STRIPTEASED (Roommate Reverse Harem Romance)

“Relax,” Austin urged. He was sitting in a folding chair on my side of the table. “Your thoughts are too loud.”

“Or too depressing.”

“Don’t say that, Emma.” Denver was sitting across from me. “We wanted to make this a special night for you.”

“You did,” I said, not wanting to downplay how hard they’d worked on this. “It was amazing, with all the different stations. You guys did great. But it’s just that this is one of our last nights together.”

“It’s only for half a year,” Denver said. Somehow, that sounded even worse than six months.

“Unless it’s not,” Knox said.

“Yeah. What if someone sees how talented you two are and steals you away to Vegas or something?” I could just see them making women scream on a stage in a huge theater out in Sin City.

“Not going to happen. One woman begged us to strip for her and her friends at a private engagement,” Austin said, “and we turned that down.”

“I think I heard her talking. Older woman, dark hair in a bun?” I inquired.

“No, it was a beach blonde in her thirties,” Denver said.

“I heard a young woman with short black hair say something like that, too,” Tonio said. “Clearly, you’re in demand.”

“And several people asked if Knox did wedding photography.” I didn’t want to leave that out.

The big man nodded. He was over at the table Maddie had used to sell the books. “One talked to me about it.”

Tonio chuckled. “And she hit on him.”

“Really?” I couldn’t decide if I was amused or jealous. Knox just nodded and turned red.

It got quiet for a few minutes. No one suggested going home, though. Going home meant we were one step closer to the twins leaving. Besides, Tonio kept looking around the building longingly, and I thought perhaps he needed more time.

I sighed, louder than I meant to, and the guys looked around. “People wanted what you guys have to offer. A bartender. Good-looking twins that they’d like to see without going to the bad side of town after dark.” I thought of Maddie’s sister. “A photographer who can do weddings. Those are the kind of things people need.”

The guys were silent, but they all watched me intently.

I turned to Tonio. “You’ve got to get this building. We could make it into some kind of one-stop wedding center. Knox could take photos. Austin could help brides-to-be get in shape before their weddings. Denver could teach dances for the reception. Hell, Maddie’s a seamstress, maybe she could do alterations. We could hire the right specialists, and when people get engaged, they can come here and see what we have to offer them.”

Tonio sighed. “It’s a nice thought, Emma, but I can’t afford this place.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks. “But if there were all kinds of projects going on under one roof, it would be like your dream of managing multiple businesses. And then Austin and Denver could stay.”

Austin was nearest, so he put his arm around me. “Thank you for thinking of us, but going on the tour isn’t just about getting out of the strip club. It’s Denver’s dream.”

“But not yours?” Denver stared so intently at his brother that I doubted he remembered the rest of us were here.

Austin hesitated. “I think it’ll be fun, getting to dance with professionals. And it’s a great opportunity for you. But… if they’d just asked me to go, I would’ve said no.”

Denver looked shaken. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Because this is what you want,” Austin said. “And we’re a package deal. Where you go, I go.”

Denver broke eye contact. “We’re identical twins, not conjoined.”

“You’re my family,” Austin said simply.

“You’ve got a good thing here,” Knox spoke up unexpectedly. “Not at the club, but at home. With us.”

“We know,” Denver said, and it made me feel better that he was talking about himself and Austin as a unit again. “But we need to do work we enjoy, too. Like the tour… or Emma’s idea.”

Hope flared up inside me. Had Denver just admitted that there was a chance he might stay? But it all depended on Tonio. “What if we all chipped in? Would there be enough for a down payment on this place then?”

“Not even close,” Tonio said.

“Please… we need this.”

“Don’t put this on him,” Austin said, defending his old friend.

“I’m not… I just really don’t want you guys to go.”

“Neither do I,” Knox said.

Tonio shook his hands helplessly. “The owner says I’d have to put at least $150,000 down to get this place. Even if I sold my car and stopped taking classes, I’m nowhere near that.”

“We can get a loan.”

“That’s the part you have to put down before you can get a loan,” Tonio said.

“We can help,” Denver said, sitting upright in his chair. “Maybe we can chip in the money from the tour. They’ll be paying for our meals and rooms, so we’ll be able to save a lot.”