Men of Fortune 1: Derek by Sienna Matthews

How
could such big men be full with a few leaves? They need carbs and
protein. Even if she and Derek were having problems, the least they
could do was feed their guests well.
    “Oh, man,” Adam wailed when he saw her
coming out with the tray of food. “I thought you said salad?” He
shot Derek a look that said “traitor”.
    Carly stopped midway to the table and aimed
Derek a look of her own. “You were serious?”
    “The guys are on a diet,” he replied, his
eyes sliding away from her gaze to glance at each of his
cousins.
    Seriously? was her incredulous thought even as she
noted he was lying again. The realization weighed heavy on her. She
really needed to have that talk with him. No more delay, no matter
how it might hurt.
    “Just for tonight,” Oliver assured her.
Rather hastily, she thought. “We all had a big lunch.”
    “Very well. We can have the chicken and
salad then. It’ll take me a few minutes to toss one though.” She
turned to go back to the kitchen, the big bowl of mouthwatering (if
she may say so) spaghetti still in her hands. “I’ll just keep
this—”
    “No, no.” Adam rescued the bowl from her and
placed it rather firmly on the table. Then he plunked himself down
on one of the seats. “I’m sure we can find room for a few strands.”
He gestured toward the empty seats. “Come, sit, everyone. I’m
hungry.”
    Mystified, Carly let herself be persuaded,
and she sat at one end of the rectangular table with Adam and
Oliver on her left and right side respectively. Derek sat at the
other end, with Nathan on his left and Matthias on his right.
    One thing did strike her as inconsistent and
she had no trouble expressing herself. Other women might be
tongue-tied in the presence of so much male beauty and virility,
but not her. Oh, she found Derek’s cousins attractive enough, with
the kind of masculinity that would turn any living woman’s head,
but she was in love with Derek and thus had eyes only for him.
    “Hmm. How could you be hungry when you’re
full?” she asked Adam sweetly.
    Adam choked on a mouthful of noodles.
    “I think Adam meant—”
    “Can’t Adam talk for himself?” she
interrupted Oliver in the same sweet tone.
    Something was going on among the men, she
was sure of that. A funny vibe vibrated among them, and though they
were relaxed, she couldn’t help but sense that it was a touch
forced.
    Adam chased down the food with some beer.
“Honey, I just meant that your food’s so delicious my full stomach couldn’t
help rumbling and I just had to have a bite. Or several.”
    She grinned, appeased. Nothing was sexier
than a man who loved food. “All right. Help yourself to more.”
    The conversation and the banter became
easier after that. Though she’d met Derek’s cousins only thrice,
they included her in the discussion as though they were all
long-time friends. The talk meandered from family and common
friends to politics to the latest movie.
    She noted that though each of the men took a
small helping of spaghetti, Adam included, they did concentrate
their meals on the chicken. Perhaps there was some truth to Derek’s
word. Her heart lightened. Perhaps she couldn’t read Derek as well
as she thought after all, and that meant Derek might not be lying
that morning at the breakfast table.
    She was so engrossed in her thoughts that it
was a while before she registered a crawling sensation on her calf.
A mosquito? Or one of those big, red ants? She shuddered. No,
please.
    She moved her leg away and was relieved when
the sensation went away. A mosquito then. She’d have to get Derek
to spray—
    It was back, and now it had crawled up to
her thigh. What the—
    It was a hand, a man’s hand on her left
thigh caressing her through the thin fabric of her skirt. What
the—
    Shocked, her gaze swung to Adam, who was on
her left. He ate and laughed as though nothing of the ordinary had
happened. Was she going nuts? No, because his right hand was
missing, that is, she