there are other
reasons.” She took a quick sip before her mouth went completely dry. “But I’d
rather not … talk about it, okay?”
“I understand,” Parker said,
nodding. “You know nothing about us. We’re new to you.”
She blew out a breath, and looked
down at her trembling hands.
Keep it together, girl.
“Here, I’ll go first,” Erik said,
moving away from the block and dropping his plate into the sink with a jarring
clang. He turned back toward them, leaning his butt against the edge of the
sink. “Parker’s right. We haven’t said crap about ourselves. So, here’s my
deal. When I can get away from school, these two jerk offs let me visit here occasionally
because neither one of them knows how to cook.
“All evidence to the contrary,”
Parker muttered, holding up his fork, a dripping piece of steak skewered on the
tines. Drake flashed him a wry grin.
“I’m fairly certain they’d die if
left to fend for themselves, so when I get a chance, I make sure they don’t
starve. In exchange” — Erik waved a hand around him, the sarcasm dripping — “I
get to sack out at this palace whenever I’m in town.”
“For free,” Drake’s voice rumbled. “Don’t
forget it.”
Ashley giggled, relieved that the
tension levels seemed to have dropped fractionally.
She stepped back from the block,
and swayed from side to side. Between the heels and the drink, she didn’t feel
like she was standing on solid ground.
Drake’s arm shot out, grasping her
upper arm, his grip firm, steadying. “You okay?”
She patted his hand, her face
flushing. “Maybe I’d better go.”
“No way. You need to sit,” Erik
said, striding around and brushing Drake’s hand from her arm.
She missed the strength of that
hand for just a moment, at once threatening and inviting. Erik, his hands
gently holding her by the shoulders, guided her out to the living room, leaving
Drake and Parker in the kitchen to clean up.
“Let’s just get you on the couch.
The old men can do the dishes,” Erik said. “They aren’t good for much else.”
She smiled, despite the confused
feeling being so close to such a tall man made her. She loved tall men, but she
felt uncomfortable with feeling a nascent attraction to someone who was in
third grade when she graduated high school.
Stop, Ash. It’s gonna be okay.
He’s safe.
And as he guided her down onto the
overstuffed sectional, moving an ottoman over to lay her legs upon, she knew he
was. Erik went over and sat down on the hearth, draping his long arms over his
bent knees. Somehow he knew that to sit close to her in this situation would be
too much.
“You have a few too many?” He
smiled at her, his eyebrow raised.
She nodded, shrugging a shoulder. “I
don’t even know how many I had.”
“That’s not your fault. Parker kept
giving you new ones.” Erik twisted off the cap of another beer, and took a
drink. “I think he’s trying to get you drunk.”
“He succeeded.” She groaned, leaning
her head back onto the couch.
Movement turned out not been a good
idea, her head beginning to swim. The background rush of sound she always felt
when intoxicated was faint thus far. She knew it would be a roar a little later
on though. She knew she should try and stumble out of there, keep things at
arm’s length, but the couch was so comfortable.
“How do you know them? They’re a
lot older than you,” she said, glancing over her shoulder. She could hear the
sound of voices and the clang of dishes being washed.
“Known Drake since I was a kid.”
Erik’s eyes stared off for a moment. “Kind of a big brother to me, I guess.
Parker’s his best friend — practically brothers — so they’re a package deal.”
“What are you in college for?” She
thought he was much too handsome to picture with his nose stuck in a book.
Maybe that was the booze talking.
“That’s a good question,” he said,
tipping the beer toward her and taking another sip. “I was one of
reasons.” She took a quick sip before her mouth went completely dry. “But I’d
rather not … talk about it, okay?”
“I understand,” Parker said,
nodding. “You know nothing about us. We’re new to you.”
She blew out a breath, and looked
down at her trembling hands.
Keep it together, girl.
“Here, I’ll go first,” Erik said,
moving away from the block and dropping his plate into the sink with a jarring
clang. He turned back toward them, leaning his butt against the edge of the
sink. “Parker’s right. We haven’t said crap about ourselves. So, here’s my
deal. When I can get away from school, these two jerk offs let me visit here occasionally
because neither one of them knows how to cook.
“All evidence to the contrary,”
Parker muttered, holding up his fork, a dripping piece of steak skewered on the
tines. Drake flashed him a wry grin.
“I’m fairly certain they’d die if
left to fend for themselves, so when I get a chance, I make sure they don’t
starve. In exchange” — Erik waved a hand around him, the sarcasm dripping — “I
get to sack out at this palace whenever I’m in town.”
“For free,” Drake’s voice rumbled. “Don’t
forget it.”
Ashley giggled, relieved that the
tension levels seemed to have dropped fractionally.
She stepped back from the block,
and swayed from side to side. Between the heels and the drink, she didn’t feel
like she was standing on solid ground.
Drake’s arm shot out, grasping her
upper arm, his grip firm, steadying. “You okay?”
She patted his hand, her face
flushing. “Maybe I’d better go.”
“No way. You need to sit,” Erik
said, striding around and brushing Drake’s hand from her arm.
She missed the strength of that
hand for just a moment, at once threatening and inviting. Erik, his hands
gently holding her by the shoulders, guided her out to the living room, leaving
Drake and Parker in the kitchen to clean up.
“Let’s just get you on the couch.
The old men can do the dishes,” Erik said. “They aren’t good for much else.”
She smiled, despite the confused
feeling being so close to such a tall man made her. She loved tall men, but she
felt uncomfortable with feeling a nascent attraction to someone who was in
third grade when she graduated high school.
Stop, Ash. It’s gonna be okay.
He’s safe.
And as he guided her down onto the
overstuffed sectional, moving an ottoman over to lay her legs upon, she knew he
was. Erik went over and sat down on the hearth, draping his long arms over his
bent knees. Somehow he knew that to sit close to her in this situation would be
too much.
“You have a few too many?” He
smiled at her, his eyebrow raised.
She nodded, shrugging a shoulder. “I
don’t even know how many I had.”
“That’s not your fault. Parker kept
giving you new ones.” Erik twisted off the cap of another beer, and took a
drink. “I think he’s trying to get you drunk.”
“He succeeded.” She groaned, leaning
her head back onto the couch.
Movement turned out not been a good
idea, her head beginning to swim. The background rush of sound she always felt
when intoxicated was faint thus far. She knew it would be a roar a little later
on though. She knew she should try and stumble out of there, keep things at
arm’s length, but the couch was so comfortable.
“How do you know them? They’re a
lot older than you,” she said, glancing over her shoulder. She could hear the
sound of voices and the clang of dishes being washed.
“Known Drake since I was a kid.”
Erik’s eyes stared off for a moment. “Kind of a big brother to me, I guess.
Parker’s his best friend — practically brothers — so they’re a package deal.”
“What are you in college for?” She
thought he was much too handsome to picture with his nose stuck in a book.
Maybe that was the booze talking.
“That’s a good question,” he said,
tipping the beer toward her and taking another sip. “I was one of
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