Hot 4 (Multiple Love)

Where the hell did that thought come from?

"It's awesome." I put my hands behind my head too and think about my old room. It was so small that I only had space for a dresser, and no nightstands. My bed might have fitted one of these men and me, but we'd have needed to spoon to be comfortable. My kitchen was the size of the guest bathroom downstairs, and my den smaller than Holden's bedroom. This place feels vast in comparison.

"How do you feel about losing your bedroom to our communal space?" I ask. It would seem that Harris is making the greatest sacrifice for my arrival.

"I negotiated a place next to you for the next three months, so I'm all good."

A bubble of laughter splutters out of me. "Seriously. You negotiated to be next to me. Didn't you hear what I said about snoring?"

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," Harris says. "My brothers sleep like the dead, and while they're sleeping, we can play."

"Don't listen to him, Connie. If I'm in this bed, all you've got to do is nudge. No way is my twin getting to have all the fun because he can run on one hour’s sleep."

"Don't worry," I laugh. "There is plenty of me to go around."

Harris rolls to his side, running his hand up my thigh and over my belly. "Not enough," he says. "I think we need to feed you."

"You need to feed us too," Kane says, appearing in the doorway. He's rubbing his wet hair with a small gray towel.

Karter appears beside him, looking fresh from the shower. "I could eat a large animal," he grins. "I think we have steaks. We could fire up the grill."

"This really is a man-zone." I sit up, conscious of lying on the bed in a way that could be construed as tempting.

"Not anymore." Karter grins.

"Don't worry," I say, sliding off the bed and strolling toward the door. "I didn't bring my candle collection or any soft toys to clutter the bed. I promise that my toiletries are all functional and necessary and promise to never use your razors to shave my legs."

Kane pulls me against his body, his hair perfectly mussed, but I still fuss over smoothing it. "You can use my razor anywhere on your body, baby. If it's good for my tongue, it's good for my razor."

Karter presses against me from behind. "I'm starting to get hungry for other things." He dips lower, leaning in to suck my earlobe, and I shriek.

"Keep that tongue out of my ear, or I won't let you slide it over other, way more interesting places."

Karter chuckles. "Take note, boys. Connie does not appreciate earlobe sucking."

"Definitely noted," Holden says, shaking his head at his brother's antics but smiling all the while. "Now, let's feed our new housemate and then give this mattress a good testing out. And maybe beat Harris over the head if it's uncomfortable."

"I told you douchebags to come to the store with me," Harris says.

"It's time you learned to do things on your own," Holden pats his twin's shoulder. Harris shakes his hand away, scowling.

"Easy boys," I laugh. "Play nicely."

Karter and Kane usher me out into the hallway, and then we're all making our way to the kitchen. There is lots of laughter, and the teasing continues as Kane and Karter prepare and cook the meat, and Holden rustles up a huge salad. Harris busies himself with hunting for cold beers in the fridge. He initially pulls out four, standing them on the counter, then his brain engages, and he turns to me. "Beer? Or we have wine and spirits. What's your drink?"

"Beer," I say. "Beer will be great." He grins, twisting the cap off one of the bottles and passing it to me.

I wander to sit outside, watching Kane and Karter laughing about something at work, flipping the steaks. The smell is delicious. Taking a seat at the wooden table, I pick at the label on the bottle, thinking about tomorrow and the next day and the day after. All will be spent here. Everything in my life is new, except the few boxes and cases containing my possessions. Even those seem like they belong to another place and time. I can't see how I'm going to need my super-smart power suits or skyscraper heels in this small town. Even if I get the job I've applied for, it's going to have a more relaxed dress code. The idea of leaving behind all the trappings of my previous job doesn't bother me, but the uncertainty about everything else makes me feel like a plastic bottle at sea being buffeted by the waves.

Holden appears with the salad, and Karter and Kane are done cooking the huge steaks. Harris emerges with plates and silverware, and everything is served up in record time.