“Seriously, you were great today. I mean, I know it wasn’t the best of circumstances. I’m sorry if I scared you when I lost my temper.”
She shook her head. “You didn’t scare me, Tom.” She wanted to kiss him. So close, so sweet.
As if sensing her thought he brushed his lips against hers. Nevvie fought the urge to drive her tongue into his mouth.
“I’m glad I didn’t scare you. I don’t ever want to scare you. That would break my heart.” He gave her one more hug and carried her helmet. “Let’s go. Don’t want to keep Ty waiting.”
She followed him and he stowed her purse in the saddlebag while she donned her gear. He turned before swinging onto the bike, his helmet already on. She couldn’t tell if his voice sounded different or was just muffled by the helmet.
“I love it when you ride with me, sugar.”
“Me too. Any excuse to cop a feel of your abs, Tom.”
He roared with laughter, cut off by the sound of the bike’s engine firing to life. When he had it running and balanced she swung up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle. She patted him, their signal she was ready, and off they rode.
Tyler stood outside Outback Steakhouse with a table beeper in hand. He grinned when they walked up and gave Nevvie a hug. “I hear our girl was magnificent today.”
“I was doing my job, Tyler.”
He kissed Thomas. “Is she being modest?”
“Very. It looks like well over a hundred grand, and we haven’t audited previous years.” He shook his head, looking grim. “I still can’t believe it.”
The hostess showed them to a corner booth and Nevvie enjoyed sitting between her boys, comfortable with them, enjoying their easy rapport. She never sensed any unease from the men. In fact, if she tried to give them time alone it wasn’t unusual for them to draw her back into their tight triad of effortless friendship, like they’d known each other forever. A gentle ebb and flow, always in flux, but in perfect harmony with both.
She gave up trying to refuse when they bought her anything. It was far easier to let them spoil her. She didn’t know how much they were worth, but they took obvious pleasure in pampering her, so why not? It’s not like they couldn’t pay their light bill.
After dinner they made their way to the parking lot. Thomas paused at the bike. “Did you want to ride home with Tyler?”
She held up her hands. “Oh no you don’t. Don’t you guys dare ever make me choose.”
Tyler smiled and looked at Thomas then held out a closed fist. “Odds or evens?”
Thomas extended his fist. “Odds.”
“Best two out of three, right? One, two, three, shoot!”
Nevvie watched, amused, as the men played “Odds and Evens” to win the right to take her home. Thomas won, triumphantly hugging her. “Ha! I still get a little time alone with her.”
Tyler grinned. “Ah, but in all fairness I should get to kiss her goodbye.”
Jesus! Was he kidding?
Apparently not, because before she could respond Tyler grabbed her and planted one on her lips.
Thomas laughed. “You’re right, Ty, fair’s fair.”
Tyler let her go and she staggered slightly on her feet, breathless.
Clueless. Totally oblivious dumb fucks, both of them.
It didn’t matter they were gay, they were still men and completely unaware of what they did to her.
“You all right, sugar?” Thomas’ brown eyes wickedly gleamed.
She nodded and pulled on her helmet before she said something stupid like, “Can I give you a blow job now?”
Tyler kissed Thomas and patted him on the ass. “I’ll follow you home, sweet. Be careful.” Tyler tapped her face shield and winked. “You all right, love?”
She mutely nodded, his blue eyes burning a trail straight from her heart to her lower belly.
Chapter 13
Two days later, Tyler was deep in his writing when his publicist, Elliot Paterno, called.
“Hi, Nevvie. He’s all set for the New York writer’s conference in two weeks.” She noted the information. She’d be going with him on this trip. Tyler had already cleared her calendar with Thomas.
“Week before Halloween, that should be interesting.” She’d never met Elliot in person but had talked to him on the phone several times.
“Yeah, the theme conferences are always a blast. Oh, one more thing. What kind, and how many rooms? I blocked out two.”
She glanced at Tyler’s closed office door, her heart racing. “Single room, one queen bed will be fine.”
“Got it.”
She hung up. It was sneaky, it was underhanded.
It was done.
She stood quietly at Tyler’s side at the check-in desk. The hotel was full, and he’d just discovered the rooming arrangement.
“You don’t mind bunking together?”
She smiled. “Do you really have to ask?”
“I suppose not, darling.” Once in their room, Tyler called Thomas and chatted briefly, then handed her the phone and went to freshen up.
Thomas’ deep chuckle set her insides stirring. “A reservation screw-up, hmm?” Nevvie blushed and tried to fumble an answer. “Sugar,” he murmured, “feel free to screw up my reservations any time you want.”
She took the risk. “Next time, I will.”
His laugh warmed her heart. “I hope to hell so.”
If her boys weren’t so damned sexy…
Maybe this was a bad idea. Now she was horny.
They ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. Next door at the bar the music throbbed, but the crowd hadn’t thickened. Taking her hand, Tyler led her to the doorway where she balked.
“I don’t drink, Tyler. You know that.”
He pulled her to him. “But you are a fantastic dancer.”
Tyler led her into the bar and left her standing at the edge of the nearly-empty dance floor. He spoke with the DJ, then pulled a bill from his pocket and handed it to the man. Tyler walked to the middle of the floor and motioned Nevvie to him as the song changed.
She couldn’t refuse him. Glad she’d opted to wear a skirt and low heels to dinner instead of slacks, she walked over and met his eyes as she took his hand. His other hand skimmed her side, coming to rest at her waist.
“Mambo,” he whispered. She fell in step with him, not thinking about the moves, letting him lead.
The song ended to scattered applause. She started to pull away but Tyler didn’t release her hand.
“Rumba,” he whispered. Without will of her own she fell into step, under his spell as another song started. This was the connection she didn’t have with Thomas, a hotline to the epicenter of her soul.
Her heart raced, not from their dance but from the heat between them. She didn’t hold back, flipping her hips and pretending he was her lover, not her friend.
As the song finished she ended in his arms, her head on his shoulder. The audience cheered, hooting their approval.
She finally straightened and looked at him. He held up a finger. “One more,” he silently mouthed and she nodded, helpless. She couldn’t refuse him if she tried.
The audience saw and went wild. A larger crowd had gathered, perhaps drawn by the applause. She blushed but didn’t look away from Tyler’s eyes.
He didn’t tell her what they were dancing. He didn’t have to. She read it in his heated gaze.
Nevvie took his hand and set her feet, deciding to play it back to him for all she was worth. Her steamy, sexy cha cha cha was for him and no one else. The audience cheered their approval as she spun around the floor with him. At one point he pulled her close after a spin, and she knew she didn’t imagine the hard bulge pressed against her hip.