Beck growled. “Honestly? I want to pummel whatever alphas made you even question it. What you haven’t said speaks volumes. You were shaking when Freddie opened the door. You told us that people always laugh.”
“You were worried we wouldn’t want you as a friend,” Ian added.
“Even a dummy like me can read between those lines,” Tony said. “You’ve been hurt before.”
I closed my eyes again and nodded.
“I don’t know if this will work or not,” Freddie said, nuzzling my hair. “That’s why we wanted to date you. But if, for some reason, it doesn’t work, I can promise that it won’t be about sex. Ok?”
“Ok,” I whispered.
“Good,” Freddie replied. “Now, let’s have some tacos and do something fun. We can leave hard conversations for another day. When you’re ready.”
I smiled. “Yeah.”
∞∞∞
I squirted a dollop of sunscreen into my palm, set the bottle aside, then smeared the lotion onto my face.
I’d officially dated the guys for a week, and they’d been incredible. They took things slow and checked in frequently to make sure that I was comfortable.
It was more consideration than any previous partner had ever demonstrated.
One of the ways they’d kept things light was to keep our first few dates on the fun side. One night we’d done bowling and laser tag, another we’d gone to a comedy club—where one of Owen’s mates was a comedian.
The outing for that day was mini-golf and go-karts, and I couldn’t wait. It had been years since I’d done either, but the guys had a way of making each date an experience to remember.
I finished slathering myself in sunscreen, checked my outfit in the mirror, and sent off a text that I was on the way.
The guys were waiting for me as I pulled into the parking lot, and my heart melted a bit at the way they all grinned when they spotted my car.
Ian was the first to reach me, and he pulled me into a hug. “You ready for some fun in the sun?”
I laughed. “I’ve got sunscreen on.”
“Probably want to bring your sunglasses, and a hat if you’ve got one,” Freddie said.
I nodded and snagged my sunglasses from the center console, then we all made our way inside.
The building housed a small arcade but primarily served as a ticket office. As soon as we’d paid, we were outside again.
Tony grinned and rubbed his hand together as we paused in the shade of a patio. “Ok, what first? Go-karts, or mini-golf?”
“I say go-karts, mini-golf, then more go-karts,” replied Beck. “We paid for unlimited, might as well use it.”
“I second,” Ian added with a laugh.
“Eric?” Freddie asked.
I shrugged. “Works for me.”
“Yes!” Tony cheered. “Eat my exhaust.”
“Don’t think I’m letting you win that easy,” Ian shot back.
I chuckled.
“You’re cute, but I’m not letting you win either,” Ian said to me with a wink.