“Wow. You’re really serious about this.”
“I wouldn’t have said it if I weren’t.” There’s nothing wishy-washy about Ethan Isaac Akuna.
“In that case, I’m definitely looking forward to it,” I cheer. I can’t believe I just agreed to vacation with the two sexy men I can’t seem to get enough of. I never even went on a weekend getaway with any of the guys I’ve dated in the past.
“It’s settled. We should make sure to plan things soon since this exchange program with the gallery owner’s daughter comes to an end in autumn.”
I knew there would be an end date to all of this and until meeting Ethan and Xander I didn’t mind. Now I dread leaving them behind. “Yes. Samantha is supposed to come back in a few months, but Ashley mentioned she might consider extending her stay, which would mean that I’d be here longer. Hooray,” I cheer. “It seems that when it comes to Samantha, it’s a day-by-day thing. Ashley said she’s a bit unpredictable.”
“Indeed, she is. You’re twenty-four, right?”
“I am.” I nod.
“Samantha is thirty-one, but you’d never know. She’s the quintessential daddy’s girl. I doubt Leighton Walcott has ever said no to that girl and from what I know of Mrs. Walcott, I’m sure she’s as lenient when it comes to disciplining her child. Samantha is a gorgeous and striking woman when you first meet her, but it doesn’t take long to realize she’s somewhat of a brat. She doesn’t hide the fact that her job is a pastime and not something she’s passionate about—or even interested in. I guess since she doesn’t have to work for a living, she can afford to have that kind of sour attitude.” Wow, Ethan’s words aren’t very flattering. “You excel far more at the position Samantha once held. In fact, you shine at it.” Ethan smiles at me.
Okay, I didn’t see that coming. “Thanks for the compliment.” I smile back. Piper, Gemma and even Benjamin have also dropped hints as to how difficult Samantha is. Well, in Benjamin’s case he flat-out called her a whiny bitch when he had a few too many to drink during our weekly Friday night hangout at a nearby pub. I tend to listen and not say much since I really don’t know the woman and thanks to her I’m here. “Do you rent your house in Ghana to tourists when you’re not there?” I bring back the subject to safer grounds.
“God, no. That’s my sanctuary. No one sets foot there unless I personally invite them. My uncles and cousins take care of the property on my behalf. I pay them—of course—and it all stays in the family.”
My eyes shift to Xander’s smiling face. “What about you? Are your parents also from Africa?”
“No, they’re not. Both my parents are British.”
“Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that just because you’re black, you’re automatically from Africa. Being American, I should know better.” I bite my lower lip, conscious of my faux pas.
Xander laughs at my awkwardness. “Sweetheart, it’s okay.” He reaches out and puts his hand on mine before squeezing tight. “You didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just a question.”
“Thanks for easing my mind. I would’ve hated to put my foot in my mouth.” I’m so relieved I haven’t offended him.
“Don’t worry about it. You didn’t. Not to mention there are other things that would fit much better in your mouth.”
“You had to go there?” Ethan is all over his best friend. “Really?”
“She’s the one who opened the door,” Xander says. The choirboy-like smile stretching across his face betrays him.
“Aren’t you the one who was harping about sharing a personal moment? You just couldn’t help yourself. You have to turn it into something raunchy.” Ethan is almost indignant.
“Of course I could help myself. I just chose to remind Delilah how well my cock fits into her mouth. That’s it. It’s not as if I got up, unzipped my jeans, dropped them to my ankles, grabbed my cock in my hand and demanded she gets on her knees while you fuck her from behind.”
Shit. The imagery instantly makes me wet. My nipples pucker against my bra and it takes all my will not to groan.
Ethan rolls his eyes hard. Xander flashes him a cocky grin before focuses his attention on me again. “Are you okay there, darling? You seem a little flustered. Perhaps I can help with that?”
“Good Lord. You have the dirtiest mouth.”
“And you like my filthy mouth… especially when it’s on you. Don’t you, sweetheart?” Xander doesn’t give me a chance to respond. He keeps talking like he hasn’t just dropped a saucy bomb in the room. Thank God because there’s no denying how I get off on his raunchy talk and I love what he does with his mouth. “To answer your question, I was also born in London. My family’s story isn’t nearly as colorful as Ethan’s—”
“We can’t all come straight out of Africa.”
“No, we can’t.” Xander purses his lips. “I guess the first wave of “immigrants” on my father’s side did that voyage four hundred-plus years ago. Oh, the joys of slavery.” Ouch.
“Smartass,” Ethan quips.
“Not at all. Just a gentle historical reminder.”
“Whatever.” Ethan rolls his eyes again. I’m a little worried for a second that things are about to take a turn for the worst because slavery is no laughing matter, but when my two guys smile at each other, I realize it’s just part of the play-fight routine that characterizes their relationship.
“As I was saying before Ethan insisted on interrupting me to remind us of his African roots—”
“You had me a bit freaked out there.”
“Don’t worry, love. It’s nothing to be alarmed about—just some cocking remarks on Xander’s part,” Ethan winks.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, mate,” Xander sneers. “Going back to my story—”
“Please,” I encourage.
“My paternal grandparents immigrated from Barbados a long time ago. Just like Ethan’s parents they were married a short time when they made the decision to leave. My dad, uncles and aunts were all born here.”
“Did your grandparents go back?”
“It didn’t take long after arriving in London for them to start a family. With four kids to feed and a stay-at-home wife, vacations abroad were a luxury my grandpa couldn’t afford. Dad always said that as a kid, unless his parents could drive there, they weren’t going to go. To celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, my dad and his siblings pooled their money together and paid for a trip for my grandparents to Barbados. By that time, my grandpa had accumulated eight weeks of paid vacation. Since my grandma didn’t work, they packed their bags and they went back home. They never stopped talking about that trip. My dad, uncles and my aunt have visited Barbados, but since they never grew up there, it’s not the same connection that Ethan’s parents have with Ghana. As proud as Dad is of his Barbadian roots, he would have much preferred a house in Spain because it would still allow him to keep tabs on his favorite football team and fly back for big games.” Xander laughs.
“I see,” I say, nodding. “Sorry, I interrupted you.”
“Not at all, sweetheart. I like the fact that you want to know more about me.” Xander squeezes my hand again. I blush under his warm gaze. “It was a very difficult decision for my grandparents to leave their tropical island, but work was so scarce, they couldn’t see any other way out. Back then, tourism wasn’t the hot commodity it is today. My grandfather, Owen, was a car fanatic. In his view, being a mechanic was a sure way to allow him to play around with some of the luxury automobiles he felt he’d never be able to own. Soon after arriving, he applied at Ford of Britain and was accepted. He worked there his entire life until he retired. After three months at home doing nothing, he begged the company to take him back even if it meant working without wages. Luckily, his former boss was more than willing to have him back given his skills, passion and dedication. He worked an extra five years before retiring for good. My dad, Kenneth, never had aspirations for higher education so he followed in my grandfather’s footsteps and became a skilled mechanic.�
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“That’s fascinating that he’d walk in his father’s footsteps,” I marvel. “I guess it wasn’t that uncommon back then.”
“No, it wasn’t. That said, it was never a consideration for me that I’d become a mechanic. Not to mention that 4Ever changed the course of my life,” he smiles.
“No kidding. I giggle. “Sorry, there I go veering the conversation again. Where is your mom from?”
“Mum is from Leeds in West Yorkshire. She moved to London at eighteen to study to become a stenographer. She comes from a big family and she thought a job in the judicial system as a court reporter would mean guaranteed work and extra money she could send back home. Back in those days, it was one of the best-paid professions for a woman. She enrolled at a private school and started studying, but she never finished her degree. She couldn’t deal with the reality of having to listen and transcribe some of the most gruesome and horrific crimes imaginable.”
“God, I can understand. I’d never be able to do that job and still be able to sleep at night. The things they must hear…” I shake my head, freaked out by the perspective.
“I’m a guy and I love my action movies, but it’s make-believe. I wouldn’t want to hear the play-by-play of a real murder. I agree with you, Delilah, it would haunt me forever,” Ethan says.
“That’s exactly how Mum felt. On top of that, the cost of the studies was quite high and her low wage as a part-time waitress wasn’t cutting it. Once she quit school, she had more time on her hands and since she desperately needed money, she applied at a budget hotel near Victoria Tube station. She was hired on the spot. In fact, she was one of the first employees at the Plum Court Hotel. To this day, Mum is still very proud of that fact.”
“Does she still work there?” I ask.
Xander shakes his head. “After greeting guests for over two decades at the Plum, as she calls it, Mum now works at the prestigious Corinthia Hotel. Not only did she get a huge salary increase when she changed jobs, but she also went up in rank. She left the Plum as a lowly concierge to become the supervisor of concierge services at her new place of work. She’s been there for the past seven years.”
“Wow. Being a concierge can’t be an easy job. Travelers can be really cranky,” I observe.
“You’re right. I know I’ve been less than courteous once or twice when my patience is tested. Mum doesn’t let irritable travelers get to her. In fact, she has this way of turning even the sourest ones into the happiest customers. Other than the time she took off for maternity leave, Mum shows up for work without fail with a huge smile on her face. She calls in sick only when she really can’t get out of bed or when she has a cold.”
“She must really love what she does.”
Xander laughs. “She does. It’s incredible how much she invests herself in that job. The same goes for Dad. He’s too passionate about cars to ever retire. With all the money I made when we were pop stars, I offered to buy them a new house, but they refused and they wouldn’t hear about quitting their jobs when I hinted. The way they reacted made me feel like I had said something to insult them. It’s just the way they’re wired. Their job is more than just an occupation. It defines them in many ways.”
Ethan nods. “It’s the same for my parents,” Ethan agrees. “Mum is a clerk at a forensic accounting firm. She’s been there forever. She’s always been really gifted with number-crunching, but she never had the courage or confidence to pursue things further—even with the encouragement of my dad and many of her former bosses. She relishes complicated problems and she gets a thrill from finding the solution that cracks the code. I also offered to buy my parents a brand-new house. They turned me down. The only reason why they didn’t fight me on the house in Ghana is because they love the idea of having a place to retire under the sun. That and the fact that I told them about it only after the house was built and fully furnished.” Ethan laughs. “I also think the reason my parents refused the new London house is because they’d be lost if they were to wake up one day and didn’t have Xander’s parents as neighbors.”
“That’s partially true. Don’t forget that even with the promise of buying them neighboring houses, our parents are dead set on remaining in those tiny split-level houses they bought years ago.” Xander chuckles. “It’s a pride thing.”
“Why do you say that, Xander?” I ask, intrigued.
“Our parents saved for a very long time before being able to afford the deposit for the house—I suspect it’s the same for your parents.” I nod. “And here we show up ready to buy them a new luxury house in an upper-crust neighborhood. To top it off, we told them we intended on paying for the houses cash to lighten their monthly financial burdens. They wouldn’t hear of it. It was simply inconceivable to them to allow us to treat them to such opulence,” Xander says.
“He’s right,” Ethan agrees. “I had to nearly arm-wrestle Dad to buy him new kitchen appliances and pay for the renovations to the aging house. His philosophy is that only weak men mooch off of their kids. Not him. ‘An African man would sooner lose his balls than stoop that low.’” Ethan says the last part with an accent. What was that all about?
Xander explodes in laughter. “Mate, you kill me when you do that. The worst part is that you mimic your father so well.”
“I’ve had to listen to my fair share of lectures from him. He has this voice he adopts that’s so solemn when he needs to bring the whole ‘holier-than-thou African man’ concept to the table.” It’s now Ethan’s turn to laugh.
“At least our dads accept the new cars we buy them when the old ones die,” Xander says.
“Yeah, only because we agreed we’d never get them a luxury vehicle and it would always be a used car.” Ethan chuckles.
“Seriously?” I ask, surprised.
“Yup. Back to that pride thing,” Xander says. “Our parents never wanted our success to change who they were and they didn’t want us to think they needed all of the material stuff for them to be proud of us.”
“They imposed some conditions the second big money started rolling in. I was annoyed at first by so many restrictions on what we could and couldn’t buy them, but along the years, I’ve come to appreciate them so much for never wanting to take advantage of us like so many celebrities’ parents.”
“I agree with Ethan. Our parents have unbendable morals when it comes to that sort of thing. I think that’s what influenced us in being a lot more careful with our money, ditching the McMansions in favor of these houses that are still luxury homes by London’s standards, but not stupidly over the top.” Xander opens his arms wide to make his point. “Our parents are also responsible for us giving our entourage their marching papers and selling the NASCAR über-expensive rides we used to own.”
“I remember my father laughing at me when I rolled in his driveway in my brand-new Lamborghini, which cost the equivalent of two hundred thousand dollars at the time.” Ethan laughs. “I thought as a mechanic, he’d be impressed. He told me I can get the same horsepower from a Benz or Audi—considering I’ll never be able to drive the car to the max unless I want to be thrown in jail for reckless driving and speeding—without the ridiculous price tag associated with repairs and filling the tank of that monster ride.”
“I got the same lecture from my dad.” Xander chuckles. “In the end they never allowed us to fall for the illusion that the money we made would last forever if we use it up like Kleenex.”
“Thanks to them we still have money and we’ve moved onto careers we love,” Ethan concludes.
“With six kids, my parents were also very careful with money. We never went without, but Momma can stretch a dollar like no one else I know. That woman is a master at finding coupons and if there’s a sale somewhere—anywhere—Momma’s the first one in line. To this day, Daddy refuses to buy a new car—he says it’s a waste of good money. My brothers followed in his footsteps as well. Just like your fathers, my daddy loves his job. He keeps saying we’ll have to bury him with his iPad Pro still in his
hands and he’s already requested we put his iMac in his coffin.” I giggle. “In other words, he has no intention of retiring. He said he’d die of boredom. Since Momma never had a career outside the home, I think she loses herself in charity work because it gives her life some meaning. She’s really good at it and she lights up when she talks about the events she’s working on. Our parents may live on opposite sides of the pond, but it sounds like they all have the same types of small-town values.” Xander and Ethan nod in agreement. We sit there in silence with us grinning at each other. The sex is an out-of-body experience with these two, but getting to know more about where they come from makes me feel that much closer to them.
“I’m all for hot and heavy… especially when it comes to our sexy little Delilah…” Xander lets his words trail off. When he flashes me a cocky look, I instantly blush.
“Here we go again.” Ethan rolls his eyes.
“Don’t you dare judge before you even know what I’m about to say,” Xander scoffs.
“All right, let’s hear it.” Ethan crosses his arms over his wide chest and slumps down against his seat. He definitely doesn’t look impressed.
“As much as I hate to admit it, Ethan was right—”
Everything about Ethan’s demeanor changes. “This is an epic moment if you’re about to agree with me. God knows it took you forever to see the light,” Ethan mocks.
“Oh, get off of it, will you?” I giggle inwardly. They’re at it again. “Just because I agree with you this one time doesn’t make you a Zen master,” Xander quips.
“I beg to differ.” Ethan’s answer is quick.
“Boys, behave,” I scold in a feigned motherly tone with an exaggerated Southern accent.
Ethan and Xander whip their heads towards me. It’s clear from their bewildered look that my comment surprises them. For a few short seconds neither of them says anything until they both start laughing at the same time. It doesn’t take me long for me to join them.
When Xander catches his breath, he speaks again. “Taking things slow tonight allowed me to get to know a lot more about you, Delilah.” Wow, I can’t believe he feels the same way I do. “Not that I needed another reason to like you anymore because I’m already crazy about you, but I think that a night like tonight—where we open up about so many personal things—just solidifies the bond between the three of us even more.”
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