Stripped Love (Guys Next Door #1) - Baylin Crow Page 0,27

when I glared.

Ignoring him, CJ slapped the top of the table with his palm, reclaiming my attention. "Tell us everything."

After a short hesitation, I blew out a harsh breath. Better to rip the Band-Aid off, and I needed to talk to someone about it anyway. “So, you know on my birthday, how you guys dragged me to that club?”

“I remember you falling in love with a tattooed stripper with an obvious big dick. If I was gay, I’d probably try to hit that,” Caleb said before he sipped on his coffee.

My spine stiffened. Phoenix was more than that, and he was also sort of mine.

CJ bumped Caleb's shoulder hard just as he was setting down the mug, nearly spilling the scalding liquid all over the place. He fought to keep it steady and then frowned at his twin. "The fuck was that for?"

"Can you shut up for like two seconds?" CJ snapped back before turning curious blue eyes on me. "What about it?"

I decided to just spill everything. After taking a sip of the tart water, the words came out in a tumbling mess. "So, the stripper…well, he's my uncle's neighbor." Both jaws dropped and the questions were clearly sitting on the tip of their tongues so I continued. "He was outside and we sort of talked a little. Weird, right? And then he came up to my uncle's shop because Isaac apparently does his ink. Weirder, huh? And then he asked to see my books…"

"Oh, I bet he did. Is book code for di—" Caleb's remark was cut off by a solid swipe of CJ's elbow to his stomach.

"Keep going," CJ urged while giving his brother a shut-the-hell-up look.

I sighed. "You guys, it's not a big deal. I went to his house and showed him the book. We watched a movie and I fell asleep…and he might have kissed me."

Caleb jumped up from his chair, rattling the glass table and rocking our drinks. "I knew it." He shot a sharp, smug look at CJ. "I told you Arch was into him."

"Wait. What?" My eyes flicked between the two of them.

"Shut up, Caleb, and sit down. We both called it." He rolled his eyes as Caleb plopped back down. "It was obvious you were hot for him, Arch. And he was clearly interested in you too."

"Really?" I asked with surprise. "He was just doing his job."

I recalled what Phoenix had said about that night. What he'd wanted to do… but had it been that obvious to them?

CJ nodded. "There were some definite fuck-me vibes between you two." His nose twitched which meant he wasn't saying something.

"Say whatever's on your mind." I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest.

He sighed. "It's one hell of a coincidence, and—"

"We're all for you dating someone," Caleb picked up the conversation as CJ nodded. I wasn't dating Phoenix, but didn't get a chance to correct him. "But a stripper, Arch? Not that there's something wrong with it, but—serious question—are you okay with him dancing damn near naked, grinding all over other dudes?"

It wasn't something I'd given much, or any, thought too. How did I feel about it? I shook my head.

"You guys are jumping too far ahead. It was just a kiss," I mumbled the half-truth and was grateful the waitress chose that moment to step in and set down our plates in front of us.

The minute she was gone, I poured blueberry syrup on my stack of pancakes and dug in. Mostly because I was hungry, but also so I didn't have to answer more questions. I should have known there was no way they'd let it go. I regretted telling them already.

After he finished chewing a piece of bacon, CJ spoke up. "He's right, Arch. And I know, it was just a kiss." He sounded like he didn't believe me. I didn't even believe me. "But do you like him? If you do, then great…but is his job going to bother you?"

I shrugged because I didn't know how to answer.

Phoenix had told me he didn't touch the customers. Not the way he had with me, but I couldn't tell the guys how out of control that private dance had gotten. I had no reason to believe Phoenix lied, but I also didn't know him that well. "I guess I'll have to think about it."

CJ pointed his fork full of strawberries and cream stuffed waffle toward me. "Good, and be sure before you get serious with the guy." And then he shoved