Double The Ache

I’m instantly relieved when I can lay my eyes on her again. When she sees the two of us her eyes travel down to our bare chests and it takes all my restraint to not flex for her. I want her to think I look good without my shirt on.

“Coffee,” Wes confirms and nods.

He’s always been a man of few words until you really get to know him. Then he talks a little more, but always gets to the point.

“Okay, but let me change,” she says, looking up and down our bodies again.

Fuck, I’m gonna get hard with her eyes on me, and these gray joggers are going to do nothing to hide it.

“You’ve got three minutes,” I say.

“I’ll come over when I’m finished,” she promises, but I shake my head.

“We’re waiting. Now you’ve got two minutes and fifty-two seconds.”

“Eek!” She slams the door.

I hear loud noises coming from the other side of the door and I look at Wes, who shrugs. I don’t actually count the seconds, I just wanted her to take us seriously.

After what must be three minutes, she opens the door looking just as beautiful as she did last night. Her blonde hair is in a messy bun and she’s got on a cropped sweatshirt and low-hanging joggers. The band of skin that’s showing on her belly is almost enough to make me fall to my knees just so I can smell it.

“Goddamn,” Wes mutters next to me, and this time I’m the one without words.

“Someone said something about coffee.” She smiles and it hits me right in the chest.

I clear my throat as we walk across the hall and into our place. I close the door firmly behind her and flip the lock. I don’t want her getting away so easily again.

When we walk into the kitchen, Emma and Cassie are plating up food. Amelia follows them into the dining room, and Wes and I take a seat on either side of her.

“This is a ton of food,” Amelia says, her eyes wide as she stares at the table.

“We’re growing boys,” I say and wink at her. Her cheeks pinken a little and she turns her focus to the napkin in her lap.

“There. I think that’s everything,” Emma says, placing the coffee on the table. “You guys enjoy.”

“Wait, you two are leaving?” Amelia says to her and Cassie.

Cassie grabs her bag off the bar in the kitchen and slings it over her shoulder. “Yeah, Emma and I live in Los Angeles. We come visit our brothers when we’ve got a free weekend at the same time. This was just a quick visit to say congratulations on another great season.” She looks over at Emma, who’s got an overnight bag on her shoulder, too. “You ready?”

“Yep. Thanks again for a fun night. It was really great meeting you, Amelia. I hope we’ll be seeing a lot more of you.”

The two of them smile and wave goodbye as they leave. When the door clicks, we’re finally alone and excited anticipation rolls over me.

“So, they’re your sisters?” she asks, not looking at either of us.

Wes grabs the coffee and pours her some while I take her plate and start piling it with food.

“Yes. Now, would you like to explain why you ran out on us this morning?” I ask.

“Umm.” She takes a big bite of eggs. She’s stalling for time.

“Were you trying to get away from us?” Wes asks. His voice has changed and I can tell he’s excited, too. The woman we’ve both been waiting on is in between us right now.

“Not necessarily,” she hedges, and we both wait for her to clarify. “I just remember being at the club and then nothing else after. I woke up in a strange bed with two men I don’t know and I wasn’t sure what happened. Can’t a woman have a second to get her thoughts together?”

“We like to cuddle,” I say, reaching out and tucking a loose hair behind her ear so I can see her face better.

“Oh,” she says, and the color of her cheeks deepens. “Do you? Um, I mean, do the two of you, um…cuddle with one another?”

I let out a bark of laughter at the way she’s phrasing the question. “Wes and I sleep in the same bed, but no, we don’t cuddle with one another. We have a really strong bond. One that we hope to share with you one day.”

She snaps her head up to look at me, and her soft brown eyes are filled with more questions after my bold statement.

“You don’t even know me,” she whispers, then looks away.

“We’d like to get to know you,” I say.

She takes a sip of her coffee and I wait for her to figure out what she’s going to ask next. I can practically see the wheels turning in her brain.