"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving, and if I'm not mistaken it smells like Jasmine's in the kitchen cooking up something delicious," Damien said as his eyes darted toward the door.
"You'd be correct. Let's drive them crazy until they cave and give us an appetizer," Derek said with a gleam in his eye.
The men walked from the den, letting the incredible aroma filling their nostrils lead the way. When Jasmine cooked, the entire neighborhood opened their windows just to get a sniff.
"Smells delicious, Honey. I could smell it all the way in the den," Derek said as he wrapped his arms around his petite wife.
"Are you trying to sneak some food by shamelessly flattering me?" she asked as she turned and kissed him on the chin.
"Of course not. I just couldn't seem to resist touching you," he quickly replied as his hands moved down her back and quickly swatted her butt.
Damien shifted on his feet, the moment feeling awkward as he watched the two of them flirt.
"I thought this was a children's party, not a swinger's festival," Damien said, trying to break up the intimate scene.
"Damien," Trinity scolded him, but there was a smile across her lips.
"Fine, you boys can have a snack, but you have to either go back to the den or out by the pool," Nicole jumped in. "Seriously, Jasmine, behave. You're making me want to drag my husband to the nearest bedroom."
"I'm okay with that," Ryan quickly said with a predatory gleam in his eyes.
"Don't you dare touch me, Ryan Titan. If you do, the kids will never get their cake," Nicole said as she darted around the kitchen island.
"Fine, we'll go," Derek said with reluctance as he pulled away from his flushed wife.
"See you soon," Trinity called as she blew a kiss to Drew.
Before the men walked outside, Damien looked toward Sierra who was refusing to meet his gaze. Surprise filled him as shimmers of desire shot down his stomach. He found himself wanting to grab her chin and force her gaze to meet his. A need to taste her lips, experience her unique flavor was almost overwhelming. He found he liked the confusion of the foreign desire.
For a man who was known for his impeccable control, it was a unique feeling to experience the uncharacteristic emotions overpowering him.
"I could use a beer," Damien said as Drew prodded him in the arm. He followed Trinity's husband and the other men as they stepped outside into the cool evening air.
"You know where to get them," Drew replied.
Damien headed straight for the outdoor fridge and grabbed a bottle of dark liquid, quickly unscrewing the top and taking a long swallow. The icy drink felt good going down, internally turning down his escalating temperature.
"So, are you going to tell us about the sexy new employee?" Ryan asked with a laugh.
"Nope," Damien quickly replied as he took another long swallow.
"Hmm, interesting," Drew said with a smirk.
"Nothing interesting at all," Damien replied with a glare.
"Yeah, I know that look. It seems Sierra may be more than just a new employee," Ryan taunted.
"Not at all. There's just nothing to tell. I've actually only met her today."
"Come on, Damien. Sparks are sizzling between the two of you. You may have just met her, but that's not stopping your mind from stripping her naked in my kitchen," Drew said with a knowing smile.
"Mind your own damn business, Drew," he snapped.
"All right. I'm done," Drew told him while holding his hands up in surrender.
"I think I'm going to take a swim and cool off," Derek interrupted as he moved to the pool house. To Damien, the thought of swimming until exhaustion overrode his hormones sounded like the perfect solution, so he walked in the direction of the pool with Derek.
∞∞∞
"Spill the gossip, Sierra. How long have you known Damien? I'm not trying to hurt your feelings if it's been a while, but usually he tells me everything and he hasn't mentioned having such a gorgeous employer," Trinity said as soon as the guys were out of earshot.
Sierra instantly turned red, hating how she was so easily embarrassed. Other than Bree, she didn't have girlfriends to talk to, so she was on unfamiliar territory with the whole gossip thing.
"I was just hired today," she finally answered.
"Today? And you're already going to Australia with him. Mmm, that's a long jet ride. A lot can happen," Jasmine said with an exaggerated wink. Sierra flushed even more.
"It's not like that," Sierra quickly replied, hoping they'd drop it.
"No way. I saw him watching you. His body was tense, and his eyes were practically stripping you where you stood," Trinity said with a giggle.