Masculine voices, plus the smell of something delicious, guided me to a large, sunny kitchen. The bright light made my head hurt worse, and for a moment I hovered in the doorway, taking stock.
The twins were at the table, laughing at something together. They looked as identical as they did last night in everything except their attire. Austin was wearing black running shorts, like his brother, but that was all he was wearing. Well, except for a black baseball cap. Luckily, his back was to me. I didn’t want any of the guys to see me start counting his eight-pack again.
Speaking of guys, the man next to Denver could count for three men, at least. He was huge, with the massive physique of a bodybuilder. Something about his short brown beard and mustache looked familiar. Then I realized that he was the bouncer from the club last night. I nodded shyly as he stared at me with vivid blue eyes under fierce, dark brows.
He was a mountain of a man, yet there was a certain stillness and steadiness to him. While it seemed like Austin and Denver could overwhelm your senses and make you faint on the spot, this man looked like he might just pick you back up. A memory stirred… the feeling of being lifted up into the air. Of being pressed to a massive chest. Of being safe. Had he carried me up to the bedroom last night?
“There she is,” the last man said from his position at the stove. He looked familiar, too, but he was harder to place. “I hope you eat carbs.”
What?
I frowned, replaying his words, trying to make sense of them.
“She’s having a rough morning,” Denver said from the table.
“Understandable,” the fourth man said. He was good-looking in a different way from the twins. Still, if you entered the phrase ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ in a search engine, you’d probably end up with a picture of him. “But I made French toast, which those two won’t touch with a ten-foot pole.” He jerked his head at the twins. “So I’m hoping you’ll help eat some.”
His tan forearm, dusted with a smattering of dark hair, rested on the counter near a massive stack of French toast. That must be what smelled so good. It looked delicious, but my stomach was staging a rebellion. Still, I’d try for the sake of that panty-melting smile of his. Suddenly, it clicked into place. “You’re the bartender.”
“At your service.” He gave a mock little bow that was sexy as hell. “I’m Tonio.”
I couldn’t help returning his smile. “I’m Emma.” Unlike the twins and the bouncer, I’d actually talked with the bartender last night, so I couldn’t believe it took me so long to remember him. Apparently getting dumped and drinking heavily didn’t do much for one’s short-term memory.
“We know.” Tonio’s voice held a hint of apology. “We looked at your license to see if we could find your address. Pennsylvania, huh? Must be a long commute. So, better eat first.” That last line was accompanied by a wink.
My mind swirled as I tried to figure out what kind of an explanation I could give to these men who had been so kind to me. I didn’t know where to begin, and the fact that they were all so hot didn’t help. How was a girl supposed to think with all of them together in one room?
Luckily, at least one of them didn’t give me a chance to dwell in it any further. “Sit down before you fall down,” Austin ordered. He pushed the chair next to him out for me.
Gratefully, I sank down into the seat, blinking in surprise as Austin pulled my chair in with one hand. That was impressive—I wasn’t used to men so strong they could move you about at will.
Trying to focus, I looked across the table. I was face to face with the huge bouncer, whose name I still didn’t know. He pushed a glass of water toward me, and I took it gratefully.
“Do you want coffee?” Denver asked.
“No thanks.” I sipped the water slowly.
“I know you’re hungover, but eat something if you can. It’ll help, and it’ll make Tonio happy,” Denver said.
“He thinks he knows what’s best for us,” his brother added.
“Shut up and eat your eggs,” Tonio growled from the stove.
“I’m Austin, by the way, and the big guy here is Drax.”
“Like in Guardians of the Galaxy?” Come to think of it, he did look a bit like the big, powerfully built man in the movies. Only not an alien and not green.
Denver grinned. “She knows her Marvel movies.”
I nodded. I’d watched most of them on my own because Clint didn’t approve of movies based on comic books. There were a lot of things Clint hadn’t approved of.
The big man sitting across from me said something I didn’t catch.