Page 2 of Sex, Lies, & Techy Guys (Love on the Sunshine Coast)

“Is everything to your liking?” After forgetting to unlock the door, I’m doing my best to use the professional lines I’ve rehearsed. Unfortunately, some primal part of my brain insists on absorbing details like how well they round out their jeans, their masculine scents, and the possibility that after almost a year without sex I might be interested a guy…or two. Or not, since sex isn’t one of the amenities I’ve listed for my B&B.

Kyle asks, “Would you mind if we rearranged?”

“Not at all. Please. This is your home away from home.” Oh my god, I’m overdoing it. With my hands flailing and a smile so big it hurts, I need to fan myself. Did I leave the oven on?

The oven timer suddenly blares through the house causing all of us to startle.

“Oh no. I must have accidentally extended the time on the timer. Excuse me.” I rush off, somewhat glad for the reprieve, and find my professional internal voice. What the hell, Penny? I emphasize my business name. You’re a businesswoman, and the last thing you need is a guest writing up a review that they had to leave early because you wouldn’t stop drooling.

Sure enough, I’d left the oven on but the door is closed so that’s not why I’m so hot. I turn the dial to the off position and get a drink of water.

Calling to the men, I ask, “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“No,” they say in unison, their footfalls drawing closer.

“Would you be okay with us doing more than minor rearranging? We—”

“Yeah, whatever makes you comfortable.” In a fluster, I cut him off. Lance’s voice would make a deep, sexy overlay for TikTok videos. Yet another terrible idea to toss out to my first guests.

How will I survive a week of hearing it?

“We’re wondering if we could move furniture between rooms—turn one into an office and one into a sleeping room.”

Sleeping together? My internal cheerleader grimaces and clutches her pom poms to her chest. I force my eyes back to normal size and purse my lips ever so slightly to bite back my surprise. I busy myself with moving the cooled cheese wafers from the pan to a serving dish.

“Of course, that’s no problem. And I’m going to get bigger beds at some point. I’m really sorry. The twin beds aren’t ideal.”

Lance wraps his fingers around mine, stopping my ramble. “Hey, we don’t need a bigger bed. We’re still sleeping in our own beds, if that’s what you were thinking.”

He squeezes my hand and when I meet his gaze, the lift of his eyebrows sends my cheerleader back into a full frenzy of jumps.

“Well, if you were…either way, it doesn’t matter. It’s—”

“We’re not.” Kyle clarifies.

“Okay, yeah. I can help you rearrange the furniture.”

Lance raises my hand to his lips, placing the gentlest of kisses on it. Electricity shoots from my fingers to my core.

“We’ve got this. If there’s anything we can help you with, let us know.”

CHAPTER 2

lance

“What the hell was that, Lance?” Kyle says, grabbing me by the arm when we’re alone in one of the rooms of the bed and breakfast.

“What?” I shrug, curious which infraction he’ll bring up first. I’ve crossed all kinds of lines for his orderly world. What are friends for?

His tone is hushed but tense. “Offering to help? Did you forget we’re guests, here on business?”

It doesn’t entirely surprise me that he focuses on that instead of me kissing Penny’s hand.

I’m normally able to act civil but she’s divine in a dirty-sweet way. And that apron…it does something to me.

With Kyle fuming, I motion toward the door. “Did you see her? The way she looked at us?”

“I saw her.” His breath hitches, confirming his attraction. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to play handyman when we have a deadline rapidly approaching. Don’t fuck up our big break into the private sector.”

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