sense at this point.
“You were, uh… heads, I think.”
Strangely enough, I considered myself a different person. Physically and emotionally changed.
“Lucky me,” said Senan.
“Yeah. Lucky you.”
Ander winked at me, and I melted a little on the spot. He was breathtakingly gorgeous. His arms filled out his casual T-shirt to the point of bursting, and I could see the incredible ‘V’ of his back as it tapered down to a slender, well-toned waist.
And his abs…
His abs had been even tighter than Senan’s, and that was saying something. That and his soft brown eyes, offset by his high cheekbones, had been two of his best features.
“Want me to turn around?” he joked.
Now I did flush red, because I couldn’t believe I was still staring. Yet I was. In front of Senan and everything.
“That’s not really necessary,” I countered, adding a smirk of my own. “I’ve seen you from the back lots of times.”
“I’ll bet you have.”
The guys let out a short laugh together, in unison. It was the same laugh you shared with close friends, or roommates.
Or co-workers.
Holy shit, I couldn’t believe they were both escorts! And they lived together, too. The knot somewhere in my belly tightened a little, reminding me of the fire that was burning there only a few minutes ago.
“He brought me in by the way,” said Ander, “in case you were wondering.” He elbowed his friend again playfully. “So even if the coin came up tails, you still could’ve blamed him.”
I nodded mechanically, wondering why he felt the need to explain himself. It was a little cute though, I had to admit.
“You don’t need to—”
“I’m a physical trainer at a couple of local gyms,” Ander went on. “Decent money. Lots of running around, though. But then Senan told me how much he was making for a few hours of work, and well…” he shrugged.
“It was sort of a no-brainer?” I smiled.
“Yeah,” Ander conceded. “Especially since a big chunk of it goes to such a good cause.”
He followed up the mysterious statement with a nod toward Senan, who only looked down at the floor. Now it was his turn to look disadvantaged. My brow furrowed, as I wondered what he could mean.
“Anyway, there’s a six-foot hero in the kitchen that’s not getting any fresher,” said Ander. “Brett’s in there now, working on it already.”
“He’s home?” asked Senan.
“Been home all day,” Ander confirmed. “He’s been sleeping days and staying up nights, doing all his nerdy computer stuff.”
“Nerdy computer stuff?” I chimed in quickly, my voice showing signs of sudden interest.
Ander looked me over, his smile widening. “Oh no,” he said coyly. “You’re not one of those—”
“Nerdy computer girls?” I laughed.
Reaching into my purse, I pulled out my glasses and slipped them on. It was astounding how much it really changed my whole look. Even Senan laughed.
“Nerd’s offensive by the way,” I joked, putting on my cutest smile. “We prefer the term geek now.”
Twenty-Three
BRETT
“Yo!”
Ander’s yo was more of a head’s up than a call for attention, as he and Senan filed into the kitchen. Over the years I’d gotten to know his yos well. There was the “I’m home” yo, the “hey let me ask you something” yo, and the “holy shit, what the fuck did you do” yo, which was a bit lower and more staccato than the rest.
This particular yo meant someone else was here, and I needed to be on my best behavior. And since Senan had already informed us he was bringing “her” over, I’d actually put on a clean shirt and some decent shorts.
“Brett, this is Chastity.”
I put down my section of hero, licked my fingers, then quickly wiped them on the nearest napkin. But the girl who filed in behind them made me do an instant double-take.
Holy shit.
For one, she was absolutely stunning. Blonde hair. Blue-green eyes. She had a pretty face, accented perfectly by a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses pinned over a pair of perfectly formed ears. Even her lips, which were full and pouty for such a triangular face, were utterly beautiful.
“Hi.”
It was the best I could manage. As I held my hand out to her, I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d seen me lick my fingers.
“Hello Brett,” she said sweetly. Her eyes lingered on me for a second, sizing me up. “Nice to meet you.”
“Chastity’s a nerd like you,” said Ander.
“Geek,” she corrected him with a cute chuckle. “Remember?”
“Oh yeah. Sorry.”
“It’s alright,” she told him. “We geeks and nerds are easy to mix up.”
She shook my hand, and her fingers