Breanna

by Karen Nichols

  She wasn’t a prude. She wasn’t raised a prude.

  Her mother had the girl talk with her every couple months.

  Every couple months, rain or shine.

  But that talk had never included a discussion about two warm, very willing bodies in bed with her at the same time.

  Not that they seemed to mind.

  Of course they wouldn’t mind! She shouted to herself. They had a very willing slut puppy in the middle!

  What sane, red-blooded male would protest that?

  Oh, god, but it felt so good, she whimpered at the memory.

  Brea striped off the tap set and set the shower to stinging scald, leaning against the wall. Trying to still the humming in her girl parts that continued long after their 101

  touch was gone. Damn it.

  She hung her head between her arms and let the water drip off her once she’d turned it off. How as she supposed to face them?

  She knew her face would turn into a bright fall flame of color the instant she went into the room.

  She was embarrassed. Humiliated.

  She thought it was a freaking dream! Not that she had dreams about sharing herself with two men in her lifetime. She had two men aroused and horny and they wanted her!

  Oh, god, no matter what she told herself, it sounded worse and worse.

  She was dried and dressed, her hair bound into a tight braid before deciding she’d just pretend it hadn’t happened.

  That made sense to her.

  Nope, never happened. Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof, she remembered one of her geek friends telling her over and over in high school. Perfect.

  Then she hit the hall and heard the banging coming from the kitchen. She looked over to see Nick scanning something on the computer, making notes and ignoring the growling.

  Yes, it was definitely growling coming from the kitchen.

  “I swear to god, I’m going to kick your ass into next fucking week!” Brea raised both brows, looking from the growling kitchen to the calm Nick.

  “What’s going on?”

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  He half shrugged. “Nothing.”

  “Where the fuck did you put the coffee?” Jase demanded, coming to stand in the wide archway that separated the rooms. But he wasn’t glaring or growling at her.

  She looked at Nick again.

  “What did you do?” She knew she’d ground and blended a special batch of coffee for Jase the previous afternoon. And she also knew she’d left it on the counter next to the coffee maker.

  “His mother says he has too much caffeine. And that’s obvious by his current state, wouldn’t you agree?” Nick commented, not looking from the stock reports he was reading, frowning that one wasn’t performing like he would have wanted.

  “Hah….his mother said that,” Brea walked closer, thumbs hitched in the pockets of her jeans. “And you’ve chosen to be his guardian? Enforce something his mother believes is good for him?” She asked with deceptively innocent curiosity.

  Jase actually felt a soothing calm sweep through him. He knew that voice and he learned much quicker than his friend.

  That voice was a soft, gentle warning of the storm to come. He relaxed a little and watched.

  “It’s for his own good,” Nick mumbled.

  “How old is he again?”

  “Thirty-four,” Nick answered absently.

  “And he enforces rules from your mother?”

  “Hah! In his dreams…”

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  “I see….” Brea moved carefully to stand behind him, her hands up and on the tee shirt covered shoulders at the same time her hips nudged his chair just a little closer to the desk. Strong broad shoulders. She slapped at the female in her and pulled her attention from her bedroom. “Where’s the coffee, Nick?”

  “Sorry. It’s for his own, good,” he repeated, scowling a little at the press of her breasts against his back. “Torturing me won’t work.”

  “Hmm…..you don’t think so?”

  “Positive. But, hey, give it your best shot, gorgeous,” Nick chuckled, the pen in his hand faltering just a little when she leaned closer and ran her tongue around his ear. He swallowed the heavy groan at the solid, firm mounds pressing against him.

  “Where’s the coffee?” She asked again, the sugar in her words dripping into his spine.

  “No clue.” Those words were the last ones spoken calmly. “Fucking A, woman!

  Turn loose of the ear!” He felt each and every one of those small teeth on the sensitive curve at the top of his ear, her hands biting into his shoulders and keeping him from moving because he was caught between the desk and the woman. “Brea!”

  “Where is the coffee, Nick? I made that blend yesterday for Jase and I want it.

  Now,” she said without removing her teeth. In fact, she bit down just a little harder.

  “Don’t make me ask again.”

  “On the fridge, damn it! Behind the cereal! Now get those damn……Jesus, woman…..” Nick’s hand was up and rubbing the ear the instant she backed away, patting his shoulders.

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  “Thanks,” She leaned close once more, laughing when he jerked to the side, but her lips touched his ear. “Touch his coffee again and I’ll….” She whispered softly.

  “You wouldn’t….”

  “Try me.” She stood up and went to Jase, taking his hand and leading him into the kitchen. He reached up, moving cereal around and finding the container she’d put the coffee in the day before. “It’s a good batch.” Brea wasn’t sure why or how, but the butterflies and embarrassment that she’d felt simply vanished when they were near her.

  It was honestly as if it had never happened.

  Then she felt all the worse because neither of them mentioned it. Nothing was said. No actions were taken. It was like they were back to where they’d begun.

  Damn them. She was already confused enough as it was.

  She let them scrounge up their own breakfast, her attention on the recipe she was making for dinner. The chicken was marinating and she’d sliced the little yellow potatoes and had them soaking in cold water the ease some of the starch out of them before moving on to peeling and mincing garlic.

  “What’d she tell you?” Jase asked over the steaming cup of coffee he held in both hands. His laugh was light at the scowl from his friend.

  “She threatened to transfer all my funds into your account if I did it again,” Nick growled, his hand up to absently rub the teeth marks on his ear.

  “Our little Brea is just full of surprises,” Jase commented, opening his in box and responding to clients and potential clients before turning to the list of applicants. Both 105

  of them looked up when Brea came into the room.

  “Can I borrow one of the cars?” She asked and looked from one to the other, her palm up when both of them started to speak. “I want to go out. Alone. I’ll be careful, I promise.”

  “Where’s your phone?” Jase asked, taking the palm sized rectangle from her when she pulled it from her pocket. He studied it for a minute, sent a call to Nick’s line, another to his and a third to the home line. Then he input all the numbers before handing it back to her. “The keys are hanging by the back door, Brea. I’m going on the assumption you have a license.”

  “I do….I used to drive my parent’s extra car all the time. Not much need for one of my own….” She swallowed and turned to go down the hall in search of her wallet and pack. “I’ll be careful, promise,” she said with a smile, striding out without waiting for a response.

  “You sure that’s a good idea?” Nick waited until he heard the back alarm sounded her leaving before releasing the main gates and leaving them open for her.

  “No. To be honest,” Jase paced, something gnawing at him. “She’s jittery. Her scent’s shooting all over the place from lies, to embarrassment to a little fear. But if we pushed to always be with her, she’ll run for sure.”

  “Because of this morning?” Nick exhaled slo
wly.

  “Maybe….hell, we knew it wouldn’t be easy to convince her. It’s not even close to what the rest of the world considers acceptable,” Jase emptied is cup and shook his head. “We have to convince her to talk to us when she gets back.” 106

  He wasn’t sure how they managed to work for half an hour before he couldn’t take it anymore.

  “I’m going into town. Let me check and see which one she took and activate the tracker,” Jase carried his cup into the kitchen and set it in the sink before going out to the garage, groaning and quickly returning to the house. “She took your jag. I’ll take my bike. Punch the location into my GPS.”

  “My….” Nick exhaled again, thinking of his low riding sports car zipping around the curves without him in it.

  “Share and share alike,” Jase remarked with a deep laugh, making certain he had the keys and his wallet before taking off at a run for the garage.

  He had the helmet locked on when the information flickered on the small screen.

  The car wasn’t moving. It looked like it was near where her shop had been, though, so he headed into town, growling at the bad feeling instincts were feeding him.

  Jase tapped the dash and spoke into the built-in microphone in his helmet.

  “Nick, get me any information you can find on her parents vehicle. The jag isn’t moving.” He listened to the soft curse, his eyes alert and watching all vehicles that passed him, looking for Brea.

  “You really aren’t surprised that we scared her, are you?” Nick sounded angry but Jase knew it wasn’t at Brea.

  “I don’t think it was us. I think it was the dream,” Jase answered honestly.

  “Got it…..an almost new SUV in a dark gold. Nothing special. I called Mariana, she’s running late and won’t get here until after two,” Nick told him.

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  “Gives us some time to sort this out. Got the jag. It’s parked where her shop used to be.”

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  Chapter 12

  Brea stood by the brunt out husk that used to be her shop and let the emotions go. Anger, sadness and more than a little fury. She hitched her pack on both shoulders and sunk to a high step in the alley behind her shop.

  Her chin rested on her palms and she just stared.

  This was where she’d escape to when the chaos became overwhelming in the shop. She’d sit out here and just look out onto the sand dunes that stretched to the ocean. High and unable to see over them from the alley, she still stared into the crème colored mass that shifted with the winds. Now and then a brave plant could be found as you wandered the dunes, scruffy pines and sea oats grass were favorites of hers.

  She thought about Nick and Jase with a long sigh before pushing away from the curb and walking along the alley toward the center of town. She didn’t know how they were connected to her dream, but inside, she knew they were. She was already easily feeling them connected to her, and it was disconcerting because she barely knew how to form a relationship with one male, let alone two.

  She also knew anyone around her was in danger if she allowed it. And she couldn’t allow it.

  Brea let her mind wander as she walked, thinking about how not uncomfortable she had felt when…..after….well, you know, she didn’t want to think about it. It made her warm and tingly thinking about the possibilities. She’d talked to a friend in a 109

  relationship with two men who lived in Arizona. They’d been friends for several years and she had never seemed happier. But it hadn’t been something Brea could wrap her brain around. Until now.

  She didn’t want to be attached to them. Did she? Only she knew inside it was already too late.

  She’d never be able to choose, and that’s what she’d have to do, isn’t it? The world would make you chose.

  Worse, if something happened to one of them because of her….she felt the breath catch in her chest. It hurt.

  “Well would you look what’s wandering around the alley, Billy.” The voice was deep, low and made her shiver when she looked up from the stones beneath her feet.

  She didn’t recognize the two men. Men.

  She wasn’t really sure they were much over twenty and frowned at them both.

  They both had dark brown hair and dark eyes that looked her up and down with a gaze she decided she really didn’t like. She stopped moving, eyes skirting around for the ways out into the main part of town.

  She’d walked these alleys all her life. They’d never scared her and no one ever bothered her.

  What was up with the world these days, she growled to herself. Following that with a little groan. Three days with Nick and Jase and she was growling. What next?

  “I don’t know you and I don’t want to. Go play at the park with the other kids,” 110

  Brea shook her head and kept walking. Only a little concerned when they paced several feet behind her. “I am not in a good mood and you really don’t want to piss me off.” Jase had her scent the instant he parked the bike behind the jag on the street.

  He locked his helmet in place and followed, catching up with her at the same time the two men made themselves known to her.

  “There’s a reward out for you,” the other one told her.

  “We won’t bruise you if you come with us nice and quiet.”

  “Someone’s lying to you,” she said without looking over her shoulder. “No one wants me and certainly, no one wants me enough to pay for me. I’m an unemployed orphan child leaving town. See?” She shook her head with a tired sigh. “This is me….leaving town. Now go away and I won’t tell your mother’s you harass girls in alley ways.”

  “Listen, bitch…”

  “I said shoo,” she snarled, turning in time to see the greasier looking one take several fast steps toward her. Without thinking, her hands came up, thumbs touching and aimed at them.

  All she knew for certain was that she was sad because she wasn’t with Jase and Nick and angry that everything in her life was upside down. The heat and anger left her hands in a fiery burst of power.

  Jase stared, immobile as the two guys weighing at least two hundred pounds each easy, flew back and bounced off the brick façade of a building in the alley. They groaned but didn’t make an attempt to get to their feet right away.

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  His gaze flew to Brea, the slender form swaying slightly as she gaped at what she’d done, her hand up and covering the stifled gulp. He watched her knees wobble before she turned and took off running without looking back at the groaning men she’d tossed like paper.

  A dream, her mind screamed as she ran, her head suddenly filled with everything from the night before.

  She was freezing. Abruptly cold beyond what she should be feeling at noon on a Saturday in April.

  Her head hurt. It felt like the inside of her brain was suddenly wrapped in something thick and fuzzy and all the sounds of the world were muffled and hidden from her.

  She heard shouting. Heard her name, vaguely but kept running.

  She found the path she wanted that led down to the main highway and swerved onto it, refusing to turn at the sounds behind her. Refusing to think what she’d done or even if those idiots were hurt.

  She stumbled, going to her knees only to find herself looking up at another idiot.

  This one a little older than the last but not by much. She tried to shove back, falling to her behind and screaming out when his hand shot forward and gripped the thick braid down her back. He pulled her to her feet, his free hand taking one of her palms and twisting it behind her.

  “Just the girl I was looking for.”

  “You’ve made a mistake,” she tried shaking her head, wincing and crying out.

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  She turned her face from the mouth whispering too darkly beside her cheek.

  “Breanna Cooper. My boss is looking for you….and he’s offering a lot of money if I bring you to him….” He glanced down at the front of her tee shirt and then at the sweet curve of her behind. “And he doesn’t even care
if I have a little fun before I turn you over to him. That makes him a very fine man to work for, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Why can’t this person just send me an email? A letter? A phone call?” She cried out again in pain when he pulled her to her toes using the braid. He kept himself to the side so she couldn’t even use the knee to the groin move, tears streaming down her face. “Oww….alright….stop….you’re hurting me….”

  “Little girl, you don’t even know what pain can be like,” he promised, his face moving next to hers. “I promise not to damage you too much for the boss.”

  “No, but you’re about to find out, asshole,” the low, hard tone filled the quiet of the woods around them.

  Jase stepped into a stream of light filtering through the thick trees, his fist crashing into the guys face while the other arm went around Brea’s waist, lifting her from the ground and putting her safely behind him. His eyes went over her, fury rising and building upon what was already there because of the tear streaks down her cheeks.

  “Don’t move, Brea.”

  Jase let her go once he was sure she could stand without falling. His hands curled into tight fists and he fought to keep the claws from bursting forth. He wanted nothing more than to rip the fool to shreds, slow and with all the promise of pain he’d offered Brea.

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  He could smell him. He wasn’t shifter. He was a demon. Low level. But arrogant enough to think he could actually take her from him.

  Jase watched the man push against the ground and throw himself at him but this time Jase grabbed his shirt and threw him into the underbrush fifteen feet away.

  “You thought you could take what belonged to me?” Jase demanded coldly, striding toward him, his chest heaving. He felt his canines extend and didn’t fight it.

  “You stupid shifter,” he swiped the back of his palm across the blood at the corner of his mouth. “You can’t keep her from Sullivan and you’re a fool to try,” the man backed away but only until Jase’s hand whipped out and grabbed a handful of his shirt, his other palm out and twisting one of the man’s arms behind his back.