Alpha Night [Alpha Protectors 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Lyzie Carlisle

  Derek nodded as he met Cheryl’s gaze. “There’s always more information we can use in our landscaping business, and Lacy was lonesome without us to run around with.”

  Lacy rolled her eyes.

  Cheryl smiled at her reaction. She noticed that Trey’s expression was full of mischief.

  “Yeah, so we thought we should keep her company,” he said.

  “I’m ready for seconds,” Derek said as he rose from his chair, the empty nacho plate in hand.

  “Me, too,” Trey said and followed Derek back to the bar.

  “You have a couple of really nice friends,” Cheryl commented.

  “They’re great company. I don’t know how I could have stayed in college this long without them there to encourage me.”

  Cheryl shook her head thinking about her bad experiences at college with guys. “I never had any successful relationships with guys in college. They always seemed more attracted to the fact my parents obviously have money, since they’re always traveling, than to me. My mom insisted I join the best sorority and live at the sorority house. The fraternity guys I met at the parties were looking for a rich girl to hook up with, not someone they could have a meaningful relationship with.”

  “Don’t give up,” Lacy said. “I know what you’re talking about. I’ve seen that happening in my sorority at the frat parties. Guys seem to swarm around the girls who have the most money. I refuse to let my brother come near me at college with his expensive sports car, for fear that will attract ravenous frat boys.”

  Cheryl chuckled at Lacy’s description of college life.

  “You may meet someone right here in Heat Springs that you’ll like,” Lacy said. “Most of the guys in town are good guys and so successful on their own that they’ve already made millions. So they don’t need your parents’ money.”

  “Thanks for telling me, but really, I’m just hoping to save up enough money to finish my college studies and after that find a way to establish a home for street kids. It’s been my dream for a long time. But now I’m afraid I may not be able to accomplish it.”

  “I think your idea is a great one. Keep after it. You never know who can be of help, especially in Heat Springs.”

  As Cheryl took in what Lacy was telling her, her spirits improved. “Thanks, Lacy, I’ll remember that. I’d better help the people who just walked in and sat down. They look tired and hungry.”

  Lacy smiled at her. “We’ll talk more when you have time.”

  “I’d like that. Have a good day.”

  “Thanks,” Lacy said.

  Cheryl noticed Lacy waving to Austin. As Cheryl crossed the room to take an order from the people who had just walked in, she saw Austin join Lacy at her table. He looked like he was glad to see his sister.

  * * * *

  “Did you know that Cheryl wants to establish a home for street kids?” Lacy asked Austin.

  “She’d mentioned it to us, but she also gave me the feeling that she doesn’t trust the intentions of people who have made large amounts of money. I didn’t pursue the topic with her because of that. I’m not sure how to go about helping her. I don’t want to chase her away. She’d be a good asset for Heat Springs. Rex feels the same way.”

  “Why don’t you tell her about the safe house you and Rex donate money to, and take her there to meet the directors, Drake and Chase. Maybe she’ll see that she can achieve what she wants to do. It’s worth a try.”

  “That’s a good idea. Thanks, sis.” Austin rose from the table and headed back to talk to Rex.

  Rex agreed right away that it was a good idea.

  “We need to touch base with Drake and Chase first,” Rex said.

  “I’ll give them a call. One of us will need to leave here early to take her over there, depending on what they say.”

  “You’d better go,” Rex said. “I need to stay here to see to the kitchen and bar and the customers.”

  “You sure?” Austin asked.

  “Yeah, that’s the best way to handle it.”

  “Okay. I’ll call ’em right now.”

  * * * *

  Cheryl couldn’t believe how lucky she was. Austin had let her know they had a time set for her to meet Drake and Chase to talk to them about their safe house, and she could hardly wait.

  Austin parked his sports car in front of a nice-looking two-story building. Lights had been turned on outside in front and in back. The house was built in the style of a hacienda with stucco walls and tile on the roof.

  She stepped out of the car and Austin escorted her to the front door. He rang the doorbell and it was only a moment before a friendly-looking man who must be in his late twenties opened the door.

  “Hi, you must be Cheryl. Chase Granger, at your service. Come on in.”

  “Thank you,” she said, feeling a little shy.

  She stepped inside with Austin right behind her, his reassuring warm hand at the small of her back. Another man strode quickly down the entrance hall toward them.

  “This is Drake Farley,” Chase said, introducing him to Cheryl.

  “Hi, good to meet you, too.” She held out her hand and shook hands with both of them.

  “Austin called us this afternoon and explained you have an idea for a shelter. Come on in here and we can talk,” Chase said.

  “How about we give her a tour of the place first,” Drake suggested.

  “Good idea,” Chase agreed. “We designed this house exactly the way we needed it. We saved up money from our former jobs as private eyes, so that helped to get us started.”

  They took her all through the house, including the kitchen, dining room, and a peek inside a few of the bedrooms. After the tour they all sat down at the single long table in the dining room to talk.

  Chase and Drake asked her about her plans and she told them what she wanted to do about providing a home for kids who were living on the streets. She was relieved when the two guys looked at each other and nodded, as if they approved.

  “You have a great idea,” Chase said immediately, enthusiasm plainly evident in his voice. “A home like that is needed so badly even in this part of Texas. Sometimes we take in kids who are on their own. We do our best to contact people who can help them the most and send them on their way to those who will help them even more.”

  “We couldn’t do that without additional help from donations. I don’t know if Austin and Rex have told you, but they’re our biggest backers. We’re able to help those street kids as well as fund this safe house thanks to the large amounts of money that Rex and Austin donate on a regular basis.”

  Cheryl turned to look at Austin with a new admiration for him and what he and Rex had done to help others in such a big way. “No, they hadn’t exactly told me just how much help they’ve given.”

  “We’ll be glad to do the same for you, Cheryl,” Austin assured her, and squeezed her hand with his warm one.

  Tears filled her eyes at his amazing offer. She blinked a few times and looked at Chase and Drake who were both smiling at her. “I had no idea that I would have even a chance to follow through with my dream, and you have just made me see what the possibilities are. I can now see that this is possible. Thank you so much for showing me your safe house, and telling me how it’s been made a reality.”

  “Anytime you want to ask us anything just come by or give us a call,” Drake said.

  “We’re here most of the time unless we’re out shopping for food and clothing.” Chase said. “It’ll be great when you establish your home for kids.”

  “It will be a huge help to us, too,” Drake said.

  Excitement threatened to explode inside her with the realization that she could really be of help. “One question. Do you ever need to speak before large groups about what you do?”

  “No,” Chase and Drake said together, and shook their heads.

  That was a huge weight off her shoulders. “Thank you, both. I’ll probably be calling you often as I draw up my plans.” She stood and the other men walked with
her and Austin to the door.

  “Thanks, Chase, Drake,” Austin said and shook hands with them.

  Cheryl shook hands with them, too, and Austin escorted her back to his car. He opened the door for her.

  She couldn’t contain her joy. She spun toward him and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you!” she said, her voice choking. She kissed him on the cheek. “You don’t know what this means to me,” she said, hugging him tight, “how wonderful this is for me. I can see now that I can make my dream come true. I can build a home for street kids, and I won’t have to get up in front of big groups of people to ask for donations. I thought my dream was going to fail because of my stage fright. But Chase and Drake showed me how it can be done, with help from all of you. Thank you.”

  She hugged him tighter and felt him squeeze her closer, solid and strong. His pleasant male scent filled her. Finally she loosened her hold on his neck. “I guess we’d better get back to the dance hall. I want to tell Rex and hug him, too.”

  Austin smiled at her. “I’m glad we can help you, babe. Let’s head back.”

  His endearment warmed her heart even more if that was possible. When they reached the dance hall, Austin held her car door for her and she hurried inside. She didn’t see Rex at the bar. “Where’s Rex?” she asked Austin.

  “He’s either in the kitchen or the office,” Austin replied.

  She hurried to find him. He wasn’t in the kitchen. She rushed down the hall to their office. Rex sat in the chair behind the desk but stood after he looked up and saw her.

  “Oh, Rex!” She almost flew around the desk and hugged him tight. She kissed him on the cheek, too. “Thank you! Thank you! I can build the home for street kids. I know now I can do it with your help and Austin’s, and with help from Chase and Drake, too.” She hugged him tight. “I’m so thrilled that I can now see that it will work out.”

  When his clean, pleasant scent filled her, she loosened her arms from around him and slowly slipped out of his hug. Smiling at him, with tears in her eyes again, she said, “Chase and Drake told me about you and Austin helping them with their safe house. Austin explained that you two can help me make my dream become a reality.” She turned to look at Austin. “How can I ever thank you both enough?”

  “Well,” Austin began, “You could go to the lake with us for a little celebratory swim and picnic after we close up tonight. We can pack up a midnight feast and have some fun. What do you think, Rex?”

  “Sounds good to me. I’ll have the guys in the kitchen fix up a special meal.”

  Cheryl smiled. “I think that would be fun. It’s a perfect way to celebrate.”

  “Great. Let’s do it,” Austin said.

  Chapter Five

  Austin could hardly wait to be alone with Cheryl and his best friend, Rex. The evening seemed to drag by, but at long last the only couple remaining at the dance hall finally left. It was time for their celebration at the lake.

  Quickly, Austin and Rex closed up, grabbed up the food and drinks prepared for them by their excellent kitchen help, and took Cheryl home with them. They all changed into their suitable swim clothing, piled into Rex’s off-road vehicle and headed for the lake.

  “You need to know some things about our lake,” Austin said to Cheryl, who sat between them. “First, this lake is fed by hot springs, so the water is warm.”

  “That sounds great. Nice place to swim after a long day of work.” She smiled at him.

  Austin continued. “You may not think this is so great, but some guys and gals swim naked in the lake.”

  She shrugged. “If it’s dark out there it will be hard to tell in the water if people are swimming naked. I don’t think that’s a problem.”

  “The other thing is that we may not have the lake to ourselves. We never know who will show up out there at night,” Austin said.

  “Is that a problem?” she asked.

  “Not usually,” Austin said, “but you never know.”

  She shook her head. “I’m planning on celebrating and having a good time.”

  “Good,” Rex said. “I plan to help you.”

  Rex turned the vehicle off the highway and down the road to the parking area near the lake.

  “So far, it looks like we have the lake to ourselves.” Austin didn’t see any other vehicles there in the parking lot.

  Rex parked at the north end of the lot. “We’ll hope if anyone comes later, they’ll park at the other end.”

  Austin helped Cheryl out on his side and grabbed the basket of food from the back seat. When he turned back, he saw Cheryl already at the edge of the lake with her now bare feet in the water. He smiled to see her enjoying herself. She was going to love swimming here. He set the picnic basket on a nearby wrought iron table.

  Rex piled his armload of big towels on one of the lounge chairs close to the table.

  “Ready for a swim before we eat?” Austin called to Cheryl.

  “Definitely. I’m almost ready.” She hurried to join him and Rex, and they all removed their clothing.

  Cheryl stripped down to her swim suit and Austin and Rex kept their jean cut-offs on but removed their shirts. Even though Austin had seen her in bed the previous night, seeing her in her skimpy swimsuit made his cock hard the moment he took in her lovely form. Suddenly he wished the lake held cold water to cool him off.

  “Last one in,” Cheryl warned, and ran into the shallow edge of the lake.

  The water slowed her down and Austin loved the sight of her rounded hips contracting with every step she took into the lake. Rex joined him and together they followed her deeper into the water, both of them obviously aroused and needing relief.

  Cheryl dove into the warm water and started swimming. Rex went after her and Austin immediately followed. He didn’t want to miss anything. That quick glimpse of her glistening thighs in the moonlight was almost more than he could handle at the moment. Rex swam up beside her and Austin joined them on the other side.

  “Race you around the lake,” Rex said.

  “How far is it?” she asked.

  “It’s the width of a couple of Olympic-sized pools,” Austin said.

  “Oh, wow. I don’t think I can swim that far,” she said.

  “You set the limits, babe,” Austin said.

  “Why don’t we swim until I feel like I need to turn back,” she suggested.

  “We’ll follow your lead, hon,” Rex said.

  Cheryl stroked her hands through the warm water and started swimming hard, wanting to race them a little way before she grew too tired. She heard the splashes behind her as they took right after her. She swam as hard as she could but they easily caught up to her. Their hard strokes splashed water in her face until she couldn’t get her breath. She stopped swimming and treaded water for a second. Turning around she began to swim back toward the bank. She heard a shout behind her and knew the guys had turned back toward her. She kicked with her feet, trying to gain more distance.

  Suddenly she felt the huge grip of a hand on one of her ankles. Her forward motion was stopped still. “Hey!” she yelled, laughing. “Who did that? Let go!”

  “I’ve got you now,” Rex said. “You won’t win this race.”

  “Not fair,” she protested. Rex pulled her backward and she turned on her back so the water wouldn’t cover her face. She gasped for a breath as Rex’s hands pulled her toward him, hand over hand moving up her legs until he grasped her waist. He lifted her slightly, and she felt Austin’s hands slide under her thighs and lift her higher, providing a sort of seat for her in the water. She laughed again. “You two! Let me go.”

  “Not on your life, hon,” Rex said.

  “We’ve caught you fair and square,” Austin said behind her.

  She chuckled at them. “That was a race, not tag,” she protested again.

  “We like tag better,” Austin said, as Rex grinned wickedly at her.

  “So, now that you’ve caught me, what do you plan to do with me?”

  “Hmm, I
can think of all kinds of things,” Austin said, his warm breath teasing her beneath one ear.

  Shivers coursed through her. Playing with them a bit in the water might be nice.

  Rex’s fingers squeezed her waist gently. The pressure he created aroused her. The flesh between her thighs swelled and heated. She inhaled a deep breath and then another. “The penalty for being caught,” he said, “must be paid in full, before we let you go.”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “A proper kiss,” Austin said behind her, his breath sending more shivers through her.

  Kiss them both? She’d already done that this afternoon. “I kissed you both earlier today.”

  “But that was a thank you kiss, not a penalty kiss,” Rex said.

  “What’s a penalty kiss?” Why did she feel so breathless? She could feel Austin shifting, moving closer to her. He pressed his hips against the back of hers and she felt the huge, hard bulge beneath his jean cut-offs. Good grief. Austin was fully aroused.

  “This is the penalty kiss,” Rex whispered. He moved in so close that her thighs were spread wide to allow room for his hips. She watched his face as his eyelids lowered and he covered her mouth with his. She closed her eyes. His lips were firm and warm, and he moved them slowly over hers until she parted her lips in anticipation and he delved his tongue between. She opened her mouth and he kissed her deeply. She moaned at the heated pleasure. He pulled her closer to him and she felt the hard bulge of his rock-hard penis press against her sensitive, swollen flesh. He continued to kiss her deeply and she slowly inhaled another breath, fighting to retain her good sense.

  Austin moved closer to her until she felt his bare skin, his muscular chest, and entire hard torso cover her back, one muscular arm wrapping beneath her breasts. She gasped, and his teeth closed over her ear lobe and squeezed as his fingers delved between her butt cheeks and stroked her heated flesh. She jerked, but they held her steady between them. She’d never done this before. It was the most erotic, arousing sex play she’d ever experienced.