“Good morning.”
She peeked her eye open and saw Ricky standing there holding a hot cup of coffee and smiling.
Waylon pressed his lips against her shoulder as he gave her breast a squeeze.
“Morning,” she said, and as she moved, she felt the soreness and made a noise.
Immediately Ricky’s smile turned to a frown and Waylon uncupped her breast and sat up.
“Are you okay?” they asked.
She closed her eyes and adjusted her body. She pulled the sheets up against her chest and cringed. “I’m good.”
Waylon pulled her gently back down onto the bed and placed his arm over her waist. He looked her over then stared into her eyes with such serious concern she nearly lost the ability to breathe. Tears stung her eyes at his show of care and affection. Could last night have meant more than just really good sex? She realized instantly that she hoped so.
“I’m okay, just a little sore.”
“Did we hurt you?” Ricky asked.
She shook her head.
“What’s going on?” Brody asked as he and Murphy entered the room. She caught sight of them with their bare chests and only wearing jeans.
She licked her bottom lip. Waylon pressed his hand against her cheek and chin then held her firmly as he stared down into her eyes.
“Amelia, are you sure we didn’t hurt you.”
“Yes. It’s just been a while for me, okay, Waylon? I need to get up and shower. I can’t be late for work.”
He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.
He looked at her when he released her lips, as if she weren’t telling the truth. Apparently she wasn’t the only one in this room with trust issues.
Ricky helped her get up from the bed and the sheets fell away from her body.
He moved the palm of his hand along her side then pulled her against his chest. She hugged him, loving the feel of being in his arms. She could get lost in such big strong arms like Ricky’s.
When he moved his hand over her ass and squeezed, she felt her body react. If she didn’t get into the shower now, she may be playing hookie for the very first time in her life.
“I have to get ready,” she whispered.
He released her, and as she looked over her shoulder, four sets of eyes remained glued on her body. She smiled, feeling confident and sexy as she made her way into the small bathroom.
* * * *
They were making breakfast when Waylon heard Amelia’s phone ringing.
“That thing’s been going off all morning,” Murphy stated.
Waylon reached inside and pulled out the cell phone. He missed the call, but noticed that there were several text messages.
He hit the screen.
“What are you doing, Waylon?” Murphy asked.
“Seeing who’s calling her.”
“Don’t,” Ricky told him.
He looked at his brothers. “I want to know who’s calling her. We don’t know anything about her life in New York or who that guy was in the picture the day she moved in here.”
“Whoever he was, he hurt her. She was scared for me to touch her. I told you about that last night,” Brody stated.
Waylon put the phone back down.
He ran his hand through his crew cut hair.
“You’re right. I’m fucking not used to this. I don’t want her out of my sight. I don’t know how to handle this.”
“Calm down, Waylon. We’re all feeling the same way,” Ricky stated.
“Yeah, you don’t think I thought of turning that alarm clock off so she would oversleep, just so there was more time with her in bed?” Murphy asked.
Ricky chuckled.
“Last night, this morning…this is more than I ever imagined it would be like,” Brody told them.
Waylon felt his chest tighten. He didn’t do emotions well. In fact, he ran from his own. “I don’t want to leave for Vegas Friday.”
His brothers were quiet.
“This is a lot to take in. We need to slow things down and not act so possessive. It could scare Amelia,” Ricky said.
“Do we agree to take our time here? Maybe let her get to know us individually, too?” Brody asked.
“Agreed,” Murphy replied. Then Ricky followed and Waylon was last.
He knew this was going to be difficult for him. All these years home and he avoided getting down to his fears and emotions. One passionate night with Amelia, and a whole new light had been shed upon his life and his attitude.
He couldn’t lose her. She was instantly so important, and he would do what was necessary to hold on to her forever.
Chapter 10
Amelia finished setting up the display tables in the hospital. She gathered all the brochures about the programs and put out some nice baked goods for the two volunteers that would run the table.
She felt her cell phone vibrating against her hip and fear gripped her insides.
Mano had called her three times last night and texted, too. When she walked out into the kitchen this morning, she saw her phone on the counter and prayed that none of the men had seen it. They could misinterpret Mano’s words as something of meaning to her. Mano was a pig.
His words and his text messages showed his arrogance. As she checked out the caller ID, she didn’t recognize the number. Amelia debated about answering it as she headed toward the atrium doors. She would have privacy out there.
“Hello.”
“I was going to pretend that you never received my first message, but the other five? Come on, Amelia. You can’t still be angry with me,” Mano stated.
Her blood pressure rose beyond the fear of his wrath.
“Angry with you still? What the hell do you think, Mano? Of course I am. Disappearing for a year didn’t send a clear and precise message?” She looked around her, grateful that no one was there to hear her raise her voice.
“I know I fucked up. Hell, Amelia, I was caught up in feeling like I wasn’t good enough. I drank too much that night. Those women meant nothing.”
“Stop! Just stop it right now. I can’t believe you, Mano. It’s been over a year. What about Kyle? Explain that one, Mano. If you cared, then why hadn’t you stopped that fight?”
“Your brother made the decision to get in the ring with that monster.”
“You had money on it. You know what? I’m not interested in anything that you have to say. It’s always about you. It didn’t work out. It’s over. I meant nothing and I got it loud and clear.”
“Don’t hang up, Amelia. Let me explain. Let me apologize. When I heard that you were in the city, I fucking rushed there from across town. You were gone before I had the chance to tell you in person.”
“To tell me what?”
“That I’m making it big now. No small time anymore. No underground, illegal shit.”
“You don’t seem to get it, Mano. I don’t care. That life is behind me. You’re behind me. I’ve moved on. I need to go.”
“I’m not behind you. We’re meant to be. What, did you fucking say that you moved on? Are you fucking some other guy?”
“Stop it. It’s been over since the moment I caught you in bed with those two whores and the second you beat me and blamed me for all your faults.”
“You are fucking someone else. Who the fuck is he? I want to know right now ’cause he’s a fucking dead man walking!”
“Don’t call me ever again.”
“Oh I will and I might even take a trip out to Houston to see you in person.”
She disconnected the call.
She was so angry. Hearing his voice brought back so many bad memories and feelings. She didn’t need this shit right now when she had so much to worry about with Murphy, Ricky, Waylon, and Brody.
She’d thought about them all day today. She was starting to have second thoughts about last night. Not total regret. No way. Not with men so sexy and charismatic as the four of them. They each represented things she was afraid of and had yet to overcome. She would ha
ve to take things slow. Murphy’s commanding, bossy attitude worried her. He was a big man. When he said jump, he expected instant response. Ricky, well Ricky was a character. He was a flirt and she feared he could stray. But those scars on his chest said a lot. Maybe he was like her? Maybe he acted so confident and showed face to keep his true insecurities at bay?
But she still feared that any of them could turn on her as Mano had. After all, Mano claimed to have loved her and thought her his world, and then she busted him in bed with those two women. She felt her chest tighten. She thought about Brody. A soldier, cold as ice, serious as could be. He reminded her of the fear she had losing her father and brothers to the scars of war. Not only physical, but also emotional. Would he let her in? Could she let him in and share the abuse she sustained with Mano? How about her own scars? Both were hidden, and the one against her hip that the tattoo hid. They would see it. They would notice the raised skin and ask questions. She would fear that moment of truth. Then there was Waylon. Waylon, she feared most of all. He, too, was a soldier, scarred by his experiences, which explained his seriousness and demanding personality. He used his fists as a profession and it of course reminded her of Mano and of her brother, Kyle. Kyle refused to receive counseling or at minimum talk to her about his feelings. His rage showed in the ring. It showed when he did drugs and when he tossed her across the room like a rag doll.
That could be Waylon. Not that she knew much about him, except for what Regan explained, but the fear was still there. He’d spanked her ass while they were having sex. That had ultimately turned her on, but now she wondered if his show of dominance was an early sign of physical abuse.
That thought brought tears to her eyes and an instant pain in her chest.
Amelia turned around and headed back to the table. The volunteers were arriving and she needed to get them all set up then head back upstairs to the office.
As she turned the corner, she saw Tucker. He was talking to a couple of the men in the group that were headed to a meeting upstairs. She turned around and was ready to take the stairs when she heard her name being called.
“Amelia! Come on, we’ll hold it for you,” one of the guy’s, Billy, yelled. The others smiled, but Tucker looked smug.
“You work here?” he asked and she nodded her head.
“She’s new. But a favorite already,” Billy whispered then gave her a wink.
“Thanks.”
“What do you do?” Tucker asked and she didn’t want to talk to him or be polite. The guy had been a jerk.
“She works for your dad, Tucker,” Johnny stated.
“No shit. Damn, if I knew that, I would stop in here more often,” Tucker said flirtatiously. The others chuckled.
As the doors opened, Amelia stepped out first.
Toby was there to greet her and Tucker.
“Hey, you two came up together?” he asked as the other guys waved then headed down to the meeting room.
“Yeah, I didn’t know Amelia worked for you.”
“Sure does, son. She’s beautiful, right?”
“And then some,” Tucker replied and Toby chuckled.
“Oh, Amelia, Murphy Haas called for you. He left his cell number.”
She smiled. “Great. Thank you. Listen, I have everything set up downstairs. The volunteers have arrived. In an hour or so, I’ll go down to check on them.”
“Okay. Great. I need to run down the hall. Tucker, you know where the envelope on my desk is. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Was it Amelia, or did Toby seem annoyed with his son? She got a feeling that Tucker’s visit was not appreciated. But maybe she was wrong. All she knew was that Tucker was a jerk that night at the bar.
“No problem. I’ll keep Amelia company,” Tucker said, but Toby was already out the door and hadn’t heard his son.
Amelia ignored Tucker’s flirtatious comment and walked to the small desk. She peeled the sticky note from the screen on her computer. It had Murphy’s name and cell phone number on it. As she looked up, she noticed Tucker, holding an envelope and leaning against the door frame, staring at her.
She walked around her desk to the file cabinet and began to look up some information she needed for the last group of the day.
“Not calling back your bodyguard?”
She turned to look at him. “Excuse me?”
He stepped away from the doorway as she grabbed the paper she needed then walked over to the photocopying machine.
She knew that Tucker approached. Every nerve in her body alerted her to not let her guard down.
When she felt his finger glide down her spine, she turned around.
“Don’t touch me.”
He held her gaze as he stared into her eyes. “You fucking him?”
She couldn’t believe his nerve. “Get out of here.”
“You know that him and his brothers share? They pick up women all the time, bring them back to their house and pretend they never shared before.”
She felt her heart sink. He was lying. He was an asshole and was working to get a rile out of her. He was doing a great job.
“You need to leave.”
He shook his head then made a noise with his tongue as he reached out to twirl a piece of hair between his fingers.
“I’m watching you. And that cute little sister of Regan’s.”
“You stay away from her. I swear Tucker. Stay clear of Regan and her sister.”
He raised his one eyebrow at her and it gave her the creeps.
“Jealous?”
She gave him a dirty look. She knew he was trying to rattle her. His eyes zeroed in on her breasts and then her lips.
“I never got to kiss you that night. After letting me feel your ass on the dance floor, you could have at least let me get a little.”
“I didn’t let you do any such thing. Get out of here.”
He reached out and ran his finger over her lip. She shoved his hand away, and a very determined, angry expression reached his eyes. This guy was no good. He was dangerous and her gut clenched as it identified the signals.
“See ya around, darling.”
He started to head out, and as he turned, his father Toby was coming back.
“Hey, you’re still here? I’ll walk you out. I really don’t need this today.”
She watched Toby’s expression change to annoyance, but Tucker hadn’t taken his eyes off of Amelia.
“See ya around, Amelia.”
Toby smiled toward her. “I’ll be back in ten.”
Amelia watched Tucker walk away with his father. What an asshole. She’d have to warn Regan and Velma.
She heard the phone ring at her desk and answered it.
“Hey, I thought I’d hear back from you by now. Busy day?” Murphy asked.
She was still on edge from Tucker.
“Give me some breathing room, Murphy. I just got your message like ten minutes ago,” she snapped and felt bad as she slapped her hand to her forehead. This was Murphy she was barking at. He would not like that.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. How the hell can he know something is wrong?
She took a deep breath and released it. “Long story. It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry to have barked at you. I’m glad you called.”
“You are?”
“Yes. I think we need to talk.”
“Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good, darling. What’s the matter?”
She took a deep breath than released it. “Now isn’t the time. I leave in a couple of hours. How about I call you when I get home, after I shower?”
“Maybe some company in that shower might help?”
She felt her belly tighten and her pussy actually reacted in sync to his words. Damn, I have it bad.
“Please, Murphy. I need things to go slow.”
“What happened today, to make you overthink things and regret last night?”
“I didn’t say I regretted last night. I definitely don’t regret it.”
“Good. So spit it out.”
> “Murphy, stop. I’ll talk to you later. I need to go.”
“We’ll be waiting there for you. Prepare to spill the beans.”
* * * *
“So what do you think is up, Murphy?” Ricky asked as he leaned against his truck outside of Amelia’s cottage. She should have been home an hour ago. Waylon and Brody were leaning against the SUV.
“Not sure. Maybe just cold feet. This type of relationship is new to her,” Murphy stated.
“It’s new to us, too,” Waylon replied with an attitude. He kept looking toward the roadway. Murphy was beginning to realize how untrusting they were.
They heard Amelia’s loud car make its way up the driveway. She pulled into the spot near the house and turned off the engine. It made a funny noise that Murphy didn’t like.
One look at Brody, and he could tell that his brother was thinking the same thing.
Amelia stepped out of the car. Her thigh-length skirt tapped against her legs as he absorbed her from high heels to sleeveless blouse. This morning, when she emerged from the bedroom, his heart nearly skipped a beat. Their woman was a knockout.
“You’re late,” Waylon said from behind him as Murphy held her door open. She looked tired.
“I told Murphy that I would call once I got home. I needed to go to the store. I forgot to take something out for dinner.”
“That’s no problem, darling. We’ll help you out,” Ricky stated. She walked to the back of the car and opened up the trunk. They each carried in a bag then closed the trunk and followed Amelia to the front door.
He watched as she began unpacking the bags and placing things into the refrigerator and the cabinets.
“So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?” Ricky asked as Amelia placed the last item into the cabinet. She turned around to face them.
“I need things to go slowly. I don’t know hardly anything about any of you and well, I don’t make it a habit to sleep around. Perhaps you guys do, or you’re used to this type of relationship, but I’m not. I’m nervous and I’m worried and—”
Brody took her hand and brought it up to his lips. He kissed her fingertips and then pulled her into a hug.
“Don’t start freaking out. We can talk about this. We’re worried, too. This is the first for us.”
The American Soldier Collection 5: The Greatest Fight of All (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 13
