by Lori King
She could feel the two men coming nearly simultaneously, filling her body as well as her soul with a sense of belonging and love.
Chapter 12
“We need to get back on the floor. Someone is bound to come looking for us,” Sidney said ten minutes later. She still lay slumped on Xavier’s chest with Noah kneeling next to them, stroking her back. Tyce watched from the couch. His body felt completely sated and relaxed. He would be satisfied with never moving again, but Sidney was right.
“The door is locked,” Noah said, and he kissed her spine. Tyce could see the shiver that went through Sidney from where he sat, and his dick twitched with interest. Looking at her face, he knew that there was no way she could handle another go with them. She needed to rest.
“I’ve learned that locks mean nothing to someone that wants to get in badly enough,” she whispered, and Tyce’s heart lurched in his chest. Xavier’s arms wrapped around her, and he kissed her forehead.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that, baby. I promise you, we would never even go through a closed door, if you asked us not to,” Xavier said softly, and Tyce and Noah both voiced their agreement.
“I’m the one who should be sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up right now. I don’t want anything to spoil this night,” she said, sighing heavily.
Tyce smiled as he watched her fingers stroke over Xavier’s tattooed shoulder. She seemed to find their tribal ink fascinating. He had caught her more than once eyeing his when she thought he wasn’t looking. Trying not to point it out, he cleared his throat and focused on her words. “You couldn’t spoil this night, love. It’s already been perfect.”
A sharp knock on the door startled them all, and Kara’s voice sounded irritated. “Hey, can I please have Sidney back? I need help at the bar!”
“Five minutes, Kara!” Sidney yelled, and they could hear Kara grumbling as she walked back down the hall. Giggles erupted from Sidney as she lifted herself off of Xavier’s chest.
“Well, so much for basking in the glow,” she said with a smile.
Tyce stood and moved to her side to help her stand. When she tipped her head up, he quickly dropped a kiss on her upturned lips. “I’m going to hit the shower real quick, love. Why don’t you join me?”
Sidney started laughing again. “Yeah right! That will really piss Kara off. There’s no way in hell we’ll be in and out of that shower together in less than five minutes. Nope, you can wait a minute while I go in and clean up, and then one of you has to help me straighten my hair back up.”
With that, she scooped up the discarded costume from the floor and darted into the bathroom. Tyce waited until he heard the water come on to speak.
“She’s amazing,” he said, meeting his brother’s gazes.
“She loves us,” Noah said incredulously.
Xavier nodded slowly. “Now it’s even more important that we protect her. We have to make sure that asshole ex of hers doesn’t get close to her. I think I’m going to call in some backup.”
“Good idea. We’ll work out a time when Sidney is occupied with one of her girlfriends and meet up with as many of the men as possible to work out a plan to watch the bar for anyone suspicious,” Noah said, and Tyce readily agreed. There was nothing in this world more important to him than Sidney’s safety.
Noah and Xavier both redressed and headed back out to the front, leaving Tyce waiting in the office for Sidney to make an appearance. He sat down in the desk chair and propped his feet up on the desk to wait.
As she came out of the bathroom already back in costume, her eyes lit up, and she skimmed them over his naked form. “You know, I wondered what you looked like naked that night you caught me in the shower. When I came out of the bathroom to find you right there, all I could think about was keeping my cool so that I didn’t beg you to touch me.”
Tyce groaned as his cock started to thicken again. “Don’t tell me that right now. It’s taking everything I’ve got not to strip you out of that sexy piece of fabric and take you against the wall.”
Her eyes burned with desire, and Tyce had to bite the inside of his lip to distract him. Instead of pushing her luck, Sidney spun around, presenting him with her back. “Can you help me with my hair? I need to reattach this extension. All you do is slide the comb into the hair tie holding my ponytail, and I’ll fix it from there.”
Tyce moved to do as she asked. Once the comb was secured, he pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck just under her hairline. “I love you.”
She turned her head to the side and smiled widely. “I love you, too, Tyce. I never would have thought it was possible, but I love you with my whole heart.”
“I’ve never heard anything sweeter, love,” he said, taking her lips in a tender kiss. He took the opportunity to pour all of his emotions into the kiss, stroking the soft skin of her cheek with one hand while his other skimmed over the small of her back, and when he finally released her lips, she was panting and flushed. Her nipples poked through the soft material of her top, and her body had gone soft against him.
“Shit. You have got to stop doing that to me. I can’t think when you kiss me,” she said, shaking her head free from the fog of lust he could see in her beautiful brown eyes.
Tyce could only smirk with satisfaction. He loved seeing her like this, soft and feminine, aching for him. He turned her toward the door and smacked her ass, “Go on, get back out there. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
She left with a wink as her hands were busy fixing her hair, and he groaned as her raised arms lifted her breasts invitingly. The door swung shut behind her, and Tyce forced his feet to take him into the bathroom for a quick shower. So much for feeling satisfied, he thought as he took his aching cock in hand under the steaming water.
Angry eyes watched the two large cowboys emerge from the back hallway with satisfaction written all over their faces. They had been back there for way too long with his woman, and he desperately wanted to tear into them for touching her. He knew that was what they were doing. There was no way they could look so happy if they hadn’t gotten a taste of Sidney’s juicy little pussy.
Stupid cunt. Who did she think she was? Sharing her body with not one stranger, but three! It burned in his gut like hot coals, and his brain couldn’t stay focused for more than a minute. Trying to regain control, he drank deeply from his glass of beer and then signaled the pretty waitress in her Cher costume for another.
At least the view around here was good, as a pretty brunette flitted past him wearing a catsuit that hugged her slender form. She had a fantastic body, and she was small enough he knew he could do whatever he wanted with her. He loved that in a woman. Sidney had fought him at first, but like any good bitch, she had finally learned her place.
Well, until she decided to just disappear. Had it not been for the GPS locater in her phone, he might have never found her. It didn’t take the phone company long to tell him her location when he told them how worried he was for his schizophrenic wife’s safety.
An evil grin spread over his face as he watched the doorway that Sidney had disappeared into. Well, the phone was gone now, along with everything else she owned. He had assumed that with nothing left she would be forced to call him to save her, but she hadn’t. Instead she had called those stupid cowboys.
He had been watching her from down the street, and when she got into the truck with the three men, he considered shooting her then and there, but there were just too many people around. He was still kicking himself for not grabbing her when he had the chance at the department store in Austin. This waiting around for the “perfect moment” was getting old. Now he had to sit here pretending to enjoy his beer while he listened to her screeching like barn owl on stage and watched her prance around half-naked like she owned this damn bar.
Soon. Soon he would show her how wrong she was to walk out on him. Fucking bitch, thought that getting pregnant would keep his hands off of her. Well, he fixed that small problem, and now he had to clean up t
his new mess of hers.
His anger boiled in his stomach as he sat in the darkened corner of the bar near the exit, watching the hallway that Sidney had disappeared into. She better get her fat ass out here, or she is going to regret it, he thought, gritting his teeth.
When she finally appeared, her hair was mussed, and she had whisker burns on her jaw. Rage shot through him like white-hot fire, and his hand clenched so tightly on the handle of the beer mug that he felt it snap off. Not wanting to draw attention to himself yet, he dropped the handle to the floor, fished out the money for his tab, and left the jovial crowd behind.
The cool night air was good for his temper and helped him refocus on his plan. He had to be careful. Every detail needed to go off without a hitch, or it could all blow up in his face. Jumping in the Toyota Camry he had stolen a week or so before, he headed back to the motel he was staying in under an assumed name. The dirty, low-budget trash heap barely had hot water, and he didn’t even want to think about the cleaning standards, but until he had taken care of Sidney Rowe, he had to put up with it.
He fell asleep that night with thoughts of Sidney’s battered and bruised body pleading for mercy underneath of him. This time that bitch would feel no mercy.
Sidney felt a shiver crawl up her spine, and her heart jumped. Someone was watching her. Her eyes scanned the packed bar, but she couldn’t pinpoint who was causing the strange sensation in her body. There were people everywhere, and they were all in costume. It was damn near impossible to even pinpoint the ones that she knew. How would she know if it was a stranger?
For just a brief moment fear swamped her, and her hands got clammy as her heart raced. If it was Robert, then she was royally fucked. There was no way that he would believe that the Dawson brothers took her to the back room together just to congratulate her on how well she sang that song. He would be livid and self-righteous as he pointed out what a whore she was and how he had been right about her all along.
It was enough to make her head spin slightly, and she braced herself on the counter in front of her as she struggled to get her breathing under control. The sensation of being watched was gone now, and it was more likely that she was just feeling paranoid. Of course people would be staring at her. She was wearing a slave girl costume, sang a song on stage in it for the whole crowd, and then darted into the back room with three men who had their wicked way with her. She was drawing attention to herself.
There was no way that Robert would have sat by while she was with the Dawson brothers, even for a few moments. Nor would he have waited to come screaming at her for leaving him the moment he arrived in town. Right?
Determined to act completely normal for the rest of the night and let go of her paranoia, she shook her head to clear the fears and went back to tending bar. It had to be just her being hyperparanoid. The guys had told her she would be safe here, and she had to trust them. Besides, no one could hurt her in the middle of a crowded bar.
She spun back to the bar just as Tyce came out of the back, freshly showered. He pulled her in for a quick kiss before stealing the beer she had just put on her tray and heading for the stage. She stood mutely watching him as he swaggered into the spotlight, getting the crowd’s full attention without even trying.
His costume fit his personality perfectly, and she giggled as she realized how accurate all of their costumes were. Tyce really had done a great job picking them out, even if she would have preferred that hers cover a little more skin.
“What’s up, Sid?” Anna said, moving close as she poured a tray of shots.
“Nothing, just thinking.” She responded too quickly, and Anna’s knowing grin made her blush.
“Uh-huh. Do me a favor and delay mooning over your hotties until after closing time. Kara and I can’t keep up tonight!” Anna said, adjusting her thigh-high stockings before pushing her way back into the crowd.
A friendly face caught her attention, and she turned to the small woman who was trying to get her attention. “Hi there, what can I get for you?”
“Hi! I’m Marie Anderson, and you seem to be the talk of the town, Miss Sidney Rowe.” The woman’s smile was warm, but her eyes were assessing, and Sidney felt like her entire being was stripped naked under the older woman’s gaze.
“Excuse me?”
“Well, it does tend to get attention when a gorgeous woman manages to snag three of the hottest and most eligible bachelors in town in one fell swoop,” Marie said, cocking her head to the side.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Anderson, but was there something I could get for you? I’m working, and I don’t discuss my personal life at work,” Sidney said with an irritated note to her voice. This woman’s words raised her hackles and her self-doubts. There were probably multiple women here tonight who had set their sights on one of the Dawson brothers, so the fact that they were now very clearly off of the market had to push some buttons.
Marie shook her head, and her smile widened. “Good, you have a backbone. You’ll need it with Xavier. I’m sorry to offend you, but I wanted to see how you handled yourself. I wasn’t about to stand by and watch them get hurt if you were a weak one. Like I said, my name is Marie Anderson, and I’m married to Ridge and Zane Anderson.”
Sidney felt her cheeks warm. “Oh, I’m sorry, umm…look, I’m really new to town still, and I don’t know everyone. I didn’t mean to come off so bitchy.”
“No worries, my dear. I get protective of my men, too. Sometimes I have to put someone in their place, but that rarely happens in Apache Crossing. We’re all just too open around here.” Marie shrugged her shoulder and fixed her nurse’s cap so that it sat jauntily on top of her gray-streaked brown hair.
“I love it here,” Sidney said wistfully.
“Yeah, I bet, if I had those three studs in my bed, I would love it, too!” Marie said with a laugh, and then she placed her hand on Sidney’s. “Sidney, I just wanted to introduce myself and invite you to stop by the salon for a free wash and trim. I would love to spend time chatting, and I’m guessing you could use a girls’ day out.”
“Thank you. That would be wonderful! I would love a little pampering,” Sidney said with genuine pleasure.
“How about Monday? Around ten in the morning?”
“Absolutely, I’ll be there,” Sidney said, feeling confident in her answer. “And, Mrs. Anderson, thank you.”
“Marie, dear. Call me Marie. We’re going to be close friends, I just know it.” With that, Marie spun off into the crowd, leaving behind a gaping Sidney.
Anna approached the bar with a tray full of empty glasses and threw a questioning look at Sidney. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. Marie Anderson just introduced herself,” Sidney said as she helped empty the tray and then began filling drink orders for Anna’s customers.
Why would Marie Anderson be so protective of the Dawson brothers? Had something happened in the past that Sidney didn’t know about? Until just recently, she had always felt like Xavier was less trusting of her, and she figured that he had been hurt by someone. Perhaps she needed to have a heart-to-heart with her men and figure out just how many other protective mama bears she would be faced with.
Anna turned surprised eyes to Sidney. “Uh-oh. Marie is checking you out. This thing with the guys must be more serious than you let on. Did she approve of you?”
Sidney blushed. “I’m not sure, but she did ask me to come into the salon Monday for a haircut.”
“Perfect!” Anna cried out, clapping her hands together in excitement. “If Marie approves, then the rest of the town will accept you no matter what. I even heard Darcy Scott talking about you guys earlier after you sang. You seem to be winning hearts everywhere.”
“Darcy is the waitress from The Bop, right?” Sidney could feel the heat in her cheeks, and her stomach fluttered. If people were talking about her, then she would be easier to find for Robert.
“Yeah, she’s married to Melanie Scott. They actually own The Bop. Melanie is the cook, and the mayor
of Apache Crossing. Have you met her yet?” Anna said as she expertly made a tray of drinks in no time flat.
“No, but I met Darcy.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get to meet everyone now that you’re staying. The boys will want to show you off,” Anna said, and she spun on her heel, her navy blue skirt flaring out just a bit to show an expanse of her thighs that drew some sighs of masculine approval from the men seated at the bar.
The reminder that she had customers drew Sidney’s attention back to her work. For the rest of the night she poured drinks, flirted, cleared tables, and dodged questions about her relationship with the Dawson trio. It was clear that the citizens of Apache Crossing had taken the three brothers into their fold and made them part of their family over the last year since they opened the bar. Now Sidney just needed to figure out where she fit in.
She was terrified that if she stayed here, Robert would find her, and then Xavier, Tyce, and Noah would be at risk, too. Running meant giving up the first taste of honest happiness she had ever had in her life. Not to mention she was tired of running. She loved them, and they loved her, but was love enough to overcome her past completely?
Chapter 13
Monday morning Noah dropped Sidney off at the salon to be pampered by Marie while he went to work at the bar. He and the other two had seemed very out of sorts all morning, and she was feeling edgy by the time she settled into the creaky vinyl seat. She surveyed the small shop with open curiosity.
It was bright and airy and smelled like chemicals, but it was the pretty women chattering away that filled it with vibrancy. Marie Anderson was smartly dressed in tailored, dove-gray slacks and a pale-pink blouse that draped perfectly on her slight form. Her graying hair was pulled up in a twist at the base of her head, with a few soft curls framing her round face.
Friendly hazel eyes seemed wise beyond their years as they looked over Sidney’s pale-blonde locks. “I’m going to shampoo you, and then we’ll get started, dear. You’ve got very pretty hair, and the length is great on you, so I think just a trim would be all right if you don’t want more.”
