Wave after wave of the sharpest, purest bliss battered her until nothing existed except this moment, this rapture, and these men.
* * * *
The house they’d rented from Mrs. Benedict sat at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. The back door opened to a small fenced yard with a pool. Someone had planted shade trees sometime in the past, trees that now stretched tall despite the fact that there had been periods of drought over the years.
Drew wouldn’t be surprised if the Town Trust had taken special care to nurture the mature trees and gardens in town. From what he’d seen so far, Lusty, Texas, was totally different from any town he’d ever seen, and not just in the most obvious of ways.
Dawn greeted the town, and the day promised to be sunny and warm. Drew knew the summer months would bring more heat than he liked. But having served so many years in far more hostile environs, he figured it would be a nice change, only having to battle the weather.
Behind him, the coffee pot gurgled, drawing his attention away from outside, focusing it back to the here and now.
Upstairs, Julia slept on, and Drew couldn’t hold back his grin as he considered that between them, he and Dev had fucked her senseless.
Drew had gotten up first and headed out. The five miles of his daily run woke him up, got his blood pumping and his thoughts settled. When he’d returned, Dev had left for his morning exercise.
They usually liked to pound the pavement together, relishing the silent company and slight competitiveness their exercise demanded. But he and Dev were of one mind this morning. Julia had become the center of their lives. From the moment they’d claimed her—and he’d bet she understood that’s exactly what they’d done when she’d come pounding on their door Thursday—nothing mattered to them more than taking care of their woman.
That meant they would never leave her alone, sleeping and defenseless.
Drew had never been a man to dwell on the past. He didn’t figure he’d have been very effective as a SEAL if he had been. And, as far as the future had been concerned, he’d never looked beyond the end of a mission. Living in the moment had been his modus operandi since he’d been a teen. He didn’t need to see a psychiatrist to understand that his mindset came from being bounced around several different foster homes. Life was what it was and he’d gotten by and gotten through.
Until that last terrible mission in Afghanistan. As he and Dev had awaited rescue—or death—they’d talked about so many things, but especially about Julia, about what they’d do if they made it out alive, if the fates somehow, miraculously, granted them a second chance.
They’d talked about building a future.
Now they had their second chance, and both of them were determined to guard it, and their woman, with their lives.
The front door opened. Drew reached up for two cups, pouring out the brew as Dev entered the kitchen.
“I ran past the airfield,” Dev said. “Saw Kendall. I’m not sure if he recognized me but he sure as hell noticed me.”
Drew chuckled. “How much do you want to bet he’ll either invite himself to dinner tonight, or just ‘drop in’ while we’re there?”
Dev laughed. “That’s a sucker bet. He’s like us. From what I gather he hasn’t been retired from the service for very long. He likely hasn’t lost that need to be in control of his surroundings. Of course he’ll show up.”
“You’d have thought his brother the sheriff would have given him the rundown on us by now.” Like Dev, he spoke softly, not wanting to awaken Julia.
“Maybe the brothers don’t communicate. We’ve known enough siblings over the years who’d rather rip each other’s faces off than have a friendly word between them.”
“True enough.” He took a sip from his mug. “I’m looking forward to this afternoon, and that’s odd in and of itself.” Neither he nor Dev considered themselves social animals. That had been another side effect of being raised as they had been. When you spent your younger years having to make new friends, and a new family every couple of years, it tended to make you less gregarious. At least it had in Drew’s case.
“I hear you. I feel the same way.” Dev shrugged. “We both liked Alvarez, and Tracy is Julia’s best friend.” He turned and met Drew’s gaze. “Do you know what else has surprised me? The degree to which I feel that I’ve finally found my home, right here in this town.”
“It’s not just our woman, although she’s the most of that,” Drew agreed. “It’s the town itself.”
“Yeah.” Drew grinned. “There’s just something about a town called Lusty.”
He heard a light sound and turned at the same time Dev did. Looking sleep-rumpled and altogether good enough to eat, Julia stood at the bottom of the stairs. Eyes only half open, she sniffed the air, turning her head until she faced the direction of the kitchen, and them.
“Come down those stairs slowly, kitten,” Drew said, “and I’ll have your coffee ready by the time you get here.”
“A smart-ass even first thing in the morning,” Julia muttered. “Why am I not surprised?”
Drew poured the coffee while Dev snagged her around the waist and gently guided her into his arms.
“Mm, man sweat.” She sniffed him as thoroughly as she’d sought out the coffee. “My second-favorite first-thing-in-the-morning aroma.”
“Only second?” Drew set the mug on the table, then moved in so that his front rubbed against the soft and inviting female bottom. Satisfaction strummed through his blood because they had their woman where he liked her best—between him and Dev. “We’re going to have to work on that.”
“Work any harder on it, and I’ll be comatose.”
“Don’t worry, kitten.” He leaned forward and kissed her ear, then followed that up with a slow, savory lick of her neck. “We’ll watch over you while you recover.”
* * * *
Several hours later, Drew fought the urge to sink into the memory of their morning playtime. He and Dev had given it their best shot, but Julia proved to be anything but comatose while he and Dev had both needed a nap. Drew came to the conclusion that lovemaking energized their woman.
He looked up to encounter Jordan Kendall’s amused smirk. Drew understood that the other man had said something to him, and that he’d so completely zoned out as to not even hear him.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Jordan shook his head, chuckling. “It doesn’t matter. For the record, I understand your distraction completely. It hasn’t been that long since the three of us got together.”
Drew grinned. “You’re family. I was half worried you’d want to pound on me instead of welcome me.”
Jordan waved his hand as if dismissing the notion. “I’ve known Jules all my life, of course, so there is that protective streak in me. But that doesn’t extend to the two of you. You’re hers. I knew that within moments of meeting you.”
The women were huddled in the kitchen. Rumor had it that Tracy was creating a dessert for later that Julia had promised would taste like heaven. Dev accepted Peter’s invitation to tour the house. Drew relaxed in the enormous backyard, the patio dotted with potted plants as well as chairs, a large round table, and in one corner, a glider.
Jordan had shown off his new grill that sat gleaming in the early afternoon sun. Drew had to admit it was the biggest one he’d ever seen.
“We have a large family, especially if you count cousins on top of siblings,” Jordan explained. Then Jordan shrugged, and Drew wondered if the contractor was actually blushing. “As a matter of fact, a couple of my brothers have invited themselves to dinner, today. Morgan and Henry, and their fiancée Tamara should be by shortly.”
“See? I told you it was a sucker bet.” Dev stepped onto the patio, two frosty-looking beer bottles in hand. He gave one of them to Drew. Behind him, Peter carried two as well, giving one to Jordan.
Jordan looked from him to Dev. “Since you’re both newly back from being deployed to Kabul, do I assume you know my brothers?”
&nb
sp; “Actually, we’ve only met one of them. Morgan.”
“Met me? Hell, Wakefield, you and James didn’t just meet me. You saved my life.”
Drew turned at the sound of the familiar voice. By the look of shock on Jordan’s face it was clear that Morgan Kendall hadn’t told his family about his close call last year. He’d have been surprised if he had. Aside from the general need-to-know basic rule of thumb that governed the behavior of those who served, Kendall had been involved in covert operations, much the same as he and Dev had been.
One simply didn’t talk about his service, except in the most general of terms.
“Just doing our jobs,” Dev said. Enthusiastic backslaps and handshakes between them and the new arrivals smoothed over the void left by such a shocking greeting.
“We won’t ask,” Jordan said. “But I have a feeling that whatever happened back in Afghanistan, it was a hell of a lot more than just a couple of SEALs doing their job.”
Henry Kendall had also been in the Air Force, and the man had that air of outrageousness that Drew tended to associate with jet jockeys.
The kitchen door opened, and Tracy came out, carrying a large tray of steaks. Behind her, another newcomer, a tiny little bit of a woman with short brown hair and almost golden eyes carried another tray that held an assortment of spices and sauces.
Drew reassessed his opinion of Tamara Jones when she shook his hand in a strong grip. Learning she was a pilot was the second surprise he got, but one look into her determined face told him there likely wasn’t anything this woman couldn’t handle.
“Where’s Julia?” He tried to look into the kitchen but the afternoon sun shone too brightly for him to get a good look inside the house.
Tracy set down the tray of meat. “She just popped out to get a couple of things. She should be back in a bit.”
Drew looked over at Dev, who returned his look of concern.
“Yeah, yeah,” Tracy said. “You men are all the same, getting all uptight and such if one of us leaves your sight.” Then she tipped down her sunglasses. “Y’all need to chill. Texas women are made of strong stuff.”
Drew nodded. “Julia certainly is, and I have every faith in her ability to take care of herself. Doesn’t mean I like having her out of my sight.”
Tracy shook her head as if to say she’d never understand men. A quick scan of the others showed him what he expected to see—nods of agreement from the men and a pitying look from Tamara.
Drew had wondered, earlier, about the familial relations in the Benedict clan. Now he could see a bond between the men that spoke to him of more than just their being family. He sensed a deep well of respect as well as love between the men. The fact that both Morgan and Henry seemed to accept Peter Alvarez as another brother impressed him.
Lusty was looking more and more appealing with each passing day.
“Of course, we nailed that little punk, but not before our Fed, here, got shot. Again.” Jordan recounted the excitement they’d had just a few weeks before.
“You’re just jealous of all of the scars I’m amassing.” Peter’s expression appeared stoic.
Tracy came out of the kitchen with a bottle of beer for herself. She used it to toast him as she said, “Any more scars and you’re going to need plastic surgery.”
“Maybe I’ll get plastic surgery so we can match,” Jordan said. “I wonder if I could get the doc to give me a matching bullet crease on my left arm,” Jordan said.
“You’d feel differently, little brother, if you ever had to duck flying lead,” Morgan said.
“You’re probably right.”
“Maybe we should change the subject. I don’t want my two lovers thinking about me and ducking flying lead at the same time, if you don’t mind.” Peter looked from Morgan to Henry.
Morgan shrugged. “Just trying to do our part to desensitize them,” he said. “I know Adam feels the same way.”
“We’ll get there.” Tracy stretched up and placed a kiss on her future brother-in-law’s cheek. “So”—she stepped back and looked from him to Tamara—“how are the wedding plans coming?”
“We’ve chosen a date,” Henry said. “Almost.”
“The only absolutes so far,” Tamara said, “are the principals and the venue.”
“Which would be you three and the Lusty Community Center,” Tracy said. “And the caterers too, of course.”
“Of course.” Tamara grinned.
Drew looked over at Dev, who held his cell phone to his ear. He didn’t have to ask. He knew he was calling Julia. She’d been gone for nearly half an hour. When Dev pulled it away and frowned as he looked at the display, Drew asked, “What’s up?”
He felt his senses go on red alert when Dev said, “She’s not answering.”
“Maybe she left her cell phone at home,” Tamara said.
The laughter had left Jordan’s face as he shook his head and pulled out his own cell phone.
“No, she wouldn’t. One thing that was drilled into all of us once cell phones came into such wide use. They’re a safety device and none of us goes anywhere without one.” He looked over at Tracy. “She went to the grocery in town?”
“Yeah.”
Jordan keyed in a number and then everyone waited quietly. “Hey, Aunt Patti, it’s Jordan. Just great, thanks. I was wondering, is Julia still wandering around there, by any chance?” He listened, then thanked his aunt before closing the phone. He looked from Dev to him, and by the look of alarm on the man’s face, Drew knew something was terribly wrong.
“I just spoke to my aunt who runs the grocery. She’s been on checkout all day.” He looked from him to Devon and then back. “Julia never arrived.”
Chapter 11
Vibration buzzed at the very edge of her consciousness, like a pesky gnat that wouldn’t let her sleep.
Julia struggled to open her eyes. A sense of disorientation swamped her. Pain, sharp and biting, tore through her thoughts, reaching down and yanking her to the surface of wakefulness. She gasped, terror exploding and threatening to consume her. It took every bit of nerve she possessed to beat that monster back, to take control of her emotions. Her heart pounded loudly in her own ears. She closed her eyes and focused on breathing, on slowing her heart rate, and on achieving calm.
She refused to let the fear have her.
Darkness, the stink of car exhaust, and the sensation of rough, quivering motion all assaulted her at once. She blinked, immediately aware of the small space enclosing her. There was pain in her shoulder and behind her eyes, a slight headache that nagged. She frowned, and felt the sensation of something sticky on her temple. It took her a moment to deduce the stickiness was drying blood.
I’m inside the trunk of a car!
But how the hell did she get there, and what in the name of God was going on?
Memory resisted her efforts to call it, so she closed her eyes once more, bore down, and demanded an answer.
The effort sharpened her headache, but images, like freeze-frames on a movie reel, began to form. They gave her only pieces of information.
She saw herself leaving Tracy’s en route to the grocery in Lusty to get ice and butter. Another vehicle, a brown Chevy, came up beside her and forced her off the road.
Julia heard again the scream of crumpling metal and breaking glass and recalled the explosion of pain as her car hit a tree and her head hit…something.
Julia blinked, but the rest of the memory turned murky then faded out. The rest didn’t matter, anyway. Between one heartbeat and the next, she understood exactly what had happened to her.
Oh, hell, I’ve been kidnapped.
The possibility of being kidnapped had been a shadow that hovered near when she’d been a child. Every Benedict, Kendall, and Jessop always understood that, because of their wealth, they were all prime targets for kidnapping. She and her cousins had grown up learning to be aware of their surroundings, and any strangers who paid them undue attention. The families had mastered high security with a c
asual flair. Every member of the family had been taught evasive maneuvers against the eventuality of being assaulted.
Julia had never believed it would really happen to her.
How long ago had she been grabbed? Her head throbbed, but did that mean she’d been unconscious for a long time, or just a short one?
Julia felt the vibration again, the same tickling sensation that had awakened her. Her cell phone! She’d shoved it into her pocket along with a twenty dollar bill as she’d headed out to the store, leaving her purse behind.
No member of the family ever left home without their cell phone.
Her hands weren’t bound, and neither were her feet. Had she been taken by the most inept kidnapper ever?
He—and she was almost one hundred percent certain it was a he—likely figured that since she’d been unconscious when he dumped her in his trunk, he didn’t need to tie her up.
Good news for her, but how long would it last? How long until he pulled over, opened the trunk, and trussed her up like last year’s Thanksgiving turkey?
Her cell phone stopped vibrating. Thank God she rarely had the device set on ring. Listening, she could hear no radio, no sound beyond that of the car’s motor, which really wasn’t all that loud. If her phone did ring, or if she tried to talk on it, whoever was driving the car might very well hear her.
Crap. She needed help, but couldn’t call anyone. Julia blinked. No, she couldn’t call anyone, but maybe she could text someone! At least, she hoped she could. She took a moment to think. He’d placed her on her right side, with her knees bent. Her cell phone was in her right pants pocket. She tried to ease off her right side, so she would be able to reach into her capris. Her head pounded the moment she began to move, and a wave of dizziness swept through her, making her stomach roll with nausea. Clamping her jaw closed, Julia focused on not crying out and not puking. If she had any hope of succeeding, she had to keep silent, and she had to hurry.
Covington, Cara - Love Under Two Navy SEALs [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11
