Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
What the hell? I should be offended, right? That’s an inappropriate look, especially in front of so many people. At brunch time. On the day of the Shabbat—not that I’m Jewish.
My point is, it’s inappropriate.
So why does it feel like there’s a gaping need in my core?
There’s promise in Nathan’s eyes, and I long for him to fulfill it.
I avert my gaze as I give the phone back to Nathan. There’s electricity in the air, and it sizzles with desire.
“Well, then, Ava, see you tomorrow,” Nathan says.
When I look up, all five brothers are looking in my direction. In my bewilderment at the way the twins have coaxed an Ashbourne tour out of me, I didn’t realize the other brothers have somehow managed to sweet-talk Linda into letting them stand there longer.
Five sinful smiles grace the brothers’ handsome faces.
I feel like I’m looking at five copies of the Mona Lisa. Their smiles are so mysterious. I don’t know what’s behind them.
They scare me, but they draw me closer nonetheless. The pull I feel toward them feels like gravity at this point. I can’t just walk away without looking deeper into whatever the hell is going on.
The Hunter brothers say their goodbyes before they saunter away to a table at the other end of the restaurant where Linda’s waiting with a stack of menus.
My chest fills with longing.
They’re so far away and I want to be with them.
No, I’m supposed to be with them.
It’s the strangest thing. I’ve never felt such a strong pull toward anyone. And now I feel it toward five guys, all at once? And they’re brothers, too?
I try to calm myself down. Don’t get ahead of yourself.
In all likelihood, the brothers really do just need a tour guide and my overactive imagination is filling my mind with filthy thoughts most unbecoming of a high school teacher.
When I turn my attention back to my own table, all three of my brunch companions are staring at me.
“Well, well, well . . . Ava Green. Who would’ve thought?” Tony lifts up his hands and does a slow clap, which is joined by both Sarah and Jessica.
“What?” My gaze flicks from Tony, to Jessica, and then to Sarah.
“Well done,” she says.
“How did you do it?” Jessica asks.
“Do what? I only know them because they used to be my neighbors. It’s not an achievement. My parents just lived right next door to their parents.”
“I’ve never had neighbors like those,” Sarah says, casting a glance at the Hunter brothers.
“Me neither.” Tony raises one hand in the air as if Sarah’s taking attendance.
“Me nei—” Jessica pauses. “Actually, Jacob used to be my neighbor before we got together. So technically I’ve had a hot neighbor before. And I slept with him. Still am, actually.”
“If my boyfriend weren’t such a hot hunk of a man himself, I would’ve fought you for a piece of the action,” Sarah says to me.
“What action? There’s no action. I’m just showing them around town,” I say.
“Right. And the dog your parents took ‘to the farm’ really is living happily ever after among his new friends, the cows and the chickens,” Sarah says.
“Yeah, stop acting all innocent, Ava Green. We’ve seen your true colors,” Tony says.
“We all saw the way you were staring at them,” Jessica teases with a smile.
“Okay. So I have a crush on them. That’s not weird.”
“And we also saw the way they were staring at you,” Sarah adds.
I pause. I look around the table, expecting to see some laughter. But they all look dead serious.
“Really?” I ask.
“Really,” all three of them say as they nod.
“You’d have to be blind to not see it,” Jessica says.
So it wasn’t just my imagination, then . . .
“So . . .?” Tony asks as he turns his attention away from his coffee cup and faces me. He raises an eyebrow.
“So what?”
“You heard what the pretty twin boy said.” Tony drops his voice to mimic Nathan’s deep baritone. “‘However many of us you want.’”
Both Jessica and Sarah lean forward and stare at me expectantly.
“I don’t know. I mean . . . Are you sure they really mean . . .” My face boils. “Maybe it’s nothing. Just a ride around town.”
Tony, Sarah, and Jessica shake their heads. They seem pretty certain that Nathan meant . . . Oh god, I can’t even say it in my head.
“I’d ride all five of them around town,” Tony says. “Too bad my days of wild orgies are behind me now. I mean, I love Greg and all, but damn; I’m married, not blind.”
“Amen,” Sarah says.
“Let us live vicariously through you, Ava.” Jessica grins from across the table.
“You guys, I don’t even know if—”
“Honey, I know what I saw. I don’t want to get too graphic because there are kids in this restaurant, but they wanted you,” Tony says. “Trust me.”