The Bad Boys' Virgin Temptress(38)

“You have no idea what you mean to us, do you?” he asked.

Shocked by the swift change in conversation Cheryl didn’t know what to say. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Let’s go and eat.”

She followed him into the kitchen, but she couldn’t help the niggling in the back of her mind that she was missing something.

Noah served her pizza, and she noticed Drew seemed to distance himself. Unable to stop herself, she distanced herself, too.

Something was not right.





Chapter Sixteen

Life went back to normal. Noah and Drew remained their equally possessive selves, and Cheryl was happy to accept it. During the week she’d seen someone to help her sell her mother’s house. She went one last time, stood in the main porch of the house, and knew it was time to let go.

There was no buyer yet, but knowing she had made the change helped her to get over the loss of her mother. On Saturday Law Castle was having the annual summer picnic fair where the locals and tourists could visit and spend the day having fun. They used the local football field off the school grounds and the surrounding area to set up the stalls.

After a morning of sex Noah and Drew took her in the truck which they parked at the back of the parking lot.

They found a spot where most of the Law Castle bad boys stood, and Noah grabbed her a drink. They watched some of the action and spoke to several people passing by. Some women tried to gain Noah and Drew’s attention, but they refused to look at them. Drew grabbed a couple of chairs, helping her into one.

She watched the dancers do a routine and clapped her hands when they were done. This was the first summer picnic fair that she’d been on since her mother’s cancer. She settled back into her chair and enjoyed the show.

“We’re going to go and say hi to the guys. They’re ribbing our asses because you’ve got both of us grounded.” Noah wrapped his arm around her neck. He stole a kiss, and then Drew did the same.

“As long as you know who owns your ass,” she said, teasingly.

“We know who we belong to, baby. We’ll be back before you know it.” Drew punched Noah in the arm, and she watched them move towards the other bad boys.

Chuckling, she watched the children running around causing chaos for their mothers.

“It’s so nice to see you again, Cheryl.”

She turned to the sound of her name.

“Andy, hi.” Andy, short for Andrea, was surrounded by three young children. Andy had been a friend in school. When Cheryl’s mother had been diagnosed with cancer she had held all of her friends back. She hadn’t wanted anyone to know what was going on at home. Andy had been one of the friends who’d fought to stay and help. In the end, Cheryl pushed her away. The other woman looked tired. Her neck was covered in hickeys, but her old school friend looked happy.

“I’ve been worried about you,” Andy said, sitting down in the vacant seat by her.

“Why?”

“You went from being a good friend to pushing me away. I know you had it rough, but that’s no excuse.”

Cheryl blushed from the reprimand she heard in her voice.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry. You come round for dinner sometime and offer to babysit, and we’ll call it even.”

Cheryl smiled and turned to look at Noah and Drew. They were drinking beer and laughing with their friends.

“How have you been?” she asked, intrigued to find out more about her friend.

“I married Ashley and Matt when I was eighteen. I had this little guy a year later, and I’ve been popping them out ever since.”

She sat and listened as her friend talked about her life. All the time she kept stealing glances at her own two men. They were so different, and yet she liked them equally.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“What?” she asked, coming to, thinking she’d missed some of the conversation.

“Love. It’s amazing. I can see Drew and Noah love you. You look like a love-struck fool, too. They’ve got you good.”

The sucker punch to her solar plexus wouldn’t have been as surprising as the reality check she’d just gained.

Love. L.O.V.E.

She was totally, one hundred percent in love with two men. It was not the quick one night stand kind of love, but the all-consuming verging on obsession kind of love.

Cheryl stared across the picnic to where Noah and Drew stood. People passed giving her warm welcomes and smiles. Nodding her head and smiling so much her face hurt, she couldn’t keep her gaze away from the two men.

Is that the way they felt about her? Did she make them feel sick to their stomach wondering if she felt the same way about them?

“I’m so sorry, Andy. I’ve got to go and be alone.” She stood up and walked away from the picnic going towards the parking lot. Her body felt incredibly tight as the awakening of what she’d kept buried came to the surface. She’d always felt something for them, but she never expected anything like what she was feeling. At the end of the parking lot she saw Noah’s truck. She’d seen him store the keys under the visor. Opening the door, she climbed into the driver’s side, put the keys in the ignition and started up the truck. The sound of the engine purring to life was a comfort to her.