Soldiers of Pearl 2: Healing Souls (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever)

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “You be sure to come use the pool anytime you and the kids want to. You hear?” he whispered in that strong, ordering tone that was all Blade.

  She stepped forward, and Avery rubbed his hands down her arms over the towel. “Damn, you’re lost in this thing, you’re so petite.” He smiled down at her, and it took a whole lot of strength to not drool at the sight of such big muscles and sexy bodies.

  “I’m okay, Avery.”

  “Darlin’, you’re more than okay. You’re perfect,” he said and then gently ran his knuckles against her cheek as he winked and smiled softly.

  She was shocked and also affected by his words and his expression. The man had charm. She would give him that, hands down. But she had been down this road before. It was just like with Anthony, the muscles, the military thing, the tattoos and good looks along with charm and sex appeal. Look where it got her. She started to feel like this was a mistake coming here today. She didn’t want to lead them on or give the wrong impression. They could be like most men she came across lately. After sex and no strings attached. She had nothing else to offer them but her body. She would never trust a man enough again to be so intimate. Never.

  “Cora?” he whispered.

  She turned to look at her kids, who were already removing the towels and heading toward the cabana to get changed.

  Cora looked at Avery, and noticed that Cason and Beau along with Asher were watching her too.

  “Don’t do that again. Don’t say such things to me. Ever.” She turned around and headed toward the cabana. Avery’s stunned expression would stick in her mind for some time. But this was how it had to be. Julia and Liam came first, and no good-looking, conniving men would manipulate her ever again.

  * * * *

  “God, those kids were so adorable. I don’t think I’ve ever met more respectful children at such a young age,” Asher said as he joined the rest of his team in the kitchen after Cora left.

  Avery smiled.

  “I was impressed, especially with their mother.”

  Asher looked at the expression on his twin’s face and couldn’t help but feel excited. He and Avery had had their share of women. Had even shared a few along the way, which was special for them. But sharing some “normal” time with a woman like Cora had Asher feeling a lot of different things he hadn’t ever before. The fact that his twin, and the rest of his team, seemed to be feeling the same way about Cora stirred some strong emotions in him. Yet here they were, all sitting together, having dinner together as usual, and it felt different.

  “You came on too strong today,” Blade said firmly, and the mood changed again.

  “I came on too strongly? I just allowed my feelings to show. I realize she’s timid, even unsure about the possibility of having a ménage relationship, but we have to start somewhere. Getting her used to our touch, surrounding her will make her feel the natural attraction,” Avery replied.

  “He didn’t read the file on her. He doesn’t know about the abuse, her past, and the things her, Arabella, their mom, and the kids had gone through,” Cason spoke up. Blade stood and walked toward the sink by the window.

  “You need to read the file and understand her position. She’s scared, and your aggressiveness could be misconstrued as a potential threat. She’s fragile and needs reassurance, compassion, and honesty,” Blade told them.

  “What file? When did you gather information on her?” Avery asked, and now Asher felt an instant knot in his belly. What was in her past? What had caused that fear in her eyes, her demeanor, and her resistance to the attraction he knew she was feeling toward them?

  “We decided to investigate her further, get all the details we could on her, because that is what we do. She knew a lot about the black market, street deals, and things to uncover what was going on with Gavin’s site and others. That’s not a normal tidbit of knowledge for a young woman to have. It set off some red flags,” Blade said.

  “So did her ability to snag Calvin’s attention and the fact that the man calls her and asked her to go on his yacht,” Beau replied more toward Blade and as if he were pushing Blade’s buttons. Asher wondered what was going on there.

  “You think she’s after Calvin’s money?” Avery asked, sounding shocked. Well, Asher was too.

  “She’s not like that. Her life is those kids and supporting them. I would like to see the file,” Asher said, and Beau got up and walked out of the room.

  “I like her. I’m attracted to her, just as the rest of you are. We can weed through the bullshit and figure out exactly who she is and what she wants in life. We’ve infiltrated the toughest highly guarded facilities and people as Special Forces, I think we can handle figuring out if Cora is legit or a scam artist,” Avery stated.

  “No one is saying she’s a scam artist,” Blade said.

  “Bullshit, you’re not. You’re basically accusing her of finagling her way into Calvin’s pockets. Come on, now. How fucking stupid,” Asher added.

  “You all need to be on guard. You all have an attraction to her, and finding out everything you care about her and taking caution is imperative if this is going to work for you guys,” Blade said.

  “What the hell, Blade?” Beau exclaimed as he entered the kitchen with two files and handed each one to Asher and Avery. Asher felt the tightness in his chest. What could be in this file to make his team, his commander act so strangely toward Cora? She was sweet, quiet, reserved, and a single mom trying to make ends meet and live a normal life.

  “Don’t, Beau,” Blade stated as he leaned back against the counter. Asher and his brother thumbed through the file, trying to read quickly, a skill they learned in the service. Sometimes they had a matter of minutes to read over material, remember it in detail, and then destroy the documents. The fact that he was doing that with information on Cora, the first women he felt a sincere attraction to, irked him.

  “You’re standing here giving all the advice. You’re pushing us toward pursuing a relationship with this woman while also telling us to be on guard. Well, why don’t you let down your defenses and admit that you’re attracted to Cora too,” Beau stated firmly, and Asher and Avery looked up from the file. Asher was shocked about what he read so far, but even more so about Beau’s accusations toward their commander. Blade was a hard man. He had his own fears and hang-ups when it came to women. He never dated, hell, none of them were even sure if the man screwed around, but it didn’t take a brain surgeon to see he was attracted to Cora.

  “You know where I stand, Beau. Cora is not for me, she’s for the four of you,” Blade said with that cold, hard expression no one could ever read. It was his mission face, his game face they knew well.

  “I see how you watch her. I noticed how you wrapped that towel around her today by the pool. You held her in your arms a few moments longer than necessary,” Beau challenged.

  “I’m a man. She’s got a sexy body. Any man in my position would take advantage of feeling a body like that so close.”

  His remark was so flat. Asher knew in that moment that his commander and even Beau were both interested in Cora. She was special. To have gotten through the walls these two men put up over their hearts and emotions was a fucking miracle. He glanced at Avery, who winked.

  “You’re a liar,” Beau challenged, standing straight and taking a step toward Blade. They all stood up.

  “She’d be a nice piece of ass for me and nothing more. You guys need to make a decision on whether you want her as a team or not. Your choice,” Blade said, and Beau stepped forward, appearing as if he might strike their commander, the leader of their team in the military and in life.

  His fists were by his side, and he was practically snarling. They all read through Blade’s remark. They saw he was resisting the attraction he felt. Cason grabbed Beau’s arm.

  “Don’t let his bullshit get to you, Beau. We know the truth. He’ll face it eventually,” Cason said, trying to calm the situation.

  “It’s not a lie. I’m not interested. She’s ri
ght for the four of you.”

  “She’s right for all of us, Blade,” Avery stated, now joining the confrontation.

  “No. I don’t do relationships,” Blade countered.

  “That bitch really fucked up your head. She was not meant to be yours. Cora could belong to all of us. One team, one family, one woman to make ours and only ours,” Avery added.

  “She’s not for me. You all pursue her. You can tell Brock and his team that you want to be her guardians. That you want to make her your woman. They’ll accept you.”

  “And you as well. You won’t be able to fight this for long. The attraction is there. You know she’s special for all of us. You’ll see she’s not Eileen,” Beau stated.

  This time Blade stepped forward, pointing in Beau’s face.

  “Don’t fucking say that woman’s name to me. You don’t know if Cora is like her or not. Women are all conniving liars. I’m not discussing this any longer,” Bade yelled.

  “You’ll have to face the truth sometime. Not all women are conniving liars. And just going over this file briefly, even you could see that Cora is different. Cora is just like all of us. She’s been battered, broken, taken advantage of, and has experienced nearly dying and being hunted. She’s more like us, like you than you care to admit.” Asher now added his remarks.

  “Fuck this. Don’t bring her up to me. Don’t force this on me. I’m not right for her, but the four of you are. Now read the file, meet with Brock at the BBQ, and make Cora your woman. I’m not involved with this.” Blade headed out of the room, and Beau stood there breathing through his nostrils.

  “Damn, I think our commander is already in love with Cora,” Cason whispered, and Beau shot his head toward Cason, as did Asher and Avery.

  “What?” Asher asked.

  “It’s pretty fucking obvious that the man is fighting the attraction. This is going to be complicated,” Cason added as he opened the file and sat down at the island in the kitchen.

  “We need to go over this together. We need to understand what we’re all dealing with here. I’ll be the first to admit aloud that I want her. I’ve watched her from afar, as has Beau, for months. The truth is she is a lot like each of us. She’s withstood the tests of life in a short period of time. She’s young. Eight years younger than Blade, six and under against our ages. But with maturity and experience, we can guide her and have a lot to offer her and the kids. We need to go over this situation with her ex and the fact that the dick is still out there somewhere. I think that’s what gives Cora most of her anxiety. The fear that he could show up and take the kids, kill her and them. He’s that big of an asshole,” Cason went on as Asher and Avery looked over the file, and Beau added nothing. He was bent over Blade’s reaction, and Beau was also the kind of man to not talk things through aloud. The war changed him. Hardened him and made him build a wall around his heart just like Blade.

  “I think we need to make a decision as a team. We can worry about Blade later. He’ll eventually come around,” Avery stated.

  “And if he doesn’t?” Asher asked, feeling his gut clench.

  “We won’t let him hurt Cora or make her feel as if she’s not good enough. Eileen fucked up Blade’s head by cheating on him and having a baby with another man,” Cason added.

  “I’m surprised that man lived and Blade hadn’t killed him,” Avery said with a chuckle.

  “As far as I know he didn’t. But I never asked him,” Cason said with a wink. They all chuckled. They all knew they were capable of more than most men. Their experiences as soldiers would stay with them forever. This idea of finally settling down, finding someone to share their lives with, as a team, hit a nerve in all of them. They would all have a reaction to this, and it wasn’t a surprise that Blade was most resistant.

  “So are we in agreement to pursue Cora as ours even without the commander?” Asher asked.

  “Agreed,” Cason said.

  “Agreed,” Avery added.

  “Agreed,” Asher said, and then they all looked at Beau.

  “Well?” Cason asked Beau.

  “Agreed. But we need to take our time and consider her experience and anxiety. She’s in counseling still, just like I am. There’s real fear in her that can’t be taken lightly, and aggression is not going to go over well with her, Cason.”

  “Why are you saying that to me? Avery was the one to grab her hand and caress her cheek by the pool. He let the cat out of the bag too soon,” Cason teased.

  “Screw you. You know you wanted to touch her,” Avery replied.

  “Touch her, hell, I wanted to taste her lips, run my hands over her body, and cup those beautiful, big breasts she has. The woman is well built and so sweet too. I feel this protectiveness over her. Maybe it’s because she’s so timid and petite. I don’t know, but I want her. I want to pursue this,” Cason said, and Asher laughed.

  “I feel the same way. Just from what little I read here, that instant protectiveness is definitely there,” Asher admitted.

  “Good, then it’s settled. Let’s just hope we didn’t scare her off completely or we’ll be walking on eggshells for some time trying to gain some trust,” Cason said.

  “She’s worth it. I can tell already,” Asher said, and they all agreed then looked down to go over the file. One team, one family, one mission to snag the heart of one very special, scarred woman who they barely knew yet penetrated all their hearts in such a short period of time.

  Chapter 6

  Cason and Beau were in the office along with Blade and Cora. They were going over some ideas for one of the new client’s projects while Cora was working on the computer. Cason noticed that Cora was keeping her distance from them. It was Wednesday, and she still was acting different. Avery came by with Asher and tried to apologize for coming on too strong by their pool last week, but she just nodded her head, said that no apology was needed, and continued to work on the computer. She was definitely affected by Saturday as much as they all were.

  But enjoying time with her and her children had affected each of them in different ways. Their discussion about it had even gotten heated for various reasons. It became obvious that starting a relationship with Cora was going to be like pulling teeth. Throw in all their personal hang-ups and fears, and hell, they were in for some bumps. But Cason knew she was special for many reasons. She even snagged the attention and concern of Blade. That was a feat that seemed impossible as far as any of them were concerned.

  Cason had tried to entice her into having lunch with all of them since Monday, but her new thing to avoid them was she packed a lunch. It was her way of trying to keep a distance and maintain professionalism as if she were only their personal assistant and office manager and nothing more. The foolish young woman had no idea that her strategy to avoid them only made each of them more interested and more determined to have her, to kiss her sweet lips and to hold her in their arms.

  In a matter of days, dealing with her avoiding them, ignoring their interactions only fed their hunger more. Each time one of them was in her presence, they would try to invade her space, bump her arm, brush their hand against her body, her hands, anywhere they could to get her to become comfortable with their presence and mostly their touch. But she was resistant, and when two or more of them were very close to her, Cora would begin to shake and they feared one of those anxiety attacks they had learned about might happen. So they eased back.

  Cason also noticed that Calvin called her a few times this week and nearly four times in one day. What could they possibly be discussing? He hoped that she wasn’t interested in Calvin. He was in his late thirties, very wealthy, retired Navy SEAL, and quite resourceful. Cason and the team didn’t ask a lot of questions about the things he was involved in, but they knew some of it was illegal. To each their own. Now back to Cora. Cason couldn’t stop his eyes from roaming over toward Cora’s desk to watch her concentrate on the screen in front of her. He also listened to her answering phone calls, and she sounded so professional and kind. She even
chuckled a little and showed some of her true personality she tried hiding so well. He couldn’t help but to watch her as she looked up toward the computer screen as she jotted down notes on the scribble pad next to her. A glance toward Beau and then Blade and he noticed their eyes kept going back to Cora.

  She had come up with a lot of great ideas in regards to securing their products and monitoring the employees of their own company as well as those of people they worked for. It really burned him and his team that Marvin was ripping them off and his boss as well. Gavin was so pissed off to find out the guy had been lifting things for months. Millions in material sold on the black market. But how did Cora know so much about street trading on illegal buys and sells in the so-called black market, anyway? It was something he found both intriguing and that also put him on guard. But each time he thought something negative about Cora, his gut clenched, a sure indicator that he was wrong.

  “Cora, do you have those order sheets that were faxed from Hartford Industries handy? We need to look at a few things before we confirm,” Blade said, interrupting Cason’s thoughts.

  “Yes, Blade. I have them right here,” she said and reached into one of the filing compartments she had established two weeks ago. Why none of them had thought of such a simple way to organize their desks, he wasn’t certain, but it seemed Cora had great organization skills.

  She walked the sheets over toward where Blade and Beau were sitting. Both men turned toward her, and she wound up between them. Cason watched as Beau and Blade looked up into her eyes. She blushed immediately, giving away her instant attraction to the men.

  “Thank you. Can you show us where the price list is for these items here?” Beau asked her, placing his finger on the sheet in front of him on the table. She was forced to squeeze between the men and lean forward to look. Beau’s shoulder touched her side, and then he slid his hand next to hers that held the paper in place. She didn’t jerk away but instead remained still.