by Tara Rose
“Thank you for the opportunity to work for you. I love what I do.”
Elliot leaned close, and Giselle stared into his eyes, mesmerized by how deep blue they looked in this light. “And we love having you there, but we miss hanging out with you the way we all used to do.”
She licked her lips as her pulse raced. She missed those times, too. But were they just making polite conversation, or did they want the same thing she did? Could it be true that they’d lusted after her all this time as much as she’d fantasized about them? “I miss it, too. But you’re both very busy with the company, and I still have to help here.”
She glanced around the bar. Kirstie and Neeva glared at her, as if they were swamped and she shouldn’t be leaning over, talking to two old friends. Fuck that. Everyone at the counter had a drink and food in front of them. There were enough servers here tonight to make sure everyone seated at the tables was taken care of. They could handle the counter for a few more minutes.
“What about tomorrow?” asked Kade.
“I’m sorry?”
“Tomorrow night. Do you have to work here tomorrow night as well?”
“I don’t actually have to work here any night. I just do because…” Because why? Did she really want to tell them that she was here because it beat sitting alone in her tiny apartment over The Green Parrot Gift Shop, right down the street? “Because it’s my family’s bar.” That much was true.
“Will you take a day off and spend it with us?”
Giselle stared into Kade’s eyes, certain she’d imagined him asking the question. “What?”
He smiled, and her pussy grew wet. “I asked if you could spend the day with us tomorrow. There’s a Cuban music concert at Striker Amphitheater, and then we could have dinner in town. What do you say?”
Every noise in the bar faded into the background as she played his words over in her mind. She really had heard them. Kade and Elliot wanted to spend an entire day and evening with her. This was too good to be true. “I would love to.”
He and Elliot exchanged a glance that could only be called triumphant, and Giselle fought a strong urge to pump her fist in the air. She might not have to consult Phyllis after all. One of her fantasies had just come true.
Chapter Three
Giselle changed her outfit five times before three o’clock, the time Kade and Elliot had arranged to pick her up. Since she only owned six summer dresses, that meant she’d rejected all but one of them. They weren’t too old or shabby, and she liked them all, but today she wanted to look perfect. Not only perfect. She wanted to look sexy and irresistible.
By the time she finally chose the first one she’d tried on, her stomach was in knots. She got herself so worked up over which sandals to wear that she dropped her jade earrings right at the edge of the air conditioning duct in the floor, and they nearly went through the slats in the covering and down into the pipe. She scooped them up and sat in the nearest chair, forcing her breathing under control.
Gradually, she felt her pulse slow as well, and then she rose again and resumed putting on her jewelry. She was going to tie her hair back, but recalled how, in high school, Kade and Elliot had always told her they loved her hair down. She wondered if they remembered saying that to her. She wore it tied back for work in the plant, but today she’d keep it down for them.
Once last glance in the full-length mirror, and then Giselle went outside to wait for the guys. She was so excited she could hardly sit still. A gentle, warm breeze blew from the south, and it smelled like rain, but there were no storms predicted. A little rain wouldn’t stop them from having a wonderful time.
She heard the sound of Kade’s Jeep before she saw it round the corner. As she stood, she smoothed down the dress and clutched her tiny bag tighter. This was really happening! She hoped they liked the outfit she’d chosen.
Both men climbed out of the Jeep and Kade’s jaw actually dropped slightly. Giselle smiled, shivering at the desire racing up and down her spine.
Elliot wolf-whistled. “Wow. Those horrible lime green smocks we make everyone wear at work cover up a lot. You look amazing.”
“Thank you.” She could hardly breathe.
“Then again, if we let you dress like that at work, Norm would be tripping over his feet every time he walked past you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Please…let’s not talk about him today, okay?” Giselle put a hand over her mouth, her pulse racing. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I just said that. He’s my boss. You’re his boss. Well, not exactly. Carmen is his boss and you’re her boss, but you know what I mean. I am so sorry.”
Both men laughed, and Kade strolled around the Jeep to place an arm across her shoulders. She inhaled the scent of coconut soap and lavender, letting the soothing combo calm her frayed nerves.
“Want to know a secret?” he asked softly. “We think he’s a pompous ass, too. But he’s related in some loose way to Tim, so we have to keep him on. But he’ll never get promoted. Even Asa can’t make us do that.”
She exhaled out loud. “Oh, good. But still, I shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why not?” asked Elliot. “It’s the truth. He’s an idiot. And if he doesn’t stop leering at you all day long we’re moving him to another shift.”
So, they had noticed that, too. Good to know. “Can you do that?”
“I don’t care if we can or can’t. We’ll do it anyway. And we’ll be honest about why we’re doing it. Even Tim can’t argue with sexual harassment. It’s against the law.”
Kade held the passenger door open for her and she climbed inside. He watched her skirt hike up her thigh, and she left it there instead of pulling it down. Let him look. Once he was in the driver’s seat again, Elliot climbed in the back, and Giselle turned sideways so she could see both men. “He hasn’t really crossed any lines. But it’s creepy the way I’ll be working and then suddenly, there he is.”
Kade cut his gaze toward her briefly as he navigated the downtown area, heading for the road that would take them to the amphitheater. “It’s creepier than you know. Our offices overlook the part of the floor where you work. We watch him all day long, and he watches you far more than he needs to.”
She frowned as a nasty shudder ran down her spine. “I almost wish you hadn’t told me that.”
Elliot rubbed her left shoulder, sending shock waves of desire straight to her clit. “Don’t you worry. We won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t want to think about Norm today. She only wanted to enjoy her time with these two. “Have you heard this band before? Tentacíon?”
Kade smiled. “Are you kidding? We love them. Do you know how long it took us to get them to play here? We have all their songs on iTunes.”
“Oh…I keep forgetting. You wouldn’t ever have seen them on the mainland…” Her voice trailed off. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be. It is what it is. I’m just so happy they finally agreed to come and play here, and that you’re with us right now.”
She studied Kade’s profile, wondering how she’d be able to keep her hands off them tonight. She hoped they didn’t expect her to. “And how did I not know what fans you are of Cuban music?”
“I don’t know,” said Elliot. “I guess we really do have a lot of catching up to do.”
The road to the amphitheater was packed with more cars and Jeeps than Giselle had ever seen at one time, on any road on the island. Most people walked or rode bicycles through town. When they drove at all, it was on motorbikes. But since this venue was ten miles out of town, it appeared anyone who could drive a car had chosen to do so.
They inched along for close to half an hour before they reached the parking lot, where Kade steered the Jeep into a spot along the furthest row from the front. “Last in, first out,” he said, turning off the ignition.
Giselle laughed, but she agreed his logic made sense.
“No, it doesn’t,” said Elliot. “By the t
ime we walk all the way out here, everyone else will be filing out of the lot.”
“No, they won’t.” Kade grabbed her hand, surprising the hell out of her. His skin was so warm, and she gave his hand a tiny squeeze out of sheer joy that she was with both men. “Because we’ll leave before they finish their second encore and beat everyone out.”
“They’re doing a second show later tonight,” said Elliot. “This place will be jammed by the time we leave.”
“It’s cool.” Kade winked at her. “That’ll give us more time with Giselle.”
She couldn’t stop smiling as they made their way across the pavement toward the entrance to the amphitheater grounds. She could already hear the sound check being performed and at least one percussionist warming up. She could barely contain her excitement. Elliot wrapped her other arm around his and smiled down at her. “Keep a tight hold on that bag in this crowd.”
“Oh, I will.” She clutched it tighter.
“It’s very pretty. I love how the beads make a parrot design.”
“Thank you. I made it.”
They exchanged a glance over her head. “Then we hired the right person for the job you do.”
“We’re likely to see people from work here,” said Kade. “Both of us with you like this will turn heads and start tongues wagging.”
“I don’t care,” she said. “Let them gossip.”
“All right,” said Elliot. “A woman after my own heart. That’s the spirit. People gossip anyway, even when there’s nothing to gossip about.”
She agreed with him, and thought he’d offered the perfect segue into asking them about their BSDM lifestyle, but suddenly she had no idea what to ask. If only she’d rehearsed questions or opening lines earlier instead of fussing so much over what she’d wear. Then again, she really needed to relax and let this evening take the course it was meant to take. Otherwise she’d spend all her emotional energy on what to say or not say, and she’d miss the sheer joy of simply being here with them.
She’d known these men all her life. The past twelve years had kept them busy doing more than helping their family run Phoebe’s Playthings. Surely they’d be happy to talk about all the things they’d done in that time over dinner. But right now, it was time to enjoy some amazing music.
* * * *
Kade and Elliot had never topped a sub at the same time let alone taken a woman on a date together. Kade hadn’t given this arrangement a second thought until Elliot had wrapped Giselle’s arm around his own, and Kade realized they’d both unconsciously marked their territory. What the hell were they thinking?
This wasn’t something they’d ever discussed except as joking around, and that one time in high school. But they’d better figure it out soon because there was a very real possibility tonight they’d be having sex with her. Or at least making out. She looked at each of them like they’d hung the moon, and it was so easy to remember her as the unattainable high school senior they’d both asked to prom. They told her they both wanted to accompany her, but she hadn’t taken it seriously, thinking they were only kidding around.
One year ahead of them in school, she’d ended up going with a group of friends because no one else had asked her. It was only the day after that she’d found out they’d been serious, and she’d spent the entire summer apologizing for not realizing that. They’d spent it trying to reassure her they weren’t upset.
She went to work in Lady of The Night, and they began their internships at Phoebe’s Playthings, taking time off during the school year to complete their senior years. And they’d never had the chance until now to even think about going out with Giselle again.
They reached the turnstiles and he let go of her hand to give the attendant their tickets. She looked like she was ready to jump out of her skin. He couldn’t remember being with a woman who was so excited over a concert. It was adorable and refreshing.
Since graduating from high school, he and Elliot had joined the ranks of most of their first, second, third, and even fourth cousins in pursuing online degrees, mostly in business, and working at various department head or executive positions within the company. Those who had no interest in going that route were usually ostracized by the rest of the family members on both sides, and they definitely weren’t praised for their career or life choices.
The company was everything on this island. You either dedicated your life to it, or you were dirt underneath Asa’s and Tim’s shoes. Their sons, Arizona and Dallas, were being groomed to take over the company one day as CEOs. Both currently headed up the marketing department, and they were considerably more laid back than either Asa or Tim. Kade hoped they stayed that way once they took over.
They found their seats and Giselle stood, glancing at the others filing in, watching the band warm up and the roadies do their thing, and pointing out every tiny detail to him and Elliot as if she’d never seen it before. They exchanged more than one smile at her obvious delight with everything. When the band came onstage to play their first tune, the noise inside was deafening, but Kade didn’t mind. He and Elliot had pulled a lot of strings to make this happen, and he was going to enjoy it.
It was impossible not to sway to the music once they started, and his dick grew rock hard as he watched Giselle shake her hips and move. She had a keen sense of natural rhythm, which didn’t surprise him at all, but he doubted she realized how seductive she looked dancing.
He’d always loved the sound of guitars, claves, bongos, and a marímbula. When she said something about the claves sounding like they were traditional ones made of wood, not plastic like so many were today, he grinned. “I have an antique pair at home made from rosewood.”
She shook her head and pointed toward her ear, indicating she hadn’t heard him, so he leaned closer. The smell of her shampoo and perfume filled his senses, and he tamped down an urge to kiss her, right then and there.
He repeated what he’d just said, and her eyes grew wide. “I’d love to see them.”
He nodded, thinking he’d like to show her more than his collection of musical instruments. Would that actually happen? And how in the hell was he going to discuss that possibility with Elliot without ruining this perfect day? But they needed to be on the same page. This was unchartered territory, not to mention potentially troublesome for them both. Kade didn’t give a shit what Asa or Tim would say. He was tired of worrying about that. But did Elliot feel the same way?
Chapter Four
The heavy beat of the bongos filled Elliot’s head, evoking the same emotions this type of music always did. It was impossible not to dance when he heard it. A quick glance around told him everyone else in the amphitheater felt the same way. Without thinking about it, he took Giselle’s hand and stepped into the aisle. She handed her bag to Kade, and Elliot risked a quick glance at him while he led Giselle in a salsa.
At least he was smiling. Thank goodness for that. Everyone around them was dancing now as well, and Elliot thought he’d come in his pants as Giselle threw back her head and laughed. She was so happy, and so fucking sexy with that dark hair swirling around her face. And she moved like she was born to do it.
Kade handed Elliot her bag and took his turn dancing with her. Elliot didn’t mind him doing that, but they’d have to talk about this. What the hell were they going to do here? Because there was no way he could not pursue her, and it was clear as he watched Kade dance with her that he felt the same way. They’d started down this road at the tender age of sixteen, and it suddenly struck Elliot that neither man had ever really found another woman as enticing as Giselle. This path had already been forged fourteen years ago. They simply hadn’t known it yet.
They took turns dancing with her for nearly an hour, and when the band finally slowed things down and people took their seats again, a fine sheen of sweat covered their faces. Giselle’s hair stood out from her head in a frizzy mess of curls, but he thought it made her look even sexier. He also wondered how the hell he’d make it through the rest of the concert with
out kissing her.
She leaned first against Kade’s shoulder, and then his, gazing into their eyes with lust and sheer joy. “This is the best. Thank you so much.”
He moved closer and inhaled her scent again. “Our pleasure.”
After playing a few more songs the band took an intermission, and Elliot told them he was going to get them something to drink. He needed water. On the way to the concession stand, he did a double take as he spotted two familiar faces. He ducked around the corner and watched them, frowning. When they moved away, he bought bottled water and returned to their seats, where Kade and Giselle were pointing toward the stage and discussing the various instruments.
She took a bottle from him and drank half of it before speaking. “I had no idea you both were musicians. Kade has been telling me about his rosewood claves, and how they’re almost one hundred years old. And he just told me you play bongos and guitar. Why didn’t I know any of this?”
He drank an entire bottle, wishing he’d bought them each more than two apiece. He was hot and sweaty, although most of that had more to do with being this close to Giselle than the weather. He’d also love to discuss their musical interests with her, but right now he had to tell them who he’d seen.
He glanced at Kade. “How much do you know about Paolo Greco?”
Kade frowned. “The buyer that was at the plant yesterday? Not much. Just what Tim told us. Why?”
“Because I just saw him buying nachos and Cokes.”
“What? But you drove him and Dean Weller to the airport yesterday.”
“And I watched them get on the plane.”
Kade leaned closer and lowered his voice. “What the fuck is going on?”
“I don’t know.” He glanced toward Giselle. This wasn’t her concern, but they could trust her. They’d known her all their lives, and Asa, Tim, and Carmen obviously trusted her as well. “And you won’t believe who he was with.”
“Who?” Kade’s voice was dark and dangerous, and Elliot was glad to know he wasn’t the only one who didn’t like this at all.
