Dazzled and Dazed

by Harley McRide

  “No, we don’t. We like you just the way you are,” Jet said softly.

  I shook my head. “No, you don’t, because you don’t know the way I am. You only know the drunk Brit, and I am not always the drunk Brit, I am also the pain in the ass Brit as well. I am here to tell you, there is no fucking way you guys will ever be able to—”

  Sean leaned in. “Tame you?”

  I grinned and put my finger on my nose and pointed to him. “Exactly, there is no way you can tame me. I would drive you guys nuts.”

  Jet shook his head. “Nope, you won’t.”

  I frowned, and then shook my head. “See, that is where you are wrong and do not know me.”

  The waitress came and smiled. “Are you ready to order?”

  I smiled back and said, “Yes.” And I saw both men shake their heads out of the corner of my eyes. “For appetizers, can we get an order of crab cakes and shrimp cocktail, then for my meal I would like the Steak and Crab. Steak medium rare, a side salad with ranch dressing, and a loaded baked potato.”

  I saw the guys look at each other and I ignored them. See, they didn’t know me. When I eat, I fucking eat! After the waitress took their order and left, Sean and Jet leaned back into me, and I sighed.

  “Okay, since you insist on this discussion,” I said and sat back against the chair.

  “There is no discussion, you can say what the fuck you want to say, but, baby, we know you want us, and we definitely want you,” Sean said softly, and I began to shake my head when Jet continued.

  “There has been something between us since we met, there is no denying it. Far as I can see, it was a matter of time until we got together. Now it may not have been the traditional courtship, but fuck we are not normal. In Atlantic City that was real. Everything we felt was real.”

  “We were drunk.” I laughed, and Sean leaned closer.

  “Our inhibitions were taken away. That’s all,” Sean said.

  “Come on, it was a one night thing.” I laughed but even it sounded forced. Shit, they were right, but still, I couldn’t trust them.

  “Baby, what are you afraid of?” Jet asked, and I froze. Were they mind readers? What the fuck, that was so not cool.

  “Not one damn thing,” I snapped, then Sean grinned and shook his head.

  Sean leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Brit, it is choking you.”

  I closed my eyes and shook my head. “No, it really isn’t. I just don’t think I am cut out for whatever it is you want. In fact, I have no idea what the hell you want from me. And I don’t want to either. I am happy in my little world, only worrying about myself, not you and your needs.”

  “Do you know what we want?” Jet asked, and I glared at him.

  “Yeah, sex. And if I am to believe you, we had it. So, shouldn’t you be moving on?” I said and shook my napkin out and placed it on my lap.

  “No, baby, we want the whole thing. And if you’re going to continue acting like you don’t remember the night you spent between us. We might just have to give you a play-by-play of that night right here in the middle of the restaurant,” Jet said, and the napkin on my lap slid to the floor when his hand ran over my knee and up my thigh.

  “The patrons might even get some sound effects with the show,” Sean whispered, and his hand moved up my other thigh.

  My nipples hardened and pressed against the lace of my bra, and if that wasn’t a big enough sign my body was a traitor, the dampness in my panties was a dead giveaway. If I didn’t get this dinner back on track, and their hands off me, there was a good chance of a pre-dinner orgasm.

  I smacked both their hands away, then bent enough to grab the napkin off the floor, which was a feat in itself with how close the men were to me. Both of their chuckles didn’t help either. They knew the effect they were having on my body.

  I placed the napkin on my lap, again, then looked up at the ceiling and said, “Can we please stop this? I mean, I get you and Jet are trying to find the right girl for you guys, but it is not me. I can’t do it,” I said, and then Jet leaned close and kissed one side of my neck while Sean kissed the other. I snapped my head down and glared at them. “I am serious.”

  Thank God, the waitress appeared with our salads and bread. Yep, eating was going to be a good distraction. I was eating, then going home to crawl into bed alone and read a Magenta O’Reilly book. That was going to be my life now because there was no fucking way I was ever going to have a relationship like my parents. I couldn’t take it, no way no how.

  “How is your business doing?” Sean asked and took a bite of his salad. I looked at him, and my eyes narrowed trying to figure out what the hell he was trying to get at with that question. Did he not think I could make a go of my business? Did he think I was a blonde bimbo? Finally, after staring at him for a minute, I was surprised to see the look in his eyes was actual interest. I turned and looked at Jet, he was waiting for me to answer as well. I put down my fork.

  “See, just when I think you are assholes you go and do something that throws me off. This is what I’m talking about, I’m not good at these games. I don’t like to share things with people who just want to get into my pants. I mean, you’re not going to care once you take me to bed,” I said and stabbed my salad with my fork.

  “Whoa there,” Sean said, looking at me. “What did the lettuce do to you?”

  “Stop being cute, and sweet, and sexy, all of it, just stop!” I snapped and shoved the salad in my mouth and chewed in frustration.

  Jet set down his fork and pushed his salad to the side, and then leaned forward and said, “Wanna tell us why you are being a bitch?”

  I glared at him. “‘Cause I am a bitch! DUH! I told you, you don’t know me.”

  Sean shook his head. “We do.”

  “No, you fucking do not!” I hissed.

  Jet said, “We know every single Monday you go to Black Fox Coffee without fail and get a Carmel Latte and a blueberry scone.”

  Sean said, “And we know when you wear your spikey high heeled shoes you have a client coming in that is important to you. If they aren’t, you wear Doc Martens.”

  My head was swimming, and they didn’t stop, even though I seriously wanted them to. “When you get upset you play AC/DC in your office full blast,” Jet said, then Sean started again.

  “Your favorite lunch is from the Vietnamese delivery down the street from the gym.” Back and forth they continued.

  “Also, you think everyone is only out for one thing from you. I have no fucking clue why you would ever think that, but you do. I would guess it’s because your father’s a dick and your mom’s not much better. But hear this, you are not your mom, and we are not your dad. We are not in this for a fuck. We’ve had that. We are in this for the long haul. So stop killing your salad and settle down, this is happening. Get used to it,” Jet said, and I sighed and slumped down, damn them all to hell.

  I was silent through my salad, through eating the bread, and then through eating my crab legs, my steak, and my potato. Although I could feel the guys’ eyes on me a few times, I refused to look. I was in my head, and it was a safe place to be right then.

  It wasn’t until Sean laughed loudly when I grabbed the dessert menu that I looked up and said, “What?”

  “Okay, baby, this is one thing we didn’t know about you but makes you completely adorable. I have to tell you when you ordered, I thought you were fucking just prolonging dinner by ordering a huge meal. I know Jet did too. We were giving you that, figured somewhere in there you would settle. But damn, you ate all that food and still want dessert?”

  I frowned and said, “I don’t mess with food, ever. I mean, I will use a dumb ass excuse, or maybe a little fib to get out of things, but never, ever food.”

  “I am getting that,” Sean laughed.

  I rolled my eyes and looked at Jet who was grinning at me shaking his head. “You have something to say?”

  Jet leaned in, wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me forward and
gently touched his lips to mine. “Happy to see you’re stocking up, tonight you are gonna need your strength.”

  I closed my eyes. Certainly, I wasn’t giving up that easily, but my insides clenched at his words. During dinner, I had made up my mind. Only because Angelique’s words kept creeping in. How would I know if it would work or not when I kept running? I was going to give this a shot, my one and only. If it didn’t work, well, then I would know I was destined to be a cat lady, and I was so gonna embrace that shit.

  I leaned back and crossed my arms, wondering where the nearest animal protection shelter was. I needed to start now getting cats. When my dessert came, I had already made the decision to call my first cat Sheldon, by the end, I named my next cat Chocolate because that was the only thing that soothed my frayed nerves. The bastards never even broke a sweat while they were teasing me. Fuckers. I was sweating my ass off and yet nothing from them.

  Chapter Eleven

  Brit

  I smiled at Sean and Jet as I got out of the truck. “Well,” I said cheerfully. “Night!”

  “Excuse me?” Sean said laughing.

  “Night! I will see you tomorrow. Oh, I had a great time and can’t wait…” I said.

  “We are not done,” Jet said slowly, and I tilted my head.

  “I thought this was not about sex.”

  Sean sighed, “It isn’t, but it is also not sex. Dammit, I thought we got your head on straight.”

  I glared and said, “Um, I told you that I was high maintenance.”

  Jet sighed, and then walked right to where I was standing, he bent down low, stuck his shoulder in my stomach, and wrapped an arm around my legs and lifted me up. That’s right, lifted my ass up and over his shoulder and without a word of explanation he walked to the brownstone they were staying in. He walked up the stairs, waited while Sean opened the door, and then walked right into the house.

  When we were in the living room, I expected him to put me down, he didn’t. “Excuse me, a small peck on the lips, maybe a little tongue is as far as I go on a first date.”

  Sean snorted, “Baby, you have had more than my tongue in your mouth.”

  “I can’t believe you said that,” I yelled and pushed against Jet’s back and glared at Sean. “That was rude.”

  “Maybe rude,” Sean said as Jet started up the stairs and he grinned at her. “But it is the truth.”

  “Where in the hell are you taking me?” I yelled.

  I felt Jet slap my ass, and he said, “Quiet.”

  “What?” I screeched.

  “Quiet,” Jet said firmly, and he got to the top of the stairs, and then went into a large bedroom, which was the master since this house had the same layout. When he reached the bed, he bent and threw me on the bed.

  “Weeeeee,” I yelled as I bounced twice, and then rolled to my side giggling. “What the hell was that?”

  Jet glared at me. “No more fucking around, we are drawing a line in the sand, and trust me you are not crossing it. You are ours, we told you, gave you time to accept it, and so there you are.”

  “Um,” I said slowly, and then pushed myself. “I get that, I was there. But um...I kinda thought you guys were wooing me.”

  “Wooing you?” Sean said and looked at Jet, then back at me.

  “Wooing. You know, taking me out to dinner, bringing me flowers, shit like that,” I snapped.

  Jet was shaking his head. “No wooing.”

  “What do you mean no wooing?” I demanded. “I am worth it.”

  “We know you are worth it, which is why we are claiming you,” Jet said calmly.

  “But Magenta O’Reilly always has the men wooing their female when they want to claim her.”

  “Who?” Jet asked, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Remember, the author,” I said.

  Sean shifted on his feet, and then looked at Jet who shrugged. “That is just a book.”

  I gasped loudly. “Magenta does not write just books, she writes romance,” I whispered, and Jet sighed.

  “Romance?” Sean asked.

  I nodded my head, and then Jet shook his head and looked at Sean who shrugged again. “Okay, we got this,” Jet said, grabbed my hand and pulled me up. Then he dragged me toward the bathroom and pushed me inside.

  “What is going on? Why am I going to the bathroom?” I whispered.

  “Romance?” Jet asked, and Sean nodded. “We can do that,” Jet said when he looked at me.

  “But,” I said and looked between them, “you are not really the romantic type.”

  “Then we will show you a side of us you are gonna have to get used to,” Sean said, and then grabbed the doorknob.

  “Wait,” I snapped, and they looked back into the bathroom. “What am I supposed to do in here?”

  Jet leaned back and grabbed a Sports Illustrated off the nightstand. “Here, read this until we are done.”

  “Seriously?” I snapped, grabbing the magazine. I looked down, and then smiled. “Oh, never mind, it has Chad’s latest interview in it.”

  Both men rolled their eyes, and I sat down on the toilet when they closed the door and began to read.

  Sean

  “I knew this was going to come back and bite us in the ass,” Jet muttered, and I chuckled.

  “Hey, you are the one who said we could do romance.”

  “You can write it, but can you do fast? You need to figure out what we are going to do,” Jet snapped.

  I looked around the bedroom, and then said, “Okay, run down to the corner store, grab all the roses they have. I am going to change the sheets, put on the ones I bought before we moved in.”

  Jet rolled his eyes and said, “Thank goodness, old man Jones actually has flowers.”

  I moved like a man on a mission, which I was. I thought back to one of the last scenes in my book that just released and grinned. Oh yeah, we could do this. I grabbed the sheets off the bed and threw them into the spare room, the one where Jet had been sleeping. Hopefully for the last time.

  I grabbed the silk sheets and put them on the bed, and then turned and walked to the closet and dug into the back. I knew I saw them, I knew I did. Finally, my hand hit a plastic bag and pulled it out and grinned. Perfect, it would work nicely as long as I didn’t think about them being left by Mrs. Honeychil when she’d moved out. I took the bag and put it on the bed, and then pulled out the silk scarves and laid them on the bed.

  Okay, I only needed a few more things. I ran down the stairs and opened the cabinets. There was no food in them, but we had bought some of those girly candles we knew Brit liked. I grabbed them and ran back up the stairs. I heard the door open, and Jet followed me. As I entered the master bedroom, I moved and put a candle on every surface, and then turned and stared.

  “Dude, I said roses.”

  “I know,” Jet grimaced, “but they didn’t have roses, they only had daisies.”

  “Daisies do not say romance. They say sorry your dog died, or hope you get better. They are happy flowers, not sexy flowers,” I snapped.

  “Listen,” Jet whispered and leaned over a little. “We need to make it work, this was all he had.”

  I glared at him, and then said, “Fine, pull off the petals and throw them on the bed.”

  Jet nodded, and then proceeded to pull the white petals off the daisies and throw them around the bed. I went to the dresser and pulled out a pack of matches and lit the candles. When I was done, I turned and looked around the room. I walked to the doorway and shut off the light.

  “We good?” I asked Jet who threw the bag of stems into the hallway and closed the door and looked at me.

  “Yep,” Jet said.

  I tapped on the bathroom door, then opened it to see Brit leaning back on the toilet with her feet braced up on the vanity flipping through the magazine like she didn’t have a care in the world. I sighed and walked into the room, grabbed the magazine, threw it on the counter, and pulled her up until she faced me.

  “Could you at least look like you
are waiting with bated breath for us to come get you?”

  Brit grinned. “I told you…”

  “We can’t tame you. I know,” I said and chuckled. “Fucking adorable you believe that.”

  “Awww,” Brit said and tilted her head and smiled. “Sweet.”

  “I can’t wait to get you naked. There, that is my wooing,” Jet said, reaching around me and picking her up, carrying her into the bedroom where he stopped, and she giggled.

  “Nice,” she whispered.

  “The flowers were me, the rest Sean,” Jet said, and we watched Brit look at the bed. When her eyes spied the scarves I laid out, she looked at Jet.

  “What’s that for?” Okay, in for a penny in for a pound, but I wanted to show her Jet and I planned this for some time. I wanted her to know we thought about what we were going to do to her more than what she imagined.

  “Baby, last time, we didn’t savor. This time, Jet and I plan on savoring for a long time,” I said softly.

  Jet laid Brit on the bed and picked up one of the bright scarves and ran it over his hand while she watched. I could see the glimmer of need in there as she stared. This was the way we wanted her.

  “I promise you will love this, baby,” I said as her eyes followed the scarf in Jet’s hands.

  Brit sucked in a breath and said, “In some way, do I get a say in all this? I mean, like I would like to put my two cents in, you know?”

  We both said 'NO' together.

  “Um...this feels a little bit like you’re trying to tame me. Am I wrong?”

  “Yes,” I said and stepped closer and picked up a scarf as well. “We just know from past experience if we let you touch us, it will be game over. This is all about you tonight.”

  I held my breath waiting, we weren’t going to do anything she didn’t want to. I watched as she bit her lip. Jet shifted next to me. And fuck, my cock got hard just looking at her. Maybe the scarves were a bad idea. But then, she nodded and fuckin A, we went into action before she changed her damned mind.