by Mia Ashlinn
Jaycee spoke first. “Oh! We are giving Shannon a makeover.”
Svetlana openly studied Shannon who wouldn’t meet her eyes, not even once. “You need makeover of soul. You get soon. No worry.”
A pin dropping on the floor could have been heard in the midst of the stormy silence.
Forcing a tranquil smile, Shannon replied, “I’m not worried, Svetlana. Thanks for caring, though. It means a lot.”
“You lie.”
A round of gasps from every woman in the room permeated the salon.
“You worry every day, but you changing. I know truth.” Svetlana tapped her temple with her finger. “You move on. They want you to.”
Shannon knew that Svetlana spoke of her parents, not Jared, Drew, or Randy. The woman saw too much, damn it. “I don’t know who you are talking about.”
“Yes. You do,” Svetlana said adamantly.
Shannon wanted to deny her, but a noisy racket distracted everyone. Then a tiny, wavering voice spoke up. “Oops. I’m sorry.”
Three words from Melissa Davis’s five year-old daughter did what no other person in the room could do. Holly speared through the tension in the room like a spike into the middle of a frozen lake, cracking open a hole and drenching everyone in sight with arctic waters that could freeze a person to the center of their souls. The spell had been broken, and life returned to normal.
* * * *
Across the street from Sassy Salon and Spa, an inconspicuous man sat quietly in a nondescript car he’d borrowed from his daughter. The muted-colored sedan helped him maintain a low profile, and he easily blended into the Kansas scenery.
Hiding behind the Serenity Gazette, he kept a close eye on the group of town whores through the giant display window. The blinding sun made it difficult for him to see them through the glass, but he managed quite well with the polarized sunglasses he’d purchased for times like this one.
All of the women appeared tense and edgy to him, but he couldn’t tell why without moving closer, and he wasn’t willing to risk exposure to find out something that insignificant. Besides, he didn’t care about any of them. He only cared about her. And, right now, he was furious that she had decided to alter her appearance. He’d preferred the clothes that hid her body, the makeup-less face, the wire-rimmed glasses, and the unkempt hair. He didn’t like her drawing attention to herself nor did he appreciate anyone having an opportunity to look at his personal property. Bitch.
The thirst to punish her for her highly inappropriate actions crashed into him, and he wanted nothing more than to charge across the street and into the salon, drag her out by the hair on her head, and then show her a thing or two about being his possession. But he held himself back. It wouldn’t do for him to follow what his instincts demanded—yet. Soon, though, things would change. Soon she would be his.
Once she belongs to me, she’ll pay for all her slutty ways then she’ll bend to my will. Or she’ll live to regret it for the rest of her days—no matter how limited they might be.
Chapter 7
Pulling into the parking space at Dolce Serenità, Shannon had a nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach. She was supposed to meet Jaycee and Katie-Anne for dinner, but she didn’t trust those two as far as she could throw them. Given half the chance, they would fling her ass into the lion’s den. If they believed it was for her own good, she was a goner.
She had turned around twice since leaving her apartment. After a pep talk and breathing in a paper bag, she managed to get back onto the road. Their promise to meet her and not pull any of their wacky antics enabled her to arrive at the restaurant. Shannon suspected that subconsciously she hoped they would pull something on her and take the decision out of her hands.
Turning off the engine, she checked her watch. Fifteen minutes until eight. I’m early.
Exiting the car nervously, she scanned the front parking lot for three work trucks. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but her new contacts aided her search. When she didn’t spot any of the vehicles belonging to the triplets, the tension drained from her shoulders and she sighed. In her opinion, she sounded more forlorn than comforted.
Fuck a duck.
Making her way to the front of the upscale restaurant, she gave herself yet another pep talk. Tonight was her big reveal, her coming-out party. She might only be dining with friends, but a large part of Serenity’s population ate here every Saturday night. The whole town would know about her transformation from ugly duckling to majestic swan far before her bottom hit the chair.
I have to do this because Svetlana’s right. It’s time to move on. I’m over being someone I’m not, and I don’t want to waste anymore of my life. This is a good way to start, if I can just get past the nerves.
The doorman opened the ornate wooden door when her feet hit the landing.
“Good evening, Ms. Roberts.” The elderly man greeted her with a warm smile.
“James,” she exclaimed in delight. “How’s Martha?”
His eyes glowed with adoration at the mention of his beloved wife. “Same old, same old. She has her good days and her bad.”
“Please tell her I said hello.”
“Will do, ma’am.” James placed his wrinkled hand on her back lightly, helping her to the opened door. “She will be thrilled to hear that I saw you.”
On impulse, Shannon stopped to hug James, and he froze in her arms.
Everyone knew that she wasn’t an overly affectionate person. Allowing someone into her personal space was a rarity, at best. However, James was different. He always had this soothing quality about him, easing her by his presence alone. And, right now, she needed that.
She held onto him tightly, letting him hold her longer than necessary. But she couldn’t seem to let go of him.
When he relaxed, she sighed. “Thank you.”
“Sure thing.” He patted her back gently. “You take all the time you need.”
Finally, she stepped back, regretfully releasing him. “I guess I should go on in.”
“Yes, you should,” he told her with his wise blue eyes shimmering in the moonlight.
Holding her breath, she crossed the threshold.
“Oh, dear”—James stopped her—“I almost forgot. You look beautiful tonight.”
His kind words brought moisture to her eyes. The urge to cry so strong she could barely breathe for it. Since opening the dam of tears in the bathroom of this very restaurant a few days ago, she’d fought more tears than she had in her lifetime put together. Pushing back her emotions grew worse with every passing day. Her Kabuki mask was long gone, and she had no clue how to get it back.
Only three things had the overwhelming power required to call a halt to the incoming flood—Jared, Drew, and Randy. And they did.
Their presence in the dining room hit her squarely in the chest, pushing every ounce of air from her lungs. She shifted her focus from stemming tears to gasping for much needed air.
Feeling them but not seeing them, she surveyed the room only once before her seeking eyes landed on their sinfully seductive, far-too-arousing-for-her-own-good bodies. The three men of her fantasies sat talking in hushed tones in the corner of the restaurant with her two best friends and their four men.
In addition to their typical group, Shane’s foster brother, Deke, and Landon’s foster sister, Sarah, were present at the table. However, neither of them spoke to anyone. The wickedly handsome dark-haired man towered over the sweet, caramel-haired woman, his powerful body overshadowing her tiny one. Sitting side-by-side, they contradicted each other perfectly, even in the way they interacted with the others. Deke sat watching everyone around him with a severe expression on his face while a peaceful-looking Sarah kept her eyes averted at all times.
Shannon wondered where Deke’s longtime partner, Adam Stanton, could be. Since they didn’t live in town, she couldn’t imagine Deke would have left Kinky, Kansas, to visit Serenity without Adam, no matter how short his visit was to be. Of course, I could be wrong. It
wouldn’t be the first time.
Shannon didn’t remain distracted by the whos, whats, and whys of the newcomer’s presence for long before she allowed her eyes to wander back to her men. Drew and Randy faced away from her with their broad backs in proud view of her covetous gaze. She didn’t need to see their faces to recognize those luscious bodies. From the top of those dirty blonde heads to the big, strong set of their shoulders to their tapered waists, she knew their bodies better than she knew her own.
She didn’t allow her gaze to stray below their waists. If her mind dipped into that tantalizing territory, she would be hotter than molten lava, her pants screaming so loud they could be heard around the world.
Jared sat across from his two younger brothers, directly facing her. His eagle eyes watched her, speaking volumes without words. I miss you. I need you. I love you. Don’t go.
The room faded away as he took in her new look, his baby blues examining her closely. Beginning at her black pumps, his gaze burned a path from bottom to top. He stopped at her most private regions, boring holes into her pussy and breasts with what could be mistaken for Superman’s X-ray vision. She could almost visualize the laser beams travelling through time and space to see her nude body beneath her new, jewel-tone dress.
Magnetized by his eyes, her feet moved toward the object of her spellbinding captivation of their own volition. The figure-hugging, green dress slowed down her progress, prohibiting her from rushing forth like her body yearned to do.
Amazingly, no one other than Jared noticed her entrance. They remained lost in a highly charged conversation that seemed far more confrontational than friendly. The positively glowing Jaycee sat between her two fiancés, gesturing down the table at her older brother, Drew. With her mouth moving so rapidly and furiously, she had to be arguing with him over something.
Reaching the table, Shannon quickly learned why.
“I can’t believe you arranged this, Jaycee Elizabeth Dalton. We’re your damn brothers. Don’t you owe us some fucking loyalty?” Drew threw his napkin down. “I don’t want to be here. I’m gone.
* * * *
A gasp from the sweetest voice Drew had ever known sounded behind him, halting his getaway. He closed his eyes and whispered prayer after prayer that he was sound asleep in his bed, tossing and turning amidst turbulent nightmares.
When he opened his eyes, Drew knew that this was no bad dream. Shannon stood behind him, and she’d heard the lies he spouted in fury. Of course, he wanted to be here with her. Nothing would make him happier than sitting by her with the knowledge that she was his and his brothers’. But he couldn’t stand to be in her presence as the rejected man. He was not the man to be cast aside over and over because he wasn’t worthy enough for her to open her heart and take a leap into the darkness.
Life had no guarantees. Why couldn’t she see that?
Afraid for the first time in his recent memory, he couldn’t face her. He couldn’t withstand seeing the pain in her hazel eyes right now. He already felt like a bastard, he didn’t need to see the confirmation in her eyes.
Across the table, Jared studied Drew intently. His probing perusal should be unnerving. Instead, it pissed Drew off.
Jaycee rose from her chair awkwardly, the anxiety present in the wide-blue eyes. “Shannon—”
“Save it, Jaycee Elizabeth.” Shannon flung the words furiously. “I’m out of here. Drew doesn’t have to leave on my behalf. Why the hell would I want to have dinner with a man who doesn’t want me here and the people who tricked him into coming?”
“No, munchkin.” His use of her nickname rolled off his tongue effortlessly. “I mean, Shannon. I’ll go. I have things to do anyway.” Drew glared at Jaycee. “Our business meeting has clearly come to a close.”
He stood abruptly, feeling much older than his thirty-six years.
Two voices spoke simultaneously, one ablaze with animosity and the other blasting bitter, glacial air.
Jaycee’s future husband, Cade, was the fiery voice of aggression. “Don’t look at my woman like that or I will kill you, brother-in-law or not.”
Randy, on the other hand, was ice personified. An icicle had nothing on his youngest brother at the moment. “Sit your asses down. Both of you.”
It was surreal to see the only two laid-back men at the table this wound up. It became apparent that Drew wasn’t the only person bewildered by the drastic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act of not one, but two men. No one questioned them. They just yielded to the authority in their tones.
Catching his first glimpse of Shannon as she moved to the only open seat at the table, she stole his breath. His lack of air did nothing to diminish his cock’s response to her.
My God, she’s ravishing—that body, those clothes.
He had always seen the exquisite loveliness she hid behind homely, shapeless clothes and wire-rimmed glasses. But this was more than words. He could try for the rest of his life, and he would never be able to capture words that adequately described the gorgeous creature settling into the chair next to him at the head of the long table.
“Now, we are going to sit here and have a pleasant dinner like adults. My lovely wife-to-be wants to celebrate Shannon’s makeover, and we will do just that.” Gray peered at Jaycee, his eyes promising retribution of the sensual kind. “It cost me enough. We are going to show her off to the whole goddamn town.”
Cade wiggled his eyebrows salaciously, giving away his pleasure at the prospect of Jaycee’s impending punishment. “Fuck yeah, Gray. That is what I’m saying.”
“Cade,” Gray and Jaycee scolded in synchronization. The amusement in both of Cade’s lovers was undeniable. If the laughing tones weren’t obvious enough, the lip twitching and conspicuous coughs were unmistakable. He had never seen the three of them happier than they were now.
Jaycee glowed, basking in the love of two good men. And they were good men. Not that Drew would ever tell the arrogant devils that. He would prefer eating nails for dinner to admitting aloud that she’d chosen well.
“What?” Cade asked, snatching a buttery roll out of the bread basket and stuffing half of it in his mouth. “Mmmm.”
Cade’s green eyes widened unexpectedly, and he groaned. Drew suspected he knew what caused the sound, and it was certainly not the bread. His sister’s hands had gone missing at some point during her censure of Cade.
Shaking his head, Drew prepared to do a little reprimanding of his own, but Katie-Anne beat him to the punch. “What have I told you Jaycee? I do not want to see that shit.”
Out of the corner of his eyes, Drew saw Shannon duck behind the giant menu written in elaborate calligraphy. She covered her face entirely, leaving only certain parts visible to him. The short, wicked candle flickering in front of her shone against the shimmering silvery color of her newly painted nails.
He chuckled, drawing odd gazes from the people nearest to him. Shannon had gotten a manicure, but one thing hadn’t changed. She had left the short length of her nails alone. With an incessant nail-picking habit, her nails never had enough time to grow. In any other woman, he would see that as a negative, but not with this woman. Shannon’s nervous quirk charmed him.
Trailing his eyes down her arms lovingly, Drew paused to admire the adorable freckle on her elbow. He quickly realized his mistake. The freckle put her bountiful breasts in his direct line of vision. Her arm pressed closely to her fleshy mounds distracted him from the cuteness of her freckle.
The dress she had chosen to don was not overt or suggestive in any manner, which made it ten times more appealing to him. He desperately wanted to yank down the strapless dress by the folded-over collar so he could devour her breasts with his eyes. And, eventually, his mouth would take over where his eyes left off.
He had never been a breast man, at least, not until the day he’d seen Shannon’s body without the layers of hideous clothing covering her body. The thought of her in the nylon and spandex bathing suit still had the ability to leave him hard as a rock and panting.
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The way her breasts had bounced beneath the black bathing suit as she jumped off the diving board had nearly brought him to his knees, and he hadn’t been the only one.
Jared had stiffened and halted abruptly, forgetting in his stunned state that both Drew and Randy followed closely behind him, which became abundantly clear when a slack-jaw Randy cursed, “Fuck,” only seconds before running straight into his brother’s back. Having paid more attention, Drew averted the disaster by stepping around them hastily.
From that day on, they had known she was the one they were meant to share. They plotted and planned for years, waiting for her to be ready for them and what they wanted. She wasn’t ready at eighteen or nineteen—even though she had thought otherwise. The fateful seduction scene in the middle of Spurs, Chaps, and Cowboy Hats had showed them, and everyone else in town, just how unprepared she was for a permanent ménage.
They had tried to tell her that she needed to grow and live before settling down with three very stubborn, very arrogant, and very controlling men. If their tempers hadn’t gotten in the way, one of them would have been able to get through to her. But, no, she had to light a match and throw it into a forest in the middle of a drought.
A random elbow to his ribs caught Drew’s attention, and he winced before turning to slap Randy on the back of the head. “Ouch, fucker.”
“That is the thanks I get,” Randy sneered mockingly. “Ungrateful bastard. Next time, I will let them order without you.”
Turning a smile on their waitress, Melissa, he ordered, “I’ll have the antipasto plate followed by filet mignon and penne with marinara sauce. I, also, would like Stellina’s homemade tiramisu with a cappuccino.”
“Yes, sir,” Mel replied warmly with a hint of a smile. Thankfully, she was finally warming up to the people in the town. Serenity knew no strangers, and everyone was determined to make her feel comfortable, especially considering her and Holly’s past.
“Mel,” Drew chided affectionately. “I’ve told you my name. Now, use it.”
