by Abby Blake
* * * *
Sophie tried really hard to shake off whatever strange longing had made her lust over yet another man way out of her league. Honestly, wasn’t it silly enough to be dreaming sexy dreams about Adrian without suddenly having the same attraction to his brother?
She was so glad to see Nessie come back in the door that she nearly hugged the woman.
“You’re looking a little flushed. Are you feeling okay, Sophie?”
“Ah…sure. Just busy. The wedding tomorrow…catering…”
She managed to flee back into the kitchen without babbling anymore incoherent sentences, but she could still feel the heat of embarrassment covering her entire upper body. This time of year the kitchen was cozy warm but right now it felt stiflingly hot. She kept going through the large area where she spent most of her day and stepped out the back door for a breath of air. Thankfully the breeze was crisp and cool, the almost midday sun giving the back lane a cleaner look.
“I thought you quit smoking,” a familiar voice said from behind her.
“I did,” she answered, annoyed as hell that Nessie let him into the back of the store without at least giving her a heads-up. It took a lot of effort to maintain her “deliriously happy without you” façade.
“Then why are you out here taking a smoke break?”
“Because I own the damn store and can do what I want, when I want.” She turned around to confront her ex. “Why are you here, Malcolm?”
“I just wanted to check in with you and make sure you’re okay.”
Such a simple sentence but it was enough to deflate her anger instantly.
“You don’t need to do that,” she said quietly. They may have had their differences but they’d never actually hated each other, yet the last thing she needed was another big brother type of personality looking out for her. Was she destined to be everyone’s kid sister?
“I want to do that,” Malcolm said just as seriously. “Sophie, I don’t stop caring about someone just because we can’t live under the same roof peacefully.”
She blinked, a little taken aback by his description of their marriage. They’d actually lived very peacefully under the same roof. It had been their future they’d argued about, not the present at the time.
“Do you still work at that club?” she asked, desperately trying to remind herself of all the reasons why she was no longer married to this man. They’d had a perfectly fine relationship until Malcolm had taken a security job at a fetish club. It was the ideas he came home with that ultimately destroyed their marriage.
She’d been twenty-two and planning a family. He’d been twenty-seven and planning to make her a sex slave. It didn’t matter what he called it—submissive was just another word for slave as far as she was concerned—there was no way she was going to let any man treat her like a child. Spanking her for “bad” behavior? Never going to happen. She was a grown woman with a mind of her own and could behave as badly as she wanted, if she wanted, when she wanted.
“Yes, I still work at Viper’s Dungeon.”
“Then it’s obvious that nothing has changed or will change, so dropping by to check on me every few weeks is a waste of time—yours and mine.”
“Sophie—” She cut off whatever he was going to say, desperate to have this conversation over with before she remembered all of the reasons she had married this man in the first place.
“Malcolm, don’t. Whatever you’re going to say, just don’t.” She rubbed her eyes tiredly as it finally dawned on her that neither of them had moved forward with their lives in a relationship sense. “How will I ever meet another man if I’ve got you hanging around scaring them all off?”
It was a horrible thing to say. By her own admission she hadn’t made time for a personal life in the past five years. She’d been hell-bent on building her little store into a success—very little had distracted her since then. The image of two very different brothers popped into her head proving that she had been sidetracked a time or two in the past few weeks. But perhaps that was just her mind’s way of reminding her that she had more dreams for her future than just being a successful businesswoman.
She’d picked a hell of a pair to moon over, but it certainly suggested she was ready to move on.
The pain in Malcolm’s eyes as he stared at her was almost enough for her to throw herself into his arms and beg his forgiveness. She knew she was being cruel—he was only being the man she’d loved by caring for her even now—but he had to move on, too.
He nodded once, his face solidifying into an expressionless mask. “I’m sorry to have caused a problem. I won’t bother you again.”
She almost ran after him, almost called him back, almost begged him to not go, but she held her tongue, managing to keep herself together until she heard the front door of the shop close behind him.
Only then did she slide down the wall—the one thing holding her upright—to plonk onto her bottom and let the tears fall. Five years after her divorce and suddenly she felt more lonely than ever.
* * * *
“Sophie, can you cover the counter for a minute, please?”
“Sure,” she said halfheartedly. She wasn’t very busy at the moment, but just the thought of having to smile and be friendly to people was annoying. She’d barely slept since her “final” discussion with Malcolm and it was beginning to show. Adrian had seemed more and more concerned the past three days, so she wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding it either.
At least the store was closed tomorrow. She usually spent Tuesdays frantically catching up on washing, ironing, and every other household chore that always slid during her work week, but tomorrow she intended to stay in bed the whole damn day.
Despite her wish to hide from everyone, she couldn’t expect Nessie to work without a break so she hurried into the front of the store, plastered a big fake smile on her lips, and tried to be professional.
“You look tired,” Alex said the moment she laid eyes on him.
“I’m fine,” she said, trying not to wince at the similarities between the brothers. They were so very different in appearance—Adrian almost always wore three-piece suits. Alex was usually in jeans and a T-shirt. Adrian wore his hair neatly trimmed. Alex grew his long and straight, a few unruly curls showing at the ends. But personality-wise they were very similar—observant, caring, protective. Of course, she wouldn’t know any of that if her devious employee would stop trying to play matchmaker with their customers. This was the third time in three days that Nessie had needed a break just as Alex walked into the store. “Your Monday usual?”
“Sure,” he said with a soft nod, “but maybe with one addition.”
“Oh?” she asked, continuing to make the sandwiches without looking up. When he didn’t say anything she finally turned her attention back to him and promptly got lost in his eyes. There was an intensity about both Adrian and Alex that she somehow seemed drawn to. Like a moth to a flame, something urged her toward both of them.
“Have dinner with me.”
It wasn’t actually a question, more like an order really, but the temptation to accept was nearly overwhelming. She put down the sharp knife, knowing without a doubt if she was ever going to slice a finger off while cutting a sandwich, today would be the day.
“Why?” she asked, and then cringed internally at the horribly revealing word. She needed to know what was on his mind because she really couldn’t cope with another big brother-type friendship at the moment.
Alex seemed amused by her reaction rather than insulted—thank heavens. “Because I like you, and I want to get to know you better. Isn’t that why people usually go on dates?”
“Date? You want to go on a date with me?” She barely resisted the urge to look behind her to see if there was a skinny supermodel standing there. Surely this was just another of her kooky dreams. This couldn’t really be happening.
“I’m assuming you eat dinner rather early. What time do you close the shop?”
“Three,”
she answered robotically, her voice and movements no longer under her control.
“Shall I pick you up from here, or would you rather go home first?”
“Home,” she said even though she was desperately screaming at herself to snap out of the near-catatonia and act naturally. She almost sagged with relief when Nessie handed him a piece of paper with her address written on it.
“Don’t keep her out too late,” Nessie scolded, almost as if Sophie wasn’t in the room. “She’s been working since two this morning and needs her beauty sleep.”
Alex reached over the counter and touched Sophie’s face, his thumb gently tracing the dark circle under her eye that she’d tried unsuccessfully to hide with makeup this morning.
“I’ll take care of her Ness,” he said while staring into Sophie’s eyes. “And I’ll make sure she gets to bed at a decent hour.”
“You better,” Nessie said with a wink, “or you’ll be answering to me.”
He laughed softly, apparently well aware of Nessie’s bossy personality. “Yes, Ma’am,” he said respectfully. Thankfully Nessie had taken over the sandwiches as well, so Sophie handed Alex the bags, quickly took his money, and sent the man on his way.
But an hour later his final words were still ringing in Sophie’s ears. “I’ll pick you up at four.”
Chapter Three
“You’re in a good mood,” Adrian said as Alex came into the office where he was working on the accounts for Viper’s Dungeon. His brother wore a wide smile.
“I have dinner plans,” he said with a wink as he headed over to the filing cabinet.
“Anyone I know?” Adrian asked. Alex had been so melancholy lately that it was good to see him finally looking forward to something. Adrian had been beginning to worry that taking on a club as large as Viper’s Dungeon had been a silly move for both of them. It wasn’t the day-to-day running of a business but rather the emotional drain of trying to protect and watch over so many subs. How on Earth Viper had managed to do it for eleven years was incomprehensible.
“I’m not sure if you know her. You know the bakery where we buy lunch most days?”
Adrian couldn’t hide his shock. “You asked Sophie out? And she said yes?”
Alex looked at him warily, obviously picking up on his annoyance.
“You know Sophie?”
“Where do you think I go every morning at 2:00 a.m.?”
“You’re fucking her?”
“No I’m not fucking her. I’m wooing her.” Okay, even in his own head that seemed like a stupid thing to say, but it was probably the most accurate description of what he was trying to do by getting to know her better.
“If she’s involved with you, then why did she say yes to me?”
Adrian dropped his head into his hand and rubbed his forehead tiredly. “Probably because she thinks I’m just being protective. She told me nearly a week ago that she didn’t need a ‘big brother’ looking out for her.”
“But you want more?”
“Of course I want more. She’s an amazing woman, but if she’s accepting dinner invitations from you, she mustn’t think very highly of me.”
Alex leaned against his desk, crossing his legs at the ankles in a casual pose. “She seemed stunned when I asked her out. Do you think maybe her self-confidence is a little low? I don’t know anything about her ex, but divorce usually batters a woman’s self-esteem. Maybe she just needs a reminder that she’s a beautiful woman.”
“That’s probably why she still wears the ring. That way if no one asks her out, it was because she chose not to be available.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever understand the way women think but I suppose it makes sense,” Alex said with a grin. “She probably even believes men want skinny stick figures like on the magazines.”
“That would be my guess,” Adrian said with a shake of his head. It was a truly strange world when women thought that narrow hips and boney legs were fashionable. Women weren’t meant to have the same shape as a man. They were meant to be different, softer, curvier. It was nature at its best and exactly what he and his brother preferred.
“So come to dinner with us,” Alex said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I asked her out because I’ve barely had a chance to get to know her—I still want to know her—but she should at least know that you’re interested, too.”
“And if she freaks out and runs from both of us?” Adrian asked as some of the more horrible possible outcomes unfolded in his mind.
Alex grinned wickedly.
“We’ve always enjoyed a good chase.”
* * * *
He was fifteen minutes early!
What type of man arrived fifteen minutes early for a date? She’d barely had time to shower, let alone fret over what to wear, do her hair, or try to track down some makeup. God, it had been nearly a decade since she’d had an actual date. Had the rules changed so dramatically?
Shit.
Sophie grabbed her robe, wrapped it around her still-damp body and prayed that her visitor was not an overeager date, but rather her elderly neighbor coming to borrow some sugar.
She almost had herself convinced that’s who it was when she opened the door with a distracted smile, so the reality was even more of a shock.
“Adrian! What the hell are you doing here?” Okay, deep breath, that wasn’t exactly polite. “Sorry, I mean, you startled me. I was expecting Alex.”
“I’m here, too,” Alex said as he followed Adrian into her apartment. She didn’t remember inviting either of them in the door, but she stepped back to give them room—lots of room. When had her foyer grown so tiny?
“Hello, beautiful,” Adrian said as he stepped closer, placed his hands on her waist, and pressed a long, sensual, what-her-dreams-were-made-of kiss to her lips. “We need to talk.”
“Oh,” she said as her brain short-circuited. It was completely fried when Alex stepped forward and did the same.
“I seriously like this robe by the way,” Adrian said as his brother finally let her come up for air. “Are you naked underneath?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just leaned over placed a finger against her chest and slid the fabric across. Good sense finally kicked in and she grabbed for the material, scrunching it together with her fingers, and giving him a furious look.
“Why are you both here?” she managed to ask, even as she shook violently enough to loosen her hold on the robe. There was no way she was admitting out loud that her shaking was from arousal, not fear. Good heavens, this encounter was just a little too close to her daydreams of late.
“We thought it might be best to talk before things went any further,” Alex said as he led her into her small apartment. He sat on the sofa and promptly pulled her onto his lap. She was so surprised by the move that she barely had sense enough to grab the hem of her robe before she answered their “naked underneath” question in a most embarrassing fashion.
Adrian sat beside them, close enough to touch her, but far enough away to see her eyes.
“We’ve been having breakfast each morning for weeks now, but you never mentioned meeting my brother.”
She gave him a wide-eyed look. “I wasn’t aware that I had to report to you.” Yes, it sounded pissed off, but her anger wasn’t entirely unwarranted. Adrian hadn’t given her one hint that he was interested in more than her coffee. Well, okay, in retrospect, he may have given a hint or three but she’d been certain she’d only imagined his interest.
“I’m sorry, beautiful, you’re right. It was just a surprise to realize you were dating my brother.”
“Technically we haven’t actually been on a date yet,” Alex said, his warm breath bathing her neck as he pressed soft kisses against her throat.
“I’m not dating anyone,” she said with an annoyed huff. If she could have climbed off Alex’s lap without flashing Adrian, she would have, but as it was she had no choice but to stay there and accept Alex’s delicious kisses and soft caresses. She managed to stifle a soft moan until Adrian leaned over
, trapped her against Alex, and kissed her again like he’d done in the foyer.
As she wriggled between them, her need growing, their caresses getting bolder, she tried desperately to talk some sense into herself. She wasn’t this type of person. She didn’t do casual sex or share erotic encounters with brothers. Well, not in real life anyway.
But the more Sophie tried to come up with arguments for why she shouldn’t do this, the more she was reminded of how long it had been. She’d gone through a few vibrators over the years, but she hadn’t had a real cock inside her for a very, very long time.
Would it really hurt to just enjoy the moment?
She’d just about thrown all caution to the wind when both brothers stopped kissing and caressing her. She wasn’t quite bold enough to take over the seduction so she waited breathlessly for whatever was going to happen next.
“We need to stop,” Adrian said quietly.
“Why?” It was a silly question, especially since she was still mentally listing all the reasons why they shouldn’t continue.
“Because we didn’t come here to seduce you.”
“Well, not yet at least,” Alex added wickedly, his fingers toying with the sash that held her robe closed.
“So why”—she had to swallow twice before she could finish the sentence—“did you come here?”
“To talk. To find out if you’d be interested in dating both of us.”
“Huh?”
“Sophie,” Adrian said, lifting one of her hands into his own, “we’re both attracted to you and want to get to know you better. Please say yes.”
She shook her head, not really in denial of their words but rather as an attempt to make her hearing work correctly. Surely having two gorgeous, successful men asking her out was wishful thinking. They couldn’t possibly have said what she thought they’d said.
“It’s okay to say no,” Alex said, cuddling her just a little closer. “You’ve known Adrian for weeks. We’ve only met a few times. I can take a step back.”