Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Chase enters first, followed by Maddox and then the twins. They’re all in snug, thigh-hugging jeans, and I want to look away so I don’t have a reaction like I did yesterday, but I can’t take my eyes off of them.
Plus, it would be rude. They’re customers, and I work here, so it’s my job to make eye contact and give them a friendly welcome.
“Good morning,” Chase says, before I can manage to speak.
The other men echo his greeting, and I finally say, “Hello,” even though my mouth has gone dry again.
“You look nice today,” one of the twins says. “How’s your day going?” Even though I was so overwhelmed yesterday and the twins are identical, I know that it’s Dodge speaking, though I couldn’t say for sure how I can tell them apart.
“Good. How about you?”
“Better now,” Diesel says. The twins are both in pale blue shirts that look amazing on them. Who am I kidding? A sack would look great on them. No clothes at all would be even better.
“We were disappointed not to see you at the club last night,” Maddox says, rescuing me from the dirty train of thought I was boarding.
“Oh … well …”
“Have you ever seen a male revue show?” Chase asks.
“Um … no, it’s just … not my thing,” I say, feeling my blush return with a vengeance. I’m going to have to invest in some heavy duty concealer if I keep running into these four.
“Don’t you like naked men?” he asks, stepping close to the counter, his dark eyes pinning me in place.
My eyes go wide at the boldness of his question, and I can’t help but immediately imagine what they all must look like without their clothes.
It’s a silly question, really, especially coming from someone as good looking as he is. My voice is just above a whisper when I say, “I like naked men.”
“Then we think you’d have a really good time at our club,” Chase says.
The other three men have moved in beside him, forming a wall of gorgeous muscle. I wish this was my view every day.
“Is this how you get crowds to come in?” I ask. “Personally invite all of the women you meet, and then don’t take no for an answer?”
Chase’s luscious lips turn down in a frown. “First of all, we don’t invite all the women we meet. We’re inviting you.”
The heat from my cheeks intensifies and spreads down to my neck and my chest.
“Secondly,” he continues, “we’re gentlemen, and we absolutely do take no for an answer. Is that your answer?”
“Well, I don’t know. I’ve just … never been to anything like that. I don’t even go to bars or clubs.”
I realize I’d completely forgotten where I was when Maddy comes out from the kitchen. “Jade, you can take your lunch break now. Oh, hi,” she says, spotting the men.
“Are you the baker?” Chase asks her. If they don’t know Maddy, the men must have placed their order over the phone. There’s no way I would have forgotten seeing them in here before. When Maddy confirms that she is, he says, “Our customers at Club Red loved the cookies you made.”
“That’s great,” she says. “We’ll be here whenever you need more.”
As soon as Maddy goes back into the kitchen, Diesel turns to me. “Can we take you out to lunch?”
“Oh … I …” I sound like an idiot whenever you’re around. That’s how I should finish my stuttering sentence. “I brought my lunch with me.” I pull out my insulated bag and water bottle from under the counter. “I usually eat outside, unless it’s raining.”
“That’s perfect,” Dodge says. “Would you mind if we join you?”
I’m flustered, and I wonder why they want to eat lunch with me. This can’t possibly be about trying to convince me to come to their club. The place looks plenty busy; it’s not like they’d be desperate to rustle up new customers.
“Sure,” I say eventually, unable to think of a polite way to turn them down. It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with them, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat with them sitting next to me.
“We have ham and cheese croissants,” I offer. “Would you like to try them?” I definitely don’t want to be the only one eating.
I’m planning to cover the cost of the pastries, but Chase insists on paying for them, as well as for the bottles of water and soda they select.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” I call back to Maddy before we go out the front door.
“Take your time,” she calls back. “I can cover the counter if anyone comes in.”
Dodge holds the door, and Chase puts his hand on the small of my back as he escorts me outside. His touch is light, but my body is so responsive to any contact from him that he may as well be searing a brand into my flesh.