Ways in the Guardian: A Menage Romance Book Collection

by Barbara Downey

  “When do I get to drink from the vein?” Ben moaned.

  “When your face no longer resembles Frankenstein’s monster. Humans scare easily,” she replied again.

  “If you would remove the mirror from the safe I could see exactly what damage was done,” he groaned.

  “You don’t want to see it, and it is starting to heal so stop moaning,” Jake said.

  “Anyway, you have a client tonight,” Louisa said.

  When Jake had collected Ben’s tattoo equipment he had practiced on both of them just to pass the time. After a little accident with fangs and Ben’s arm, they found out something about Ben’s rare blood. If just one drop was mixed into the tattoo ink it fixed the design so the vampire healing ability didn’t remove the tattoo. With Jake’s business skills and Louisa’s contacts, Ben’s new tattoo business was booming.

  “Cool, who is it this time?” Ben asked.

  “She’s a princess, or at least she was when she was alive and walking around in society,” Louisa said.

  “Has she chosen a design?”

  “Yes, she wants something similar to mine but I like mine being unique,” she replied.

  “I’ll know what design she needs when I see her,” Ben said. “So, is she hot?”

  Louisa threw her pillow at his face and he caught it before it touched the bruised and swollen skin. His vampire reflexes were great which was good because his face needed all the protection it could get. He didn’t look like Frankenstein’s monster but he didn’t quite resemble the hot biker both she and Jake had fallen for.

  “Hey, we have an email about the accident,” Jake said pulling his laptop over towards them.

  “It was no accident,” Ben corrected him.

  “I know, they have the thugs in custody and if the evidence sticks they will be de-fanged,” he said.

  “Good,” Louisa said wiping a pink tear from her cheek.

  “What is it?” Jake asked.

  “That one, he was my maker,” she replied. “He was always cruel. I’m glad they caught him.”

  “You’re safe now,” Jake said pushing the laptop aside.

  “You have a tough biker vamp to protect you and a cute vamp from the world of advertising who has no skills,” Ben laughed.

  “Forget the client. I’m gonna show just how useless my skills are,” Jake said whipping his shirt over his head.

  “Aren’t you saving yourself for the princess?” Louisa said laughing.

  “Nope, I’m shy which means I’m all yours,” Jake replied.

  “And mine,” Ben growled through his fangs.

  Life wasn’t so bad anymore. She could cope with the lack of personal space and silence was overrated, anyway. She loved her men, and she knew they loved her back. Her undead life was looking pretty good and she had never been happier.

  THE END

  See the next bonus story at the next page!

  14 of 25 Bonus Stories

  Brotherly Love

  “There’s no need to send the car, I’ll get a cab- yeah don’t worry, Dad. I’ll see you in an hour or so.” Alex hung up and stuffed his phone hastily into his pocket as he hurried across the airport. The JFK terminal was as crowded as ever and Alex felt thrilled to be back home, in his glorious city. A couple of young women slurping on frappes giggled as he passed by, and they turned to stare at him walk away. Though he kept a straight face and pretended not to notice, he secretly felt proud that he still attracted this kind of attention. As he neared the glass doors, he stopped to check his reflection, running a hand through his thick wavy brown hair. He put on his sunglasses, dragged his suitcase out of the airport and whistled for a cab.

  After Alex climbed into the cab and explained the address, he smiled fondly at the thought of seeing his childhood home and his brother, Daniel. The two of them had been inseparable as kids, and they had remained close growing up too- attending the same college, both working at their Dad’s company, and moving in the same social circles. Born just ten months apart from each other, the two of them acted more like twins, and like twins, they often became very competitive. Alex was older, but Dan was bossier. Alex was smarter, but Dan was more outgoing. Alex was hard-working, but Dan was charming. The list went on and on- somehow, the two of them always found themselves engaged in friendly competition, always trying to one up the other.

  The company had started to branch out and when the boys were old enough, their father had sent them off to different cities to manage the expanding business. Alex chose Los Angeles while Dan went off to Boston, and the two hadn’t seen each other in two years. They would have stayed in their respective cities too; if their father hadn’t called them and told them the news- he was getting married. After a long drive through the city, the car pulled up outside the sprawling mansion and as the cab driver helped him get his bags out, Alex looked at the house he grew up in and beamed. He struggled to get his luggage up the driveway and when he finally reached the door, he drew a deep breath and knocked.

  The door was answered by a tall man he didn’t recognize, who let him in courteously and said, “You must be Master Alex, please- let me take your bags.” Alex thanked the man when a voice from the other end of the entrance hall said, “Brother.” Alex turned and saw Dan standing there, his arms outstretched. His younger brother grinned at him as he drew nearer and the two of them embraced. As they broke away Alex said, “I thought you weren’t getting in till the weekend?” But Dan shook his head and waved a hand dismissively as he said, “Nah, I couldn’t wait that long to get in on the family fun,” he punched Alex playfully and then said, “So I took Dad’s jet here ahead of time.” Alex rubbed his arm where Dan had punched him and said, “Dad really sent his jet for you?”

  Dan didn’t seem to have heard him though, as he looked around and said, “Are those all your bags? You’re not gonna leave right after the wedding, are you? Come on, Al- we haven’t hung out in years.” Alex shrugged and said, “I’ve got enough stuff to last me a few weeks. I don’t need that much, you know me.” Dan grinned and said, “Of course, I forgot, you live like an ascetic- Padre Alex.” When his brother didn’t crack a smile, Dan punched him again and said, “Come on, you know I’m kidding around.” Alex rubbed his arm again just as their father walked into the hall.

  Stephen Bennett had always been a formidable man and an even more formidable father to his two sons. He loved them greatly, but he always pushed them too hard. After their mother had passed, Stephen had raised the boys on his own, instilling in them the skills of good businessmen and teaching them how to survive in a competitive world. “Dad,” Alex said, smiling and walking close to his father, who as always extended his hand, and Alex took it, shaking it firmly as he had been taught to do when he was only six years old. Even now, at twenty-seven, he still found his father an intimidating figure. Even Dan, who was usually a little more laid-back than Alex, had stiffened the moment Stephen had shown up. “Was the flight alright?” His father asked and Alex nodded, “Yes sir,” he said, trying not to think about the fact that Dan had taken the private jet while he had flown a long, cramped flight on a cheap airline.

  His father nodded and said, “Good. Come now, the table is set- you must be hungry.” Alex followed his father and brother into the dining room, which was set as it always had been since Alex remembered. Once they were seated in their regular places, Alex said, “How are you, Dad? How’s the wedding preparation going?” Stephen smiled and gruffly said “Oh I can’t get caught up in all that- I just focus on my work while my secretary handles all that stuff.” Alex turned to Dan and said, “Have you met Janine yet?” referring to his father’s fiancée. Dan shook his head and said, “Not yet- Dad wanted us to meet her together.” Alex nodded, secretly feeling relieved that Dan hadn’t been given the chance to one-up him again. “I’ve arranged for us all to have dinner tomorrow night.” Stephen said, and Alex nodded and then turned his attention to the food in front of him, wondering if living at home had always felt this awkward and the c
onversation always so strained.

  *****

  Chloe tried not to cry as she held the strip in her hand: two lines- positive. It was her third test in two days, and they all told her the same thing- that she was definitely very pregnant. Chloe took a deep shuddering breath and dropped the strip in the dustbin, washing her hands and staring at her reflection. She didn’t recognize the woman looking back at her- how had she turned into this lank-haired dead-eyed girl, pregnant at twenty-six? She sat down on the toilet seat and cradled her head in her hands miserably. She felt her life flash before her eyes- her friends, her career, any prospect of finding a man and marrying- she felt it all fall into the trash along with the pregnancy strip.

  After she showered and dressed for work, she looked in the mirror again, this time she felt more confident that she was the same person she always been, and if she didn’t think about the pregnancy maybe she could somehow undo it. She put some lipstick on, and lined her big blue eyes with kohl before grabbing her phone and purse and heading out the door. As she made her way to the tall Bennett Industries building, she wondered how long she could hide her situation from her new boss. Stephen Bennett was kind to her, and he trusted her with a lot of work that he didn’t think anyone else was capable enough to do. As the elevator dinged open on her floor, she plastered a big smile onto her face and walked up to her desk.

  Her smile froze on her face though, when she saw someone already sitting in her seat. As she approached, her shoes clattering against the polishes wood flooring, the chair swiveled around and Chloe’s jaw nearly dropped as she found herself staring at the most handsome man she had ever seen. He smiled pleasantly and said, “Hello.” Chloe rearranged her features to look more composed, and she coolly set her purse down on the desk and said, “Hi, can I help you with something?” The man jumped out of the chair and said, “Sorry, I didn’t realize this was your desk- uh, I’m Alex.” He extended his hand and Chloe took it, shaking it firmly as she smiled and said, “Chloe. I’m Mr. Bennett’s secretary.” Alex smiled and Chloe almost felt the need to shield her eyes from the dazzling set of teeth he flashed at her. “Perfect- you’re just the person I needed to see.”

  Chloe raised an eyebrow, and Alex said, “I was told you could help me find the papers for the Boston division?” Chloe took her seat and turned on her computer as she said, “I’m sorry, but to access those papers you’d need direct permission from Mr. Alexander Bennett.” He smiled and it suddenly dawned on her that Alex was short for Alexander. “Oh my Lord, you’re his son? I’m so sorry- I had no idea. Yes- I’ll get the papers for you right away.” She started to type furiously but Alex laughed and said, “Relax, I’m here all day, it’s not urgent- I’m just waiting for my dad.” He drummed his hands on her table and then glanced at the clock as he said, “When does he get in usually?” Chloe was trying not to have a nervous breakdown as she typed as fast as she could, and without glancing up she said, “He’s here by 10:30 usually, I can open up the conference room for you to wait in.” She found the file he was looking for and sent it to the printer as he said, “Nah, I’ll wait here, the view’s nice.”

  She glanced up and saw look straight at her, and she blushed. “Would you like anything- some coffee, maybe?” Alex shook his head and took a seat opposite from her, in the waiting area. “Thanks but I’m good. Please- I don’t want to disturb you, I’ll just wait, no worries.” The files were done printing and Chloe got up to collect them as she said, “Your papers are ready, let me just-” but before she could get out from behind the desk, Alex had already reached for the printer and he said, “I got it, don’t worry.” She sat back down and bit her lip, watching him pore over the papers intently. God, he was so handsome with his thick brown hair falling onto his eyes and a muscle twitching behind his sharp jawline as he concentrated on the numbers in front of him. His bright hazel eyes moved from the papers and onto her, and she suddenly looked away, embarrassed at having gotten caught staring at him like that.

  “So I hear my dad’s thrown all the wedding responsibility onto you- how’s that going for you?” She knew he was just trying to make pleasant conversation, humoring her with his small talk, but she still felt something flutter in her stomach every time he smiled at her. She laughed nervously and said, “You’ll think I’m a freak, but I absolutely love planning the wedding- it’s just so much fun. I’m going cake tasting tomorrow, that’s literally a dream come true.” She stopped talking suddenly, embarrassed but Alex seemed to think she was a riot, because he started laughing. He had the nicest laugh, even when he was laughing at her it didn’t sound mocking.

  He stopped and said, “That does sound pretty great- can I come with you?” She turned bright red at the thought of going somewhere alone with him but before she could answer, a loud boisterous voice sounded from the elevator, “Hey there early bird- I see you’ve caught the worm.” She looked up to see a man walking towards them, grinning at Alex. He was so breathtakingly handsome that she forgave him for calling her a worm. He stopped in front of her desk and held his hand out to her, “Hi there, I’m Dan.”

  *****

  Within minutes, Dan was sitting on Chloe’s desk, making her laugh at his ridiculous jokes. Alex tried not to think about it too much, but he felt a twinge of annoyance with his brother- clearly Dan knew that he was already interested in talking to the secretary, but the competitive spirit in his little brother seemed to have awoken. He looked at Chloe; she was very pretty with blonde beach waves, large blue eyes and a killer body. Even sitting down, her long tanned legs were clearly visible and her blouse fit snugly around her spectacular breasts. She was laughing at something Dan said, and even her laugh was lovely. Alex tried not to sulk in a corner, but it was difficult to see Dan get away with everything just because he was charming. Alex sat up a little straighter - if Dan wanted to play, then so could he.

  He stood up and ambled over to the desk, and immediately Chloe turned to face him. “You know, when Mr. Bennett mentioned his sons, I thought they would be a lot older, and very serious, boring men who ran their businesses.” Dan laughed and said, “That’s just Alex here, I’m the fun one.” Chloe, however, shook her head and quietly said, “I don’t think Alex is boring.” Alex seemed to swell to pride and Dan looked at him with a curious expression on his face. He opened his mouth as though he were about to say something, but then seemed to reconsider. The elevator dinged open and a booming voice called out, “Chloe, my sons said they’d be coming in today, have they- oh.” Stephen Bennett stopped speaking when he saw Dan sitting on Chloe’s desk and Alex leaning over him. “Hey Dad,” Dan chuckled nervously as he quickly slid off the desk and Alex put on a serious face and held the papers more visibly in his hand.

  Stephen stood there for a second, blinking at them before he sighed and shook his head, heading for his office. “Get in here, you two,” he said before pushing through the door. Dan pulled a face and then winked at Chloe before going after his father, and Alex sighed. He caught Chloe’s eye and he smiled warmly; she smiled back and said, “Your brother must have been quite a handful while growing up.” Alex rolled his eyes and said, “Oh you have no idea.” He grinned at her quickly and then gathered up the papers before following Dan into Stephen’s office. His father looked up as he entered and said, “Oh, Alex- good, you have the papers. Sit down, both of you. Dan, stop ogling that painting and get over here. We have some serious things to discuss.”

  Outside, Chloe stared at the door they had just disappeared through and she shook her head. She returned to work but suddenly, she felt her stomach drop. She stood up and steadied herself, when she realized she was about to throw up. “Oh God,” she whispered before she ran towards the bathroom, praying nobody else would be in there. She burst in to find it empty thankfully and she went straight towards a stall, falling to her knees and clutching the toilet bowl just in time. She hurled and grabbed the bowl tightly, steadying herself before she threw up again. She groaned miserably just as she heard the bathroom door swin
g open. She clutched the toilet bowl silently and hoped whoever it was would either leave her alone or not notice, but before she could stop herself, she was vomiting again. “Chloe?” She heard a voice say, “Are you alright?”

  Chloe yanked at some toilet paper and wiped her mouth as she turned to see who it was. Maria, one of the women from the finance department was standing there, staring at her. Chloe got up slowly, careful not to slip and flushes the toilet as she staggered towards the sink and nodded. She rinsed her mouth out with water and said, “I’m fine, really- just had a wild night that’s all. I’m probably still hung-over, that’s all.” Maria knitted her brows with concern as she peered at Chloe’s face and then said, “Are you sure- because I passed by you earlier and you didn’t seem hung-over.” Suddenly, she didn’t know whether it was the puking or Maria’s kind face, but Chloe began to cry. Maria hurried over and grabber her in a tight hug, letting Chloe cry all over her blazer. “I’m sorry,” Chloe bawled, but Maria just stroked her hair and said, “It’s alright- you’re fine, I’ve got you.”

  After a few minutes of solid crying, Chloe broke out of Maria’s grip and grabbed some more tissue, dabbing at her eyes as she said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Maria patted her arm gently and sympathetically said, “But you do know, don’t you?” Chloe hiccupped and stared at Maria, who shrugged and said, “I noticed earlier how well your blouse fit you, and now that I’m seeing you throw up- I can put two and two together, sweetie. I had my Eric less than two years ago- I remember it all vividly.” Chloe sniffled and looked away as she said, “I haven’t told anyone yet.” Maria gasped and said, “Chloe, you can’t be carrying all this stress on your own- have you told the father?” Chloe shook her head and Maria softly said, “Ah, understood.” Chloe leaned against the sink and hung her head as she quietly said “It was just a one-night stand- we used a condom.”