11
E rin stepped out of the shower, grabbed her towel, dried off, and hung it over the rail. She grabbed her lotion and left the bathroom. Cruz and Paetyn were taking her out to dinner for her birthday.
She’d enjoyed the weekend she’d spent with Chayse and Alijah. They’d decided to check into a hotel and enjoy all the amenities. It worked out well for all of them. Erin hadn’t been in the mood to travel since she’d done so the two days before for a convention, and Chayse would be leaving for her cruise Sunday afternoon.
After moisturizing, Erin decided on a perfume before spraying some on. She stared at the dress on the back of her closet door. It was black, covering the shoulder on the right with one long sleeve. The other side of it was bare, and a split on the left-hand side up to her thigh. Erin didn’t know where they were taking her for dinner, but Paetyn told her he’d made reservations, so she knew the dress would be appropriate.
Erin had put her hair in curling rods a couple of hours earlier. She knew it wasn’t long enough for them to curl tight but give her the desired effect. As she took them down, Erin ran her fingers through each one. Once they were all taken down, she used the mixture of leave-in conditioner and water in her spray bottle before running her brush through it, getting the desired look.
After doing her edges, Erin sprayed some holding spray on her hair. Grabbing her towel, she wiped hair and product from her shoulders and chest. She did her makeup while waiting for her hair’s dampness to dry.
When finished, she checked herself in the mirror, returned to her bedroom, grabbed the dress, and stepped into it. It hugged her in all the right places, flattering her curves.
Erin put on the crimson pumps, which she paired with the dress. Going to her dresser, she grabbed a pair of dangling white gold earrings and the matching bracelet.
She picked up her clutch, checked that she had everything she needed, and, with one last look at herself, went into her living room. Picking up the remote, she turned the television on. She had about ten minutes before Paetyn and Cruz were due to pick her up.
Erin was still flipping through channels, trying to find something to watch while she waited, when there was a knock on her door. Turning the television off, she went to the door. She glanced at the panel, seeing them on the other side.
When she opened the door, she immediately took them in. She started with Cruz, wearing a black button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone, exposing his chest. The sleeves rolled up his forearms. He had on a pair of black slacks and loafers, and Erin couldn’t help but lick her lips as she looked at him.
Her eyes then shifted to Paetyn, dressed similarly, except he wore a white dress shirt with a couple of buttons left open and a black jacket over it. It had been too long since Erin had any because she felt herself getting wet looking at them.
She’d asked herself before why they were so attractive, and she knew she’d never get an answer. However, she was in no way complaining because she got to call them hers, and Erin was coming to like that more and more.
Cruz tipped her chin and kissed her softly, Paetyn following suit when Cruz pulled away. While Erin was grateful she didn’t have to retouch her lipstick, she was disappointed because she’d come to enjoy how they kissed her.
“You look beautiful, Angel,” Paetyn complimented.
“Beautiful is an understatement,” Cruz stated.
“Thank you. You both look very rideable,” Erin responded with a sly smile.
Cruz pulled her flush against him, and Erin placed her free hand on his shoulder. “Be careful, Ma?y. We may not make it to the restaurant.”
“That sounds very compelling, but I was promised a birthday dinner,”Erin responded. She enjoyed making teasing comments and seeing them react. Erin was well aware eventually they would stop reacting and act, and when they did she knew she’d enjoy it.
“Then I suppose we should keep that promise,”Paetyn responded. “Are you ready?”
Erin nodded, and Cruz released her. She set the alarm before turning the light out. Closing the door, Erin locked it before intertwining her fingers with Paetyn’s and slipping her arm through Cruz’s. Paetyn opened the passenger side door for her while Cruz approached the driver’s side.
Once everyone was situated in the car, they headed towards the restaurant. Erin surfed through the radio stations before settling on some soft RnB.
They pulled up twenty minutes later at Eden’s Garden . Paetyn helped her out of the car, and Cruz came around, his jacket thrown over his shoulder, and he took her other hand in his free one.
Erin allowed them to lead her inside. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t excited to spend her birthday with them. It’d been years since she’d been in a relationship during her birthday, and while she enjoyed spending it with her friends and family, she’d missed the intimacy of spending it with a significant other.
C ruz pulled out Erin’s chair before sitting to her left at the round table. They’d learned that she liked to see them both when they were together, so they asked for a round table specifically. It allowed her that, and them to still be close to her.
“This is a beautiful restaurant,”Erin stated, looking around.
Cruz nodded in agreement. It was a nice restaurant known for its delicious food, drinks, and service. When deciding where to take her for her birthday dinner, Paetyn ruled out any of his restaurants since they’d taken her to The Pits on their first date, and she’d also been to Bliss .
Their server approached the table, bringing a wine list and menus. The young lady handed the wine list to Paetyn, who passed it on to Erin, deferring the choice to her. Erin looked it over as the server poured glasses of water for each of them.
She chose two different bottles of white wine, a sweet and a semi-sweet. Cruz was surprised she’d chosen those but remembered that the menus had no prices. So, she didn’t know how expensive they were because Cruz knew she would have chosen something different. He didn’t feel the need to tell her. Neither he nor Paetyn cared what she spent. At some point, he wanted her to realize that.
When the server left to retrieve the wine requested, the three looked over their menus. After a couple of moments, Cruz heard Erin sigh, and he and Paetyn placed their menus down to look at her.
“I can’t decide between the lamb and the veal,”she stated when she noticed they were looking at her.
“I think you’ll like the lamb better, Angel.”
Erin nodded, placing her menu down, and Cruz picked his back up. Once he decided on rib-eye, he set the menu aside and reached over, taking Erin’s hand. He ran his thumb over the back of it.
“Paetyn and I have a surprise for you after dinner.”
Erin looked him up and down. “One surprise,”she said, turning her attention to Paetyn. “Or two?”Her tongue came out to touch her bottom lip, and both men chuckled.
They’d planned on giving her the kind of surprise she was inquiring about, but after discussing it, they decided to wait until they took her away for the weekend. Cruz knew they would need the time because nothing would be quick about it.
“There are two surprises,”Paetyn responded. “But we’ll tell you about one now.”
The conversation paused as the server came back with the wine and glasses. They placed their orders, Erin cutting her eyes at Paetyn when he ordered the veal before shaking her head with a smile. Once they were alone again, Cruz picked up the conversation where they’d left off.
“We want to take you on a weekend birthday trip. We’ll leave Friday morning and come back Sunday evening.”
Erin smiled at them. “I’m sure me telling you that you don’t have to do that will be ignored. So, thank you. That sounds like fun. What time are we leaving Friday morning?”
“Ten,”Paetyn responded. “We’ll come over at about nine-thirty.”
“Do I get to know where we’re going, or do I have to wait?”
“Glenwood Springs. It isn’t too far,”Cruz informed.
They lapsed into a conversation about the photo shoot all the men participated in the week before for Gorgeous’ June issue and a couple of tattoos Erin did for some of Chayse’s co-workers. She told them she was considering attending another convention at the end of the month.
Cruz wasn’t sure when Erin would open the shop once they gave it to her. They’d done everything aside from naming it. Once Erin did, they would have a sign made and some advertising done. He’d installed the security system and loaded Erin’s profile.
They continued their dinner as they talked, both men occasionally offering Erin bites of their food. She agreed with Paetyn. Though the veal was good, she preferred the lamb.
Once they were finished with dinner, they ordered dessert, and as they waited for it, Cruz refilled their wine glasses. Erin took a drink before leaning back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other.
“So, Alijah was talking about a couple’s trip in August or September,”Erin informed them. “She doesn’t know where or anything. She brought it up when we were helping her move things around.”
Cruz nodded along with Paetyn. Wherever they went, the end of September would be better. The show that wanted Paetyn to be a judge now had a time frame in which they would be shooting. Their studio forced them to pick a time to shoot even without his answer to reserve production. So, if Paetyn decided to judge, he’d be doing so for four weeks: the last two weeks of August and the first two weeks of September.
“When the three of you decide where you want to go, let us know,”Cruz stated.
When their dessert arrived, Cruz focused on how Erin would lick her fork after each bite of Key Lime pie. She was doing it on purpose, teasing them, but Cruz didn’t mind because come the weekend, he’d be able to make her pay for it.
“Keep licking your fork like that, andI’mgoing to put your tongue to better use,”Paetyn told her in Spanish.
“Do you promise?”Erin inquired in kind, and Cruz lifted an eyebrow.He’dheard that Erin could speak Spanish, but in the almost two years he’d known her, he hadn’t heard her do so.
Paetyn chuckled. “I do.”
When the bill was brought, Cruz placed his credit card on the small tray, handing it back to their server. When it was brought back to them, he signed the receipt while Paetyn handed some cash to the young lady as a tip.
Erin took his hand as they left, slipping her arm through Paetyn’s. Their next destination, her shop.
P aetyn blindfolded Erin five minutes before they got to their destination. He knew she would recognize the area they were going to and didn’t want her guessing before they arrived. He’d been prepared and grabbed one out of his playroom before they’d left home.
When they pulled up in front of the building, Paetyn exited the car and opened Erin’s door. He helped her out, pulling her to him as he closed the car door. Paetyn took the keys to the building out of his pocket and tossed them to Cruz before picking Erin up, eliciting a gasp from her.
“Don’t worry, Angel. I’ve got you.”
Cruz unlocked the door, walked inside, and turned on the light while he held it open as Paetyn carried Erin through. He placed her on her feet, positioning her so she’d be able to see most of the area. He stood behind her, his hands on her waist, as Cruz carefully removed her blindfold.
Her head slowly began to pan the room, and she stepped out of his grasp and walked further into the building. Paetyn watched as she ran her fingers along the sofa against the wall near the door.
She touched the plant beside it before looking over the decor on the wall above the couch. Then, she smelled one of the small plants on the table between the sofa and the larger plant. She continued to the drink and snack station that was set up.
He and Cruz stood out of the way as she went to the reception desk next to the large window. The desktop was glass, and they’d added a point-of-sale system and different small decorative items, such as a couple of candles and tattoo books. A vase with flowers and a large plant were sitting on a stool behind the desk in the corner.
Pegs on the wall behind the desk had faux plants hanging from them and a mirror above them. They’d chosen a brown desk chair and gotten a safe behind the desk to lock up any cash customers paid with. Cruz re-outfitted it with a security panel that could be opened only with Erin’s fingerprint, and they’d had it secured to the floor.
Erin moved to the tattoo stations, and her hand ran over one of the chairs. The dark-colored chairs and stools were offset by gray station drawers, which Erin was opening, and glass-topped rolling design tables with chrome-illuminating lights.
There were mirrors between the three stations, and shelves were mounted to hold different decorations to complement those on the wall. There was a camera in the lefthand corner, one of five housed by the building: four inside and one outside over the door.
Paetyn watched as she opened the door to the private room; he knew what she’d find inside—a similar setup to that in the main area, each side with its own mirror.
“What do you think she’s thinking?”Cruz questioned.
“I think she’s thinking of ways to protest, so be prepared for that,” Paetyn responded.
“Eventually, she will have to get tired of doing that.”
Paetyn agreed with him, but he knew it would take some time. It wasn’t as if they’d been together for years. It was hard for her to accept them wanting to do things for her and take care of her, and they hadn’t been together for a month.
When Erin left the room, she went to the back of the building. Hidden on the other side of the wall was a deep green couch, a yellow chair, and a table on a white and gray rug. They’d added a couple of pillows to the sofa.
“This is…amazing. It is, and I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful, but it’s a lot,” Erin stated. “I know how much these stations and the ink you bought cost. And I truly appreciate it, but add this to the security system, letting me use your plane, the birthday trip, and—”
Paetyn cut her off, pulling her to him and covering her lips with his. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and led her in the kiss, effectively silencing her protest. Paetyn wasn’t naive enough to think it would stop her protest entirely, but he knew it would knock her off balance for a minute, effectively knocking the wind out of her sails.
When they pulled apart, he gripped her chin, his green eyes staring into her deep brown ones. “This is a birthday present. At some point, Angel, you’ll have to realize that both of your men are fully capable of paying for whatever you need and want.”
“It’s the perks of making ten figures,”Cruz informed her.
Erin pulled her face from Paetyn’s grip, her attention snapping to Cruz. “That’s…”she trailed off.
“It is,”Cruz responded, knowing what she was trying to say. “So, let us spend what we want to on you.”
Paetyn watched Erin think about it before sighing. “Will you at least let me pay you monthly rent?”
“No,”he and Cruz answered together.
“The utilities, then?”Erin then tried.
Paetyn shared a look with Cruz, andthey agreed to it. “Fine,”Paetyn told her. “I’ll get you the information you need.”
She nodded. “Thank you for my birthday present. I don’t think I could have asked for anything better.”She kissed him again before stepping out of his embrace and into Cruz’s.
Paetyn went to the private room, turning the lights out before closing the door. He went back over to Cruz and Erin as she was being kissed breathless. When they pulled apart, Paetyn took the keys from Cruz, pulled off one of the extra building keys, and handed it to Erin.
“You’llhave to think of a name, Angel,”Paetyn told her as the three headed out the door. Cruz used his credentials to set the alarm.
“I will.”
The drive to Erin’s apartment was filled with her tossing around different names only to throw them out after speaking them. When they arrived, they walked her to the door and kissed her goodnight. Cruz promised she could have the other surprise she wanted during the upcoming weekend.
They’d both decided to wait till the weekend before sliding between her thighs. It was about as far as either of their patience would go. Birthday sex was always nice, but the amount of time they needed and planned on taking, they wouldn’t have since Cruz had to fly out of the city at six the following morning to see a client. Naturally, he’d been willing to reschedule, but he’d already done so twice.
Once they were back in the car, Cruz said, “She’s going to be mad when she finds out we’re not actually letting her pay any bills.”
“I’m banking on her being more accepting of us doing things for her by the time she finds out,”Paetyn responded. “I’ll have a miscellaneous account opened for it to go into, and when we’re no longer battling her with this, I’ll give it to her.”
Cruz nodded before pulling out of the parking lot. Paetyn would do it tomorrow morning before doing a surprise inspection at Aefinity.