I gasped and pouted at Beck. “I didn’t scream at you.”
“Just kind of.” Sawyer laughed and pulled his chair over to sit right up against me. “Is the school you work at full of only woman teachers? Do you live in an all-female neighborhood or something?”
I shook my head. “No, there are plenty of men around.”
“And none of them have begged for a second of time in your bed yet?”
My eyes went wide, and I felt the blush travel to my chest. My hands were tingling. I felt like a dog before an earthquake, like I could feel something coming, but I didn’t know what. “Somehow, miraculously, all the men around me have managed to withstand my allure.”
Jack leaned forward, a scowl twisting his handsome face. “That was dripping with sarcasm.”
“Yes. Yes, it was.” I rolled my eyes and stood up, needing to move. “Anyway, what else do you do at these meetings?”
“This is it. We’re boring.” Jack stood up and stretched. His shirt moved higher, showing an inch of the tan skin on his stomach, and I knew he caught me looking by the grin on his full lips. “Most of the time.”
“Tonight has been a lot more interesting than any of our other meetings.” Beck nodded his chin at Sawyer and Jack. “These two have never been so much fun.”
Sawyer stood up and flipped Beck off. “I’m always a blast. Now, we’ve talked about the kids. How about you join us upstairs for a drink, Win?”
Jack read my hesitation on my face and walked closer to me. He took my hand in his and shook his head at me. “You’re not sneaking out on us. One drink.”
His hand was rough and callused, making me wonder what he did for work. The sensation sent chills up my arm and I swayed towards him before straightening and shrugging. “Fine. Why not?”
I climbed the stairs behind Jack, who wasn’t letting go of my hand, and ahead of Sawyer and Beck, aware of how much of my ass they were being forced to look at. My self-consciousness only got worse when we entered Church and I remembered that I was underdressed and had just had cheerios plucked out of my hair for almost an hour. My feet stilled, but Sawyer was right behind me, his body bumping into mine. I found that I had no choice but to move deeper into the bar unless I wanted to be run over. I just hoped the low lighting hid how out of place I was.
4
Winnie
Jackpickedatablein an empty part of the bar and pulled out a seat for me. The chair was tall, and I eyed it for a second while trying to decide how to best climb into it without looking dumb. Jack grinned down at me and then grabbed me around the waist and lifted me onto the chair, while I let out a squeak that probably pierced his eardrum. I had grabbed onto his shoulders when he lifted me, and it took me a second to release him once I was steady in the chair.
Then, I surprised him by smacking his chest and frowning. “You could’ve hurt your back! Don’t do that. I could’ve figured it out.”
Sawyer scoffed. “Hurt himself how? By lifting you? You’re kidding, right?”
Beck rested one hand on the back of my chair and the other on my thigh. “Between that and the comment downstairs about men somehow managing to withstand your lure, I’m starting to think that you’re not seeing yourself the way I see you.”
Jack was at my other side, his rough hand flexing as he gripped my other thigh. His honey brown eyes almost glowed in the lighting of the bar, and when he leaned closer to me, I almost lost myself in wondering how such a tough-looking guy could have such pretty eyes. “I’m a man, Win. A strong man who likes curves and standing while fucking. My back is built for a woman like you, so don’t you worry about it.”
Sweat instantly formed on the back of my neck. I didn’t know where to put my hands or what to do, so I sat them primly on the table in front of me and swallowed so loudly that Sawyer grinned when he heard it. “Wow.”
“Give her some space.” Sawyer sat across from me, but his eyes ignored his own command. He watched every move I made, and I’d never felt so aware of my whole body.
Beck and Jack sat down, but the table was small, and they were still both close enough that I could feel them. I tucked my lower lip between my teeth and felt an inappropriate laugh bubbling up. It happened when I got nervous at times, and the energy at our table was making me nervous. It wasn’t abadnervous, but the tingling feeling that had started in my hands was all over my body by then.
The laugh finally escaped. I tried to cover my mouth, but Beck got my hand and stopped me. “Let us see.”
A waitress appeared, thankfully, and greeted us to take our order. Her eyes raked hungrily over the men I was sitting with, and I didn’t blame her. They were beautiful. When she looked at me, I figured she was wondering what they were doing withme.
After ordering, I sat back in my chair and looked around the bar. I didn’t see anyone I recognized, thankfully, but I’d completely forgotten to worry about it in the midst of the men surrounding me. When my gaze came back to the table, I found all three men watching me. I was no expert, but I felt like there was a thick sexual tension between us, and it made no sense. I had to be going crazy, because there was no way the three of them found me attractive. If one of them did, I’d still be surprised. Allthreeof them? Direct me to the closest shrink.
“Have you been here before?”
Thankful for a distraction, I smiled back at Sawyer and nodded. “Once for a PTA meeting and once because my friend dragged me. Both nights ended in tears.”
“I understand the PTA meeting, but why did your other night end in tears?”
I fiddled with the ring I wore on my right thumb. “A guy was rude to me. It was silly. I’m not great at drinking. One is always my limit. Two drinks and I’m suddenly ready to cleanse my spirit with a lifetime’s worth of tears.”