Quadruple Duty

by Krista Wolf

  She swallowed. Licked her lips.

  “And I’d be—”

  “You’d be in charge of the whole renovation if you want it,” I smiled. “I know it’s a lot, but none of us wants to deal with the contractor anyway. You’d have free reign over everything.”

  “Creatively too?” It was like her mind wouldn’t let her believe it. “You’re seriously saying I could—”

  I took her chin and turned her face into mine. “Sammara, you’d have everything you could ever want. Our bank cards, our money, an unlimited budget to make the house beautiful and our blessing to go absolutely nuts. And of course, you’d have us. Four boyfriends. Four military boyfriends, who would be staying there off and on, in between deployments.”

  “Sharing me…” she said quietly.

  “If we hit it off together? Yes.” I nodded. “You’d be our girlfriend. Exclusively, the four of us. Sharing you emotionally, physically…”

  Staring down at the skin of her lovely neck, I could see the pulse in her carotid artery quicken. Her eyes were glazed over, totally lost in thought.

  I sighed and got up from the bed. “If only you were into it,” I said teasingly. “If only—”

  “Oh shut up,” she smirked, punching me in the leg. She threw my phone back at me. “You know exactly what you’re doing.”

  I shrugged and held my hands out.

  “Alright,” she conceded. “I’ll see the house.” Her shoulders slumped with just the slightest submission. “It doesn’t hurt to go that far, at least.”

  “Can’t argue with you there.”

  “Just the house…” she reiterated. Then, looking at me with a sly smile, “for now.”

  “For now,” I said.

  I considered jumping her for a second round, a second roll between the sheets. After all she was sexy as hell, and I was certainly up for it. I knew she’d be too.

  At the same time however, I didn’t want to push my luck. I took the victory instead.

  “We’ll pick you up tomorrow,” I said, grabbing for my clothes. “Zero Eight Hundred.”

  She blinked. “Zero Eight Hundred?”

  “Eight in the morning,” I smiled.

  “Ah… okay.” She looked back at me puzzled. “Wait, hang on. We?”

  “You’ll have to meet the guys of course,” I smiled, pulling on my pants. “Well, three of us anyway. Briggs is off right now on assignment.” I shrugged and zipped up. “Usually is.”

  Sammara sat there naked, the sheets bunched up around her, looking like a deer in headlights. A breathtakingly beautiful, blue-eyed doe.

  “Meet the guys,” I reiterated. “See the house. That’s all we’re asking. Innocent enough?”

  She paused, staring back at me for a moment. Then she nodded. “Yeah. Sure.”

  “For now,” I winked.

  Eight

  RYAN

  Kyle was wrong, she wasn’t just beautiful.

  She was absolutely gorgeous.

  I sat beside her in the back seat, our legs touching. She had her window halfway down. Her long blonde hair blowing about her face, as Kyle drove the long, winding road that led down to the lake.

  “How much further did you say?”

  Dakota turned around from the front seat and leaned on one big arm. As usual, he wore his trademark boyish, almost shit-eating grin.

  “Another ten minutes, darlin’.”

  “So about a half hour out of the city, huh?”

  Kyle shrugged, one hand still on the wheel. “About that.”

  “That’s kinda far,” Sammara said.

  “Wait until you see the place,” said Kyle. “Then tell us if it’s too far.”

  From what we knew about her, she was perfect. Almost a tailor-made match. Watching her stare out the window, her legs peeking out from the bottom of her sundress, I had to admit I was getting my hopes up.

  Sharing a girlfriend. Together, the four of us. I actually laughed out loud.

  Holy shit.

  It was crazy, but for us it was also perfectly sane. None of us had been able to keep a girlfriend... or in Kyle’s case, even a fiancee. Ranger deployments happened much differently than standard enlistment. Any one of us could be called away between breakfast and lunch, without any warning, and not come back until next Christmas.

  And shit… in the case of Briggs? A helicopter could land on his front lawn and take him in the middle of throwing horseshoes at a family BBQ. And yes, that happened.

  No, these days women tended to frown upon shit like that. Especially in today’s age of instant gratification, text-messaging, video chats… none of them really understanding that the places we go, and the things we do, communication won’t always be at the level they’ve grown accustomed to. In even the best scenarios, they’re lucky to get a once-a-month, ten-minute choppy phone call from some shitty sat-phone.

  “It is beautiful out here,” Sammara admitted. She turned, and the morning sun shattered her eyes. They shone this amazing. crystal blue.

  “It’s even more beautiful at the lake,” winked Dakota. “Sunshine.”

  Sammara smirked back at him. He’d been flirting with her — in his corny Dakota way — the whole ride. “Easy there, killer.”

  Killer. Funny choice of words.

  If she knew half the stuff Dakota had done, she’d see him in a whole different light. Putting his youth and charm and beauty aside, he’d stepped up and saved our lives more than once on assignment. And of course he’d taken life too — probably more so than any of us. Except maybe Briggs.

  All of it was necessary, of course. And Dakota was good at it. Good at it in the way that he didn’t let it get to him; none of the stuff he did weighed him down, at least not on the outside. On the inside I could only hope he wasn’t an emotional shitshow.

  An elbow struck my ribs. I turned, and there she was, smiling at me.

  “So what’s your story?”

  I looked back at her for a moment, just caught up in her beauty. She was exactly my type. Exactly the kind of woman who—

  “You don’t talk much, do you Ryan?”

  At that Kyle and Dakota started laughing. “Him? Usually he never shuts up.”

  I forced a smile. “Just daydreaming,” I said.

  “Daydreaming…” Sammara tossed back her golden hair. “The three of you are bringing me into your beautiful but deadly spider’s web of debauchery… and you’re daydreaming?”

  I squinted. “Debauchery, huh? Is that how you’d put it?”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, well when you’ve got one girl and three guys—”

  “Four guys,” Dakota corrected. “Eventually, anyway.”

  “Fine,” Sammara sighed. “Four guys. Sharing the same girlfriend? That’s going to get… well, let’s just say ‘messy’?”

  At least she was forthright. I’d give her that.

  “Messy in what way?” I asked.

  “Well, Kyle tells me you’ve all put jealousy aside.” She rolled her eyes again in disbelief. “So for the moment, let’s rule that out. Sharing me — the four of you — have any of you figured out the logistics of how that’d work?”

  She was sorely underestimating us. I wasn’t sure I liked that.

  “We’ve put a lot of thought into it,” I told her. “More than you know.”

  “Okay then,” said Sammara cheerily. “Who gets me first?”

  My eyes shifted to Kyle, of course. Sammara immediately noticed.

  “Sure, he’s had me first,” she said, with a hint of beguilement. “But let’s say we’re all living together on a regular basis. Where do I sleep? Do I have a room? Do I take turns having sleepovers in your rooms, or—”

  “You’ll have a room,” Kyle called from the front seat. “Your own space, of course. And where you sleep is always going to be your call.”

  Sammara seemed to consider that for a moment. Especially since Kyle’s answer hinted at the fact we’d discussed all this ahead of time.

  “Alright,” she went
on. “What about dates, then.”

  Dakota scratched his head. “Hmm?”

  “Dates,” she repeated. “Who takes me out? Do you take turns with me on dates, or do we do group dates?” She sighed wistfully. “A girl’s gotta have romance you know, even with four guys.”

  Dakota laughed, rubbing at the cleft of his smooth chin. It was a nervous habit of his.

  “You don’t think you’ll have romance?” he asked.

  Sammara shrugged. “Maybe. Possibly.”

  “Trust me,” Kyle said, “you’ll have more than enough romance. And we’ll be dating you so much you might get sick of going out.”

  “Oh I don’t know…” said Sammara, looking at her nails. “I really really like going out.”

  In a way she was interrogating us, even gaining the upper hand. It wasn’t something I was used to at all.

  “You sure ask a lot of questions,” I spat.

  It came off a little more harsh than I meant it, but I did mean it. I didn’t want her screwing around. Playing us for fools.

  “What?”

  “If you didn’t think you’d be happy with us,” I said indifferently, “then why’d you even bother applying?”

  Sammara turned to face me, her expression cold. To her credit she didn’t look down at all, she looked right into my eyes.

  “I didn’t.”

  “Didn’t what?”

  “Didn’t apply for this. You know that. Kyle convinced me to come because you all thought I’d be ‘perfect’ for you.” She drew the word out teasingly, then laughed. “Despite never even having met me.”

  I looked back at her, sensing her anger, tasting it to see whether it was genuine. Our eyes locked, and I could see the inner fire that burned behind those ice-blue orbs. The truth was, I needed her like this. It’s what I did — my gift, if you would. Cutting through layer upon layer of bullshit to get to the actual core of people.

  From the front seat, Kyle flashed me a stern look.

  “Still, you didn’t have to come,” I shrugged. “You know full well what we want, what we’re looking for. Even if you didn’t directly answer the ad.”

  She saw through my eyes. Saw through me. The anger dissipated, if it was even there at all — the feigned outrage replaced by a much more calculating stare.

  I know you. That’s what her look said now. The gaze within her gaze was an assessment. A valuation. I know who you are and I know exactly what you’re doing…

  Well shit. Maybe she could handle herself.

  “I came for the house,” she said eventually, turning away. Her gaze dropped back out the window. “Not for you.”

  Dakota looked back at me like I’d just shot his dog. Kyle looked even angrier.

  “So you’re trying to get hired as what… our interior design expert?”

  Sammara’s expression remained unchanged. I watched as the wind blew her hair back, her face heartbreakingly beautiful once again.

  “You caught me.”

  Nine

  SAMMARA

  I was pissed.

  Pissed at Kyle, for getting me all wrapped up in this mess. Pissed at Ryan for sure, for being such an abrasive dick. Hell, I was even pissed at Dakota for sitting there all innocently in the front seat, his hard, magnificent body gelling perfectly with his warm, country-boy smile.

  But most of all I was pissed at myself.

  I’d let myself get in over my head. Allowed myself to get my hopes up — whatever they were at this point — over something that couldn’t possibly be. And now I was about to see this gorgeous, unbelievable house. One I knew I’d never get to sink my claws into, because of this impossible situation.

  It was a tease. A slow, lingering tease that made me angrier and more furious at myself with each passing mile.

  But then we pulled up the driveway…

  … and all of that stuff disappeared in an instant.

  The house wasn’t just amazing, it was glorious. Offensively, disgustingly perfect.

  Ahh, shit.

  I was out of the sand-colored Hummer before it even rolled to a stop. The big doors opened to my touch and a minute later I was standing in the magnificent parlor, surrounded by art and wonder and beauty… and decay.

  “This is horrendous.”

  Kyle stood behind me, flanked by his comrades. His face was crossed with a worried look.

  “What? You don’t like it?”

  “No,” I said. “I love it. It’s just horrendous that someone let it get like this!” I walked up to one of the columns that held up the vaulted ceiling and ran my hand over it. Paint chips fell away like snow.

  “This is criminal!”

  Dakota stepped up beside me, his expression blank. He was looking around as if seeing the place for the first time.

  “How long was it unoccupied?” I asked. “How many years did it—”

  “Too long, I guess,” Kyle shrugged. “But Briggs fell in love with it, and so here we are.”

  Briggs has good taste, I thought to myself. He wasn’t even here and I liked him already.

  “And we’ve been told it has ‘good bones’, so we—”

  “Bones?” I swore. “A Victorian like this just doesn’t have bones! It has life! It lives and breathes and—”

  I stopped, choking on my own words. Scanning around in horror.

  “Did you guys paint this room?” I asked incredulously.

  “Yes. Why?”

  The words came from Ryan. They were short. Staccato. Daringly defiant.

  “Well did you scrape it first? Down to the paneling?” I spun around, more offended with every step. “Did you sand it before priming it, or—”

  “Sand it?” asked Kyle.

  “Prime it?” Dakota chimed in.

  Jesus Christ! Were they kidding?

  I looked to the left, where a set of dirty rollers were stacked on a paint-splattered drop cloth. Next to that were a few greasy pizza boxers and a roll of blue painter’s tape… unopened.

  “Please tell me this is the only room you did,” I seethed.

  “Yeah…” Kyle admitted hesitantly. “Well, our bedrooms too.”

  “And you hired painters? Or butchers?”

  He looked sheepish. “We kinda figured we could do this part ourselves.”

  “We can do it ourselves,” Ryan declared, crossing his arms. “Paint is paint. Walls are walls. What’s the difference?”

  I dropped my face into my hands. Shook my head.

  The difference? The DIFFERENCE?

  “This place is history!” I cried. “Just look at it! The hand-carved crown mouldings you guys are painting over. The gas-powered light fixtures!” I spun and pointed. “The sash windows! The original furniture! Even the oaken parquet floors—”

  “We were gonna put carpet over those,” Dakota interjected happily. “Something soft, with a little more—”

  “CARPET?!”

  I wanted to beat on his beautiful chest. Grab his chiseled, angular face and make him see! Instead I only wrung my hands. It was the most beautiful, wonderful house I’d ever seen, much less stood in, much less possibly be given the opportunity to restore, to renovate, to decorate…

  “See?” said Ryan all of a sudden. “I was right about her.”

  I turned and blinked. All three of them were staring at me.

  “Right about what?”

  “Right about you being here just for the house,” Ryan said. “And not for us.”

  Anger rushed through me. My body felt flushed, like the whole thing was on fire. I stopped myself for a moment and focused on control.

  “Oh really?” I cocked my head. “Is that what you think?”

  “Yeah,” Ryan smirked back confidently. “That’s exactly what I think.”

  Now that we were out of the Hummer, I could take full stock of him. Ryan was tall, but not too tall. He had the most beautiful olive skin and a jet black goatee that was just starting to see tiny flecks of grey. But it was his eyes that caught my attention His e
yes were dark and deep. There was wisdom in them, and intelligence. But also challenge.

  “So you invite me here…” I said, standing between them. “Knowing full well about my interior design business. My experience with restoration, my passion for history. And then you show me this—” I waved my arm around the parlor. “This magnificent piece of architecture…”

  I began walking in a slow circle. They were all watching me. Waiting for me.

  “And you have the balls to act all surprised when I’m actually excited about it?”

  Kyle was speechless. Dakota snickered softly. Ryan however, hadn’t taken his eyes from me. His two brown orbs were locked tightly on mine, perhaps sizing me up, perhaps hating me even more than it seemed he already did.

  I walked toward him, crossing one long leg in front of the other. I was actually his height. Maybe it intimidated him a little.

  “So… what?” I asked. “You don’t think I’m serious about your ‘offer’?” I bit my bottom lip with my top, wetting it. “You don’t think I haven’t spent every waking minute of the last few days wondering what it would be like?”

  I reached him and placed a hand gently on his hard, expansive chest. He didn’t flinch.

  “Four men at once…” I practically whispered. “Dating them. Fucking them…”

  I saw the change in his eyes; his pupils flaring wildly as I said the word. I let the tiniest hint of a smile play at the corner of my mouth. I had him.

  “Taking care of four strong, loving boyfriends,” I went on. “Four military boyfriends. And them, taking care of me...”

  I leaned in, so that my face was only inches from his. His scent was intoxicating, all man and musk and muscle. I could feel his breath on my lips. I could sense the shift in his body language as the very tips of my breasts brushed up against his chest.

  Then I spun on my heel, turned, and kissed Dakota.

  If he was surprised, it didn’t show. The tall blonde recovered quickly, pressing his lips to mine, crushing me against him so fast I didn’t even realize his arms had gone around me.

  The world stopped. Dakota’s mouth was sweet nectar, his lips full and beautiful and perfect for kissing as I let my hand linger against the side of his baby-smooth face. And trapped in his arms? I could feel his strength. His power! It made me swoon, almost surrendering fully into his embrace… but after only a moment I pulled back and stood before them again.