10. Hadley
CHAPTER TEN
Hadley
I stare out the windows across the front of the shelter. Dark gray clouds are building from the west, and I just know in my bones it’s going to pour.
Of all the days I walked to work, it had to be today. Mom had to go to her school to get some things situated for when she goes back to work in a few months, hopefully.
If I’m really going to stay here for a while, I should find a car. In New York, I never needed one, but Aspen Springs definitely isn’t New York.
“Sienna,” I holler toward the back of the building. “I think I’m going to head out before the rain rolls in.”
She pokes her head around the corner. Her red hair looks even wilder than normal. “I would give you a ride, but I can’t really leave right now.”
“No worries. It isn’t far.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Go, go,” she says, shooing me out the door.
I grab my bag and quickly start walking toward my mom’s house. The rain holds off until I reach the top of Pine Street, but at least the house is in view.
It’s just a sprinkle at first, but by the time I reach the house, it’s starting to pour.
Brooks and Conrad are running between the nearly finished ramp at the front of the house and the garage. Brooks stutters his steps upon seeing me standing there.
“We thought we could get it done before the storm rolled in.” He shrugs. Obviously, they didn’t.
His hair is pulled back, but a few stray strands blow around his face. The playful smile he gives me makes my heart leap in my chest.
“Can I help?” I feel like I’m shouting over the rain.
He nods. “All of this stuff needs to get into the garage.”
I run over and grab an armful of supplies, taking them into the garage. I set everything in the far corner where the rest of their stuff is piled.
Conrad is there, putting down their tools. I swallow heavily, seeing his white shirt plastered to his toned chest.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he says with a wink before heading back out in the rain.
That’s the first time he’s called me that since the plane. Butterflies erupt like a volcano inside of me.
Jerking me out of my thoughts, Brooks grabs my hand. “Come on, Trouble,” he says, pulling me back outside.
The guys grab the last pieces of wood, and I haul in the last couple of tools that were lying around. Back in the garage, we look around at each other and all burst out laughing. We’re all drenched from head to toe.
“Let’s go dry off,” I say, still laughing. The guys both follow me into the house, but stop as soon as the door closes behind them.
“We don’t want to get water all over your mom’s floor,” Conrad says, wiping water from his face.
“I guess stripping it is,” Brooks says, reaching behind his head to pull his T-shirt off with surprising ease, considering it’s dripping wet.
I can’t find the strength to look away from his ripped arms and chest, which are both covered in tattoos. Holy bad-boy fantasy.
“Really, Brooks?” Conrad questions, shaking his head at his brother.
Brooks kicks off his boots and undoes his belt, sliding his work pants down his legs with zero care to the fact that he is now standing before me in only his damp boxer briefs. He even has a tattoo on his thigh.
“What? We need to get dry. I’m not ruining Maggie’s floor.”
“Fine,” Conrad huffs, removing his boots. He peels his pants and shirt off.
Watching him, I realize this man has been inside of me, but I haven’t even seen him without his shirt off.
Conrad isn’t quite as ripped as his brother, but his muscles are still impressive. He has a tattoo that snakes from over his heart and across his ribs and disappears around his back. It’s a mix of vines covered in flowers and text I can’t read at this distance.
My eyes dart back over to Brooks, who smirks, catching me checking out his brother. “Your turn.”
“Oh,” I say, looking down at my dripping clothes. I forgot I was even wet standing here. Well, that kind of wet, at least. I couldn’t forget the wetness building between my thighs from the sight of these two standing before me in only their underwear, even if I wanted to.
I never thought I would be into being with more than one guy at a time, but apparently my girly parts are very into this right now.
I take my Converse off. Unbuttoning my jeans, I shimmy them down my legs. Thank goodness you wore regular underwear today and not a thong. Small blessings.
Grabbing the hem of my gray shirt, I pull it over my head. I don’t even want to think about what my hair looks like right now.
I reach down, grabbing my jeans from the floor, trying not to freak out that I’m only wearing a pair of pale purple underwear and a white lacy bra.
“Grab your stuff. We can put it in the dryer.” I finally look up and realize neither of them are moving. They’re just staring at me.
My eyes dart between them. Turning on my heels, I move through the kitchen and into the laundry room.
“Fuck me,” I hear one of them mumble.
“I want to kick your ass right now for getting to see more of her already,” presumably Brooks says, not so quietly.
They walk in behind me, tossing their clothes in the dryer, and follow me as I head up the stairs.
“There are more towels in the bathroom up there. I also think Grayson has some clothes in his old room for when he stays over with my mom.”
I get halfway up the stairs, realizing they aren’t behind me. They’re both standing at the landing, staring up at me.
They seem to be doing that a lot right now.
“Please don’t talk about your brother when we’re staring at your gorgeous ass,” Brooks says.
I roll my eyes, climbing the rest of the stairs. In the bathroom, I dig out three towels and hand one to each of them.
Brooks starts laughing as he towels off his hair. “Why am I always getting wet with you, Trouble?”
I huff out a laugh, unable to keep the smile from my face.
“I knew something happened that day you showed up soaking wet to the game,” Conrad says, eyeing his brother.
I search his face for any sign of hurt or anger, but to my surprise, I don’t see anything. Still smiling, I dry myself off.
Pulling my hair tie free from my bun, I dry my hair as best as I can. In Grayson’s old room, I find a couple pairs of sweats and T-shirts. Hopefully, they’ll fit.
Stepping back into the bathroom, I hand them both a stack of clothes. “Sorry, it’s all I could find.”
They take the clothes from me, but make no move to put them on.
I feel Brooks step in behind me, his hands moving to my hips. Conrad tucks my half-dry locks behind my ear, cupping my face as he presses his chest against mine.
This is the kind of Oreo I can get on board with.
My brain swirls with the heady mix of everything that’s happening around me. Shouldn’t I be freaking out right now?
But for some reason I don’t care to wrap my brain around right now, all I can think about is more. I want more. More of them. More of everything.
Conrad leans down. His lips are centimeters from mine. “I’ve wanted to do this again since the moment I stepped out of that bathroom.”
My lips pop open in a gasp as he kisses me, hard and demanding. His kiss leaves me with no questions—he wants to kiss me, and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
And there isn’t one little part of me that’s mad about it.
My hair is moved off of my neck a moment before another set of lips connects with the sensitive skin below my ear. I whimper as more nips and kisses trail down my neck and shoulder.
My whole body is alive everywhere they are touching me.
Conrad’s hands twine into my hair, deepening the kiss even more. Brooks’ fingers tease against the top of my panties. Just as his pinkie slips underneath, the garage door sounds from below us.
We all freeze. No. No.
Reluctantly, I pull myself away from them. “Get dressed. I’ll be back.”
I dart into my room. Shedding my still-wet undergarments, I throw on some new ones along with a pair of sweats and an oversized hoodie.
I peek back into the bathroom, finding them both dressed. “Let’s go. You guys can have dinner with us while your clothes dry.”
As I turn to leave, a hand grabs mine. Conrad pulls me against him.
“Just one more,” he says, kissing me again. I blink up at him with stars in my eyes.
“My turn,” Brooks says, tugging me over toward him. His smile makes me smile. His kiss is passionate yet playful, just like him.
I look between them, shaking my head but incapable of doing anything other than smiling. How could I not, when both men are looking at me like that?
Brooks sets his fork down on his plate with a clank. “Thanks for dinner, Maggie.”
My mom laughs. “I didn’t even have to cook. You three did all the work.” Both guys shrug. “Maybe you should come over more often.”
“That could be arranged,” Conrad says, clearly trying to keep his straight face in place.
Brooks has no such control as he smirks at me and winks. Oh, good lord.
My mom already thought it was suspicious when we came downstairs together with wet hair. Even as I explained what happened, the knowing look on her face never wavered.
“Well, I’m going to turn in for the night,” she says, using her cane to help her stand.
Both guys are immediately standing and by her side. The sight warms my heart.
“Oh, I’m just fine, you two,” she scolds them, and they take a small step back. She gives each of them a hug before stepping over to me. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Or maybe anything I wouldn’t have done back in the day,” she says, patting my shoulder.
“Mom,” I holler after her, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. Her shoulders shake as she makes her way to her room, closing the door behind her.
“I love your mom,” Brooks says and moves toward me. “Anyone who can make you blush like this,” he says, grazing his finger down my cheek, “is okay in my book.”
Knowing I need to move or we are going to end up reenacting what happened in the bathroom upstairs earlier, I step away and head to the laundry room. I retrieve all our now-dry clothes, and they each grab their stuff from my arms.
“I’ll be right back,” Brooks says, ducking into the bathroom just off the kitchen.
I stare after him, half-shocked that he didn’t just change here in the middle of the kitchen, but I guess he respects my mom enough not to do that.
Conrad sets his clothes on the table and pulls me into his arms. Leaning my head against his chest, I wrap my arms around his waist.
“I was an idiot for not getting your number or even your name before we got off that flight,” he says. I tilt my head back slightly so I can see his face. “I regretted it immediately and spent the next few days moping around thinking I’d never see you again.”
“I could have asked for your info, too.”
He shrugs, his hands moving up and down my back over my sweatshirt.
“I honestly don’t know why I didn’t. I guess I just froze after what happened. It was just…” He goes quiet, clearly not knowing how to finish his sentence.
“I know. Same.”
Brooks walks out of the bathroom as his brother kisses me on the forehead. Conrad grabs his stack of clothes off the table, taking his turn in the bathroom to change.
Brooks doesn’t wait a second, sliding his fingers into my hair and kissing me. I’m quickly realizing kissing Brooks makes my soul feel like a warm sunny day.
The kiss seems to last forever, but not nearly long enough. When Conrad steps out in his own clothes, Brooks gives me one last kiss before stepping away.
They both turn down the hallway, retrieving their shoes. Brooks slides into his without lacing them up while Conrad bends down, taking the time to tie his.
I follow them out into the garage, pressing the button to open the door. The concrete is freezing under my bare feet, but I continue after them. They come to a halt just before leaving the dry space in the garage.
Each one takes their turn giving me a brief kiss before walking to their work truck. Conrad slides into the driver’s seat, while Brooks leans out the passenger window.
“Get inside, Trouble.” He looks down at my scrunched-up toes. “Don’t want you freezing those cute toes off.”
Conrad starts up the truck, so I shout, “Do you have a foot fetish, Mr. Thompson?”
“I think I have a Hadley fetish.”
I laugh, looking from him to his brother. Conrad gives me a warm smile and a wink before driving down the street.
What the hell is happening? How am I already feeling like this? For two guys? Three, actually.
Austin, Conrad, and Brooks all have a power over me I don’t understand, but I know the way I feel when I’m around them isn’t something I want to go away anytime soon.