Laid Bare
Page 47
“Good. I do care. I find the whole process fascinating.” Ben stood, clearing his throat. “I’m grabbing a beer. You want one? That is, if I’m welcome for dinner. I do smell something really good.”
Erin laughed and a rush of love poured through Todd for her. For Ben too. How fortunate was he to have such people in his life?
“Of course you’re welcome. I always make enough for you guys too. And I’d like a beer.”
Ben brought back a beer for everyone and sat back down again.
Erin took a drink and then wiped her hand off, tracing a fingertip across the strings of the guitar before picking it up. “This Gib son was a gift from Adrian after our first CD went platinum. It’s very earthy, it fits me right. But Adrian is the real guitarist. I can plunk around enough to write songs though.”
Ben snorted. “Puhleeze. Adrian is really talented, no doubt. But you’re no slouch.”
“He and I have complementary talents. Which is why working with him has always been such a joy. Don’t get me wrong; we’re siblings, and there have been plenty of times when our fights would clear a room.” She laughed. “But in the end, we’re family, we share a vision and that simply works out even if I want to punch him sometimes.”
She stood, grabbing her beer. “Okay, I’m going to toss the salad for dinner. You two need to set the table. Just three, Cope’s got a date.” Erin laughed when they looked surprised.
“How do you know?”
“He came by the café earlier to ask my opinion on places to take her to dinner. Why do you act so surprised? It’s not like he and I had a mad tryst in the four minutes I wasn’t rushed off my feet today.”
She began to shuffle around in the kitchen and Todd snorted. Of course Cope would seek her out to talk to her. She was his friend too, and Cope was outgoing and friendly.
“I like that he sought you out.” Todd shrugged and began to put plates on the table. Ben followed up with silverware and began to ferry in food Erin handed him.
“What’s this?” Todd forked up something lovely with tomatoes and ribbons of something green.
“Tomatoes I got fresh from my favorite stall at The Market earlier this week, with some fresh mozzarella, aged balsamic vinegar and basil I grow on my balcony.”
“Holy crap, is this eggplant parm?” Ben mowed through his food with gusto and Erin smiled at him, clearly pleased he enjoyed it.
“My condo is air-conditioned, and I had all this fresh mozzarella and tomato. It seemed a good way to use it, and if you have a nice cool kitchen it’s not too hot to bake. I made strawberry rhubarb crumble too. It’s cooling.”
Todd looked at her. “You’re the sexiest woman to ever draw breath.”
She laughed. “I also brought vanilla ice cream.”
He sighed happily and continued to eat.
After dinner they retired to the TV room to watch a movie. They all collapsed onto the big couch.
Erin tried not to be aware of the building sexual tension in the air, wondered if perhaps she was just imagining it after the episode earlier when Todd ordered her to suck him off so Ben could hear.
Maybe she was projecting. Ben probably hadn’t heard at all, and even if he had, there was no reason to think anything sexual was building between the three of them.
No, she was being horny and stupid.
So of course the movie Todd rented had to be one with lots of sex in it. She drank her beer and tried not to squirm too much. He hadn’t yet made her come. That was it. She was tipsy and sexually frustrated. Damn that alcohol and sexual frustration!
She snuck a look at Todd, who was already looking at her quite hungrily. Well.
“What?”
He slid his fingers through her hair. “Just looking at you. I like to, you know, in case you hadn’t noticed. Looking at you and f**king you are two of my favorite things.”
She blushed. “Um.”
Ben laughed and she realized how close they were all sitting. Ben’s arm was hard and very warm against her side.
Something passed between Ben and Todd then; Erin knew it as she caught the interplay.
“So, anyone want to share with me what’s going on?” She meant to sound pissed, but instead her voice came out breathy and aroused.
“Funny you should use the word share,” Todd said as he moved closer, banding her waist with his arm. His lips hovered just barely above hers. “Because sharing is what’s on my mind. What do you think about that?”
She blinked. Ben had moved so she rested, her back to his chest. His broad, muscley chest. Todd couldn’t possibly mean what she thought he meant.
“What do I think about sharing what?” Her voice was breathless.
Ben laughed but didn’t touch her any more than his chest to her back.
“Sharing our bed with Ben.”
The breath rushed from her lungs. Cope was hot. Of the two brothers, she’d often watched his tight belly and ass more, because he was more in your face with his sexuality and attractiveness. And also, she knew it was harmless. He wasn’t her type.
But Ben was something else altogether. A total package of guh inducing looks, but he was also smart and thoughtful. He didn’t say something unless it needed to be said. He was tall and imposing and had a sort of smoldering hotness she instinctively responded to. She’d developed a friendship with him, but she’d been very careful not to flirt the way she did with Cope. Because Ben was her type. She’d often thought, the way Todd was in Ben’s presence, that the two of them played a sort of sexual game with each other without coming out and actually saying so. But fantasy was not reality. Reality had consequences.
Erin laughed and a rush of love poured through Todd for her. For Ben too. How fortunate was he to have such people in his life?
“Of course you’re welcome. I always make enough for you guys too. And I’d like a beer.”
Ben brought back a beer for everyone and sat back down again.
Erin took a drink and then wiped her hand off, tracing a fingertip across the strings of the guitar before picking it up. “This Gib son was a gift from Adrian after our first CD went platinum. It’s very earthy, it fits me right. But Adrian is the real guitarist. I can plunk around enough to write songs though.”
Ben snorted. “Puhleeze. Adrian is really talented, no doubt. But you’re no slouch.”
“He and I have complementary talents. Which is why working with him has always been such a joy. Don’t get me wrong; we’re siblings, and there have been plenty of times when our fights would clear a room.” She laughed. “But in the end, we’re family, we share a vision and that simply works out even if I want to punch him sometimes.”
She stood, grabbing her beer. “Okay, I’m going to toss the salad for dinner. You two need to set the table. Just three, Cope’s got a date.” Erin laughed when they looked surprised.
“How do you know?”
“He came by the café earlier to ask my opinion on places to take her to dinner. Why do you act so surprised? It’s not like he and I had a mad tryst in the four minutes I wasn’t rushed off my feet today.”
She began to shuffle around in the kitchen and Todd snorted. Of course Cope would seek her out to talk to her. She was his friend too, and Cope was outgoing and friendly.
“I like that he sought you out.” Todd shrugged and began to put plates on the table. Ben followed up with silverware and began to ferry in food Erin handed him.
“What’s this?” Todd forked up something lovely with tomatoes and ribbons of something green.
“Tomatoes I got fresh from my favorite stall at The Market earlier this week, with some fresh mozzarella, aged balsamic vinegar and basil I grow on my balcony.”
“Holy crap, is this eggplant parm?” Ben mowed through his food with gusto and Erin smiled at him, clearly pleased he enjoyed it.
“My condo is air-conditioned, and I had all this fresh mozzarella and tomato. It seemed a good way to use it, and if you have a nice cool kitchen it’s not too hot to bake. I made strawberry rhubarb crumble too. It’s cooling.”
Todd looked at her. “You’re the sexiest woman to ever draw breath.”
She laughed. “I also brought vanilla ice cream.”
He sighed happily and continued to eat.
After dinner they retired to the TV room to watch a movie. They all collapsed onto the big couch.
Erin tried not to be aware of the building sexual tension in the air, wondered if perhaps she was just imagining it after the episode earlier when Todd ordered her to suck him off so Ben could hear.
Maybe she was projecting. Ben probably hadn’t heard at all, and even if he had, there was no reason to think anything sexual was building between the three of them.
No, she was being horny and stupid.
So of course the movie Todd rented had to be one with lots of sex in it. She drank her beer and tried not to squirm too much. He hadn’t yet made her come. That was it. She was tipsy and sexually frustrated. Damn that alcohol and sexual frustration!
She snuck a look at Todd, who was already looking at her quite hungrily. Well.
“What?”
He slid his fingers through her hair. “Just looking at you. I like to, you know, in case you hadn’t noticed. Looking at you and f**king you are two of my favorite things.”
She blushed. “Um.”
Ben laughed and she realized how close they were all sitting. Ben’s arm was hard and very warm against her side.
Something passed between Ben and Todd then; Erin knew it as she caught the interplay.
“So, anyone want to share with me what’s going on?” She meant to sound pissed, but instead her voice came out breathy and aroused.
“Funny you should use the word share,” Todd said as he moved closer, banding her waist with his arm. His lips hovered just barely above hers. “Because sharing is what’s on my mind. What do you think about that?”
She blinked. Ben had moved so she rested, her back to his chest. His broad, muscley chest. Todd couldn’t possibly mean what she thought he meant.
“What do I think about sharing what?” Her voice was breathless.
Ben laughed but didn’t touch her any more than his chest to her back.
“Sharing our bed with Ben.”
The breath rushed from her lungs. Cope was hot. Of the two brothers, she’d often watched his tight belly and ass more, because he was more in your face with his sexuality and attractiveness. And also, she knew it was harmless. He wasn’t her type.
But Ben was something else altogether. A total package of guh inducing looks, but he was also smart and thoughtful. He didn’t say something unless it needed to be said. He was tall and imposing and had a sort of smoldering hotness she instinctively responded to. She’d developed a friendship with him, but she’d been very careful not to flirt the way she did with Cope. Because Ben was her type. She’d often thought, the way Todd was in Ben’s presence, that the two of them played a sort of sexual game with each other without coming out and actually saying so. But fantasy was not reality. Reality had consequences.
