Wanting It All: A Naked Men Novel (18 page)

Annabeth pounced. Literally hunched forward to stab a finger at Madison. “Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing with Knox? You want a husband. You moved out here to get a husband. Knox is the first eligible man who fits that description that crossed your path. Any chance you shoved him into your bag without checking under his husk?”

“Stop.” Chloe waved her arms, giggling. “No more corn metaphors. I have to be able to look Knox in the eye tonight without laughing.”

“You have to eat the dip, too,” Summer pointed out.

Madison put a hand to her suddenly churning stomach. Either the crab cakes weren’t sitting well, or Annabeth’s very blunt point had stabbed its way home. “Isn’t there just as good a chance that I’m the first woman to make Knox think about forever?”

After pursing her bright red lips in thought for a second, Summer asked, “Have you told Knox yet that you love him?”

“No. Of course not.” Talk about something that would send him running in the opposite direction! Knox would have to lead that particular charge. “And I said I’m
falling
in love. Not one hundred percent there yet.”

“Has he said those three magic words to you?”

“No. But even when he gets there, in his heart? I’m sure it’ll be much longer before he can verbalize them. The man’s spent his entire adult life avoiding love, avoiding relationships. He’s got to fight free of that baggage, of that mindset, before being able to say he loves me. I get that. I can wait.”

Then she bit her lower lip. Because Madison didn’t know how long it would take. What if they were right? “What if I’m his rebound girl?” she murmured.

“Rebound from what? You’re his first real girlfriend.”

“Exactly. After a big breakup, no matter how great the next guy is that you date, he won’t stick. He’s just the rebound guy. The one who helps you finish exorcising your ex and makes you feel good again.”

“Ohhhh.” Chloe nodded, hard. “You could be his rebound from one-night stands. The training wheels on his relationship bike. The one he practices with before finding someone else to seal the deal.”

It made horrible sense. Undeniable sense. “I can’t believe you made me think of that. What if I’m teaching him how to be a real boyfriend? What happens when he wants to try it out all by himself?”

“Well, that’s not where I was going when I assumed he’d break up with you—but plausible. Which brings us back full circle. What are you going to do when Knox breaks up with you?”

“Stop saying it like it’s predetermined,” Madison snapped. She bit her lip again. “Look, I truly appreciate you all being worried about me. To answer your first question, about my roots, they are sunk in deep. Jerry and I both love to cook. He’s going to take me to his next cooking class. That has nothing to do with Knox. Griffin and I are going shooting again next month. Again, nothing to do with Knox. He may have been the bridge leading me to all of you, but he’s not the glue keeping us together.”

Annabeth squeezed Madison’s shoulders. “Don’t worry—we’re not going anywhere.”

“What about Logan?” Chloe shifted from one pink flip-flop to the other and then back again. Either like she really needed to pee, or really didn’t want to say whatever was coming next. “Griffin filled me in on how your missing brother is one of the ACSs. Most guys aren’t thrilled to see their best friend date their little sister.”

Head swirling, Madison sat down on a wooden bus bench. “One problem at a time, okay?” Even to her ears, her voice sounded shaky. Because they had filled her with doubt. Worry. Concern. Uncertainty. All sorts of things that never, ever clouded her mind.

Madison had spent her whole life being the one with the plan. With an unshakeable belief that perseverance, passion, and a healthy dose of stubbornness were enough to turn any plan into reality. Here she was, in the middle of her Grand Plan, suddenly wondering if it was, indeed, doable.

“We want you to have all the fun you possibly can with Knox. But we also want you to be prepared for what happens when it’s over.”

White-knuckling the back of the bench, Madison tried to muster up a cocky grin. Felt a lot more like a grimace, though. “Dating Knox will end when we walk down the aisle. You can all be my bridesmaids. As long as I get to say
I told you so.
”

Except suddenly she wondered if they would be the ones saying
it.

There were a hundred different perks people looked for in a job. Some wanted stock options, others wanted paternal leave, and some people would sell their souls for a job at Google with its free cafeteria and bike share program.

Knox, however, really,
really
liked the perk he got with his once-a-week gig at SER, recording the
Naked Men
podcast. Their producer, Lara, looked like a model. Supermodel. She was a dead ringer for Kate Upton, with her long and wavy blond hair, killer body, and clothes that barely covered all those mouthwatering curves. You could spend your day looking at gray cubicle walls…or at Lara.

Sadly, they’d discovered on day one that it was strictly a look-but-don’t-touch approach when it came to her. Lara would pick Madison over Knox for a date any and every time. Which was one of the reasons she’d landed the gig of producing a show manned by five guys who talked all the time about dating and sex and playing the field.

Still, all that meditation crap urged you to stop and admire the flowers for three minutes a day. Ogling Lara was no different than admiring the artistry of a Monet lily pond to gain mental peace. Knox made it a point to watch Lara with her sinuous grace every week as she moved around behind the glass of the control booth. Longer today, since she’d asked them to hang tight after the show for a powwow.

A knock sounded on the door. Josh looked puzzled. “The record light is off, right? We’re off the air. What’s with the knock? Do they think we’ve got some secret post-show mojo we do in here?”

“Moron. Some people are just polite.” Knox got up, shook out the knife pleats in his pale gray trousers, and threw open the door. “You know we’re not actually naked in here, right?” His voice trailed off at the end. Because Lara stood in front of him…except he’d just seen her in the control booth. In a white dress. While this version of her wore the orange of the coral reef he’d scuba dived off of in Belize.

“You know that if you were all naked, I wouldn’t complain a bit?” she drawled.

Griff, Josh, and Riley were all doing the head swivel thing, looking from the woman at the door to Lara behind the glass and back. “Guess it’s Christmas in July,” drawled Riley. “Knox finally got those twins he asked Santa for.”

While everyone laughed, the orange-sheathed siren stuck out her hand. “Hi. I’m Lila.”

“And I’m very, very lucky.” The flirting flowed off his tongue without thought. Because, hello,
twins
! They ranked right up in the top three of every man’s hot fantasy list. Still, as Knox shook her hand—soft skin, softer grip—he regretted his comment. He shouldn’t be flirting. Or at least, he shouldn’t be flirting with anyone but Madison.

That had never happened to him before. He didn’t like the taste of regret in his mouth. On the other hand, what was wrong with being social? Flirting didn’t have to go anywhere. It was complimentary. Friendly. Plus, Lila had brought up her other hand to sandwich his, which was a dead giveaway the lady did not play for the same team as her sister. It’d be ungentlemanly not to respond accordingly.

“Lara told me you were all ten times more handsome in person than on the billboards. She was right.”

“It’s our natural charisma.” Josh appeared at Knox’s side. Shook Lila’s hand and didn’t let go. “You can’t catch animal magnetism with even the best digital camera. And you can’t ignore it in person.”

“Do you work here, too?” Now Riley was elbow to elbow with them. Not that Knox blamed him. They’d all but steamrolled over one another the first time they met Lara. That was, until Knox realized the chemistry with her was decidedly a one-way street, going the wrong way. Looked like now they all got a second chance to score.

“I’m just visiting for the week. When Lara mentioned she had to come in for your show today, I’ll admit that I begged to tag along.”

“Let’s save the begging for later. Someplace more private,” Josh said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

But Lila kept her gaze focused on Knox. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to go for a drink after this?”

The inner teenager in him still drew a tick mark in the air every time a woman chose him over one of his friends. They were all cool with it—no real competition ever went down. Easier to hook a fish if you didn’t have to chase it. But Knox would never forget being skinny and short and picked last both for sports and dates. No matter how many notches he put on his headboard—and he’d probably wrapped around to the footboard with them by now—he’d never lose the thrill of realizing that a woman finally, actually wanted
him.
Albeit the bulked-up, braces-free, contact lens–wearing multimillionaire version of himself. It still counted as a personal win.

“I’m sorry. I’ve already got plans tonight. Even though I’m sure they’ll pale in comparison to the fun we could’ve had.”

Huh? That last part came out on autopilot. It was just how he turned women down. Always leave them feeling good about themselves was his motto. But…he’d stopped there. Hadn’t suggested a rain check for tomorrow night. Lila said she’d be here a week. That gave him plenty of time to bring things with Madison to a polite conclusion and move right on to a new blonde. That’s how he rolled. Here was a brand-new, steaming, fresh hot dish being served onto his woman buffet, and he’d walked away without a single serving added to his plate.

Knox put a hand onto the back of a chair to steady himself. It seemed pretty obvious that the world was tipping beneath his feet. He’d agreed to stick with Madison as long as it was still fun. But he’d also told her it was bound to end. He was bound to get antsy and start looking for the next good thing, good time.

It hadn’t happened yet.

Knox wasn’t even tempted.

The only emotion he felt was regret at the automatic and polite flirtations that had already spilled out of him.

This was stupid. Lila had to be a sign. Not that he believed in signs. Aliens, sure. Ghosts, maybe. Signs were too easily grabbed at by the desperate. Manipulated any which way. Lila, though—she was all the neon on the Vegas strip flashing at him, saying,
Come on, Knox, get back in the game. Look at what you’re missing.

What if this thing with Madison ran its course by next week? Would he kick himself for missing out on a night with the winsome and willing woman smiling at him rightthefucknow with parted lips? Why put off till tomorrow the hot blonde you can sleep with today?

Madison. Madison was why. Even with her laser-beam focus on marriage. Despite having the potential to wreck a lifelong friendship that meant more to him than any woman ever could. Madison was still there, often in his thoughts, sometimes in his pants, and increasingly in his heart. What the ever-loving-fuck was he supposed to do about her?

“Knox?” Riley took him by the arm and pushed him into a chair. “Your face just went sheet white. Put your head between your knees.” Without giving him the chance to respond, Ry shoved his face at the floor. “Is it your concussion? Were you lying when you said the docs cleared you to do this today? Is your head pounding?”

“It is now.” Not from the concussion, though. He couldn’t take Riley in full survivalist mode. Especially since his head was perfectly fine. Knox hung upside down for another second, then grabbed the table to pull himself up. “Back off. Give a guy some room to breathe. And don’t ever grab my arm like that when I’m wearing this linen suit. Wrinkles don’t just disappear by themselves. Respect the suit.”

“If he’s bitching about his designer duds, then he’s fine,” Josh said with a sigh of relief.

Griffin didn’t give up so easily. He crouched on the floor in front of Knox. Moved his finger from left to right, then up and down. “Are you seeing double again?”

“What the hell? Did Jerry give you all a tutorial in post-concussion syndrome?”

“Actually, yes.”

“I’m fine.” And Knox was—physically. Of course, he sure wasn’t about to admit what had truly just happened. That the whole foundation of his life had cracked at the center and shifted to make room for…he didn’t know what. “Just a little zing of a headache. It happens. No need to go into full EMT mode.”

“Stop scaring us.”

“Hey, it’s no picnic for me. I’m the guy who had to spend twenty-four hours in that scratchy cotton hell called a hospital gown, remember?”

Lara rushed into the room. “What happened? Did you almost pass out? Should I call an ambulance?”

“It’s no worse than brain freeze from eating ice cream too fast. Seriously. Everybody calm the hell down.”

Lara glared at her twin. “What did you do to him? ‘Accidentally’ stick your hand down his pants?”

“Is that a thing?” Josh stuck his hands in the pockets of his tan shorts, crossed his ankles, and sort of leaned in to Lila. “Because I volunteer to test it out.”

“Knox, keep your ass in that chair for another five minutes. Josh, keep your hands off my sister. Lila, keep your hands off everyone in the room. I have to go wrap up one thing, then I’ll be back.” Lara blew out as fast as she’d whirled in.

The door hadn’t even closed before a young boy pushed inside. Arms like twigs, glasses like Coke bottles, and a halting step that showed he wasn’t comfortable in his own skin. It was like Knox was looking in a time travel mirror at his fifteen-year-old self.

“Lionel, stand up straight, for heaven’s sake.” Lila reached out to push white-blond bangs off his forehead in the habitual gesture of so many mothers. Wait, a mom? Guess fate had stepped in after all. Knox stayed far away from moms. He didn’t like to tangle with kids. Things got too messy, and none of the mess was ever fair to the kid. “Everyone, this is my son, Lionel.”

Some children were branded for life by bad names when barely out of the womb. Lila had basically promised her son a lifetime of being stuffed in lockers and an interest in astronomy by naming him that. Too bad.

Griff shook the boy’s hand. “I’m Lieutenant Montgomery. Do you like helicopters?”

“I considered aeronautical engineering, but dismissed it as too simplistic. I’ve moved on to nanotechnology.”

Knox almost swallowed his tongue trying not to laugh. It’d be a snowy day in hell when people didn’t respond to his friend the hero pilot. “You must be thinking about colleges already. Got any in mind?”

“That’s why he’s here,” Lila answered. “He begged his aunt Lara to bring us today.” She gave him a pat on his butt. “Go on, Lionel. Ask him.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed twice before the words gushed out. “I’ve read all your published papers, Mr. Knox. I even downloaded your thesis. Both of them. I want to be just as successful as you someday. I want to go to MIT. But I know grades alone won’t do it. What’s the secret? What do I need to add to my life that’ll make the admissions team hang on to my application?”

It was a smart question. From the looks of it, Lionel was probably no more than a sophomore and had time to work on padding his application. “Are you in the top percentile?”

Lila gaped as if he’d asked if the kid had learned his multiplication tables yet. “Of his school? Of course he is.”

“No, Mom.” Lionel sighed that condescending sigh particular to kids who’d hit puberty but didn’t have a license yet. “Of the state. And yes, I am.”

The kid knew his stuff. “Keep that up. Work on getting into summer programs at places like NanoInk or Keystone Nano.”

“Already planned.”

Cocky little snot. Knox liked him. “You should join a team.”

He crossed his chicken arms. “I’m on the chess team, and the debate team.”

Typical. Just like every other candidate for MIT. Nothing that’d make him stand out. Which was exactly why Knox was giving him the secret keys to the kingdom. He beckoned him closer with one finger. “I mean sports.”

Lila burst out laughing. “He’d be trampled in two seconds.”

“Any doofus can exercise muscles. I exercise my brain,” Lionel sneered.

From behind him, Knox heard one of his friends snort. “That’s where you’re wrong. See these guys?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the rest of the
Naked Men.
“I was on a soccer team with all of them. It changed my life. I guarantee it helped get me into MIT. How many other geeks do you think have sports on their application? Real sports, not weak-ass wannabes like table tennis,” he amended.

The kid looked shocked. “Sports are a waste of time.”

“Nope. They’re actually the complete opposite—sports are imperative. Exercise loosens up your mind. You learn how to work with others, how to lead, how to be nimble in body and mind. You gain self-confidence. You gain friends. It’ll make a man out of you.” Knox almost groaned. He sounded like a weak imitation of a
Godfather
movie.

But it was all true. The only thing he regretted in life was not joining the Roosevelt Prep soccer team sooner. Yeah, he’d thought the same as this little twerp. That time spent running laps was time stolen from real learning. Until he’d realized after a few weeks how good he felt after a workout. Banged up, but good. He slept better. Concentration was better. To this day, when his brain got in a rut, Knox hopped on the treadmill and turned it up to seven. After a few miles, everything clicked back into gear.

With a clatter of heels, Lara came back in and stood, hip-shot, against the open door. “Lionel, Lila, clear out. I’ve got business to do.”

Lionel shook Knox’s hand. As did Lila, who used the motion to slide a business card into his hand. “Remember, I’m here all week,” she murmured as they filed out.

Like he’d forget. Like that nugget of information wouldn’t have his brain wrapped up tighter than the giant rubber-band ball down in Florida. Because Knox still couldn’t reconcile the part of him that
knew
he should lap up Lila like whipped cream—hell, cover her in whipped cream—and the part of him that wanted to text Madison about the MILF hitting on him in front of her own son.

“What business?” Riley asked. “Are we getting our hands slapped for saying
fuck
too many times in a podcast?”

“No.” She crinkled her pert nose. “Although you could use it more sparingly. Just to give the word a stronger punch when you really mean it.”