STRIPTEASED: A Standalone Reverse Harem Romance (Roommates Book 1)

“Can you dedicate it to Hailey? That’s my sister.”

“Sure.” It still felt surreal that people were buying my book, let alone that they wanted me to sign it. “How do you spell that?

“The usual way,” the girl said. She couldn’t have been more than nineteen.

“Here you go. Enjoy!” I passed the book back to her.

She flipped open the cover. “That’s not how you spell it.”

Oops. “Sorry. Want me to get you another book?”

“No, it’s okay. I’m going to get that cute guy on the cover to sign it.”

“He’s upstairs,” Maddie told her without looking up from her phone. “It says here there are eight different spellings of the name Hailey.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you my spellchecker now? Because I’ve always thought it would be handy to have one in real life.”

Maddie grinned and put her phone away. “Nope, I’m still the cashier.” People bought their copies of my book from her and then presented them to me to sign. Well, most people did. Some women were clearly only interested in Tonio. He was signing books—and posing for pictures—with people on the second floor.

There was a lull for a while, and it felt good to just sit and talk with Maddie.

“What is this place again?” she asked.

“Tonio’s building,” I said automatically, and then sighed. Now that I’d been inside, I could see why he wanted this place. He could do a lot with it.

Maddie looked confused.

“Sorry. He just rented it for tonight. It’s called the Keller Center. It’s been vacant for a while.”

“It cleaned up nicely.”

“Yeah, it did.” But only because my guys had worked their butts off to make it presentable. They’d rented tables and chairs and hung streamers and strings of lights. I’d nearly cried when I saw how nice everything looked. Of course, I’d been crying a lot lately. Austin and Denver were leaving in a little over 48 hours. I blinked rapidly, willing myself not to start again.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, but I think I’d like to stretch my legs a bit. Since no one’s in line right now, do you mind if I take a break?”

“Of course not,” Maddie said. “Take your time. If anyone comes, I’ll just see how well I can forge your signature. After watching you write it forty times, it shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Go for it,” I said with a laugh. As I walked across the wide room, my floral dress swirled around my legs. Ronnie had suggested that I wear it. She said it looked “romance-authory.” And since it had a plunging, ruffled neckline, my guys had seemed to like it, too.

I waved at the women behind the makeshift bar. They were waitresses at the club that the twins had bribed—or possibly just charmed—into helping.

As I was climbing the stairs, I passed two women who were headed down, and I heard one say, “He could sign me anywhere he wanted.” That statement was so astonishing that I almost missed a step and fell. I really didn’t want one of the last nights with all five of us together to take place in the emergency room.

Upstairs there were fewer decorations, but people were crowded around Knox’s makeshift photography studio. Tonio was standing in front of a white screen, posing with a woman who was holding up my book. He put his arm around her, and she smiled from ear to ear. She looked disappointed when Knox told her he was finished.

The next woman stepped up, and I moved over to the table behind Knox, where Ronnie was getting the previous woman’s email address. A bowl with a fair amount of cash in it sat next to her computer.

“You’re taking tips now?”

Ronnie looked up and grinned. “They’re donations. If people don’t give us money, then I just send the pic with them and Tonio. But if they cough up five bucks, I make it look like a real romance cover.” She turned her laptop screen so I could see.

“Hey, that’s not bad. What are you going to do with the money?”

“Donate it to something or other,” she said, apparently unconcerned with the details.

Tonio pushed through the crowd to stand by my side.

“Aren’t you supposed to be out there modeling, Antonio?” Ronnie said.

Tonio shrugged. “Reinforcements arrived.”

I looked over and saw the twins in fireman costumes, evidently ones they’d borrowed from the club.

“They’re not even on the cover of the book,” Tonio said.

Ronnie grinned at her big brother. “Yeah, but they’re Austin and Denver. Haven’t you been complaining about the way they attract every female within a two-mile radius since high school?”

“Yeah, probably.” Tonio turned to me and winked. “How about you, Emma? Surely that kind of thing doesn’t do much for you?”

I bit back a grin as I stared at the twins. They had on helmets, but their thick yellow fireman pants were held up by suspenders that covered their bare chests. “I totally don’t get the appeal.”

“See?” Tonio said. “And if there really were a fire, they’d singe off all their chest hair.”

“If they had any,” I said, and Ronnie snickered.

“All right, I can see I’m fighting a losing battle. I’m going to go get something to drink before returning to my adoring fans.”

“They seem to be adoring someone else,” Ronnie pointed out after he left. But she wasn’t entirely right. Female heads definitely turned when Tonio went past.

“I should get back downstairs, too. I left Maddie at the book signing station. Thanks for doing this tonight, Ronnie.”

She waved a hand airily. “It’s been fun. The view’s pretty nice, too.”

I laughed. “Don’t let Tonio hear you say that about the twins.”

“I meant the big guy,” she said. “I’ve always been a sucker for the strong, silent type.”

Me too, I thought as I moved away. Except apparently, I didn’t have just one type—I had four.

Once I returned, I sent Maddie off on a break. Only a few people were trickling in now, but most bought a book. A few even wanted selfies with me. The photos they took with their phones wouldn’t turn out anywhere near as well as the ones Knox took, but it was still fun.

Then a tall, dark, and handsome cover model walked up and set a drink on the table.

“Is that…?”

“Yep,” Tonio said. “A strawberry berryoska.”

Astonished, I took it from him. It was the very drink he’d made for me the first day we met. “But they’re only serving beer, white wine, and soft drinks.

“I have my ways.”

“Can you sit down with me for a few minutes before you go back to your adoring fans?”

“Of course, querida.”

As I shared my drink with him, I looked around. “This place really is great. You could do a lot with this space. Maybe if you talk to the owner, he’d let you rent it?”

Tonio shook his head. “I asked when I rented it for tonight. He’s set on selling.”

It was just so frustrating. I’d been able to make my dream come true with the help of my friends, but Tonio hadn’t been given that opportunity. “Couldn’t you tell him about your plans? Maybe if he really liked you, he’d…” The expression on Tonio’s face made me trail off.

“And tell him what, Emma? That my dream is to open something? Manage something? That’s not really going to sway anyone.” He looked so glum that I reached over and took his hand in mine. He squeezed it, and then spoke to me in a low voice. “I kind of feel like you did our first night together in Austin’s room. You didn’t want to choose—you wanted us all. That’s how I feel. I don’t want to have to choose one type of business and ignore others I’m interested in, too.”

I cupped my other hand under his so that his hand was engulfed in mine. “I’m sorry you have to choose just one thing. I would be heartbroken if I had to do that.”

Though he still looked troubled, he gave me a reassuring look. “You won’t ever have to, trust me.”

Maddie came back a few minutes after Tonio left, this time with a woman in her mid-twenties in tow. “Emma, this is my sister, Gina.”

I stood and offered my hand, but Gina was a hugger, just like Maddie. “I already read half your book on my eReader,” Gina said, “and I just love it. Does living with those hot guys inspire you?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” I said, already liking Maddie’s sister. Both women had the same cheerful outlook. “Any news about your wedding plans?”

“No,” Maddie said, but Gina had a different answer.

“Yes, actually. I’m going to finally meet his parents. We’re going to fly out there—all of us—for a long weekend at the end of January. Our families will get to know each other and we’ll have an engagement party.”

“That’s great,” I said sincerely. “Sounds like a fun trip.”

Gina grinned. “I’m not sure anyone ever describes a trip to the in-laws as fun, but I have to admit, I’m dying to know what they’re like. Doug’s so normal, I doubt there are any deep, dark secrets.”

“Will the wedding be here or out west?”

“Here, I hope. I’d love to hire that beefcake of a photographer upstairs. He really seems to know his stuff.”

“He does,” Maddie said. “He put together the cover of Emma’s book.”

“And do those twins come to private bachelorette parties? I think I’d give a kidney for them to attend mine.”

Maddie giggled. “That might be a bit extreme.”

Gina sighed. “I just hope we can have it around here. It seems like everything we need is here.”

A wave of sadness washed over me again. I had everything I needed here, as well. But I wouldn’t be able to say the same in a couple of days.

As amazing as it was signing books, I was a bit relieved when everyone else left and it was just the five of us.

We were sprawled around the table where a half dozen books were still stacked. My guys looked exhausted, but I was pretty sure that like me, it was more of a mental tiredness than physical.

I was thrilled about my book being out, but it felt like everything else was falling apart. I didn’t want the twins to leave. I didn’t want Tonio to feel his dreams were going nowhere. The only one who seemed okay at the moment was Knox. But that wasn’t really true, either. He was such a kind, thoughtful man. Surely there was something else he could do besides throw people out of a strip club.

“Relax,” Austin urged. He was sitting in a folding chair on my side of the table. “Your thoughts are too loud.”

“Or too depressing.”

“Don’t say that, Emma.” Denver was sitting across from me. “We wanted to make this a special night for you.”

“You did,” I said, not wanting to downplay how hard they’d worked on this. “It was amazing, with all the different stations. You guys did great. But it’s just that this is one of our last nights together.”

“It’s only for half a year,” Denver said. Somehow, that sounded even worse than six months.

“Unless it’s not,” Knox said.

“Yeah. What if someone sees how talented you two are and steals you away to Vegas or something?” I could just see them making women scream on a stage in a huge theater out in Sin City.

“Not going to happen. One woman begged us to strip for her and her friends at a private engagement,” Austin said, “and we turned that down.”

“I think I heard her talking. Older woman, dark hair in a bun?” I inquired.

“No, it was a beach blonde in her thirties,” Denver said.

“I heard a young woman with short black hair say something like that, too,” Tonio said. “Clearly, you’re in demand.”

“And several people asked if Knox did wedding photography.” I didn’t want to leave that out.

The big man nodded. He was over at the table Maddie had used to sell the books. “One talked to me about it.”

Tonio chuckled. “And she hit on him.”

“Really?” I couldn’t decide if I was amused or jealous. Knox just nodded and turned red.

It got quiet for a few minutes. No one suggested going home, though. Going home meant we were one step closer to the twins leaving. Besides, Tonio kept looking around the building longingly, and I thought perhaps he needed more time.

I sighed, louder than I meant to, and the guys looked around. “People wanted what you guys have to offer. A bartender. Good-looking twins that they’d like to see without going to the bad side of town after dark.” I thought of Maddie’s sister. “A photographer who can do weddings. Those are the kind of things people need.”

The guys were silent, but they all watched me intently.

I turned to Tonio. “You’ve got to get this building. We could make it into some kind of one-stop wedding center. Knox could take photos. Austin could help brides-to-be get in shape before their weddings. Denver could teach dances for the reception. Hell, Maddie’s a seamstress, maybe she could do alterations. We could hire the right specialists, and when people get engaged, they can come here and see what we have to offer them.”

Tonio sighed. “It’s a nice thought, Emma, but I can’t afford this place.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks. “But if there were all kinds of projects going on under one roof, it would be like your dream of managing multiple businesses. And then Austin and Denver could stay.”

Austin was nearest, so he put his arm around me. “Thank you for thinking of us, but going on the tour isn’t just about getting out of the strip club. It’s Denver’s dream.”

“But not yours?” Denver stared so intently at his brother that I doubted he remembered the rest of us were here.

Austin hesitated. “I think it’ll be fun, getting to dance with professionals. And it’s a great opportunity for you. But… if they’d just asked me to go, I would’ve said no.”

Denver looked shaken. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Because this is what you want,” Austin said. “And we’re a package deal. Where you go, I go.”

Denver broke eye contact. “We’re identical twins, not conjoined.”

“You’re my family,” Austin said simply.

“You’ve got a good thing here,” Knox spoke up unexpectedly. “Not at the club, but at home. With us.”

“We know,” Denver said, and it made me feel better that he was talking about himself and Austin as a unit again. “But we need to do work we enjoy, too. Like the tour… or Emma’s idea.”

Hope flared up inside me. Had Denver just admitted that there was a chance he might stay? But it all depended on Tonio. “What if we all chipped in? Would there be enough for a down payment on this place then?”

“Not even close,” Tonio said.

“Please… we need this.”

“Don’t put this on him,” Austin said, defending his old friend.

“I’m not… I just really don’t want you guys to go.”

“Neither do I,” Knox said.

Tonio shook his hands helplessly. “The owner says I’d have to put at least $150,000 down to get this place. Even if I sold my car and stopped taking classes, I’m nowhere near that.”

“We can get a loan.”

“That’s the part you have to put down before you can get a loan,” Tonio said.

“We can help,” Denver said, sitting upright in his chair. “Maybe we can chip in the money from the tour. They’ll be paying for our meals and rooms, so we’ll be able to save a lot.”

“Thank you,” Tonio said. “I really appreciate that. But there’s just no way I can put together 150 grand.”

I slumped back in my chair and Denver looked defeated.

Then Knox spoke up. “I can.”

For a moment, we all stared at him. “You can do what?” I asked.

“Get the money,” he said. “Or, actually, I’ve already got it.”

Austin was staring at Knox as if he’d never met him before. “Did you sell a photo of a celebrity getting a blow job? Or giving one?”

“No. I trade stocks.”

“What?” several of us said

“I trade stocks online. What did you think I was doing all those hours on my computer?”

“I thought you were editing nature photos,” I said.

“I thought you were watching porn,” Austin said. “So, are you like a day trader?”

That was a term that didn’t mean much to me, but Knox nodded. “I make all kinds of trades.”

“And you’re good at it?” Tonio asked.

“Very.”

We were silent for a moment, trying to process everything.

Then Tonio spoke up. “Want to buy a building?”

Knox nodded. “If I can work here, then yes.”

“Hell yes you can work here,” Tonio said, hope brightening his face. “I’m hoping all of us can. You too, Emma. You can work here part time, working with clients and giving us the female perspective on the wedding biz, and then write the rest of the time.”

Excitement built up inside me. “And Tonio can be the manager, and the twins can do lessons and training. And Knox can be the head of the photography department.”

“And the bouncer,” the big man said to my surprise.

I cocked my head to the side. “A wedding bouncer?”

Austin snorted, but Knox was serious. “If there are going to be people in and out of here, there will always be a few assholes. Especially if you have young women here. What if someone installs a spy cam in the changing room? What if someone puts their hands on a girl like that creep did to Emma? I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

Tonio nodded, thinking over Knox’s words. “Looks like we’ve found our Chief of Security.”

“Then I’m in,” Knox said.

We all turned to look at the twins. They were eyeing each other, probably holding an entire telepathic conversation. Then Denver smiled. “If you can get the building, then we’re in.”

Elation flowed through me, but I needed to be sure before I jumped up and down screaming. “He’s not going to get the building in two days.”

“But he can talk to the owner. Tell him about the down payment. And he can start a business plan,” Austin said. “All those classes must’ve taught him something.”

“They did.” Tonio grinned, more optimistic than I’d seen him in a long time. “Ladies and gentlemen… or should I say future partners, shall we head home? There’s a lot we have to do in very little time.”

We all got to our feet, gathered up the rest of our stuff, and headed out. But I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only one with an extra spring in my step. And a big smile on my face.

There was a chance we could stay together. That’s all we’d needed—just a chance.

We could do the rest by ourselves.