Page 48 of Five Mountain Daddies

And of course, it was fun as hell furnishing the place. The guys all chipped in, each of them taking me out, even the twins. It took a couple of weeks to get the place perfect, but finally it’s ready for me to move in. The twins stocked the refrigerator with food and booze, although I think the latter is more for them than for me, which isfine.

I want them to come over whenever they want. I want them to feel comfortable here. I know I’m starting to feel comfortable, at least withthem.

“To your independence,” Henry says, raising aglass.

“Fuck, yeah,” Ryansays.

“Fuck, yes,” the twinsecho.

James winks at me, and we all drink. It’s good champagne, really good champagne. Ryan puts some music on this nice sound system he had installed, and the twins move the coffee table over, turning our little welcome party into an impromptu dance party. I hope my downstairs neighbors don’t mind, although I doubt the owner will care if theycomplain.

James and Henry talk off to the side as I dance with Ryan and the twins. They spin me around, pass me back and forth, mostly just being silly and fun. I have a couple glasses of champagne and end up kissing each twin, one after the other, while Ryan laughs and pushes his way into thegroup.

“Don’t be greedy,” he says to them, kissing menext.

I love getting passed around like that, but I also know that I’m the one in charge. I kiss Ryan one more time before I extricate myself from the group, sweating a little bit from dancing. I head into the kitchen and get somewater.

“Having fun?” James asks, joiningme.

“I really am,” I say, laughing. “It’s weird,though.”

“What is? Livinghere?”

“All of it,” I admit. “I mean, all of you guys. You’re all… okay with this? It’s just sostrange.”

He shrugs. “We’re not a normal group. I think we gave up on normal a long time ago. Normal doesn’t make any of ushappy.”

“Still, you all want to just shareme?”

He nods. “Why’s that so strange to you,London?”

“I mean… I was never popular at school.” I don’t know how else to describe it, to be honest. I was never the kind of girl that all the boys lusted after. There were plenty of other girls with bigger boobs, blonder hair, that sort of thing. I was never the girl that guys foughtover.

“We don’t care about that,” he says,laughing.

“I mean, I’m not the most beautiful girlever.”

He sighs. “London, we’ve had those girlsbefore.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What do youmean?”

“Models, actresses, hookers, strippers, beautiful fucking women that basically just fuck rich dudes for a living, that sort of woman. We’ve had them all, all shapes and sizes. And none of them kept ourattention.”

I sigh a little. “I just don’t get why Ido.”

“You just… do,” he says, shaking his head. “I can’t explain it. You’re beautiful, but it’s not just that… it’s your youth, or not your age, but the way you hold yourself… how smart you are…” He trails off, shaking his head. “I’m not very articulatetonight.”

“I think I understand,” I say, smiling. I pull him closer and kiss him nice and slow. The other guys hoot and it makes melaugh.

“Looks like James is getting some pussy tonight,” Henry saysloudly.

“I think we all might be getting some,” Ryancounters.

“We definitely are,” Caleb says, grinning, and Wyattnods.

I roll my eyes at them and kiss James one more time. He tastes so good, and he makes me feel so good, and suddenly I don’t want to leave. Not just this party specifically, but this group of guys. I’ve never met people that cared about me so deeply, that would do all of these nice things for me, that would give me so much and make me feel so happy. I can’t imagine walking away from that, it would be insane to pass it up. And yet it would be insane not to follow my dream in the city, just for a group ofguys.

This isn’t just any group of guys. These are older men, handsome and strong and rugged and incredible. They’ll take care of me, my five mountain men, but I’m afraid to really give myself over tothem.

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