Chapter 1 #2
“Says the man who looks like he was carved from stone by someone with very specific fantasies.” James replies smoothly. “Where’s Luca got to? I thought you two were inseparable.”
“He’s around. Probably documenting his arms for social media.”
I’m staring between them. Processing. They clearly know each other.
Friends, maybe? The easy way they banter suggests more than just acquaintances.
A tattooed carpenter who orders drinks with filthy names.
A British audiobook narrator whose voice has gotten me through more lonely nights than I care to admit.
Both looking at me like I’m exactly what they hoped to find tonight.
This doesn’t happen to girls like me.
“So, Rebecca.” The way he pronounces my full name makes my stomach flutter. “Have you had the opportunity to meet your favourite author yet?”
“Tomorrow morning. She’s on a panel.” Words come out steadier than I feel. “I’ve read everything she’s written. Listened to every interview. Joined her Facebook group.”
He lifts his glass. Small toast. “Then I sincerely hope she lives up to your expectations.”
“She already is.” The words slip out. I glance between them.
The atmosphere shifts, heavier and charged.
Leo’s watching me now, something heated in his expression. James tilts his head. Assessing. Like he’s working out exactly how to take me apart.
I’m caught between them. Pulse racing. Like I’ve fallen into one of those reverse harem books I’ve been reading. Where the heroine doesn’t have to choose.
Except this isn’t a book. This is real life. Isn’t it?
My skin feels too tight. Too warm. An ache builds low in my belly. Nothing to do with the alcohol. Everything to do with the way they’re looking at me.
A new voice slides in behind me. Warm. Teasing.
“Now this looks like the place to be.”
I turn.
Fuck me.
Tall, tan, and stupidly gorgeous. Golden-boy glow that probably has its own filter. Scruffy stubble, a smile that could sell anything, and a tank top that should be illegal.
Easy confidence. Like he’s never met a room he didn’t light up.
His gaze drops to my chest. My convention lanyard.
I move to cover it.
He catches my wrist, gentle and warm. “Hey now, don’t hide that. I love a woman who reads.”
His eyes linger—not just on the badge but on the curves the emerald dress shows off. Then meet my face again with open appreciation.
“Rebecca. That’s a beautiful name. Suits you perfectly.” He grins. “And that dress? Fucking gorgeous on you.”
I flush. Unused to this kind of direct attention. “Thanks.”
“I mean it. You’ve got curves that would make any photographer weep with joy.” His smile is warm and genuine. “Trust me, I work with beautiful women every day. You? You’re the real thing.”
“And you are?”
“Luca.” He flashes his own convention badge. “Cover model. You might’ve seen my abs on BookTok.”
“And there he is.” James sounds fond and exasperated. “Marginally less insufferable when he’s not discussing his physique.”
“Hey, the abs pay my rent.” Luca protests cheerfully. “How’s the new audiobook coming along?”
“Nearly finished. Mafia romance. I find I quite enjoy narrating those.”
I blink between them. “Okay. So I’m surrounded by...” I gesture at James, then Luca, then look at Leo. “A narrator, a cover model, and a chippy?”
“Ruggedly handsome tradie sounds better,” Leo says with a grin.
James sips his drink. Amusement flickering in those grey eyes. “This does rather resemble the beginning of a questionable romance novel.”
“Like the one you’re reading?” Leo nods at Amplified still sitting on the bar beside my drink. “Four rockstars. One lucky woman.”
Heat crawls up my neck. “It’s—it’s just a book.”
“Is it though?” Luca asks, leaning closer. “Because from where I’m sitting, you’ve got three men who are very interested in making sure you have an unforgettable night.”
My breath catches. “I—what?”
“He’s saying we’re not here by accident, love,” James clarifies, his voice dropping to that register. “The three of us. You. I hope this attraction isn’t one-sided.”
“We’re very good friends,” Leo adds, his hand sliding to my lower back. “We share everything. Including, on occasion, beautiful women who catch our attention.”
Oh my god. They’re serious. They’re actually—
“And you’ve definitely caught our attention,” Luca finishes.
I stare at them. My pulse is racing. “So you’re saying… you three… with me.”
“Only if you want it,” James says quickly. “But yes. That’s precisely what we’re suggesting.”
“Sounds like a sex dream,” I whisper.
Oh my God. Did I just say that out loud?
Leo’s expression widens with delight. “A very dirty sex dream.”
Luca settles against the bar beside me. Close enough that I catch his scent—citrus and sunshine and warm skin.
“Only if you want it to be, beautiful.”
The words hang between us. Heavy with invitation.
I look at all three of them. Pulse hammering.
They’re not serious.
But I can see they are. Leo’s gaze has gone predatory, pupils blown wide. James has gone perfectly still, like a hunter who’s just spotted prey, jaw tight with restraint. Luca is looking at me like he wants to unwrap me slowly and savour every second.
Heat pools low in my belly. I press my thighs together under the bar.
This can’t be real.
“This is insane.” I whisper. “This doesn’t happen. Not to me.”
“Maybe.” Leo’s voice drops lower. Rougher. “You deserve one night where you don’t think. Don’t explain. Don’t plan. Just feel.”
My breath catches.
“This only happens if you want it to,” Luca says, his voice gentle despite the heat in his eyes.
James sets down his glass. Careful precision. “Simply say the word. We’ll leave. No awkwardness. No pressure whatsoever.”
“And if I don’t?” Barely above a whisper.
Leo leans in close enough that his breath ghosts across my ear, sending shivers down my spine. His hand comes to rest on my lower back, possessive and warm through the thin fabric.
“Then we make sure you never forget tonight. Every touch. Every sound you make. Every way we’re going to worship this gorgeous body.”
Oh God.
My breath catches. My thighs clench.
I’m already wet just from the promise in his voice.
My heart stutters. Stops. Restarts at double time.
I could walk away. Should walk away. This is reckless. Crazy. Completely unlike the girl who plans everything and reads the last page first.
But maybe that’s exactly why I should stay.
I’m tired of being careful. Tired of colouring inside the lines. Maybe I want to be the heroine who says yes to adventure. Who lives like the women in my favourite books. Who takes what she wants instead of waiting for permission.
Maybe, just this once, I want to be brave.
I look at Leo, all tattoos and confidence and barely leashed hunger. At James, elegant control wrapped around something dark and wanting. At Luca, golden warmth barely concealing the heat underneath.
Three men who should be strangers but somehow feel like they’re offering me exactly what I didn’t know I needed.
“Only for tonight.” My voice only trembles slightly.
Leo’s smile is slow and devastating.
He offers his hand. This time when I take it, his fingers close around mine with firm possession.
It feels like stepping off a cliff.
I take it anyway.