Page 25 of Why Cheese?
“Good evening, my enchanting pixie,” Cam says, only delight in his eyes. Then his gaze drifts down to my chest and sheer horror overcomes him. “What has happened to you? Did I miss a travesty?” He quirks his head and stares harder. “Or a good time?”
What?I stare down at the mess I made of my best pale green shirt. My entire chest is soaked with a white, thick liquid— Oh.
Oh, god.
Laughing, I try to scamper away from the thought of anyone, much less many… Cam’s soft touch grips me, keeping me close to him as I blather out, “I was bringing down milk and spilled it.”
“So you’ve found it?” Cam asks.
“She’s here!” Cheddy shouts, peeking around the pillar. “What’s she found?”
“Roq’s millstone,” Cam says. He skirts a hand around the back of my waist—a milk-free zone. “That should tickle his fancy for a few days at least.”
“Well, um, once he’s…you’re done, can you leave the canisters up here? I need to get them back to the farm. Somehow. Or they’re gonna take so much money from my account.” I try to slip away and reach for my purse, but Cam’s got me by not only the waist but the arm too.
“Why don’t you stay? Enjoy our evening meal with us?” Cam offers.
“There’s hummus,” Brie says, standing next to the bags. He’s slipped on his long shirt but forgot the pants. As he bends over to dig out more dinner entrees, the bottom curve of his full moon peeks out.
Cheddy, the only one still fully naked, reaches over to pick up his whole pizza, then he slaps Brie’s cheeks. The man pinks up but laughs at the touch before he leans against the counter with his vegetarian meal of pita and hummus.
“The food’s for you guys,” I say.
Cam takes both of my hands and pulls my willing body closer. He’s wearing his leather pants and nothing else. The bright lights meant to make cheese glow amplify his tanned skin. Scars mar his flat pecs and trembling abs, but I can’t look away from that trench of his hips. Even though I’ve technically seen them all naked, that tuft of black hair darting just above the low waist of his trousers is driving me mad.
Drooling, I give in as Cam guides me between himself and Cheddy. He brushes back the hair that escaped my ponytail. “We’d be more than happy to share, wouldn’t we, men?”
Brie gives a little chuckle and nods. Cheddy lifts a slice of pizza high and tries to draw the tip into his mouth by swirling his long, flexible tongue around it. “Oh yeah,” he answers before taking a huge bite.
“But first, you must be uncomfortable in that sticky blouse. Why don’t we alleviate that spilled milk from your honeyed skin?” Cam offers.
I’m blushing to my toes as all three men look up from their dinner-breakfasts to take me in. Cam teases with the hem of my shirt as if he’s going to rip it off in one go. “Why don’t I—?”
“I assume the fresh milk is sheep.”
All three men freeze at the voice behind us. Cam lets up and steps back until he’s standing beside the counter. I swallow and face down Roq.
He’s wearing his glasses. The light catches at my angle, turning the lenses milky white. He approaches, his face stern and mysterious, his eyes gone.
Dumbly, I nod.
Roq smiles and pushes on the nose bridge of his glasses. His sharp steel eyes return. “Good. Cam…?”
“Isn’t someone owed a little gratitude?” he asks staring Roq down.
The man towering above me bows his head and looks away. “Yes. Thank you for the milk. And the other supplies. We should get back to work.”
“What about dinner?” Brie asks and lifts one of the bags I brought in.
“I…I will eat it in the cellar. There’s much to do. Cam, your cheese molds require—”
“Yes. Yes. As if that can’t wait for an hour, or two.”
“No reason to put it off,” Roq says, then he stares directly at me. “Is there?”
Cheddy, Brie, and Cam all take a bite of their dinner. While chewing slowly, they start to wrap the food back up and don’t look at Roq.
“Good. The curds could use another squeeze, Cheddy. And Brie?”
