Chapter 7
After a quick trip to the restroom to check my appearance, I sit on a bench in the lobby to wait for the men, and after a few minutes, I start to wonder exactly what I’m waiting for.
I doubt they simply want to get my feedback about the show. Will we hang out? Will they press for something more?
I take a deep breath and try to get the logical part of my brain firmly locked in, because I don’t want to do anything rash. Of course, my body is craving these men after what I just watched, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to act on impulse.
After several hurtful experiences, I’ve learned that I’m not a person who can have casual sex without getting my feelings involved.
As exciting and no doubt pleasurable as one night with either one of them would be, it would probably leave me craving more and more, which would be especially awkward since we’ll be seeing each other every Saturday until Christmas.
When Felix and Jasper come out, they’re wearing jeans and t-shirts again, and though their stage costumes were fun—they were firefighters and then mechanics after their cowboy sheriff act—it’s nice to see them back in their regular attire.
“Want to go for a ride?” Jasper asks, and my brain is apparently not in the right place, because I instantly get a flashback of the two of them pumping their hips on stage like they were fucking the air.
“A ride?”
“On our bikes.” Felix holds out his hand to help me up, and his skin seems to burn into mine.
“There’s a bar we like on the other end of the island. We could ride out there,” Jasper says.
“Um … okay. Is it okay to leave my car here?”
“Do you have a jacket in your car?” Felix asks. When I shake my head, he says, “You’ll need warmer clothes. Do you live nearby? How about we follow you to your house so you can change? You’ll need different shoes, too.”
“Oh. Okay.”
They walk me to my car, and then I have the nerve-racking experience of driving back to my house while the two of them trail after me on their bikes, the rumble of their engines causing similar rumbling deep in my belly.
This is not how I imagined my night going.
At my house, they follow me to my door, and I invite them in. It would be rude to make them wait on the porch, but once they’re inside, that feels like a mistake, too. My house isn’t that big, and the bedroom seems dangerously near.
Cupid usually hides under my bed when strangers come to the door, but she’s waiting for me in the living room, and she doesn’t flee when she sees my guests.
“Hey, who’s this?” Felix crouches down, and to my amazement, Cupid gets up and goes right to him. She rubs against his leg, then accepts scratches under her chin, and is it weird that I’m jealous of my cat?
“Her name’s Cupid. I adopted her from the shelter.” As Felix makes her purr, I ask, “You like cats?”
He frowns at me as if to say, who wouldn’t like cats? “Of course.”
When Felix gets up, Jasper takes his turn, treating my girl with a tenderness that warms my heart.
“Would you like something to drink?” I offer.
Jasper shakes his head, and Felix says, “No thanks. It won’t take us long to get to the bar.”
I change into warmer clothing and put on a pair of ankle boots, and once again tell Cupid I’ll see her later. This time, she seems sad to see me—and the Winter brothers—go.
Felix takes my hand as we go down the front steps and leads me over to his bike, a move that earns him a glare from his brother. “Have you ridden before?” Felix asks.
When I shake my head, he gives me some dos and don’ts, then produces an extra helmet from his luggage net and fits it on me.
“Do you always carry a spare?”
“You never know when a pretty woman will want a ride,” Felix says, making this sound absolutely filthy.
Jasper’s been watching us with concern in his furrowed brow, and I get the distinct impression that he’s the older brother.
Felix mounts his bike, possibly looking hotter than he ever has, and gives me the signal to join him. “Most importantly, hold on tight,” he tells me as I climb on behind him.
They seem like normal guys right now, albeit incredibly sexy ones, but as I tentatively place my hands on either side of his waist, I’m reminded that he and Jasper are the men I was ogling at Club Red tonight.
This is not exactly what I was fantasizing about when I watched them onstage, but it’s pretty close. We all have too many clothes on, but my body doesn’t seem to know the difference, as my nipples go hard and heat pools between my spread legs.
“Tighter,” Felix says, pulling my hands further around him until my chest is pressed up against his back and my fingers are splayed across his abs, which are every bit as solid as they looked.
I never imagined myself on a bike, nor did I have any particular desire to ride one, but I like this very much. It’s already exciting, even before we pull out of my driveway, and it gets even better as we put my neighborhood behind us.
I get the sense that Felix is taking it easy, not going too fast, and I appreciate it. The bike offers a new vantage point, making the familiar scenery of the island seem brand new. It’s especially beautiful tonight, with holiday lights already lining the streets, and many of the houses decorated.
All too soon, we reach our destination, a lively place called Rusty’s. I was here once before, brought by a date who ended up having too much to drink. The night came to an abrupt end when he threw up in the parking lot and I summoned rideshares for each of us. Good times.
It’s easy to shake off the bad memory as Jasper holds out his hand to help me off the bike. He assists with my helmet as well, then takes my hand again to escort me to the bar’s entrance, with Felix on my other side.
Inside, a beautiful blonde woman is playing a guitar and singing. She has a great voice, and the patrons seem to really be into it. At first, I think we won’t find a table, but Jasper spots one in a back corner and leads us over.
We must be near a speaker, because the music is especially loud where we’re seated. Even though we’re close together, Jasper needs to lean in to be heard, his lips right next to my ear, his breath warm on my skin. “What would you like to drink?”
Little shivers shimmer through me, making it hard to think straight, but I eventually decide I’d better stick to something close to the martini I had at the club. “I’ll … have a gin and tonic.”
Jasper nods and heads to the bar, leaving me with Felix.
“How old are you two?” I ask, raising my voice and leaning his way.
“I’m 28. He’s 29,” Felix says. “And you?”
“Same as you,” I tell him. “Did you grow up around here?” I’m certain he and Jasper did not attend my school.
He shakes his head, but doesn’t elaborate, and maybe that’s because the singer is hitting a couple of high notes on the ballad she’s singing. I turn my attention to her, but I’m constantly aware of the part of my leg that’s pressing against Felix’s.
We both applaud when the song comes to an end, and then Felix’s hand lands on my knee. “We grew up in Virginia.”
It’s so hard to act normal when his lips are so close to my face, and his hand is touching my leg, but I manage to nod.
“What about you?” he asks. I should be used to his scent after riding over here with my body wrapped around his, but the spiciness of his cologne makes my mouth water.
“Um … I grew up here. I’ve always lived on the island.”
He nods approvingly, keeping his hand where it is. “Nice.”
Jasper returns then, setting my glass in front of me, and one of the two beer bottles in his other hand in front of his brother. He leans back when he takes his seat, and drapes his arm across the back of my chair.
Aside from my coffee shop visit with Nick and Rudy, I’ve never been out with two men, and it’s wildly stimulating. I feel surrounded by them in the very best way, connected to them both, and so turned on I’m surprised I’m not squirming in my chair.
No matter how many times I tell myself that Jasper and Felix are not my type, my body vehemently disagrees.