Paranormal Dating Agency: Her Mane Men (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 5

“Not so much. Why?”

  “He asked me to dinner already. I assumed with both of you.” Or at least hoped.

  “I can work with that. What are you doing?” He eyed me typing away on my phone.

  “I’m going to message Curtis and see if we can change plans a bit.” Or completely.

  “Change them how?” The glint in his eye had me thinking all the naughty thoughts.

  “Maybe pizza and a movie at my place.”

  His eyes bugged out. He so was thinking sex.

  “No listening ears and such. Just chill and get to know each other,” I clarified although now sex was on my brain, too.

  “Don’t people mean something else when they say movie and chill?”

  “You are awful.” I leaned back into him.

  “You love me,” he bantered before stiffening behind me at his slip.

  “Not yet.” But I could feel it in our future, which shocked me more than the erection pressed against my ass. At least I knew I wasn’t the only one being turned on by all of this.

  “Yet. I’ll take that as a good sign.” His body relaxed as he reached around me, grabbing a couple of sandwiches that had most likely been made a week ago. “Now, let’s get you one of these remade sandwiches and a coffee before you need to be back. Next time, I’m doing this better.”

  “You’re doing all right in my eyes.” Better than.

  “Then the bar is low, and I can woo you too easily.”

  “You can woo me by being you.” I turned around and gave him a peck on the check.

  “Quit looking at me like that before I take you out back and kiss you soundly and consequently have you missing lunch.”

  “We can get it to go,” I offered just as it was our turn to pay, stopped in my tracks by a low noise. “Did you just growl?”

  “Oh, the things you do to me, Maddie.” I took that as a yes. Men.

  I never did finish my sandwich, spending the majority of my remaining break talking, laughing, and kissing Parker before having to say good-bye far too soon. Parker had me every bit as butterfly-filled as Curtis. They were both so different, yet equally as good a fit, so far. Maybe this trouple thing really would work out. A girl could dream.

  Chapter Seven

  By some miracle, George was gone before I returned. Something about a meeting. I couldn’t care less. I was just glad he was gone. There was absolutely no reason for him to treat me that way. At least it was in front of an audience. He usually tried to save that crap until you were alone so it was your word against his. Not that I’d do anything about it, but it was nice to have the option.

  I had a to-do list a mile long and, before I knew it, it was quitting time, and I practically flew out of work. Not only did I want to be there less than pretty much anywhere, I had guys to get ready for. My apartment was small and tidy, but it could use a quick vacuum and fresh towels. Not to mention that, while I was sure he was just being an asshat, George’s comment about my body odor had me needing to take a shower. If I was going to snuggle up on the couch with the guys, I didn’t want to repel them with any unsavory odors. And darn me for letting that jerk get under my skin like that.

  I was halfway to the bus stop when my phone began to buzz. A smile bloomed across my face as the name Curtis stared back at me from the screen.

  “Hello,” I answered with my best sexy voice, or at least my best attempt at sexy.

  “Hello, Maddie, it’s both of us.” The echoing and voices coming through the speaker phone were awful, almost as if they were in a mall.

  “Hey, guys. Looking forward to tonight.” Probably a little too excited given the low-key plans, but the idea of spending the evening with just them sounded better than anything else my brain could conjure.

  “That’s why we are calling.” Curtis’s voice was off. Crap, they changed their mind. I stopped at the corner, not wanting to cross just yet. “Something came up back at home.”

  “So you’re leaving.” I knew from the first night that they were temporary, so I should’ve been more prepared than I was from the way my stomach dropped.

  “Only for a few days,” Parker echoed in my ear along with someone shouting about a cheeseburger. “We’ll be back before you know it.” It was a promise, not a nicety. They would be back.

  “We wouldn’t leave if we didn’t have to,” Curtis added as if he feared I didn’t believe him. The truth. Always. That was what we decided. Silly man. “A drunk ran the stop sign and drove into the front of our house, and we need to take pictures, file paperwork, and such.”

  “That’s awful.”

  “It could’ve been worse. We were here and not sitting on our couch when it happened.” I envisioned Parker doing just that and squeezed my eyes shut, willing the vision to go away, the horror of it too much, just too much.

  “So much worse,” I mumbled as I pressed the walk signal, the sounds of gate something or other being announced filling my ears. Shit. They were leaving right then and there. “You’re already at the airport.” I failed at schooling my disappointment.

  “We are.” Parker sounded just as saddened by it as I was. “We didn’t want to call you during work because of what happened earlier.”

  “Never let George change your mind about anything.” He was such a little turd. “He’s not worth it.”

  “He’s your boss.” Curtis the Logical. Not that he was completely wrong. Curtis was right, but hopefully not for long.

  “I was actually hoping to change that. A promotion opened up in another department.” I didn’t quite meet the qualifications but had double the experience desired and was in-house, so I had a shot.

  “They’d be fools not to select you.” Parker was too stinking sweet.

  The speaker squeaked again. The whole speaker phone thing in the airport was less than ideal. We’d have to think up a better way to three-way conversation in the future. I was sure my techy beau could whip something up.

  My. I thought of him as my guy, my beau. Both of them. They were mine. Mine. It rolled around in my mind again as the speaker squeaked yet again.

  “That’s us. We have to go. Stay safe.” Curtis mumbled to someone before a beep filled my ears. They were boarding.

  “I plan to. You also.” The thought of something happening to them, amplified by the knowledge of the accident at their house, hurt.

  “Rain check?” they both asked at the same time, and I smiled, wondering if Curtis put Parker up to it or the other way around.

  “Absolutely.” To be cashed in the very second they returned if I had anything to do with it. “We were talking about getting a month-to-month rental there when we got the call. No pressure. Just wanted to be upfront.”

  They were in. Like all in. Apartment-on-this-side-of-the-country in.

  “I am more relieved than pressured.” It was the truth. That one little nugget of knowledge meant so much more than anything else they could’ve said.

  “Because it meant we really were coming back?” Parker’s question caught me off guard. They had been so upfront with their intentions, had I been holding mine back too much?

  “Something like that.” More like everything like that. I needed to make all things clear during our next date. I owed them the same courtesy they gave me. “Did they just announce seat belts?”

  “Maybe.”

  They totally did. Parker’s coyness only solidified it.

  “Shoo and let me know when you get there safely.”

  “We will. Night, beautiful.”

  “Night.”

  I hung up just as the light to cross changed. I was in so much less of a hurry to go home now that it was to an empty apartment.

  Chapter Eight

  Could the day be any longer? The guys, as I now referred to them in my head, were picking me up at the end of my workday, which dragged on and on. We’d spent the week texting, talking, and video chatting. We talked about the mess they went home to which, sadly, included the drunk being uninsured and structural damage all the way to w
hat our favorite movie was as kids. After six long days, they were finally going to be back, and I was stuck at work, my request to leave early denied. Next week’s meeting with the division head over the job I applied for couldn’t come soon enough.

  Focusing on work was not happening. It didn’t help that every pain in the chunk complaint was thrown my way, thanks to George the asshat. He’d always been a jerk, but today he escalated things to a new level and for no reason I could place. I’d been doing the job of two and skipping lunches. Basically, I’d been the ideal freaking employee. Jerk.

  A few minutes before quitting time, I informed my section head that I wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be there in the morning. It was legit. I was sick of work and had more sick time than I would be allowed to carry over into the next fiscal year. Sick day it was.

  Upon my guys’ insistence, they were there to pick me up as I exited the building. What I really wanted to do was sneak home ahead of them and take a shower and put on not-work clothing, but saying no to them was nearly impossible. They were just too sweet and, dayum, I missed them and, if they picked me up, we had more time together.

  “Hi.” I was so lame. Here were two gorgeous guys waiting for me, and the best I could do was say hi.

  “It’s good to see you again,” Curtis said. They both enveloped me in a hug. It held far less awkwardness than I feared a three-way anything would. In fact, the only awkwardness was the cat call that had me jumping back. Why did people need to be so rude in things that were none of their business.

  “It truly is,” Parker echoed.

  “We picked up dinner along the way.” Parker held the car door open, allowing me to slip inside. “figuring you’d be hungry after a busy day.” The car smelled amazing and, much to my embarrassment, my stomach rumbled in response. I turned my head to spy a familiar purple box. “Oh, my favorite pizza place. Roxanne?”

  “We just wanted to be sure to get it right.” Parker winked as he shut the door beside me and climbed into the back as Curtis made his way into the driver’s seat.

  “You don’t have to try so hard, you know.” Not that I wasn’t impressed to the max. My favorite place, in the city of five hundred crappy pizza joints and only a couple decent ones. “I’m pretty easy to impress.”

  “That doesn’t mean we should be slack in our wooing.” Curtis turned on the ignition and slowly began to pull away as traffic was getting heavy due to the time of day.

  “Carry on, then,” I said as saucily as I could.

  The ride was remarkably faster than the express bus I normally took and, before I knew it, we were walking up the stairs to my apartment, my nerves building with each step. Not nerves over being with them, but nerves over their opinion of my place. I worked hard and had a decent job, but my success showed more in my savings account than my humble abode and even less there since Roxanne moved out.

  “Cute place,” Parker commented as he put down the pizza boxes.

  “If by cute you mean small, yep. It totally is. But I like it.” I did, too. It was far from something you would see on the home channel, but it suited me even with the little things the landlord neglected to fix. “Mind if I sneak a shower before dinner and get the work grime off me?” I plopped my purse on the counter beside the pizzas. “I mean, if you don’t mind tepid pizza.”

  “Actually, that’s my favorite way to eat it.” Parker sank into the couch, making himself at home and, in turn, making me smile.

  “Cold is mine,” Curtis added before joining Parker. “Next morning pizza is the best.”

  It really was.

  “I’ll hurry.” Both men leaned back, resting their feet on the coffee table. “Make yourself at home.” I laughed my way into the bathroom.

  I showered as quickly as I could, opting for leggings and my favorite unicorn T-shirt over anything “nice.” A nice relaxing evening at home required nice relaxing clothing. No point in wearing something with the intent of hiding my excessive sexiness. I was who I was, and they liked it or didn’t. Done.

  I made my way back into the living room-kitchen combo and stopped in my tracks. My men, for I had officially claimed them in my mind, were on the couch making out. Parker was straddling Curtis, whose hands were settled on his love’s ass. Any fear I had of being jealous of their affection for each other fled the scene, my body responding instantly with its desire to keep watching or join in or possibly both.

  I stood there, gawking and drooling until, like an idiot, I leaned into the wall only to miss and stumble, causing a thump that had them snapping apart. Damn. I was enjoying that.

  “Sorry. We should’ve heard you,” Parker mumbled as he adjusted himself on the couch, both of them still physically announcing their enjoyment of the kiss.

  “Why are you sorry or, for that matter, stopping.”

  They both peered at me, almost as if trying to figure out what I just meant.

  “I was enjoying the view.”

  “Really?” they both mumbled.

  “You find it hard to believe watching two sexy men making out is a view worth partaking in?” Because it so very much was.

  “I guess I thought it might upset you.” Parker looked to Curtis who nodded.

  “Because you’re already together? Like jealousy?” Which made sense because I half feared those feelings myself.

  “More like maybe it would creep you out.” Which was something I never worried about.

  “No creeping out here. I’m looking forward to another show later.” I opened the fridge and grabbed three bottles. “Beer?”

  “You are the perfect woman.”

  Hardly, but I hoped to be a good woman for them.

  “It’s cheap lite beer. Don’t be too impressed.” I grabbed the bottle opener off the fridge door and opened all three bottles before handing them theirs.

  “Works for me.”

  “Me too.”

  “And now for the fancy dishes.” I opened the cupboard, grabbing a few of the paper plates I always had on hand to avoid dish duty.

  “Oh, the French papier. You spoil us, fair maiden.” Parker got up from the couch, bowing at maiden, before taking the plates and serving up the pizza.

  “Movie choices are limited to cheesy rom cons, I’m afraid.” I pointed to the small pile of DVDs I owned, all from the five-buck bin at the discount store. They were all decent enough movies but they definitely fell into the chick flick category.

  “We always come prepared.” Curtis opened the bag I’d assumed held condiments and retrieved a stack of rental movies ranging from fantasy to horror to dramas to comedy. He had them all. “What’s your poison?”

  “How can anyone turn down cannibal witches?” The cover screamed college kid film project; the title screamed spoof. It was perfect.

  “See? Nailed it.” Parker patted himself on the back, and I had to chuckle.

  “Which one did you pick?” I asked Curtis, needing to know what he thought my choice would be. For some dumb reason, it mattered. He held up one of my all-time favorite movies, one I’d intentionally skipped because I was afraid it was too girly for their tastes.

  “Ah, classic tale of romance filled with humor. Another excellent choice. Maybe it will have to be a two-movie night.”

  Or we could watch one and then I could watch them making out again. My nether regions were so on board with that plan.

  “You were up early today and have work early tomorrow., We’d best make it a one-movie night.” Curtis the ever practical.

  “But, see, I was one step ahead and already put in for a sick day,” I countered before taking a bite of my pizza. It was funny how our first dinner date had a private dining room and a wine I couldn’t pronounce and our second had us standing around my counter eating tepid pizza and drinking cheap lite beer. Funny, yet somehow wonderful. Real, even.

  “Are you unwell?” It figured. Curtis didn’t get the not-wasting-sick-days-on-being-sick philosophy. I had so much to teach him.

  “Sick of work. That coun
ts, right?”

  “Absolutely,” Parker agreed, his mouth full of pizza.

  “Shall we?” Curtis gestured to the couch.

  “We shall,” I agreed, snagging my beer as Parker grabbed the movie.

  Chapter Nine

  “We should’ve skipped the witches,” Curtis announced as he got up to grab a glass of water during the closing credits.

  “Why do you say that?” The movie was surprisingly well done and even had a plot. I was impressed.

  “You kept covering your face.” He sat back down beside me, as I was snuggled into Parker’s side.

  “They kept eating faces. It’s a perfectly normal response.” That was the one thing I didn’t get. If you’re going to eat someone, why the face? Pick something good and fleshy like a thigh. That’s where the good meat would be, not the faces.

  “I have to agree with her on that one.” Parker got up as the credits finished, much to my chagrin.

  “I thought the special effects were amazing.”

  “Amazingly gruesome.” Curtis added, accurately at that.

  “At least I have the princess romance to pull me from the depths of skeevedom.” I left my cozy spot on the couch long enough to grab the DVD and hand it to Parker before heading back into the kitchen and looking in my pantry cupboard. “Sorry, I don’t really have snacks to offer. Microwave popcorn?” I held out the box, which was probably older than it should be. Oh well, it wasn’t like the stuff went bad.

  “Sounds perfect,” they both agreed, and I took out a large bowl as the corn popped.

  “Here you go.” I handed the bowl to Curtis before tapping him lightly on the shoulder. “Skootch over.”

  “What, do I smell?”

  “Hardly, I just like this part of the couch.” Sitting snuggled between the two men had been wonderful, but I felt most comfortable in my seat, and after that movie, I needed that. Those darn witches were going to give me nightmares if this movie didn’t do a good job of scrubbing it from my mind.

  “And you are just telling us now.” Parker, easygoing Parker, did not sound pleased. Oops.