Trading with the Boys

They greeted me with hugs and smiles, and such enthusiasm I was left gaping in astonishment. Tate took my bag. Jacob pulled out a chair and ushered me into it.

“You hungry?”

“Umm… a little.”

I’d barely answered and Tate was already pouring me a glass of wine. I looked down and my shoes were gone! My feet were so numb I’d barely felt Jacob’s hands on my ankles.

“We made stew,” Tate said. “Actually, Jacob made stew while I worked on the GTO. So if it sucks, it’s all gonna be on him.”

I watched as they carefully ladled three bowls and then slid in on either side of me. As the shock wore off, I picked up the spoon in front of me and began stirring. The steam rising up smelled amazing, all fragrant and rich with spices.

“It’s sort of late,” I said. “I really didn’t think you guys would be here.”

Tate’s mouth twisted to one side. “Should we go?”

“No!” I laughed, a bit nervously. “Of course not.”

“Good,” declared Jacob. “Because we have a movie to finish.”

My eyes shifted left to right, even as that familiar warmth began spreading in the pit of my stomach. I thought about the letter they’d left me. I’d read it nonstop, probably a hundred times.

But I’d also thought a lot about Cole.

“Did they finish downstairs?” I asked hesitantly.

“Cole’s crew is pretty much done,” Tate said. “He’s doing the rest of the finish work himself. He left about an hour ago.”

“Oh.”

“We told him to stay for stew, but he said he had an early morning tomorrow,” said Jacob. He glanced knowingly at Tate. “Plus, we plan to stay up late.”

The emphasis he dropped on the last word put a tingle between my legs. After tasting the stew — and finding it excellent — I took an emboldening sip of my wine.

“Look, we’re not trying to overstay our welcome,” said Tate. “And if Saturday night seemed like a one-shot deal for you, we’d understand. But the way we see it, you could use some pampering. No one’s taken care of you in a long while.”

I felt the broth from the stew warming me from within. What he was saying was true. Even more than he knew.

“We enjoy taking care of you,” said Jacob. “Good care of you. So if you’re up for it, why don’t you strip off your work clothes and join us on the couch. We can rub your feet, and maybe your back too. Watch some more of that movie.” He winked. “Maybe talk about your day.”

God, it all sounded so good! I shivered at the idea of being pampered and rubbed and touched. And especially, the simple camaraderie of their company. It made coming home so much more fulfilling.

“I like where you boys are going with this,” I smiled. “But I really don’t want to talk about my day. My day was cataclysmically boring.” Then, tilting my head seductively: “I’m up for all the rest of that, though.”

The guys looked at each other over their bowls and smiled. Jacob started eating voraciously. Tate sighed and shook his head at him.

“Fine, then we’ll talk about our day,” he said with a wink. “And if you’re really good, maybe I’ll tell you how achingly close that GTO is to being started up again.”

Twenty-Five

SERENA

We made it another thirty minutes into the movie, maybe thirty-five. But that was it. It was as far as we got.

I spent the time stretched out across the living room floor, melting happily into a sea of blankets and pillows the guys had already pre-arranged. Within that glorious half hour they rubbed my body from head to toe, using a jasmine-scented oil they probably plucked from one of my bathroom cabinets. I had so many bath and body products there it bordered on an addiction. Yet because I was always working or sleeping, I rarely got to use them.

But now…

Now I was in absolute heaven, lying there as four magnificent hands proceeded to undo every knot in my entire body. They rubbed my back, my ass, my arms and legs… paying special attention to my hands and feet. Soon I was groaning and moaning so loudly we could barely hear the television. Especially as their fingers traveled through the valley between my thighs…