by Becca Van
While she couldn’t really say she loved David, Barry, and Hank, her feelings for them were growing stronger with each second she was with them.
Her thoughts fled when David groaned and took over the kiss. His lips opened over hers and his tongue slipped inside her mouth. Cat moaned when his tongue rubbed along and then twirled around hers. He tasted wonderful, so good, so right, and she didn’t want to ever stop kissing him. A whimper of disappointment left her mouth when he gently pulled on her hair, drawing her mouth and head away from his.
The moment she opened her eyes, she became aware of two things. One was the sexual tension in the room, and the other was that she was no longer sitting sideways on David’s lap but had somehow ended up facing him, straddling his thighs and her breasts pressed against his muscular chest.
“Are you sure you want this, honey?” David’s voice was raspy and breathless.
“Ye—ˮ
“Wait!” Hank’s voice cut hers off.
She turned to look at him over her shoulder, but she ended up making a squeaking sound as David gripped her hips and turned her until she was facing Barry and Hank, her back pressed to David’s front and her ass cheeks nestled in his groin. She bit her tongue to hold back a moan of desire when she felt the long, thick, hard ridge of his cock pressing against the top of her ass and the small of her back.
Hank leaned forward in his chair, his large hands landing on her knees. She looked down, unconsciously licking her lips when she noticed how big those tanned appendages were. Just seeing them on her jeans-clad knees showed her how much bigger he and his brothers were than her and that just turned her on more. Would they take control of her in the bedroom? Would they be gentle or rough with her?
Cat mentally shook her head at the last thought because she already knew the answer. These men were good and kind and would never do anything to hurt or harm her in any way. They’d already shown her how protective they were of her.
Sure, they’d told her and so had Sabrina that the men of this town protected women and children, but in her short experience of life, words were too easy to say. However, they’d already shown her in actions that the truth had been spoken. The only time they’d be rough with her is if she wanted it.
Heat suffused her cheeks as she realized where her thoughts were, and she pushed them aside and back to the present. Hank and Barry were frowning at her and she wondered if one or both of them had spoken while she had been lost in her lascivious thoughts. “What?”
Hank frowned and shook his head before shoving the chair he was sitting on back and standing. “You need food and more antibiotics. Barry, help me finish dinner.”
Cat wondered what the hell was going on. Had she somehow hurt their feelings because she hadn’t paid attention? She sighed with dejection, her shoulders slumping as she tensed in preparation to getting off David’s lap.
The arm he had around her waist tightened. “We’ll talk more while we eat, honey, but you need food. Your stomach is growling.”
Cat nodded, clutching at David’s arm as he rose, taking her with him, before gently steadying her on her feet. She missed the heat of his body the moment he moved away, but kept her mouth shut when all she wanted to do was call him, Hank, and Barry back.
“I’ll start the grill,” David said just before he walked out onto the timber deck off the dining room.
She wanted to ask once more if there was anything she could do but bit the inside of her cheek instead. She already knew the answer to that one. Rest. A quick glance at the table showed her that though the silverware had been set in place, the plates and glasses were still missing.
Would Hank kick up a stink if she went to search them out?
Cat drew in a deep breath before releasing it.
There was only one way to find out.
Chapter Seven
Barry glanced at Hank as he tossed the ingredients in the salad bowl. His older-by-a-year brother was so tense he looked angry, but Barry knew Hank almost as well as he knew himself. His brother was already half in love with Cat, as were he and David, but he was also horny as hell.
Barry shifted on his feet, hoping to relieve the pressure of his zipper on his hard dick, but it didn’t help. He knew nothing would until he took care of his own needs or was balls deep inside of Cat.
However much he wanted to grumble and curse Hank for calling a halt to what happened earlier, he knew it had been the right thing to do. Cat was emotionally fragile right now, and if things had gotten out of hand and they had ended up making love to her, they could have ruined all chances of having a lasting relationship with her.
What they needed to do was lay everything out on the table so she understood that she would belong to them from that moment on. Taking advantage of her when she was so lost wasn’t an option.
He saw her approach from the corner of his eye but kept his gaze forward and bit his lip to stop himself from smiling when she began opening and closing cupboards.
Hank frowned and turned to face Catalina. “What are you doing? You’re supposed to be resting.”
Since Barry was done with the salad, he skirted the counter and sat on a stool to watch the show.
“I’m not a fucking invalid.” Cat’s hands landed on her hips, and she jutted her chin out.
“Watch your mouth.” Hank pointed at her with a finger.
Cat gaped and then closed it before she glared at Hank. “Are you serious?”
“Yes—ˮ
“It was rhetorical question, you moron. Don’t you know sarcasm when you hear it?”
Barry bit his lip to hold in a chuckle. Nothing got Hank’s temper riled more than when he was being treated like an idiot and being called out by a woman. His brother liked to be in control nearly all the time and though he wasn’t a dictator or mean, he usually set rules in place for the sole purpose of safety. While Barry knew there was nothing that could hurt Cat at the moment, setting rules in place from the start was a good way to make sure orders weren’t questioned in times of crisis or danger.
“I was only going to get the plates and some glasses. I don’t think that would cause me to break a leg or arm.”
“You have a smart mouth, you know that?” Hank scowled, but Barry could see a twinkle of humor in his brother’s eyes. He was actually enjoying baiting Cat, and though Barry appreciated seeing the fire in their woman’s eyes, he hoped it didn’t backfire on them.
“I don’t want you tearing those stitches in your arm.”
Cat huffed, rolled her eyes, and went back to searching the cupboards, totally ignoring Hank. She didn’t fool him though. She was aware of his and Hank’s eyes on her body. Barry raised an eyebrow at Hank when his brother met his gaze, but Hank obviously wasn’t going to push his point right now.
However, he had a feeling that after Cat had eaten her fill, there would be no holds barred.
* * * *
Cat had eaten as much as she could but still had half of her meal on her plate. Hank eyed her as he chewed the last of his steak. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive move, but she was feeling far from defensive. In fact, she was ready to attack him verbally if he said anything about not having eaten everything on her plate.
The first month after her parents’ deaths, she’d eaten no more than three of four bites of food before having to run to the bathroom, vomiting up anything in her stomach. She’d been living in a world of painful grief and survivor’s guilt. If it hadn’t been for the deputies swapping out shifts and watching over her, she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t have done something drastic back then, like taking her own life. However, she was thankful that she hadn’t been able to do something so selfish, because she knew it would have devastated her parents whether they were alive or dead. Plus, she would have cleared the way for her father’s brother. He would have been free and clear of debt and no doubt living the high life. He didn’t deserve that after what he’d done. As far as she was concerned, he should be the one lying
in a dank cold grave. Hopefully, with the law on her side they would find the fucker and put him behind bars for life.
“Here.” David nudged her arm as he sat in the seat beside her. Once more, she’d been lost in thought and hadn’t noticed he’d moved. She took the blister pack of antibiotics from him and pushed a tablet out into her hand before popping it into her mouth and swallowing it down.
“How’s the arm, baby?” Barry asked.
“It’s fine.”
“Any pain?” Hank asked.
“No, not really.”
“Explain,” Hank ordered with a frown.
“There’s a slight ache and it pulls when I move, but since there are stitches in my skin, that’s to be expected.”
“Okay, but let one of us know if the pain gets worse.”
She raised her eyebrow at him in question.
“We hate seeing you hurting, sweetheart.” Hank reached for his glass of water.
The Heritage men were so sweet and caring, but Cat suspected if she voiced that opinion, they would all scoff at her. They were a contradiction in some ways. Each of them were domineering and used to being authoritative, but they had hearts of gold. None of them hesitated to step up to take care of someone weaker than they were.
“We need to explain a few rules to you,” Barry said before looking at David and then Hank.
“And they are?”
“First and foremost, if we tell you to do something, you need to obey without question,” David stated.
Cat hadn’t expected David to say that. Hank, yes, but David seemed a little less dominant than his brothers. She had a feeling she’d pegged him wrong.
“And if I don’t agree with the command?” Cat asked.
“We aren’t going to take over your life, darlin’,” David began.
“That’s the last thing we want to do,” Barry reiterated David’s statement.
“However.” Hank’s voice drew her gaze. “When it comes down to it, if we are in a life-and-death situation, you need to be able to do as you’re told without question.”
Cat uncrossed her arms, leaning her elbows on the table, and sighed. She knew that they were right, but she been on her own for a couple of years and it was going to be hard to take orders after being independent. Nonetheless, that didn’t mean she was going to mindlessly obey a directive she didn’t agree with any other time.
“I agree on one condition.” She held up her finger to make a point.
“And that is?” Barry asked, his eyebrow quirked in query.
“If I don’t agree with you and I’m in no danger, I’m allowed to question the directive.”
“That’s fair.” David nodded, which earned him a scowl from Hank. Barry’s face remained stoic.
“There’s more,” Barry said.
“More what?”
“Rules,” Hank replied.
“For what?” Cat frowned this time.
“In the bedroom, we are in control. Of everything,” Hank said in a firm voice.
Cat’s mouth opened only to close it again when she couldn’t think of what to say.
“There’s more.” David held his hand up when she finally found her voice and went to speak. She looked at him questioningly but Hank spoke next.
“If you agree to be with us, there is no turning back.”
Cat didn’t really know what he meant by that, other than the obvious. Of course there would be no going back. You couldn’t undo something already done.
“What Hank is trying to say”—Barry said before taking a sip from his glass—”is that from the moment we make love to you, you will belong to us.”
Is he serious? I’m not a fucking toy. How can one human being belong to another? I’m not a damn slave. Oh, oh. Is that what he, they mean? Are they into BDSM and want a slave?
“What’s going through that pretty mind of yours, honey?” David asked.
Cat shook her head, picked up her glass, and drained the water. When she heard the scrape of a chair on the tile, she glanced up to see that Hank was on the move. And from the way he was gazing at her with determination as he stalked around the table, she was his prey.
She’d barely placed the empty glass back on the table before she was scooped out of her seat and up into Hank’s arms. “What are you doing?”
Hank didn’t answer but carried her out of the kitchen and into the living room. He sat on the sofa, plonking her into his lap, and one of his arms wrapped around her waist.
“Now that you can’t escape, tell us what went through your mind.”
“Are you into BDSM?” Cat blurted out and ducked her head when her cheeks heated with embarrassment.
David chuckled and sat on the cushion beside her. She saw Barry give a slight shake of his head as he perched on the coffee table in front of her, and there was a big smile on his face.
“What makes you ask that?” Hank questioned.
“You just said that I would belong to you.”
Barry reached out and gripped her chin between his finger and thumb so she couldn’t look away from his gaze. “Yes, we did and if you decide you still want to make love with us, you will. What we mean by that is that no other man will ever touch you, hold you, or kiss you. We like to be in control in the bedroom but that doesn’t mean we are Doms.”
David took one of her hands in his when Barry released her chin. She turned to face him as he began to talk. “We’ve always wanted to share a woman between us, Cat. After being SEALs and serving our country, that craving became more of a necessity. We’ve seen so much violence and sometimes it’s hard to let ourselves feel. We became numb when we were fighting and the horrors of war affected each of us in different ways.
“We’re used to giving orders and having them obeyed. Especially Hank since he was a team leader. Singularly, we aren’t sure we’d be enough for a good, loving relationship. We lack empathy after what we’ve been through, but together we make up for anything that may be lacking.”
Cat couldn’t fathom that they thought so little of themselves. Not after how gentle and loving they’d treated her, a virtual stranger. She didn’t find anything lacking in any of them but she wasn’t about to voice that opinion right now. Maybe in the near future she would reveal that information to them. They were all good, hardworking, honest men, and they were worming their way into her heart, quickly.
“Can I ask you a question?” Barry leaned his elbows on his knees.
Cat nodded.
“How come you know what a Dom is?”
Her cheeks heated and though her first inclination was to lie, she couldn’t do that. With each word these men had spoken, they had somehow reaffirmed what she’d been thinking before. She was here, in the right place at the right time with the right people. She didn’t want to lose Hank, Barry, and David after just finding them. She couldn’t fathom even thinking about walking away from them. They meant more to her than anybody else and it didn’t matter that she’d really only just met them. She felt as if they were the very air she breathed. If that made her selfish, then she was the most selfish woman in the world.
She hated the thought of them getting hurt, but they’d told her they could take care of themselves and she wanted, needed to trust in that. To trust that they wouldn’t lie to her just because they found her alluring or desirable.
Cat didn’t think she was beautiful, but she wasn’t ugly. However, she knew without a doubt that these three men could have any woman they wanted with a click of their fingers, yet they wanted her. They weren’t lying or handing her a line just to get into her pants. She’d seen the sincerity in their eyes when they had told her they were attracted to her, but she couldn’t really know what was in their hearts.
Maybe all of this was because she was in trouble and they had a case of big egos and empowerment at helping a damsel in distress. They came across as modern day white knights, but would they look at her with such heat in their gazes if they didn’t feel anything for her? Sure, attraction and lust played
a large part in the beginning of a relationship, but there was a yearning in their eyes for more that had nothing to do with lust.
Were they simply infatuated because of the idea of being in love with her appealed to them? Was it because they had been watching other men in this town hook up with one woman shared between them and the desire for the same became an obsession?
“Cat?” David gently bumped his shoulder against hers, bringing her from her introspection.
She cleared her throat. “Sorry. What was the question?”
“How do you know about BDSM?” Hank asked in a hard voice. When she met his gaze, she shivered. He looked angry and tense. She had no idea what she’d done to piss him off but gave a mental shrug.
“I’ve read a few books,” she answered in a quiet voice.
“What sort of books?” Barry asked, his intent gaze on her face.
“Uh…romance…erotic romance.”
“Really?” David shifted beside her, turning his body toward her so he wouldn’t have to turn his head to meet her gaze. “Have you read any erotic ménage stories?”
“Yes.”
“Are you submissive? Have you been with a Dom or to a dungeon?” Barry asked.
“Uh, no to both.” As she answered, she wondered if she’d just lied. She had no clue if she was submissive or not. How could she when she’d never played in the world of dominance and submission?
“We’ve gone off track,” Hank said.
Cat waited without saying anything because she had a feeling that Hank wasn’t finished.
“Have you decided yet?”
She really didn’t have to ask about what he was asking, but decided to anyway. She needed to get herself together because having all three of them so close and watching her avidly was doing a number on her libido. Her pussy was leaking cream onto her panties and her clit was throbbing, causing her internal walls to clench with desire. She didn’t want to look down and draw attention to her breasts because her nipples were so achingly hard she knew they had to be visible against her shirt. It was difficult to keep her breathing quiet and shallow so they didn’t know how badly they affected her, but as she gazed into Hank’s eyes, she knew she hadn’t fooled any of them. His eyes flicked down to her chest and up to meet her gaze once more and he’d been doing it the whole time they’d been talking.
