by Becca Van
“Yeah, but you know how independent she is. We are going to have to stay around her or she’s gonna try and do everything on her own.”
“We’ll take it in turns staying with her. I don’t want her left alone for a minute. She could end up pulling those stitches if she’s not careful.”
Bronsin kicked the back door, demanding entry. Stedman held it open since his brother’s arms were full of containers of food.
“Martha sent over enough food for all of us. I’ll put Alicia’s in the fridge. She might want something to eat when she wakes up.”
Ward filled Bronsin in on their plan about one of them staying with Alicia at all times until the sutures were removed. Once he had finished eating, Ward went to check on Alicia. She was sleeping. Her face was turned away from him, but he could tell by her deep, even breathing. Walking stealthily, he moved around to the other side of the bed and stood looking down at her. The color was back in her face, and he sighed with relief. Kneeling down on the floor, he gently brushed her hair back and silently cursed when he saw tear tracks on her cheeks. She shouldn’t have been in any pain, at least not yet. Wolf had given her a local anesthetic to numb her hand while he cleaned and sewed up the injury.
He soothed her when she whimpered by lightly caressing her forehead. How the hell are we going to keep you here with us, little one? Please stay so we can show you how much you mean to us.
Ward stayed with her until his knees began to ache. Sighing with frustration that he and his brothers hadn’t tried to woo Alicia earlier, he finally stood and left the room and headed to the kitchen. He hated that Alicia was hurt, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Bronsin and Stedman had left to help the hired hands with the horses. There were so many of them that needed to be exercised, and all of the team members helped out. When they weren’t on a mission this was what they did to keep themselves occupied. It was also a cover used by the Elite Dragons team so the general public didn’t know the black ops team lived amongst them. The twelve men had earned the respect and trust of their bosses years ago. The Healys, the Tiltmans, and the Garmans had all agreed with their leaders, Coulter, Trace, and Corbin Thornell, when they had suggested they set up the stud farm.
Now that they were semiretired they spent more and more time with their horses. They raised a lot of different breeds. They supplied other ranches with mustangs, and they also sold Arabians to the racing world. The mixed breeds of Palominos, mustangs, and Arabians were the horses they loved to ride. These mounts were large enough to handle such big men but were also bred for stamina and strength. Each member of the Elite Dragons could live very comfortably on what they had earned while in the forces as well as what they had brought in from their stud business. If they wanted they could all just laze around for the rest of their lives. But that wasn’t in any of their makeup. Each man was so used to being busy they would go stir-crazy if they didn’t have anything to do.
Alicia was also used to working for a living, Ward reflected, and they really needed to find her something to keep her occupied once she healed up or she was going to leave from pure and utter boredom.
Bronsin and Stedman stepped in through the back door. They stopped to remove their shoes and headed for the coffee.
“What are we going to do about something for Alicia to do around here?” Ward asked his brothers.
“I’ve been thinking about that.” Stedman took a sip of his coffee.
“Once her hand is better, she could start working with the horses full-time. We can offer her a salary if she wants one.”
“You think Coulter will allow it?”
Stedman shrugged. “No one objects to having her around.”
Ward was grateful for that. If his teammates had given any sign of Alicia not being welcome, he’d have to have words with them. “Besides, she’s damn good at it.” He sighed. “She even looks good doing it.”
“She is so fucking sexy. And the fact that she has no idea of how appealing she is only makes her more gorgeous.”
“Yeah, she is,” Ward agreed with Stedman. “That curvy little body of hers could tempt a saint to sin.”
“And when she concentrates real hard, the tip of her tongue peeks out from between her lips. I can just imagine…” Bronsin’s voice trailed off.
Ward groaned and adjusted his aching cock. “Don’t even go there, man.”
“Sorry.” Bronsin shifted his own dick, as did Stedman.
The sound of light footsteps had Ward looking toward the door. Alicia appeared seconds later. She had her robe wrapped tightly around her small, sexy body.
Bronsin beat him to her side. “How are you feeling, darlin’?”
“I’m okay, but my hand is hurting. I need a glass of water so I can take the pain pills Wolf gave me.”
“Sit down, Alicia. I’ll get your water.” Ward retrieved a glass and filled it from the jug in the fridge and then took the pill bottle from the counter and popped the top.
“Here you go, honey.”
Alicia took the two pills he placed in her hand and swallowed them down with the water.
“Do you want some coffee, baby?” Stedman asked.
“No thanks, but could I please have something to eat? I’m kind of hungry.”
“No wonder, honey. You missed out on lunch. Martha sent over some for you.”
“I don’t want anything too heavy, it’s nearly dinnertime. Maybe just a sandwich will tide me over.”
Ward made her a roast beef sandwich with mustard and, after she had finished, suggested she might like a shower.
“I would love a shower. I’m feeling kind of grungy. I wanted to wash my hair, but I don’t know how to keep my hand dry.”
“I’ll wrap your hand up in a plastic bag and tape it so no water can get in.” Stedman went to get the bag and tape.
“Thanks.” Alicia headed back down the hall.
“I’ll give you a hand, honey.” Ward followed.
“Uh, I’ll manage.” She turned to face him as he entered her room.
“You don’t have to manage, Alicia. I am going to help you.”
Ward entered the bathroom, turned on the shower, and checked the temperature. He pulled off his sweater and T-shirt and placed them on the counter. The chance to begin wooing Alicia was too good to pass up. She was so compassionate and sexy, he wanted to hold her and love her, but he wasn’t about to force the issue. Maybe if she saw him naked she would begin to feel an attraction toward him. He wasn’t conceited, but he knew his body was toned. Hopefully she wouldn’t be able to take her eyes off of him. Not once since Alicia had been here had she shown any sort of interest in him and his brothers, but she was also very adept at hiding her emotions most of the time. He figured she’d learned that ability from growing up with so many strangers. His hands were on his belt when she came in.
“WhWhat are you doing?”
“I’m going to help you shower.”
“Why are you getting undressed?”
“I don’t want to get my clothes wet. Look, honey, I just want to make sure you don’t hurt your hand or slip. You can’t wash your hair properly with only one hand.”
“I will manage.”
“Why do that when I can help you?” Ward waited for her to decide what she was going to do. If she wanted him to leave he would, but he was going to stand outside the bathroom door until she was done. She frowned and bit her lip while she decided what she wanted, but either way he was staying close by.
“Okay. You can help me.”
“Good girl. You don’t have to be embarrassed with me, honey. I just want to make sure you don’t do any more damage to that hand.”
She unknotted her robe, and Ward drew it over her arms. She looked up at him from beneath lowered eyelashes, and her face began to turn a pink hue.
“Um, I’m going to need help to unclip my bra.”
“Turn around, honey,” Ward said and then deftly undid the catch and slid the straps over her shoulders. He then ho
oked his thumbs into the waistband of her panties and pushed them down over her hips. “Lean on me so you don’t fall.”
Ward exhaled when her warm hand landed on his shoulder. He suppressed a groan of desire and tried to push his arousal to the back of his mind. When she was totally naked, he rose up and kept his eyes on hers. Unhooking his belt buckle, he undid his jeans and stripped them and his boxers off. Her eyes ran over him and her face turned a brighter shade of pink, but as she looked at his crotch her tongue swept over her bottom lip. When her eyes once more connected with his he could see desire in their depths and her breathing had escalated as, too, had her pulse rate. He could see it beating rapidly in the hollow of her neck. Mentally cursing as his cock began swelling even more, he placed a hand on her elbow and guided her into the shower cubicle. It seemed Alicia wasn’t as impervious to him and his brothers as he first thought.
As he washed her hair and then her body, his cock now stood at full attention, but there was nothing he could do about it. She would have had to be blind not to realize how he reacted to her. Turning off the faucets, he once again guided her from the shower. Just as she went to step out, her back foot slipped out from under her, and if he hadn’t reacted so quickly she would have landed on her ass.
Ward pulled her back up against his front and held in a moan as her lower back ground against his cock. His hips thrust instinctively, without his permission, and he had to bite back a curse. Alicia froze against him. He wasn’t sure if she was scared and shocked or shocked and turned on. Her breathing was even more elevated and her breasts jiggled slightly with each rapid pant she took.
“Are you okay, honey?”
She didn’t answer or look at him. She just nodded her head.
“I’m sorry, Alicia, but that part of me has a mind of its own. Just ignore it, honey.”
Still she hadn’t moved. “Alicia?”
Slowly, she turned until her front was pressed against his. His wayward erection pulsed and jerked as her stomach brushed against him. With almost slow deliberation, she moved back a step and looked down. She was looking at his hard dick.
Raising her head gradually, she perused his body until she was once more looking him in the eye.
“Like what you see, honey?”
“God, yes!” she said breathlessly. “All of you are so—handsome, so—masculine.”
Her response surprised him. She nodded her head and then reached up with her good arm. Ward bent down for her, not really sure what she was after, but he had his answer seconds later. Alicia cupped her hand at the back of his neck and pulled his face closer. She was the one who initiated their kiss. She placed her lips on his, and he let her explore his mouth with her light brushes until he couldn’t take any more.
Ward picked her up so she was level with him, one arm around her waist the other beneath her tight, sexy ass. He slanted his mouth over hers as he stepped out of the shower. He ate at her mouth hungrily.
For nearly three long months he had wanted to do this. He’d wanted to kiss that provocative mouth of hers and see what she tasted like. She was so damn sweet, he couldn’t get enough. Thrusting his tongue into her mouth, he tasted her honeyed depths. The little whimpers she made in the back of her throat only added to his desire. Her tongue tangled with his, and she wrapped her other arm around his neck. When she began to rock her hips, her hot, wet pussy rubbed against the skin of his belly and her ass caressed the head of his cock.
When he reached the counter, he placed her on the top and devoured her one more time. By the time he lifted his head they were both breathing heavily.
“I want to lick and taste every inch of you, honey,” he rasped. “Will you let me?”
“Yes,” she moaned.
Ward grabbed the bathmat and placed it on the floor below her. He knelt down and smoothed his hands up and down over the tops of her thighs. Inhaling deeply, he smelled the musky scent of her aroused pussy.
“Lean back for me, Alicia.” Waiting until she did as she was told, her back now against the mirror on the wall, he gently spread her shapely thighs apart and pulled her toward him until her hips were flush with the edge of the counter.
Keeping his eyes locked to hers, he lowered his head and lightly licked her clit with the tip of his tongue. When she mewled and bucked, he placed a steadying hand on her lower abdomen so she wouldn’t fall off.
Ward licked and laved her engorged clit over and over again until her breath was sobbing out from between her parted lips. Sliding his tongue down through her creamy folds, he gathered her erotic juices and drank her down. Never had a woman tasted as sweet as Alicia did. He wanted her coming in his mouth, on his tongue. Shifting slightly, he pushed one finger into her hot, tight pussy and began to thrust it in and out of her vagina. The slight ripples he felt around his digit let him know she was getting close to climaxing. He added another finger and alternated the strokes he gave her between deep thrusts and short, sharp digs which massaged over her G-spot. The whole time, he used the tip of his tongue to flick over the distended, sensitive bundle of nerves at the top of her slit.
Her internal walls got tighter and tighter around his fingers, and he knew she was about to go over. Curling his fingers into her hot spot, he made a “come here” motion and sucked her clit into his mouth. She screamed her release. Her whole body bucked and twitched as the rapturous convulsions swept over her and carried her into ecstasy. Ward continued to pump his fingers in through her pulsing pussy, until the last contraction faded and she slumped down with satiation.
The door to the bathroom burst open. Ward looked up to see Stedman and Bronsin standing in the doorway. He realized that they must have heard Alicia cry out and come to check on her. They quickly ascertained that she wasn’t in trouble, though, or at least not that kind of trouble. Each of them had a satisfied gleam in his eyes before they quickly wiped their expressions from their faces. He gave them a quick wink and then turned his attention back to Alicia.
Her face was red and she was trying to use her hands to cover her nakedness.
“Why don’t you two let us get dressed and we’ll meet you in the living room. I think there are a few things we need to discuss.”
“Sure,” Stedman replied. “Come on, Bronsin. Let’s leave these two alone.”
Chapter Four
“Oh God, I can’t believe we just did that,” Alicia mumbled. As the door closed behind Bronsin and Stedman, she relaxed slightly but left her arm across her chest, hiding her breasts.
Ward took her hand and tugged it gently toward him. He kissed her knuckles. “Don’t be embarrassed, honey. My brothers and I have been attracted to you from the start.”
Alicia could only stare at him for a moment, then she managed to ask, “You have?”
“Yeah.” He sighed a little, and an almost worried look passed over his handsome features. “Come on. I’ll help you get dressed, and then we can talk about what just happened.”
“Do you think that’s necessary?” Alicia asked, feeling her face flush again. Briefly, she regretted letting her libido rule and take over without stopping to think.
Ward slipped the plastic bag off her hand. “This discussion is long overdue, Alicia. Plus you need to know some stuff about us before we go any further.”
“Stuff?”
“You’ll see.”
Though that seemed sort of ominous, Alicia let Ward help her dress. By the time he guided her into the living room, she’d gotten over her embarrassment. Now that her brain was once more in gear, she was glad she had just acted. Ward had given her the best orgasm she had ever experienced.
When Stedman and Bronsin had walked in on them she thought she would die with embarrassment, but she had seen a flash of heated desire cross both their faces. Though they’d wiped their expressions when they noticed her watching them, she thought that those looks must mean something.
Are they really all attracted to me?
The thought excited her, but when she reached the living room and sa
w Bronsin and Stedman waiting for her, watching her heatedly, she felt slightly nervous. What could they want to talk about?
“Come and sit down, baby.” Stedman patted the seat beside him on the sofa.
Alicia sat down, and Ward sat in the armchair across from her. Bronsin, who had been sitting on the coffee table, moved to sit on the other side of her on the sofa.
“First off, how is your hand?” Bronsin inquired.
“A lot better since I had those painkillers.”
“Baby, Bronsin and I are sorry we embarrassed you by walking in on you and Ward, but when we heard you cry out, we thought you had hurt yourself.”
Alicia lowered her eyes as her cheeks heated yet again. She hated having fair skin which turned pink every time she got embarrassed.
“Honey.” Ward’s voice drew her gaze toward him. “I told you that we are all attracted to you. What you may not realize is that we would all like to be in a relationship with you.”
Alicia’s heart stuttered, and she gulped in air. This was why she had stayed. The hope that eventually these three men would show they liked her as much as she liked them. She tamped down the hope because for some reason she knew they weren’t finished talking yet.
“Baby, there is so much you don’t know about us. But you need to know that we want to have you by our sides and in our beds more than anything.”
“If you have feelings for me and have all along, why did you keep them hidden?”
“We’re getting to that, darlin’. Just be patient a little longer, okay?” Bronsin pushed a stray strand of hair away from her face.
“Okay. I’m listening.”
Stedman began to explain.
“You already know that the Elite Dragons fight evildoers like the men who kidnapped you, Janie, and Brooke. But you don’t know how we do that. All twelve of us are part of an experimental government program. We were injected with all kinds of drugs to enhance our abilities.”
Alicia’s mind was going a hundred miles an hour. “What drugs?” she squeaked out.
