Danea (7 page)

She ran her hands through her hair before starting the car and heading home. How in the world had her life become so complicated? All she wanted was her own business and little kids to chase around…and a nice peaceful swim now and then. She drove the short distance from the mega mart to her now quiet parking lot and backed into her personal space next to the entrance.

She didn’t realize how distracted she was until the shadows formed and had her breath freezing in a silent scream that never left her throat.

“Whoa, Dani…it’s just us,” Noah had two hands on her shoulders when she made a move to swing, keys raised like a weapon.

“Are you trying to scare me to death?!” She gaped at him, brow furrowed and mouth open. She pulled her hand up and shoved hard against his chest. “Don’t do that again.”

“No, ma’am,” he responded with only a hint of humor that earned him a scowl.

“We come baring gifts,” offered a deep voice on her other side. “Dry and red, or sweet and white. Just in case we figured either one would work.”

Danea turned her head slowly to stare at Wade holding a bottle of frosted wine in each hand. They were both there. And just why are you surprised, a voice inside her asked with a tinge of sarcasm.

“Why are you here?”

“It’s dinner time,” Noah answered with a cheerful gleam in his eyes. “We figure if we don’t feed you, you could get skinnier and that would just be wrong.”

“I…skinnier? Are you…I am not skinny,” she informed him, pulling herself up straighter and opening the back of her wagon. “I am…I…”

“You are a woman with all the best curves possible in one delicious package,” Wade said while she was sputtering.

She spun back to him and felt like she was at a tennis match.

“Why don’t you take these,” Wade thrust them forward so she had no choice but take them or let them fall. “And let us bring up the goods.”

“We’re good at it…hauling and all,” Noah teased, giving her a little push toward the now open lower door.
“Makes you believe we’re strong and necessary.”

She hesitated, her brain busily churning up a snappy answer when she felt the very large, very solid imprint of his palm on her ass.

“Hey!”

“Move, woman, it’s dinner time and we’re hungry,” Noah informed her, the sound of rustling bags left behind her as she hurriedly ran up the stairs and got the main door unlocked. She propped it opened before slapping the light switch and heading to the kitchen. She put the wine into the fridge, hooked her purse and keys on the end of a tall breakfast stool and waited.

She was mentally going over her purchases, trying to figure out what would make a good dinner. She bought stuff, but not enough of any one thing to feed two big hungry men.

Then she smelled food. Already prepared, hot cooked food. Her nose twitched and her stomach let out a low grumble reminding her that she missed lunch. She had food with her in the daycare, she just got busy with other things. Little things with arms and legs and mouths that demanded attention. And
they always won out over the growling in her stomach.

“You can hear that growling all the way in the parking lot,” Noah commented, settling at least six plastic sacks on the kitchen counter. He stepped quickly to the side as Wade settled the others there.

“We brought dinner, Danea,” Wade said with a grin at the look on her face. “This time it’s a variety of Chinese. Fresh. I’ll get plates and things for the table.”

“I…just make yourselves at home,” she said with an exasperated sigh. Her hands worked without asking her, emptying bags and putting things away. “You do realize you’ve started wild, rampant rumors through town.”

“I heard a few of those,” Noah chuckled as he rooted through cabinets and handed glasses to Wade. “Evidently we had a wicked time with you last night.”

“Oh, my god,” Danea
almost dropped the bottle of pineapple juice.

“Easy, Danea,” Wade shook his head. “He almost decked Mel Porter in the wine store for even suggesting you were less than virtuous.”

“Oh, God,” came another whimper. “You didn’t…you can’t…”

“I told you not to tell her that,” Noah ground between his teeth. “Idiot deserves to be decked.”

“You cannot go around getting into fights! It’s…it’s…you’re the sheriff!”

“Breathe, Dani, I behaved with the help of the professor here,” Noah hitched his head to the side and put a hand on her waist. “Come have some food. The story gets better over something hot and spicy.”

“There’s more?” She choked, letting him lead her to the table that was now decked out with plates, glasses, silver and napkins. Two large plastic sacks of containers were being emptied as she sunk into a chair. “I’m really a quiet, reserved kind of person, but I can easily see a time where the two of you are going to view a storm like you never imagined possible.”

Wade stopped and stared at her, the surprise on his face matching the look on Noah’s features.

“I don’t think she’s ever said that much at once before,” Wade remarked, going back to opening containers and spooning things onto his plate.

Noah chuckled and opened the remaining containers for things he’d selected.

“Tami, the girl at the counter, said your favorite was sweet an’ sour chicken and fried rice with extra chicken,” Noah pushed the two containers toward her before
opening the flat container with egg rolls inside. Last, he found the small bag with soy sauce and hot sauce and spread them on the table.

“You talked to Tami about what I eat
...Mrs. Temple heard about our dinner and there are girls…probably old enough to be called women…glaring at me in the grocery store for things they’ve concocted in their imaginations,” Danea just shook her head and dumped the carton on her plate. “I haven’t even done anything and I’ve made top of the gossip list this week.”

“People will become bored and move on,” Noah said easily.

Chapter Seven

Both men watched her as she ate. They could almost see her mind churning as she looked from one to the other, quietly eating the orange colored chicken bits with the fluffy white rice on the side.

“She’s on your side, by the way,” Danea lifted an egg roll and put it on her plate before smothering it with soy sauce. She looked from one to the other, both sporting a quizzical expression. “Mrs. Temple. She says it’s about time you settled down.”

“I always liked Mrs. Temple,” Noah chuckled and reached for the large pitcher of water and ice. He filled the glasses and took a long drink.

“What do you hope to accomplish with this frontal assault?”

“Isn’t that a little on the harsh side?” Wade used the chop sticks and ate the crunchy vegetables and spicy sauce he’d chosen. “We see it more of
a meeting of minds where we learn about each other and find out how compatible we are…or can be.”

“So this isn’t purely hormonal on your parts?”

“Hormonal?” Noah choked out.

“We’re a little over that side of the male nature, Danea,” Wade chastised mildly.

“Not from my side of the table,” she returned, feeling a little more chipper now that she had some food inside her. “From my side of the table, I’m being pursued by two…” she paused, wondering if the word she wanted a too harsh.

“Please, don’t hold back,” Noah said with a flourish of his hand. “We’re strong, independent males. We can handle it.”

“Two rabid males bent on satisfying the hormonal needs that have reared their heads,” Danea hurriedly stuffed several pieces of chicken into her mouth and waited.

“Rabid males?”

They exchanged looks. Wade ran a palm over his mouth.

“I thought I wiped that foam off before we got here,” he winked at her and went back to his food. “We aren’t teenagers, Danea,” he said, the sound of Noah’s laughter behind his words.

“What did my mother mean about it hurting you?” She asked after a quiet minute.

“Different species experience different levels of discomfort if the mating…” Wade stopped and considered his choices. “Urge…is denied. Some experience no noticeable sensations, or feelings…”

“However,” she supplied the word for him softly.

“However, our various heritages inform us that we’re only given one mate,” Noah filled in the unfinished answer. “You’re human, so you don’t have that limitation. You have the ability to walk away and find someone that
you feel is better suited to you. But we do understand if you aren’t interested, Danea.”

“It isn’t about interest,” she said finally, her tone releasing the self-chiding. “I didn’t exactly behave like a nun when you kissed me. And I’ll admit it was like nothing I’d ever felt before…from each of you…and maybe it frightens me a little…on the upside, Galileo tolerates you both well.”

“A vote from a bird, swell,” Noah reached for another container and dumped the contents left inside to his plate. He absently collected the empty ones and stuffed them into the plastic bag.

“I date
d a guy once and it turned out Galileo’s instincts were much better than mine…since it came out he was dating half the senior class in college,” Danea shook her head, wincing at the memory. “It wasn’t pretty. Galileo brought friends to his apartment and found an open window…they blamed a break-in for the damage…for the next year…the police were beginning to get suspicious and insurance did think there was fraud going on…” she looked up at the laughter from them both. “You’re cute and sexy.” Her palm instantly covered her mouth when the surprise registered on both their faces.

“Can you be cute and sexy?” Noah asked lightly.

“You’re sexy…” Danea answered. “He’s cute.”

“Cute? I get cute? I’m old enough to…” Wade stopped and inhaled slowly.

“But you are cute…especially when you wear your glasses and you’re teaching one of the classes,” Danea shrugged. “That’s how I see you. A sweet, rugged kind of cute.”

“He’ll take what he can get at this point,” Noah assured her with a chuckle. “I think we can clean this up and move to the other room with the wine.”

“Cute…I’ll never live it down,” Wade finished off the last of the egg rolls and started tossing containers into the large trash can near the kitchen. “And kindly keep that assessment to yourself, Danea.”

“I…” Danea decided she was going to just have to get used to looking from one to the other. Partly to figure out her own head but mostly to try and figure out why the mysterious forces of nature chose her for them.

Them, not him. Them, she repeated numbly
to herself as she walked to the bedroom and closed the door without speaking.

She was staring in the mirror as she changed into a comfortable button down nightshirt and pair of silky pants that swished around her bare toes. They were loose enough to let the air flow since the heat was only now starting to fade from the apartment. Not sexy, she thought, but comfortable. If she was going to be confused, it might as well be done in comfort.

She listened to the girl in her lecturing. In a voice that sounded amazingly like her mother’s, but still… It wasn’t like she was so totally repulsive and crudely annoying. She had some redeeming qualities.

She was still pondering this as she wandered back to her living area that was now occupied by two men. Who somehow, made their occupation look completely natural and even cozy. Her feet came to a stop and she frowned. Her livingroom had been rearranged.

The large, thick quilt that had been on the back of the sofa was now spread out on the floor in front of the fireplace. The heavy stone ledge of the fireplace, that was not in use, now held two bottles of wine, three glasses and two males, one leaning on either side like book ends and watching her. Like prey. Like she really should turn and quietly creep back into her room and lock the door.

But not because she was afraid of them. More, she was afraid of herself.

“Are you going to hide, Dani?” Noah asked quietly.

Wade had gone to her computer while she was changing and found her music, selecting one of her playlists and setting it to playing in the background. They weren’t setting up a seduction. They’d agreed they had to get her talking to them, relaxing with them before that could happen; if that could happen.

“Red or white, Danea?” Wade asked, waiting just as Noah was for a reaction.

“I like sweet wine…but I’m not much of a connoisseur.” The smile she found was shaky at best as she sat on the floor between them. “I learned a few…Riesling is my favorite…mother and I did a trip to Europe a few years ago, when I graduated from college,” she accepted the goblet Wade held out to her and took a slow drink. “You had to dig to find these.”

“They were behind a few other things,” Wade admitted. “I washed them.”

“I found them in Italy,” she turned the fine crystal in her fingers, touching the etchings lightly and smiling. “They’re the only ones I ever liked…I had four but one broke when I moved my things into the apartment,” her voice had dropped, wondering at the coincidence that she had three wine glasses. For three people. She took another drink.

“It’s a beautiful design and very fine crystal,” Wade told her.