Page 22 of Grin and Bear It

“Ellie!”

I froze mid step and then turned slowly, putting on my professional smile as I saw the three other men standing there. Nash walked forward and Lin and Tyson joined him.

“About that quote—” he started to say.

“You don’t need to worry about that.” I waved a hand. “You helped me out of tight spot last night and I really appreciate it, but I don’t want to bother you further—”

“It’s no bother.” Tyson smiled down at me, but there was something different about his, something catlike, and I was the hapless mouse. He looked me over slowly, like my band t-shirt and jeans like it was bloody couture right now and that had me fidgeting more.

Gay, remember, my brain supplied and that had me taking a breath.

“Making the boys work on my house—”

“Is going to happen,” Lin finished for me, shoving his massive hands into his pockets. “I was all for volunteering for them to dig out a septic tank with me, so this is better.”

“What? Ew, no, don’t do that,” I replied. “Look, I get what you’re trying to do. You want to instil a good work ethic in them, make sure there’s some consequences to their actions.”

“There will be,” Nash said in a voice that brooked no argument. “One way or the other, so we can get them working on a septic tank or…?”

Or my place. I let out a shuddering breath, trying to make sure it was inaudible.

“OK, well, get me a detailed quote and we’ll work out a schedule. It’s not something I can drop a massive lump sum on right now, so maybe we could do things in smaller instalments?”

I flushed as I said that, all the confidence I’d felt inside the conference room evaporating. That only deepened as the three of them grinned, looking at each other before focussing back on me.

“Don’t worry too much about cost,” Nash said. “I think you’ll find we’re the most competitive company in the whole city. Do you have an email?”

“Um, yes.” I pulled out my phone and then opened my messages. “I’ll just text it to you, yeah?”

“Text it to all of us,” Tyson said, plucking my phone out of my hand and then tapped in three other numbers beside Nash’s before handing it back. I just stared at my phone for a second, but then put in my school email and pressed send. The three men all looked at their phones and then nodded when the texts came through.

“So, I better get back to my marking,” I said. “It was lovely to meet you all and hopefully things will improve with the boys from now on. It’s a tough job you’ve taken on, but I think if we all work together, we can get what’s best for the boys.”

“That’s the plan,” Nash said, his smile growing smug in a way that I didn’t understand at all. “We’ll see you at your place after work.”

Chapter12

The best thing about being in a state of hyperfocus was that everything just seems to fall into place. Knox and Maddox’s class was somewhat chastened when they came in that day, the rumour mill obviously at work. I had noticed with younger teens that peer group pressure was a big thing, many of them doing dumber and dumber things despite staff intervention. But then someone’s parents would get involved and the sway the group had over the student body would fracture, only to start all over again. But it didn’t matter how the kids were behaving. I was in the groove, redirecting students and getting them on task, with an answer for every question right up until the lunch bell went.

I flopped back into my chair as the last student left. My hand raked through my hair as I stared at my marking. There were only a few more pieces to get done. I’d knock them off quickly and then head…

Home.

My mind grabbed at that, shifting the dread I usually felt about going back to my house and replacing it with this. My hand slid down to my stomach. Was that anticipation or…?Fuck, I hissed at myself,do not get a lady boner over a quadruple of gay guys.

Advice to live by,but as I pulled up to the front of my house, all of that evaporated as I was treated to the sight of three big men moving around my house.

Cole had his tape measure out, his long sleeve shirt off and tied around his waist, a blue Bonds singlet hugging a broad chest. I could see a big tattoo across his shoulder blades partially visible as he took in the dimensions of the side windows. Lin nodded as he called out directions, noting them down on a clipboard as Tyson walked through the gardens, or what there was of them. I had a bunch of very established trees in it and that was about it, the grass patchy, the garden beds long dead. He was using a device with a laser to plot out the existing garden.

“Hi…?”

My greeting was somewhat tentative and the guys spun around as soon as they saw me, loping over with easy smiles, even Cole.

“Needs a bit of work done to it,” he nodded to the house, but Tyson shoved his elbow into the other man’s ribs. I flushed at that, feeling the same bloody horror every time something mentioned that.

“I know.” My reply was made through a tight smile. “I thought I could take it all on when I bought the place and then…” I shrugged. “I learned that the TV shows aren’t all that realistic.”

“Bloody Lifestyle Channel…” Cole growled.

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