They began walking back through the gardens and into the house again.
“As I was saying earlier, Gustavo has spoken very highly of you. Manchenso has been looking for a trustworthy and frugal financial advisor for one of his companies in Dallas. I understand that’s where you’re from.”
“Yes. What type of business?”
“He’s a partner in a government arms and security firm. He’s planning on taking over soon. I understand that you’ll be headed to Texas next week. Perhaps a tour of the facility will persuade you to take the position if Manchenso offers it to you?”
She thought about it a moment. As soon as she heard government arms and security firm, her ears perked up. It could give her some insight into the entire arms dealing business. While Googling on the computer last night, she’d read about a police officer who had gone missing, and then was found dead. The follow-up article said that he was actually working undercover and had been aiding drug dealers. She didn’t believe it. The article stood out in her mind, and she kept thinking about Michael. Could this be another incident that would go uninvestigated?
She was definitely interested in that and in finding out ways to identify and destroy DeLacruz.
“Well?” Armando asked her. She was a bit suspicious of this sudden job offer. However, being that her main goal was to gain enough money and resources to destroy her brother’s killer, any bit of help was a step toward accomplishing her goal. Even if this turned out to not be something she was interested in or could gain information from, it was still a stepping stone on the totem pole leading to accomplished professional success.
“I’ll need more specific details about the job requirement, benefits, pay, etc. I’ve been offered a few different positions both here in Italy and in the United States.”
“Are you playing hardball with me, Mariah?” Armando asked as he opened up another set of doors that led to the main hallway. She stared up into his dark eyes, and she could see the humor in his expression. If he hadn’t have pissed her off earlier, she could have enjoyed his company for this evening.
“A woman has to have her options.” She started to walk away, but Armando grabbed her arm gently, yet firmly, as he pressed his body close to hers. He stared down into her eyes very seriously, while she absorbed the smell of his cologne. His jacket fell from her shoulders and she looked away only to find him staring at her breasts and then back into her eyes.
“I can promise you, this will be the best offer you’ll ever get. It’s an amazing company. Every day new things are discovered, and financial support is received from across the globe. Say you’ll come see it. Say you’ll let me give you the tour personally?” he whispered.
She was caught off guard at the way he spoke to her, held her arm, and enticed her with his sex appeal. Armando obviously had a stake in this company as well. She felt an attraction to the man. Was it his dominant attitude? Perhaps the way he took charge? She liked that about a man. He had sex appeal, was charming but rough around the edges, almost like a certain Marine she knew. Yet he was calm, and didn’t show his emotions or intentions in his eyes. More like Deacon, than anyone. He raised his eyebrow at her in question.
“It sounds intriguing. Should I call the office there to set something up?”
He slowly released her arm and took his jacket that fell between them. Looking her over one final time, he smiled.
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll contact you next week and set everything up. We’ll meet at the main headquarters.”
“Okay.”
“Mariah, I was looking all over the place for you. Did you two get acquainted?” Gustavo asked as he wrapped his arm around Mariah’s waist. She saw Armando’s expression change and he appeared angry, almost jealous of Gustavo’s move. Immediately Gustavo lightened his hold on her.
“We made some plans for Dallas. Apparently, Armando is headed there next week as well.”
“Wonderful. Shall we go mingle a little more before we leave for the night?”
“Sure, Gustavo. I’d love to. Good night, Armando.” She reached out to her hand to shake his, but Armando brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it, just as Manchenso had earlier. She smiled.
“Until we meet again.” He gave a slow bow and then turned around and headed back inside.
“So, what do you think? An opportunity and a half, right?”
“I think we’ll see when I get to Texas.”
Mariah walked with Gustavo and they danced to a few songs as the music continued to play. She couldn’t get Armando off her mind or Manchenso for that matter. Armando was charismatic and strong willed. She liked that in a man, but something tightened in her gut just thinking about him in a sexual manner.
She knew the culprit. There were four of them. All Marines. The epitome of intimidation and the only men who made her think about spreading her legs and doing things she blushed just thinking about.
Damn, I need to get them out of my head.
Chapter 4
They were all on edge as they leaned against the bar at Casper’s. Mariah was going to arrive any minute, and Gia Marie and all their other friends and family from town were giving Mariah a welcome home party. They’d all missed her and looked forward to seeing her.
L.T. couldn’t believe it had been over two years. He had no idea what she would look like. Although the pictures she’d sent her uncle Jeb were always of views, or buildings and scenery. Hardly any of them were of her.
She had been such a beautiful young woman when she’d left before her final year of college. Jeb was proud while L.T. and his friends were miserable. He hadn’t wanted her to leave the country. He wanted to keep watch on his best friend’s sister, but Mariah was determined. She wanted to put life here behind her and move on. L.T. and his friends needed to let her go.
“I can’t wait to see her,” Deacon whispered. They were all staring at the entrance despite all the talking, laughing, and celebrating going on.
“She’s here,” Gia Marie yelled out and everyone quieted down.
His heart was racing. He didn’t know what to expect, but the moment the door opened, he felt his jaw drop, and he wasn’t the only one to gasp in pleasant surprise.
One look at the platinum blonde hair, the big bold, blue eyes, and luscious lips, and L.T. knew he was in serious trouble.
“Holy shit. She’s fucking hot,” Axel stated aloud, as the cheers filled the room and everyone took turns hugging Mariah and greeting her hello.
L.T. stood up straight, along with Axel, Deacon, and Quentin on either side of him.
It felt as if it took forever for her to near them. L.T. could feel his temper rising, and he needed to use some serious self-control to not push through the crowd and pull Mariah into his arms. He’d missed her despite the numerous times he told himself that he shouldn’t. She was Michael’s sister. She was just a young woman with her eyes wide open and her view of older men a fantasy situation. None of them were right for her. The words kept repeating in his head, until she got closer. Mariah was all grown up and then some.
As she finally approached and he got an even closer look at her, he lost all ability to speak.
“So are all y’all gonna just stare at me or give me a hug hello?” she asked with a seductive, teasing voice that made his cock jerk to life. He was instantly hard. Totally and completely turned on and growing as Axel pulled her close, kissed her cheek, and twirled her around. He placed her back down onto her high-heeled boots, and looked over her body. Midriff white sweater, dark, tight blue jeans, a damn belly ring peeking out, if the sparkle he glimpsed was what he thought it was, and damn, did she smell good, too. Deacon pulled her against him next and hugged her tightly. She kissed his neck, and L.T. watched how slowly her lips collided against Deacon’s skin, and how even more slowly she parted her lips from his neck.
Deacon’s hands slid along her lower back, and as he released her to Quentin, L.T. saw Deacon’s hand caress over one ass cheek. Mariah smiled and winked.
>
The young college grad had turned into a sexual goddess.
Quentin immediately pulled her up against him, her heeled boots lifted off the floor, and she seductively wrapped one toned jean-covered thigh around Quentin’s upper leg and hip. L.T. couldn’t take a step closer without coming in his pants.
“You look gorgeous, baby. I missed you,” Quentin told her and then kissed her cheek slowly. It was the kind of kiss meant to be against a woman’s lips, but Quentin was smart enough to know he couldn’t do that with Mariah.
Slowly Quentin set her feet down, a huge smile on his face, winked, and then nodded his head toward L.T. She looked at him and then turned to see whom Quentin was directing her, too. When her eyes locked with L.T.’s, the man couldn’t help but give the sweet hot woman a wink.
“Mariah,” he whispered, and she slowly, very seductively moved from Quentin’s arms and placed her hand on L.T.’s shoulder as if she weren’t going to hug him.
“L.T. It’s so nice to see you again. You look good,” she whispered.
As much as L.T. wanted to be strong and continue to fight his attraction to Mariah, knowing that his brothers had kissed her, hugged her, and it hadn’t pissed him off, made him reach for her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. He placed his hand against her cheek and stared down into her eyes.
“Still the angry and silent type, huh, L.T.?” she teased.
“You look gorgeous, Mariah. You’ve turned into quite a stunning woman.” She smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders.
“I was a grown woman before I left. You just couldn’t see it.” she replied and then pulled from his embrace. He was surprised by her remark. He also wondered why she seemed pissed off about it.
“Mariah,” someone called and another group of guys said hello. It was torture to watch the other men touch her and take advantage of holding her in their arms. He had to give himself a mental shake and remind himself that she was off-limits. No matter how hard she made his cock. She would always be Michael’s little sister.
* * * *
Deacon and Quentin stood side by side near the wall and watched Mariah dance with her friends. They couldn’t take their eyes off of her. Deacon watched the way her hips swayed, and how her toned arms were raised nearly above her head as she moved her hips to the rhythm of the music. It was a salsa number, and he would surely dream of her tonight. But instead of on a dance floor, Mariah would be naked, with her arms raised above her head, her pretty breasts pushed out for him to lick and nip at, as he stroked her cunt with his fingers. She’d come softly, whispering his name with her sweet little country voice of hers. He’d recognize her blindfolded. Hell, his cock would immediately sense her anywhere within the radius of his near vicinity.
He felt the light smack to his belly and it brought him out of his fantasy.
“I’m going to be straight with you, Deacon. No fucking bullshit. I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist anymore. Seeing her after all this time is making me think of doing things with her that I should not be thinking about doing.”
Deacon glanced over at Quentin, as Quentin took a slug of beer and kept his eyes on the dance floor.
A quick glance back and he saw another two guys moving in to dance with her again. He cleared his throat as the anger shoved through his system. He was so incredibly jealous right now, that even hearing Quentin’s admittance didn’t ease his own desires for her. It just intensified the feelings. It had been months since the four of them had tried to share a woman. It just didn’t work. None of them felt the pull, the connection they each sought out to heal their fears. As the calmest, most quiet of the group, he was feeling ready to roar and explode.
“I know what you’re saying, Quentin. She’s stunned us all. With her beauty, her maturity, and sophistication.”
“Her fucking body. My God, Deacon, when the fuck did she turn into such a sexual fantasy. She’s stunning, and it’s not just because of the connection I’ve always felt around her either. It’s more. It’s like I can see only her in the room.”
“It’s pretty fucking scary, ain’t it?” Deacon whispered and then took another slug of beer.
“Scary? Yeah, I guess that’s a good adjective to use. Wanting something so badly that you can’t have it is pretty fucking scary,” Quentin said and then downed the rest of his beer. He released a sigh and looked at Deacon.
“I can’t take the torture anymore. I’m going back to the bar.”
Deacon nodded his head and then looked back toward the dance floor. His eyes zeroed in on Mariah again. She had a fantastic ass. He wanted to know what it felt like to hold her in his arms and caress his large hand over her ass in such a possessive way she shook in his arms. But each time he thought about acting on his desires for her, he thought about Michael. They were best friends with her damn brother for crying out loud. Wouldn’t them fucking his sister make Michael roll over in his grave? He’d never forgive them.
Hell, he knew what they were into. The four of them engaged in sex as a unit and a team because they felt safest that way. When Deacon thought of sharing Mariah, he feared a lot of things. He feared letting go and opening up his heart. He feared the intimacy of loving a woman, giving her all of him, and being able to give her what she needed. Deacon knew that was why he, L.T., Quentin, and Axel decided to share their women. They all had very hard, intense personalities. Their issues with lack of trust, suspicion, and always holding back kept their hearts out of it and their sexual needs satisfied. Women were immediately compliant to share the four of them, but never did it last more than a few hours, and no woman ever stayed.
He watched Mariah and listened as she laughed and her friends hugged her again. She was happy, she was successful and beautiful, and she didn’t need four fucked-up, retired Marines to screw her future up. They had to keep away from her. They just had to.
* * * *
Mariah walked outside to get her sweater from the car. It was late, but now John Luke, Jasper, Davie, and Eve, who owned Casper’s, were starting up the fire pit out back, and the immediate friends and family were hanging around enjoying the party. She spotted L.T. standing by a truck, talking on his cell phone, just as two women walked by, giggled and waved, and one of them caressed her hand across his shirt over his chest. Her belly burned with jealousy and envy. Two years away from them seemed to only make her heart grow fonder. She unlocked the car, reached in to grab her sweater, and thought about how sexy and good looking her four Marines were. She had to laugh at herself. Calling them “her Marines.” They weren’t, and she was back in Texas to do a job. She was going to bring Eduardo DeLacruz down. Not physically or with a bullet to his head, but instead in a way she knew how. Through his wallet. With a combination of her computer skills and her professional talents with finance and money, she would destroy him. Although she felt a bit uneasy about meeting Armando at the company, her gut told her it would lead to getting more info on DeLacruz. She wanted to ask Armando more questions about his boss Manchenso. Like how long he’d worked for him, and what type of things he invested in. She would be quite nervous, but as long as they didn’t want her to do anything illegal, she would be fine.
She closed the door and began to put on her sweater when she felt the hands helping her. She gasped, turning around abruptly as her ass hit the side of the car.
“Oh, God, L.T., you scared me.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be out here in the dark, all alone.”
She shook her head.
“Give me a break. We’re in Texas, and in one of the safest towns in the state.”
“It’s not as safe as it used to be. A lot of people are moving in from all over the place. The police departments have been extremely busy.”
She clutched the sweater against her chest and stared up into his dark eyes. Even in her high-heeled boots, L.T. still towered over her. He made her body shake and her pussy clench and swell with desire. No man, not any ever, had done this to her so instantly.
&
nbsp; “Well, I’ll take your advice and be careful,” she said and then started to move away from the car. He placed his hand against the car to stop her, but he still didn’t touch her. She would love for him to make a move. She’d caught them all watching her. Even Gia Marie had pointed it out. But this was L.T.’s MO and the others’, too. They may be attracted to her and want her, but she was Michael’s little sister.
“What?” she asked as the annoyance hit her.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk with you. You’ve been occupied since you arrived.”
“Well, it is a party and I haven’t seen anyone in two years. Was there something you needed to talk to me about? Or can it wait until tomorrow?” she asked, knowing that her uncle had invited them all over to the house for dinner.
L.T. appeared as if he were biting the inside of his cheek. He stared down at her, and it was unnerving.
“How was Italy? Are you going back or are you looking for a job around here? If you need some help for a while, we can get whatever you need. Money, a place to stay—”
“I’ve been offered a few different jobs already, L.T. I have a pretty nice savings account already, so I don’t need your assistance. Thank you anyway.”
She started to move again and he stopped her. He squinted his eyes at her.
“Are you taking a job over there?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I have some appointments while I’m here for the next few weeks.”
“Where at? We could investigate them for you, maybe find out if they’re good choices?”
She immediately panicked. She didn’t need them investigating anything for her, and especially not what she had been up to.
“That’s not necessary.” She touched his arm and he pulled away abruptly. It was like she had a disease or something. She gave him the once-over as she pushed away from the car.
“I really don’t need your help, L.T. I told you and the others that I could take care of myself, and I have been. Maybe someday you’ll realize I’m not a little girl, but a woman with a damn good head on my shoulders. Now, I’d like to get back to the party. So if you’re done with the third degree—”
The American Soldier Collection 6: Their Masquerade (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5
