by Frankie Love
I bite my bottom lip. Where did these men come from?
“Give it a rest, Enzo. Can’t you see she’s in pain?”
Enzo nods. “I know, I know. But bambino,” he says to me. “Why are you crying?”
I sniffle, wiping my eyes with my palms. “I just... I had a really bad night.”
“Where are you staying? Let us walk you back home to make sure you get there safe. You really shouldn’t be out here alone at night. A lot of homeless people make camp on the beach, and I’d hate for you to find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be,” Mason says.
My throat constricts. How do I tell these men that there is no home?
There is nowhere for me to go?
They must notice that I’m on the verge of tears again because Mason starts talking in a gentle voice. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Take your time.” He rubs my back in small circles as if knowing exactly how to comfort me,
Eventually my hiccupping stops. I don’t even care about the fact that these guys are seeing me with bright red eyes and snot dripping from my nose. “I kinda don’t have a place to stay tonight. I’m kind of... I’m a little stranded. I need to go to the US Embassy, get some help, so I can get home.” I shake my head, not really knowing what else to say.
But these two seem to have all the answers.
“Oh, bellissimo,” Enzo says. “Don’t worry. Don’t worry. The embassy will be waiting for you in the morning. We can get you right there. Why don’t you come stay with us tonight?”
Mason raises his eyes in alarm. “Dude,” he tells his buddy. “This woman isn’t going to want to come home with two guys she doesn’t know.” He shakes his head as if his friend is an idiot. Looking back at me, he says, “He’s not thinking, but we’ll get you in a cab, and make sure you get set up in a hotel tonight.”
Enzo clears his throat. “Mason, look, I know you’re trying to do the right thing here by getting her to a hotel, but she doesn’t look like she should be alone right now. We have plenty of room at the house, and bella,” he addresses me, “our place is just down the beach. You can come take a look and check it out.”
I bite my bottom lip. After all, trusting Jordan is what got me into this mess.
“I don’t know, I’m a little...”
“Hurt?” Mason says. “I’m sorry someone did this to you, whatever they did, that has you so upset. But maybe if you had a cup of tea, some warm food, it would help you feel a little bit better. We can help you make a plan, and if you have family you want to call, we can help you with that too.”
Enzo points down the beach to a massive mansion overlooking the ocean. “That’s our place, why don’t you just come down there and look around? If you don’t like what you see, we’ll give you money for a cab and you can go somewhere else. But there’s no way we’re letting you stay here on the beach tonight. We’ve been here a few weeks, and we know how raucous this place can be in the early morning hours. It’s no place for a belladonna like you.”
They help me up, not even waiting for me to answer, and maybe it’s because the answer is obvious. Of course, I’ll go with them to their mansion while I make a plan.
And they seem so sincere.
But so did Jordan.
And he didn’t end up being safe at all.
I stand between the two men and they both offer me their hands. Not wanting to choose, I offer one my left and one my right. They walk me away from the palm tree and lead me on the path toward their place.
Between these two men, I can honestly say I’ve never felt so safe in my life.
Maybe wishes do come true.
Chapter 3
Inside the mansion, there’s an immediate sense of warmth. And it’s not just that their heat is on. Inside it’s a relaxed and inviting environment.
There are two more guys sitting on the couch playing video games when I walk in with Enzo and Mason. They both immediately drop the controllers from their hands and look over at us in surprise. It makes sense. Before I walked to the house, Enzo explained that there was a no-girl policy on the premises. Apparently there have been issues in the past with fighting over girls.
“How many guys are living here?”
“There are four of us,” Mason explained. “We do adventure sports. We have a contract with the video camera company, MovePro. We’re sponsored by them and the energy drink, Black Bull. We’re here in Jamaica shooting footage for our MeTube channel.”
“Are you sure they’re not gonna be mad that you brought me back?” I had asked him.
Enzo and Mason assured me that it wouldn’t be a problem.
“They’d hate the idea of a woman like you being here alone,” Enzo promised me.
And I think Mason and Enzo were right. The guys don’t look angry that I’m here. Instead, they walk over to us, trying to understand the situation. Once Mason and Enzo have explained how they came across me on the beach, the other two guys introduce themselves.
“I’m Noah, and it’s about time someone brought a woman to this place. Might finally be some real competition for me. These jackasses can’t handle the heat I bring.” He grins. This guy is a man’s man and carries the kind of confidence that I bet gets him in trouble. “You play Madden?” He nods toward the video game.
I shake my head. “Not once in my life.”
Noah shrugs. “Trust me, you’ll like it.”
He is athletic and blond, but that’s not what I’m staring at. When he talks, his face lights up, and a pair of dimples appear in his cheeks. I can tell he’s a jokester, and his ease around me is helping calm my nerves about being such a fish out of water.
“And I’m Ethan,” the other guy says, offering me his hand formally. A dark shadow seems to follow him. He is nice, but not as welcoming as the other guys. He has tattoos on his knuckles, and I read the letters FEARLESS. “I’m glad you’re somewhere safe.”
“Thanks,” I say slowly, trying to read him, but it is next to impossible. Still, when our hands touch, an electric current seems to pass through us. The sensation felt charged with something. “I’m Chloe,” I tell them. “And I’m glad your friends found me, too. I was starting to wonder if I would freeze out on the beach tonight.”
The guys look at me and I look at them and I swear they’re having a silent conversation. I don’t make the first move, in fact, I’m enjoying this attention. Men never look at me the way these guys are, never in my life.
I take them all in too. Heck, if they want to examine me from head to toe, I’ll do some unabashed ogling of my own.
Mason and his gentle way with me.
Enzo with his Italian flair.
Noah with his easy smile.
And Ethan with his intensity.
I know we’ve all only exchanged a few words, but standing with them right now, it feels like I’m exactly where I should be.
The moment shifts when Ethan clears his throat, and it’s like their silent conversation has ended.
Mason walks toward the kitchen and we follow him. This part of the house has a massive great room facing the ocean. It has leather couches and dark wood tables, and there is a stainless steel and granite kitchen fit for a chef. As Mason starts moving around the kitchen deftly, I notice how comfortable he is in this space. He puts on a kettle to make me tea and then asks me if I’m hungry.
“I already had dinner.”
“That doesn’t mean anything not when Mason is in the kitchen,” Noah says pulling out a barstool and offering me a seat before sliding in next to me. “What are you making for us? Any more of that mango and pineapple cobbler from yesterday?”
My eyes must reveal how delicious I think that sounds because Mason dishes up a bowl of the cobbler and hands it to me. “Here you are, Chloe,” he says smiling warmly. “It’s vegan, but you won’t miss the butter, I promise.”
“Vegan?” I frown, not having heard of many macho-men eating so healthily.
“We’re not vegan, but we do what we need to in order to stay in shape. No artif
icial anything, no refined sugar. Still, this cobbler is comfort food. And that makes even the toughest situations easier to swallow,” he tells me. “Take a bite.”
I do, and he’s right, it is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
It’s clear he’s good at taking care of people, and he has a gentle way about him too. Even though he is ruggedly good-looking, it’s in an unassuming way that it makes me wonder what kind of sportsman he is. He looks comfortable in his own skin.
“What about me?” Noah asks as if he’s offended. But by his exaggerated expression, I know he’s not.
“What about you?” Mason snorts.
“Dish it up yourself,” Enzo says, giving Noah the stink eye. “If there’s any left.” I watch him take a heaping serving, laughing at his friend. Turns out there is plenty for Ethan and Noah both.
Once everyone has bowls of the cobbler, and I have my tea—the guys are drinking whisky or wine, the only approved low-cal alcohol allowed in the house––they ask what brought me here.
“The story is kind of sad, to be honest.”
But when I finish explaining about what happened earlier with Jordan, the guys don’t think it’s sad at all.
“I’m gonna fucking kill that guy,” Ethan says.
For a man who seems so reserved, it’s surprising to see the flood of emotions filling his face.
“Exactly,” Noah agrees. “What a fucking asshole. He can’t get away with this. We’ve got to call the cops right now.” He reaches for his phone but stops when he notices I’ve started crying.
“I’m sorry,” Noah says. “Did I say something wrong?”
Enzo shakes his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Noah. We should call the cops. The police force here isn’t like it is in the States, but yeah, we should still try.”
Noah winces. “I hate that I made you cry.”
Enzo shakes his head again before brushing away a tear on my cheek. “You didn’t make her cry, Noah. That guy Jordan did.” Turning, he hands me a tissue, and whispers, “I can only imagine, bella, the hell he put you through. We’ll make sure you’re safe tonight.”
Enzo is clearly the most romantic man of the bunch, and I melt under his tender touch as he wipes away my tears.
But when I look up I see that Mason’s face is written in pain. “I can’t believe he did that to you, someone as beautiful, someone as sweet, someone as innocent...as you... I can’t even imagine.”
I feel my face flush, no longer in tears. The response from these four men makes me feel understood.
“What I can’t believe,” Ethan says, his eyes narrowed. “Is that he would take something as precious as your virginity and treat it as if he owns it. What a fucking sadist.”
I look over at Ethan, my eyes softening, appreciating the way he got to the heart of the issue so quickly.
“I should’ve never led him to believe I would sleep with him,” I say between bites. “I think he expected it. Like he felt I owed it to him. We had been dating for a month, but I’d never really dated before him. Maybe I was wrong to think a man would want to be with me even if sex was off the table.”
Noah swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he absorbs my words.
“The fact is, going on this trip with him should’ve been a gift enough. Girl, you know what? Fifteen minutes together and already I can see you’re way too good for a guy like that. Probably too good for any of us, even.”
All four of the guys nodded in agreement.
“Well, I’m going to go call the cops, see what I can do. Then I’ll look online to see when the embassy opens tomorrow, all right?” Ethan says, taking control.
I nod, grateful that he’s able and willing to take the lead right now.
Mason takes the dishes and begins to load the dishwasher, and I can see that having a nurturing spirit is what compels him. It may be what brought him to me in the first place. He knew I needed someone to take care of me tonight, and he took me home and made sure I was safe.
When Noah and Enzo leave the room, I’m left with Mason.
I let him know how much I appreciate what he did tonight.
“It’s nothing, Chloe, anyone would do that.”
I shake my head. “Not anyone. Not Jordan.”
“Let’s not talk about him anymore tonight,” Mason says, walking toward me. I get off the stool and help him finish load the dishwasher. When he closes it, I find myself standing right next to him. There’s hardly any space between us at all, and in the narrow gap heat flows between us. All I have ever wanted was a man who was able to take care of me, and Mason is all of that and more.
“Thank you, Mason, for bringing me here,” I tell him, licking my lips. The space between my legs grows wet as I stare at him, realizing how strong and ripped he really is. His entire body is one chiseled muscle, the same way his friends are.
They’re more than extreme athletes, they are extreme men.
Built men.
And I am all alone with them.
“So, you’re okay with staying here tonight?” he asks. My back is against the counter and he puts an arm on either side of me. Pinning me in.
I’m not afraid though. In fact, I like being between his two arms, and with a flash of embarrassment, I realize I wouldn’t mind being between something else of his.
“What are you thinking?” he asks, looking at me with a smile on his face.
I shake my head, embarrassed at the idea.
I may be a virgin, but I’ve thought about having sex plenty of times.
After all, I spent a lot of nights alone in a campus dorm imagining sharing a bed with someone else. There have been so many nights I wish someone would wrap me in their arms and keep me warm.
Keep me filled.
The opportunity has never presented itself, probably because I’ve always lived my life with my head down, never putting myself in a position where I would be seen.
But tonight, this man found me.
“I was thinking that I like being here; being here with you and your friends.”
I dip my chin, raise my eyes, and when I do, what I find is Mason’s piercing gaze. My body fills with emotion. He sees me.
And he likes what he sees.
He leans in and touches his finger against my lips. As he does, the softest of moans emits from my mouth. I’m not embarrassed for letting it escape.
I wanted it to escape. I wanted him to know that when he touches me, I like it.
I want him to touch me more.
He does.
He leans in and kisses me. I sigh as our mouths part and his tongue finds mine. His hand is on the base of my neck, holding my head, which is necessary at this exact moment because I feel like I could fall to the ground. I’m melting into him; into this kiss.
Into this moment.
I don’t want it to end.
But it does, and when he pulls back I realize it was for one reason and one reason only.
He reaches down and adjusts himself.
I see the bulge in his jeans. He’s so hard right now, and part of me wants to see how big he is; how thick he is.
Before I can ask, though; ask for things I’ve never imagined asking for before, the other guys walk back into the kitchen.
I freeze, not knowing what they will think of my behavior. I never act like this … so bold. But maybe the events of the night have loosened something inside me. Something that wanted to be free.
Ethan’s eyebrows raise in surprise, Noah’s smile is gone, and Enzo twists his lips.... But Mason? He just pulls me closer.
Chapter 4
“What’s going on here?” Noah asks, breaking the tension, and sauntering over to us.
I step away from Mason, not wanting to cause problems between the guys. But when I step away, I notice Noah looking down and seeing his friend’s hard-on.
Oh.
That’s why Mason pulled me close. I feel like an idiot.
“Looks like I missed out on all the fun. Save any love for me?
” Noah teases, no irritation in his tone. A flood of relief washes over me as the other guys step closer, no one seemingly annoyed at Mason’s move.
Mason shakes his head. “Hey, Chloe’s a virgin, we need to go easy on her. I don’t know if she likes that kind of joking.”
Noah shrugs. “Well, why don’t we ask her then?”
Noah looks directly at me, and a different sort of heat than what I felt with Mason rises to my chest. I feel like Noah could do filthy things to me.
Where Mason touched me softly, I feel like Noah would make sure I was having fun.
“What’s the question exactly?” I ask, relishing the attention of all four of these guys surrounding me in the kitchen. How did I go from being invisible all my life to being so seen within a matter of minutes?
“I think Noah was wondering,” Enzo says, “if the fact that you’re a virgin means you don’t like sexual innuendos, jokes, you know… teasing?” When he says the last word there’s a lilt to his tone, and I know he wants to see if he can get a rise out of me.
“I might be a virgin,” I tell them. “But I’m not a prude. I saved myself for one reason and one reason only.”
Ethan narrows his eyes, watching me intently. “And what reason is that?”
“I was waiting for the right person. Saving myself for my soul mate.”
“The right person? Or the right persons,” Noah asks.
My eyes narrow. “Persons? I don’t follow.”
Mason frowns at his buddy, shaking his head softly. “Don’t, not now. She’s had a long day.”
“Don’t, what? I’m a big girl, I can handle anything,” I laugh, trying to catch on. “Okay, maybe not anything. I did need help tonight.”
“We want to help make you feel comfortable,” Ethan says. “As soon as the embassy opens tomorrow morning, we can head that way. And I told the police what happened. They’re gonna go over to the condo where you’ve been staying and try to get all of your personal effects back. And I got my lawyer on the phone too. He said that the best thing to do would be to charge him with a personal harm lawsuit when we get back to the States.”
