Three Hot Men

Brooke POV

At the end of the day, I get home and am greeted by the three dogs running through the entry hall. I kneel down to give them attention and affection, with Cerberus knocking me over and licking my face while Apollo sniffs my ribs, tickling me.

"Banguela, help me," I ask, and he tries to push Apollo away, only to replace him in the licking department.

"It's not fair; you guys are huge," I complain. "Why didn't your parents pick poodles?"

I'm overcome with laughter at the thought of the three of them walking small poodles down the street. The image is as mismatched as it is amusing. Of course, their dogs are a reflection of their personalities—big, loyal, and protective.

"Isn’t it? You guys are just like them," I say, giving their heads a few pats as I stand up.

I head upstairs to my room, change into workout clothes, and go to the gym. One of the benefits of living here is being able to exercise daily without leaving the house or deviating from my path. It's much harder to make excuses when I can’t say I’m spending half an hour going to and from the gym since it’s on the floor below.

With no one else around, I connect my phone to the room’s Bluetooth speaker, letting my 2000s workout playlist blast through the ceiling speakers. I start my warm-up to "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz.

After my workout, I walk to the large area where the guys practice kung fu or other martial arts and start a yoga class video, stretching all my tired muscles from the long week.

Two knocks on the door catch my attention. I turn around to find Raffi leaning against the doorframe. His brown hair is pulled back into a bun, and his blue eyes follow my every move as I straighten up on the mat.

“There are cooler ways to sweat,” he says suggestively, raising an eyebrow. “I can help if you want, you know?”

I roll my eyes and walk over to my phone to stop the class that was ending.

“There was no one home, and since I’m an independent girl, I can help myself, you know,” I reply.

“The offer still stands.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, patting his shoulder as I pass him and head to my room. “But is there a reason you’re interrupting my yoga?”

“How about pizza and a movie night tonight?”

“Sure, as long as it’s not a horror film.”

“If you get scared, you can sleep with me; I’ll protect you, babygirl.”

“Raffi!” Kyle scolds from the kitchen. I didn’t even know he was back. He must have just arrived since he’s still wearing the dark blue suit that can’t hide his muscular biceps, and the tie is loose around his neck. His blonde hair still sports a military cut, but he uses some kind of pomade to make it stand up. He’s still as handsome as he was when I was an innocent girl in love with my best friend, a feeling I thought I had gotten over.

The proximity of Kyle after so much time apart is rekindling my childhood crush, and worse, now it’s accompanied by the desires of an adult woman. As if that weren’t enough, I’m still recovering from a broken heart in the company of the best guys I know. But tomorrow is Friday, and Liv has already insisted that we go back to Underworld and enjoy my single moment. Maybe I’ll find a distraction.

“Brooke, don’t pay attention to him,” Kyle says as I enter the kitchen to grab a glass from the cabinet and fill it with water from the fridge before heading upstairs.

“I don’t know why you still interfere; you know the big guy has always flirted with me,” I reply.

The dark-haired man puts an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close, and leans his head to whisper in my ear.

“Who says I’m playing?”

I push his chest, ignoring the shiver of anticipation his deep voice caused.

“Pick a movie and order the pizzas while I take a shower. No pineapple!” I warn, heading to my room.

“Need any help?” Raffi offers.

“Shut up, Martinez!” I hear Kyle’s slap, turning to see him holding his neck and Kyle sitting back down.

“I can handle it myself, independent girl, remember?” I wink at him.

“Think of me, then.”

“Stop encouraging her, Brooke,” my friend complains, and I raise my hands in surrender before heading upstairs to my room.

I look at myself in the mirror and question once again if it was a mistake to move in not with one hot guy, but with three.