by Becca Van
“Kara, my boys are doctors, Doms, and adults. Don’t you think that they wouldn’t be pursuing you if they thought a relationship couldn’t work between the three of you? They would never let work interfere with the personal side of things. Or is that part of the problem? The thought of having two men?”
“I’ve never…”
“Never what?”
“I haven’t had a boyfriend before.”
Nate exhaled in a rush and possessiveness consumed him. He looked at Nix and saw the awe on his brother’s face. Nate had known the moment he’d seen Kara that she was special, and hearing that she was still a virgin only confirmed his feelings for her. She was theirs and he was going to make sure that no other man could take her away from them.
But then his mind began to whir. Was she still a virgin because someone had tried to hurt her or attempted to rape her? He and Nixon had seen the terror in her eyes on more than one occasion, but that hadn’t been when she was with them. No, the terror had been in her eyes when they’d asked her about her parents.
Nate vowed to get to the bottom of all of Kara’s secrets, but first he and Nixon had to gain more of her trust.
If she let them top her they may be able to get her to open up with them, but Nate had a feeling it was going to take a fair amount of time before she trusted them completely. They were going to have to slowly peel away the layers surrounding her heart to get to the passionate woman beneath those emotional walls she had wrapped herself in.
“You have nothing to be afraid of, love. My sons will take good care of you.”
Nate nodded and then stopped when he realized what he was doing.
“So, are you going to give them a chance, Kara?”
Nate held his breath while he waited for her to answer. He glanced at Nixon and saw that his brother’s jaw was clenched and his hands were in tight fists. He looked down and saw that he was in the same state as his brother.
“I–I…yes.”
Nate exhaled gustily and when he realized how loud he’d been he shifted so he could peek in the glass door and was pleased that Kara hadn’t seemed to have heard him, but his mother had. Her eyes slid to the right and met his but then she looked at Kara again.
“I’ll be here if you want to talk any time, day or night, no matter what the time. All right, Kara?”
“Okay,” Kara said and then she covered his mother’s hand and patted the back of it in a gesture of affection. “Thank you for taking the time to explain…things to me, Fiona. I’ve never had…”
Nate moved away from the door, nodded to his brother and father, and bid them to follow him. It sounded like his mom and Kara’s conversation was winding down and he didn’t want Kara to catch them out.
First he and Nixon needed to build on the small amount of trust she’d already given them and then they needed to prove to her that they were worthy of her affection and, hopefully, eventually her love.
It all sounded so easy, but Nate knew that it was going to be anything but.
Chapter Seven
Kara enjoyed listening to the Charleston family as they reminisced over a delicious barbeque lunch. Fiona was such a nurturing, loving woman and she often found herself thinking how it could have been between her own mother and herself if her mom hadn’t taken her own life.
She tuned into the conversation when Nixon started talking.
“Do you remember when you threw that lemon at my bedroom window?”
Nate winced but gave his parents a chagrined smile as he nodded.
Nixon covered the hand Kara had resting on the table and gave it a slight squeeze.
“Nate was in a foul mood.” He grinned at his brother. “I’d done something to piss him off and he’d stormed out of the house in a temper. I didn’t help things because I made faces at him from my bedroom window.
“Nate was standing next to that lemon tree over there.” Nix pointed and Kara looked to see the big lemon tree in the middle of the back yard. “Nate plucked a lemon from the branch and hurled it straight for my head. I think he thought the window was open but it wasn’t. Of course the glass broke, but because the lemon was oval shaped, it sort of curved along the glass as it smashed and it looked like someone had tried to use a glass cutter on the window.”
Nate chuckled. “My dad heard the breaking glass and came running. Of course being a kid I tried to deny that I had broken that window and poor Dad was about to call the sheriff and report an attempted break-in. By then I knew I had to own up and face my punishment. I sure got a whooping that day.”
“And you deserved it.” Case smiled.
“Yes, sir, I did.”
“What did I tell you after I’d given you a walloping?” Case asked.
“That I was being punished for lying. You told me you had been worried sick about someone trying to get into the house and taking one of us and it scared the life out of you. If I had owned up my punishment would have only been working off the payment of a replacement window, but because I’d lied I got my ass smacked and then I had chores for the rest of the holidays to pay for that window, and I was grounded.”
“And what was the lesson you learned that day son?”
“To own up to something when I did it and not to lie.”
Case nodded and Nate smiled at his dad again. “As a kid we hated getting into trouble, but the lessons you and Mom taught us were valuable. You’ve made us into the men we are today.”
“And we are very proud of you both.” Fiona gave a wobbly smile and dabbed at her eyes. Kara could see how much Fiona and Case loved their sons, but Nathan and Nixon loved their parents, too.
“I wish I could have…” Kara stopped when she realized what she was about to say and gazed down at the table. Her cheeks felt so hot she wondered if they were as red as they felt.
“Case, help me bring the rest of the food inside,” Fiona said and started gathering the dishes.
Kara went to help but Fiona wouldn’t let her. “Stay where you are, love. Case and I are fine.”
Kara didn’t want to be left alone with Nathan and Nixon, but not because she was afraid of them. She was afraid of herself. The more time she spent with them, the more she felt herself opening up with them and she was worried about what they would think of her once they found out about her.
She heard the back screen door close and knew that she was alone with the two Charleston men. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable though. She could hear the birds twittering in the distance and the occasional moo of a cow. It was such a peaceful place and Kara realized that she was quite relaxed and she hadn’t been that way in such a long time.
“What do you wish for, honey?” Nixon took her other hand in his and laced their fingers together.
“It would have been nice to have had parents.”
“What happened to your mom and dad, baby?” Nathan threaded his fingers with hers and moved in closer until his side was plastered against hers.
“I–I…” Kara stammered but she couldn’t speak around the lump of dread and terror lodged in her throat. She was just lowering her head but Nathan reached up and cupped her chin, not allowing her to look away.
“One day soon you will trust us with whatever is scaring the hell out of you.”
Kara tried to look away but she couldn’t.
“I can’t wait anymore, baby. I have to know.”
Kara opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about but her words were smothered when Nathan’s lips connected with hers. She closed her eyes and clutched at his shirt as he deepened the kiss. No matter how hard she tried to resist, she couldn’t. She’d wanted this from the first moment she’d met them. His lips were warm, moist, and soft and when he pushed his tongue into her mouth, she whimpered. He tasted so damn good she couldn’t get enough. He swept his tongue around in her mouth before coming back to glide along hers. The more he kissed her, the more her insides melted and she found herself pressing against him. She couldn’t get close enough to appease the ache deep down i
nside her.
His hands ran from her shoulders down her arms to her wrists and then he moved them behind her and shackled them both in one large hand. Kara felt controlled and the need for her to stay in control left and she felt herself relaxing into his grip and his body. Her hard nipples brushed again his chest and she moaned and then leaned fully against him until her breasts were squished into his warm, steely pecs.
A need so intense grew inside her until she was consumed with a deep yearning to feel him and his brother touching her, kissing her, making love to her until the ache throbbing way down inside her was appeased. Warmth moved up against her back and she moaned with delight at being sandwiched between Nate and Nix. But when Nathan began to slow the kiss until he was nibbling on her lips, she whimpered with protestation. And when he finally lifted his mouth from hers and she forced her heavy eyelids to lift, she shivered at the hunger she could see in the depths of his eyes. Never had a man looked at her the way Nate was looking at her. Never had a man touched and kissed her the way these two men did. Never had she felt such a deep-down longing, a craving so intense she thought she just might die if they didn’t put out the flames raging inside.
It wasn’t until her wrists were released that she realized she had still been restrained. Now that she wasn’t she felt…almost bereft.
“We want to make love with you, baby. Will you come home with us?”
Kara knew she was probably making a big mistake but she couldn’t refuse him and Nixon. She wanted to be with them so damn much. Even if they found out about her past and they didn’t want her after that, she would know what it was like to be with someone she cared for at least for a moment in time. She would have the memories to sustain her throughout the rest of her life and would have something to look back on.
She had only just realized how much she did care for them. Nathan and Nixon took her out every day for lunch and at least one of them watched out for her when she was leaving and walking to her car. They would watch her from the back door of the clinic and didn’t go back inside until she was driving away. How could she not care for such solicitous men?
They were caring in their own right, too. The way they treated their patients and made follow-up calls to make sure they were doing well made her realize how much love they had to give. If only they would direct some of that love her way, but even if they did, would they be able to look her in the eyes if they ever found out about the way she was conceived?
“Kara, we would never do anything to hurt you.” Nixon leaned over and kissed her neck right beneath her ear and she couldn’t stop the shudder ripping up her spine from showing. “You know that right?”
“Yes,” she sighed and tilted her head when he nibbled his way over her skin and then up to her ear. His teeth caught her lobe between them and he gave it a playful nip.
“We know you’re attracted to us, baby. And God knows we’re attracted to you.” Nathan reached out and cupped her face between his hands. “Won’t you let us make you feel good?”
Kara hesitated for a second. Not because she didn’t know what her answer was but because Nixon was tracing the outline of her ear and the sensation of his warm breath on her sensitive flesh was playing erotic havoc with her thought processes. Nix gave her ear a final lick and then his heat was gone, and even though Nathan was looking at her expectantly he lowered his hands from her face and gave her some space.
She drew in a ragged breath and held it before exhaling slowly and hoped to God that she would never see revulsion in their eyes, because Kara had a feeling that no matter how hard she tried to hide her past, these two men were the only ones who would be able to break through the walls she had wrapped around herself. And she knew if that happened, she would never be the same again. But she found herself nodding despite all her trepidation and misgivings.
* * * *
The tension left Nixon’s muscles the moment Kara gave a slight nod of her head. Even after she’d let Nathan kiss her, he’d been unsure of her decision, but now that they had their answer, he wanted to sling her over his shoulder, carry her to the truck, and race home before she could change her mind. But he did none of those things.
Nate stood up and held his hand out to Kara. Nixon sighed with relief when she placed her hand in his brother’s. Nix stood, too, and then he clasped her other hand in his and they led her back to the house.
Their mom and dad had already put the leftover food away and the kitchen was sparkling clean.
“Do you want some coffee?” Fiona asked.
“No, thanks, Mom, Dad, but we’re going to head off,” Nixon replied and let go of Kara’s hand when his mom came over and opened her arms. He leaned down and hugged her back and his mother whispered into his ear. “Be careful with her, Nixon. She has a lot of pain inside.”
He drew away and gave her a slight nod to let her know that he’d heard her. His mom held her arms out to Kara and he was glad that she didn’t hesitate at the show of affection and stepped right into his mother’s arms.
“Thank you so much for having me in your home and for such a delicious meal,” Kara said and even Nixon heard the hitch and the emotion in her voice. He glanced over at Nate and saw that his brother was also watching them. And then he began to wonder if Kara had ever had someone to give her a hug or listen to her hopes, dreams, and grievances, but since she’d grown up in an orphanage, he didn’t think so. He and Nathan were going to have to make sure they gave her at least one hug each day, but if he had his way she would be sleeping between them every night wrapped up in their arms.
His mom released Kara and then hugged Nathan. His dad shook their hands and even though he looked like he wanted to give their woman a hug, too, he hesitated. But then Kara surprised the hell out of him and she hugged their dad first.
“Thank you,” Kara said in a quiet voice before stepping away again.
“You’re welcome, sweetie. Make sure you come back real soon. You hear?”
“Yes, sir, thank you.”
Nixon clasped Kara’s hand again and led her out of the house. He lifted her up into the truck and made sure she was buckled in and then waved to his parents where they were watching from the front porch. Nathan waved, too, and then they were heading down the drive.
“Are you okay, honey?” Nixon slung his arm over her shoulders and drew her in against the side of his body.
“Yes,” Kara answered in a trembling voice.
“We’ll take things slow, baby. We promise not to hurt you.” Nathan glanced from the road to Kara and then back to the road again.
Nixon felt her body shudder.
“You’re not scared of us are you, honey?”
“No. I’m just…nervous.”
“You’ve never done this before have you, Kara?”
She turned her head and looked at him with what looked like embarrassed surprise, but when she went to lower her head he nudged her chin up with his knuckle.
“We’ll make this special for you, Kara. We’ll take things slowly, but if at any time you feel overwhelmed or you don’t like anything all you have to do is say so. All right?”
“Okay.” She nodded.
“Do you know what a safe word is, baby?” Nate asked.
“Yes.”
Nixon was damn glad their mother had explained about some of the rules of BDSM but he and Nate were going to go over them again to make sure she understood completely that she was the one who controlled things.
“That’s good.” Nixon kissed her lightly on the lips and was pleased when she gasped but made sure he didn’t show he’d heard her reaction. “But I want to make sure you will remember them. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“What word will you use if you want everything to stop?”
“Red.”
Nathan asked the next question. “What word do you want to use if you are unsure about what’s happening and want to slow things down?”
“Yellow.”
Nixon stroked a finger down her cheek and
smiled when he felt goose bumps rise up on her skin. “As Doms, we often ask where a sub is while we’re playing. If we ask you how you’re doing and you’re okay, you’ll answer green. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Okay what?” Nixon asked in a firmer voice and watched as a frown of confusion crossed her face.
“Do you know how a sub is supposed to address a Dom?” Nathan asked while turning the truck onto the road their house was on.
“Sir?” Nix was pleased by her breathy reply.
“Yes. That’s correct. Good girl.” Nixon gave her a lingering kiss on the lips and then drew back again.
Nathan slowed the truck and then turned onto their drive. Moments later he was helping Kara out of the truck and guiding her to the front door.
“You have a beautiful house.”
“Thank you, Kara.” Nixon ushered her inside. “We’ll give you a tour real soon, but first why don’t we have a cup of coffee in the kitchen?”
Kara nodded and followed him into the kitchen. Nathan trailed after her.
“Take a seat, baby.” Nathan directed her to a stool on the other side of the counter.
Nixon watched her as he made a fresh pot of coffee and while it was brewing, he got the mugs out of the cupboard and then he turned to face her, leaning his hip on the edge of the counter.
“Have you ever been spanked, honey?”
Her face went red but she maintained eye contact as she shook her head. Nixon glanced down to her chest when she shifted on the stool and was pleased to see her hard little nipples poking at the front of her shirt.
“The thought of being spanked turns you on, doesn’t it, Kara?” Nathan more stated than asked as he sat on the stool beside her.
Kara again shook her head but then she slowly changed to a nod.
“Don’t be embarrassed about what turns you on, honey.” Nixon paused to pour the coffee and then he pushed the milk and sugar across the bench within Kara’s reach in case she wanted either of those in her drink. “We get turned on by spanking a sub’s ass, too. Everyone is different in what they require to be turned on. Do you think we are evil or repulsive because we like to control what happens in the bedroom?”
