But this was not a date, I reminded myself. Again. This was a catch up with old friends. It was a way for me to make it clear that I’d moved on. I would be firm, but polite. They meant nothing to me. Yeah, right.
Aunt Sarah waited for a response.
“Not exactly a date,” I mumbled before turning back to holler for Lily once more.
When I turned around, she was eyeing my outfit that screamed date, but fortunately she remained quiet.
Ten minutes later they were finally out the door, Lily tucked happily in her booster to see the movie she’d been talking about all week. Thank the Lord. This night would be nerve wracking enough without Cooper and Rory running into Lily when they picked me up in…oh holy crap. Five minutes. I scanned the hallway and the kitchen. Toys were strewn as far as the eye could see. Pink girlie stuff everywhere. There was no way I’d scour this place of all signs of a child before they arrived. I grabbed my wrap and purse from the hallway table and went out to the porch. I just wouldn’t invite them in, that was all.
I’d been on a few dates over the years and one thing I could say about Bridgewater men…they knew how to do it right. Cooper and Rory arrived right on time. And with flowers.
Even though I was prepared to see them this time, my heart still went into overdrive when they came up the walk. They both wore button-down shirts and fitted pants. Their hair was neat, their faces clean-shaven. They still had that rugged, almost dangerous look about them. “You boys, um…look nice.” Crap, was that my voice? It sounded breathy, like I was a phone sex worker or something.
“You look amazing.” Cooper handed me the flowers and gave me a kiss on the cheek that made my lungs stop working. Never one to be outdone, Rory came to my side and placed a hand on my waist before giving me a chaste kiss as well. My skin tingled where their lips had touched. God, what would it be like if they got me naked and not standing outside on my front porch in broad daylight?
They were both in my personal space, their heat sheltering me from the soft breeze and their scent…oh Lord, that scent. The air was filled with that earthy, manly smell that made my lower belly feel heavy and my skin tingle. It was just as I remembered it from all those years ago.
That was when I knew—there was no way I could survive an entire night with these two. Not without either losing my mind or dropping my panties. For years, I’d been telling myself that their effect on me back in high school could be chalked up to teenage hormones. I hadn’t felt anything else like it ever since.
But now…it was back. The feel of Rory’s hand on my waist was enough to make my pussy throb. And if Cooper didn’t stop looking at me like that—like he was going to throw me down and fuck me on the front porch—I might lose all control and start begging for it.
I’d made a mistake. A monumental mistake. I should never have said yes to this date…or non-date…or whatever this was. I wasn’t strong enough. My resistance was weak. My heart, it was too damn fragile.
“Let me…um, let me put these flowers in water. I’ll be right back.”
I dashed into the kitchen, filled a pitcher I used for lemonade and under the sink and put the flowers in. I’d tend to them later. Taking a deep breath, I returned to the men on the porch, locked the door behind me.
“Shall we?” Rory took a step back and offered me his arm. I looked at the bent elbow, the muscles that played beneath the fabric of his shirt. My mouth went dry and that was just his arm.
There was no turning back now. They were waiting patiently. I owed it to myself, to women everywhere, to take this one night with them. I’d thought about this for years. I’d kick myself. No, I’d probably kill myself if I walked inside and shut the door on them. One night. Just one. How hard could it be?
I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow and discovered Rory was hard. Very hard and I had to wonder if that was all over. God, I had the mind of a slut.
Even the car ride was difficult for me, being in the closed space with them, breathing them in, listening to the rough timbre of their voices. Luckily, they kept a steady stream of conversation going because my brain had officially turned to mush in the presence of so much testosterone.
I hadn’t remembered Rory as the chatty one, but he talked most of the way to the restaurant, filling me in on the goings-on in Bridgewater and asking questions about my home, my job. I found myself giving him one-word answers because I was so nervous about revealing too much. Lily was my whole world. It was nearly impossible to talk a
bout my life without mentioning her, so my only option was not to talk.
Things got a little easier once we sat down to dinner. They’d chosen a lovely restaurant. Not too fancy, but it had an outdoor patio that overlooked the water. I’d never been before, but had heard it was good. Eating out with a six-year-old took me to different places, mostly ones that served food quickly and had macaroni and cheese on the menu. This place? They wanted their guests to linger. The wine helped me calm down, as well as the people around us. It was easier to ignore the mens’ heated looks and their heady scent when a waiter was standing next to me refilling my water glass or an elderly couple beside us started talking a little too loudly.
By the time the main course arrived, I was almost feeling like myself again. The butterflies had calmed down some and I stopped freezing up every time they asked me a question about my life. I also felt more comfortable asking them about their lives over the past seven years and listened in awe as they told me about their experiences in the military. Rory did most of the talking about that and he quickly glossed over their last tour and discharge from the army.
I noticed Cooper’s jaw clench and his body tense, but he took a deep breath, finally spoke. “We’re here because we’ve missed you, Ivy,” Cooper said, lifting his arm to indicate the restaurant, perhaps even Seattle. The topic change was surprising. I wasn’t sure if it was because he no longer wanted to talk about their time in the service—it seemed it set him on edge—or if he really wanted to talk about us. Or lack of us. Or…crap, a possibility of an us.
He leaned forward slightly and reached for my hand, took it. I could have pulled away, but I didn’t. It was large and warm as it enveloped mine. I felt the callouses, the roughness of the life he’d led in just his palm.
The simple words should have scared me. We’ve missed you.
They not only didn’t scare me, they made my chest expand like my heart was about to take flight. I longed to hear them, to know that they’d been longing for me as much as I had for them. Maybe that was why I didn’t respond right away. I had a whole speech prepared, but it went unspoken as I met Cooper’s gaze. I couldn’t look away from the intensity, the longing.
After too much time passed, Rory reached for my other hand so I was trapped between the two of them. He gave me a smoldering look that had me squirming in my seat to relieve the ache. Yes, these two made me ache. Just hearing them admit they’d missed me made me ache.
“Say something, sweets.”
Sweets. The term of endearment sounded so natural coming out of his mouth and brought back so many memories.
I said the first coherent thought that passed through my mind. “I’ve missed you too.”