Tailgating at the Cedar Inn — Delilah Devlin

Under the single flood light that illuminated the parking lot, I noted the construction company logo on the side of the pickup backed up to the door of the room beside mine. Then I eyed the large men seated on the sides of the truck bed, their shirts gone, faded jeans stretched over thick thighs. Their attention was glued to the basketball game, blaring from the small screen of the TV they had set in the bed of the truck on top of a white ice chest. They held Budweisers in their grips.

At last, one of the men's heads turned. He spotted me then whistled at his friend. Soon both their gazes peered down.

I felt foolish standing in my bare feet with my wet hair spiked around my head. Why hadn't I simply put a pillow over my head to muffle their noise? But I was testy. Moody. I'd lost my job, had a blow-up with my boyfriend over the fact I wouldn't be splitting rent with him for a while, and cut my nose off to spite my own face by breaking up with him. Homeless now, I had no options. Grandma's in Little Rock was my last resort.

Tonight would be my last night of freedom before I moved under her roof and abided by her rules. She'd pay the bills--if I knuckled under and went back to school. Something I resented after being on my own for a couple of years, living by my rules.

Which might have been exactly why I remained rooted to that spot. The men seated on the truck would never meet Grandma's high standards.

Sweat gleamed on their naked chests and both of them were thickly muscled and a little dirty--as though they'd come straight from work without the benefit of a shower.

The shine only served to emphasize the depth of the musculature and their starkly masculine features. Their tanned skin stretched across cheeks and jaws that were sharpened to rough edges by hard work.

Both their gazes homed on me, and while I knew the smart thing would have been to retreat without a word to my room and relock the door, I tilted my chin and thrust out my chest. "Can't you watch the game in your room?"

"We botherin' you, sweetheart?" the one closest to me said, sliding off the truck to land in front of me.

I peered a long way up and frowned into the face tilted my way. We stood close enough I could see the bristles of his evening shadow. He wore a ball cap that shadowed his eyes, but glints of blond hair shone beneath it. "It's late. I was trying to sleep."

"It's not that late," he drawled. "Join us for a beer?"

I glanced behind him and noted the grin on his buddy's face. He was bare-headed with shaggy brown hair and a devilish quirk to his firm lips. The game seemed to have lost its fascination. Their gazes drank me down like I was long cool drink.

I barely resisted the urge to jut my hip and twirl my hair.

"Bobby, the night clerk, can vouch for us if you're wonderin' whether we're safe," the one beside me said, amusement lingering in his husky voice.

I shouldn't have been tempted. However, my body still hummed pleasurably from the heat I'd drawn with my own lazy fingers. Even sweaty, the two men were tempting. Both young, in good shape. Both interested if their sharpening gazes were any indication.

And what the hell? It wasn't as if I had anyone to answer to. Not at this moment. There was no boyfriend to betray.

My mouth went dry and I swallowed. "Is the beer cold?"