“You were right, but you also proved my point. They’re a unit and I’m on the outside.”
“No, you’re not. I’m the outsider. You four have a bond.”
“Nah, you’re already on the inside—you just don’t know it yet.”
“Not true,” I said, and he just shrugged, his eyes on the path. A moment later we were walking along it, my hand still in his.
When we got to the car, he opened my door and I smiled up at him. “Thank you for bringing me with you this morning.”
“My pleasure.”
I took a deep breath. “But you’re wrong.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” he muttered.
“You’re wrong about Tonio and the twins. You are part of the group, and I wish you could see that.”
His mouth twisted into a half smile. “Suddenly you know more about my life than I do? Did you read my horoscope or something? Do you know if a Libra can bond with whatever those guys are?”
“Yes.”
His grin widened. “Fine, but if you start reading my tea leaves, I’m out of here.”
“Fair enough,” I said with an answering grin. But on the ride back, I couldn’t help thinking about how even though we were so different, neither of us had gotten a lot of love and support in our childhood. “Do you think your outlook would be different if you had received more hugs as a kid?”
Knox was silent, his eyes on the road. “Maybe,” he finally said. “But I’d still be the biggest guy in every room. The one everyone’s afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid, and I know the perfect way to prove it to you.”
He glanced over, his eyebrows raised. “What’s that?”
“Every time I see you, I’m going to give you a hug.” I let a note of teasing creep into my voice even though I was perfectly serious. “What are you going to do about that, mister?”
A faint smile stole across Knox’s face. “Hug you back?”
7
Emma
“None of my clothes fit,” I texted to Maddie in desperation one morning a few days later.
It didn’t take her long to respond. “Just don’t wear any. That seems to work for Austin and Denver.”
“I think that’s a better look on them than on me.” That was for damn sure. I pulled out my favorite pair of jeans, but they’d felt tight the last time I’d worn them so I put them back.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Do those two even have an ounce of body fat between them?”
“Nope.”
“Maybe staying with them is giving you a complex or something.”
‘Or something’ was right. Not a complex, but a near constant state of arousal. They were all just so good-looking—plus, they were all flirts. Well, except Knox. But all the other guys had to do was say something semi-suggestive, shoot me a well-timed wink, or even just flash me an irresistible grin, and my hormones went into overdrive. It was strange to feel this way so soon after the end of my engagement, but that’s how it was.
Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember ever feeling this way unless it was when reading romance books. I didn’t know it was possible to feel such sexual tension in real life.
I riffled through the clothes I’d managed to squeeze onto the rod in Denver’s closet. To my eye, they all looked plain, old-fashioned, and in most cases, far too tight. “It’s Tonio’s fault. He’s too good of a cook and he’s been going all out lately.”
“Do you think he’s showing off to impress you?”
That was a nice thought, but it was doubtful. I think the guys just kind of flirted reflexively. They were hot as hell, and they knew it. Being walking advertisements for sex seemed to be their default mode. Well, except for Knox. But he had a charm all his own. Much to the amusement of the others, he and I had stuck with our vow to hug daily, and I cherished the moments I was engulfed in his strong arms, no matter if the others snickered. “I think Tonio’s just happy that now there are three of us who eat normally versus the twins.” I’d already explained to Maddie that the twins only ate meat, protein shakes, eggs, and so on.
“How’s the job search going?” Maddie’s next text read.
That made my stomach flip-flop. I’d applied for pretty much every job I’d seen. Secretaries. Receptionists. Cashiers. Clerks. Being an English major didn’t seem to be an asset for the kind of jobs that were available in Riverside. To add to the problem, I was also competing with an influx of recently returned university students who needed part-time jobs to keep them in textbooks and beer. “Slow going, but if I do get an interview it’s going to require clothes that fit.”
“So do something about it,” Maddie replied. “You say the guys are always working out—maybe you could join them?” Hmm. That wasn’t a bad idea. Well, not working out with them. They were on a different planet in terms of fitness levels. I was pretty sure each of them could bench-press a sofa and not work up a sweat. But I could start exercising on my own. At various times of my life I had. I’d never ended up with super strength, but I’d ended up feeling better about myself and felt better.