She watched as the lock turned slowly, holding her breath while the knob was turned and the door quietly creaked open. Her heart pounded in her ears, making her clamp her teeth together to keep from making a peep. Both of Alaina’s arms were locked straight and her hands gripped so hard it hurt all the way up to her elbows. When the figure appeared, she started squeezing the trigger.
“Alaina, no! It’s me!” Brody’s voice boomed as he ducked down below the fire zone. She eased off, gently uncocking the weapon and flipped the safety back on, wilting from the rush her body had just endured. He stood from his squatted position and caught her before she fell. “Are you all right?” He eased the cold iron out of her hands gently, stowing it in his waistband. She had just pointed a gun at him, and he was worried if she was okay. Wow.
“I’m sorry…Alex said to shoot if someone came in. I didn’t know it was you,” her voice shook, still in a state of stupefaction.
“I am proud of you. That took a lot of guts. If I would have taken a millisecond more, you would be visiting me in the hospital,” he joked, trying to ease her discomfort. He pulled her tightly against his chest, giving her a whiff of the fresh scent of soap and a woodsy aroma that was his own. He just showered. Which could only mean…God he feels so good. No matter what had happened, she didn’t care. The fucker was hopefully gone for good, and they were safe. She finally relaxed, taking the time to appreciate every small detail about him. Her thoughts were circling over the small little things she was noticing, like how his heart sounded, and how his pecks flexed when he moved his arms—when someone pressed in behind. She turned around startled at the unfamiliar feeling of being encased between two brick walls to find a grinning Leland.
“Hi, sugar.” He leaned over and kissed the crook of her neck, sending an immediate chill up her spine. Her body flickered alive. Was it wrong to be with two men? Hell, if it felt this good in a hug, what would other things feel like? Her breath hitched, creating a soft chuckle from them both.
“Hi. What’s so funny?” Alaina pouted.
“Absolutely nothing at all is funny. We just happen to love the reaction you have to us. We have been afraid to let you see what our intentions are.” Leland laid it out on the table, sending her brain bouncing like a tennis ball in her skull. There it is. They do want a ménage. Can I do this? Do I want to? The sudden tingling in her panties answered her inner dilemma. A mental inventory of feelings and circumstances flipped rapidly. It was all silenced when Brody leaned in and claimed her lips. Instead of hinting and asking, he was taking and showing. The second her lips parted, he dove in with urgency. It didn’t take long for her to swoon and go limp in their arms. His hand skimmed up her shoulder and planted at the side of her head with his thumb resting on her cheek and his fingers going around the back of her neck. This was her biggest turn-on move, and he had pulled her cards on the first hand. She wrapped her arms around his neck, ruffling her fingers through the back of his hair to pull him in deeper. He more than willingly obliged, taking her tongue on in a full out battle. Things heated up in a hurry, making her breaths come in pants between licks and sucks. Leland’s hands caressed her arms and back, amping the heat to the already smoking smooch. When Brody broke away abruptly, she was left tottering and in a daze. Before she gained her composure, the two traded places and Leland took up where Brody had left off. He tasted sweet where Brody was more salty tangy, and her taste buds exploded. He had a musky, earthy scent that petted her libido. He kissed her slower than Brody had but just as powerful, staking a sort of claim on her. He took his time, kissing her up the mountain of ecstasy. Loud catcalls and whistles screeched things to a halt, sending a roaring fire to flicker across her face.
“Don’t stop on our account, it’s been awhile since I got to see a hot show,” Romeo hollered. Snickers echoed around them.
“Oh my God, this isn’t want it looks like...” Alaina stammered, stepping out of their hold. When she turned and bolted, she ran smack dab into a brick wall. Someone caught her under her arms, saving her ass from an up close and personal introduction with the floor. When she shook the helping hands off, her vision caught the cause of her jolt. Standing with his arms folded across his chest and a scowl, was none other than the brutal glare of Dom. Her eyes widened in fear, and she slowly stepped backwards straight into Brody’s arms once again.
“It isn’t? Leland and Brody weren’t kissing you?” His tone was solid and bold, scaring the living daylights out of her. She hated being put on the spot, and was rendered speechless. He waited, looking at her as if he would sit for hours until she answered. Finally, she got pissed enough to stand up to him.
“Yes, I guess it is what it looked like then.” With a fuck you glare, she attempted to get out of Brody’s hold and bolt to the bathroom but was only disappointed when Dom wouldn’t let it go.
“So, why are you trying to hide it and pretend it wasn’t what it was?” Once again, his monotone sent chills over her arms.
This time, he struck a nerve. It was an obvious answer and he was only trying to humiliate her in front of a group of people. She hated being questioned, and hated even more for someone to put her on the spot to make her look like a dipshit on purpose.
“I didn’t want to look like a desperate whore or make any of you feel uncomfortable. It embarrassed me because I haven’t been with anyone but my husband since I was a sophomore in high school, but I guess I was too quick to worry about your opinions or feelings.” The last part of her statement was a bit heated, turning her coloring to a bright neon glow.
This time instead of trying to run, she squared her shoulders in a challenge, narrowing her eyes into slits. A few ‘damns’ and ‘oh snaps’ sounded from the others, helping her confidence enough to prepare for whatever he said next.
“Lesson number one: don’t ever worry what people will say or think of you. Lesson two: don’t ever be embarrassed of love or sex. It is a beautiful thing, and confidence is power. You are already learning lesson three: don’t let anyone make you feel inferior or intimidate you.” His mouth turned up in a smile, and he walked over and snaked his huge arms around her in a hug. “Welcome to the family.” The others clapped and cheered, easing her frustration some. Wow. What a character. Maybe I should be glad he didn’t initiate me in a more brutal way…like water logging or electrocution!
Once he sat her down, Brody and Leland were once again locked to her sides. “You did something most can’t, Alaina,” Brody said.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“You didn’t fold under Dom’s intimidation. That is something not many have accomplished,” Leland piped up, grinning at her. The rest of the group started engaging in the conversation, each of them asking random questions about her and her life from time to time, getting to know her. Whether she wanted them to assume her an item with the hot cowboy/soldier duo she wasn’t sure, but she did appreciate their enthusiasm.
After only a few minutes, Brody spoke up, silencing the eager group. “We need to hit the road. Everyone pack up and get everything ready for the long haul. Kodiak, you have sleeping beauty duty. Don’t wake her or it is clean up duty for a month.”
“On it, Capt’n.” Kodiak walked over to the bed and began delicately and quietly wrapping Lizzy in a blanket before easing her into his arms. Alaina had to giggle. Watching a grizzly bear being so careful was quite the sight.
“Everyone else, pack up and move out,” his simple command sent everyone into action.
“What do you need me to do?” Alaina felt like she was being a waste of oxygen and wanted to be put to use however they needed. She wasn’t one to stand around when work needed done, and soldiers or not, she wasn’t going to stop now.
“You can follow me outside. I will show you to your seat, madam.” His fake accent made her giggle. Alaina looped her arm in his, and let him lead the way. When they made it out the door, she almost fell over in shock. A gigantic motor home was parked only a few feet away from the door, blocking the whole dang ya
rd.
“Holy crap where did this come from?” Alaina’s mouth gaped at its sight. It was like a rock star’s tour bus. It was a glossy black, with dark windows and what looked to be a ton of pop outs. She had seen a bunch of buses from various singers roll through town, but this looked like it belonged on an episode of Cribs.
“Well, we needed something to make the trip in, and I thought what better than a rolling hotel? Do you like it?” He beamed, waiting, hopeful for her answer.
“Like it? No. I love it. This is the coolest thing ever!” He released her arm and helped her up the narrow stairs into their new ride. She looked around, taking in every detail from the wood trim and recess lighting to the front room complete with sectional couch and huge flat screen television on the wall. The carpeting was a dark plush charcoal gray, and went well with the designer look and pops of color. Accent walls were painted a deep red, giving a rich feel to the space. Even the driver’s seat was plush, lush, and built for a king. The bathroom had a full shower and tub, double vanity and full size toilet. A decent size kitchen was attached to the living space with a full stove, fridge, and microwave, plenty of countertop space, and cabinets lining the wall for food and dishes. There were two separate bedrooms and a bunkroom that held more than enough beds for everyone. Two extra bunks rested over the driver’s area, and with all of the furniture, there was enough room to haul at least fifteen comfortably.
After the initial walk through, they pointed out Elizabeth’s spot by the master suite’s door. There was a tuck away bunk with a television on the wall in front of it, game systems, and under bed storage. The top bunk had the same setup, only had a shelf with a little light, hot pink bed linens, and a pile of brand new stuffed animals lined against the wall. Alaina almost cried. It was so perfect. Elizabeth was going to flip when she saw it. She hadn’t had new things in so long. The thought that went into the details for her was incomprehensible. After only knowing her a very short time, this group had bent over backwards and went out of their way for them both. “Wow.” Alaina had to swallow a few times to clear the mist from her eyes. “There are no words to describe how thoughtful this is. Elizabeth is going to freak. Thank you, so, so much. You have no idea how much this means to me.” Her arms flew around Brody’s neck and she squeezed tight. He hugged her back, finally pulling away with a huge grin. There were so many emotions piled up in her she couldn’t sort them. Hope was once again back in her vocabulary.
“We wanted her to be happy when she woke up. After everything that poor kid has been through, she needs some TLC. Once we get home, she is in for a whole lot more,” his voice went soft, making her heart melt even more.
These two men may have just been introduced into their lives, but they had made more of an impact than others who had been there the whole time. For anyone to put so much thought and energy out for her and Elizabeth was just dumbfounding. She was touched, and found her heart heating the layers of ice that had crystallized over it the past six months. She had heard of people falling in love at first sight, and hadn’t given it much thought. Whether this was love, she had no idea, but the kindness and care they had given in the short time was enough for her to know without a doubt that she loved them as people. No matter what the future held, this group would forever hold a spot deep in her heart.
The next thirty minutes was spent loading everything from the truck to the under storage of the motor home, and upon closer examination a bunch of her stuff from her house was included. Leland had said that all of her pictures and sentimental things were there, a few things of Elizabeth’s favorites, and the bare necessities. “We will make a trip back with a U-Haul next week for everything else. In the meantime, I think we got what you need to survive for now. We will be shopping for the next few days anyway.” Leland took her hand and led her to the master suite.
She absorbed his words but couldn’t verbalize a coherent sentence. This had to be a dream right? People didn’t do this… It was more kindness than any human could possibly have. He sat her on the side of the bed and knelt down on the floor to pull her shoes off.
“I can do that…thank you.” He was taking her shoes off? No one had ever taken her shoes off for her, since she was tiny. Leland smiled up at her, as if reading her thoughts.
“I know you are able, but I want to. You need to start getting it through your head that you are going to be taken care of. Hell, more than that. We are going to spoil you girls rotten. Now, shimmy out of those jeans and crawl up in bed. You need to get some rest. We have a long trip ahead.” He kissed her sweetly on the lips and waited for her to oblige. She didn’t know whether to ask him to turn around or to just shuck them off and say screw it, but the gentleness in his face made the decision for her.
Without a second thought, she unbuttoned and unzipped them, did her normal little shimmy shake to get them over her hips, and pushed them down to pool at her feet. Without looking up she stepped out of them, scurried into the bed, and flipped the covers over her to hide in a mad dash. When she found enough courage to look back up, her heart stopped. Leland had gone from the sweet and gentle man she had seen only moments before, talking about stuffed teddy bears and ruffles, to a feral wild beast with a heated stare so hot she felt her skin start to sweat.
****
Leland didn’t know if his shy little fawn would be bold enough to get into her undies in front of him, but he damn sure wasn’t about to walk away and not find out. Things may have been going fast, but their situation was unique. He and Brody had come to an agreement to take things slow with her and not scare her shitless, but who was to say a little encouragement and perks weren’t allowed? The second she flipped the fly of her Levi’s opened, his mouth went dry. Alaina’s fingers had trembled on the thick material. She must have conjured up the last ounce of courage she had left when she slid her thumbs in the waistband to shimmy them off. He had caught a glimpse of the sexy red underwear with the little black bows through the gap, and wanted to tear her remaining clothes off with his teeth. Alaina was the most courageous, strong, and beautiful person inside and out that he had ever met. She had no clue how banging her body was, which made her even more sexy. When her pants fell to her feet, his groin went from noticing to fighting to take control. Patience was usually his strong suit, but she was breaking the barriers of his willpower thread by thread.
The second she bolted under the covers, he had to stifle a laugh. Her pants falling off apparently took the last of her confidence with it. He had to fight the urge to undress to make her feel more comfortable about her half-clad state and join her, knowing she probably wouldn’t see it as an act of humanity. Instead, he walked over to the bed and sat on the side.
Her eyes widened in shock. Her inner voice was at battle with her conscience. One said take it farther, the other said stop.
“Alaina, you are so fucking fine. I didn’t mean for you to get embarrassed, but I can’t say I am sorry that I stayed either.” He grinned, loving the shade of pink her cheeks turned. Instead of the neon red her nose and face got when she was embarrassed, this was something different. This was a look of arousal, and one he wanted to get well acquainted with.
She looked down at the comforter feeling uncomfortable with the compliment. All of this was new, and scared the absolute shit out of her. Leland picked up on it and his heart ached. That was something he and Brody were going to get her past, and in a hurry. It was such a shame that a perfect, sweet woman had been trashed and broken so badly, but he knew without a doubt they were the pair to piece and mend her back.
“Thank you. I—” Before she could go on, he tilted her chin back up with the tip of his finger and met her eyes.
“There. Now, go on.”
“I was just going to say that I am not anywhere close to being in shape, especially compared to the lot of you all. I have had a baby. Things aren’t like they used to be…stretch marks, cellulite, bumps and lumps that didn’t used to be there. Anyway, I just wanted you to know so you wouldn’t be repulsed
.” The last few words came out in an almost whisper.
Instead of explaining his opinion, he leaned in and kissed her again, feeling a bout of accomplishment when she didn’t shy away as much as the other times.
Alaina was lost in him. Her heart pounded against her ribs, from both fear of the unknown and excitement of what was happening. She parted her lips and kissed him back, matching his hunger with her own.
When he pulled away, her eyes were glazed over in lust. She was the hottest fucking sight he had ever seen. Her pretty pale pink lips were swollen and darker, showing the results of his desire. Unable to resist, he softly traced his thumb over her full bottom lip, gliding it slowly down her chin.
Alaina surrendered. After all this time, she felt the guards around her heart slowly tumbling down into piles of rubble. Her past was being buried for good. He wandered down her neck in a soft trail, pushing past the neckline of her t-shirt to graze the tops of her full breasts.
The simple act got the reaction he had hoped. Both of her nipples pebbled through her shirt, poking through the fabric in a welcoming committee. When he looked back up to her face, he was floored at how her eyes showed so much lust and want. Both were hooded heavily and glassed over. He ventured down deeper into her shirt, watching her cautiously for any signs of reluctance. When she only smiled, he navigated under the lace barrier into her bra. “You have perfect tits, baby. I can’t wait to taste them. Does that feel good?”
Alaina sucked in a gulp of air at contact. It had been so long, she had almost forgotten how damn wonderful a man’s touch could feel. He kneaded and squeezed, stopping only long enough to tweak her nipples. She moaned, whispering a breathless “Yes, fuck yes!” The little sting sent bolts of lightning straight to her clit, awakening the forgotten nub. She arched into his hand, kicking all previous reservations out the window. When he took her mouth again, she had to fight to not strip him down and jump on him. His lips moved down her neck in a trail of fire, drawing her up on her knees to get closer. She set her hands on a mission—to scope out and feel every inch of his upper body. The smooth skin against the iron muscle was a delightful contradiction, heating her core to boiling.
Cadence of Love Page 9
