"So, how do you like living here with Easton and Darcy?" Eli asked, quirking a brow.

"You know," I replied, taking a sip of my iced tea, "They've been great, but I probably need to find a place of my own, if possible. I'm not sure what the cost of living is like here as far as rentals."

They exchanged glances.

"Honey," Eli spoke first, "I don't have a clue how much money you're making as an intern there, but I have a feeling the type of apartment you could afford would fit into one of Darcy's closets, and your roommates would be small…and furry."

"Eww," I said, wrinkling my nose. "The thing is, I have a boyfriend and well, Darcy made it plain that he isn't to stay over here, and we're not at that stage—or even close to being at that stage where we've discussed living together—"

"Wait a minute," Cain spoke up. "Eli and I have been tossing around the idea of getting another roommate to share expenses. We recently bought a home together in Silver Spring, and to be honest, we are a little financially strapped, what with the mortgage payment and all."

Cain looked over at Eli for input. "You'd have to pay for your own groceries, split the utilities and your rent would be $450 a month," Eli said. "And also pitch in with the housework. We don't have a staff like Darcy has," he added with a grin.

"Hmm," I replied, calculating it in my head. I still had a car payment and my pay at the bureau was really just a stipend at $1000 a month. It wouldn't leave me much to live on, but if I was frugal, I doubted I could do any better, or even as good trying to find a place of my own.

Cain could tell I was struggling to figure out whether I could manage it or not. "Babe, I gotta tell you that you can't touch an efficiency in D.C., or the surrounding area, for less than $900 a month. With us, you'll have your own room and bathroom, plus use of our fully equipped kitchen and laundry room. I mean, you don't even have any furniture, right?"

I nodded. "I've been saving up my earnings and planned on going to some second hand shops for the basics," I replied.

"So there you go," Cain continued, shrugging like it was a done deal. "And if you need a little extra money, I occasionally need help on the weekends with the catering business, so we could put you to work there, uh…as long as you promise to stay out of the deviled egg making," he finished with a wink.

I found myself grinning, not just because Cain gave me one of his sexy winks, but because my shoulders could finally relax as if an entire city had been lifted off of them. It was kind of a friggin’ crazy moment because one minute, I’m living with Darcy and Easton and the next…Cain and Eli are offering to bring me in as a roomie.

Holy shit?

I glanced back over at Cain who was nodding at something Eli must have just said.

“So,” I started with a huge non-resistant smile on my face, “Is this weekend too soon?”

chapter 5

I'd been living with Cain and Eli for almost two months now, and we had settled into a pretty comfortable routine. Living with dudes was different than I expected, and with those two, it was starting to feel more like family.

It had felt a little weird for the first week or so, but after that, it felt like my home too.

I loved their brick ranch-style home that was nestled on a tree-lined street in Silver Spring. The houses weren't far apart, yet not on top of one another either. They had a fairly large backyard with a privacy fence around it, along with a deck that was right off of the kitchen that had a kick-ass hot tub/Jacuzzi combination.

We split the chores up, and took turns cooking dinner. Both Cain and Eli were great cooks and had taken me under their wings in the kitchen. I figured getting a little domestic training, compliments of my roomies, was an additional perk in our living arrangement.

Eli was just getting home from work, still dressed in his office ensemble as I was packing up some ingredients. And I say ensemble, because with Eli? That’s exactly what it was. The guy dressed better than most brides do on their wedding day.

He came into the kitchen, loosening up his white tie, watching me as I put a box of angel hair pasta, tomato sauce, and fresh mushrooms in a box I planned on hauling over to Darin’s. Because tonight, I was cooking for my man, and I was eager to show him my new awesome kitchen skills.

"So, I see you intend to get to your man's heart through his stomach tonight, eh?" he teased. "Don't forget the Parmesan cheese," he reminded me.

"Yeah thanks, Eli," I replied, grabbing it from the fridge. "With any luck, you won't see me for breakfast," I said with a grin.

Eli scoffed playfully. "I'm betting you two don't make it through dinner with those tight little shorts you've got going there," he remarked, picking up the stack of mail I'd placed on the kitchen table and sorting through it. "Which, by the way, you rock," he winked, giving me some of his flirtatiousness that I'd come to enjoy.

"Trust me," I replied, smiling, "I won't be offended one damn bit if he prefers me to my cooking."

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, shaking his head.

"I know you don't care for Darin," I remarked, grabbing the package of chicken breasts out of the sink where I had them thawing. "But so far, he's the closest thing to a steady relationship that I've had…ever. I mean, it's not just about the sex, you know?"

Eli sighed and looked up from the stack of mail.

“He’s a cheater, Paige,” he deadpanned. “He cheated on Darcy like it was easy. And I don’t like the fact that you’re going over there, getting all excited to play house for the night. Okay? There, I've said it.” He shrugged, “Once a cheater—”

"I know, I know," I interrupted. "Always a cheater. I've heard it before."

I tossed a bag of mixed salad greens into the box and gave Eli a peck on the cheek. "I love that you're protective over me. It's something that I'm not used to, I guess," I said softly, looking up at him. "But I need to explore this relationship because it just might be right for me, okay?"

He studied me for a second, and let out a soft chuckle while shaking his head.

“Where’s Maddox?” he asked, referring to Cain by his last name, which was how he always addressed him for some reason.

The fact that he had beat Cain home was pretty damn unusual, because Cain had mean ninja skills when it came to punctuality.

"Oh," he left a note on the fridge. "Playing racquetball with Steve and Lance. You're supposed to meet them at the club and make it a foursome."

“Ah shit,” Eli said, looking up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh. “I’m fucking tired, and it’s Friday, and that means it's chill time for me right there in front of the television. Does he not know this by now?"

I giggled at Eli’s over-dramatic, sulky tone, closing up the box holding what was going to be a scrumptious meal.

“So DVR whatever it is you'd be watching, dude,” I said with a shrug. “I mean, you did hear me when I said ‘foursome,’ right? As in four sweaty guys alone in a fiberglass-encased room with nothing to do except whack at their balls with their…” I lowered my voice to a theatrical whisper, “rackets?”

Eli gave me a playful swat as I passed him on my way out. "Brat," he growled. "Drive safely."

On my way out through the door though, I made sure to turn around with, “Oh, and try not to dent up any hardwood floors with your balls. I hear that’s frowned upon.” I gave him a stern look.

He shook his head with a hard eye-roll, closing the door with one huge-ass grin on his face.

* * *

Eli had hit the nail on the head. Darin and I had just finished our salads when he followed me into the kitchen, where I bent over to check the Chicken Parmesan in the oven.

"Mmm," he said, coming up behind me, and rubbing my ass with the palms of both hands. I straightened up, leaning back against his strong frame.

"I can see those squats have made your glutes kind of epic there, babe," he whispered in my ear. I shivered as his lips brushed against my lobe, and then his tongue lightly flicked the outer edge.

"I'll take that as a compliment of the highest regard," I replied, "I have a very strict trainer, you see."

His arms encircled me, and I felt him nuzzle the back of my neck with his nose; he nipped gently at my skin. "How about you turn the oven down and we get a little exercise before the main course?"

I smiled against him, reaching over and turning the oven dial down to nearly nothing.

Darin lifted me up, and I immediately wrapped my bare legs around his torso, allowing him to carry me off to his king-sized bed where we enjoyed an hour of play that had very few boundaries.

We had just finished dinner, and I was loading the dishwasher, when his cell rang. He looked down at it.

"Gotta take this, babe," he said, taking several long strides out of the kitchen. I figured it was probably something with the bureau. Darin was so committed to the FBI and loved his new assignment as Intern Coordinator. He was a master of motivation; that was for damn sure.

I heard his voice raised a bit from the living room, just enough to hear him say, "I told you, Lisa, not tonight. I'm busy, babe."

Umm…?

My ears immediately went into 'eavesdrop' mode, a skill I had honed growing up, as a result of all the boundaries I had crossed with my parents. They were forever disagreeing on how to handle discipline where I was concerned. I tiptoed closer to the hallway, straining to hear his side of the conversation.