THREE DOORS (The THREE DOORS Series Book 1)

“You’re up, Evan.” I waved a large handwritten index card.

He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Hit it.”

We’d been using this method to review since the fall semester, making bullet point notes for a single topic on each card, then crashing around our coffee table and firing questions around the room. Our crew had gathered tonight like any other study night, with no mention of our dirty deeds from the evening before. We were staying on task so far, especially considering the temptations we’d prompted with our flirty escapade. Hell, maybe this could work.

“Okay. Ductus Arteriosus. Go.”

“A normal artery in the fetus connecting the aorta and the main pulmonary artery.”

“Mia, what is the purpose?”

“It allows blood to bypass the undeveloped lungs of the fetus.”

“Deck, what happens after birth?”

“It naturally closes as the baby breathes with functioning lungs.”

“Shay, what is the danger if it fails to close?”

“Significant lung damage.”

“Last one! Judge, how is it detected?”

“Suspected on physical exam and auscultation, but echo is preferred to confirm.”

“Five for fuckin’ five!” I squealed, tossing the index card to the used pile in the middle of the table.

“I need a pee break before the next round.” Shay hopped up from the sofa and slipped down the hallway.

“I think it’s time for more coffee,” Decker requested through a yawn, raising his brows in my direction. Our quick kiss hello had lasted longer than the others after our day together, but nobody seemed to notice. I sure as fuck hadn’t minded.

“I’m glad I got the industrial size,” I sighed over my notebook. “We fuckin’ need it this section.”

“Speaking of industrial size,” Deck mouthed from our big blue chair with a nod to his junk. I rolled my eyes playfully but couldn’t deny that I peeked between his legs.

“I’ll start a new pot this time,” Evan offered, shockingly relieving me of my duties.

Mia cocked her head with a smirk as she stood. “Do you even know how to make coffee?”

“Give me some credit, woman,” he chuckled as he strolled to the kitchen.

I eased up from the floor and stretched. I’d been tucked against the sofa, curling my legs under the table, and my hips were aching from the cramped position. At least, I think that’s why they were sore, but it could’ve been all the dry fucking from the night before.

Mia unwound into a goofy dance. “We’re killing it tonight! I’m so proud of us!”

“Me, too,” Judge laughed as he watched her chest bounce in the tiny green top. “I haven’t pictured you girls naked once. Until now, anyway.”

“Does that usually happen?” I eyed him with a smirk.

“Yeah, and it was happening long before this past weekend.”

Well, damn.

Decker grinned at me and tossed a palm. “It’s a delicate balance now.”

“You know what would help?” Evan stood at the edge of the kitchen with crossed arms and smiled between us as the coffee brewed. “You could make yourselves a little less attractive for these work sessions.”

“Oh, come on,” I laughed and glanced down at my comfy clothes.

“That’s a great idea,” Judge added, gesturing to Shay as she returned. “Take this one, for example.”

She cocked a brow and whipped her black hair into a loose bun. “Come again?”

Judge held out his palm as if he were a tour guide and Shay was the featured exhibit. “Have you seen her ass in these silky pants? And do we need to be subjected to the torture of this cleavage? Is that really necessary?”

Shay scoffed and surveyed her rack. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“The boys think they could concentrate on the material easier if we covered up more,” I explained with a dramatic eye roll.

She puffed her perky tits and waved them off. “Get the fuck out with that.”

“I know, right?”

“That’s such a dick thing to say,” Mia scolded with a headshake. “Control your fuckin’ selves.”

Evan threw his beefy arms up in defeat. “Relax! I wasn’t serious. Believe me, the last thing I want you to do is cover up. In fact, take a little off.”

“Don’t fuck this up, man,” Deck laughed from his perch. “I kinda like looking at tits while I recite random embryology facts.”

“Maybe next time we’ll surprise you with bikinis.” Shay dipped over Judge’s lap and batted her lashes with mock seduction. “What will ya do then?”

Judge cleared his throat as his eyes darted away from her boobs. “Fail. Fail whatever the fuck I’m studying.”

This guy.

“Everyone ready for the next interrogation?” I asked, loving our antics but knowing that we needed to get back to business.

The guys delivered our coffee like thoughtful boyfriends. Judge handed me my ocean mug dressed with the perfect amount of cream and slid in next to me on the floor. I thanked him with a warm smile and inhaled the steam from the sweet caffeine.

“Is this seat taken?”

“I hope it is now,” I flirted.

He shot me his dimpled grin and sipped from the borrowed cup. “Maybe some of your smarts will rub off on me.”

I’d like to rub something off on you.

“Not in this class.” I shook my head with a light laugh at my expense. “You should probably park by Shay. This is her wheelhouse.”

“Nah. I’m good right here with you.”Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Nice.

I missed my next question when we jumped back into the lesson. Mia had chosen the card about a challenging heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot, and I completely bombed it. “Fuck!” I groaned and slumped against sofa. “Why can’t I get that one?”

“I understand exactly what you’re jacking up,” Shay said. “Let me go over it with you.”

Judge jumped in from beside me. “I could use another look at that one, too.”

Although Judge and I were undoubtedly the weakest scholars of the crew, the others never hesitated to pause our process and break down the difficult lessons. Shay and Mia had helped me countless times before our study group became a sixsome, but having Judge nearby provided much-appreciated validation. I felt more confident in the classroom knowing that I wasn’t facing my struggles alone.

Shay grabbed the large whiteboard and dry erase marker we kept off to the side for these scenarios, then she explained my mistake with a professor’s ease and patience. We watched her sketch an elaborate diagram of the diseased heart, labeling each abnormal part as she covered the defects.

“Right!” I nodded as she pointed with the tip of her marker. “I see it now!”

“Just know these main four components of the diagnosis, and don’t forget the surgical fix. It’s complex.”

“That was so much more helpful than lecture,” Mia said. “Seriously.”

Shay beamed with pride. “Thanks, guys! I love this embryo stuff.”

I flipped through my old school notebook to add Shay’s hints, preferring handwritten notes over digital because I could never type quickly enough, and Judge huddled closer with a peek over my pencil. I grinned at my paper, his sultry trademark scent teasing my breath.

“See? I told ya,” I giggled. “You picked the wrong girl tonight.”

Judge’s wide hand suddenly slid over my smooth leg under the table, gently rubbing my bare thigh with consolation. The intimate contact was unexpected, but as his fingertips wandered under my boxers to my instantly eager pussy, my heart thundered with unrestrained approval. His solemn face revealed nothing to the room, and that intentional secrecy rang my bell so fucking hard that I decided to encourage him. I widened my knees with an invitation as my pelvis throbbed for more.

Judge’s flirtatious brown eyes met my baby blues. We silently acknowledged the hidden yet deliberate and provocative action under the table. He licked those luscious lips and my breath snagged.

“Are you ready to move on, Callie?” Shay asked thoughtfully as she parked the whiteboard. “We can wait a minute if you need to.”

I scribbled the last of my notes and looked up with a cheesy grin.

Mastering my weakness? Check.

Secret touching? Score.

“No, I’m good now. I appreciate it.”

Judge recognized that we both needed to focus, so he didn’t overplay his hand, literally or figuratively. He left thick fingers lingering on my inner thigh as we continued with the tough lesson, but if we both showed a thorough knowledge of the material, he let his fingertips dance under the hem of my revealing shorts. During the last index card of questions, he boldly brushed my lace panties directly over my thirsty clit, forcing moist desire to dampen my folds even more. I felt him watching my reaction and bit hard on my bottom lip as he played with my pussy.

Evan looked up from his laptop. “I think that’s it. We covered both chapters.”

Decker stood and stretched. “I feel fuckin’ smarter already.”

“We should run through the cards again tomorrow,” Shay mumbled, “just to be safe.”

“Definitely,” I agreed, trying with little success to ignore the agony between my legs when Judge slipped away. “I wanna be able to sketch a T.O.F. heart just like you did.”

My deviant companion stood and helped me up from the floor by taking both of my hands in his. I moaned like a feeble grandma as he pulled me to standing.

“Damn, old woman…”

“I know! I don’t mind sitting on the floor so I can use the table to write, but I get stiff after a while.”

“Me, too,” Judge whispered, tightening those sexy lips to stifle a laugh.

This guy.

“Nothing a hot bubble bath won’t cure, I hope,” I sassed back with a seductive smirk.

Judge’s view roamed over my body with no shame. “More like a cold shower for me.”

Heat radiated between us, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from his smile. My nipples tightened beneath my sweatshirt as I imagined those perfect lips sucking my pink skin. “You’re bad,” I mouthed as everyone else gathered their things.

“And you’re wet,” he breathed back.

My cheeks flared. “Because of you.”

Evan broke the spell between us with an announcement. “Light kisses tonight, ladies. I need sleep.”

“Me, too,” Mia agreed. “No tongue during the week.”

“We need that rule,” Shay said. “I hate it, but we need it.”

“Well, if nothing else, holding back will enhance our weekends,’ Deck agreed as he loaded his backpack.

Judge grinned down at me. “Like we need enhancing.”

Fuck.

We shifted around the room and offered sweet goodnight smooches. Judge returned to kiss me after the others and, although the rule was quite clear to all of us, he let his warm tongue trail teasingly over mine before pulling back with a slight moan. Christ, I wanted him to fucking rail me on the spot.

~ • ~

Just what the hell was happening here?

I tossed and turned alone in bed later that night, my battered brain juggling both the daunting embryology lesson and the complicated, confusing events of the day. Decker had been flirty earlier, and Judge had been overly physical, both making individual moves in my direction. Plus, I hadn’t fuckin’ discouraged either of them, so I was just as guilty. This clearly blurred the lines of what our group had agreed upon.

Who was I kidding? What fucking lines? Just last night, hot tongues had twisted down my throat and heavy hands had explored my inviting curves, the anticipation of Three Doors surging through each of us as every day passed. Was it surprising that we would naturally grow closer throughout this? How could we not?

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. I could be overthinking it, as usual. After all, maybe I wasn’t the only chick receiving extra attention. Maybe Decker had whispered seductively to Mia and Shay out of earshot. Perhaps Judge had teasingly touched both girls in the moments I’d missed. I considered our recent group encounters, and nothing seemed off. I hadn’t noticed any guy playing favorites.

Is that what was happening? Playing favorites?

I supposed that I could simply ask my girls. Hell, maybe Shay and Mia were both getting side action, too, and they were staring into the dark, restlessly resisting sleep like me. How would I feel about that? Although my selfish side enjoyed being the surprising center of attention, I wanted my friends to thrive on this ride just as much as I was. This was about all of us, right?

But what if the focused flirtations were only for me? I’d shared every painstaking detail of my life with my best friends to this point, but hesitation crept into my conscience. If I confessed, they could be hurt or offended. I could cause major problems within our circle and potentially jeopardize the entire game for what could be nothing of consequence. And fuck, I wanted to see this through.

I let it go, convincing myself that I was overreacting. I pledged to stay true to the agreement and blow off any attempted side action from this point on. Flirting was harmless. A stolen touch here and there was to be expected. It wasn’t like either had coaxed me into a closet and fucked me on the down-low.

Christ, if only.

I promised my ceiling that I would pay closer attention tomorrow. If Decker was sweet-talking or Judge was getting handsy, I would notice. And, of course, I couldn’t forget about Evan, who had emerged as the wild card in this stack. I tried to recall a time when he’d shown preference to me like the others, but nothing specific came to mind. Evan had been hot for all three of us from day one, or so it seemed, and a big part of me hoped he didn’t join this whole “Club Callie” thing. I had a weak spot for my fellow blond from the beginning that I didn’t want to admit, and if he came knocking with that beautiful body, I might not be able to resist.

~ • ~

Detective Callie was on the case during our study session the next night. I kept my eyes and ears on alert for any side bets, but my amateur investigation yielded evidence from neither Judge nor Deck. Evan behaved properly, too, offering nothing but open compliments and the usual sexual innuendos for all three of us.

Hmm.

We worked like proper students for the rest of the uneventful week, keeping our tongues and everything else to ourselves. Decker, Mia, and I finished our lab report after the impossible embryology exam, while the others started writing up index cards for the patho test next week. We shared laughs over meals on the nights we studied and spent quiet evenings apart when we didn’t. The remaining four in our clan found time to get tested at the clinic, and Evan’s baby face showed an alluring layer of blond stubble that was starting to take shape.

The simple days were a subtle reminder of the friendly conditions before Three Doors. When Friday night arrived, we all declined group time, each suffering from the expected exhaustion and craving the extra hours of quiet. Our trios retired to our own apartments and, speaking for the female half of the crew, we were snoozing before a streaming series by nine.

But Saturday? Well, Saturday was a different story altogether.