Together he and Denver approached the others.
“So far,” Cannon told him, “there hasn’t been much foot traffic. Other than a couple of regulars, they’re in there alone.”
He looked in through the big front window. “I don’t see them.”
“Back room,” Stack told him, his tone dry.
The notorious “back room” was where all kinds of kinky paraphernalia could be found. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall...
Or to have been an escort. He was pretty sure the rest of the guys felt the same.
“While they’re in there,” Gage muttered, his gaze on the shop, “one of us should slip inside and make sure the cashier knows what’s what.”
“Dirk’s at the desk,” Leese told them. “Armie, you know him, right?”
Armie scowled. “We all know him.”
“Yeah, but you’re friendly with him.”
Denver elbowed him. “I hear tell you’re his best customer.”
Cannon laughed.
Screw it. “Yeah, all right. I’ll do it.” It’d be better than being needled by the rest of them.
Keeping an eye on the door to the special room, Armie went to the cashier desk, then put a finger to his mouth in the universal “Shh...” sign so that Dirk didn’t call out a greeting. Keeping it low, he said, “You have some ladies shopping tonight.”
“Yeah, dude,” Dirk replied with a smarmy laugh. “Not like I could miss them, right? Pretty clear they were in uncharted territory. You know them?”
“I do.” One of them more intimately than the others. “Make sure no one bothers them, okay?” Armie leaned closer. “My friends and I are going to be right outside—which isn’t something you need to share with any of them.”
Brows up, Dirk leaned to see out the front window, spotted the fighters lounging around, and gave Armie a bug-eyed look of uncertainty. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“No trouble.” Armie slipped him fifty bucks. “We’re going to surprise them—like a joke—that’s all. And to ensure they don’t see us as easily as you just did, we’re going to move down the road a little. But we’ll be there as soon as they come out. Got it?”
“They’ll be fine. Only Gary and Frank are around, and they’re not into chicks anyway.”
Armie looked. Old Gary and Frank stared through the open door into the room, but yeah, they looked more bemused, maybe even fascinated, but not interested.
His duty done, Armie said, “Thanks, man. I owe you.” Then he headed out before he got caught. They all walked down to wait in front of a closed furniture rental building, away from the entrance to the porn shop but with it in clear view.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying the diversion, telling ribald jokes and sharing suggestions. Armie wished he were elsewhere. He wished he were alone with his foul mood.
He had much to think about it, and details chipped away at his concentration. For her own good, the best option might still be to send Merissa home for the night.
He could play it off that he was tired; most men would be. He could say he needed time to think; the utter truth. Whatever Rissy bought tonight, she’d just have to enjoy it by herself.
Aw hell. That particular thought brought with it an explicit image, and of course his dick reacted. Shifting, Armie willed away the rising boner.
What he really wanted, what he really needed tonight, was a hard, mindless fuck to obliterate everything else.
But Rissy deserved so much more than that. Unfortunately, she was his greatest temptation, the one he most wanted to lose himself in.
He would never use her that way, so yeah, he’d definitely have to find a way to send her home. And the worst part? He was already missing her.
* * *
WITH CHERRY STICKING close to her side, Merissa perused the aisle of very realistic penises. At a particularly large one, she slanted Cherry a look.
Brows lifted, Cherry whispered, “Close.”
It was no secret that Denver was well-endowed—which had been a constant source of curiosity and teasing from all the other ladies. Voice equally quiet and somewhat enthralled, Merissa asked, “Bigger or smaller?”
“Actually—”
“Here you go.” Vanity tossed a book at Merissa. “You need this.”
Barely catching it against her chest, Merissa turned it to see the title.
Beside her, Cherry read aloud, “New Ways to Please the Man Who’s Done It All.”
Merissa rolled her eyes. “Very funny.”
While everyone laughed, Vanity said, “I glanced at it and I think there’s good advice inside. Check it out.”
She did—and had to agree. “Okay, so I’ve got my purchase. Now how about the rest of you?”
“A book?” Cherry complained. “Unfair.”
Vanity held up a package of edible body paints. “I’m going to create a masterpiece.”
Grinning, Harper asked, “Where? On Stack’s abs?”
“Most definitely.”
Yvette hesitated, then grabbed some massage oil. When she started to speak, Merissa said in a rush, “Little sister in the room!”
Amused, Yvette told her, “Fine. Just know that I’m going to put it to good use.”
Striding past all the supersize sex toys, Harper said, “I can’t even look at those for fear Cherry will think I’m daydreaming of Denver.”
Cherry covered her face, but nodded. Through her fingers, she said, “It’s true.”
“This.” Harper chose a customizable coupon book that included some pretty risqué promises. “Hopefully I can talk Gage into offering me a few coupons, too.” She winked theatrically.
And they all turned to Cherry, who gulped. That’s when the outrageous suggestions started, and Merissa had a great time ribbing her friend. Finally Cherry chose a really raunchy movie that left the rest of them agog.
Getting checked out was its own unique embarrassment. Two men stood off to the side of the main room, tracking their every move, and the cashier seemed jumpier than he had earlier.
Vanity saved the day by saying, “The gifts are on me.” And since she was so well-to-do after different inheritances, no one argued—especially since that meant they could wait off to the side while Vanity handled the transaction.
A minute later, each carrying a different bag, they stepped outside and right into loud applause—from all their significant others, as well as male friends.
The guys were laughing, amused, all except Armie, who appeared far too forbidding. Merissa had a very bad feeling about the long look he gave her. Something had happened, something that had Armie brooding.
Well, too bad.
Right then and there, she made up her mind.
After the earlier scare at her house, she needed Armie. Regardless of his dark expression, he could damn well comfort her—even if she had to force the issue.
* * *
HOLDING BACK, ARMS CROSSED, Armie leaned against his truck and watched the scene before him. Vanity, as energetic and in some ways as outrageous as him, jumped against Stack, planted a big kiss on him, then whispered in his ear.
That got Stack smiling before he took his wife’s hand and told the rest of them, “Later.” Since Stack had ridden over with Cannon, they left in Vanity’s car.