Her eyes widened, and she looked at Tobin, still wearing that serious expression.
“We’ll be at the Station near the boardwalk, Saturday from five o’clock on. Meet us there. You can bring some friends, too, if you feel safer.”
“Oh, like to meet you and some other friends?” she asked.
Pat clutched her chin, and she totally focused on him.
“Oh, there’s something you should know about us.”
She swallowed hard.
“We like to share, and that means everything,” Tobin said. Her lips parted, and Pat brushed his thumb along her lower lip.
“I would love to kiss you right now, and so would Tobin, but I don’t want to scare you. You trusted us enough to let us walk you upstairs. Trust the attraction you feel for both of us and join us at the Station on Saturday.”
She looked from Tobin to Pat, feeling aroused and overwhelmed at the same time. What were the chances that two ménage encounters could be offered weeks apart? If this went somewhere, if she could forget about Reece and Rusty and the amazing time and connection she had with them, maybe something with Tobin and Pat could happen and mean something real. Could she take that chance and possibly make a huge mistake?
“Come on and say yes,” he pushed. “I’ll pick you up for the ride tomorrow morning at eight, okay?”
“Okay, but let me think about Saturday.”
“Hope you say yes, Bri,” Tobin said, and Pat stepped back, brought her hand up to his lips, and kissed the top.
“See you in the morning. Thanks for the tour.”
He winked, and she opened the door and watched them leave. She closed the door, locked it, and leaned against it.
“Holy shit. I can’t believe it’s happening again. If I do go Saturday, I’m staying away from the tequila, no matter what Jenny and the others say.”
Chapter 3
He watched her from across the street. She was smiling and laughing with that dick who’d helped her with her car last night. That should have been him. He was the one who’d slashed her tire. He was supposed to show up and rescue her. He slammed his hand down on the steering wheel. The dick couldn’t keep his hands off of her. He offered her a hand to get out of his truck then caught her as she nearly fell from the seat because the truck was so high. He’d taken advantage of the move, pulling Brighid close to his body and staring down into her gorgeous green eyes as she held on to his forearms.
“Fuck. She’s mine. All mine, you fucking dick, whoever you are.” He felt his temper rise, as if his blood boiled within his veins. That fucking cop better think twice about going after her. Cops were always having accidents. It would be a shame if the Good Samaritan had one, too.
He gripped the steering wheel tighter. How had he become so instantly obsessed with her? She was so different from the others. None of them compared to her beauty or to the power of her presence. He watched her. She had a sexy figure. He could imagine having her in his bed, tied up, arms stretched above her head, legs wide and tied to the posts. He could take her anytime, anywhere, he wanted. He’d saved enough money to be able to live without working for quite some time. She would be his pet, the symbol of his talent, and she would beg for his touch. Beg for the touch of the flame against her skin that only he could place against her. In the darkness, with only the light of the flame in her sight, with no shadows of light to take away her fear or lessen his control, he would show her his power and the burning of the flame. But unlike the others, where he’d gone too far, their shrill screams pulling them away from the meaning behind the flame and his decision to touch them in that way, Brighid would prevail. She would survive the test of fire. They would become one in hearts and souls and in bodies. His mark, the mark of the power of light, more powerful than God, than Stark himself, would be imprinted on her skin forever. He needed to make some plans. He had a job to do for Lenny and Ray, but then he would be taking his prize and disappearing forever.
* * * *
Brighid couldn’t believe the attraction she felt for Pat. He had a great personality to boot, and every chance he had to touch her, brush against her, or smile at her, he did it. He was a charmer, and she knew, when her friends met him and Tobin, they were going to go crazy, too.
She had spoken to Jenny about how she’d met them and what she was feeling. That guilty sensation wouldn’t go away. It was the oddest thing. She’d met Reece and Rusty and knew so little about them yet felt a bond had formed. She was definitely losing her mind, and maybe exploring this attraction to Pat and Tobin might bring her back to reality.
She placed her pocketbook strap onto her shoulder and walked along the pathway to get inside of the service station. Her car was sitting in a parking spot, and she could see the one new tire.
When they walked into the office, a really attractive guy was standing there already reaching his hand out to greet Pat. He was a big guy, too.
“Hey, Pat, how are you, buddy?”
Pat shook the man’s hand as the man gave her the once-over and smiled.
“So this must be Bri.” He reached his hand out to her next.
“It sure is. Bri, meet my friend Kyle St. James.”
“Hello, Kyle. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you so much for taking care of my car,” she told him as she shook his hand. He smiled and then crossed his arms in front of his large chest.
“No problem. I noticed that your side mirror was broken. If you wanted me to fix that, I can order the part and have it here in a day or so.”
“Oh God, I totally forgot about that. My focus was on the fact that Pat and Tobin saved my life.”
He squinted at her and looked at Pat. “What happened?
Pat explained about seeing her on the side of the road with tire problems and about the sports car that had cut off the truck that nearly hit her and, instead, got so close it scraped against her mirror.
“Damn, you could have been killed,” Kyle said. “All three of you could have gotten hurt. That’s terrible. But I bet Tobin will track down that truck and the sports car.”
“I’m sure he will, too. My brother can be a pit bull when it comes to things like that. He won’t give up until he gets the results he wants.”
“Well, you keep me posted on that and, of course, let me know if you want me to order that part.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll need it, so that would be great. I can give you my card, and when it comes in, call me and I’ll schedule an appointment with you.” She reached into her bag. She pulled out a business card and handed it to Kyle.
“Great. I’ll call you when it comes in. Let me get the keys to your car.”
“Oh, let me pay you. How much do I owe you?” She followed him toward the counter. He pulled out a bill, and she paid cash then got the receipt.
“Thank you again.”
They all shook hands, and Pat held the door open and escorted her to her car. He never let his hand off her lower back, and when she got to her car and turned around, he placed his hands on her hips.
He stared down into her eyes. His gorgeous brown eyes held her gaze, and she could tell he was just as in tune to the attraction between them as she was.
“Did I tell you how sexy and classy you look in this dress?” he asked, letting his eyes roam over her cleavage, which was accentuated by the snug-fitting bodice of the Ann Taylor navy blue dress she wore.
She was grateful for the matching high heels, as Pat was a good foot taller than her.
“Thank you,” she replied, voice cracking.
“I’m looking forward to spending some time with you on Saturday. So is Tobin.”
She smiled. “I told my friends about the place. They were coming to stay overnight at my place, so they’ll be arriving Friday night.”
“Nice. They’re from Connecticut too?”
“Yes, but they’ve been job hunting and looking to head south. I’m hoping they like Treasure Town and can find work here or nearby and move here. We’ve been friends since high school.”
“Th
at’s great. How many friends will be staying with you?”
“Four of them. Jenny, Anna, Carmella, and Natalie.”
“I can’t wait to meet them. I bet they’ll love The Station, too.” He gently glided his finger along her chin and jaw. He tilted her chin up toward him.
“We seriously need to get this first date out of the way. It’s just too difficult to not want to kiss you.”
She felt her cheeks warm. “Is that what Saturday is? A first date?”
“It’s a start, so you can get to know us. You’re definitely coming there, right?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’ll be there, Pat. I promise.”
He smiled and then leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She inhaled his cologne, placed her hands on his waist, and so badly wished she could have felt his lips against hers. But then he stepped back.
“I’ll call you to touch base.”
“Okay. Bye, oh, and have a nice day. Be safe out there.”
“You, too.” He winked as he opened her door, and she got inside. He closed it, stepped back a bit, and waited for her to start the car and then pull out of the parking lot.
As she headed onto the main road, she glanced into the rearview mirror and saw him watching her, smiling and then shaking his head as he headed toward his truck.
She couldn’t help but feel that giddy, exciting feeling in her belly. But she was surprised when her mind immediately went to thoughts of Rusty and Reece. That had been truly something special between the three of them, but more than likely, she would never see them again. She couldn’t hold out and not explore other attractions. Not when men like Tobin and Pat drew her in and aroused her body and senses just as strongly as Reece and Rusty had. What were the chances? Maybe this was God’s way of giving her another chance. Who knows, but no matter what, she was going to make sure she stayed sober and wound up in her own bed Sunday morning. She chuckled and then turned up the radio and made her way to work.
* * * *
“You promise that I won’t get caught? That however you pull this off I’ll get the money I need?” Bricker Daily asked Lenny when they met at the convenience store parking lot.
“We’ve worked this out before. You’ll be just fine. All bases are covered. Just sign the documents securing us as your insurance agents and confirming the policy is intact. Your verbal, promise to give us our cut is good enough, and it will be great.”
“And no one will get hurt, right? I don’t want any of my employees to get injured. I never thought the business would fail like this and I would have to resort to doing something this illegal. You’re certain the arson investigators won’t be able to figure shit out?”
Lenny gave a soft smile. “If you go down, and our guy goes down, so do we. And, keep in mind, we have major money invested in this company. We’d lose everything.”
“Okay. I’ll do it.” Bricker signed the contract. He handed it over to Lenny, and Lenny folded it up and then got down to business.
“You don’t say a word to anyone ever about this. Stop in the office today. I’ll have papers waiting for you to sign with our secretary, Brighid. She’ll get those into the system, and you give that down payment of the year’s insurance cost up-front. You’re already put you in the system as a client for the past three years. Martha, one of our new employees, won’t know the difference because she just started.”
“But I never paid anything. There isn’t a paper trail.”
“In the computer there is. When your account shows only this recent check and then bogus numbers for other checks, Martha will think it’s some sort of glitch on the system. She’s new. That’s why the opportunity is now. Don’t worry about an arson investigation. It’s not going to get that far. When they do an inquiry, if they feel it is a suspicious fire, it takes time, and they don’t look for the paper trail until later, but the computer files will cover that. I’m telling you that my guy is that good. No worries.”
Bricker ran his fingers through his hair.
“God, I don’t know about this. I’m a nervous wreck. I’ve got my kids to worry about and my wife.”
“That’s why we talked about this as an option. Another few months and you’ll be missing payment dates on bills and red-flagging yourself across the board. Right now you’re squeezing by. When this pay-off comes through, you can keep the gift shop open, expand it, or simply retire. Your choice. I need to get moving. Drop those papers and the check off today.”
“Okay. Later.”
As Lenny walked away, he thought about the payments and paper trail. He would log into Brighid’s computer and change some things. He could make up a few other check numbers and account information. She wouldn’t notice a thing and definitely not from three years ago up to the current payment Bricker handed in today since he would fall under Martha’s list of clients and Martha was new. Maybe getting this job would get Stark, as he liked to be called, off their asses. They would be rolling in a pretty big payoff. He needed to adjust those numbers and call Ray. This would work out just fine.
* * * *
Jenny, Anna, Carmella, and Natalie arrived around seven in the evening Friday night. They were raring to go and already talking about how good looking the men around the town were. They unpacked their bags spread out around the living room as Jenny called dibs on the bedroom.
They were on their second bottle of wine as they got ready and tried to decide where to go tonight.
“So tell us about this place we’re going tomorrow,” Carmella said.
“Tell us about the two sexy cops you met that you’re meeting there. You’re on a roll with landing some hotties,” Jenny teased.
“I am not.” She gave Jenny a scolding expression in warning. After all, Brighid was sworn to secrecy about Jenny’s one-night stand with some sexy cop, just as Jenny was sworn to secrecy about Brighid’s ménage encounter, although that was all they seemed to talk about lately. It seemed Jenny couldn’t get the cop she slept with off her mind, just like Brighid couldn’t stop thinking about the two firefighters.
She explained about how they’d met and talked about having some reservations.
“Why? They sound delicious, and you’re single, so what gives?” Anna asked her.
“I don’t know. It’s two men, a ménage. That’s crazy stuff.”
“Sounds sexy as damn hell to me. I wouldn’t mind grabbing a few firefighters or a few cops to take to bed,” Carmella stated, and they chuckled.
“You’re so full of crap. You’re completely shy, hardly even date, and never even had a one-night stand. You’re a goody-goody,” Natalie added.
Anna, Jenny, and Brighid laughed.
“Well, maybe she’s ready to live a little. Give her a break. Maybe she’ll meet some men tonight or tomorrow night at the Station, and have her fling and party weekend,” Jenny said.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Anna raised her wine glass. They made a toast to having a good time and to their friendship.
“So what happens if you want to hook up with your two cop friends tomorrow Brighid? Are we kicked out of here, or will you go to their place?” Carmella asked and took a sip of wine.
Brighid felt her chest tighten, but she knew she wouldn’t sleep with them. Not tomorrow anyway. She felt guilty enough about sleeping with two amazing men she didn’t know and trying to process why she still felt compelled to think about them and to feel guilty. She didn’t need to sleep with another two men she hardly knew only because there was a strong attraction. Well, a very strong one.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to sleep with them. I don’t really know them.”
“Well, if you change your mind, give the most responsible woman and least drunk one the keys to this place, and we’ll kick back here until you return,” Natalie said to her.
“What about the doorman? He was kind of weird and asked all these questions like how long we were staying and where we came from,” Anna said.
“He’s harmless. He just likes to keep a secure buil
ding. He’ll let you in now that I introduced you. So what do you say? Go out and grab dinner and hit a hot spot or stay in, order food, and save all our energy for tomorrow night?” Brighid asked.
“Hell no, we’re here to party. I saw a sign on the way in for a place called the Boathouse Bar and Restaurant. Have you been there?” Carmella asked.
“Not yet.”
“There we go. Let’s get ready and head out,” Jenny said, and they all agreed and prepared for a fun-filled night like old times.
* * * *
“I’m telling you, Rusty, she is gorgeous. I mean really classy with long red hair and big green eyes, and she’s petite. We hit it off with her so well.” Pat took a slug from his beer bottle.
“Maybe it was just the whole saving-her-from-getting-run-over thing that has you two feeling this strongly about her,” Reece said, and he seemed annoyed with them.
“Hey, we listened to you guys talk about the woman you met, slept with, and felt that there was a strong connection to. Bri is special, I’m telling you. Even Tobin likes her,” Pat added.
Reece and Rusty looked at Tobin, who remained straight-faced.
“She’s shy and probably won’t even show up tonight. Her friends came in to join her last night, and they went out to the Boathouse and got back late. I wouldn’t get your hopes up, Pat,” Tobin said, sounding unsure.
Pat looked at his watch. It was nearly seven, and he was getting antsy. She was late. What if she didn’t show up? What should he do? Call her?
He took out his cell phone and saw that there weren’t any messages or missed calls.
Then they heard some laughter, and Pat looked up toward the front entryway near the bar and saw a group of women, all smiling and laughing, and he locked gazes with Bri.
Then Reece smacked Rusty’s stomach. “Holy shit. That’s her. That’s Brighid.”
They stood up.
“Which one?” Tobin asked.
“The redhead,” Reece said, and Pat saw Bri’s expression go from smiling to plain-out shocked as her eyes widened, she stopped walking and just gaped at them. She grabbed one friend’s arm, and her friend looked at her, then at them, and her mouth dropped open, too. Bri turned around and headed out the door.
Hearts on Fire 9: Her Shadows of Light (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5
