Liberation

by Becca Van

  She took another step intending to sink into the water on the other side of the tub, but she didn’t make it. The bottom was slick with water and soap from the bubbles Ace had put into the bath and her legs flew out from under her. She screamed as she began to fall and hoped she didn’t hit her head on the side of the tub.

  * * * *

  “Fuck!” Ace surged to his feet and caught Delta before she fell into the water.

  “What the fuck did you do?” Major asked angrily.

  “You fucking made her cry,” Rocco snarled.

  “I don’t know why she’s so upset.” Ace frowned. “I think something got lost in translation.”

  Ace stepped out of the tub, taking Delta with him, and after lowering her feet to the bath mat, he wrapped a towel around her. “Will you please find out why she’s so upset?” He met Major’s gaze.

  Major nodded and sighed. He nudged her chin up and when Ace saw the tears rolling down her cheeks, his heart clenched painfully. He snagged a towel off the rail and wrapped it around his waist. “Wait, this is my doing. I need to be the one to sort it out.”

  Major nodded again and stepped back.

  Ace moved closer to Delta and sighed with relief when she met his gaze. “I don’t know what I did to hurt you, darlin’, but I’m sorry. I would never want to make you cry. I was just so happy you could talk. I didn’t think you could since all you’ve ever done is sign to us.”

  “You aren’t repulsed by the sound of my voice or the way I say words?”

  “What? Why the hell would you think that?” Ace asked, bewildered. “I think you have an amazing voice, Delta. It’s soft and musical.”

  “Are you lying to me?”

  He stared into her eyes and hoped she could see his sincerity. “I would never lie to you, darlin’. Honesty is paramount in any relationship, as is communication. I can promise you right here and now, that I will never, ever, lie to you.”

  She nodded and her shoulders dropped from around her ears as she relaxed again. “I’m sorry.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for, Delta.”

  “I jumped to conclusions.”

  Ace breached the distance between them and tugged her into his arms. He kissed her forehead and drew back so she could see his lips. “You’re human just like we are, honey. None of us are perfect. Hell, we’re men and are likely to fuck up a time or two, but please, don’t ever think me or my brothers would make fun of you. We care for you, Delta. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she answered verbally.

  Major nodded at Ace and then he and Rocco left the room.

  Ace wanted to know who’d told his woman she sounded funny when she spoke, and when he found out he was going to beat the shit out of the fucker, but right now he had a woman to love. By the time he was finished making her scream in pleasure, he was going to tell her how much he loved her.

  He sighed with relief when she wrapped her arms around his waist and he just stood there holding her. He wished they didn’t have the towels between them so he could feel her naked body pressed against his, but he would, needed, to be patient. Ace was determined to go at her pace even if it killed him.

  She squeezed him before drawing back and then moved to the vanity and picked up the brush, which had been sitting there on the counter just waiting for her to use. It was brand new as was everything else in the master en suite. She met his gaze in the mirror, holding the brush up for him to see and quirked her eyebrow in query.

  Ace moved up behind her, grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “No other woman or person has ever used this room or bathroom. Whatever is in here is yours, darlin’.”

  She frowned as her gaze drifted to the brush, back to him and to the brush again. “Why?”

  “My brothers and I set this room up for the woman we were waiting for to complete us, honey. You’re that woman.”

  Delta lowered the brush and her gaze. She shook her head before staring into his eyes. “You don’t know that. You don’t know me.”

  Ace nodded and palmed her cheeks. “I do, we do know that. We’ve never been attracted to another woman the way we’re attracted to you, darlin’. I agree that we’re still getting to know each other, have a lot to learn about each other, but I know, here”—he placed his hand on his chest over his heart—“that you are the woman we’ve been waiting for. The woman we can and want to spend the rest of our lives with.”

  “Why do you all want me?” she asked. “What if one or two of you find yourself attracted to someone else. What then?”

  Ace shook his head. “We need to get dressed. Major and Rocco need to be present while we have this discussion.”

  She sighed and turned back toward the mirror and brushed her hair.

  Ace didn’t want her out of his sight. He was hot and horny but also feeling very possessive, but he needed to give her some time alone to think over what he’d already told her. Hopefully, he and his brothers could convince her that none of them would feel an attraction toward anyone else.

  He rushed toward his bedroom for some clothes, cursing his hard on when he had trouble doing up his jeans. He had a feeling that his turn to make love with Delta had just been shot all to hell. If that was the case and his erection didn’t subside he was going to have to take matters into his own hands, otherwise he wouldn’t be getting any sleep in the near future.

  * * * *

  Although the need to make love and connect with Ace was a deep yearning in the pit of her gut, she wanted, needed answers to the questions she’d asked.

  She wasn’t biased and had been aware of the groups of men with one woman, but she hadn’t thought anything of it. She didn’t care how other people lived their lives, who or how they loved, but now that she was becoming involved with more than one man, she needed to know how they thought, how they felt.

  Ever since she left the institution she had strict control over her life, over everything she did, and right now she felt as if she was at sea adrift with no way to steer. She’d always kept her distance from other people even while interacting with them so she wouldn’t be hurt, and because of how others treated her just because she was a little different.

  Right now, she was overwhelmed, her mind spinning off into a thousand different directions but going around in circles. When tension began to invade her muscles, she tried to clear her mind and grabbed some jeans and a light sweater. She didn’t bother with shoes, because the floors were dark-stained hardwood and wasn’t cold beneath her bare feet.

  Once she was dressed she headed out toward the kitchen and hoped she wasn’t, and hadn’t, made the biggest mistake of her life. When her heart didn’t flip or race with trepidation, she knew deep down in her gut that she hadn’t, but she still needed to understand why three men wanted to share one woman.

  She entered the living room to find Major, Rocco, and Ace sitting on the sofa. Warmth surged into her heart when they all stood up. They were gentlemen through and through. She hoped she got to meet the woman who’d instilled such good moralistic ethics into their beings.

  “Come sit here, baby,” Major signed before patting the cushion next to him.

  She walked over and sat where he indicated. When he stood and moved away, she frowned but realized he was moving to sit on the edge of the coffee table in front of her so she could see him signing.

  “Ace said you have a few questions,” Major said.

  Delta nodded, drew in a deep breath and asked her first question. “What if one or all of you find out you’re attracted to another woman?”

  Rocco shifted to face her. “That won’t happen, honey.”

  Delta was glad that Major had moved because although Rocco was answering her and she was reading his lips, she could see Major signing from the corner of her eye.

  “You don’t know that.”

  Ace rose from his seat and sat next to Major. “Yes, we do, darlin. We’ve had plenty of experience with the opposite sex. We know when something is right. We aren’t young kids.”<
br />
  “But—”

  “There are no buts, baby,” Major signed. “Do you think we pursue women the way we’ve pursued you? We don’t give out our cell phone numbers to just anyone. You’re beautiful, Delta. We were drawn to you from the start, and each minute we spend with you just makes us realize how right you are for us.”

  “What if you’re not right for me?” She hated herself as soon as she asked that question. She had no idea why she was being so cruel. Tears burned her eyes and she lowered her gaze as guilt pierced her heart. She’d seen the flash of hurt in each of their gazes and wished she could take her question back.

  Ace leaned forward and grasped her arms. He was angry with her and had every right to be. “Why would you ask that? Are you trying to pick a fight with us so you can leave? We know you wouldn’t have agreed to make love with us, be with us, if you didn’t have feelings for us.” He released her arms, stood and began to pace.

  While she tried to keep the tears from welling she lost the battle and they rolled down her face. She wrapped her arms around her waist and bent over.

  Rocco scooped her up from the cushion and plonked her into his lap. He tilted her head back and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. “What’s this really about, honey?”

  “I’m scared,” she finally answered honestly.

  “Of us?” He scowled at her.

  “No. Yes. I don’t know!”

  “You don’t think we’d hurt you, do you?”

  “No.”

  “Then what are you so afraid of?” Major asked.

  Since they’d been nothing but honest with her she decided she should be the same. “I’m scared of falling in love with you all and getting my heart broken.”

  Rocco tilted her gaze up toward his. “Life can be risky, honey, just as relationships can be. Do you think we would open ourselves up to you if we didn’t think this was going to work? Are you going to spend the rest of your life scared of caring for someone in case you get hurt? You can’t keep everyone at an arm’s length forever, Delta. We’re just as vulnerable as you are, honey, but we’re willing to take the risk because we know deep in our hearts that you’re worth it.”

  “I don’t know what to do.” Inside she was crying. Crying for the all those long lonely years behind her. Crying for the love already forming in her heart. Crying with need to be with them for the rest of her life, but she thought over Ace’s words and knew he was right. If she wanted to have a chance at love and a normal life, she needed to open herself up and hold on tight. If she got her heart broken, at least she’d have tried and wouldn’t have any regrets.

  Major clasped one of her hands in his and Ace clasped the other. Rocco was stroking a hand up and down her back. She fell head over heels in love with them right then and there. Even after she’d hurt them with her careless words they were still trying to comfort her. They were putting her needs and emotions before their own because that was the type of men they were. Good, honorable, noble, kind hearted men, even if they would never admit it.

  They’d told her they were emotionless, numb after fighting in the military. That was so far from the truth it was implausible.

  All her concerns fled. The turmoil in her heart was replaced with full overflowing love for Major, Rocco, and Ace. None of them could predict the future, but she wasn’t about to walk away from them because of fear. She’d never been a coward before and she wasn’t going to start being one now.

  She’d known when she’d agreed to make love with them and have a relationship that they’d somehow managed to work their way into her heart.

  Delta realized that although they may look at and admire a member of the opposite sex, that they would never wander. If they fell in love with her the way she’d already fallen for them, they would never, ever stray. They would be loyal and love her for the rest of their days.

  “You’re all right,” she said. “I’ve kept myself at a distance because it was easier than trying to prove to others I was just like them. It hurt me when people turned their back on me or gazed at me as if I was a bug under a microscope. I didn’t even notice how isolated I kept myself until I needed to hire staff for the diner. I’m sorry for being such a coward.”

  “You could never be a coward, darlin’.” Ace squeezed her hand. “Don’t you know how much we admire you? You’ve spent your whole life dealing with narrow-minded bigots but here you are willing to take a chance on us, on life. That takes courage, Delta.”

  Delta had never looked at things from that perspective, nor had she realized that it took strength to not cave to what others expected. Lightness filled her heart and soul.

  She hadn’t even noticed that she still had some of those preconceived shackles from society holding her back. She’d been just as guilty as all those biased assholes for her loneliness, but now that the bonds had been stripped from her body and mind, she was going to live her life to the fullest. Happiness and love coursed through her veins and poured into her heart and soul.

  It was time to face life head on instead of hiding from it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ace held his breath as the shadows in Delta’s jade green eyes lightened. The frown which had been marring her face smoothed out and her lips curved up into one of the sexiest, sultriest smiles he’d ever seen a woman make.

  She tugged her hands free from his and Major’s and then rose. He followed the movement of her hands, and when she crossed her arms down low and gripped the hem of her sweater, the breath exploded from his lungs.

  He wasn’t sure if he blinked or maybe zoned out for a second, but when he was able to focus again, she’d already pulled her top off and flung it aside. His cock had gone down to half-mast while they’d been talking, but it roared back to full attention in less than a second.

  He clenched his hands into fists to stop himself from reaching for her and pulling her into his arms. She needed to do this, needed to feel confident and sexy in her own feminine skin. How he knew that, he had no clue. He just did.

  So, he remained seated on the coffee table, frozen like a statue with his gaze riveted to her sexy body.

  When her fingers tugged the button on her jeans open, he clenched his jaw and tried to ignore his throbbing cock. He wanted to shift and relieve the tight pressure of his jeans on his aching erection, but he didn’t want to distract Delta from her sexy strip tease.

  The sound of her zipper lowering had his heart pounding against his ribs, and when she wriggled her hip as she shoved her jeans down, he began to sweat.

  She kicked the jeans aside and waited, hoping she wouldn’t chicken out and remove those little wisps of lace hiding her feminine attributes from his gaze.

  Ace glanced at Rocco to see his brother staring at Delta’s ass and he was licking his lips. When Major shifted beside him, for the first time in forever he was jealous of his brothers. Jealous that they’d each made love with their woman already and he hadn’t. He wanted to have that with her, too. He wasn’t envious of his brothers touching her or loving her. He just felt as if he was missing out by not having had his moment with her.

  He wasn’t sure if he’d portrayed that in his body language or maybe his eyes. He hoped he hadn’t made her feel guilty because that was the last thing he wanted. However, he was human enough to be happy when she held her hand out to him and not either of his brothers. He clasped her hand and stood when she tugged. She stroked his cheek and then said, “I want you, Ace.”

  “I want you, too, darlin’.”

  She went up on tiptoes and he met her halfway. Her tongue licked over his lips, seeking entrance. He moaned as he opened to her. When her arms hooked around his neck, he caressed down her sides, gripped her ass and lifted her, turned and began walking toward the bedroom.

  His heart filled with warmth and happiness, that she was already getting to know them. She was giving herself to him just as she had given herself to his brothers. He stopped at the end of the bed and lowered her feet to the floor. He kept his eyes locked wi
th hers and quickly removed his clothes. Her gaze eyed his body over, and he groaned with hunger when she licked her lips while staring at his cock. He’d already felt her hot, wet mouth on his erection and couldn’t wait to feel it there again, but right now he was too desperate to let her explore his body.

  He moved into her until their bodies were touching, threaded his fingers into her hair, and slanted his mouth over hers. Her small, soft hands smoothed over his shoulder and down his arms. His blood heated and sweat sheened his skin. He caressed up her sides, over her arms and down her back. When he couldn’t take another moment of the exquisite torture, he flicked open the clasp on her bra and swept the straps down her arms.

  He released her lips, dragged air into his lungs, and lifted her into his arms and took her down to the mattress. Ace shifted to her side, so he wouldn’t crush her smaller frame with his heavy weight, shoved his thumb beneath one side of her panties and pulled them down.

  Delta sat up and took over the task of removing her undies. He could have stayed right where he was, staring at her sexy body for hours, if he hadn’t been so hungry for her. Ace wouldn’t be satisfied until she was screaming his name as she came apart in his arms.

  * * * *

  Delta was so hot for Ace she was shaking. Cream was leaking from her pussy and she was throbbing all over. She needed to have him inside of her now.

  She rolled to her hands and knees and quickly straddled his hips and met his gaze. She’d always thought gray eyes were cold like steel, but his eyes were blazing hot with hunger and it was all for her.

  As she bent down to kiss him, his hands moved over her body, caressing and cupping, inflaming the heat of her desire. Her pussy clenched with emptiness and the heated ache in her womb intensified. She needed to make love and connect with Ace on a physical and emotional level, and she didn’t want to wait any longer.

  She broke the kiss, gasped in a breath, and reached back to clasp his hot, thick, hard cock. She teased them both by moving the tip through her wet folds and groaned when the head pressed against her clit. When Ace gripped her hip firmly she realized he was gritting his teeth as if he was close to losing control.