Chapter 8

eight

A dam stepped out of the shower and had just began to towel off when someone knocked at his door. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked to the door. When he saw Serenity standing on the other side, he smiled.

It had been two weeks since the dinner they had shared, and he was getting worse than Mick. He found ways to run into her on a regular basis. If she figured it out, she didn’t say anything. It was already beyond mortifying. That shame would only increase if she knew about it.

Her back was to him, so he took his time to look at her. She had her blond curls up in a ponytail, giving him an excellent view of her neck. He had a thing for slender necks. He liked to graze his teeth across the tender skin as he rode a woman from behind.

She turned at that moment and he was thankful he hadn’t opened the door. She offered him a sunny smile and he realized she was holding a box. He ordered his body to settle down and then opened the door.

“Hey, there,” she said, after he finally opened the door. Then, her gaze travelled down his torso and he knew he was still damp from his shower. Dammit, if she kept looking at him that way, he wasn't going to be able to fight off his erection. There would be no hiding it behind his towel. He was a Dom and could control himself, to a point. And that point was apparently the woman standing in front of him.

“Hey, yourself. Did you buy me a gift?”

For a second, she said nothing, then the most delightful blush colored her cheeks. Damn, she was cute.

“Uh...no. Oh, the box.” She handed it over to him. “They left it with me, on account that I saw them trying to leave it on your lanai and I marched over here and got it.”

He chuckled and glanced at the name. It was Mick's and one of their favorite stores to buy gear at. He didn’t need a vivid imagination to figure out who Mick bought toys for.

“Thanks.”

“Because, you know, there are a lot of tourists around, and you never know what they are going to do. So, that's why I did it.”

“Okay. Did you want to come in?”

“Uh?” her gaze drifted down his torso once again.

“I can throw on some clothes--”

“Oh, no don't do that.” She closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. “What I meant was that I need to get back to work, and I'm going out tonight.”

“Hot date?”

She snorted. “Not likely. I'm doing some nighttime shoots tonight.”

Her tongue darted out and wet her lips. The woman was going to kill him.

“I should go. Yeah. See you later.”

She hurried down the steps and onto the path that led to her house before he could even say goodbye. He watched her until she disappeared into her house, then he shut his front door. Lord only knew what Mick ordered, but Adam was damned glad he had now.

Serenity slammed her door shut and leaned back against it. Her skin was flushed, and her body lit up like some kind of bingo machine. Sex bingo. That is what it felt like.

For two weeks she had tried to stay away, but today, she made the effort to be neighborly, and see what happened?

“No. Just have to be some stupid donkey Girl Scout and run over there to save their package.”

She snorted.

“Like anyone really comes through here.”

But she worried about it. And see what it got her? Hot and bothered and no way to relieve the sexual tension.

There's a way , a naughty little voice whispered inside of her.

“Shut up.”

No. Two hot guys want to do you, but you are living like a nun.

She rolled her eyes. Serenity stopped listening to the bad voice years ago. It had gotten her in too much trouble, and that's what those men were. They were sweet, but they were also trouble. For her sanity, mainly. What woman would just take up with two gorgeous men who wanted to give her pleasure?

A very smart woman .

“Go away.”

Great, now they had her talking to her voice again. That was a really bad sign. But then, any kind of romantic or sexual relationship had always been hard for her.

Dealing with one man was too much, so she was fairly certain she wouldn’t have the emotional capacity to deal with two of them. She’d spent years trying to figure out why men seemed to run from her, or vice versa.

Emotionally distant.

It was a term everyone used for her. Her shrink, several exes, her mother. She made a face. No need to bring Broomhelda into her thoughts today. Not when she had the pleasure of seeing one of the finest male specimens she had seen in a long, long while.

God, he was gorgeous. All sinewy muscle, and tats. He had tats like Mick. Then that little happy trail of hair that disappeared beneath the towel...she was humming. With her voice, but also her body. She had wanted to do nothing more than to lean forward and lick one of those droplets of water that clung to his flesh. His gorgeous, golden flesh.

Damn. She needed to get out of here before she made an ass out of herself. Mainly because that stupid voice was trying to get her to go back over to Adam and beg him to do her. Like all kinds of doing. It had been a long time since she had thought about that, or at least, thought about that with a man.

She would go and do her shoot and work it out of her system. She’d been horny before and dealt with it. She would deal with it now.

Mick stepped out of his truck when he saw Serenity coming out of her house. She was carrying a camera bag as she hurried to her car.

“Hey,” he called out. She glanced over and gave him a smile, but it wasn’t one of her grins. He had gotten used to those. This one was strained, and she looked like she wanted to avoid him.

He walked over as she put her bag in the backseat. When she did, her cut offs moved up and gave him a better view of her ass. She wasn’t skinny and he liked a woman with a full, round ass. It was so nice to spank.

“Out for a shoot tonight?”

She started as if she hadn’t known he had come over.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

She shook her head. “Just a little stressed today. And how did you know I was going for a shoot?”

“That’s your camera bag, right?”

She turned around and looked back over her shoulder. She sighed. “Yes.”

She was looking everywhere but at him. Even after he had told her about Adam and him wanting her, she had looked him in the eye. Something happened.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Every one of her physical ques told him to stand back. It was odd. From the moment he had met her, she had been welcoming. Even after he told her both he and Adam wanted her, she hadn’t acted like this. Now, she was standoffish, as if she was afraid he would jump her.

“Okay, I guess I will let you go. Be careful.”

“I will.”

Then she got in her car and drove away. He watched until she turned onto the highway. Mick knew he wasn’t wrong. She was out of sorts and it had something to do with him. As he turned and made his way to the house, his gaze settled on Adam’s truck. Dammit.

He hurried up the steps and into the house.

“Just what the hell did you do?”

Adam, who had been cutting up veggies to grill looked up at him.

“Well, hello lover. Nice to see you too.”

He rolled his eyes. “Hello. Now tell me what you did to her.”

“Her?”

“Serenity.”

“Nothing. She did bring over this package.”

He nudged a box on the counter.

“Great. I was hoping these would come soon,” Mick said picking them up.

“What did you buy?”

“A few things just in case.”

“Ah.”

“So, what did you do that upset her?”

“I did nothing.”

“Nothing? Tell me what happened.”

“I was taking a shower and was just drying off when she knocked on the door. I wrapped the towel around my waist and answered the door.”

“You mean you answered the door naked?”

“No. I was wearing a towel.”

Mick rolled his eyes. He loved Adam but the man was obtuse about his effect on people. Built like a MAC truck, with tattoos and golden skin, the man was the epitome of a beach volleyball player. All that sun-streaked hair helped complete the picture.

“And?”

“And nothing.” He shrugged and picked up the plate and then grabbed the tongs. Then, just as if they weren't having a conversation, he walked out of the kitchen toward the back of the house.

There was a good chance Mick could get off for justifiable homicide. Grumbling, he followed Adam out onto the back lanai.

“It isn't nothing,” Mick said. “She wouldn't look me in the eye.”

“Maybe she thinks your eyes are ugly.”

“My eyes aren't ugly and you damned well know it.”

Mick didn't miss the curve of Adam's lips. It was that half smile that always got to him. Fuck.

“Adam.”

He laughed. “Sorry, it was too much fun. But I do think our very lovely Ms. Jones is not as immune to us as she presents herself to be.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She couldn't stop looking at my chest and she kept forgetting what she meant to say.”

“Yeah?” he asked, his mood quickly changing.

“Oh, yeah. She's attracted to both of us, but I don't know if she's interested in what you proposed to her.”

“But definitely attracted?”

He nodded.

“Attraction is just one step. Now, we need to send out feelers again.”

“Give it a break, Mick. God, you act like it's a military campaign. Just let it happen. You have a perfectly acceptable sexy companion for the night.”

Mick slipped his hands around Adam's waist and kissed his neck. “There is that.”

“Was any of that stuff in the box for either of us?”

“Not really. Well, they would be for us to use.”

He lifted a carrot to his mouth and Mick took it easily. “With Ms. Jones?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then I hope she takes a chance.”

“She will.”

His grunt told Mick he wasn’t so sure of it.

“I need to get cleaned up and I’ll help with dinner.”

Adam gave him a kiss on the cheek before Mick moved away. As he stripped his clothes off, he thought of Serenity and the need they both had for her. It was starting to become an obsession for him, and that was not a good thing. Still, he knew she was close to granting them their request. And if she did take that chance, it was going to be one of the sweetest things he’d ever experienced.