“Mostly. I’m no good with wiring, so I contract it out. Arch is the plumbing genius. Any plumbing issues wait for him to be able to get out there. Wes is a good all-around handyman; he helps me quite a bit.” We returned to the living room as he spoke.
“I’m having the hardest time imagining you three swinging hammers and installing pipes! I need to see for myself.”
“We’ll all go out some weekend soon. You can tour my dream home. It’s where I hope to raise kids one day.” His voice was low and excited. His future family meant a lot to him.
“Sounds great. I’m in.” I began to imagine how gorgeous little Ellie and Gray babies would be. Oh, no. No babies yet. I didn’t even know where they came from. I couldn’t even choose a guy; I certainly couldn’t be entertaining the idea of starting a family with one. “I’m in for a date. Not the kids. I want kids, but…” Shut up, Ellie. “I’m going to stop talking now.” My face burned bright red.
Gray busted out laughing. “Cool.” He changed the subject. “Come over here and behold the marvel of my comic collection.” I snickered at his pun while he opened the door to a spare bedroom filled with tables. Meticulously labeled boxes with what universe, book, and issues they contained lined the tables.
I opened the closest box to find a man dressed in a black costume. He had lots of muscles and fought a man dressed in purple. “I know this one! I’ve seen a lot of these movies. They’re good.”
“He’s one of my favorite characters. Feel free to browse the boxes. I’m going to go change into something more comfortable since I won’t be going to work today.” I barely noticed him leave the room. I was engrossed in reading the sides of the boxes for any other reference I recognized.
I found several and was three pages into one about my favorite superhero movie when he returned. He changed into a red and black flannel shirt, dark boot-cut jeans, and black motorcycle boots. His hair was still pulled back and braided. He looked like a cowboy biker. I mentally ordered my jaw not to hit the floor.
I forced my eyes to the comic. I didn’t want to be accused of staring. The words and pictures on the page blurred as I snuck another glance. He turned away from me and rifled through one of the boxes. The view from behind was even better. I took a deep breath and faced away to remove the temptation to stare.
“Something wrong? You sighed.”
“Nope! No. I’m fine. Just fine. Reading about, uh, this one here…” My words faltered as he walked around to my front. His elusive tattoo peeked from beneath his shirt.
He peered into my eyes and put his hands on my arms. His eyes moved to his watch. “Crap. I didn’t even think about how late it is. I bet you’re starving. Let’s order some lunch.”
“Sure! Sounds good.” My voice, too high and cheerful, didn’t sound like me. I couldn’t stop peeking at his biceps under the flannel material. I’d never been a shallow person, at least I didn’t like to think I was, but if Gray dressed like a cowboy biker all the time, I’d definitely have a harder time choosing. I’d be hooked. He said they all prefer flannels. Oh, hell. A hormone-riddled teenager would’ve had better control. Being around all the sexy man hotness messed with my maturity levels.
We moved into the living room, and he pulled a file folder out of a desk drawer in the corner. “I’ve got menus for anything you can imagine. Being downtown, everyone delivers. What sounds good?”
“Anything, really. Subs, Chinese, Mexican, you name it.” My stomach rumbled.
“If you want Mexican, I’ll cook for you one day soon. My mother was born in Mexico. I can cook better than most of the restaurants in town.”
“Mmmm, sounds heavenly. My dad loved authentic Mexican food, and I do, too. He always told my mom he was lucky she wasn’t Mexican, because if she were, he’d weigh three hundred pounds. Then she’d slap him and make him tamales.”
“I won’t try to beat your mom’s tamale recipe.” He chuckled. “We’ll make a different authentic Mexican dish one day. How does chicken mole sound?”
“Perfect.” We picked out a sub shop and ordered sandwiches and chips. While we waited, I snooped through his Netflix watch list and found many of the same shows on my own queue. He wasn’t a big book reader like Wes, but we could at least watch a TV show together.
We’d both been binge watching the same show about a group of female prisoners. After our lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon watching the latest episodes. The show contained a significant amount of adult content, and I blushed several times in the course of the afternoon. Watching a lustful scene with my potential boyfriend in the room ate at my nerves.
One particularly uncomfortable scene caused me to peek at Gray out of the corner of my eye, curious if he felt as awkward as I did. When I realized he was giving me the side eye, I started to giggle.
“What’s wrong with you?” Gray laughed at me when I couldn’t reply because of my giggles. He paused the TV. “Is this show too much for you?”
Once I quieted down, I realized he’d moved close to me. “No! I love it. I’ve never watched such a racy show with someone I…” I trailed off. “You know what? Never mind, I’m fine.” My smile was forced and wooden. I did not want to explain myself.
“Someone you what?” he asked.
“Someone I’m attracted to.” There, I said it. I hoped he was happy.
“Was that so hard to say?”
I pouted and turned up my nose. “A little, yeah.”
A calloused finger touched my protruding bottom lip. I turned to face Gray. His face moved close to mine—so close, it was an effort to focus my eyes. My gaze moved from his cognac eyes to his full lips, and my breath caught. The room was silent as my stomach filled with delicious anticipation.
A sizzle started in my chest the moment Gray’s lips met mine. My body tightened. Our mouths met for a moment before he pulled back and met my gaze. I closed my eyes to savor the moment and let out a small purr.
The small sound I made caused a visceral reaction in Gray. He grabbed my shoulders with firm, yet gentle hands, and crushed my lips to his. I opened my mouth to breathe, and he took advantage of my lips parting. His tongue flicked across my bottom lip. I tentatively stuck my tongue out to touch his. My nerves got the better of me, so I pulled my tongue back and closed my mouth. I pressed my hands on his chest. I didn’t want to get too carried away.
He rested his forehead against mine and pressed another closed-mouth kiss to my lips. “You kiss like fire. I shouldn’t play with fire,” he whispered.
“I won’t burn you,” I lied. I still didn’t know which of the three men to choose. If Gray grew attached and I didn’t do the same, he could get burned. “Tell me about your tattoo.” I asked, eyes on the bit of it that peeked out of his shirt.
To my consternation, he unbuttoned his shirt, slowly revealing his tatted chest. My lungs began to burn and a quiver started in a place I wasn’t ready to feel a quiver in. It was too soon for quivers. He removed his shirt completely while I stared at a massive scales of justice, complete with a snake twining around the sword. “It’s beautiful.”
I ran my fingers tentatively along the blade of the sword, straight down Grays’ chest. Goosebumps erupted all over his torso. I stared up into his dark eyes and exhaled through my nose.
It had been years since I’d been to bed with a man. He would surely treat me gently, respectfully, and lovingly, but I’d never jumped straight into bed with a man. You’re not starting now. I tried to look anywhere other than his toned chest or deep eyes, but couldn’t do it.
“I need to go,” I whispered. “I’m doing a tutoring session tonight at the GED testing center.”
He leaned in for one last soft kiss before buttoning his shirt up. “You’ve got a lot going on.”
I sighed as his chest and tattoo disappeared. “I don’t mind it. There’s plenty of time to slow down later in life. And, I don’t work full time like a lot of other students. It’s not as bad as it seems.” I sometimes battled guilt about how easy I had it
. I wanted to help other people have it a little easier.
Gray smiled down at me. “You’re something special, Ellie. I’ll take you home.”
“Thank you,” I replied, a little uncomfortable with the compliment. “I had a wonderful afternoon.”
“So did I. I was glad to be your watchdog today.”
While Gray turned out the lights and got ready to leave, I texted Todd to ask if he and Rick would stay in my guest room for the night. I wasn’t ready to be alone after the nightmare with Mitch.
I pondered my situation the entire way home. What was I getting myself into? Was I playing with fire? How badly could I get burned? I didn’t know the answers to these questions. And I was afraid to find out.
Chapter Eleven
The next two weeks were a blur. Todd and I had finals, and though I had a light course load, the professors demanded excellence. High scores were crucial to passing the classes with good grades. I managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA, and I didn’t want to lose momentum.
Finals week was all the more difficult by Mitch-centered nightmares appearing nightly. I started going to my therapist again. With the help of therapy, I worked through all my childhood emotional traumas, but the Mitch encounter effectively demolished the thousands of dollars of work done to my psyche.
My three potential suitors managed to find ways to make finals week less overwhelming, even belatedly producing the secret casserole. At the same time, they further confused and attracted me. They sent sweet texts wishing me luck, slipped handwritten notes under my apartment door, left care packages outside my door including bananas—brain food—coffee shop gift cards, puzzle books for taking breaks, and my favorite gum. All of which baffled me. After a lifetime of flying under the radar, as well as the residual effects of my stepfamily’s influence, I worked hard to deal gracefully and appreciatively with the sudden onslaught of attention and care.
The hidden benefit of the hectic weeks was while my lawyers did their thing and got my case ready, I was distracted by school, volunteering, and the three guys rotating in and out of my days. They took turns showing they cared about me, even though they spent plenty of time working on their case. I frequently forgot my nervousness about the trial as the first of the year approached. I’d have plenty of time to fret over winter break.
Gray made sure I didn’t cook dinner a single time during my studying and test-taking binges. He enlisted Todd’s advice, and every evening when I returned from class or the library, I found a delicious meal ready to heat up.
My favorites were the simpler ones such as vegetable beef soup, chili, and burgers. A few times when I walked in—brain fried—he stood in my kitchen cooking. Those nights he made something more complicated. His presence threw me the first time I walked in to an apartment that wasn’t empty, but once I learned he was there with Todd’s permission, I relaxed and enjoyed the pampering.
I liked to tease him for making fancy dinners—things like stuffed pork chops, filet mignon, and I finally tried his chicken mole. I was in heaven, except for the calorie count. He assured me he used fresh, organic, low calorie ingredients whenever possible to cut down on calories. The three of them treated healthy eating like a lifestyle choice, which I appreciated. There was nothing obsessive about it, but good choices were made.
Wes showed he cared about my stress levels through books. Several mornings I woke to find a new edition of his favorite series sitting in the hall. He started me on book one, and by the time I finished my finals, I had five.
It was an addicting series, and I couldn’t wait to dive into them and connect further with Wes. I stole a little time along the way and managed to read the first book. It was torture, forcing myself to wait until winter break to begin the next.
Arch relieved tension simply by being present. He must’ve watched constantly for me to come home every night; because not long after I set my stuff down, he came knocking to check on me. A few times he brought a small gift to show he cared, even though I didn’t have quality time to spare. He also took on Satan duties. He played with him, fed him, and took care of his litter box. The poor kitty didn’t even notice my neglect thanks to Arch.
Perhaps my favorite thing they did, however, was when Arch took on all my volunteer shifts at the animal shelter. It was a relief to know the animals would be taken care of without trying to juggle time there. He enjoyed it so much, he ended up signing up for shifts of his own for the rest of the year. I was proud to share the rewarding experience with him.
The bubble bath set was a thoughtful gift, as well. Once Gray’s delicious cooking filled my belly, I grabbed one of the books given to me by Wes and relaxed in a bubble bath provided by Arch, ready to recharge and hit the books again the next day.
Todd was a jealous mess throughout our finals. Rick was still in the middle of a nasty audit at his accounting firm and couldn’t give much support. I mentioned it to Arch in passing. After that, my gifts and food often included enough for two. I had a sneaking suspicion Todd also began to get deliveries of his own books and bubble baths. With a little pressing, he admitted he was also on the receiving end of their generosity.
Finally, gloriously, my finals weeks concluded. The first two weeks of December disappeared, and I had four weeks to spend time with my new friends, Todd and Rick, and search for any angle I could to help me win my company.
We celebrated the end of the dreaded tests by going out. Friday afternoon, I got a text from Wes as I left the last exam of the semester.
Wes: Are you finished yet?
I couldn’t contain my excitement, even in a text.
Ellie: I’M ALL DONE!
Wes: Excellent! We want to take you out to celebrate. Dancing?
If only he knew.
Ellie: Absolutely. What time?
Wes: We’ll pick you up at six. Bring Todd and Rick.
Immediately, I relayed the information to Todd, and his excitement level matched mine. We made plans to get ready before the guys arrived. Rick would roll his eyes, as he did when we danced, but secretly he loved to watch Todd in his element.
I got home late in the morning and took a leisurely nap. I crawled under the covers and succumbed to blissful sleep.
What seemed like moments later, I felt a continuous nudge against my side, and my eyes opened, blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the light. Todd stood above me, hand on his hip and frowned pointedly at his watch. Time to get ready.
“Giving you the key to this apartment was the best idea I ever had,” I said. “I don’t have to wake up to a jarring doorbell or alarm. I just wait for you to come in.” I stretched and smiled appreciatively. “You spoil me.”
He rolled his eyes. “I adore you, of course I spoil you. Now, get your lazy ass up, and take a shower.”
“Yes, sir!” I did as directed and hopped in the shower. By then, I was aware of what sort of soaps, lotions, conditioners, and exfoliators I should use. He didn’t have to give many directions.
I was about done shaving my legs when Todd strolled in the bathroom. “You’re taking forever.”
“Sorrrrry,” I said, voice dripping sarcasm. “We’ve got an hour and a half.”
“I still have to get ready, too. I’m looking forward to a date night with Rick!” I couldn’t see him standing outside the shower, but I could tell by the sound of his voice he was preening.
“You still have to give me at least one dance. We’ll show them what we can do,” I said.
“Of course!” The sounds of little pots and creams being moved around filled the bathroom as he rustled around in my makeup. “I’m going to make you ultra-sexy tonight. Those boys will be falling all over themselves.”
I rinsed my legs. “Stay on this side of sexy, and not that side—slutty.”
Todd let out a maniacal laugh. “Whatever you say, my pet.”
As I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, Todd held open a warmed, oversized towel. I took a moment to luxuriate in the heat as it wrapped around me. “This
is wonderful!”
“It’s not to spoil you, let me assure you. The warm towel will keep your pores open. When you apply this lotion, it’ll absorb all the better.” He put a bottle of scented cream in my hand and waltzed out of the bathroom.
“Love you, too!” I called out behind him.
I hated it when he was right. When I finished, my skin was like velvet. As I entered my bedroom in my robe, I wasn’t prepared for the gorgeous blue dress hanging from one of my curtain rods. “Todd!” I gasped. “Where’d it come from?”
“I shopped while you were taking your power nap.” His unexpected voice behind me made me jump. He was in my closet, doing…whatever Todd did in the closet. He kept enough clothes for me in there to keep him busy for a week.
Reminding myself it wouldn’t look good to the judge if I killed my best friend, no matter how justifiable, I took a deep breath and stated firmly, “Ok. That’s it. Tomorrow afternoon, we’re boxing up a ton of those clothes and donating them.”
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s time.” His words agreed, but his voice conveyed grudging acceptance.
“We can donate all the fancy dresses to The Glass Slipper project. They lend them to underprivileged girls for prom dresses.”
Todd’s eyes lit up. “I love the idea! And there’s another organization that takes business clothes for the homeless. They wear them for interviews. We’ll call them, too!”
I suddenly had an even better idea. “You know what I want to do? Let’s go thrift store shopping and buy them out of prom dresses. They’ll be sitting there collecting dust this time of year. The thrift store owners will be delighted for the extra income, and the prom places will be happy for all the dresses!”
Todd’s smile grew. “I’m in. I love thrift store shopping! Please tell me I get your presence all day? This could take a while.” He pushed his hands together, praying to spend time with me.
“All day. Oh, I’m excited. We’ll shop tomorrow and go through my clothes Sunday. Then Monday we’ll deliver it all. Is Rick still working every day?”
Falling For Them Volume 2: Reverse Harem Collection Page 47