“Nope. Just wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.” Judith looked at Emma like she was a bit touched, assuming those things would be required in a ménage.
Maya leaned forward in her seat and said, “Then I take it that the four of you weren’t in love?”
“Love has nothing to do with what they were doing. I told you, that’s not what ménages are about in the real world.”
Grace whispered, “Did she just call herself a slut?”
Emma raised an eyebrow as Duke and Gage closed in behind her seat and she reached up to clasp hands with both men so that her wedding bands sparkled in the club lighting. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same thing?” Duke gave Judith a wide smile as he kissed Emma’s neck on one side and then she tilted her head so that Gage could kiss her lips.
Judith gawked at Emma and then turned to Maya as if to ask her if her eyes were playing tricks on her, only to find that all three of Maya’s men had made similar body contact with her.
Emma sighed happily and then sipped from her margarita. “You’ve been talking to me surrounded by six ménage groupings, four of which are committed.” She pointed at the wedding bands on Duke’s and Gage’s hands where they rested on her shoulders. “You may know something about a fast and dirty quickie, but you know nothing about ménage love, probably because of a poor choice in partners.”
It was obvious Judith wasn’t paying attention to a word Emma said as she looked around the table trying to figure out the groupings, until her eyes came to rest on Gwen and her men.
“Oh, it’s you.”
Not one to hide behind others, Gwen approached. “If you’re done, I’d like my chair back.”
Judith wobbled as she rose from the seat and curled her lip as if she were a queen looking down at a peasant. “Well look at you all dressed up like a girl for a change.” She hiccupped and burped, then squinted down at the dress. “Honey, you’d look really cute in that outfit if you dropped about fifteen or twenty pounds.” She stood to her full height and looked beyond Gwen, who was seething, to Chris, who stood directly behind her. “But then again, standing next to Shrek, your fat probably isn’t as noticeable.” Red clouded Gwen’s vision but she felt strangely paralyzed. She knew this was Judith’s usual tactic, going straight for the most vulnerable point. Every woman’s issues with her own body.
Summer gasped and rose from her seat, only to be held back by both Ace and Kemp. “I was starting to feel sorry for her until she said that.”
“Kitten, I think Gwen’s got this.” All Ace got in the way of response was a growl.
Judith started to speak again but Julián held his hand up as he deftly placed himself in front of Gwen, separating the two of them, obviously concerned that Gwen might lose it. She was a little surprised she hadn’t. All she felt was tired of dealing with shit like that.
And I have a year of this same shit to look forward to. She suddenly felt very, very weary.
Julián leveled his gaze at Judith. “I’m curious about something.”
Judith put her hand on her hip and wrinkled her nose, making herself look even more unattractive. “What?”
“Why are you still here in Divine? Why haven’t you moved on?”
“I’m staying with Hatch Dunlap at his ranch.”
Gwen shuddered that this creature had been in such close proximity to her for a month. “You mean his Aunt Gladys’s ranch.”
“It’s as good as his. He said once the old bitch kicks it, the place is his. I like it here in Divine and he and I have an ‘open’ relationship.”
Summer gagged. “Ew. By open do you mean you use each other and fuck whoever you want?”
Judith glanced at Summer and shrugged. Gwen thought she was a sad excuse for women everywhere. “It means whatever I want it to mean. Fuck off.”
When all the women reacted, Julián put his hand up. “Judith, you’re outnumbered and you’re about to get your ass kicked. I can only hold so many of them back.” He reached behind him and patted Gwen’s side but didn’t restrain her. The thought swirled through her mind that he trusted her not to make a spectacle out of this situation.
Judith scowled at him and said, “I’d like to see them try. My daddy is a lawyer in—”
Ace Webster spoke up. “The same daddy who told you that you couldn’t come home until you straightened up and stopped acting like a bitch in heat spreading your legs all over the rodeo circuit? The same one who cut off your allowance about a month ago?”