by Jane Jamison
She kicked, but with his legs straddling hers, she could barely move. He kept her hands pinned over her head with one of his bear-like paws. His erect cock, bulging in his jeans, pressed against her abdomen. She bucked as hard as she could and won a small victory when he removed his hand from between her legs to hold her down.
If only she could say the right thing to make him stop. “Lonnie, please, this is wrong. Think about what your grandfather will say.”
Sadness broke through the mask of lust covering his face. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Sure, it does. Your grandfather will hate what you’re doing. Stop it now, Lonnie, and he doesn’t need to find out.”
“He won’t care!” he shouted.
She stopped and gaped at him.
Tears welled in his eyes. “He won’t care.” His whisper was as shocking as his shout had been.
He was in pain. A pain that was attacking him from the inside out. “Why, Lonnie? Why won’t he care?”
He spat out his answer. “Because he’s dead.”
A different kind of shock slammed into her. “He’s dead?”
Oh, no. Not Walter.
Her heart bled for the kind man. He’d been a sweet soul, a gentle man. She’d miss his sound of his voice and the laugh lines around his eyes.
The idea that surfaced horrified her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but she had to ask. Had Lonnie killed his grandfather? “How did he die?”
“I don’t know.” He whined, a little boy’s whimper coming from a grown man. “He took a nap, but he didn’t wake up.”
She let out a relieved sigh. At least Lonnie hadn’t committed murder. But with Walter gone, what could stop Lonnie?
“I’m so sorry. Your grandfather was a good man.” Although he still held her down, his grip on her lessened. “I liked him a lot. He always treated everyone with respect. Lonnie, he wouldn’t like what you’re doing.”
Tears ran down his face, washing away the anger in his expression. She had to make him understand. Had to reason with him.
“Lonnie,” she spoke softly. “Please turn me loose.”
The anger she’d seen rose again, fast and hard. His grip grew stronger, to the point of hurting her wrists.
“No. I’m going to fuck you. And you’re going to love it just like you did with those men.”
She wasn’t sure where the strength came from as it roared through her, but she was determined not to become his victim. “No, I’m not. You’re going to let me go. Right now.”
He stared at her as though seeing her for the first time. “But you liked it rough. I’m going to give it to you rough, too.”
“It’s not the same thing. I decided what they could do. It was my gift to them. I wanted them.” She met his gaze, knowing it was her last chance to break through to him. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want you. Forcing me to do this won’t change that.”
She’d hurt him. A stunned look spread to his eyes. “We could be good together. I’ve always loved you.”
She had to make him understand. If she remained calm, she’d have a chance.
“But I don’t love you, Lonnie. I never have and I never will. You deserve someone who will love you, but it’s not me. Don’t you want that, Lonnie? You need to wait for someone who’ll love you back.”
She kept her breathing shallow as though she didn’t dare distract him from thinking about what she’d said.
“You could love me if you tried, but you’re stuck on fucking them. Damn it. You’ve ruined everything. I hate you.” The anger poured off him and flowed over her like a foul wind. “I can’t stand to look at your face.”
The vehemence in his tone frightened her more than anything else. He rose up, grabbed her leg and threw her onto her stomach. He groaned as he pulled her dress up in the back.
“No, Lonnie. Please, don’t.” She screamed once, then tried again, but he shoved her face into the cushion, muffling the sound.
She got ready for the awful truth of what would come next. Telling herself that she’d survive whatever he did to her, she closed her eyes and started to cry.
“No!”
Lonnie’s weight left her body. He screamed again, but the sound came from farther away. The crashing of a lamp against the floor brought her eyes open as she pushed her body up, then turned to find Seth and Aaron standing over a cowering Lonnie.
Seth’s anguished face turned to her. “Sweetheart, are you all right?”
He looked to Aaron, who tilted his head toward her, telling him to go to her. “Go. I’ll keep this scumbag from getting away while you call the cops.”
* * * *
Seth and Aaron took care of most of the report to the police. Beth sat in the armchair next to her couch, still in the red dress, but with a blanket wrapped around her. She couldn’t stop the trembling that had started after her men had taken Lonnie to the floor. They’d wanted to do more and she’d seen the fury in their eyes, but she’d made them promise to leave Lonnie unharmed. The courts would decide his punishment.
Anna Rowlain, the policewoman they’d sent to interview her, scribbled another note on her pad. “So he’s been harassing you for a while now. Is that right?”
“Yes.” She glanced at Aaron and Seth. Although they hadn’t gotten angry, hadn’t even mentioned that she’d kept quiet about Lonnie, she could tell that they were upset. She didn’t blame them. But she’d thought it best to keep silent and avoid a confrontation. Now she wished that she’d told them. From that point on, she vowed to never keep anything from them, not even if by doing so, she could keep them out of danger.
“Did you find his grandfather? Is he really dead?”
Policewoman Rowlain nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid he is. It looks like an apparent heart attack, but the coroner will do an autopsy to be certain.”
Her vision blurred. She’d liked the elderly gentleman, and although she was sorry for his passing, she was glad that he’d died before Lonnie had attacked her. Was that why Lonnie had finally gone off the deep end? Had his grandfather’s death been too much for him, setting him off?
She might never know. The police had already taken him into custody. As far as she was concerned, she never wanted to see him again.
“Miss? Are you sure you don’t want to see a doctor? Or maybe go to the ER?”
“No. He didn’t…” She couldn’t bear to say the word rape. “I’m fine now that it’s over.”
“Okay, then, I’ve got all I need. Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Davidson.”
She nodded, then gazed at the floor. Another wave of shudders wafted over her. She didn’t lift her head as she heard the team of policeman speaking with the men, then heard the sounds of them leaving.
Seth sat on the ottoman in front of her and Aaron knelt next to her chair. They paused, putting a gentle hand on her as though they thought she might break.
“Let’s get you into bed, baby.”
“Yeah. You need to rest,” added Seth.
“Please. Don’t leave.” She didn’t want to be there by herself. If anyone could get her through the horrible ordeal, it was them.
“We’re not going anywhere.” Aaron held her hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry we let you down.”
She sought out his eyes. “What are you talking about? You saved me.”
“He’s right. We let you down. We knew something was up and we should never have left you alone.”
“That’s why you wanted to go to our place tonight, isn’t it?” Aaron groaned out his frustration. “I should’ve known.”
It was more a statement than a question. “Yes, but it’s okay. It wouldn’t have stopped him. He would’ve come at me another time.” She ducked her head, ashamed to see their reaction. “I know I should’ve told you, but I kept hoping that I’d get through to him. I never thought he’d take it that far.”
“It’s okay, baby. Just don’t keep anything from us again. Or lie when we ask you if something’s wrong. You need to trust us and know we’
ll always be there to take care of you. I don’t know what we’d do if anything ever hurt you.”
“If only we’d been here.” Seth moaned.
She offered them a weak smile. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
Someone else might think it strange, but all of a sudden, she knew what she needed to make her feel better, safer. “Please take me to bed.”
“Sure, sweetheart.” Seth rose, and when she went to stand, he gathered her into his arms. With Aaron leading the way down the one hall, Seth carried her to her room.
Aaron turned down the bedspread and sheet. Sitting her on the edge of the bed, the men disrobed her. Their hands caressed her body, not in a sexual way, but in a way that told her how much they admired and cherished her. Fingers skimmed along her arms. Palms rubbed her back as they lifted her dress over her head. Taking the brush from her dresser, Seth brushed her hair as Aaron promised her time and again that they’d remain by her side as she slept. Once they’d helped her into a comfortable, old nightgown, they got her into bed, then covered her.
“I’m not an invalid, you know.”
Aaron sat on one side of her while Seth took the other. They both took one of her hands and held it.
“We don’t think you’re an invalid or that you’re weak.” Aaron put her hand between both of hers. “To tell you the truth, we think you’re the strongest woman we’ve ever met.”
“That doesn’t mean you don’t need to take it easy.” Seth tucked the bedspread around her. “You’ve gone through a lot tonight.”
“I am worn out.” The shudders had stopped, no doubt attributed to the loving caresses they’d given her.
“Then sleep, little sub. We’ll still be here when you wake up.”
She searched them, suddenly needing assurance. “Promise?”
“Promise.” Aaron spoke for both of them.
She drew in a long breath and gave into the weariness. Giving them one last smile, she closed her eyes.
* * * *
The next day was a whirlwind of activities, with Seth and Aaron driving her to each destination. After going to the police station to officially file a report and sign a slew of paperwork, Beth had gone against their wishes for her to take it easy, and had made them take her into work.
Ruthie had met her at the office door, obviously having been filled in about Lonnie from Seth and Aaron. Her good friend had spent the entire day fending off a nosey Agnes and had even at one point told Georgie to “back the hell off.” The stunned boss had hurried back to his office and hidden inside there for the rest of the day.
At first, Ruthie’s protectiveness had been humorous as well as touching, but after she’d told off their boss, Beth had dragged her to the side and told her, in a loving way, that she was the one who needed to back off before she lost her job. By the time five o’clock had arrived, Beth was more than ready to find Seth and Aaron sitting in the parking lot, ready to take her home.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to our place?”
She loved riding in their pickup, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with each of them. “Nope. I want to do what we had planned last night. I’m not going to let the memory of Lonnie scare me away from my own home. He’s in jail so he can’t get to me.” She tried to stay calm, but failed. “He is still in jail, right?”
“I checked with Officer Rowlain a few minutes ago. She said he doesn’t have the money for bond or for an attorney, and since his grandfather is gone, he doesn’t have any family to bail him out. She’s confident that he’ll stay in jail until his trial.”
“Good.” She’d thought about Walter Vinson and had wondered who was handling his funeral. Now that she knew he didn’t have any family except Lonnie, she had to find out. “Who’s taking care of Mr. Vinson’s remains?”
“I figured you’d want to know, so I did some checking. As soon as the coroner’s completed his job, the body will be buried. The old guy had some money tucked away. Not much for more than a modest burial, but it’ll be enough. The owner of the apartment complex will handle his personal items.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I was afraid he wouldn’t have a place to be laid to rest.”
“You don’t have to worry about that stuff, baby. We would’ve taken care of things for the old guy. We know you were fond of him.”
Somehow, they’d gotten even sweeter and more considerate than before. “Thank you for that.”
Aaron pulled into the apartment parking lot, then parked in a space right in front of her building. “Look, Beth, I hope you don’t mind, but we got the owner to let us into your apartment earlier today.”
“You did? Why?” She didn’t mind them going into her place without her. As far as she was concerned, they could have everything she owned. They already owned her heart.
“Come inside and find out.”
Seth slid out of the truck, then offered his hand like a king helping his queen out of a carriage. He kept her hand in his as the three of them walked to her apartment. She unlocked the door, then stepped inside.
The room was dimly lit with flickering candles sitting on the fireplace mantel, the side tables and the kitchen counter. Soft music played in the background. A path of red rose petals lay strewn over the carpet and led down the hallway toward her bedroom.
“What’s all this?”
Aaron took her hand from Seth’s and led her inside. “We wanted you to know that it doesn’t always have to be rough and wild with sex. Sometimes we like it another way.”
He bent over her and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, reverent, as he tugged at her bottom lip, then brushed his lips over hers. Seth’s light kisses feathered across the back of her neck. She trembled, not from fear and exhaustion as she had the night before, but from sheer happiness.
“Did you leave the candles burning while you drove over and brought me home? Wouldn’t that be a fire hazard? What would Cap say if he knew?”
Aaron slipped her hair behind her ear. “Of course we didn’t. I guess you didn’t see Ruthie leave a half hour earlier than you did. She used the extra key you gave her for emergencies to slip in and light the candles. Then she waited until we drove up to get out of the apartment and hightail it to her car.”
“Oh, so you two are in cahoots with my best friend, huh?”
“Cahoots? Does anyone say that any longer? Come with us, little sub.”
Seth linked his arm through hers and led her over the rose petal path. When he opened the door to her bedroom, she stopped, too stunned to take another step.
She’d thought the living room had looked romantic, but it paled in comparison to her bedroom. A luxurious red comforter lay folded over her bed, exposing black silk sheets. Red lace lay over the tops of the lamps and more candles cast their flickering shadows against the walls. A silver champagne bucket filled with ice and a bottle rested on a tray and was surrounded by chocolate-covered strawberries. Five vases of red roses were scattered around the room while the red rose path continued over to the bed and onto the sheets.
“Wow,” she whispered. “You did all this for me?”
They exchanged a glance with each other before Aaron answered. “Baby, we’d do anything for you. We’d give you the world, the sun, the stars, the entire universe if we could.”
She turned to them, her emotions clogging her throat. “Then give me one more thing.”
“Name it, sweetheart.”
“Give me you.”
“That’s easy. You already have us.” Aaron tugged his shirt up then over his head. He tossed it to the floor.
She saw the longing in his eyes. The same yearning that was in Seth’s. Desire took her as she lifted the simple dress and slowly pulled it over her head. That dress wasn’t as sexy as the red dress had been, but she knew it wouldn’t matter to her men, just as what they wore didn’t matter to her. The dress landed on top of Aaron’s shirt. Hoping that they’d end up making love after dinner, she’d removed her bra at the office, right before th
ey’d picked her up.
Seth’s shirt was off in the next moment. They stood, the three of them content to simply be with each other.
Smiling, she took Aaron’s jeans and undid them, her eyes lifting to his as she slid the zipper down. When he tried to help her push them over the rise of his buttocks, she took his arms, stilling them so she would have that honor. His cock, fully erect, sprang out, pointing at her stomach.
“I guess you’re hot and ready, huh?”
The mirth curved the corners of his mouth. “Hot and ready? Yeah. I am. Let’s get you hot and ready, too.”
“I’m already there. I’ve been ready since that first day in the restaurant.”
Seth sucked in his stomach, the muscles in his abdomen tightening, when she did the same for his jeans. He didn’t try to help, but let her slide them down to puddle around his ankles. “That wasn’t that long ago.”
She tossed him a seductive glance. “Long enough. And I want you bad.”
Aaron had one hand suspended in midair, as though he’d started to reach out and touch her hair. He lowered his arm, then nodded at her panties. “Do you want help getting out of those?”
“Would you, please?”
Seth kicked off his boots, then followed them with his jeans. Aaron kept up, doing the same. It was like they were vying to win the prize of ridding her of her underwear.
“You don’t have to rush, you know. There’s enough of me to go around, masters.”
Aaron captured her, cupping her by the neck. “Not tonight, baby. We want to play this a different way.”
Her nipples tightened at the deep timbre of his voice. “Whatever you say.”
“Aaron’s right.” Seth stood beside her, then traced a path with his finger from the base of her neck down her spine.
She was breathless, anticipation spinning a wheel of lust inside her stomach. Aaron brought her into his arms. His mouth met hers in a desperate race toward each other. She heard a whimper, but it was stolen away by the force of Aaron’s kiss. The whimper that she now realized was hers, came again, and once more was lost in his fervor to have her. Emotions gathered together, forming a tornado of feelings and sensations. Her mind listened for the commands her body sent her, and accepted them. Reason was no longer in control. Only touch, taste, and need could guide her.
