by Nikki Chase
“Do what?” I ask.
“The Sexy Brothers, of course,” Tony says, sending Jessica into a fit of giggles.
Damn it. I set myself up for that dig.
“Honestly, nothing happened.” I know my red, hot face must be giving me away, but I can’t help trying.
Just when I feel like digging a hole in the ground to hide in, the bell rings. As Tony and Jessica get up and put their chairs back, they continue to stare at me with big, wide grins on their faces.
“Take care, Ava,” they say before they leave the classroom.
I feel better after talking to those two, but I’m also acutely aware of the fact that the only thing keeping me from going insane with worry is Liam.
Well, him and the other Hunter brothers. But Liam in particular, this morning. He was so quick to take charge when I was bumbling around in confusion.
I mean, he's a lawyer, so of course, he knew what to do in that situation, whereas I was completely clueless.
But he thought quickly on his feet, doing a maneuver that I recognize now as an attempt to distract me until he has a plan in place. How thoughtful. If it didn't sound so cheesy, I’d even call it valiant.
I don't know how much of a wreck I’d be if the Hunters weren't around, although I guess in that case, Joseph wouldn't have sued me in the first place.
I think the altercation at Feral was what made him angry enough to try something this insane. But then again, without that altercation, Joseph would've taken me home . . . There's no guessing what would've happened had the Hunters not shown up just in time.
Jessica and Tony convinced me it was a good idea to pursue a sexual relationship with the Hunter brothers, and that was what I wanted.
But then the five magnificent men rush in and fill the gaps in my life, making me feel safe and treasured.
What will happen when they leave?
I shudder to think of the size of the hole they're going to leave.
On top of all those things, like Tony said, they're damn sexy, too. And for some reason I can't understand, they find me sexy, too. Honestly, the way they look at me sometimes . . .
“Miss G!”
A student’s voice jerks me back to reality, and I blink a few times before I realize a classroom full of high school students is a completely inappropriate place to be thinking about those wicked, sinful men . . .
Nathan
“For the last time, Sally, we’re taking the day off,” I say into the phone.
“But Mr. Garcia is on hold. He’s been waiting to hear word from us all day. He’s really anxious about our decision, and we told him we were going to have an answer for him today.”
Personally, I’ve never spoken with Mr. Garcia, and I have no idea who he is. Hell, we probably have multiple Mr. Garcias we do business with, considering Mexico is one of our most popular destinations.
Mason’s the one who handles the suppliers—the doctors, the clinics, the facilities we use in different countries, while Noah and I work on getting potential customers to see it’s really not that weird to get weight-loss advice from a Mexican nutritionist or have braces put on by a Mexican dentist.
I glance at Mason. He’s still on the phone, trying to find out if anyone he knows has any sway on the local judge.
“Tell him we’ll get back to him another day,” I say to Sally. “Mason’s busy.”
“But we told him—”
“Yes. I know. You’ve told me multiple times, Sally.” My patience is running thin. “But what he wants is not something we can do. Tell him to wait.”
“Can I at least speak to Mason?” Sally asks.
Jesus. Does she not believe me or something?
I’m still one of her bosses. Noah and I spend most days outside the office, meeting with clients, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less essential to the business compared to the others.
“No. I told you. Mason’s busy.” I hang up. I can’t stand more questions from her.
Mason puts a hand over the mic of his phone and asks, “Who was that?”
I let out a deep sigh. “Sally.”
“Oh.” Mason goes back to his phone call and continues pacing around Ava’s living room. He’s been restless since he got up and heard the news.
I don’t often see him lose his cool like this. I mean, yes, he’s a little hot-headed, and he has no problems starting a fist-fight (and winning it), but things don’t usually get under his skin.
In fact, everybody’s lost their collective cool today.
I mean, look at us, abandoning a multi-million-dollar business to work on a trivial case that involves less than $10,000.
Honestly, considering the number of lost work hours, it would be easier and cheaper to just pay off the asshole. That would be the smart thing to do.
But no, that’s not even an option any of us considers seriously. This is not just about the money but about some guy trying to take advantage of Ava’s kindness and patience.
I certainly don’t want to give that guy a single cent, much less $10,000.
I don’t actually know how much he’s suing for, by the way, because I haven’t seen the document myself.
Like I said, it’s not really about the dollar amount. At this point, we can afford anything we want.
But we’re not paying that guy anything. Fuck that.
I take a seat on the couch beside Liam, who’s typing furiously on his laptop. I peek at his monitor, but I don’t understand anything he’s writing.
It’s all weird, stiff, legal language. So different from the kind of stuff that Noah and I used to write, like ad copy or some promotional content to put up on our business website.
I used to hate that stuff because I don’t have the patience to comb through a bunch of text on the screen to spot typos and shit. Luckily, we’ve hired a bunch of copywriters who are better wordsmiths than we are to deal with that.
I look around the living room at my brothers.
Wait a minute . . .
I’ve been so busy I haven’t even realized both Noah and Ollie are gone.
Mason’s still on the phone. Catching his gaze, I mouth, “Noah and Ollie?”
He just shrugs.
“Liam, do you know where Noah and Ollie are?”
Liam gives me a dirty look as he turns his attention away from his laptop. I don’t even know where he got that laptop from. Does he always have it with him? Was it just left in Mason’s car after the long drive into town?
I have questions, but they’re not important and Liam already doesn’t look happy about having to answer my one original question.
“They said they were going to pick up Ava from the school. Didn’t you hear?”
I shake my head.
“Yeah. Pay more attention next time.” Liam sounds more grumpy than he usually does. I wonder if that’s a bad sign for the lawsuit, but asking him is probably not a good idea right now.
Both Mason and Liam are so busy, but there’s nothing I can do here. I’m just a nuisance. That’s probably why Noah and Ollie left. In a lawsuit situation, two sales guys and a physician can’t really help much.
Staying here in this house is making me feel useless. I should get out of here.
Ava
“Hey,” says a familiar voice as I walk out of the school building.
I jump from the shock, and then I hear a laughter that’s just as abhorrently familiar.
Joseph.
“It’s just me, baby,” he says, standing on the landing of the wide, concrete staircase as a handful of students amble past him down the steps.
“What do you want?” I move to the side, putting as much space as possible between Joseph and me before I descend the stairs.
“Come on. Don’t you miss me? We finally get to have some time alone, without all those other guys . . .” The smile on Joseph’s face sends a chill down my spine.
I give him a frown and keep walking. Suddenly, I become acutely aware of my own movements. I feel self-conscious about
the way I’m moving.
Joseph always used to say I moved too much when I walked, my arms flailing like one of the ducks he liked to scare at the park.
Well, I’m puffing myself up to look as strong and dignified as I can, but I’m worried Joseph’s just going to think I look ridiculous and not take me seriously.
“Say, how many guys are there, again?” Joseph asks in a low voice, in a way that tells me he already knows the answer.
“That’s none of your business.” I keep my eyes on my car as I continue past the landing and down the steps. Not much further now.
My feet kind of hurt because in my hurry this morning, I grabbed the wrong pair of shoes—the painful pair that still hasn’t stretched even after one year, despite what the salesperson told me when I bought it.
“Well, what if I make it my business?” Joseph follows me and gets so close I’m getting goosebumps.
I don’t know how I ever managed to share a bed with him. Just sharing the same set of stairs feels gross now.
“Leave me alone, Joseph. My attorney says I shouldn’t talk to you.”
“Your attorney, huh? Since when do you have your own attorney?” Joseph’s tone remains calm, but I can hear the hint of anger in his last three words. “Is it one of those guys?”
I ignore him and take out my car key from my bag. I don’t want any trouble. I just need to make a quick exit.
“Is it one of those five guys you bring home, huh?” Joseph asks—with more than just a hint of anger this time.
A few students glance at us, but it’s late enough in the afternoon that only a few stragglers are left on school grounds.
Oh, no. This place isn’t public enough.
What if Joseph does something completely insane and unhinged, and only a handful of scared, clueless teenagers are there to witness it?
“Hey, answer me.” Joseph lowers the volume of his voice. As he follows me from behind, he grabs my wrist and stops me from walking away.
“Let me go, Joseph. This is not going to look good on you in court. There are witnesses.” I gesture at the few students waiting for their rides on the sidewalk at the bottom of the stairs. They’re not even looking at us.
“Who? These kids?” Joseph asks with a mean sneer.
“Yes. And their parents, who are picking them up.” Right on cue, a car rolls up to the sidewalk. I glare at Joseph. “Let me go.”
“Okay,” he says, throwing his hands in the air.
I rush down the stairs as soon as I break free. My eyes focus on my car. Just a few more steps away now.
“Wow, you’re so sensitive today,” Joseph says. He doesn’t follow me, but he speaks in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “PMS? Oh, no. A period’s really going to put a damper on your little gang bang, huh?”
I turn around to glower at him, gripping the handrail so I don’t fall flat on my face—that would make me look ridiculous.
But right now, I’m more concerned about my reputation. What if some impressionable kids or their judgmental parents hear Joseph’s “gang bang” reference? Ashbourne’s not the kind of town that would just let go of something like that.
“What’s wrong?” Joseph taunts me as he walks a few steps down, clearly glad to see I’ve taken his bait. “You’re going to cry? You’re just helpless without your gang of pretty boys, aren’t you?”
I’m used to Joseph being mean to me, and I know I should turn back around and keep walking, but somehow the “pretty boys” comment rubs me the wrong way.
“What’s wrong with being pretty?” I ask him before I can stop myself. My anger’s taken over to the point where I feel like I’m not the one saying things anymore—I’m just a conduit through which my fury flows, burning hot as lava. “Any one of the Hunter brothers has accomplished more than you have. And let’s face it, you’re not even close to having a pretty face.”
My heart hammers in my chest as I realize the enormity of what I’ve done and the potential backlash Joseph’s going to inflict on me.
Still, I continue to maintain eye contact with Joseph, resisting the urge to flinch.
Is he going to berate me, pelting me with wild accusations loud enough for everyone to hear?
Is he going to discreetly drag me away to a private place where he can say and do anything to me without anyone else knowing?
Joseph watches me, his face contorted by fury and his fists shaking by his side.
But something’s strange. He’s just staring at me, shooting daggers with his eyes without actually moving.
Why is he doing nothing? It makes me nervous.
“Ava.”
For the second time since I walked out the door, I jump from the shock. I’ve been too busy watching Joseph to notice someone approaching me from behind.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I realize who’s just called my name. It’s Ollie. And Noah’s with him.
“Are you okay?” Noah asks.
“Yeah.” I look up at Joseph, who’s grinning at us like the Cheshire cat.
“Hey, just the two of you today? Where are the others?” Joseph asks.
“Let’s go,” Ollie says as he takes my hand and takes me to Nathan’s SUV. Turns out the last car that pulled up at the sidewalk didn’t belong to a parent, after all.
“Smile, asshole,” Noah says from behind me. When I look over my shoulder, he’s taking a picture of Joseph with his phone camera. “Let’s see what the judge will say about you harassing Ava at her workplace.”
Joseph’s smile makes me feel uneasy. He doesn’t seem perturbed by Noah’s threat, even though he should be.
Surely, a judge would see a time-stamped picture of him at the school, see how unstable he is, and throw out the case . . . right?
“You’re walking funny . . .” Ollie says, sitting cross-legged on my bed.
His words stab me like an ice-cold spear. It’s not just Joseph who doesn’t like the way I walk. Maybe there is something wrong with it.
“Am I?” I ask, avoiding Ollie’s gaze as I put my bag on the desk in my room.
“Yeah. Do your feet hurt?”
Oh.
As a matter of fact . . . “Yeah. My shoes pinched and rubbed all day.”
“Hmm . . . Pinched and rubbed, huh?” Nathan says, suddenly appearing in the doorway. “Sounds like I came in here at the right time. What are we talking about?”
I blush as I feel Nathan’s hot gaze roaming all over my body, making it clear he wants me. “Oh, hey. Thanks for dinner, Nathan,” I say, trying to change the subject.
“Actually, I’m Noah,” he says.
I squint at him and study his features. The mischievous glint in his eyes. The slight, almost mocking curl of his lips. The speed of his speech.
“No,” I say confidently. “Nice try, Nathan.”
“Damn it. How do you know? Is it a lucky guess?”
“No.” I laugh. “You two just look like different people to me.”
“Not many people say that.” Nathan takes a seat on the bed as I take off my earrings at my desk, which doubles as a vanity table. Through the mirror on the wall, I see Nathan stretching out on the bed like a lazy cat.
He deserves a rest after the meal he’s prepared tonight. Apparently, while everybody else was working on Joseph’s lawsuit, Nathan went to buy groceries and then made a delicious spread for dinner with lobsters and steaks cooked to perfection.
“So what were we talking about? I want to hear more about this pinching and rubbing. Can I also see a demonstration?” Nathan asks, turning on his side to face me, propping his head up with an elbow on the bed.
“I’d rather not.” I grimace.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but we were just talking about her shoes,” Ollie says. “But Ava, how do you feel about a massage? Maybe that’ll help your feet.”
I look at Ollie and Nathan through the mirror, my gaze flicking between the two handsome, head-turning men.
We all know Ollie probably wants to give me more than a
foot massage. The hard bulge poking at my ass this morning was proof enough.
But then again . . . it’s not like I didn’t enjoy it . . . and it’s not like I don’t want to do it again . . .
It’s just that . . . we’re talking about five men here, and even though they’re five of the hottest men I’ve seen, it’s still intimidating.
But today, somehow, it’s getting hard for me to see them as “five men.” They’ve been more helpful than anyone else in my life.
Tony or Jessica can’t do anything to help me, and I already know how my parents would react if they knew about Joseph’s lawsuit. They’d just tell me to call him and somehow persuade him to drop it, although of course, he won’t do it just out of the goodness of his heart.
Ugh. What am I doing, thinking about my parents and my ex while I have two gorgeous men in my bed?
The mere thought of sharing my bed with two men seemed scary just days ago, but now, I see them as individuals.
It’s not me and “two men” right now. It’s me, Ollie, and Nathan.
I know them. I like them. And I don’t know how I got so lucky, but they seem to like me, too.
And I’m not talking about just Ollie and Nathan, but all of them—Liam, Mason, and Noah, too. The thought of being with all of them now seems less like a raunchy, porny gang bang, and more like a way for us to show our affection for one another.
“I’ll take you up on that offer, but let me change first.” I grab a T-shirt and a pair of shorts—nicer ones than I usually wear to bed when I’m home alone.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Ollie asks.
“Changing.” I slip into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.
“Hey, Ava, you can just change here,” Nathan shouts from behind the door.
They’re crazy. I can’t just strip right away. That would feel too weird, and I’d be too worried about them noticing the imperfections in my body—the places where there’s too much flab, the parts of my skin where the skin’s stretched so much there are permanent marks, and the bumps in my legs from ingrown hair.
Oh god.
I already agreed to the massage.