SWNOVELS HUGE X4: Chapter 7
I manage to eat breakfast okay with Liam and Callum. You know how awkward it can be the first time you consume food in front of a man you don’t know very well and really like? Well, multiply that by two and you have my situation. I choose easy food to eat. Some yogurt, granola and chopped fresh fruit. I have good coffee and some little mini Danish as a treat. I sometimes make them at home but never for other people. The hotel ones are a little dry, but sweet anyway. The boys eat eggs and toast, talking about protein, then tuck into my pastries too! Typical.
“See, that’s what I don’t get. Why not just pick up the pastries for yourselves if that’s what you wanted to eat?”
“Never,” Callum laughs. “My body is a temple. It’s just you that seems to love putting temptation in our way.”
“She’s terrible, isn’t she?” Liam jokes.
“It’s like she enjoys seeing us cave.”
“I do,” I say. “I’m a scarlet woman. A temptress.”
Liam, who is sitting across from me, looks at me darkly. “Don’t joke about that kind of thing, Miss Bethany.”
“Yeah,” Callum agrees, squeezing my knee under the table. His hand is so hot against the bare skin of my thigh and the feel of it so illicit in this public place. “Unless you’re looking to unleash the beasts on beauty. Blood rushes to my cheeks. Shivers race down my back and just as I’m about to reply, their younger twin brothers are there, standing next to the table, looking at us all with interest.
“Is this a private party or can anyone join?” one of them asks. They don’t wait for an answer, just slide right on into the booth with their plates of breakfast. For some freaky reason, they have eggs and toast too. No bacon, no sausage. Maybe it’s a family thing.
“We were wondering where you were,” Liam says, shifting to give the brother next to him more space.
“We had to freshen up. You gonna introduce us to your friend?” He winks in my direction and I just can’t stop staring. The younger twins are really similar looking to Callum and Liam; same eyes, same straight noses and full lips, same broad shoulders and narrow hips. There are differences, though. Slightly wavier hair that they style differently and they look younger somehow. Maybe it’s the cheekiness and dimples or slightly rounder cheeks. It’s hard to pinpoint without getting them to all stand totally still while I play ‘spot the difference’ and take in all their manly beauty.
“If I have to.” Liam seems to scowl, as though the idea of his younger twin brothers meeting me leaves a sour taste in his mouth. “Bethany, this is Ryan and this is Matty.”
“Hey,” I say, blushing. It’s pathetic to be my age and still get bashful in the presence of new people. I guess if they hadn’t just seen me in a very compromising position I might have been less embarrassed but there is no erasing the past, however much I might wish I could.
“Hey, Bethany,” they say as a chorus.
“You’re the maid of honor?” Matty asks.
“That’s me.” I fiddle with my napkin. “Although I think my honor might be questionable.”
The younger twins chuckle but Callum and Liam don’t look pleased. “Don’t say shit like that.” Callum sounds genuinely unhappy with me.
“You don’t need to put yourself down, sweetheart,” Liam says.
“Yeah,” Ryan adds. “Don’t be thinking that we’re thinking anything about your honor because of what we saw.”
“It’s not the first time,” Matty adds, chewing a piece of toast seriously.
“Won’t be the last either, hopefully.” Ryan grins and takes a sip of his coffee, holding my gaze in a way that pretty much confirms what the boys hinted at in their hotel room. I look down at my legs and wonder what the hell these gorgeous men see in me. I mean, I know I have nice hair, pretty eyes, and a good smile. My legs are okay too, but I’m no super model by any means. I think my girlfriends back home may just think I’m a rabid liar if I showed them pictures of these men and told them what was on the menu; starter, main course, dessert, and coffee! Oh my goodness.
“You hinting, little brother?”
“I can ask outright, if you like,” Ryan says, looking directly at me. I have no idea what to say or do at this point.
“I think you might be scaring Bethany, dude,” Matty says.
“Ah, don’t be scared, baby. We know what we’re doing.”
I stare at him with my mouth open like a fish. We’re in a hotel breakfast room and, if I’m understanding him correctly, I think he’s talking fivesome sex so blatantly that I’m sure the elderly couple behind us have heard. They’re about ninety years old and look like they are very hard of hearing so you get how loud this discussion is.
“Chill out, bro,” Liam almost growls. “This isn’t the time or the place.”
Ryan shrugs, reaching out to steal the last Danish. “I don’t mean anything bad, Bethany. You can take it as flattery if you like.”
“Yeah.” Matty glances across at me and smiles almost shyly. “My brother’s not trying to railroad you into anything. He just liked what he saw and wants to see more.”
“He wants to do more than look by the sounds of it,” Callum says. He’s looking at Ryan with an expression that seems almost proud.
“I’d settle for watching if that’s what’s on offer?”
Now I’m blushing even harder, remembering that moment when I needed something to help me come and the realization that someone was watching was enough to push me over the edge. I’ve always had a secret little fantasy that involves a man sitting in the shadows, watching me have sex. If one man can make me come hard in my fantasies at my own hand, what would two men in the shadows and two men giving me direct pleasure do? And why the fuck am I thinking about this now? When I look up from my plate there are eight eyes fixed on me.
“What?” I ask them.
Callum leans in close and strokes my cheek. “Just ignore them, okay.” I blink, feeling a lump rise in my throat at the softness in his eyes as they search my face. I will not cry because he’s treating me kindly. It’s been so long since I felt tenderness in a man’s touch that tears well in my eyes. “Shit.” Callum puts his arm around me and I bury my face in his chest. “Look what the fuck you did,” he growls.
I pat his chest and shake my head. “It’s not that,” I say against the warm cloth of his t-shirt. He tips my chin so I’m forced to look at him again. I get lost in his eyes that are steely and concerned. “What is it, sweetheart? Tell me.”
I shake my head, so conscious of where we are and the other brothers surrounding us.
He’s so warm and solid and I press my face back against his heart and breathe deeply.
“It’s the way you’re being with her,” Liam says quietly.
Callum doesn’t respond but strokes my hair gently and I stay in his arms until I’ve swallowed down the tears. I’m kinda mortified to face everyone after my burrowing, but when I sit straight and look around, they all look so worried about me that my mortification slips away.
“There she is.” Liam smiles softly. “Back in the real world.”
“The real world sucks most of the time.” Matty shrugs and smiles lopsidedly. I know he’s trying to make the situation light and I really appreciate it.
“It really does,” I say.
We’re all quiet for a while and I fiddle with my napkin again. I didn’t mean to take all the fun out of the day. I’m not a drama queen or a particularly serious person. I’m not a fragile person either. Not by nature.
But I know I’m a little broken and the cracks are starting to show.
“It doesn’t have to, Bethany,” Ryan says. He’s watching me closely now with a look on his face that tells me he’s trying to figure me out. He’s edgier than the other three. Obviously very determined too. It’s as though he’s seen me, decided he wants me and isn’t going to let the idea go. I get the feeling that he’s trying to determine the best way to achieve his objective. There’s no way I’m going there, but I can’t help feeling a little flattered.
“Let’s change the subject, okay?” Liam says quickly. “Where the hell is dad?”
Matty and Ryan glance at each other and I don’t miss the flash of warning in their eyes.
“He’s resting in his room. He said he’d meet you later,” Matty says.
His statement might be true, but for some reason, I’m thinking there’s more to this than meets the eye. Dan told me that Callum and Liam have been out of the states for work. What kind of parent doesn’t immediately come to see their kids who have been away from home for months? My mom might be one of the most difficult people I have ever known, but she takes her parental responsibilities seriously, even if it is just to keep face.
“Look, boys. We’re gonna take Bethany down to the beach and chill for a bit. I think she might need a bit of space,” Callum says, looking at me for confirmation.
I nod my head. I want to put my sunglasses on and soak up the sunshine. I want to forget that I have bits that need gluing back together in order for me to function as a normal human being.
“We’ll see you later for dinner,” Liam says, patting Ryan on the shoulder.
“Sure,” Matty and Ryan say at exactly the same time. We all slide out of the booth and I hang to the side while the boys all shake hands and talk about cool places to go on the island. I catch Ryan looking over at me and he smiles slightly, cocking his head to one side. It’s a look that says, ‘I’m not a bad guy’ and I believe him. From my experience of Callum and Liam, they are men who know what they want and go after it. I shouldn’t expect anything less from their brothers, I suppose.
When all the chatter is over, both Matty and Ryan come towards me to give me a peck on the cheek.
And I notice the funniest thing. The all wear the same cologne.