Free Sinful Desires Vol. 3 by M. S. Parker

center piece after moving from the water pitcher to the nearly empty vase. I'd spent the entire day cleaning so that when the guys arrived, my shabby little place actually didn't look too bad. Of course, I'd had ulterior motives for the excessive cleaning since Rosa would be back tomorrow evening and I was going to have to break some news to her.
    “That smells fantastic,” Julien announced as he entered the apartment. “What are we having?”
    “Lasagna,” I said as I accepted the wine he offered. It was much better than what I had. I felt a stab of embarrassment and pushed it aside. I'd give the cheaper stuff to Rosa. A parting gift.
    “We're starved,” Brock said as he kissed my cheek in greeting. “We had a guys' night out and didn't get in until like seven this morning, so we pretty much slept the day away.”
    Julien glanced at me. “We went to a fight and then hit a couple casinos.”
    I nodded as if I hadn't been picturing the two of them covered with half-naked strippers. I started for the kitchen. “Make yourselves comfortable. This'll be done in a few minutes.”
    I was surprised at how well dinner went considering the awkwardness that had happened when we'd been together before. The three of us hadn't managed a single meal without it turning into something embarrassing and rude. Tonight, however, the conversation was kept light, with Julien regaling us with stories of some of the crazier things he'd done in his early twenties.
    After we'd finished, I brought out the last thing I'd bought with the last of my tip money: a cherry pie. I confessed that pie making was beyond my skills and Julien revealed that he actually knew how to make an excellent pie crust.
    “Okay, this I have to hear,” I said as I served out a slice to each of us.
    “Well, remember how I said I spent some time in France?” He took a bite of his pie and then nodded in approval. “Well, I met this pastry chef in Milan and she spent a couple months teaching me everything she knew.”
    “Everything?” Brock asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
    Julien rolled his eyes. “She was in her forties.”
    Brock grinned. “For all I know, you got a thing for cougars.”
    “Jerk,” Julien muttered.
    I took a drink of my wine. We were getting to the end of the meal and I didn't know where we were going to go from here, which meant if I wanted to make my announcement, it needed to be soon. As the conversation hit a lull after Brock's comment, I figured now was as good a time as any.
    “I've been thinking.” My voice sounded loud in my ears and I twisted my fingers together. “And if you still want me to move back to Philadelphia, I will.”
    Brock's eyes lit up as he leaned over and kissed me. The enthusiasm caught me off guard and he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into my mouth. I kissed him back, but broke away as his hand slid down my arm and moved to my breast. My face was burning and I couldn't look at Julien. I was comfortable with some PDA, but I knew how it felt to be the third person in a room where a couple was making out. It was awkward to say the least.
    “If I make some calls, I might be able to get you a ticket on tomorrow's flight,” Brock said. “Julien and I can help you pack tonight.”
    I held up a hand. “Whoa. I can't leave tomorrow. I have to wait to talk to Rosa and get things settled here. At the very least, I'll need a week.”
    “Okay,” Brock nodded. He was beaming. “I'll start looking around for apartments.”
    I suppressed a sigh. I was glad he was happy, but we were going to have to have a serious talk before he left tomorrow. He didn't quite seem to get the fact that there was no way I could afford an apartment in the city. Unless... my stomach flipped. Was he going to give me the ten thousand dollars he'd mentioned back at the wedding? I still wasn't sure how I felt about that.
    I stood. “If you'll excuse me, I have to use the restroom.”
    Brock stood as well, grabbing me in a tight embrace