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“You want more dirt over here?” I lift my head to see Blake pointing at one of the turns in question. My stomach does little flips with the realization that he can read my thoughts just by looking at me.
“It crossed my mind.” I glance back at the plans in my hand to avoid getting lost in his handsome face, and disguise the fact that my blush is not from the midday sun.
“Part of me wants to say we need more so I can ride this the way I want, but then I think about how it’s technically a beginner trail, and maybe shorter berms will force me to go a little slower and not terrify people trying to learn.”
It’s like he’s living inside my brain.“I’m having the same dilemma.”
“How do we decide?”
“We ride it.” I risk a quick peek in his direction, shooting my eyes back to the ground when I realize he’s staring intently at me.
“So…” The long pause has me glancing up in time to see him awkwardly rub the back of his neck. “Want to grab pizza with Jace and I, tonight?”
Of all the things he could say, that’s the last one I’m expecting to hear. “Why?”
“You’re new in town—probably haven’t met many people yet—and you once saved me from being the lonely guy at the bar. I’m trying to return the favor.”
“That was… Things are… Do you really think that’s a good idea?” I fold my lips between my teeth and hold my breath.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” He lifts his shoulder casually.
I feel my eyes roll back in my head as I exhale. “Can we not pretend you don’t know? Before I met you I…”
“Slept with Jace. Yeah, of course I know. It was written all over both your faces.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“No. You’re fun, you’re hot, you love biking… If anyone can understand why he was drawn to you it’s me, and I don’t have a problem knowing you’ve been with him. Does it bother you that you’ve been with both of us?” The smile he sends me borders on mischievous, almost like he’s testing me.
My stomach might be doing back flips, but I’ll be damned if I tell him that. Calling on my inner flamingo, I give him an equally coy grin. “Nope. All good.”
“Perfect. Then there’s no reason we can’t all hang out together. I’ll text you my address.” Blake spins away with a triumphant wink, which leaves me free to freak out minus an audience.
The guys have clearly put me in the friend zone, and seeing as how I don’t really know anyone here, I’m grateful for that. But my hormones aren’t on board with that label quite yet, so I have no idea how I’m going to get through tonight without letting my attraction for either of them grow deeper.
***
“Glad you made it. Come on in.” Blake moves aside and holds the door open so I can enter the nondescript little bungalow the guys call home.
I ditch my flip flops in the foyer and step into the living room, twisting my head right to left to take in the space before me. It’s definitely a bachelor’s place—no decorations to make it feel homey, like pictures or knick knacks that have been collected over time—but it’s clean. Cozy.
“We’ve got pepperoni or supreme, which do you like?” Jace calls from the kitchen.
“One of each.” I follow the voice and make my way over to a rectangular table with two bench seats. Tiny nicks and scratches mar the dark-stained wood, though they don’t scream neglect, more like well-loved. Like it’s a piece that’s been passed down a few generations.
Jace sets a plate and a beer in front of me with a wink as he and Blake take seats across the table. The three of us dive into the food, which I suspect is a ploy to get me to relax instead of jumping into conversation. It works, considering I’m starving.
Halfway into his second slice, Jace breaks the silence. “What do you think of town so far?”
“It’s got more character than I was expecting,” I say around a mouthful of cheese.
An easy smile spreads across his face. “Yeah, I’d never seen a purple building until I came here. It sounds like it should be ugly but somehow it’s not.”
“I know right,” I agree. “And Blake introduced me to a few girls in town. They seem nice, although I haven’t seen any of them since that first night. I didn’t get the impression any of them were big bikers, so I’m not sure what all we’ll have in common.”
“Tiff’s a good rider although she doesn’t do it much, and Cora—who you’ll meet eventually—has been out a few times with her husband,” Blake says. “You should start a bike group for the girls. I bet most of them would be willing to learn, and they’d probably prefer to start on a cross-country trail than a downhill one like what we’re building on the mountain.”
“Ooh, I like that idea.” My lingering nerves about the evening fade with the mention of biking. “I need to learn the area first. Can you guys show me some good beginner trails?”
