A Six-Pack & a Shot at Love [Love on the Rocks 1] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever)

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  She did as he said, loving the feel of his hard muscles and wide shoulders. Garvan was a bit tanner than his brothers and had more of a European look to him. His olive complexion, dark hair, dark eyes, and style made him seem wealthy and privileged. She could imagine him sailing one of those fancy wooden yachts or golfing at the high-class country club exchanging pleasantries and stock information with fellow guests. Yet, he seemed quiet, reserved, and as though he was always thinking. When he got to where he could stand, he turned her around and held on to her hips. She tried to put her feet down, but she was too short to reach the bottom.

  “Oh, no, looks like you’re going to have to rely on me to keep you afloat,” he teased.

  She pulled from his arms and lay on her back, floating. “Or I could float.”

  He pulled her back and into his arms, forcing her to straddle his waist. As her inner thighs collided with muscle and ridges, she parted her lips and held his gaze. She watched his eyes lower down to her chest, and then his hand moved up her ribs to right below her breast line.

  “You are filled with surprises, Venetia. Do you have any idea what effect you’ve had on me since the first day we met?”

  She shook her head, and he used his one hand to keep her in place. His palm splayed over her ass, and she pressed up closer to him.

  “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. About how we went wrong and made you angry.”

  “It wasn’t you or Roman as much as it was Apollo and his demanding, controlling ways. He was giving orders and made me feel as if he’d used me to get rid of some other woman. Who is she anyway? It’s obvious she thinks that Apollo belongs to her.”

  “She’s an idiot he met months ago. Tell me about your ex. About how we remind you of him.”

  She looked away. “No.”

  His hand firmed. “Yes, I want to know. I want to show you that we’re not him.”

  She caressed from his shoulder to his cheek and held his gaze. “You’re not him. The problem is with me. I’m scared to let my guard down.”

  “It was that bad?” he asked her, and she stroked his cheek and then his chin.

  “It was bad. I had to move away from my family and friends.”

  “You came from New York.”

  “How did you know? Wait, did Apollo—”

  He shook his head. “Your accent.”

  She chuckled and felt her cheeks heat up. “I forget I have that.”

  “And the attitude, too.”

  She smiled. “Not really.”

  He raised one eyebrow up at her.

  “Okay, so maybe when I feel challenged or scared or vulnerable I get my guard up.”

  “Do you feel scared, challenged, or vulnerable right now?”

  “Vulnerable maybe.” She stroked his neck.

  “Why?”

  “Garvan…”

  He leaned closer and kissed her.

  She didn’t pull back. She was too turned on, too curious about this attraction and where it could possibly go. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he squeezed her ass harder and then cupped her breast. She moaned into his mouth, and he pulled on her nipple, shocking her, and then thumbed it, making her want more. So much more from him.

  When she felt another person press up against her back, she felt panicked, but then Apollo’s lips touched her neck, and he whispered to her. “You’re so stunning, Venetia. I want to kiss you, too.”

  Garvan released her lips, and Apollo moved beside him and then cupped her cheek and leaned lower to kiss her next. She accepted both men as they held on to her and took turns kissing her, cupping her breasts and then lifting them between them. She floated on her back, and they looked her over.

  She kept a hand on both men’s shoulders while they leaned down and licked and kissed her skin. Apollo licked along her breast then down to her ribs, tickling her.

  She wiggled, but they wouldn’t let go. Garvan sucked on her skin under her rib cage and then lowered to the string of her bikini.

  “One tug and we can see how low this tattoo goes,” Apollo said.

  “You better not.” She sat up and swam away from them.

  Both men followed, and Garvan pulled her under then placed her back behind him as he swam to the raft. She was grateful they didn’t try to keep her there or go further. She had let them go far enough, and she still wasn’t sure how this could work and where the men really stood. The risk was greater for her. She was the woman, and if she accepted a relationship with six men, no other man would ever want her again.

  * * * *

  Roman guided Venetia down the stairs and into the lower cabin so she could freshen up.

  “Oh my God, this is incredible.” She looked around the place.

  “I’ll show you around.” He kept a hand at her waist as he gave her a tour of the kitchen, the sitting area, bar, and then the bedroom.

  “Wow, it is huge in here. Oh, is that a window?” She leaned over by the side of the bed to see. He pressed closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “It’s larger than most windows. It was an upgrade that Apollo wanted.”

  She turned to look up at him, and he stared at her lips. He wanted to kiss her but was trying to go slow.

  “Apollo has expensive taste, huh?” she asked.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed, took her hand, and pulled her closer. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and he eased back, taking her with him.

  “Only the best for Apollo,” he said while easing his hand up under her hair to the back of her head then drew her closer to kiss him. She didn’t resist, and he felt triumphant, especially as she pressed closer and began kissing him back.

  He loved how she felt in his arms and the way her full breasts pressed against his bare chest. He couldn’t help but move his hand from her back to her ass, exploring her curves and inhaling her scent. The combination of her shampoo and coconut lotion filled his senses. He rolled her to her side and pressed a thigh between her legs. He wanted her, so desperately he could get lost in exploration, hell, lost buried deep inside of her.

  He was trying to go slow, but every inch of his body wanted fast. His cock was hard, and she pulled from his mouth and gripped his shoulders.

  “My God, all your kisses should be illegal.”

  She looked so shell shocked and serious that he chuckled. She smirked then sealed her lips. When she reached up as he held her gaze, he knew in that moment she was feeling the intensity of this attraction, too. She stroked his cheek.

  “How many women have you seduced, Roman?” She used her pointer to trace his lips. He caught her finger with his mouth and sucked it in. Her lips parted, and when he released her finger, he squinted at her.

  “I don’t seduce women.”

  “Don’t lie to me. It isn’t very becoming.”

  “I’m not lying to you. I’ve had a handful of relationships. None lasting more than two months tops.”

  “Why is that?”

  “None of them were compatible with me I guess. How about you? How many men have you seduced with this sexy, voluptuous body?” he asked, using his palm to ease up her hip and cup her breast. She tightened up and just stared at him.

  “The truth? Just like I shared. I never seduced any man, but one seduced me, and it was enough.”

  She went to turn to get him to lift up, but he wouldn’t allow it. He lifted slightly and cupped her cheeks with his hands as his forearms rested above her shoulders. He rolled her to her back and kept a thigh wedged between her thighs.

  “Don’t push me away. It’s pretty hypocritical, but I’m glad you only had one lover and not many. I’m upset that the one you chose to trust betrayed you, and one day, I want to know how. I want to know details and, of course, his name.”

  She shook her head, and he saw the emotion fill her eyes. Roman’s gut clenched with concern. Was it not over? Did she still have feelings for the man? Was he still part of her life? But she said she had to move.

  “Is it not over?” he
asked her and used his thumbs to stroke her cheeks.

  “I hope it is, but I guess there’s a fear that it isn’t because he’s the kind of man that never gives up. I don’t want to get into this, Roman. I have a lot on my plate. A lot of fears and reservations about letting you and your brothers into my life. I mean there are six of you. That’s crazy.”

  “What’s so crazy about six brothers wanting the same woman, being ready to commit fully to her if the attraction is mutual?”

  “That it won’t last. That someone might get bored, or be tempted to stray, or pretend emotions that aren’t real, or maybe feel jealous or distrusting. There’s a lot of worries, Roman. A lot. I can’t just base this on an attraction, on how each of you make me feel.”

  “Why not?” Titan asked, joining them. She glanced at him in the doorway.

  She took a deep breath and released it.

  “Fear is a very powerful emotion.”

  He heard his brother Ace call from upstairs, saying they were ready to hit the beach and start grilling. Reluctantly Roman lifted up and then offered his hand to Venetia, helping her up next. He pulled her close and kept a palm at her back.

  “We’ll take things slow. We’ll be honest with you if you’re honest with us.”

  “I’ll try, Roman. I’ll try.” He caressed her cheek and then moved her in front of him and guided her from the bed.

  “The changing room is right there. We’ll meet you on the top deck.”

  She nodded and then glanced at Titan before she took her bag and headed to the changing room.

  “What was that all about?” Titan asked him, and Roman explained the conversation.

  “Can we get a name of this guy? Maybe find out if he’s local or possibly harassing her?” Titan asked.

  “You think he is and that’s why she’s scared?”

  “We could ask Cena’s men,” Titan suggested.

  “Okay, I’ll ask them as soon as the opportunity arises.”

  * * * *

  Cena boarded the boat with Ned, Ken, and Brian. They waited for Venetia to say good-bye to the Corbias brothers.

  “Why isn’t she taking them up on the offer to ride back with them?” Brian asked Cena. Cena took a deep breath and released it.

  “Being cautious I guess.” She turned to pick up one of the bags with towels in it, and Ken took her upper arm and stopped her. All three of her lovers stared at her.

  “She likes them. They like her, and they’re good men. I thought her problems were in the past,” Ken said to her. “We get the feeling, Cena, that you and Venetia have not been entirely honest with us, so what’s the deal? Her men want to know, and they’re asking us questions.”

  “Her men? They aren’t her men. She’s not ready to accept anything like that.”

  “Why, baby? What’s the deal, and don’t lie to us or hold back or else,” Ned said in that firm tone of his.

  She knew better than to mess with her marines. She covered her face with her hands as she exhaled and then kept them on her chin and mouth.

  “Is she in danger?” Brian pushed.

  He was a detective, and when he’d asked questions when Venetia first arrived in South Carolina, Cena had fibbed about the fact that Venetia was lying, and she knew it would come back and bite her in the ass.

  “Okay, I wasn’t exactly honest with you guys about why Venetia moved out here,” Cena said to them.

  “Shit.” Ned pulled her over to the seat to sit down. She glanced toward the other boat where the Corbias brothers were trying to convince Venetia to go with them.

  “I can’t get into it right now, and I promised Vin that I wouldn’t tell anyone what happened.”

  “Well, that shit is not going to fly with us. Especially if she’s in some kind of danger. That means you could be in danger, too. Now we can do this two ways. One, you explain everything to us and we decide what’s the plan of action, or we wait for Venetia and you both explain,” Brian stated firmly, and she could tell he was upset with her. He had that intense look and the veins by his temples were pulsating.

  Ned caressed her thigh. “Either way, you’re in trouble, so start talking.”

  As she opened her mouth to speak, they heard Venetia say bye and then Titan helped her onto the boat. He didn’t look happy.

  “So we’ll wait to hear from you then?” he asked, and Venetia nodded.

  Titan gave the guys a wave. They waved back, and then Brian started the engine. As they pulled away from the Corbias’ large boat, Cena looked at Venetia. She could see the longing, the sadness and disappointment in her cousin’s eyes. She reached out and took her hand, and Venetia had tears in her eyes. She squeezed her hand.

  “You could have gotten a ride back with them, and they would have met us by the marina.”

  “You know they wouldn’t have gone to the marina. They would have brought me out farther and then anchored, and we would have spent the entire day together, and I would be worse off than now.”

  “Worse off how?” Cena asked.

  “Things would have progressed with them because, when I’m with them, I can’t think straight or process things to make sure to make the right decisions. They confuse me and sneak attack, and their kisses. Jesus, those men know how to kiss a woman. It makes me feel stupid, inexperienced, naïve, and vulnerable. I can’t allow myself to be vulnerable, Cena. If things go south, I won’t survive it.”

  She squeezed Venetia’s hand and then glanced at Ned and Ken, who sat across from them and didn’t look too happy. She knew when they docked that her boyfriends were going to demand answers.

  “You know what I think?” Cena asked her.

  “What?”

  “I think it’s time to move on and to be free from those fears you have over Conan. You haven’t heard from him in seven months. Plus, if you take a chance on the Corbias brothers and they turn out to be perfect, then you’ll have six very wealthy, capable, strong businessmen and soldiers that will protect you with everything they have.”

  “Conan is ruthless, and when pushed, he’s a monster. How can I expose them to such problems? They’ll think I’m trouble and tainted.”

  Cena squinted at her. “Tainted? Why would say that?”

  The roar of the engine hid their conversation from the men.

  “When I tried to leave him for cheating on me, he flipped out.” She looked away from Cena, and Cena felt her gut clench and her heart race with concern.

  “What did he do?”

  The tears filled Venetia’s eyes. “Let’s just say that that he forced me to stay, and he took what he wanted, despite me screaming no and for him to stop.”

  Cena covered her mouth with her hand as tears spilled from her eyes.

  “So when I saw him in the city, he told me I belonged to him. That he took my virginity and my body would never belong to anyone else but him. That he would come for me and take me back and no one would stand in his way. It was a real threat, Cena. He will never let me go. He will never stop thinking that I belong to him and will stop at nothing to have me back. It doesn’t matter what is going on with the federal investigation. He’ll find me, and when he does, if I’m involved with the Corbias men, he’ll hurt them, or worse. That’s something that I can’t live with. So it really doesn’t matter how much I want them, want to enjoy more of their kisses, their touches, or hope that if I let my guard down and made love with them that they could heal me. None of that matters when, ultimately, Conan will hurt them. That’s the reality of all of this.”

  Cena pulled her into an embrace and hugged her tight. When the boat started to slow down, she could see the expressions of concern and anger on Ken’s and Ned’s faces.

  “Venetia, we have another problem,” Cena said to her, and Venetia squinted.

  “My men know something is up. The Corbias brothers asked them questions about you, and well, they’re pissed off at me for lying and not telling them why you really moved down here.”

  “Cena, I can’t tell them if they’r
e going to tell the Corbias brothers. I can’t.”

  She held Vin’s hand. “I don’t think you have much of a choice. They can see it plain as day that you like their friends. They want to know why you aren’t accepting.”

  As they docked the boat, the guys remained standing there looking at Cena and Venetia.

  “Well, you’ve had enough time to process your thoughts and realize that we can be trusted, and we aren’t getting off this boat until we have the truth. So spit it out and don’t leave out any details,” Brian demanded, “or I promise, there’ll be hell to pay.”

  “There’s nothing really to discuss right now. Venetia had a bad relationship with this guy back in New York, and he was wealthy and powerful and used that against her. He cheated on her, and she broke things off with him, so she’s cautious now.” Cena tried to minimize the situation for her cousin, but then Venetia covered her arm and exhaled.

  “I’m sorry that I made Cena keep this secret from you. I figured the less people that knew about this guy and the past, the safer I would be,” Vin told them.

  “This guy is looking for you then?” Brian asked.

  She was quiet a moment, and as she spoke, her voice cracked.

  “He wants me back, and he will stop at nothing to get me back into his bed.”

  “Fuck.” Ken ran his fingers through his hair.

  “Do your brothers know what’s going on?”

  “Sort of. I mean they know some of it, and when I discussed leaving and taking off to disappear, they thought it was a smart idea. I call them every week and touch base.”

  “The Corbias men are good men, and they care for you already. They could protect you, Vin,” Ken said, and she shook her head.

  “He’ll hurt them if need be. He’s ruthless and dangerous. I think the only reason why he hasn’t found me yet is because he can’t leave New York. He’s got federal agents on him and an investigation into some illegal businesses he’s involved in or something. He has his lawyers buying him time. My brothers have kept me abreast of it.”

  “Federal investigation? Shit, this sounds really bad. Like we need to sit down and go over everything,” Ken said to her.