He looks up at me with narrowed eyes. “You’re kidding right?”
“Of course,” I grin. “I live to be sassy.”
His lips spread into a bigger smile, which makes my heart pitter-patter. “Were you always sassy?”
I shrug. “Not always—there was this time when I was in my mother’s stomach that I didn’t get the chance to find my sassy side.”
He shakes his head. “That answers my question.”
“We’ve all got to be something, Raide.”
He tilts his head and studies me. “Yeah, lady, I think you’re right about that.”
I throw myself onto the bed, stretching out. Suddenly the whisking stops and the floorboards creak. I try to hide my smile as Raide approaches the bed. A moment later he’s over me, hard body flattening mine, elbows beside my head. His amber eyes hold mine for long moments, and then he dips his head and kisses my neck. Oh boy.
“I thought we were having eggs,” I gasp.
“Fuck the eggs.”
Right.
His lips move down my throat, and my fingers find his biceps and give them a light squeeze. He growls, I whimper, and a throat clears.
Raide’s off me in a second, and I’m bolting upright, gasping as I lay eyes on a man standing at the door. Oh my God. He could have seen so much worse than us making out. We didn’t even hear him enter. I turn to Raide and see he’s grinning, big and broad.
“Benny!” he says.
“Sorry to interrupt, brother. Heard you were here a few days, thought I’d come say hi.”
Raide starts striding toward him, then stops and adjusts his erection—yes, adjusts it—before completing the distance. I want to curl up and die. My cheeks are burning. It’s clear Raide knows Benny, because the two embrace in a man hug to beat all man hugs, and then both are staring at me.
“Benny, this is Gracie.”
Benny nods and I scurry off the bed, rushing over to thrust my hand at him. He shakes it with a crooked grin on his face. “Nice to meet you, sweetheart.”
Benny is cute. Now that I’m closer, I can see that. He’s got long blond hair that falls around his shoulders. He looks to be in his early thirties, and his eyes are a light hazel and his skin is olive, but not in the natural way, more the ‘I’ve had too much sun’ way. His body is tall and lean, and he’s got a shotgun slung over his shoulder. His big black boots are undone, laces trailing off behind him. It’s clear Benny doesn’t go to town often.
“Come in, was just makin’ some eggs. You hungry?” Raide says, giving me a lustful look before turning to the kitchen.
“Clear you were makin’ something, bro,” Benny chuckles.
My cheeks heat once more.
Benny slides past me with a grin and flops down onto the couch. He pats a cushion and calls me over.
Hesitantly, I slink over and sit beside him.
“Tell me, Gracie, what’d he have to do to get you up here?”
Raide snorts.
“I’m sure he’s had plenty of girls up here,” I say.
Benny laughs. “Nope, he’s a loner. I thought he was swinging for the other team, you know?”
I giggle.
“Fuck off, Benny,” Raide grunts.
“Can’t blame me. There was that time you tried to get me up here.”
“For a fuckin’ guys weekend,” Raide mutters.
“Sure, buddy,” Benny laughs, nudging me to let me know he’s just playing around.
“Well, I must say, it was probably his charm and good looks that got me up here.” I laugh softly, too.
“Lucky man, he is. Tell me what you do, Grace?”
I shrug. “Just a waitress.”
Benny raises his brows. “A waitress? Seriously?”
Here we go again.
“That’s what I said,” Raide mumbles from the kitchen.
“I have no idea why it’s so surprising.”
“Lady,” Raide calls. “I’ve seen you drop grown men. You ain’t cut out for a waitressing job.”
“So I’m skilled in self-defense—aren’t most women?”
“Skilled?” Raide chuckles. “Ben, you should have seen her take down this dude for tryin’ to nab her purse.”
Benny chuckles. “Think I’d like to see that.”
I roll my eyes. “What do you do, Benny?”
His eyes soften and he replies with a gentle voice. “Lost my wife two years ago, been tough since. Been working on my land, fixin’ cars for folks, things like that.”
My heart breaks. “I’m so sorry.”
He smiles. “Life happens, sweetheart. Lost her to cancer.”
I look down at my hands, and my heart twists. Good people. All of them. Raide, Benny, good people.
“Once again, I’m sorry.”
“Eggs are up,” Raide says softly from the kitchen.
Benny leaps up and flashes me a smile that tells me it’s okay, before walking in and scooping up a plate off the counter. I follow behind and stare down at the scrambled eggs and buttered toast Raide has pulled together. We all go and sit at the table, and dig in. It’s really good, surprisingly so. Not that I doubted Raide could cook. Most men can, they just choose not to.
“This is great,” I say between mouthfuls.