“I’m going to grab us breakfast.” Isaiah gestured toward the counter. “You two get loaded into the Explorer. Do you have everything you need?”
“Coffee. Clothes. Knights in shining armor. I’m good.” My smile felt genuine for the first time since yesterday. The gnawing hurt and frustration of James cheating on me hovered at the back of my mind, but it was easy enough to ignore if I focused on everything else.
Like the fact Kane smelled amazing—woodsy and clean—when he rested a palm on my lower back and pointed me toward the car. “You should hook up, once we get there.” Teasing filled his voice. “Get that dick out of your system.”
I adored that this was his version of trying to cheer me up. Especially since it echoed what I’d been thinking last night. Of course, it was a drunk, vindictive idea I’d never follow through on, but it was fun to joke about. “Maybe. Maybe I’ll find a guy, or even two, to prove how much better off I am.”
He set my bag in the back and cradled my laptop it in a more secure section, before turning back to me. He studied my face for a moment, expression unreadable. “Exactly.”
We hit the road a few minutes later. Their drive from Chicago yesterday had only been about eight hours, and today would be the longest leg of the trip. The hope was to hit Utah before we were too tired to continue for the night. If we swapped out drivers, it wouldn’t be an issue. We could drive straight through, with all three of us here, but the competition didn’t start for three more days, so there was no reason to exhaust ourselves before we got there.
The banter flowed more easily than I expected, and I found myself sinking into the casual conversation. It was just like being online, but now I could see the way they moved their hands when they spoke and hear the inflections in their voices that the microphone muffled. I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes, letting the July sun warm my face and chase away the last of my hangover.
“Andi.” Someone shook my shoulder, and Isaiah’s voice burrowed into my thoughts. “Wake up, Dee.”
I pried open my eyes, and shut them again when the sun hit them. My neck ached, and so did my throat. I pushed myself upright and braved looking again.
Isaiah sat next to me, brows furrowed in concern. He traced a thumb across my cheek. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Of course.” The words came out raspier than I intended. “Why?”
“You fell asleep while we were talking.”
“Oh, crap. I’m so sorry.” They were going to think I was a social moron if I kept doing things like drunkenly throwing myself at them and passing out during conversations.
“It’s okay. I have a feeling you didn’t sleep much last night. But we stopped, to give me an excuse to check on you.”
Geez. I rubbed my face. I’d been dreaming about… I wasn’t sure. “I’m okay.” The last thing I wanted was him staring at half-asleep, bleary-eyed me. “Where are we?”
“Denver. Are you sure?”
“Of course.” I forced myself to smile and not drag up whatever was shadowy and hovering at the back of my mind. “I need to wash my face, and stuff.”
He nodded toward a diner connected to the gas station. “We’ll be in there. Come find us.”
“Be there soon.” I climbed from the SUV and made my way toward the restroom sign. Grief nudged the back of my thoughts, and I pushed it aside. It was a fucked up dream, combined with hangover residue. Nothing more. And once I got some food in my stomach, it would stop protesting and telling me otherwise.
Chapter Three
About five hours later, we pulled into Grand Junction, Colorado. It wasn’t quite Utah, but it was close, and we’d make Las Vegas in plenty of time tomorrow. Whatever plagued my dreams earlier—being pissed off at James; I was sure of it—had passed. The rest of the drive had been friendly and fun, and I managed to stay awake the entire time.
We stopped at the first diner we found, and I excused myself to go freshen up. When I saw my reflection in the restroom mirror, I couldn’t help but make faces. My ponytail hadn’t done anything to tame my mane of curls, once my hair dried, and a large puff of brown frizz extruded from the back of my skull. I grabbed my brush and two hair elastics, and did something I hadn’t in ages—pulled the high-frizz mess into two braids, one on each side of my head. It wasn’t long enough for much else. I looked young this way, almost childish, but it would keep it out of my face.
I found Isaiah and Kane already settled in a booth in the back of the restaurant. Isaiah talked with his hands, gesturing wildly, while Kane mostly nodded. The adoration in their eyes when they looked at each other made my footsteps falter. I resumed walking, unable to shake a single thought. What would it be like to have someone to look at that way, who returned the feeling? James and I never had that. The realization struck me hard and left a hollow ache in my chest.
I swallowed it all and slid into the booth seat across from them.
“Welcome back.” Kane grinned.
“Perfect.” Isaiah turned to me. “He was telling the brilliant idea the two of you came up with.”
Even though they both looked completely relaxed, something about his words set me on edge. “Which was…?”
“You need to get laid.”
Kane rolled his eyes. “I didn’t put it quite that way.”
I dropped my face into my hands, heat flushing my cheeks at the direct suggestion. It carried a hint of imagery with it, built on some of the conversations we’d shared in the past. Kane’s mouth on mine. Isaiah’s hands roaming my body. Desire flooded my skin. That probably wasn’t what they meant. “How did you put it?” I asked.
“I think the term I used was revenge fuck.”
That wasn’t any better. Fantasy rolled in, painting mental pictures of one of them pinning me down, cock sliding inside me, while the other sucked and pinched my nipples. I reached for my ice water and took a long swallow. “Still not following you.”
“We need to find you a guy at the competition.” Isaiah leaned in and rested his forearms on the edge of the table. He locked his gaze on me. “Someone gorgeous, smart, or at least who knows when not to talk, who understands this is only for one night. To help you move on.”
The idea sounded as fantastic and as completely unrealistic as the last two times it came up. “I don’t know how to pick up guys. What am I supposed to do? Walk up to people I find attractive and say, Hey, wanna help me get over my cheating jerk of an ex-boyfriend by screwing my brains out?”
They exchanged glances before looking back at me. Kane shrugged. “Why not?”
“Because I’m plain, boring, terminally shy little me.”
“Says the woman who asked us for details about our sex life last night.” There was no irritation in Kane’s voice.
“I was drunk. And I said I was sorry.”
“And it’s not an issue.” Isaiah reached across the table and covered my hand with his. “You’re not plain at all. Or boring. You look gorgeous right now. And you’re going to be the confident woman at a competition filled with gamer guys. You’ll have your pick.”
The compliment warmed me from the inside out. It didn’t stop me from noticing another flaw in his plan. “I don’t want most of those guys. Even for a night.”
“You’re not looking for your soul mate,” Kane said. “You want someone attractive to fuck the hell out of you, so you have bragging rights when you go back home.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” Isaiah asked.
“Because… You really want a list? It’s a long freaking list.”
Kane held up his index finger. “Name one thing.”
I had a hard enough time finding and keeping steady boyfriends. James had been number three in my entire life. I was awkward around people. There was no way I could flirt with a random stranger. Every reason died on my lips, each sounding lamer than the last. “I don’t know how.”
Kane nudged Isaiah, and they shared another look. That would be nice—to have conversati
ons without ever saying a word. Isaiah squeezed my hand before pulling away. “We’ll teach you.”
“How to seduce a guy?” I couldn’t keep the disbelief from my voice. “I don’t think that’s a teachable kind of thing. Especially in the next two days.”
Kane raised his brows and drew his lips into a thin line. “If you’re not interested, say no.”
I was, though. As completely implausible as the outcome seemed, I liked the idea of feeding James a taste of his own medicine, and I couldn’t have asked for more gorgeous or patient instructors. “I’m interested. When do we start?”
“Now.” Isaiah scooted to my side of the booth, boxing me in. His heat seeped into my arm, drawing already tingling nerve endings further to life. He shifted so he faced me, knee resting on the vinyl and pressing into my leg. When he tugged on one of my braids, I almost groaned. Where had that come from?
When I got a room tonight and had a little alone time, I was going to spend some time gliding my fingers over every inch of my body where these two touched in my fantasies. It was kind of a shame I’d left my vibrator behind, but over the past few months, I’d gotten good at getting myself off while James snored away next to me. At least tonight, I wouldn’t have to be quiet.
“First things first.” Isaiah rested his hand on my shoulder. “Relax.”
“I— What?”
He kneaded the muscle, and this time I did groan. I didn’t realize I was that wound up.
“You’re thinking about it too hard.” His voice was low and soothing. “Just be yourself.”
“What if mister tall-dark-and-for-one-night-only doesn’t like me as myself?”
“Then find someone worth your time,” Kane said.
“You make it sound easy.”
Isaiah leaned in, breath caressing my skin, and whispered, “It is.” He never made contact, but if I shifted my head a little to the right, his lips would brush my ear. “Any guy worth anything would fall to his knees and beg for a night with you, if he thought it would work. We’re going to prove it to you.”
I pulled away enough to look him in the eye. His gaze almost sank into my soul, and sincerity stared back. He gave me a tiny smile. “I promise.” His voice was smooth and confident.
I had no illusions it was that simple, but I was going to let myself fall into pretending at least a little longer if it meant this kind of up-close-and-personal attention.
Chapter Four
“So, what else?” I wanted more solid advice, but a tiny voice in the back of my head reminded me it had only been a day since the James incident. I argued back that was why we were doing this.
“Nothing else. Approach. Make small talk. Ask him out.” Kane made it sound as straightforward as a convenience-store run for more Dew.
“I suck at small talk. There are only so many times I'll want to hear how hot it is. It's Las Vegas in July. It's going to be hotter than the underside of Satan's balls.”
Someone coughed, and I realized a waitress stood next to our table. “You need another minute?” Her tone was flat, but the corners of her mouth twitched as if she was struggling not to laugh.
Isaiah squeezed my knee and turned in his seat. “Nah, we're ready.”
I started to protest, but as Isaiah ordered, Kane slid the menu to me, finger resting on a turkey avocado sandwich. Apparently I was predictable, even to two people I’d only just met in person. Why didn't James ever figure me out the way they had? I shook the thought aside before it became misery.
The waitress made notes and left. Isaiah turned back to me. “You do fine with us.”
“Small talk.” Kane added. “Or rather, we never run out of things to talk about.”
“That's different. I know you. If I say, Do you ever wonder why we're here — ?”
“That's one of life's great mysteries, isn't it? Why are we here?” Kane didn't miss a beat, coming in with the opening line from Red vs. Blue.
I couldn't help my grin. “See?”
“Use that as an opener for every guy you approach.” Isaiah leaned back when the waitress returned with our drinks, so she could set mine in front of me. “If he follows it up right, you know he’s worth at least a fraction of your time.”
“But that's our thing.” Maybe I was being silly, but the fact we slid into the obscure reference without pause felt special.
“Technically, it's Rooster Teeth's thing,” Isaiah swirled his straw in his drink, clinking the ice.
Kane leaned back to rest against the wall instead of the bench. “Do we have to pay them every time we say that?”
As flattering as the attention had been, this was much better than them trying to coach me. “We just need to give proper attribution. Right?”
“Unless they're litigious,” Kane said.
I laughed. “Ooh, big word.”
“And one I'd bet money”—he pulled his wallet out—“you can't spell, when you're drunk.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “I don't have to. I'm not the one who's lawsuit happy.”
We slid from one topic to the next, as we finished our food, nursed our drinks, and pretended the hours weren’t vanishing. As the clock on the diner wall reached ten, I had to admit we might need to call it a night. “We need to get rooms. If they have any left, that is.”
“Rooms? Plural?” Isaiah asked.
“It’s the middle of nowhere. They have a room left.” Kane slid from his seat anyway, and held a hand out for Isaiah. “If you get your own, it’s going to cost extra, and we have to say goodbye until tomorrow morning. You know the Wi-Fi here is gonna suck.”
“We’ll get a double queen.” Isaiah helped me stand. “Just one room.”
“If you’re sure…” I didn’t actually have any desire to protest. I was having too much fun to say goodnight, but it felt like the polite thing to do.
Isaiah wrapped an arm around my waist, and a rush of giddiness filled me. This was nice. He hooked his thumb into my belt loop and twisted me toward the walkway joining the diner to the motel. “Come on, roomie.”
Moments later, we were settled in one room. I sat on my mattress with my legs crossed. Kane mirrored my posture, with Isaiah behind him, arm draped over Kane’s shoulder.
As a comfortable silence drifted between us, a new thought plowed its way into my mind, and I scowled. Not what I wanted to worry about right now.
“Spit it out,” Kane said.
It didn’t matter that we’d discussed almost everything in the time we knew each other, this was one secret I kept tucked away, nicely wrapped in a ball of I’d-rather-not-ever-admit-it. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Dee.” Isaiah’s tone was a combination of coaxing and warning.
I chewed my lip, indecision rocking inside me. Everything about life told me it was something to be embarrassed about, but at the same time, I didn’t think they’d have a problem with it. I dredged up the confession. “The plan is I hook up with some random guy, right? What if I’m not experienced enough for him? What if we get back to his room and he’s like, Uh, wow, you’re boring in bed.”
Isaiah frowned and scooted to the edge of the bed, to dangle his legs over the side. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”
Frustration and embarrassment built inside. “I'm twenty eight, and I've had three boyfriends in my life. The first was high school, and we did some really intense making out. The second made fun of me and called me gay, because I thought it was hot to watch people enjoy sex, regardless of their gender, and the third...” I trailed off, not wanting to talk about James. “Let’s just say, in the end they all went somewhere else for sex.”
“I’ve heard you in chat, Dee. You’ve got a wicked sexy imagination on you, whether or not it’s drawn from experience.”
I tapped my toes against the inside of my leg. “But saying and doing are two separate things.”
Kane raised his brows. “How so?”
“Really?” I couldn’t believe he’d just asked that. Partly because I didn�
��t want to have to explain. “Just because I read a book on brain surgery, and know the terminology, doesn’t mean I can operate. Besides, dirty talk is different over the internet than looking someone in the eye.”
Isaiah stood, pulled me to my feet, and moved behind me. “Better?” he asked.
I laughed and shook my head. “Not so much.”
He trailed a finger along the back of my neck, lightly enough to send a pleasant chill down my spine. “What kind of things are you saying online that you’ve never done in real life?”
“Like, most of it.” I wanted to close my eyes and sink into Isaiah’s touch. I couldn’t make eye contact with Kane, so that helped the impulse. I resisted the urge and studied my feet instead.
Kane rose and closed the distance between us. Finger under my chin, he forced my gaze to his. “Be specific.”
What did he want me to say? “My sex life has been limited to lying on my back, guy thrusting between my legs until he’s done, then him rolling over and passing out while I finish myself off.” The words spilled out with more force than I intended, carried on the pent-up frustration of having lived the story.
“I’d like to see that sometime.” Isaiah’s breath caressed my ear, chasing away the lingering traces of anger that came with the memories.
I let out a shaky breath. “My sexual frustration?”
“You finishing yourself off.” He kissed the back of my neck so lightly, I almost thought I imagined it.
My breath caught, and I struggled to bring my libido under control before it got ideas of its own. “This is still about training, right?” Part of me wished I hadn’t asked. Wanted to get lost in the moment and pretend it was anything but innocent banter among friends. I’d just had my heart ripped out, though. I wasn’t ready for that again.
“Sure. Of course.” Isaiah rested his hands on my hips. “If you’re worried about being uncomfortable when you get back to random-stranger-guy’s room, maybe we can ease you into looking forward to it.”
Seduction Games: A #GeekLove Ménage Romance (Game for Cookies Book 1) Page 2
