Almost like he could sense the spike of heat at her center and knew exactly how turned on she was. Which was so embarrassing she was glad her face was buried in Mack’s chest.

  “You’re so hot, baby,” Liam whispered in her ear.

  Oh God, he knew. He knew and Mack probably did too.

  She felt like the stupidest girl in the world to be getting so riled by a dance.

  And suddenly, it was all too much. What the hell was she doing? All but grinding down and getting herself off on Mack’s leg while they freaking danced? Right here in front of God and everybody else?

  She jerked away from Mack, backing into Liam until he stepped to the side.

  “What’s wrong?” Mack asked, his face instantly registering alarm. “Are you okay?”

  Calla lifted a hand to her forehead. “I’m hot.” Then she realized just what she’d said and her eyes widened in mortifi
cation. “Like dizzy. It’s so hot in here.”

  Liam joined Mack in a twin look of concern.

  Oh God, she was being a total freak, wasn’t she?

  “I’m not feeling so good.” And then, not able to stand their concerned expressions for another second, she spun on her heel and bolted for the exit.

  “Excuse me,” she said as she pushed through the crowd. “I’m sorry. Excuse me. Pardon me.”

  She thought she heard her name called from behind her but she didn’t look back. If she hadn’t looked like a crazy person before, she definitely did now.

  Tomorrow she’d just tell them she was sick. That was all. And she’d wear her normal overalls and flannel and never try anything this stupid again. Who was she kidding? People never changed, she was such a goddamned idiot to even think for a moment that she could—

  She finally made it out of the ballroom and then she was high-tailing it through the lobby of the hotel for the elevators.

  “Calla. Cal!”

  Okay, one of them was definitely behind her, calling her name. Calla cringed and moved from fast-walking to all out jogging.

  “Hold it,” she called out when she saw an elevator door closing. She had to get on that elevator or she would die in a puddle of embarrassment. The doors started opening again and she slipped inside.

  It was only as she spun around and punched the button for the third floor that she saw both Liam and Mack closing in.

  Oh God, if she had to face either of them right now she would absolutely die. She punched the close door button furiously until the doors closed right as Mack was reaching toward her.

  Chapter 10

  MACK

  “You fucking idiot,” Mack spun right as the elevators shut on a freaked as hell Calla. He shoved Liam as soon as the bastard caught up with him, slamming him against the wall. “What the fuck were you thinking, dancing with her like that?”

  “What was I thinking?” Liam shoved him back and stumbled away from the wall, still glaring. “You were the gobshite dry humping her in the middle of the fecking dance floor.”

  Mack got right up in his face again. “And you think coming up and double-teaming her like that wasn’t going to freak her the fuck out?”

  If he was honest, he felt like punching himself just as much as he wanted to smack Liam. Why had he asked Calla to dance? He’d only meant to go down to the ballroom to redeem the two drink tickets they’d given everyone doing the mustang makeover.

  But then he saw Calla standing there in that bombshell dress beside Mel. Her face had been uncertain, though. She’d crossed her arms awkwardly, looking vulnerable and unsure of herself. So he’d asked her to dance. The smile that lit up her face was bright as the fucking sun.

  He shoulda walked away right then and there. He wasn’t anyone’s knight in shining armor. But he’d ignored the voice of reason shouting in the back of his head and taken her arm.

  Just like he was ignoring good sense now as he watched Liam look up at the numbers above the elevator doors. The elevator skipped the second floor and stopped at the third. Then it continued up to the fourth and paused again. The hotel was only four stories tall. Calla was either in a room of the third or fourth floor.

  Liam must have had the same thought as Mack because he jerked open the door to the stairs right before Mack could reach for it himself. The bastard could run, Mack would give him that. He jackrabbited up the stairs and Mack had to push it to stay on his heels.

  “You try the third, I’ll check the fourth,” Liam called over his shoulder as he hit the landing for the third floor and continued up.

  Fine with Mack. He jerked open the door to the third floor just in time to see Calla’s back retreating down the hallway. She stopped in front of her door. As Mack got closer he could hear her swearing.

  “Son of a bitch, where did I—”

  She must have heard Mack’s footsteps because she whipped around to look at him, one hand down the top of her dress. She jerked her keycard out of her bra, then froze. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink.

  She cringed before turning back around and dropping her forehead to her door like she was defeated. Mack almost reached for her but stopped himself just in time. Fuck, he didn’t want to spook her more than she already was. It was another long moment before she said anything.

  “I don’t suppose we can all just forget the last half hour?” Her voice was so quiet, the only reason Mack heard it at all was because he took a step closer in spite of his determination not to make her any more skittish.

  A racket behind him had Mack turning just in time to see Liam barreling through the stairwell door. “She wasn’t on the fourth, did you find—” he cut off, obviously seeing Calla. “Oh. Hi.”

  “Oh my God,” Calla whispered under her breath, hand going to her eyes. “I’ve never been more embarrassed in my entire life.”

  Fuck that. She had no reason to be embarrassed. She was beautiful and sweet. Having her in his arms downstairs had felt like the best thing that had happened to him since he got out of that fucking hellhole where he’d rotted for eight long years.

  She’d made him laugh. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed like that.

  So he reached for Calla’s elbow and spun her to look at him. Her eyes were wide and if he wasn’t wrong, almost teary. God-fucking-dammit if there was one thing he couldn’t handle, it was seeing a woman cry. He’d watched his mother weeping over one bastard or another his whole life. He always swore he’d never be the kind of man that made women cry.

  But here he was. Spreading his shit. Dirtying up a girl who was as poor as Mack had ever been but still hadn’t let it turn her bitter or ugly. Fuck. He shouldn’t have followed her. He shouldn’t have ever touched her.

  All these thoughts flashed neon in his brain but he proved yet again exactly how much a shit he was—because none of that stopped him from dropping his lips to hers and stealing the kiss that should have been his earlier.

  Her lips were warm and trembling. And soft. So fucking soft. He couldn’t help a low moan as he stepped into her, pulling her body flush against his as he kissed her deep, then deeper still. She was so much soft, warm, sweet woman, he went instantly hard.

  When his tongue teased at the seam of her lips, she opened them on a gasp. Mack didn’t hesitate for a second before dipping his tongue inside and kissing her in a way that made his intentions clear.

  Because suddenly he had to have her. He felt like a starving man presented with a feast.

  When she went pliant in his arms, he felt like roaring in triumph. She wanted to be claimed as much as he wanted to do the claiming.

  “Why don’t we take this inside her room?”

  Calla jerked back at Liam’s voice like she’d just remembered he was there. Ha. Take that, you Irish bastard.

  But then he saw Calla’s face as she looked toward Liam. Like she was stricken.

  Mack’s chest tightened. Did she look like that because she was worried about hurting Liam? Or because she wished it was him kissing her instead?

  Before Mack could figure out one way or another, Liam was asking, “Where’s your key, beautiful?” and running his hand down her bare arm.

  Son of a bitch. Mack would make him regret ever—

  But then he realized Calla was trembling at Liam’s touch. From the look of longing on her face, it wasn’t from fear, either.

  She felt something for Liam. Mack’s jaw tightened. Fuck. Double fuck. He should leave them to it.

  But his insides rebelled even at the thought. And then he saw Liam looking at him, his eyebrows raised in question.

  Mack hadn’t missed how Liam had handed Calla over to him earlier on the dance floor. Sharing her. Because Liam had seen the same thing Mack was just now realizing—she wanted both of them.

  And Mack wanted her.

  Fuck but he wanted her. He hadn’t wanted anything other than revenge in so long he’d forgotten what it could feel like. The feeling was such a revelation
that, no matter how much he fucking hated the Irishman, Mack would make sure Calla got what she wanted. Anything she wanted.

  Mack nodded to Liam’s inquiring gaze.

  “Let’s go in,” Liam said, lifting the keycard Calla had been clutching in a trembling hand and pressing it against the door censor. Calla looked confused for a moment until Liam said, “All of us.”

  Calla’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly. But when the door unlocked, she looked back at Liam and then Mack. She pushed the door in and then kept going until she held it open wide. An invitation.

  Fuck him. Mack felt it in his chest and his balls—the wanting.

  She doesn’t know what she’s inviting in.

  Liam stepped right over the threshold, brushing his chest against Calla’s as he passed in a way that was anything but unintentional.

  Still, Mack hesitated. Get the fuck out of here. You’re a shit stain and you always will be. She deserves a million times better than either of you horny fucks.

  He was about to turn around and leave. He really was.

  But then Calla reached over and took his hand. With her other, she reached out to Liam. When she started tugging them inside, Mack let himself be pulled forward.

  He didn’t know if he was heading into heaven or hell. But as the door closed behind him, Mack knew there was no other place he’d rather be.

  Chapter 11

  LIAM

  Calla’s eyes were wide as she backed up against the closet door, looking back and forth between him and Mack.

  Shite, had he made the wrong call here? Did he forget what Mel had told him not even an hour ago? Calla had zero experience with men.

  And now, what, they were going to have a threesome? Jaysus, talk about running before you could fecking walk.

  “Nothing happens in this room except what you want, gorgeous,” Mack said.

  Liam looked over at Mack, annoyed he’d said it before Liam could.

  “He’s right.” Now there was a phrase Liam never thought he’d say in reference to Mackenzie Knight. “We can just stay up all night watching TV together if you want.”