by ANDREA SMITH
I was silent for a moment, contemplating what she’d obviously noticed. “It’s because Easton has no expectations of me,” I replied casually, peeling the next layer of skin from the onion.
“I don’t understand,” she said, wrinkling her forehead in confusion. “I mean I know the whole deal about him not being a blood relative and all of that, but you still consider him your brother, right?”
“Actually,” I looked over at her and found that I now had her full-blown attention. “To be honest, blood or no, Easton really wasn’t around all that much. And considering the age difference between Trace and me is eleven years, well there you have it. I just don’t share that many memories with Easton, but I mean…it’s more than that, Darcy.”
“Go on,” she said, scraping her diced tomatoes into a bowl of drained pasta.
“Well, they both seem like brothers to me as far as that goes, but Trace treats me exactly the same way that my father does—did,” I corrected. “I just never seem to make the mark with either of them. Easton? Well he just says what’s on his mind, good or bad, regardless of who’s in the audience. I mean, I don’t think he’s harder—or softer—on me than anyone else.”
“I get that,” Darcy, replied, tossing the pasta salad. “I’m glad you realize that Easton isn’t a warm and fuzzy person by nature, and not to take it personally.”
“And I hear that,” I replied, smiling. I gestured toward the onions, “Sliced or diced?”
“Hmm? Oh, diced please,” she responded with a nod.
I started chopping away at the onions. “Darcy, I need to let you know something and now is probably as good of a time as any…it’s kind of, well—uncomfortable.”
“Go ahead,” she said, watching me.
“Well, the thing is, I’m seeing someone and you actually know this person. I would’ve said something sooner except that I felt it was just, you know, a purely casual thing?”
She nodded, adding several dollops of mayo to her pasta salad.
“Well, the thing is, I’m thinking now that maybe it’s getting to be more than just a casual thing with the two of us, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with—”
“Say no more,” she interrupted, a big grin going. “Lindsey is my best friend, but I’m here to tell you that I’m not nearly as provincial as she is. I appreciate that you haven’t brought guys over—I know she and Trace had issues with it, but what the hell? This place is like a freaking zip code of its own. Easton and I have no issue with you having a steady boyfriend in your life, and having him sleep over here occasionally. So it’s cool, okay?”
I looked over to where she was smiling as she tossed the rest of the seasoning into her pasta salad.
Well, that was a piece of cake.
“Wow, thanks,” I replied. “But you need to know that the guy I’m talking about is…Darin Murphy.”
I turned back to chopping my onions, wincing as I heard the glass bowl that was full of Darcy’s pasta salad, hit the kitchen floor and shatter loudly.
chapter 4
Okay, so the Memorial Day barbeque had been just a tad…uncomfy. Once Darcy had regained her ability to speak, she told me in no uncertain terms that it was in Darin Murphy’s best interest to never step foot anywhere near their ‘zip code.’
She explained that, while she no longer had feelings for him, Easton was a whole different story. She even confided to me that she suspected Easton of having had something to do with Darin getting that sudden assignment in Alaska.
“I mean, I hope he treats you better than he treated me, Paige,” she told me, “But please, be really prepared if he doesn’t.” Darcy gave me a weary look.
I tossed that around in my head for a good second. “So, I guess what you’re telling me is that, if I continue to see him, it needs to be kept a secret?” I asked.
She shook her head and reached over to give me the good ol’ friendly arm pat. “Not at all,” she said. “Just from Easton, that’s all. And if you don’t bring him to any family get-togethers, that’d probably be a great idea too.”
The good news about the barbeque was that I was introduced to Darcy’s old roommate and still close friend, Eli Chambers and his live-in partner, Cain Maddox.
God!
Those had to be two of the sexiest, drop-fucking-dead gorgeous men that I’d ever laid my chocolate-brown eyes on!
And the funny thing was, they were like night and day, literally. I mean Eli was day: boyish charm, streaky blondish/sandy locks, fair skin, blue eyes, outgoing and funnier than shit. Cain was night: quietly serious—almost brooding, raven black hair, serious brown eyes, olive complexion and somewhat reserved—until you got to know him, which for some reason, I made it a point to do.
Maybe it was because I knew that both of the dudes were gay and I didn’t need to put on the whole “sex-kitten, do-me-or-die” routine. I could just be me, however bland and exhausting that was.
Yeah—exhausting.
That had been my mother’s favorite adjective for me during my teen years. I guess she thought she was done having kids after having my brother Trace.
Then eleven years later?
Congratulations—it’s a girl!
Don’t get me wrong, I was never mistreated or neglected; it was more along the lines of my simply feeling invisible to them. My best guess was that’s why I tended to sometimes do things for the pure shock value. I mean attention, whether positive or negative, is still attention, right?
“So how do you like D.C., Paige?” Cain asked, taking a bite out of one of the deviled eggs I’d made, and quickly dropping the remainder of it back onto his plate.
I started to reply, but he held up his hand, stifling a cough, and reached for his glass of lemonade, gulping it down. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered, wiping his mouth, “How can someone fuck up deviled eggs?”
I felt myself flush, realizing my earlier suspicion had been correct.
“Sorry,” I murmured sheepishly. “Actually, I think I might’ve sprinkled those with chili pepper instead of paprika.”
“No shit,” he grumbled, now starting to chuckle.
“I probably should take them back into the house and toss them,” I said, starting to get up.
“Stay,” he instructed mischievously, “I don’t want to miss Eli’s reaction when he bites into his.” He nodded towards the other side of the patio, where Eli was standing next to Darcy, listening to her prattle on about something while taking the first bite of his deviled egg.
“Holy Shit!” he rasped, spitting it back out onto his plate. Everyone turned to look over at Eli, who was now taking gulps of his iced tea, and swishing it around in his mouth.
“Fuck, Darce,” he pretty much snarled, wiping away at his mouth, “I get that everything domestic isn’t your strong suit, but seriously?”
“Excuse me?” Darcy said, totally injured and confused.
“Shit, I can’t let anyone else bite into those fire bombs,” I said, giggling. “Be back in a few.”
I hurried over to Darcy and Eli, explaining my faux pas with the eggs. We quickly went into ‘damage control’ mode, collecting the uneaten eggs off of everyone’s plates, and took the platter into the house to be disposed of properly.
Once back outside, I resumed my place next to Cain. Eli had pulled up a chair and the three of us became better acquainted.
I explained to the both of them about my internship at the FBI academy, including my limited income, thus the reason I was freeloading with Easton and Darcy.
Eli shared that he worked at Baronton-Sheridan, the company owned by Darcy’s father, and Easton. Cain was part-owner of a catering company in D.C. that was small, but growing steadily.
“So, how do you like living here with Easton and Darcy?” Eli asked, quirking a brow.
“You know,” I replied, taking a sip of my iced tea, “They’ve been great, but I probably need to find a place of my own, if possible. I’m not sure what
the cost of living is like here as far as rentals.”
They exchanged glances.
“Honey,” Eli spoke first, “I don’t have a clue how much money you’re making as an intern there, but I have a feeling the type of apartment you could afford would fit into one of Darcy’s closets, and your roommates would be small…and furry.”
“Eww,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “The thing is, I have a boyfriend and well, Darcy made it plain that he isn’t to stay over here, and we’re not at that stage—or even close to being at that stage where we’ve discussed living together—”
“Wait a minute,” Cain spoke up. “Eli and I have been tossing around the idea of getting another roommate to share expenses. We recently bought a home together in Silver Spring, and to be honest, we are a little financially strapped, what with the mortgage payment and all.”
Cain looked over at Eli for input. “You’d have to pay for your own groceries, split the utilities and your rent would be $450 a month,” Eli said. “And also pitch in with the housework. We don’t have a staff like Darcy has,” he added with a grin.
“Hmm,” I replied, calculating it in my head. I still had a car payment and my pay at the bureau was really just a stipend at $1000 a month. It wouldn’t leave me much to live on, but if I was frugal, I doubted I could do any better, or even as good trying to find a place of my own.
Cain could tell I was struggling to figure out whether I could manage it or not. “Babe, I gotta tell you that you can’t touch an efficiency in D.C., or the surrounding area, for less than $900 a month. With us, you’ll have your own room and bathroom, plus use of our fully equipped kitchen and laundry room. I mean, you don’t even have any furniture, right?”
I nodded. “I’ve been saving up my earnings and planned on going to some second hand shops for the basics,” I replied.
“So there you go,” Cain continued, shrugging like it was a done deal. “And if you need a little extra money, I occasionally need help on the weekends with the catering business, so we could put you to work there, uh…as long as you promise to stay out of the deviled egg making,” he finished with a wink.
I found myself grinning, not just because Cain gave me one of his sexy winks, but because my shoulders could finally relax as if an entire city had been lifted off of them. It was kind of a friggin’ crazy moment because one minute, I’m living with Darcy and Easton and the next…Cain and Eli are offering to bring me in as a roomie.
Holy shit?
I glanced back over at Cain who was nodding at something Eli must have just said.
“So,” I started with a huge non-resistant smile on my face, “Is this weekend too soon?”
chapter 5
I’d been living with Cain and Eli for almost two months now, and we had settled into a pretty comfortable routine. Living with dudes was different than I expected, and with those two, it was starting to feel more like family.
It had felt a little weird for the first week or so, but after that, it felt like my home too.
I loved their brick ranch-style home that was nestled on a tree-lined street in Silver Spring. The houses weren’t far apart, yet not on top of one another either. They had a fairly large backyard with a privacy fence around it, along with a deck that was right off of the kitchen that had a kick-ass hot tub/Jacuzzi combination.
We split the chores up, and took turns cooking dinner. Both Cain and Eli were great cooks and had taken me under their wings in the kitchen. I figured getting a little domestic training, compliments of my roomies, was an additional perk in our living arrangement.
Eli was just getting home from work, still dressed in his office ensemble as I was packing up some ingredients. And I say ensemble, because with Eli? That’s exactly what it was. The guy dressed better than most brides do on their wedding day.
He came into the kitchen, loosening up his white tie, watching me as I put a box of angel hair pasta, tomato sauce, and fresh mushrooms in a box I planned on hauling over to Darin’s. Because tonight, I was cooking for my man, and I was eager to show him my new awesome kitchen skills.
“So, I see you intend to get to your man’s heart through his stomach tonight, eh?” he teased. “Don’t forget the Parmesan cheese,” he reminded me.
“Yeah thanks, Eli,” I replied, grabbing it from the fridge. “With any luck, you won’t see me for breakfast,” I said with a grin.
Eli scoffed playfully. “I’m betting you two don’t make it through dinner with those tight little shorts you’ve got going there,” he remarked, picking up the stack of mail I’d placed on the kitchen table and sorting through it. “Which, by the way, you rock,” he winked, giving me some of his flirtatiousness that I’d come to enjoy.
“Trust me,” I replied, smiling, “I won’t be offended one damn bit if he prefers me to my cooking.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled, shaking his head.
“I know you don’t care for Darin,” I remarked, grabbing the package of chicken breasts out of the sink where I had them thawing. “But so far, he’s the closest thing to a steady relationship that I’ve had…ever. I mean, it’s not just about the sex, you know?”
Eli sighed and looked up from the stack of mail.
“He’s a cheater, Paige,” he deadpanned. “He cheated on Darcy like it was easy. And I don’t like the fact that you’re going over there, getting all excited to play house for the night. Okay? There, I’ve said it.” He shrugged, “Once a cheater—”
“I know, I know,” I interrupted. “Always a cheater. I’ve heard it before.”
I tossed a bag of mixed salad greens into the box and gave Eli a peck on the cheek. “I love that you’re protective over me. It’s something that I’m not used to, I guess,” I said softly, looking up at him. “But I need to explore this relationship because it just might be right for me, okay?”
He studied me for a second, and let out a soft chuckle while shaking his head.
“Where’s Maddox?” he asked, referring to Cain by his last name, which was how he always addressed him for some reason.
The fact that he had beat Cain home was pretty damn unusual, because Cain had mean ninja skills when it came to punctuality.
“Oh,” he left a note on the fridge. “Playing racquetball with Steve and Lance. You’re supposed to meet them at the club and make it a foursome.”
“Ah shit,” Eli said, looking up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh. “I’m fucking tired, and it’s Friday, and that means it’s chill time for me right there in front of the television. Does he not know this by now?”
I giggled at Eli’s over-dramatic, sulky tone, closing up the box holding what was going to be a scrumptious meal.
“So DVR whatever it is you’d be watching, dude,” I said with a shrug. “I mean, you did hear me when I said ‘foursome,’ right? As in four sweaty guys alone in a fiberglass-encased room with nothing to do except whack at their balls with their…” I lowered my voice to a theatrical whisper, “rackets?”
Eli gave me a playful swat as I passed him on my way out. “Brat,” he growled. “Drive safely.”
On my way out through the door though, I made sure to turn around with, “Oh, and try not to dent up any hardwood floors with your balls. I hear that’s frowned upon.” I gave him a stern look.
He shook his head with a hard eye-roll, closing the door with one huge-ass grin on his face.
Eli had hit the nail on the head. Darin and I had just finished our salads when he followed me into the kitchen, where I bent over to check the Chicken Parmesan in the oven.
“Mmm,” he said, coming up behind me, and rubbing my ass with the palms of both hands. I straightened up, leaning back against his strong frame.
“I can see those squats have made your glutes kind of epic there, babe,” he whispered in my ear. I shivered as his lips brushed against my lobe, and then his tongue lightly flicked the outer edge.
“I’ll take that as a compliment of the highest regard,”
I replied, “I have a very strict trainer, you see.”
His arms encircled me, and I felt him nuzzle the back of my neck with his nose; he nipped gently at my skin. “How about you turn the oven down and we get a little exercise before the main course?”
I smiled against him, reaching over and turning the oven dial down to nearly nothing.
Darin lifted me up, and I immediately wrapped my bare legs around his torso, allowing him to carry me off to his king-sized bed where we enjoyed an hour of play that had very few boundaries.
We had just finished dinner, and I was loading the dishwasher, when his cell rang. He looked down at it.
“Gotta take this, babe,” he said, taking several long strides out of the kitchen. I figured it was probably something with the bureau. Darin was so committed to the FBI and loved his new assignment as Intern Coordinator. He was a master of motivation; that was for damn sure.
I heard his voice raised a bit from the living room, just enough to hear him say, “I told you, Lisa, not tonight. I’m busy, babe.”
Umm…?
My ears immediately went into ‘eavesdrop’ mode, a skill I had honed growing up, as a result of all the boundaries I had crossed with my parents. They were forever disagreeing on how to handle discipline where I was concerned. I tiptoed closer to the hallway, straining to hear his side of the conversation.
“Tomorrow then, babe. Yeah, I’ve got to go now. Uh huh…Okay…miss you, too.”
What the hell?
I’m not much of a game player—with emotions, that is. I joined Darin in the living room right as he tossed his cell on the table.
“Who was that?” I asked point-blank.
He immediately looked over at me as if I had somehow crossed an arbitrary line with him.
“That was a friend of mine,” he replied, without batting an eye. “You probably know her from the program, Lisa Benedict.”
I did know her. Tall, blonde, big boobs. She was doing an internship at Quantico as well. She was another of Darin’s coachees.