“Um…yes, it is.” She sidled away from him and tried not look as if she was retreating. The knowing smile that played across his lips made it obvious that she didn’t hide it well.
“Do you want to see your room or find Brent first?”
“I’d like to see my room first, I think. And honestly, I’d like to grab a snack. I had a little something in Denver but I was too nervous to eat a proper lunch.” She finally got around to observing the rest of the floor plan. A few doors led off into unknown areas of the building, but the thing that caught her eye was the spiral staircase that was partially hidden behind a large bookcase. She turned questioning eyes toward Jared. “Cool staircase—where does it lead?”
“That, my dear, goes to the den of debauchery, better known as the staff quarters.” He laughed. “You won’t get to see those rooms unless we become much friendlier in the next few days.”
He turned and walked toward the other side of the room, turning just in time to catch her watching his ass. A grin spread across his face before he pointed through one of the doorways. “Come on—I’ll give you the doorway tour and show you to your room.”
She scampered after him, trying in vain to look as if she’d meant to get caught staring at his behind, again. The perpetual blush she’d sprouted the first moment she met him must be glaringly obvious. She hoped that a quick shower and a mental talking-to would get her mind and body to cooperate. She couldn’t deal with five days of continual embarrassment.
* * * * *
Arin stood staring out of the window of her room. The bedroom looked as if it were straight out of a bed-and-breakfast magazine. A large queen-size bed dominated the space, covered in a crocheted coverlet in dusty blue. Elegant tables stood on either side of the bed, holding matching cut-glass lamps. A rag rug done in shades of blues and grays covered the wooden floor. An antique desk rounded out the downright homey feel. She was impressed and really surprised that someone like Jared could have created something so beautiful. Perhaps they’d contracted an interior designer or something. Or, just like her luck lately, maybe he was gay and only played the flirtatious rogue. The memory of his chest so close to her body, the slight brush of a large cock against her leg when she’d turned, skated through her mind. He wasn’t gay, or at least not fully if the erection she’d felt against her body was any indication. So the boys were either just really good at designing rooms suited for those of the female persuasion or they had gotten an interior decorator.
She was still a little disappointed that they hadn’t found Brent in the house, but from the note he’d left them in the kitchen, he was going to be back shortly. She was nervous to meet him but only in that giddy, girly way. She stifled the giggle that threatened to bubble up from her chest. She couldn’t remember feeling quite so silly in a long time. Now to relax a little before taking them both on. She burst out laughing. That was a Freudian slip if ever she’d heard one.
She turned and eyed the doorway leading to the private bath. That room was well worth every cent she was spending for the vacation. She’d expected a small bathroom with a shower and the normal amenities. What she’d walked into had completely stolen her breath. A sunken marble monstrosity of a tub filled a good portion of the room. Multiple water jets and a built-in stereo were tasty tidbits in the shower stall tucked into the far corner. His and hers sinks filled one wall. She could have easily lived in just the bathroom. The tub called to her, whispering promises of programmable jets and relaxation.
Her phone rang just as she turned to head into the bathroom. Chagrined that she’d forgotten to call Abby, she grabbed her phone and took a deep breath. “Hey, Abs. I totally forgot I was supposed to call you back.”
“No worries—were you playing tonsil hockey with the hotties?”
“What? No! Stop that. I was just getting ready to step into a bath in the largest tub I’ve ever seen.”
“With the hotties?”
“You are incorrigible. No, not with the hotties. I’m done with you. I’ll call tomorrow, or text. If you don’t hear from me by midnight feel free to call, but otherwise stop. God, it’s not like they’re going to fall for someone like me. I’m their client and nothing else.”
“Whatever, Arin. You can think what you want, but those hints and hot little notes sure sounded like they’d be open to a little something on the side.”
“Ugh, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” With a decisive click, she ended the call. Abby could be juvenile when it came to men. That was probably why she wasn’t in a steady relationship, but she was fun anyway. Arin set the phone on the dresser and stared at the bathroom door.
She couldn’t fight the pull any longer. She had about an hour before anyone expected her downstairs. That was plenty of time to adequately acquaint herself with the tub. She kicked off her shoes and pants as she walked across the room. She pulled off her shirt and bra, throwing them in the general direction of the bed. With a deep sigh of anticipation, she started the water flowing and stepped into the tub.
* * * * *
“Oh man. I think she might be the one. You aren’t going to believe how fucking sexy she is, and she just doesn’t know it. That picture she sent us was so not realistic. God, she’s cute as a button and she blushes all the time. I have such a hard-on right now.” Jared slid into a padded chair across the coffee table from Brent. He propped his boots up on the table and grinned at the scowl directed at him.
The black moment in the truck still tugged at his thoughts but he couldn’t get over the image of her blushing and stammering earlier. He hadn’t been around anyone quite so innocent in a long time. It was refreshing and gave him an ounce of hope that she’d be different from the others.
Brent’s grunt brought Jared back from his thoughts. Brent was the polar opposite of Jared—probably why they made such good friends. He was stuffy and immaculately dressed, tidy and organized. Jared was none of those things. He was the heart and soul of the pair. He was the messy, unorganized romantic. Brent was the planner and the brains of the operation.
“You’ve known her for, what, two hours? Already you’re in love? Damn, man, this was the fastest yet,” Brent sneered. He raised his eyes off the newspaper for a moment then shook it out, delving back into its pages.
“Shut your face. You’ll see—just wait. You’re gonna go ga-ga over her nerdy perfection.” Jared threw his head back against the chair and sighed. “I can’t wait to get her between us, man. She’s a little shy now, but I can feel the fire just under her skin. And the best part? She loves what we do. You should’ve seen her talking about her old man and the trips they used to take. She was almost vibrating with the joy of it all. I can’t wait to get her in a stream and watch her face as she hooks the first beast.” He groaned and closed his eyes. “I’m gettin’ hard just thinking about it.”
“You’ve got it bad.”
“I know. Just be nice when she comes down, okay? Don’t do the normal grumpy-puss that scares off all the females. Don’t you want to find someone? I mean, we’ve talked about kids and life beyond bachelorhood.” He slowly raised his head and found Brent staring. “Don’t you want that happiness for us?”
“Of course I do. We’ve talked this to death. But wishing for a girl and finding one are two different things. Just because you want to find a woman to stay doesn’t mean that the next one who shows up single is going to be her. You need to stop throwing your heart out there.”
“And you need to stop keeping yours caged. How is anyone supposed to fall in love with you if you’re grumpy and surly all the time?” Jared could feel his anger mounting. “I can’t do all the work, dude. If we’re going to find someone to love us enough to stay, you have to be willing to try too.”
“You don’t think I try? Really?” Brent sat up. “Who do you think puts you back together every fucking time you get your heart stomped on? I watch you fall for these girls I know are only out to get laid. But you do it anyway, time after time. What am I supposed to do? Fall for them too so we
can be bawling women after they leave?”
“No.” Jared hung his head. Brent was right. “No. I know you’re right. Look, I just really like Arin. I don’t want you scaring her away.”
“I’m not going to scare her away but I’m not going to go all goo-goo over her either. She’s just dumped her ex. That isn’t the type of situation we want to walk into, man. Not if you’re thinking forever with her. Now you want to just play, fine. I’m all for that.”
Jared fought the pull to agree. Yes, getting involved with someone who had just ended a long-term relationship was a bad idea. Arin was hurting. He’d seen it on their ride home. Home. His chest ached with the word. He wanted his life to have a home more than he wanted anything else. “I’m not looking just to get in her pants. I’m telling you, she might be the one for us to keep.”
“Jesus, Jared. Listen to yourself. You need a cold shower and a beer. Why don’t you figure out what we’re going to feed this perfect woman while you’re in the kitchen.”
“Fine. But mark my words, you’re going to fall for her just as fast as I have.” Jared stood and stalked toward the kitchen. He hated it when their conversations were so heavy. To lighten the tension between them, he did the only thing that promised to fix it. He turned and quickly threw his parting smartass remark over his shoulder. “I get dibs on the first dip.”
He walked into the kitchen and barely heard the reply but heard enough to laugh. “Fucker.”
Chapter Four
Arin stood in front of her suitcases and tried to decide what outfit she could cobble together that was casual enough to look as if she hadn’t tried but nice enough that she’d feel good about it. When she’d packed she hadn’t been thinking about dressing for anyone. She’d packed items that would be useful on the trip—warm, easily dried, didn’t hold wrinkles. Now she stared at the odd collection of garments and sighed in resignation. Nothing she’d brought would wow anyone, especially a man like Jared. Not that she wanted to wow him. Yeah right.
With as much gumption as she could muster, she donned a knitted sweater in a beautiful mint green and a clean pair of jeans. They would just have to see her in the normal garb she wore day in and day out. She swiped on a quick coat of lip gloss and decided that was all the preparing she’d do. Screw it. She wasn’t here to impress anyone. She was paying them to give her a great vacation. If she wanted to attend dinner in a sweatsuit, it was her right.
She opened the door and wandered down the hallway to the stairs. She could smell the scent of grilled steak wafting from the kitchen. Her stomach growled in acknowledgement. She hadn’t gotten a snack and was famished. The need for food put a little giddyup in her step and she bounced down the stairs. She slowed when she got to the doorway to the kitchen, anxiety slowing her steps.
“Hey, beautiful. You hungry?” Jared peeked over the top of the stainless steel island and grinned at her. His shoulder propped the refrigerator door open. “Dinner will be ready in just a sec. I was just grabbing the stuff for salads. Want to take it to the table?”
She hesitated for a moment before nodding and heading farther into the kitchen. She took the dressing bottle and cheese from Jared and turned to head into the dining room. She didn’t make it more than a step before slamming into a broad chest and bouncing off just as fast, dropping the goods. Warm hands wrapped around her upper arms to keep her from falling and pulled her back against hard pecs.
“Well hello, darlin’,” rumbled a very male voice against her cheek. Arin gulped down the unladylike squeal that threatened to erupt and glanced up into the most gorgeous dark-brown eyes she had ever seen. Her mind blanked for a moment.
Jared saved her from dissolving into a puddle of girly goo by clearing his throat. With a grin, he took care of the introductions. “Arin Walters, this is Brent Pritchard. He’s the other half of the daring duo you’ve hired for the next few days.”
She tried to pull her gaze from Brent’s. Tried to pull away from him, but his hands were still resting lightly on her arms, circling them so that she couldn’t step back without seeming rude. His eyes were like dark chocolate, deep and warm. Something shimmered in their depths but it was covered quickly by a wink and a grin. Holy freaking cow, the slight tilt of his lips warmed her lower body. She was so dead if those upturned lips were aimed at her with any actual intent, but it would be a happy death.
“Um, hi.” She tried to get her arms out of his grasp enough to shake hands. A few wiggles seemed to cause him to tighten his grip, but he finally dropped his hands from her arms and engulfed her offered hand in his. Rough, calloused fingers caressed the back of her hand as he slowly shook it. Heat radiated from his skin, warming her blood. She pulled back as quickly as she could and tucked her hands under her arms to keep them from touching him of their own volition.
He was dressed in a dark-gray button-down tucked into a pair of blue jeans. His clothes were dressy but looked casual on him and hung on his body as if they were meant for him alone. His brown hair was disheveled, she guessed from having his hands pushed through it. It looked unruly and as sexy as hell. It was his eyes that so captivated her though. So dark that they were nearly black, like melted chocolate, ready to be licked off her fingers. Deep pools she could easily fall into given half a chance.
“Mmm, hi.” His gravelly voice was just a shade above a whisper and those two words were filled with all kinds of promises. They were the sexiest, most carnal things she’d ever heard. The hairs on her arms rose and she was forced to clamp her lips on an honest-to-goodness moan. “How you doin’, darlin’? It’s nice to finally meet you. You look as beautiful as I thought you would.”
His gaze scorched her as it coursed down her frame. A blush crept into her cheeks and she almost rolled her eyes at her reaction. She would have if she hadn’t been trying to press her legs together to stop the throbbing ache in her girly parts. She shook her head and felt slightly better after an influx of frustration cleaned out the lust in her blood. Wow, and she’d thought Jared was dangerous.
“Look, I get it that you guys are flirting and all, but honestly I’m not going to be able to eat if you keep making me embarrassed and self-conscious. So just for now, can we be three normal people sitting down for dinner?” She glanced between the two men and was relieved when each of them gave her a conspiratorial smile. “Please?”
“Sure, Arin, seeing you asked so nicely. No flirting until after dinner. Deal?” Jared’s smile would have slain a much stronger woman. Her knees went weak and trembly. She turned away before they gave out completely. Being embarrassed by ogling a fine ass was one thing—being embarrassed because she fell over her own feet was another.
“Fine. Deal,” she answered hurriedly. She bent down to retrieve the items she’d dropped. “Now can I get the salad stuff to the table before I drop it all on the floor?”
Brent moved aside just enough for her to squeak by. She was still forced to rub across his chest with her arm. Okay, if she admitted it to herself, she hadn’t been forced, but the opportunity had presented itself and she’d taken it.
If she made it out of this vacation without bedding both of them, she would be surprised. A flash of something so sensual, so forbidden crossed her mind. An image of them lying together in a heap of tangled limbs, coated in a sheen of sweat, in front of a roaring fire, burned behind her eyes. To have them both touching her at once would be beyond anything she had ever experienced. She felt moisture flood her panties and she swallowed another moan. God help her, she was turning into some sort of wanton slut and really liked herself for it.
* * * * *
Brent couldn’t help but raise a brow at Jared. He watched a smile spread across his friend’s face just before Jared mouthed, “I told you.”
Brent grunted his understanding and turned to watch the curvy female walk to the table. It took every ounce of control to keep from following her and pulling that luscious body against his. Just a couple of moments and a slight brush of her body against his had his cock hard and a
ching for a taste of her. She was soft and warm, a perfect fit between him and Jared. The feature that grabbed him by the balls was her beautiful eyes. Gold flecks sparkled in hazel depths, all hidden behind functional glasses. Her eyes were like an open book, showing both her trepidation and excitement about this experience.
“What else do we need on the table?” Brent grunted. He needed to stop staring at her round ass or his control would break and she’d find herself on her back, sprawled across the dinner table. He took a deep breath and turned to find Jared laughing silently at him.
“Nothing, really. Why don’t you go sit and chat with her while I bring the steaks in?” Jared nodded toward the dining table and grinned at Brent. He leaned forward to whisper to the other man, “I want cuddle time on the couch tonight, so you’d better go make her feel comfortable and behave yourself.”
Brent watched his friend walk out the patio door and grimaced. He wasn’t one for small talk. That was Jared’s job. Brent was more the “sit back and watch” kind of guy. How to make her comfortable? Well, wasn’t that the question? He wandered into the dining room feeling slightly anxious and drew a blank on what to do to get a conversation rolling.
“So what were you working on earlier? Something fun?” Arin’s voice startled him into glancing up. She had perched on one of the chairs and was watching him with a mixture of amusement and wariness.
“I’m designing a new website for the Fish and Wildlife Board of South Dakota. I’m not sure I’d say that’s fun though.” His mind stalled. To cover up his discomfort, he strode to the table and opened the bottle of Reisling Jared must have put on the table. He busied himself pouring three glasses before turning to her. Conversation, idiot—start a conversation. “What are you working on?”
“Um, well, I’ve been taking smaller jobs the last couple of weeks to free up time for this vacation. I designed a few really cool logos for a clothing line out of New York.” She took the offered glass, tipped it to her lips for a sip and grinned. She chewed on her lower lip as she thought and it made him want to nibble on the flesh as well.
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