Chapter 6
I somehow managed to sleep like the dead that night.
Despite worrying about my morals, or lack thereof, as soon as I put my head down, I was out.
I slept in Wednesday morning and then took a leisurely bath before going out to find food.
I was doing a good job of ignoring what I’d done the day before until I got to the bar and saw Macy sitting there, on the phone.
My stomach sank. I was doing something that she wouldn’t like.
Not only would she not like it, she’d hate it.
And me. Her brothers were off-limits. They always had been.
If she knew what I was doing, she’d be so furious with me that I wasn’t sure our friendship would survive it.
Knowing that I’d actively put our friendship at risk two different times made me sick. I was being a horrible friend.
Macy ended her call right as I got closer and smiled brightly at me. “Hey! I was wondering when you were going to get out and about. You skipped yoga this morning.”
I parked myself on a stool next to her. “I’m probably not coming back to yoga. You know it’s not my thing. Plus, this is my chance to sleep in.”
She shrugged. “You’re missing seeing all the men with their shirts off. They’ve even started joining in on the yoga. Jason’s friend from childhood, Mark, arrived this morning, too. I think you’re going to like seeing him shirtless.”
A flush burned at my face. I didn’t need to see any more shirtless men. “I’ll just dream of shirtless men. That’s enough for me.”
“I’m serious about Mark, though. He’s nice. I think you’ll like him.”
The bartender approached and smiled. “What can I get you?”
“She’ll have a full breakfast.” When Macy saw my face, she scowled at me. “No, don’t argue. I know you’ve been trying to diet lately. I saw the kale in your fridge last week. You’re not going to starve yourself for my wedding.”
I pursed my lips and stopped myself from saying anything because she was right. Also because I didn’t feel like I had any right to argue with her when I had done what I’d done with the guys.
She laughed. “That’s what I thought.”
“Anyway. What are you doing down here, all alone?”
“Just had to get some work stuff done before the wine tasting tonight. I didn’t want anything to worry about before getting drunk on fine wine.” She stretched and looked behind me. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
I glanced over my shoulder to find Lucas striding towards us. He rested a hand on each of our shoulders and pressed a kiss to the side of Macy’s head. My heart fluttered as he moved towards me and did the same.
“Sister. Cupcake.” His hand rested on the back of my neck as he leaned against my barstool. “Sorry I missed yoga this morning, but I’d rather pluck my eyes out.”
Macy rolled her eyes. “You and Cupcake here are terrible. You could both use some yoga.”
“You skipped, too? Naughty, naughty.”
I felt my cheeks burn and did everything in my power to not fall out of my chair and run through the resort like a lunatic. Lucas was flirting. He was flirting with me in front of his sister, and I was going to murder him. “I wake up before the sun every day for work. It’s my turn to sleep in.”
Macy’s phone beeped and she swore after looking at the screen. “I’ll be right back. This is a client I’ve been trying to reach for days.”
Lucas scooted the barstool closer to me before settling on it. “Hi, Cupcake.”
“Have you lost your mind? Why are you flirting with me in front of your sister?”
He grinned. “Be kind of weird if I didn’t. You’re drop-dead sexy, Cupcake. Only a blind man wouldn’t flirt with you.”
I rolled my eyes so hard that they practically fell out of the back of my head. “I’m already putting out. You don’t have to keep buttering me up.”
Lucas’s face grew serious as he closed the distance between us and cupped my chin.
“You’re not putting out for me, yet, Cupcake.
And me telling you that you’re sexy has nothing to do with me buttering you up.
It’s just the truth. If I wanted to butter you up, I’d tell you that I can’t wait to bury my face between your thighs and eat you like a seven-course meal.
I’d tell you that since I heard about my lucky sonofabitch brother being inside of you, it’s the only thing I can think of.
I want to know the way your walls clench around my cock when you come.
I want to feel those pretty nails dig into my back and hear your voice crack when I make you come again and again. ”
A throat clearing on the other side of the bar jerked me back to reality. The bartender held my platter of food in his outstretched hand, a wide-eyed stare on his shocked face. He slowly put the food down and nodded. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
I punched Lucas in the arm as soon as the bartender stepped away. “Oh, my god, Lucas! Do you want everyone to know?”
“I’ll be honest. I got a little carried away.” He smirked and shrugged before grabbing a sausage link from my plate and holding it out to me. “Bite?”
I glared at him and shook my head. “No, thanks.”
He pouted. “Aw, come on, Cupcake. Don’t be mad at me.”
The butterflies in my stomach went crazy at the pout on his face.
He was too handsome and charming. The beard on his face mixed with the tattoos trailing up his neck should’ve made charming impossible, but he had the boyish charm that he’d always had.
He’d been able to smooth talk anyone and everyone from the day he was born, I’d bet.
It’d been infuriating when I was a kid. As a woman, it was effective. His dirty mouth didn’t hurt.
“Want to be my date for the wine tasting tonight?” He grinned. “Macy’s coming. Better answer fast.”
“No.”
“It’s your choice, but nothing would make me happier than treating you tonight.”
I frowned, doing my best to keep from smiling at his antics. “Not a chance.”
“Want me to beg in front of my sister?”
Scoffing, I shook my head. “You wouldn’t.”
Getting down on his knees next to me, he looked up and winked. “I don’t mind this position.”
Panicking, I stuttered as I rushed through an agreement. “F-fine! Just get up!”
He pretended to grab a napkin and stood back up as Macy joined us again. “Sorry you missed spending time with me, little sister. I’ve got to run, though. Andrew and Warren are waiting for me in the gym.”
Macy waved him away and then sighed after he was gone. “I can’t wait for the wine tasting. I might even start early after that call.”
“That bad?” I fought the urge to look after Lucas and gave Macy my full attention for the rest of the morning. I ate while she ranted, and then I helped her talk through some problems she was having.
By the time Jason found us later, we’d each had two mimosas and had worked through plenty of things. Except the thing where I was fooling around with her brothers. The thing that I wasn’t even working through with myself.
I left Macy with Jason and went to my room to spend some time reading a book I’d brought before getting dressed up for the wine tasting.
Reading my simple romance seemed so tame compared to what I’d been doing, but it made me think of Warren, Lucas, and Andrew.
The love scenes in the book made me ache between my thighs, something that normally didn’t last for long.
That day, even as I did my makeup and fixed my hair, I had to squeeze my thighs together to get even the barest amount of relief.
I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I felt like I was in heat, which was both ridiculous and offensive.
I just didn’t know what was going on. I’d never felt so out of control.
I’d also never been chased by three men at the same time.
What was their end game? Did they all want to sleep with me?
Did I want to sleep with all three of them?
That answer was embarrassing. I wasn’t so antiquated that I believed a woman should be limited in who she wanted to sleep with, or in how many whos she wanted to sleep with.
I’d just never put myself in those shoes.
The list of men I’d slept with in my life was embarrassingly small, considering the activities I’d been taking part in at the resort.
I was not a carefree, sleep-with-whoever lady.
Yet, I wanted to be. For Andrew, Lucas, and Warren. I wanted to experience them.
That was crazy, though. I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t do it to Macy and I couldn’t do it because that wasn’t who I was. My body didn’t agree with that, unfortunately. My body wanted all three of them.
I was still arguing with myself as I made my way to the larger bar at the back of the resort.
Dinner was being served with some of the wines, and I was starving.
I’d never felt hungrier as I walked into the room that smelled of steak and fresh bread.
My diet was making me crazy. That, or the sex. Either way, I was famished.
Macy’s bridal party was intensely large. I was one of twelve bridesmaids. Jason had just as many groomsmen, not even including the family that had wanted to come early. The wine tasting was a big event with everyone spread out through the bar, Macy and Jason centered between them.
Just when I was looking at where I should sit, a big hand rested across my lower back and Lucas spoke low in my ear. “You look stunning.”
I looked up at him and smiled despite myself. He’d combed his normally wild hair down and he was wearing a nice button-down shirt. He was so handsome that it made my chest ache. “Hi.”
Lucas sighed and tugged at the end of one of my curls. “Hi.”
I grinned even wider and then rolled my eyes at the two of us. “This is silly.”
“Maybe, but it’s fun. You really are beautiful, Cupcake. This dress is...a lot.”
I looked down at the form-fitting purple dress and frowned. “Too much?”
“If we were anywhere else in the world, I’d show you just how much it isn’t too much. It’s perfect. You look edible.”
Shivering under his hot stare, I pretended like I was interested in the room around us. “Should we sit?”
Lucas grunted and looked around. “I guess throwing you over my shoulder and taking you out of here would be bad, right?”
I stepped away from him, just in case. “Slightly, yeah.”
He led me to a small table in the back of the room and pulled my chair out for me. “Just let me know if you change your mind.”
I looked around, worried that we were going to look like a couple, but Lucas had picked the table well.
We were behind everyone and off to the side, fading into the back of the bar.
It was darker in the corner where we were and the candle burning on our table didn’t cast enough light to cut through it. It was perfectly romantic and sweet.
Lucas sat next to me and rested his arm along the back of my chair. “Anything I should know before you get tipsy on wine?”
“I’ll try to break into the kitchen to bake something if I get too drunk.” I winced. “Don’t let me.”
“Breaking in? Whatever happened to our little good girl Cupcake?”
I shrugged. “I was never all that good.”
“You were too good. With your sweet little overalls and high-top sneakers. You wore pigtails until you were sixteen.” Lucas reached over and ran his knuckle down my cheek. “You were too young and too innocent then.”
I swallowed. He remembered what I wore? “I’m not too young or innocent now.”
A wicked smile crossed his face. “You are. We just can’t stay away now.”
I shook my head, disbelieving that they’d had any trouble staying away from me. I had several boyfriends to act as proof that I was plenty resistible. “You’re overselling it.”
Lucas rested his hand on my thigh and leaned into my space. “You keep talking about yourself like you don’t see how fucking perfect you are.”
I shrugged one shoulder while meeting his gaze.
Searching for proof that he was being serious, I swallowed back an unexpected wave of emotion.
“My ex. I caught him cheating on me just a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t enough for him.
The other woman...she was perfect. I’m..
.me. I’m chunky and boring. I’m vanilla.
Not even good vanilla. I’m imitation vanilla. ”
Frowning darkly, Lucas stood up and motioned behind him. When I turned to look, he caught my chin and turned my face back to him. “You’re coming to my room with me. We’re going to work on this attitude.”