Bristol laughed. “One of them, yes. But I do it because it irritates her.”
That made him smile. He liked her sassiness. Kaden only wished she’d turn all that attitude on him sometime.
“Well?” she asked, still staring at him.
Kaden frowned. “Well, what?”
“Can I add you to the list of people attendin’?”
“Depends.”
“On?”
Kaden held her stare and offered his best smile. “What’s in it for me?”
Chapter Two
What’s in it for me?
That was a loaded question if Bristol had ever heard one.
More so because there were so many answers she wanted to give. Not a one of them appropriate. Not only because she was currently at work and there were a few dozen kids in the building. No. Her reasoning had everything to do with the fact that she had sworn off Kaden and Keegan Walker. No matter how much she wanted to play with fire, Bristol knew there was no way she walked away without a burn or two if she entertained the idea of mixing it up with them.
Even knowing that—plus running the mantra over in her head a couple dozen times a day—she couldn’t seem to help herself. The ridiculously attractive twins appealed to her on a base level, even if they scared the daylights out of her.
Not that she would admit that to anyone. Well, no one except for Bianca, the one person in the world who probably knew everything there was to know about her. She could blame margarita night as the reason she’d blurted out her deepest, darkest fantasy. Lord knows she hadn’t intended to do it, but now that it was out there, she couldn’t take it back.
However, she could keep Kaden and Keegan from finding out.
“I’m sure there’ll be some cute women there vyin’ for your attention,” she said, keeping her tone teasing.
“And you know this how?”
Bristol rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s a given.”
Kaden turned to face her, leaning his shoulder against the wall. “You think?”
Oh, he could act all sweet and innocent, but she knew better. “I know.”
“So, you’ll be there, huh?”
“Well, of course.” It only took the words coming out of her mouth before she realized how he’d twisted them into something else entirely. “But not vyin’ for your attention.”
“Well, that’s disappointin’.” His gaze shot to Keegan in the other room, but his smile didn’t falter.
The man had a very, very nice smile. It caused the dimple in his scruffy cheek to wink at her.
Bristol shook off the thought, forced her attention to the kids in the central playroom. There were currently two teachers in there, both paying close attention to all the little ones while Keegan sat in the center of a block fort being erected around him.
“I hear there’s gonna be an auction that coincides with it,” Bristol admitted, aiming for casual as she dropped the real reason for her inquiry.
“An auction?” Kaden’s smoky blue eyes glittered with mischief when he shot her a sideways glance.
“Yes. Highest bidder gets a date with a hunk. I think that’s how she’s marketing it. Bianca’s lookin’ for eligible bachelors to sign up.”
For a second, she was almost certain she saw disappointment in his eyes.
“Is that right?”
Bristol nodded. “I suggested she approach you and Keegan, see if you’d be willing to join in the festivities.”
Kaden laughed and the sound was so sexy Bristol had to look away. She turned her attention to Keegan, who was helping the kids rebuild the block fort that continued to fall down around him. Bristol wasn’t sure she’d ever met a man who could interact so easily with kids. Well, other than Beau. Like Beau, Keegan had a natural talent for keeping the kids engaged.
“What makes you think we’re eligible?” he asked, a taunting tone to his deep voice.
She giggled. “You’re single, aren’t ya?”
His gaze heated for a moment, his smirk sexy. “Like I said earlier, what’s in it for me?”
“Don’t tell me you’re worried someone won’t bid on you,” she teased, not wanting to answer the question with what was really on her mind.
“Does that mean you’ll be biddin’ on us?” Kaden asked.
Bristol’s attention snapped to Kaden as his words sank in.
“Oh, no. I’m not…” She shook her head. “I’m not in the market for a date. But I’ll be there to watch the action. I mean, it’s for a good cause. Bianca’s raisin’ money for the church’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner. To ensure every resident has a hearty meal.”
“Does sound like a good cause.”
“It is.” Bristol held his gaze. “So, can I tell Bianca she has two more entries?”
Kaden’s gaze shot over to his brother momentarily. “No.”
Bristol couldn’t deny she was a little hurt that he’d turned her down so easily. She thought for sure she’d be able to convince them. If she’d been smart, she would’ve approached Keegan about it first. He seemed to be the more amenable of the two of them.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that.” Bristol injected as much cheer into her tone as she could. No way would she let him hear her disappointment or misconstrue it in any way.
Kaden’s eyes locked on hers. “If I do agree, you’d get one entry.”
Bristol nodded, smiled as curiosity won out. “You’re signin’ Keegan up, I presume?”
He shook his head, his voice gruff and low when he said, “We’re a package deal, sweetheart. I think you’ve figured that out by now.”
Heat coiled in her belly, tightening something deep in her core. Her thoughts instantly drifted back to the night at Alluring Indulgence, the three of them in her hotel room. Games and alcohol had led to some rather intense moments, and yes, she’d gotten her first taste of the twins.
At the time, she’d been somewhat surprised despite the fact she’d heard about their unconventional methods to dating. Not that they hid their intentions. Every so often, Bristol would catch a glimpse of the two of them with one woman, usually at the bar. In their defense, they never did anything in public. Not so much as kissing, but she’d seen them at Moonshiners, the way the two of them managed to convince some lucky woman to go home with them.
And yes, perhaps she’d fantasized about being the filling in that sexy twin sandwich a time or two. She was human.
Bristol swallowed hard, forced herself not to look at Kaden. She had to get this conversation back on track.
Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat. “If you do agree … well, like I said, it’s for a really good cause.” Smiling, she turned toward her desk, keeping her eyes down as she reached for a Post-it note. “And I’m sure there’s one lucky lady out there who’ll be thrilled to go on a date with the two of you.”
She jotted down a message to call Bianca.
When she straightened, her eyes shot to Kaden’s face. That was when she noticed he’d moved toward her. He took another step closer and Bristol fought the urge to step back. He smiled and she forced herself to look him in the eye rather than let her gaze drift down to his sensuous mouth.