“Hi,” she whispered, and he gave her a sideways glance.
“Come here,” he told her, and she did. She walked closer to him, standing against his chair, leaning into his thigh as he placed his palm against her cheek.
“What were you doing over there?”
She knew he meant the cowboys who were flirting. “I wasn’t doing anything,” she replied with a bit of attitude. She really was in a foul mood and she felt uptight. How could she explain this to Tyler and Matt? They already had this influence over her. She hadn’t even had sex with them yet, and they made her feel this way. Hadn’t she made a similar mistake with Sal? Plus, in the back of her mind she worried about the stalker’s words.
She felt Tyler’s hand against her hip then his palm moved to her lower back, almost to her ass.
“Look at me.”
She turned toward him and expected to continue answering his questions about the cowboys, but she didn’t want to talk about them. She was scared, and all she really wanted was to be held in his arms and in Matt’s arms, but if she admitted that, then she showed weakness. Weakness made her vulnerable, and she was already vulnerable and weak when it came to them. She felt his hand press harder, making her move closer to him. Because he sat on a high stool, she was only a couple of inches away from his shoulder.
“What’s wrong? Something is bothering you,” Tyler stated, and then Matt moved his chair closer.
Matt said her name and she glanced at him. Then she tried looking around the area as if she might actually see the man who wrote the letters. Her stalker? God, I don’t like this. She felt herself shiver and Tyler’s grip tightened.
“Baby, you’re shaking. You’re not scared of us, are you?”
She shook her head.
“What’s wrong? Talk to us,” Matt insisted then got up from his stool and walked around the table so that he could place his hands on her shoulders.
Tyler held her gaze.
“I’m in a bad mood.”
“Because?”
“Because I don’t like feeling this way and I’m frustrated and angry and mostly I’m scared.” She took a deep breath and tried to straighten her shoulders.
Matt pressed his body against her back, and she leaned against him. Tyler cupped her cheek in his hand, and she pressed her lips against it.
“It’s nearly midnight. When can you leave?” Tyler asked her.
“In a little while. I’ve got all my stuff done for tomorrow night.”
“Get someone to cover for you. We’ll follow you over to your place. You can grab some clothes. Tell Susanna and your friends that you’re staying over at our place.”
“What? I can’t do that. I’m not ready for that, Tyler.”
“You’re ready. Now go tell Susanna and we can leave.”
“Unless you’d like us to check to see if you took care of your first assignment right here.”
She felt her cheeks warm. They wouldn’t dare check to see that she shaved for them. Would they?
Tyler raised his eyebrow at her, and she knew he would. The man probably had no qualms about having sex in a public place. She lowered her eyes. “I’m not ready for this.”
“Paula.” Tyler said her name firmly as he pulled her between his thighs. She felt Matt place his hand on her right hip then take her left hand and hold it by her side. He wasn’t really restraining her, but she felt that touch of masculine control they both emitted, and she was aroused by it.
She took a deep breath as Tyler pressed his thigh between hers, separating them.
He is going to check. Holy shit, right here right now.
In a panic she looked around them, and no one seemed to be paying attention to them. In fact, this was one of the darker corners of the room, and even she hadn’t known they were there for a long time.
His large, warm hand smoothed under her skirt and against her thigh. She looked at him. His hazel eyes sparkled with something erotic and dark. This was a different man in front of her. He was in control, and he knew it, and he definitely liked it. This type of control and power turned him and his brother on, and damn it, it turned her on, too.