Chapter 21 #2
“This wasn’t a fucking booty call,” I say, just as Xander opens the passenger door.
“Shame,” Xander quips. “Scoot over.”
I slide over on the bench seat, closer to Clay, who wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his side. “Xander’s a big guy.” A teasing grin appears on his face. He eyes me before releasing his hold.
I’m just about to tell him to fuck off when Xander climbs in, needing all the space I just vacated. Now I’m sandwiched between two insanely hot guys, their bodies flush against mine.
It’s okay to have a crush on a gay couple, right?
At least I know from the start it won’t lead anywhere.
“Here,” Xander says, handing me a to-go cup, then gives Clay one too. I lean down and catch the familiar aroma of coffee.
“I wasn’t sure how you take your coffee, so I added sugar and some cream,” Xander tells me.
“Just sugar, but this is great, thank you,” I say, taking a sip.
I’m exhausted, and it seems this night won’t end anytime soon.
“Want some?” he offers, extending a white bag toward me.
Peering inside, I spot donuts.
I shake my head. “No, thanks.”
“Love?” he asks, but his eyes are still on mine, and my heart skips a beat.
“You know I don’t eat that sugary junk,” Clay says, pushing his takeout cup into my hand before starting the truck back up.
We park near Riverside Park, where we get a great view of the Hudson River and the lit-up skyline, a few minutes later. Xander reaches behind him and grabs two blankets from under the bench, handing one to Clay and spreading the other over our laps.
The cab will cool down when the heater isn’t on, but I’m nearly sweating between these two. Don’t ask me if it’s their body heat or their nearness.
“Sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to ruin your sleep. I doubt anyone would still be out waiting for me after seeing you rescuing me. They’re probably gone by now. I can go back.”
“And then what would be the plan?” Clay asks, taking a sip of his coffee. “Go in to watch your little sister getting it some more?”
“What?” Xander asks, leaning forward to look at Clay.
“Karen just walked in on her little sixteen-year-old sister getting railed in their room,” Clay shares, and Xander’s eyes fly to mine.
“On our bed.” I shudder.
“Wait, you share a bed with her?” Clay asks, raising his eyebrows.
“Okay, let her get railed, whatever, but why were you outside?” Xander asks at the same time.
“I could go back and stay in the stairway. It’s fine, you don’t have to be outside with me. I bet you’d rather be in your own bed at home. I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. You felt unsafe, so you called. You did exactly what I told you to. I’m glad you did,” Clay assures me.
Xander nods. “Call us anytime,” he adds, his voice firm.
“I called him, and that was already bad enough. I’ll be hearing about this forever,” I say, causing Clay to chuckle. “I didn’t want to wake you, though.”
“Clay, can I borrow your phone?” Xander asks, and he hands it over without hesitation.
Xander quickly types on the phone, then hands it back to Clay and takes out his own phone, typing on it before mine buzzes with an incoming text.
“That’s my number. Next time, you call me. I promise I won’t make you hear about it forever,” Xander says.
“Hey,” Clay chimes in.
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t even know you guys, I was just scared, and—”
Xander gently holds my chin with his thumb and forefinger, tilting my head up to him. “Just say, ‘Thank you, I will.’ ”
His intense gray eyes lock onto mine, and I feel my whole body wanting to comply and do whatever this beautiful man wants from me, so I say, “Thank you, I will.”
“Great, you broke her, babe,” Clay teases, and Xander releases his grip on me. “Anyway, Karen, it looks like we’ve got some time to kill because there’s no way in hell we’ll let you sit alone in a stairway all night. Tell us about yourself. What do you enjoy doing? Any hobbies?”
I turn my head from Xander to Clay. “I’m boring. I go to college, work, and sleep. Do you?”
“Now you’ve done it,” Xander whispers.
Clay grins at me. “Well, I do jump rope.”
I furrow my brow. “You’re kidding, right? Like ‘Down in the Valley?’ ”
“I wish he was,” Xander interjects, and as I look back at him, I notice the smile that tugs at the corner of his mouth.
“He’s just messing with you. He likes to watch when I do it. It’s not just plain jumping rope. I do the cool version with difficult steps to different songs,” Clay explains.
I turn my gaze back to him. “You lost me.”
“Wait,” he says, reaching for his phone again.
He opens YouTube and shows me videos of guys doing incredible jump rope routines to music. I have to admit, it looks pretty amazing, even though I’ll never admit that to Clay.
“And you can do that too?” I ask.
“Yes, he can. Even better,” Xander says, licking his lips, and I don’t miss the way his tone changes.
Dio, is it hot in here?
“Wait, let me show you some more,” Clay mumbles, fumbling with his phone.
Someone gently shakes me, and my eyes snap open to see Clay looking amused.
“You’ve got some drool there, Karen,” he says, pointing to the side of my mouth.
I blink away the remnants of sleep, feeling cozy and warm. It takes a moment for me to remember that I’m in the truck with him and Xander.
When I look up, I realize I have been leaning on Xander, and he has his arm around me. It seems I fell asleep on him.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” he says softly in his deep voice. “We didn’t know when you needed to get to college, so we thought we’d wake you and ask. If it’s too early, you can sleep some more.”
My consciousness slams back into my body at that moment, and I jerk away from him. “What time is it?”
“Six,” Clay replies.
“Fuck, I need to go,” I say. “Would you mind driving me home? I’m already late.”
“Sure, don’t worry,” Clay assures me, starting the truck and getting back on the road. “We can wait and drive you to college if you want?”
“Dio, no. You’ve already sat out here for hours while I drooled all over you,” I say, eager to escape the situation as quickly as possible.
“To be fair, you only drooled on Xander.” Clay snickers. “But I’m hurt that you fell asleep while I was showing you my not-boring hobby.”
I glance up at Xander, mumbling a quick “Sorry.”
He just huffs in response.
When Clay stops in front of my apartment complex, Xander gets out first. I turn to Clay, who says, “Promise me you’ll call if something like this ever happens again.”
“You mean my sweet little sister getting railed will be a more frequent occurrence now?” I ask, tone laced with sarcasm.
“Most definitely.” He smirks back before his face turns serious. “Promise me, if you feel unsafe, you’ll call.”
I nod, looking into his warm chocolate eyes. “Promise. Thank you,” I whisper before turning and sliding over the bench seat to exit.
I contemplate how to gracefully hop out when Xander takes a step closer, places his hands under my arms, and effortlessly lifts me out of the car as if I weigh nothing.
Holy hotness.
A tingling sensation spreads between my thighs, causing me to squeeze them together. Xander’s gaze drifts down my body, and a slight smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.
“See you around, Carolina,” he says, getting back into the car.
They both wait until I’m safely inside before driving off, and the gesture does something I’m not ready to acknowledge.