He heard a knock on her door and figured she might need to get that. “Okay. I’m looking forward to our aftercare time.”
That cracked him up. “You are the best, girl. Later.”
She disconnected and he dropped back on the bed and smiled. The next thirty-six hours were going to go by way too slowly.
Chapter Ten
Ceci leaned closer to the bathroom mirror and carefully lined her lips. She probably should have asked more questions about where Gabe and Dylan were taking her on this date, but Gabe had hinted she’d be spending the night, which meant she could toss a couple of different changes of clothes in her overnight bag, and be good no matter what they did. Since she’d expressed an interest in riding, she wouldn’t be surprised if maybe they’d rent some horses in Bozeman and explore an area she wasn’t familiar with. She had on comfortable jeans, her old boots she’d worn to the motocross event, and a few tops that she’d layered. It went without saying that she had on kick ass underwear.
She really shouldn’t have been surprised they asked her out again. Both had texted her a few times this week, but it was mostly to tell her they were working hard on a case. While that might be true, she wondered if the real reason they waited so long without seeing her was because they wanted to give her time to think things through.
She appreciated that. They couldn’t know that she had told them more about John than even Brooke knew. From what she could surmise, these two were good with taking things at an easy pace. When she remembered how the men had taken their time loving her tits and her pussy, she realized they were also pillars of patience.
She’d been tempted a few times to ask Brooke to talk with Gavin and Riley about Gabe and Dylan, but the six men in the company appeared to have a strong bond and probably wouldn’t spill the beans.
The doorbell rang and she cursed. She wasn’t ready. She finished filling in her lips and rushed to answer the door. A little out of breath, she pulled it open and stopped in her tracks. They were dressed in thick, long-sleeved shirts over a turtleneck, slightly baggy jeans that hadn’t seen new this century, and paint-splattered shoes. They both were grinning widely.
“Hey. Want to come in?” She hoped they’d tell her what was going on, which would give her the chance to change her mind.
“We need to go now,” Gabe said as he held out his hand.
“Let me get my purse.” She’d set it on the dining room table.
Her case was by the door and Dylan grabbed it. “Ready.”
Gabe had driven his truck, which meant she had to sit between these two men. She’d been about to suggest she drive, but she really didn’t want them to get the interior dirty. Crazy, yes, but she loved her car and wanted one thing in her life to remain pure.
She settled in between them and kept her hands on her lap. She was tempted to see how naughty she could be with the men, but somehow they’d get the best of her and drive her crazy. The safest tactic was to enjoy the ride.
As soon as they drove past town, they jumped on 287 toward Bozeman. Because the back of his truck was covered, she had no idea if he’d brought supplies for them to go riding or had hiking gear. She’d told them she wouldn’t hunt. Killing wasn’t for her.
The day was clear and she tried to relax. Dylan placed a hand on her thigh. “You aren’t going to try to extract our destination from us?”
She laughed. “If you want me to know, you’ll tell me.”
Dylan’s brows pinched for a second. Good. She’d caught him off guard. It’s where he belonged—confused just like she was most of the time.
Gabe reached over and squeezed her knee. “You are too good for us. I love how you trust us.”
She wasn’t too good for them and would have to let them know sooner rather than later. It was because she trusted them that she’d even agreed to go on this date.
Not long after they turned east onto 84, they headed north on Gallatin Gateway instead of going into town. The two-lane road was narrow and straight. The mountains sat in the distance, but this didn’t look like a very inviting place to ride.
“So where are we going?” Her curiosity finally got the best of her.
Dylan grinned. “Just you wait and see. It’s a surprise.”
She wasn’t sure she liked the twinkle in his eye. Ceci crossed her arms wondering what crazy thing they wanted her to participate in. “I’m not sky diving.”
Both men laughed. From their surprised response, they weren’t planning on having her do something so crazy. Five minutes later he pulled to a stop in front of a small building bordering a large field littered with tires, crates, and dirt mounds.
“What is this place?” Popping sounds littered the air and what looked like men in uniforms were running around, diving and hiding between tire mounds.
“It’s paintball, sugar. You ever seen it?”
Paintball? Ugh. “No.”
Gabe cut the engine and Dylan jumped out, taking her hand. She had no choice but to follow. She hoped they planned on playing and having her watch. There was no doubt that they expected her to complain but she didn’t want to give them the satisfaction. Besides, hadn’t she promised herself to start living for a change?
Gabe clasped her other hand and they both led her into a small building. One wall was covered in odd-looking guns. While the weapon had a barrel, the gun had a banana-shaped container mounted on top.
“Don’t you worry. We’ll get you suited up so you’ll not feel a thing when you get hit.”
She opened her mouth to ask them to take her home, but the way the man behind the counter greeted these two, Gabe and Dylan came here often. She was tired of living the life of a coward. She’d show them she could do this.
They spent ten minutes outfitting her, then another ten minutes showing her to shoot the gun. The mask was the hardest thing to get used to.
“What about you two?”
Gabe grinned. He helped remove her mask. “We’ve got our gear in the car. Come on.”
Back out they went. “Does this stuff wash off?”
Dylan wrapped an arm around her waist. “Not only does it wash off, if you did get some of the paint in your mouth, it’s harmless.”
“Yuck. I’m not eating it.” When they reached the truck, the men suited up. Their weapons were larger—no surprise there. They each wrapped a belt around their waist that contained what looked like colored water bottles. “What are they for?”
“Added ammunition. We figured you’ll most likely hide behind the protective devices and not shoot much.”
They thought she was a wuss? She was, but she didn’t like them drawing that conclusion. As soon as they suited up they walked her to the large field, about as long as a football field, only wider. There were approximately forty people running around either shooting at the opposition or hiding. Because the faces were covered, she couldn’t tell their age or sex, but from their short stature, there were a lot who couldn’t be more than twelve. That made her feel better.
A whistle blew and everyone stopped running. Gabe grabbed her hand. “Come on.”
“The game only lasts four minutes,” Dylan said. “That’s all the time you have to shoot someone. If you get shot, just hold up your gun and walk away.”
That sounded feasible. “Okay.”
“Let’s watch one round and you can see how it’s played. There are a lot of games, like capture the flag and zombie—which is my favorite—but this looks like a straight kill game.”
There were two men dressed in checkered outfits who appeared to be the referees. One called out for everyone to get ready. The groups must have already decided who was on which team because half lined up on one side and the other half on the other.
“Ready?” the referee shouted. “Three, two, one, go.”
Like the start of the motocross game, chaos descended. The grass was about a foot tall and the men who looked like real soldiers raced across the field to hide behind the obstacles. Someone was giving instructions to his team.
Yikes. These people took this game seriously.
The biggest problem appeared to be that the objects to hide behind were about twenty feet apart. She’d never make it from one to another without getting shot.
The pops came so continuously she couldn’t really tell what was going on or which side was winning. Hell, she couldn’t even spot the opposition. Who would she aim at?
The tires, hay rolls, and wooden barricades became coated in different colored paint. Every once in a while a gun would lift in the air, and the person would trot off. As soon as the whistle sounded, she had no idea which side won.
“We’re up next,” Dylan said. “It might be best to stay behind me on your first time.”
Or hide. “Okay.”
She and Dylan picked up red armbands and Gabe grabbed a green one. “We have to keep the sides even.”
She couldn’t believe how intense they were. Dylan took hold of her hand and ran to the far end of the field. The referee didn’t give people much time to regroup before he told everyone to get ready.
Her heart had already dropped to her belly. She didn’t want to disappoint the men, but she was ill equipped to play. She’d never even held a gun before.
“Three, two, one, go.”
The noise sounded and for the first few feet, Dylan dragged her behind him before letting go. Yeesh. He took off, and there she was, standing and totally exposed. Everyone else had ducked low, dashing behind a haystack or a six-foot tall stack of tires. She ducked low and sprinted to a set of tires, her heart pounding hard. She’d never experienced such a thrill. Knowing no one would be hurt added to the excitement.
When she dared to peak around her protection, she spotted Dylan thirty feet in front of her. A man about fifty feet away ran across the expanse to a hay bale. By the time she fired her gun, the opposition had already reached his destination.
She figured if she did get hit, she’d raise her gun and leave. Wanting to show the men she’d conquered her fears of getting splattered with paint, she raced straight ahead, keeping her head down. Her heart was in her throat as she slid next to Dylan.
His face was covered so she couldn’t tell if he was smiling, but she bet he was.
“Good job, sugar. We only have about two minutes left. I want to make the most of it.”
He took off, zigzagging and sliding as he reached another set of tires. Guns popped and when she looked down she had several different colored paints on her pants. She’d probably rubbed against a tire and gotten dirty, but that worked for her. She raised her gun, stood, and jogged to the edge of the field.
By the time the whistle blew to signal the end of the game, her pulse hadn’t slowed. Both men charged across the field to her, and Dylan was the first to reach her.
He tore off his mask, his face slightly contorted with worry. “Are you okay? Did you get hit?”
He acted like they were using real bullets. “No.” She waved to her pants leg. “I’m covered in the stuff, so I thought I might have been hit.”
Gabe reached them and surveyed her outfit. “Looks like you got some fallout, baby.” Both of her men were clean.
“Ready to go again?” Gabe asked.
She laughed. Never would she have guessed she’d have this much fun. “Sure.”
“You’ll be on my team,” Gabe said. “Take off that armband and pick up a green one.”
There was no time to waste. She did as he asked and the two loped to the near side of the field. This time she was ready since she knew what to expect. When the ref yelled go, they took off. She stayed behind Gabe until the first barricade. He raced off so fast she didn’t have the chance to move as gunfire sounded everywhere.
She decided to head for the sidelines and move forward from there. She was slow, so perhaps the opponents would discount her, especially since she wasn’t firing her weapon. Running out of paintballs at the wrong time would suck. She made it safely to the side then dashed from one protective device to another. Her heart might be racing, but she wanted to shoot at something. She figured the opponents would be those coming toward her. She stood, took aim and hit someone—at least she believed she took someone out.
“Yes!” She pumped her fist.
“Get down, Ceci.” The shout from Gabe came a second after two punches blasted her. One pelted her arm and the other her facemask.
Immediately, she raised her hand and wiped her visor with the other. Oh, crap. That only made it worse. Dylan ran toward her and he was pummeled with paint. He, too, raised his gun and continued to run toward her.
Aw. He wanted to protect her. She kept her gun held high and waited for him to reach her. Without slowing down, he dragged a hand around her waist and half-carried her off the field. As soon as they cleared the firing range, he undid her mask. He took his off, too. One look at his face and she started laughing.
There was no earthly reason for her to think anything was funny, but once she started she couldn’t stop. Her arm stung bad, but for some reason she wasn’t panicking.
He clasped her elbows. “Ceci?”
She pressed her lips together and sobered. “I’m sorry.”
“For what? Are you okay?”
Tears of joy streamed down her face. “Yes. I’m wonderful, but I feel bad that you had to get hit coming to rescue me. I really didn’t need saving.”
Gabe rushed over and tore off his helmet. “What’s going on?”
Dylan straightened and then smiled. “Seems our woman has just found out about the wonders of adrenaline.”
She loved the sound of “our woman.” She hadn’t disappointed them and that thrilled her. “Only safe adrenaline. I don’t think one should take chances.”
Gabe smiled. “I agree. The games will end in an hour. You want to try a few more?”
They’d already started the next round so she’d have to sit one out. That worked for her, as she wanted to study the strategy. “Sure.”
Gabe cocked a brow. “You have paint on you, you know.”
She now saw through his comments. “All the more reason to take a shower.”
Chapter Eleven
Dylan was ecstatic that Ceci had enjoyed the game, but he’d thought she’d be upset after being covered in paint. She didn’t seem to be. So what had changed? Had her confession about John Bean freed her? He didn’t buy it. Even though she said she had a great time, he caught the occasional sadness in her eyes, but now wasn’t the time to drag a confession out of her.
Right now, he believed the best strategy would be to enjoy her and show her they believed in her. Trust was the cornerstone of every good relationship, and when she was ready, she’d tell them her innermost fears. Only then could they begin to explore their sexual and emotional journey together.
Dylan returned her rental gear while Gabe tossed their equipment in the back of the truck. Since they were covered in wet paint, Gabe put a plastic cloth on the seat. When he returned, Ceci looked all cozy in the truck. His cock twitched as he remembered how she’d crouched low and dashed across the field. Her attempt to go around the outside of the field and remain unnoticed was a brilliant idea. Too bad her timing and aim sucked.
He wondered if she might be interested in going to the shooting range and practice not only with a paintball gun, but with a real weapon as well. If she ever was willing to stay with them, he’d feel better if she could defend herself.
Gabe reached across her to get something out of the glove compartment. “Excuse me.”
If Dylan didn’t know better, his friend had purposefully bumped into the side her breasts. She sucked in an audible breath. He waited for her to react, but all she did was place a hand on Gabe’s shoulder, probably to make sure he didn’t lean too far back. He snatched the pack of wipes he’d purchased from the store, sat up, and handed them to her. She probably had a stash with her, but they wanted to show her they were there to help her cope with whatever came up.
Her green eyes widened and a small smile captured her lips. “Thanks, but I doubt anythi
ng short of a shower will help.”
That didn’t stop her from pulling a few out and cleaning her hands then wiping the excess paint off her sleeve where she’d been shot.
“Does your arm hurt?” Gabe started the car and followed a few cars out the long road to the main highway.
She pressed on it. “Yes. How do you stand playing for hours?”
Her glance included Dylan and he puffed out a chest then pounded it. “We are men, men, men.”
That made her laugh. He wanted to ask her how she’d gone from someone who was rather reserved to a person who had been able to let go. He wanted to think that he and Gabe had something to do with her transformation, but he doubted it.
“Sugar, did you have fun today?”
She worried her bottom lip and his cock hardened. “I did. I could do without the mess, but the strategy of where to go intrigued me.”
So that was the pull. He didn’t care as long as she had fun.
The death of her former love seemed to have changed her deeply. Being investigators, they used their skills to find out what she was like growing up. Okay, it didn’t take any talent to ask their other business partners Gavin and Riley, about Ceci. Dylan figured Brooke must have given them the lowdown about her sister. From what he could gather, Ceci had been an outgoing, happy girl. It was her time in Philadelphia that had changed her. Dylan was determined to give her back some of the joy she’d experienced in her childhood. He and Gabe weren’t shrinks, so all they could do was chip away at all of her inhibitions one issue at a time.
Dylan slightly twisted to the side. “Hey, Gabe. What do you think of finding a place that trains lady mud wrestlers?”
As he’d hoped she sat straighter, opened her pretty mouth like she was ready to take a cock, and huffed.
“No way.”
Both of them cracked up. He furrowed his brows. “Too much?”
“You have to admit, I’ve been a good sport so far. Maybe we could engage in something slower and cleaner.”
She had no idea how adorable she was when she tried to fight back.
Dirty Pleasures [Pleasure, Montana 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 9
