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  Luc narrowed his eyes, but didn’t argue. Instead, he dropped to his knees, engulfing Diego’s thick flesh in one deep thrust. Luc wrapped his fist tight around the base of Diego’s dick, stroking him. Diego wasn’t a small guy, and definitely more than a mouthful, but that didn’t scare his lover away.

  Luc worked him hard, sucking him deep and swallowing his head. Luc was still angry and he was taking it out in the blowjob. Diego would laugh at the foolish attempt if he weren’t so fucking close to blowing. He liked the pain, and Luc knew it.

  “Fucking suck it like you want it.” Diego gripped Luc’s hair roughly, making his demands known as he increased the pressure, shoved his dick deep and hard. Luc took it all, then gave back some of his own as he cupped Diego’s balls and began to squeeze.

  It was game over. Diego thrust in twice more, then let go, jet after jet of come filling Luc’s mouth.

  “Swallow it,” he demanded, though the words weren’t necessary. Luc had never spit in his life.

  Slowly, Diego sank to his knees in front of Luc and pulled his lover, his best friend, his brother, closer for a kiss.

  Their tongues tangled, but the previous heat from the argument had faded, giving way to exhaustion, anxiety.

  “I’m sorry,” Diego whispered.

  For the first time since they’d returned home, Luc gave him his standard goofy, affable smile. “You’re an overbearing bastard. Probably was a good idea to let the poor girl know what she’s getting into.”

  Diego reached for Luc’s cock. He was a firm believer in fair play, but Luc brushed his hand away. “No, man. It’s alright.”

  Diego looked at him curiously until Luc explained.

  “It might take the edge off, but it wouldn’t make me less hungry.”

  Diego nodded. He knew that from experience. He had just come, but his cock still wasn’t sated. It wouldn’t be until he was buried deep in Jeannette’s sweet pussy.

  Luc rose and walked away from him, sinking down onto the couch. “We came to Maris to make a fresh start, D. We agreed that we needed more and that we’d do whatever it took to get it. It’s her. Jeannette is the piece that’s missing. I just don’t know how…”

  Diego’s chest tightened as he stood. His legs were a little less steady as he tried to recover from his climax. “We’ll make it work, Luc. I think she needs us as much as we need her. We just have to figure out a way to prove that to her.”

  “You think we can?”

  Diego sat next to Luc. “I don’t think we have any other choice.”

  Chapter Three

  The after-church crowd at the restaurant was always a large one. As a result, Paige, who was in charge of scheduling, usually brought them all in to work. Jeannette and Sydney cooked quickly and efficiently in the kitchen, their routines in synch after so many years of preparing and serving up food side by side. Macie worked the counter while TJ, Adele, Gia, and Paige waited and bussed the tables. Lacy had gotten a bye this week because she was suffering from a terrible head cold.

  Jeannette was grateful to be busy because it helped keep her mind off her worries—the main one being when one of her cousins would catch wind of her date last night. She didn’t have a clue how any of them would react, considering she’d put on quite a production in the past, exclaiming that two men dating the same woman was appalling and not something to be condoned.

  Talk about egg on your face.

  She’d been at work less than an hour before the news broke.

  Macie flung open the swinging door between the kitchen and the dining room, Gia in tow. “Where were you last night?”

  Jeannette brushed a stray hair out of her face and shrugged. “Cruisers.”

  Sydney put down the knife she was using to chop tomatoes. “What? Seriously?”

  Jeannette understood their outright shock, even though it did bug her. “Yes. You guys go there all the time, so I’m not so sure why it’s such a big deal.”

  Macie knew why. “Who were you with?”

  Jeannette scowled, tired of the third degree from a person who clearly already knew all the answers. “Who told you?”

  “Colby.”

  “Then why do you need to hear it from me?” Jeannette asked haughtily.

  Sydney took a step closer. “I’m tied to the damn stove back here. Someone give me the goods.”

  Gia shrugged. “I was restocking the paper towels in the women’s bathroom. I’m as much in the dark as you.”

  Macie grinned. “You want me to tell them?”

  Jeannette smirked at her cousin. “You’re obviously dying to.”

  “Luc and Diego.”

  Gia’s mouth fell open as Sydney’s eyes widened.

  “No way,” Sydney exclaimed. “You’ve turned them down for years! Said it was despicable the way they dated women together.”

  Jeannette bit her lower lip. She’d said all that and more. “It wasn’t exactly a date,” she lied, trying to find a way out of this conversation. None of them would be satisfied until they’d squeezed every last gory detail out of her. She was still equal parts mortified by her actions and completely turned-on. She couldn’t share either of those tidbits, so it was time for some serious deflection.

  “Is that right?” Macie asked. “Hmmm. I wonder if Diego and Luc will say the same thing. Let’s go ask them, Gia.”

  Jeannette stopped them before they could take a single step. “Wait. They’re here?”

  Macie nodded.

  Jeannette didn’t want them asking a bunch of questions, so she gave them as much of the story as she was able to. “Fine. It was a date. We went to Cruisers, drank a beer, danced a little and then they brought me home. That was it.”

  Gia smiled. “Really? Wow! That’s the best news I’ve heard in forever.”

  Any annoyance Jeannette felt toward them vanished when she heard the sheer joy in her sister’s voice. It was impossible to stay mad at Gia, considering all she’d ever wanted was for Jeannette to be happy.

  “Did they kiss you good night?” Gia asked.

  Jeannette shook her head. “No.”

  Gia looked disappointed by that information. If Jeannette was being completely honest, she felt the same way.

  Adele popped her head into the kitchen. “Where did y’all go? We just had a bunch more customers come in. Looks like the preacher at Maris Baptist took mercy on them today. Short sermon.”

  They all laughed as Gia and Macie returned to take orders and pour coffee.

  Jeannette pulled the cobblers she’d just made from the oven as Sydney used two forks to pull apart the tender pork she’d finished marinating.

  They worked in quiet efficiency for several minutes. Though Jeannette would never say it aloud, Sydney had always been the cousin she felt closest to. They were the same age, so they’d gone all through school together. Then they’d spent their twenties honing their cooking skills in this kitchen. Unlike Macie, Sydney wasn’t loud or excitable or prone to drama. Even now, she was giving Jeannette some space, not asking her a million questions about her date.

  “Are you going out with them again?” Sydney asked after several busy minutes.

  Jeannette nodded. “Wednesday. We’re going to dinner.”

  Sydney smiled. “I’m glad. They’re nice guys.”

  Jeannette agreed. “Yeah. I know.”

  “You think this is going anywhere?”

  Jeannette shrugged and pushed her glasses up on her nose. She wasn’t sure how it could. She was fucked-up six ways to Sunday, but she didn’t admit that. “I don’t know. I think for now I’m just going to take it one day at a time.”

  “Wise decision.”

  Adele returned with a handful of orders, but instead of leaving, she leaned against the counter where Jeannette was stirring a fresh batch of coleslaw. “Heard about your date last night.”

  Jeannette rolled her eyes. “Am I going to be subjected to questions every time I go out with someone?”

  Adele laughed and shook her head. “Nop
e. Macie filled me in on the details. And that’s not why I’m here. I’m going to help Sydney for a few minutes. There are two hot firefighters out there who’ve asked to speak to you.”

  Jeannette swallowed nervously and ran a hand through her hair. A large hunk of it had escaped her ponytail, and after tossing and turning most of the night, replaying every minute of the date, she’d overslept and hadn’t had time for makeup.

  “You look fine,” Adele reassured her. “I’ve always wished I was a natural beauty like you.”

  Jeannette snorted and said, “Yeah right,” but she appreciated the compliment just the same.

  She took off her apron and washed her hands. “I won’t be long. Promise.”

  Adele waved her away. “Take your time. The other girls can handle the tables and I’m perfectly capable of filling these orders. We’re cool.”

  When Jeannette entered the dining room, she was surprised to see Diego and Luc at a booth rather than their usual spots at the counter. She was also disappointed to see Evan with them. Obviously this wasn’t going to be a social visit.

  She was halfway across the room when her cousin Tyson stopped her. “Hey, hotshot,” he said, reaching out for her. “There’s some very interesting gossip flying around this morning about you.”

  “Oh my God. This town must be completely bored if my Saturday plans were the most exciting thing that happened last night.”

  “So it’s true?”

  “Yeah.”

  She was surprised when Tyson gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Good.”

  Jeannette hadn’t realized how much her family worried about her. She was more touched than she could say. “If you want details, apparently Macie is handing out some doozies.”

  Tyson chuckled. “I might let her regale me with that story while I drink my coffee.” He looked up when the bell above the door rang and Billy walked in. Tyson lifted his hand to wave and called out, “Thought we’d grab a couple stools at the counter, Billy.”

  Billy stepped up and smiled, then looked at Jeannette. “Hey, Nettie.”

  “I go by Jeannette now,” she said, not bothering to mask the hostility in her voice.

  “Sorry, Jeannette. I’ll just go grab a seat.” Billy walked away quickly.

  Jeannette looked at Tyson, trying very hard not to feel deeply hurt. Her cousin had no clue how she felt about Billy, or why.

  He gave her a curious glance, but didn’t take her to task for her rudeness. “Billy and I have some business to discuss.” It was clear he felt as though he needed to offer an explanation, even if he didn’t know why.

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  Tyson studied her face a second longer, then he headed to the counter where Macie was holding court.

  Jeannette caught more than a few sideways glances from the patrons in the restaurant. It was sort of unnerving, considering she was invisible most days.

  Diego stood up when she got to the booth, gesturing for her to slide in. Before she could sit down, he grabbed her hand and gave her a quick kiss that had her blushing in record time.

  “Everything okay?” he murmured.

  “Yes,” she whispered back.

  “Then good morning.” He gave her another, longer kiss.

  “You realize Evan has a gun,” she joked when he released her.

  Evan didn’t laugh. “She’s right. I do.”

  They sat down, Jeannette, Luc and Diego grinning, while Evan appeared less than amused.

  “We’re really slammed. I can’t stay long. You didn’t call me out here to yell at me for last night’s date, did you?” she asked Evan.

  Evan tilted his head, his tone dripping in sarcasm. “Yeah, right. That’s what this meeting is about. Because I have complete control of everything my cousins do.”

  She laughed at his sardonic tone. “Good point, but maybe you think you’d have a better chance with me?”

  “I grew up with six girl cousins and a sister. I’m now married with a daughter. If I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s simply this—shut up and nod.”

  Diego and Luc chuckled as Jeannette rolled her eyes.

  “Then why the meeting?”

  Evan reached for a little tub of creamer, adding it to his coffee. “We’ve been sitting here discussing the fires. Diego and Luc told me your thoughts about someone trying to rid the town of eyesores. It could be a good lead, but considering the two people who’ve always bitched the loudest are two of the victims who’ve lost property, I’m struggling for suspects.”

  Jeannette gave him a confused look. “You seriously don’t think it was a game of tit for tat between Roy and Buster? Buster burns down Roy’s shed, so Roy reciprocates?”

  Evan shook his head. “No. I don’t think that’s it. Have you seen Roy lately?”

  “No, but that’s not unusual. Roy keeps to himself. Doesn’t come into the restaurant more than a half-dozen times in any given year.”

  “When I went to talk to him about the fire, he could barely make it to the front door. Cancer,” Evan added.

  “Oh.” Jeannette glanced back at Tyson and Billy sitting at the counter, speaking quietly, somberly. Suddenly she understood the reason behind Tyson’s so-called business meeting. As a doctor, it was likely he was either playing a role in Roy’s treatment or answering questions for Billy. “I didn’t know that. Billy said he and Scott had come home because their uncle was sick, but he didn’t mention cancer or how bad it was.”

  Jeannette would call her Aunt Louise after work. Knowing her aunts, they would want to take over dinner for the family.

  “Can you think of anyone else who bitched about the shack and those outbuildings?” Evan asked. “Considering this is a gathering place and the hub for gossip about all things Maris, I figured you might have heard someone else complaining.”

  Jeannette pondered the question, but couldn’t think of a single person who grumbled louder or more often than the rest. “Not really. I mean, that abandoned shack and Buster’s rundown shed have been discussed from time to time and most people usually hop on the tear-’em-down bandwagon. Hell, Mayor Rock was in here a few weeks ago, promising to do something about them if he was reelected next month, but I wouldn’t say anyone was overly annoyed by their presence.”

  Evan blew out a long breath.

  “You still think it’s a serial arsonist?” she asked.

  Diego rubbed his chin. “Apparently the fire marshal is having trouble proving the fires are all connected.”

  “Really? I mean they have to be, don’t they? To have so many fires in such a short time? What else could it be?”

  “Oh, we’re sure it’s arson. And we’re relatively sure it’s the same person,” Luc explained. “It’s just going to be tough to prove that.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  Evan took a sip of his coffee. “Because whoever is doing it is clearly an amateur, and it looks like they’ve made Maris their classroom.”

  She was confused. “What do you mean?”

  Diego rested his arm along the back of the booth, leaning toward her. She wasn’t sure if the action was his attempt to keep their conversation private or to pull her closer. “Whoever is setting the fires is using different accelerants, different ignition devices.”

  Luc stretched his leg out along the side of the booth and Jeannette finally understood why he and Diego preferred the stools at the counter. Both men were too large to sit comfortably in the booth. “Every fire was set differently. It’s like the guy is trying out different things to see how everything works.”

  Evan tapped his fork on the table a couple of times, clearly frustrated at the lack of evidence. “And he’s using common everyday items, so it’s not like we can run down to the hardware store to see who’d bought some unusual wire. He set the first with rags and gasoline, the second with a cigarette in a trashcan, and he took the shack down with paint thinners and a candle.”

  “You keep saying ‘he’. Do you know it’s a guy?”

  Evan
shrugged. “Most likely. That’s the only lead that offers any hope.”

  Diego snorted. “You call that hope?”

  Evan grimaced, silently acknowledging it clearly wasn’t much. “We’ve found fresh footprints at all three scenes made from a man’s boot.”

  “Can’t you narrow down the suspects according to who has that type of boot and the size?”

  Evan rubbed his forehead wearily. “It’s been three different pairs of boots—all common brands—and in slightly differing sizes, each pair off by a half size.”

  Jeannette grimaced. “So the guy is smart enough to cover his tracks.”

  “Yep.” Evan sighed. “Well, I guess I’m back at it. I’m going to head out to all three fire sites again today to see if there’s something we missed.”

  Evan didn’t bother to say what they were all thinking. Without more evidence, the arsonist would likely remain free to set another fire.

  Evan tossed a few dollars on the table, and then slid out of the booth after Luc stood to let him out. Jeannette looked at Diego, expecting him to rise as well.

  He kept her trapped.

  “I really do need to get back to work.”

  Diego didn’t budge. Instead he tucked his arm around her shoulder.

  From the corner of her eye, Jeannette saw several heads turn in their direction.

  “What are you doing?” she murmured.

  “I’ve heard a lot of tongues wagging around here this morning. Everyone seems pretty interested in our date.”

  That was an understatement. “Yeah. I know. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable.”

  Luc laughed. “Seriously? Jeannette, how many Sunday mornings have we been the topic of conversation in here?”

  She couldn’t possibly tabulate that number. “A lot of them. God. Maybe all of them.”

  He nodded. “And how many Sundays have the good people of Maris discussed Jeannette Sparks?”

  She didn’t even have to think about it. “None.”

  “So maybe the question is, are you uncomfortable?” Luc asked.

  Part of her wondered if she should be ashamed to be the subject of such speculation—all of it racy—but she couldn’t summon a single ounce of embarrassment. She’d wanted to break out of her shell and, well, by God, she’d done it. At least for a little while, before she’d freaked out and ruined the whole damn thing. “I’m…sort of…” She sucked at playing it casual or coy, so she said what she felt. “It’s slightly annoying, but if I’m being completely honest, it’s kind of cool too,” she confessed.