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“I'm sure you'll have a great time,” Colton said, his tone dry as dust.
I felt self-conscious as his gaze never left my face. It was as if he could see right through me, into the depths of my soul where all my secrets lay hidden. The way he looked at me made me feel exposed and vulnerable, but also strangely drawn to him.
“So, Delcy, tell us about yourself,” Jaxon said, his voice warm and inviting, unlike Colton's, and I felt my nerves start to ease a little.
I glanced at Lydia, gauging her reaction now that the attention had been unexpectedly shifted from her to me. I didn't want to ruin the night and upset her by stealing her spotlight.
A wide grin broke out across Lydia's beautiful face, and she said, “Yes, do tell the two men about yourself, Delcy.”
She sounded encouraging. Was she not upset?
I licked my lip and tugged my hair behind my ear. I felt both Colton's and Jaxon's gaze following my movement, which only caused heat to blaze through my being even more.
“I… I work at two coffee shops,” I said and offered no more.
“A barista,” Jaxon said, a casual ease in his tone that didn't quite match the intensity in his eyes.
How did he guess I was a barista? Working in a coffee shop didn't have to mean I was a barista. I could be just a waitress or a kitchenhand.
“I must confess I am quite dependent on my caffeine fix,” he said. “I frequent a café near our workplace, Brewed Dreams.”
The mention of the coffee shop where I worked at both piqued my interest and made me tense, while I sensed both men watching me closely, as if gauging my reaction.
Jaxon said, “They concoct an excellent brew. It's a blessing they provide delivery given our hectic schedules. Just the other day, charming notes were left for Colton and me, with whimsical sketches. They elicited a grin from us.”
Heat crept into my cheeks as I recalled the note I'd left for the distinguished men of Sterling Enterprises. And now I was in their presence. I had always imagined them as gentlemen of a certain age, but…
I moistened my lips while my eyes took them in. These men were the epitome of attractive, commanding alphas, and I was convinced they were the men who had recently sent my omega senses into overdrive.
Colton asked, “What do you enjoy doing when you're not working at the coffee shops?”
My reply came out more timid than I intended. “I... sketch. Designs mostly. Clothes. Dresses.”
His eyebrow arched in genuine interest. “Fashion design? That's impressive.”
“Food,” Lydia chimed in. “Delcy does so love food, too. She enjoys dining out.”
A server glided by with a tray of hors d'oeuvres. My stomach embarrassed me with an audible growl. Without hesitation, I reached for a delicate pastry puff filled with something rich and savory.
Colton chuckled, a low rumble that resonated through my bones.
“Good food is one of life's greatest pleasures,” he said with a glint in his eye that suggested he knew far more about such indulgences than I did.
Jaxon leaned across the small distance separating us and said, “Colt here is quite the connoisseur of fine dining.”
“Lydia is right. I do love good food,” I confessed. “I just can't afford places like this.”
That caught Jaxon's attention, and he gave me an expression that felt like an invitation to an unknown adventure. “Would you join us for dinner, then? My treat.”
I froze. My first instinct was to decline, but before I could respond, Lydia leaped at the opportunity.
“Oh, she'd be delighted!” she gushed, speaking as if she were the one invited.
Jaxon smirked at Lydia's enthusiasm before focusing on me again. “May we have your number? To arrange the details for dinner?”
My mouth opened but no sound emerged. I was trapped in this rapidly unfolding scenario.
And there was Lydia again, taking charge as if it were her rightful place to do so. She rattled off my number from memory and Jaxon tapped it into his phone with swift thumbs.
