Chapter 2

Dinner, the first dance, the cake cutting—everything goes smoothly, and then I pay the waiter the extra hundred dollars before taking off my headset. It's not all ready yet, but I'm going to enjoy the last part of the reception, the part just for family and close friends, without having to worry about whether anyone needs anything in the kitchen or the place being cleaned. I'll check on it when we're done.

“Everything was amazing,” Kamila says, linking her arm through mine as we start walking in the opposite direction from everyone else leaving the reception hall.

For them, the reception is over and they can retire to their hotel rooms. But the bride and groom—Shawn, Kamila, Jackson, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—headed to the double doors at the other end of the hallway that lead directly to the beach.

"Thanks," I smile at her. "You know how worried I was."

—And all for nothing.— He bumps his shoulder into mine.

—Oh, there were quite a few setbacks—, I laugh.

—But since you didn't know, you did your job well.—

“You know you’re in trouble, right?” I ask. “Shawn slept through the wedding and most of the reception. He’s going to be up all night with you and Jackson.”

"Much to Jackson's dismay. He swears we're having sex," she says more quietly, giggling. "But there's no way I'm doing anything with my nephew in the room, awake or asleep."

—Yeah. It felt like his eyes would pop open at any moment, like, 'What the hell are you two doing?'

—Exactly. I don't even know how the hell Sar and Law have time for that if he sleeps in their bed.

—Something tells me they'll find a way.—

We both start to laugh, but then I feel it. The moment we approach Jeremiah and Ezekiel. It's a different feeling when I can feel their gaze. With Jeremiah, it's an excitement, an energy as if his gaze alone vows to take me places my body has never been. With Ezekiel, there's a madness to it, an energy that vows to possess me and never let go. Both sensations are too tempting. And when I look up, there they are, standing with Jackson, so alike yet so different. They've both taken off their suit jackets, unbuttoned the tops of their black button-downs, and even have their sleeves rolled up to their elbows.

Ezekiel's chest and shoulders are broad, his arms strong, his thighs firm and visible beneath his suit pants. Jeremiah is a few inches taller, thinner, but his muscles are still unmistakable from the way his shirt is stretched across his chest right now. Jeremiah has his hands in his pants pockets, and Ezekiel has his arms crossed. They both have beards, but Ezekiel's is longer. Ezekiel's hair is short, while Jeremiah's is shoulder-length, begging for my fingers. Ezekiel's forearms are covered in tattoos, while Jeremiah only has one that's partially visible through the top of his shirt. But their eyes, both light brown, are fixed on me as we approach them.

“Can I come for a walk with you, my love?” Jackson asks Kamila.

"Are you okay?" he whispers to me.

She and Sarah know very well how I get around Jeremiah and Ezekiel, although I wish it wasn't so easy for seemingly everyone to see.

I nod. “I’m fine. Go ahead.”

"Don't worry. We'll keep little Laury safe." Jeremiah smiles as Kamila walks past them to Jackson's side.

"Keep making fun of my friend and I'll have to kick your asses," she replies.

"Come on. We don't bite," Ezequiel adds, approaching me. And when he reaches my level, he leans in to whisper, "Unless you want us to."

I scoff. “As if you were worth a bite.”

“You always have a ready answer,” Jeremiah says as we all walk toward the shore, one on each side. How come I always end up between them? “It’s one of the things I like most about you.”

"You shouldn't like anything about me," I reply, looking at him.

Don't look at his chest. Don't look at his tattoo. I'm looking up. Not even his fucking mouth.

-Why's that?-

—Because we're friends. Nothing more.—

—Friends of——

"No." I shake my head before he finishes. He smiles, as if he doesn't believe me any more than I do.

—Oh, let her keep lying to herself, Jer, Ezequiel interrupts.

"Why do you like to piss me off?" I snap, turning to look at him.

He smiles. "Because it makes you look at me like that right now. With that fire in your eyes. I like it much more than when you're pacing, looking for a way out, where we finally managed to get you between us."

"Did you catch me?" "Like they do it on purpose every time?" I shake my head, searching for something to say to change the subject. "Could you guys turn it down tonight?" I could barely sleep with all the noise coming from his room last night.

It had to be some kind of punishment that they gave me the room right across from Ezekiel and Jeremiah's. The first night, I even closed the bedroom door to my suite, as if that extra barrier would keep them from invading my thoughts with images of them invading my body. It didn't. The next night, I put in my headphones, sang along to every guy song I could find on my playlist until I was exhausted and practically fell into bed. But last night, it felt like every one of their laughs was inside my room instead of theirs. I don't know what the hell they were doing at two in the morning that had them laughing so hard and loud, but they were letting me get very little sleep, especially since their hands had also slipped between my thighs at some point. But no way would I tell them that.

“Did we keep you up all night?” Jeremiah jokes.

—You actually did it.—

—You should have crossed the hall and we would have made the insomnia worth it.

“Does every word that comes out of your mouth have to sound so dirty?” I ask, hoping they don’t hear the desire in my voice.

—Well, anyone can make anything sound dirty.

I laugh. “That’s not true.”

—I'm proposing a deal. Tell me something you think might not sound dirty, and if I can, you'll have to answer everything Jer and I ask you.

—Don't bring him into this.—

"Please do it," Jeremiah laughs. "I want to see how this goes."

We're almost where everyone else is waiting, with our feet in the water. I smile, and I come up with words to make him lose the bet.

—Okay. Say, 'That was the most boring movie I've ever seen.'

"Wait," Jeremiah interrupts, just as Ezequiel smiles. "Could you change the wording a little?"

—Within certain limits. —I raise an eyebrow.

Ezequiel cuts in front of me, and I'm forced to stop dead in my tracks, causing Jeremiah to crash into me. However, he doesn't move away, staying glued to my butt as I stare into his eyes. I instantly realize this is a mistake. Especially when Ezequiel leans forward, bringing his face close to mine.

—That movie, where you end up walking away from us without letting us fuck you into oblivion...—

"Hey, that's not..." I start to object, but he leans closer and the words die in my throat. Not to mention Jeremiah, who squeezes me tighter from behind.

—It was the absolute...— He leans in again until our noses are almost touching, his eyes meeting mine. —The worst... movie... I've ever...— He inhales, then lets out a deep, shaky breath. —Never...— He looks at my lips and then up into my eyes. —Seen.—

"You added..." I clear my throat as I almost whisper. "You added too many words. And looks weren't included in the bet."

—But all that matters is...— I feel Jeremiah lean forward, and I almost scream when I feel his mouth get close to my ear. —So, did he manage to sound dirty?—

—Are you wet right now from what I said? — Ezequiel gets straight to the point.

With a confidence I don't feel anywhere else in me, I lift my head and smirk at him. "Wetter than ever."

His eyes widen, probably because I'm finally admitting it for once.

—So, what do we want to ask you, Jer?

I shake my head. “You just asked your question,” I say cheerfully, then slip between them and start walking away.

"What?" Jeremiah yells as they both quickly catch up to me.

You asked me if I was dirty, and I would have just answered, but your foul-mouthed brother had to interrupt and ask if I was wet. So I considered your question and answered. Blame him.

“Damn it, Zek,” Jeremiah growls at him.

How much did he want to ask me a question? And given how annoying he seemed, what the hell was there?

"If you're done rubbing each other, maybe we can start," Sarah jokes when we reach them.

Of course, they were watching all of that. At least it's nighttime, and probably no one can see me blush. But of course...

“Pink looks nice on you,” Jeremiah whispers as he walks past me to stand next to Law.