Chapter 9
A big, shiny black truck pulls into my driveway two minutes before noon on Sunday, and a moment later, heavy footsteps on my front steps precede a knock on my door.
Felix and Jasper are both in jeans as usual, but Jasper’s in a dark blue flannel shirt, the rolled-up sleeves displaying his strong, inked forearms, and Felix is wearing a long-sleeved black waffle weave shirt that makes me want to cling to his broad chest like a koala in a eucalyptus tree.
“Ready to go?” Felix asks.
It’s colder than yesterday, but clear and sunny, and the bright light helps me not get too caught up in memories of what happened on the porch last night. Not that I’ve thought of much else since.
“How was church?” I ask.
Jasper grumbles, and Felix says, “Fine.”
“And your gran?” I grab my coat, lock the door, and follow them out to the truck, where Felix helps me up on the passenger side, then climbs in to sit beside me on the bench seat.
When Jasper gets behind the wheel, I’m between the two brothers, and it’s starting to become my favorite place to be.
“Gran’s fine. She said to tell you hello.”
I give Felix a look, certain he’s joking, but then not sure at all.
“Want some coffee?” He reaches across me to pluck one of the three travel mugs from the console. “There’s cream and sugar in it.”
“That sounds great. Thank you.” After I take the mug from him, he reaches down past my legs to retrieve a small paper bag. “And oatmeal cookies from Gran.”
“Really?”
He pulls one out and hands it to me, then passes a cookie to Jasper, and sticks one in his mouth as a place to hold it while he closes the bag.
“Homemade cookies. What a treat,” I say, breaking off a small piece and immediately eating it.
Felix shakes his head as he snaps off a piece of the cookie in his mouth. “Not homemade. Gran doesn’t bake, but she knows a good bakery.”
“Ah, well, just as good. Thank you for sharing.”
I’m so busy nibbling and enjoying the coffee, which has the perfect amount of sugar, that I don’t notice we’re leaving the island, until we’re crossing the bridge.
“Where are you headed?”
Both brothers give me curious looks. “To a tree farm,” Jasper says. “You wanted to get a Christmas tree, right?”
“I usually just buy one of the trees they sell in the grocery store parking lot.”
“Fresh cut is better,” Jasper says. “It’s not that far.”
“We’ll get you home in plenty of time for your dinner,” Felix says, and I feel guilty when it takes me a moment to remember what dinner he’s talking about. Can I blame last night’s kisses for nearly making me forget about Nick and Rudy? Yes, definitely.
I ask the Winter brothers about their family and learn that their grandma and grandpa are the only relatives they have nearby. Their parents and sister are still in Virginia, but the men moved here because they always liked the area.
They ask me about my family and my job, and then I find out that they work as mechanics during the day.
“Ah, just like your Club Red act,” I say, recalling the part where they came out in blue coveralls with grease marks on their face, and did all sorts of sexy things that involved holding big wrenches between their legs.
Jasper snorts and shakes his head.
“How did you like that?” Felix asks.
“Your show was a huge tease. You told me you take it all off, but you really don’t.”
Both men look incredibly amused by my complaint, and I realize that I’ve just revealed how badly I was hoping to see them naked.
“We do take it all off,” Felix says. “We just keep some parts covered.”
“Damn cowboy hats,” I mumble, knowing I’ll get a laugh out of them.
“We’ll show you everything anytime you want to see it,” Jasper says as he makes a left turn onto a narrow road, and I have to employ a good bit of willpower to pretend I didn’t hear that.
“How’d you end up working at Club Red, by the way?”
Felix shrugs. “Probably the same way as almost everyone else there. We wanted extra money.”
“We’ve been able to help our grandparents fix up their house,” Jasper says.
“That’s really nice.” It’s more information to add to my evolving view of the Winter brothers. They seem more like real men now, not just bad boys, though that’s definitely still a big part of them.
If I wasn’t also seeing Nick and Rudy, would I fall into bed with Felix and Jasper, no matter how bad of an idea that would be? I’m pretty sure I would. They seem like they’d be worth the inevitable broken heart.
The three of us wander through the rows of firs at the tree farm, and though I’m not at all picky about my selection as long as it fits in my house, I take a while to decide, because I’m in no rush to leave such a nice place when I’m with such good company.
When I finally make a choice, Jasper saws down the tree, and I enjoy watching him do it. Felix carries it back to the entrance, where Jasper proceeds to pay for the tree, no matter how much I argue.
“Consider it us giving you your money back, since you were unhappy with our performance at Club Red last night,” he says, smirking, and all I can do is shake my head.
Back at my house, they also insist on putting the tree up for me, and helping me string the lights and wrap the garland.
For some reason, decorating the tree with them feels intimate, as if we’re a family. It’s a strange thing to be doing with men I haven’t even known for a week, but it also feels very comfortable and natural. Cupid thinks so, too. She’s been watching the whole time, from the back of a chair.
“I’m so grateful for your help,” I tell them. “My dad usually helps me get a tree, but I was planning to ask a friend’s husband this year.”
“No problem,” Jasper says.
“Would you like help with the ornaments, or do you need to get ready for your date?” Felix asks.
I check my watch. There’s still a little time to spare, and though I’m excited to have my tree finished, I can think of a better use of our time than hanging bulbs. “I should get ready soon, but I want to thank you properly first.”
Felix is the closest to me, so I put my hands on his shoulders and stretch to reach his mouth. He seems surprised at first, but he quickly meets me halfway, sliding his arms around my waist as our lips touch.
He tastes like coffee and cinnamon, but beyond that, there’s his own raw essence that I discovered yesterday and have been thinking about ever since. These men make me hungry for them.
He caresses my back and pulls me closer, as I wrap my arms around his neck and mold myself to him.
I never want it to end, but I haven’t forgotten about Jasper. This time, I’m the one who pulls away first, only to turn and throw myself at Felix’s older brother.
There are similarities and differences in the way they kiss, and it’s become my new favorite thing to explore.
Our mouths still tangling, Jasper moves us over to the couch, and alarm bells go off in my head. Danger! Danger! He doesn’t lie down, but it’s a slippery slope.
“Do you need to get that?” he asks, his mouth still close to mine.
“Hmm?”
His hand slides over the pocket on my backside. “Your phone is pinging. Do you need to check it?” He pulls back further, making me sad. “Might be your dates.”
“Oh.” I pull out my phone and find two separate text messages, one from Nick, the other from Rudy. Both messages are brief, and all I need is a quick scan to see that they’re just sweet little notes saying they’re looking forward to seeing me tonight.
Jasper’s brows lift, questioning. “It was the Frost brothers,” I tell him, and he nods once. “Does it bother you that I’m seeing them?”
Before he can answer, Felix sits down on my other side. “We get that you need to try them out, but we know you’ll realize you like us more.”
Jasper doesn’t say anything, but runs a hand through my hair in a way that’s very distracting.
“We know we can make you feel better than anyone else can,” Felix says, right before he pulls me into another kiss and demonstrates his assertion.
As Felix kisses me, Jasper continues to stroke my hair, then my back, and as soon as Felix breaks our kiss, Jasper turns me toward him, and picks up right where his brother left off. It’s wonderful being between them like this.
But just like last night, it’s over all too soon, and they leave me wanting more.
They say goodbye to Cupid with a couple of ear rubs, they each kiss me again, and then they’re gone.
I’m pretty sure Felix is right about them being able to make me feel better than a man ever has, but I can’t choose men based solely on how they make my body feel. There has to be more to it than that.
I’m not young anymore, and when I date, it’s not just to fool around. I want to find my person. Based on the information I have so far, Nick and Rudy seem like they might be the types to have long-term potential, but I can’t seem to resist the pull toward Felix and Jasper.