timing.”
“Right, okay.” I scrambled to find my discarded shirt. “Of course.” Just because my phone wasn’t working didn’t mean he didn’t have one.
The pounding started again.
“Alright! Enough already.” Jared flung open the door and glared. His whole body was tense, frustration oozing off him like a black fog. “Would it have killed you to call back? I thought she was stuck out here.”
“Oh yeeeeah! Why didn’t I think of that?” Jared’s brother mocked. “Maybe because I did, but it wouldn’t go through, dumbass.”
My jaw just about dropped when he walked in and shook off his coat. Where did they grow men like this? Because I was pretty sure I could get rich selling the location to single ladies all over the world. Could it be bottled?
They were obviously cut from nearly identical molds. Jared was touch taller, but they were both equally built, and just as sexy. His brother did look more laid back though, hair longer and with a less dangerous look about him. Of the two of them I’d put money on this one being the heart breaker.
“Well, hello there.” He grinned, flashing perfect white teeth. “I’m Grant, the better looking, less moody of the Pate brothers. You must be Lauren.”
“Hi.” My cheeks heated at the intensity of his smile. Definitely the player in the family. Jared would have just grunted at me. I looked back and forth between them. “Does this mean I’m going back? I’m sure Jared will be glad to get me out of his way.”
Jared shrugged noncommittally, but he didn’t look happy. Probably annoyed about getting interrupted in the middle of... whatever that was about to be. Liar, you know exactly where that was headed.
Well, he’d just have to deal with it, because Grant had saved us from making a huge mistake. I was no prude, but one night stands definitely weren’t my style, and I was afraid that given the strength of my reactions to Jared, I would never be able to keep it simple between us.
It would be better to just get out of there before I went too far and my heart got involved. I had enough trouble keeping my life on track with just me to worry about. I didn’t need a crabby alpha-male with a penchant for spanking complicating things.
Grant shook his head. “Sorry, babe, but I’m going to have to haul his ugly ass back with us.” He leveled a serious look at his brother. “There is no official evacuation, but Mom and Dad would skin me alive if they found out I left you out here and anything happened. The phones are flaky and the power is out. Grab your stuff and lets go.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed. He looked like he was about to argue. Typical.
I poked him in the chest with my finger. “Don’t you dare. You’d tell me the exact same thing and if I didn’t listen to you, you know damn well you’d call it stupid, so don’t act like you’re freakin’ Superman or whoever. Even the people in charge have to listen once in a while.”
Grant burst out laughing. “She’s known you all of a couple hours and already has your number nailed, bro. Give up now while you’re ahead. If you still are.” He clapped Jared on the shoulder. “I think I like her.”
Chapter Four
*** Jared ***
W atching Lauren walk into the hotel felt disturbingly like abandoning her. She’d been quiet the whole back back to town. Too quiet from what little he’d gotten to know of her, but Jared hadn’t know what to say, or even if it was his place to say it.
Shit. She wasn’t his girlfriend. Why did he have to keep reminding himself of that?
Taking her back had been the right thing to do. There were plenty of people in the hotel, and all of her things were there. It was where she was supposed to be, not camping out with a horny stranger in the dark. So why couldn’t he shake the nagging feeling of disappointment that felt like a hell of a lot more than just a bad case of blue balls?
“So you wanna tell me what I interrupted earlier?” Grant smirked, eyes on the