AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I mean, look at you!” he said at last. “You’re a total enigma. Where’d you come from? How’d you get here?”
“Why does any of that matter?”
He shrugged noncommittally. “Well you’ve got a tremendous apartment, all to yourself. An amazingly-decorated shop in the center of town. You don’t have a husband or boyfriend, or even a single friend or family member that you’ve mentioned by name.”
“And you’re hot,” said Roman, pausing to raise his own bottle. “Shit, you’re breathtakingly beautiful. Let’s not forget that part.”
“And mysterious,” added Erik. “And judging by the sheer amount of brand new stuff you own? Probably rich, too.”
I shook my head and chuckled nervously. “Trust me, I am not rich.”
“Not to mention you have the most interesting job of anyone we know,” added Roman with a shrug. “If you don’t want to talk about yourself, you could tell us more about that at least.”
I inhaled slowly, then let out a long, heated breath.
What to tell them…
Seconds ticked by. Long seconds.
What not tell them…
“Look,” Erik said finally. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell us.”
His voice was soft and understanding, without being preachy or judgmental. On the other side of me, Roman nodded.
“He’s right,” said my handsome Italian hunk. “If it seems like we’re prying, you can say so. We’re just… well, we’re interested in you.”
“In more ways than just the obvious,” Erik smiled. “We wanted you to know that.”
More silence, but at least now I was relieved. They were being sweet. Sweet and understanding.
“Well thank you,” I smiled back at them.
Roman was still rubbing, only now he was onto my calves. His touch felt incredible, relaxing me even more as he worked his way up the back of my knee.
But they were still looking at me, waiting patiently, wondering about all the things they’d mentioned. And they were such innocent things, too. Questions any girl would want a guy to ask of her, on a date or otherwise.
It didn’t make sense not to say anything.
“I was a foster kid,” I began slowly. “No blood family to speak of. I bounced from house to house as a child, never really putting down roots. Never really getting attached to anyone, because things were always so rapidly changing.”
The guys watched me carefully, staying silent. Probably worrying that I’d stop talking if they said anything. Eventually though, Roman shook his head.
“That sucks.”
“Yeah it wasn’t all bad,” I admitted. “But a life like that builds a shell. You become numb to a lot of things. You miss out on others.” I hesitated for a moment. “And the stuff that’s special to most kids… well, it isn’t necessarily special to you.”
“Like family,” Erik added.
“Yes. Like family.”
The wind whipped up outside, rattling the old windows of the little second-story apartment. I was glad to be warm. To be shielded from the growing cold.
“You can keep rubbing by the way,” I said to Roman, who’d abruptly stopped.
I could’ve gone on. I could’ve told them much, much more. But I’d had a great day, and one filled with an amazing energy. As late as it was, I didn’t want any of it to end.
Closing my hand over Roman’s, I guided his palm even further up my thigh. At the same time, I leaned to the left…
