register the come-hither looks she gave us?”
“Come-hither looks?” he asked incredulously. “Who are you, and what have you done with my redneck best friend?”
“I’m just sayin’ she’s very attractive, and I wouldn’t kick her out of my bed for eating crackers.”
Dominick rolled his eyes. “Let’s not forget you wouldn’t kick any woman out of your bed whether she ate crackers or smeared baby back ribs laden with barbeque sauce all over the sheets. Calm your ass down and keep your dick in your pants.” He sent Tyler a stern “stay away from her” look.
Tyler glanced at the bathroom door once more. “Why? If she’s interested—”
“She’s a stranded woman barely at ease being here alone with the two of us. Do not—I repeat—do not do anything to make her any more on edge.”
Tyler threw his hands in the air, slopping a stream of beer onto the floor. “Who am I? I would never make a woman uncomfortable.”
“Probably not on purpose, but she’s already bound to be anxious. She’s alone with two strange men. Don’t make her regret leaving her wrecked, snowbound car to stay with us.”
He shrugged and shook his head as if in disbelief. “Are you projecting your feelings onto my statements? Because I’m level.”
“No. Are you a new psychology student testing your big words?” The fact that Tyler might be correct in his assumptions didn’t make Dominick want to admit anything. “We offer her clothing, food, and a safe place to sleep until the storm blows over. That’s it. No overtures.” He pointed his finger at Tyler’s chest. “I mean it.”
Tyler grabbed a kitchen towel off the counter and threw it on the floor over the beer puddle. He pushed it around with one booted foot until it soaked up the liquid. “Right. I get it. We ignore the lustful gazes she gifts us with in favor of being stand-up men.”
“You’d better get it, because even if she crawls in bed with us—”
“Stop putting thoughts like that in my head.” Tyler talked over him.
“—do not engage her,” he finished.
Tyler rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll look only. But I won’t touch or encourage. Even if she gets scared during the night and begs to get into bed with me.” He shuddered as if the thought of ignoring her pained him. “I’ll let her get in and turn my back on her salacious advances, even if it kills me. And it might.”
“Great. Glad we’re both on the same page.”
Dominick figured Tyler had more to say, but a second later Stella emerged from the bathroom dressed in Tyler’s sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt bearing the worn-out logo of the college he attended in Texas more than a decade ago. She looked sexier than he ever had in the drab gray color.
Her clothing was draped over one arm as she approached. “Where is your laundry room? I’ll hang these up to dry.”
Tyler stepped forward before Dominick could open his mouth. “I’ll take them. Why don’t you go into the den and warm up by the fire.”
In Dominick’s mind, Tyler crowded into her personal space a little too far, but she didn’t seem to mind as much as he did. The feeling in his gut came as close to jealousy as he ever had with Tyler. Not over his close proximity, but that Dominick wasn’t also sharing the space close and personal, too. He mentally shook his head. She was hands-off. He needed to remember that as much as Tyler did. Maybe more.
She handed over her clothes and Tyler disappeared down another short hall off the kitchen to the laundry room. Stella turned to him and smiled. “Where is the fireplace?”
“It’s in the great room. I’ll show you.” He pointed to a doorway behind her and followed close behind as she walked slowly into the hallway leading to the great room.
Dominick kept his eyes on the back of her head. Watching her ass made his cock thicken, and it was getting more difficult to suppress his baser urges. He didn’t want to see her reaction to an unruly, full-blown