“One on one. I don’t know how good Kai is,” Zayn said.
She took her glass and the three of them headed back toward the house and to the game room off the patio by the pool. In all of about fifteen minutes later, she was laughing and enjoying the conversation with them as well as Devin and their friends who teased one another. She was also kicking Zayn’s butt in pool.
* * * *
Thermo watched Kai playing pool with everyone. The woman was gorgeous with her long reddish blonde hair, her sexy figure, especially the way her ass looked in the tight dark jeans she wore and that top. God damn, every time she bent down to take a shot on the pool table her blouse gaped open and he could see the deep cleavage of her abundant breasts. Her laugh was addicting, too. She had a funny laugh that was contagious.
He sipped at his beer and didn’t understand how he could be affected by this woman. It was more than just her physical appearance and beauty, it was her soft tone of voice, her calming demeanor, and the way she gave her full attention to whomever she spoke to. She dressed classy, even now in designer jeans, a pretty pale cream blouse and camisole that matched. She also wore wedge sandals that made her thighs look sexy and long. He was pretty surprised by his attraction to her, considering he hardly spoke to her. Then of course, knowing that Zayn and Selasi already liked her and found her attractive, too, made him think of things they talked about while serving.
Relationships, feeling venerable or weak in certain areas. Hell, he was the weakest link. He was the fucked up one. He didn’t like to be touched. Kept people away. Didn’t want a woman seeing his scars, the damage from his last fucking mission that should have ended his life. He didn’t want to come across fucked up, but he was. He knew it. He had nightmares. He woke up with tears spilling from his eyes several times as he remembered his fallen brothers-in-arms. How badly they were tortured before they died. He did things most human beings couldn’t understand or even begin to understand. He killed, and killed, and killed some more, until killing didn’t give him that sick, bad feeling in his gut. He became desensitized to life, because the reality was kill or get killed.
He looked around at their friends, at Devin who just wrapped his arms around Kai’s waist and hugged her tight as she laughed, and he wondered why he lived and why others died? What was he supposed to do with this life, when nothing seemed to get to him, or make him feel?
His eyes roamed over Kai once again and this time it was Mike keeping his hand on her hip and talking to Turner and Fogerty, Watson, Dell, and Phantom, all mercenaries, all soldiers who now used their killing skills and military abilities to make money. She deserved men who were whole. Men like his brothers Selasi who was using his military skills to train police officers and special units. A man like Zayn who was hired by the state police as a trainer for undercover investigators like Devin. Guys who used their abilities to help others. Thermo felt alone and useless. Except maybe to spar with and help train some of these men who were going to see hand-to-hand combat at any point in their professions. Otherwise, he had nothing. Except those thoughts, those nightmares of his past.
* * * *
Kai looked at Devin’s eye and then his cheek. She stroked his jaw. “I don’t like seeing this,” she said to him in front of Selasi, Mike, and Turner.
Devin wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her hip a squeeze. “I’m fine, Kai. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I do though. You take too many chances. You need to be more careful.”
“I am careful. It’s the criminals that are getting worse.”
“In his defense, I hear the guys and Zayn all the time talking about how issuing warrants in some of these places is not a walk in the park anymore,” Selasi said to her.
“Add in the disrespect for law enforcement and of course they’re going to resist,” Turner stated.
“What happened this time?” Afina asked, joining the conversation.
“We went in, but before we made it to the apartment we were stopped by a few guys asking us questions, like we have to give them answers. That was bullshit right there,” Devin said.
“So they were the ones that attacked you?” Kai asked.
“Pretty much. They shoved us and we shoved back, and were prepared to draw our weapons when this guy punches me in the eye. I hit him back and he goes down, and my partner is grabbing the other one when he throws a right hook at my cheek. It was a freaking mess,” Devin said.
“So what about the guy you came to arrest?” Kai asked.
“We got him while he was sneaking down the hallway. Turns out those guys were there to distract us. Didn’t work, but I wound up with this,” Devin said.
Kai shook her head and then stepped to the side as Turner gave him a pretend shot, which Devin blocked.
“You were doing all right with the ladies last night,” Mike teased.
“Yes I was,” he said, and then took a slug from his bottle of Bud Light.
“You better be careful, Devin. There are some crazy stalker women sniffing around you lately. I hope you didn’t hook up with any last night,” Afina teased.
“What? Like who?” Devin asked.
“Oh I don’t know, maybe that little blonde who was rubbing your thigh and whispering in your ear,” Afina teased once again.
“A stalker? Shit, there are plenty of those around Corporals. A lot of women go there to hook up and fulfill their little fantasies about doing a soldier,” Turner said, and then took a slug from his beer bottle.
Devin snickered. “Not for nothing, but I think any of us could handle a stalker.”
“She would have to be really good in—”
Afina covered Devin’s mouth and everyone started laughing.
Kai felt the hand on her hip as Selasi squeezed next to her. The man was so big and tall. She felt like a peanut compared to him. His hand was huge, too, and could cover her hip. His fingers thick and long, felt like they were burning her skin through her jeans.
“Now you know one of the reasons why my brothers and I don’t go there much. Damn glad we were there last night though to meet you,” he whispered.
“Selasi, I told Zayn I’m not—”
“I get it. I can go slow, sweetie,” he said as he held her gaze and gave her a wink. However, his eyes roamed to her lips and she wondered how it would feel to have him kiss her.
She was feeling pretty damn confused. Two brothers? Two retired soldiers and one heavily involved in dangerous police work, and she was attracted to them? Then there was Thermo who hadn’t said a word to her tonight at all. He sat there in the corner, quiet, barely exchanging words with the other men. Why she thought of the three of them as a package made her heart race. Was she thinking about a ménage? Surely this was just physical, a need for sex. Sex she hadn’t had in more than three years, or been held close to just snuggle, or have the security of a muscular man’s arms like she had with Edison.
She felt the hand against her cheek and snapped out of her thoughts.
“Damn, baby, what were you just thinking? You looked so sad, so lost,” he said to her, and she realized that everyone got quiet around her.
She glanced that way and Turner, Mike, Devin, Afina, and Zayn stared at her. “I’m fine. Excuse me please.” She stepped away from him.
“Kai.” He said her name and she shook her head and forced a smile.
“I’m good, Selasi,” she said, and headed inside.
Kai walked down the hallway and went into the extra sitting room. She looked out the window at the evening stars and thought about Edison. The tears filled her eyes, and she tried to keep them away. She missed him but things were changing. After years of being lonely and forcing herself to just live each day alone and strong, here she was having feelings for other men. Why did she feel so guilty, and also so scared?
She gasped when she felt the hand on her waist. Michael.
“It’s okay, Kai. You’re an amazing, sexy, hot, gorgeous, young woman with one hell of a body, plus brains
, so you knew this was going to happen.” She laughed but tears fell. He hugged her tight from behind and placed his chin on her shoulder.
“I’ll be okay.”
“You will be with men as awesome as those three.”
“Three?” she asked and turned, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. He smiled softly and stroked the tear from her cheek.
“You’ve never reacted to any men like you have with those three. We all can see it plain as day. Hell, I’m jealous.” He winked.
She knew he was teasing. She and Mike had that kind of fun relationship where he always joked about taking her to bed to be friends with benefits. She stared at him. “I’m not ready.”
“Sure you are.”
“No. I’m shaking. Can’t you feel it?” she whispered.
“Even if you didn’t have the sadness of the past, and I know I don’t have all the details, I think most people react with a bit of fear when they get struck with being attracted to someone again, and they know it’s more than just physical.”
“How can you say that when you haven’t had one serious relationship since I’ve known you?”
“I’m a man, Kai. I got needs and shit, but I know the difference between sex and a one-night stand and something more. I just haven’t met anyone like that yet, nor has my team.”
“Your team? You mean you and the whole crew with one woman? A ménage? You want that?”
“Come here.” He took her hand and brought her over to the couch. They sat down and she turned sideways, crossed her legs, and listened to him. “Phantom, Turner, and I have been teamed up in the military for years. A shit load of our friends have engaged in ménage relationships for a lot of reasons, but the most common ones make sense.”
“Like?”
He took a deep breath and released it. “Like knowing if one of us can’t handle something, that the others can. That a woman, our woman, will be kept safe at all times because at least one of us can be with her if not all three. Soldiers who have experienced and seen violence and shit like we all have, need to know that our mate, our woman is safe. I know you may not understand—”
She shook her head and reached out and covered his forearm. “I understand. Without getting into details, I understand.” She thought about the things Edison said to her when he was struggling so much once he was back home. He kept asking about his friends, the rest of his troop, the four guys he thought of as brothers, but they were dead. He survived and they died. Tears spilled from her eyes. He squinted at her.
“You do understand,” he said, but was shocked.
She tried to talk to him about Edison but she couldn’t.
“It’s okay. You don’t need to explain. There’s a lot of benefits to a ménage and I think it might be a good fit for you, besides the fact that I don’t think one man could handle you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked and wiped her eyes.
He looked her over and smiled. “You’re an idiot.”
“But you love me like a brother, right?”
“Right,” she said, and he hugged her. “Take your time, and if you want any dirt on those three just ask, but they’re good men. Hard men but loyal and trustworthy.”
“We’ll see,” she said, and he pulled back.
“Now, back to the party?”
She looked at her watch, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the couch, turning her toward the doorway. “Don’t even think about heading out.” He gave her ass a slap.
She gasped. “Mike!”
“It’s probably the last time I get to do that.” He winked and then nodded his head toward the right. There stood Selasi and Zayn by themselves near the pool table. She released Mike’s hand, but then North saw her.
“Kai, come here. You have to see this,” she said, and Kai noticed how Mike looked at North, but North was sitting with a few of their other friends, some troopers in the same unit as Devin, and he didn’t look happy. Could Mike have his eyes on North?
Kai walked over and said hello to the guys. Some she knew by face and others not at all. They looked at this crazy video on television with people doing off the wall stunts. One scene after the next was funny and had them all laughing. She knew immediately when Selasi and Zayn were right behind her, and she didn’t panic. She tried to just let things happen. When both men pressed close and she could feel them inhale against her hair, and then both of them touch her, she closed her eyes and just breathed through it. She stared at the television as she absorbed the sensation of their large hands against her skin. Selasi’s on her lower back, caressing her and Zayn’s on her shoulder, then under her neck in such a sexual, dominating way. She tried not to think about intimacy, about sex, but it was hard as her body responded, making her realize that she had fought against any sensations of desire for so long, even the slight attraction to a man, but that this felt different. She didn’t turn to look at them or catch their eyes, she just pretended to focus on the television and the funny scenes as others laughed, until her eyes moved from the television toward the opened doors and patio to where Thermo was in a dead stare at her. She didn’t turn away and neither did he. Something clicked. She liked them, and was attracted to the three men. Now what?
* * * *
Selasi and Zayn kept Kai close to them and she wasn’t pulling away. He didn’t know what Mike and her had talked about earlier, but whatever it was seemed to help her relax a little. He wanted to make plans with her, but was it moving too fast? He wondered, but then Zayn asked.
“How about we try to get together for lunch or dinner this week?”
She looked up at Zayn and she swallowed hard. “I have a busy schedule. I heard you mentioning you’re pretty busy, too.”
“We could rearrange some things. Or how about tomorrow?”
“Oh, I have plans with friends tomorrow that I haven’t seen in a while. This week is going to be a bit crazy, and Friday night I have a banquet to attend.”
“A banquet for what?” Selasi asked, not hiding his upset at her declining a date.
“The Mercy Community Council awards ceremony. Black tie affair at the Silvermore on the water front.”
“Impressive place. That’s by invitation only, right?” Zayn asked, staring at her lips.
“It is and was planned for months. I’m going to support a few friends who are receiving awards who have been great contributors to Guardians Hope. I’m also representing the charity and hoping to receive some more donations to the latest projects we’re developing.”
“What are the new projects?” Selasi asked. He loved the tone of her voice. It was soft, sweet, and a little raspy, making her come off even sexier than she already was.
“Currently, we just broke ground on a retreat center where soldiers or law enforcement officers suffering from PTSD or other disorders can go for private counseling and recreation. A calm, non-intrusive, non hospital setting, where they feel more relaxed and at ease. We also have established a car service with all volunteers to help transport soldiers or first responders that need transportation to and from the medical facilities. Some have to travel weekly for chemo treatments or same day surgical procedures and even counseling, but they don’t have driver’s licenses and the cost of car service is too much. Taking a bus can be too costly or even take too long with stops, and if they are sensitive to certain environmental factors it could add to their stresses. We’re trying to think of all the different ways we can serve our heroes and make them know how appreciative we are and return the favor of their sacrifices. It’s coming along pretty good so far.” She went on about it, and he just was more and more impressed with her.
“That’s awesome, Kai. I love all those ideas and it’s amazing to learn that you’re making them happen,” Zayn said, and covered her hand with his.
She smiled softly. “Not me alone. Believe me it has taken years, but it’s well worth it.”
“What’s your ultimate goal? What will make you feel like you’ve achieved it all?�
�� Selasi asked.
She was quiet a moment and then pulled her hand back and looked at them. “To make the percentage of suicides by soldiers and first responders nonexistent. To reach every single one of them, and make them feel they aren’t alone, that we have their backs,” she said, and then took her drink and swallowed.
He was shocked, but before he could say a word, her friends interrupted and no plans were made, but he was going to find a way to make some with her. He wanted to learn more about Kai Devaro.
Chapter Five
“You were really quiet at Mike’s last night. I only saw you talking to Kai a little bit. Don’t you like her?” Zayn asked Thermo.
He just stared at Zayn.
“What?” Zayn asked.
Thermo leaned forward by the table. He had some things packed to head to his friend’s house. He hadn’t seen Keono for months, and now they ran some martial arts classes together training soldiers and law enforcement officers.
“You think she wants to date a soldier and a cop when you heard she lost her brother who was a cop, and her boyfriend who committed suicide and was a soldier? She’s scared of us. Of what we stand for. Selasi and I as soldiers and you as a soldier and law enforcement.”
“She feels the attraction like we all do. She’s just scared and I get it. It’s a lot to take in, I know, but she would understand who we are and what we need and require in a woman.”
“We?”
“Fuck yeah, you, too. You’re not running from this, Thermo. You like her. I’ve never seen you look at a woman like you look at Kai,” Selasi added, joining them in the kitchen.
“First, she’s fucking hot, second, it doesn’t bother you that all the guys hit on her, and they even touch her, pull her into their arms and shit.”
“You mean Mike and Devin, Turner and Fogerty? Hell, they’ve known her for years. She isn’t interested in any of them,” Selasi said.
“Definitely not interested. Mike can be relentless when he sets his sights on a woman. If it’s true and he has hit on her for years and she hasn’t taken him up on it, then it will never happen,” Zayn said.
Healing Hearts 1 Warrior Angel Page 5
