Page 21 of Brooke's Bliss
Brooke went still, and Shane worried for a moment Bay hadoffended her.Then her lips curled up and she laughed, the sound ringingthrough the almost empty bar.
She looked back at Sawyer, sobering slightly.“You won’tfeel the need to call my brothers if you think I’m doing something dumb, willyou?”
Sawyer shrugged.“I don’t even like your brothers.Make somemistakes.Have fun.Soon some dumbass will show up on your doorstep and hewon’t leave, and then there’s a dog and a glorious angel who yells at you whenyou do stupid shit and you’re getting married.”He sighed, a soft sound.“Yeah,that’s the good part.”
Brooke put a hand on Bay’s shirt and went up on her toes.She planted a kiss right on his lips.“You’re weird, Kent.I like weird.”Shestepped back.“Let’s get this show on the road.I’d like to have a couple oforgasms before dawn, boys.”
Wait.What?
Bay stood there like a statue.
Shane looked to Sawyer.“We aren’t planning anything fortonight.No taking advantage.We are driving her home and making sure she’ssafe, and hopefully making a date for another time.We’re not interested in aquick roll with her.”
Sawyer winced.“Yeah, but I think she’s interested in aquick roll with the two of you.”
“Uh, she kissed me,” Bay pointed out needlessly.
Shane never thought he would panic at the thought of a womanwanting to go to bed with them, but here he was.“We can save this.We can tellher we should take it slow.”
Sawyer huffed.“Have you ever told a woman who wants sex youshould take it slow?She’s not going to hear ‘hey, I’d like to date you.’She’sgoing to hear one thing and that’s ‘you don’t find me attractive.’Something’sbugging that girl, and she needs affirmation.She can get it from the two ofyou or she’ll find it somewhere else, and it won’t be a self-help course, nomatter how much Alexi keeps trying to push that off on everyone.You are in apickle, guys.Take the fruit or the fruit will likely ignore you the next timeyou see it.”
Shit.This was not his plan.
“Uhm, I think the fruit might steal our truck if we don’tget out there.”Bay started out the door.“Hey, Brooke.You don’t have to breakin.I have a key.”
Shane followed his brother and heard the door close and lockbehind him.
So there would be no more help from that source.
Brooke waved as Cleo drove off in her clown car.He had noidea how those boys managed to get their bodies in the back.Those were someflexible motherfuckers.
Brooke turned to him as he joined them.She sent him achallenging look, her chin coming up and arrogance in her expression.“So, youwant to take me back to your place and have your way with me?”
Shit.Sawyer was right.She was on the edge tonight, and ifthey turned her down, she would go one of two ways.She would either freeze upand cut herself off from something she needed out of shame, or she would tellthem to fuck off and find it somewhere else.
It was right there in the tight set of her jaw, the way hereyes seemed to blaze with willpower.Something happened and she needed control.At least in the way of getting what she wanted, which was to feel good for anight.
Not the way he’d planned, but the good news was so verylittle of his life had gone to plan.He was good at thinking on his feet.Shewanted a man to treat her like a fucking goddess?He could do that.Sheprobably thought she could enjoy them and toss them out, but that wasn’t how ithad to go.
She liked that Bay was weird.
They’d been playing this all wrong.Every time theyapproached Brooke Harper they put on a show of being normal.Not damaged.Theywere attractive cowboys who could show a girl a good time.That’s how he’dplayed it at first.When that hadn’t worked, he’d decided to try being the niceguy who never got in bar fights and who’d probably come from parents who lovedhim.The all-American classic boyfriend.
What if she liked damaged?What if she was that woman whowanted something real, even if it wasn’t perfect.Oh, she might think shewanted the type A, love ’emand leave ’emcowboy, but she was about to get something different.
Bay loomed over her but held his hands back as though hewasn’t sure if he should touch her or try to stick to the original no sexbecause we’re courting the lady plan.
They were still courting the lady, but the evening wasdefinitely going to include sex.
“Uhm, we can’t take you back to our place because our placedoesn’t exist,” Bay replied.
This was a problem, but one they could solve.Besides, thewoman seemed to like to get hit with some honesty.It wasn’t like she didn’tknow they weren’t exactly undercover billionaires.“What he means is we’reliving out at the G.We’re in the bunkhouse, and what I’m planning on doing toyou would overeducate the nineteen-year-olds we’re sharing that house with.”
Even in the low light from the neon sign above, he could seehow she flushed.
“Movie Motel,” Bay spat out.“We can go there.I have cash.”
She winced at the thought.“Gene is the single worst gossipthere is.”
