Page 23 of Sex, Lies, & Techy Guys (Love on the Sunshine Coast)

I’m facing away from the sunset, but I’m looking at something more beautiful. Two men who love me at least for now. And a commitment for the next week, but then what? Can the three of us really have a lasting relationship? How would it even work in the long run? At least there won’t be a messy divorce since I don’t think Canada allows three people to get married. I never actually thought to look into it.

Kyle says, “We’ll have our business here wrapped up soon, and I can help you with the website. Then we can turn it over to a webmaster if you want. Or I’ll be happy to maintain it for you.”

“Should we mix business and pleasure?”

“We wouldn’t have gotten to know you if we didn’t.”

As if reading each other’s minds, they scoot closer to each other and Kyle turns me around, lifting me so they can sit side by side. He plants me on their adjacent laps, leaning me back into their chests.

I feel cherished when I’m with them.

“You better sit this way or we’ll be staring at you and miss the sunset.”

I try to stifle my laugh, but his statement is one more piece of the perfect puzzle that we seem to be. Kyle laces his fingers with mine and sets them on my leg, not even bothering to pull my sundress out of the way and make it a sexual gesture. It’s tender.

I reach my other hand up and rub it across Lance’s jaw. He traps my hand with his and turns his face to kiss my palm. I’m freaking melting.

“You can’t say no to our offer since you don’t have your website ready and you haven’t listed Sunshine with any of the rental agencies. You might as well let us pay for another week,” Lance says.

I shudder. I don’t want them to buy anything from me. Money complicates the issue. My future’s in limbo. I don’t want to drag them into my mess. They’re too perfect to be true, and I’m caught up in the emotion. My resistance gives out.

“I love you, Lance.” I roll my head toward Kyle. “I love you, Kyle. You’re both so good to me.”

“You’re good to us. You’re good for us.” Lance stills his fingers on my neck.

Kyle squeezes my hand. “Everything we’re doing is to try to show you how much you mean to us.” He doesn’t return the sentiment, but I sense the emotion simmering below the surface.

“Okay. Another week it is. And as much as I don’t like the idea of you paying, we’ll figure it out. I hadn’t planned on opening till next month anyways so this will be fine. And since we’re mixing business with pleasure, when are you guys going to let me read the article you’ve written up for the Sunshine Coast?”

“It’s not ready.” Lance almost blurts the words. “It’s a draft. You’re not supposed to show anyone your draft except your editor, right?”

His heart beats faster against my back. Can he be that nervous about his draft? Kyle seems to have almost gone stiff and not in the way I like him to. Something doesn’t add up, and the flicker of an idea that they’re not travel writers sparks to life.

If we’re going to have something bigger, I want to know who I’m dealing with. I may not be telling them about my court case, but I’m an honest to god bed and breakfast owner. And my use of my mother’s maiden name is simply for my protection, a pseudonym I decided to adopt to keep my up-and-coming business separate from my personal chaos. I can’t have guests thinking I’m a tech genius who will hack into their bank accounts and unload them.

And it also provides a buffer from anyone who gets to know me through my business and wants to pretend it’s more personal. Although my first guests challenge that concern in the weirdest way.

“You could show me some of your finished work or could we stop and buy a magazine that you’ve written for.”

“Shit. I almost forgot about that conference call tonight. We better get back.” Lance says, but Kyle appears to have completely forgotten.

“Sorry to cut this short.” Lance steadies me as he wiggles to the side then helps me to standing.

Kyle scrambles a touch slower and says, “Oh yeah. Can’t miss that call.”

CHAPTER 11

penny

Setting waffles and bacon on the table, I decide to bring up the question again, casually. They stayed in their office until long after I fell asleep last night. It was our first night not to make love. Coincidence?

“When are you boys going to let me read one of your articles or let me take you out again and look at more sites?”

Lance gets up and heads to the office. “Hold on a second.”

He returns with a paper, and I think he’s going to let me read one of their articles, but he pulls it away when I reach for it.

“I should read it to you.”

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