Dream Life

by Becca Van

  He was already halfway in love with her, if not all the way.

  He and his brothers had finally found the woman of their dreams, but he had no idea how she felt about them.

  Chapter Seven

  Brigg stayed with Shyann while she slept. His brothers were already up and about, but he hadn’t wanted to leave her. She looked so peaceful, but on and off through the night, they’d all come awake when she’d whimpered and moved restlessly in her sleep. A couple of times she’d even cried in her sleep. It had broken his heart to see her in such torment and not being able to rest as deeply as she should. He wondered if the constant nightmares were the reason for the dark smudges under her eyes.

  Brigg would never forget Shyann’s emotionless tone as she told them what had happened to her parents. What had torn his heart in two had been the fear, grief, and horror in those gorgeous eyes. He’d wanted to wrap her up in his arms, his strength, and never let her go. He’d also wanted to search for the fucker and tear him limb from limb. It had been difficult to keep his fury from showing, but knowing Shyann needed their comfort and understanding had been the catalyst that enabled him to keep his rage from showing.

  He pushed his thoughts aside when she sighed and stirred, leaning up on his elbow and hand as he watched her come to consciousness. Her eyelids fluttered and opened. She blinked a few times, but as soon as she saw him staring at her, she glanced away and blushed.

  Brigg moved closer, reached out, cupped her cheek in his hand, and turned her gaze toward him. “Why are you embarrassed, darlin’? You aren’t regretting what happened last night, are you?”

  Shyann glanced away but met his eyes again when he caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I don’t do things like that.”

  “We know that, darlin’, but you can’t deny the attraction between all of us. You have nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, Shyann. It’s natural that the attraction would eventuate into more.”

  “I just…” She shrugged her shoulders. “Everything’s moving too fast. I’m not like that. I don’t do the things…we did.”

  “Please, just give us a chance, darlin’. We’re all very attracted to you. We think we could have a long-lasting relationship with you. We won’t push you to do anything you’re not ready for, but please, don’t turn your back on us.”

  She stared into his eyes and licked her lips, nodding and blushing at the same time. “I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll try.”

  “That’s all we’re asking for, darlin’. Just to spend some time with you so we can get to know each other.” Brigg dropped his hand from her cheek, flung the covers aside, and rolled to his feet. He watched her from his periphery, biting his tongue when he saw her eying his body over, the blush in her cheeks deepening in color before she quickly lowered her eyes. She might not be sure of herself and her femininity, but she definitely liked what she saw. Her gaze had roamed all over his shoulders, arms, chest, and abs. When she had gotten to his groin, her lips had parted, and her breath had hitched. She might be trying to hide her fascination, but he and his brothers weren’t blind. They’d had more than their fair share of women and knew all the signs. However, she needed time to get used to liking them.

  He, Raiden, and Tane were going to have to go at her pace. Brigg had a feeling if they didn’t, they’d end up losing her before they had her.

  “Why don’t you go and take a shower, darlin’? Breakfast should be ready when you come out.” He smiled, turned, and walked away. All the time he was moving he could feel her gaze wandering over his almost naked body, his skin tingling where her eyes touched. Thankfully, he had his back to her, because his half-hard cock perked up until it was full, hard, and aching. He was worried he’d scare her if she saw his reaction to her.

  * * * *

  Shyann couldn’t get last night out of her mind the whole time she was showering and dressing. When she’d woken to Brigg staring at her, she’d been embarrassed. Embarrassed about letting men seeing her naked, touching her, and more. His words had helped to alleviate her discomfort to an extent, and while she’d wanted to refute the magnetic allure they seemed to have over her, she hadn’t been able to.

  She pushed her introspection aside with a sigh, brushed her teeth and hair, before heading out.

  Shyann hesitated outside the kitchen door. Raiden, Tane, and Brigg were talking quietly, the deep cadence of their voices sending shivers up and down her spine and goose bumps racing over her skin. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she could have listened to them all day long.

  When she realized what she was doing, delaying the inevitable, she drew in a deep fortifying breath and entered the kitchen. All three men turned to look at her, and while she met each of their gazes briefly, she couldn’t hold them. Her cheeks were so hot with embarrassment and arousal, she had to look away.

  “Hi, baby, how did you sleep?” Raiden asked, rising from the stool near the counter before walking toward her.

  “Good, thanks,” she replied quietly.

  Raiden stopped a yard from her, nudging her chin up with a knuckle until he was looking into her eyes. “Are you sure, Shyann? You still look tired.”

  “I slept better than I have in a long while,” she said honestly. Sleeping between the three men had made her feel safe and protected. It had been months since she felt normal again. She’d had the reoccurring nightmare on and off throughout the night, but she actually had a little energy this morning.

  “You were whimpering and crying in your sleep,” Raiden stated, frowning. “Do you have nightmares often?”

  She nodded then sighed with relief when he removed his knuckles from under her chin. “Every night.”

  “You can get help for that if you want, sweetness,” Tane said as Raiden guided her toward the stools on the opposite side of the counter. “We can put you in touch with a psychologist we’ve all seen ourselves.”

  “You have?” Shyann asked, more than a little surprised that such handsome confident men would admit to seeing a counselor.

  “Sure, we have, darlin’,” Brigg said. “We were soldiers and now we’re paramedics. We’ve seen a lot of death and violence and still do. We attend car accidents and other emergency situations that other people couldn’t even dream of. Some things get to us more than others, but it helps to talk them out with a professional.”

  She knew what Brigg said was the truth, but Shyann wasn’t sure she was ready to talk about how her stepbrother had murdered her mom and stepdad. Just thinking about what a member of her family had done made her sick to her stomach.

  Raiden settled her on a stool next to Brigg before sitting on her other side. Tane poured her a mug of coffee, setting it on the counter in front of her, and then he walked to the stove.

  Shyann felt guilty about sitting on her ass while Tane plated up eggs and bacon on toast, but she had a feeling her offer of help would be refused. The three Tremaine brothers were confident, capable guys who had very strong protective instincts just like all the other men she’d met living in Slick Rock.

  When she’d seen how the men were with their women, she’d been envious, but hadn’t been sure about having more than one man to deal with. Now, here she was staying in a house with three brothers, and she was beginning to think having more than one man to love wouldn’t be as daunting as she’d suspected. Not that she was in love with them. At least she didn’t think she was, but she certainly felt more than she should.

  “Shyann?” Brigg caressed her shoulder.

  She met his gaze and noticed he was frowning at her. After glancing about and realizing that Tane and Raiden were over near the dining table, looking at her with concern on their faces, she wondered what was going on.

  “Tane was speaking to you, darlin’,” Brigg explained.

  “I’m sorry. I was so lost in thought I didn’t hear you,” she said after spinning the stool around to meet Tane’s eyes.

  “Don’t worry about it, sweetness. I was only telling you that breakfast was read
y.”

  She nodded, slipped from the stool, and after grabbing her mug of coffee, walked toward where Raiden was holding a chair for her. “Thank you. This looks and smells delicious.”

  “You’re welcome, baby,” Raiden replied.

  “Hey!” Tane scowled at Raiden after winking at her. There was a twinkle of mischief in his gray-green eyes. “I’m the one that slaved over a hot stove for hours on end.”

  Shyann giggled before covering her mouth. Raiden guided her down to the seat and pushed it in as she sat.

  “I never said you didn’t, did I?” Raiden smirked.

  “Asshole,” Tane said as he sat down. “Eat up, sweetness.”

  Shyann picked up her knife and fork. She listened to the men talking about everyday things as they ate. When she was full, she pushed her plate aside and sipped her coffee. Brigg nudged her arm with his to get her attention. “You didn’t each much, darlin’. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

  Tane and Raiden immediately looked at her plate before gazing at her expectantly.

  “I’ve had more than enough.” She patted her full belly. “If I eat anymore, I’ll burst.”

  “You need to eat more.” Raiden pointed at her plate. “You don’t eat enough to keep a bird alive.”

  Shyann rolled her eyes at his exaggeration. She’d eaten a piece of toast piled high with cheesy scrambled eggs as well as two pieces of bacon. “I’m not as big as all of you. I don’t need to eat as much.” She narrowed her gaze at him. “I don’t like or need to be told what to do. I’m not a child.”

  “I never said you were.” Raiden frowned.

  “You’re treating me as if I’m a young kid.”

  “No, I’m not,” he stated slowly, emphatically. “I just like taking care of you.”

  Shyann’s heart beat faster as it filled with warmth. She was going to have to get used to their protective tendencies and try to remember they weren’t treating her as if she didn’t know her own mind. “Sorry.”

  “You don’t need to apologize, sweetness.” Tane glanced at Raiden before looking at her. “We like knowing how you feel. How are we going to get to know each other properly if you don’t voice your opinions and feelings?”

  Shyann nodded in agreement. She liked that she didn’t have to bite her tongue and that they wanted to hear what she thought about things. The more she got to know them, the more she liked them. It was very tempting to accept their offer of a relationship, but she wasn’t quite ready to take the next step.

  Nonetheless, now that she was over her embarrassment at them seeing her naked, kissing and touching her, she wanted more. She wanted to know what it was like to make love with them, to have someone or three someones she could rely and lean on.

  “What do you want to do today, baby?” Raiden asked, drawing her gaze.

  “I don’t know. Whatever you guys want to do is fine with me. If you have stuff you want to do, I can help, but if you don’t want my help, I can find something to occupy myself with.” Shyann wished she’d been able to bring some of her books, so she could spend some time lost in another world, but just thinking about going back to her home sent a frisson of fear skating up her spine and the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.

  “We were just going to do some laundry, cleaning, and shopping this weekend, but we can put that off for another day,” Brigg said.

  “I can help you clean.” Shyann shifted in her seat after setting her empty coffee mug down. “I like cleaning bathrooms.”

  “You do?” Tane stared at her as if she had rocks in her head. “Who likes cleaning bathrooms?”

  She shrugged, blushing and lowered her gaze to the table.

  “Hey.” Tane reached across the table covering her hand with his. “I was just yanking your chain, sweetness. Everyone’s different and we all like and hate different things.”

  “Tane’s right,” Raiden said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “We all hate cleaning the bathrooms, so if you really want to help and don’t mind doing them, they’re all yours.”

  “Okay.” Shyann smiled shyly. She loved it when a bathroom smelled and looked clean. It filled her with satisfaction for a job well done.

  “Is there anything you hate doing?” Brigg asked.

  “I really dislike vacuuming and dusting.”

  Brigg winked at her. “We promise to never ask you to do those things, then, darlin’.”

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t and didn’t do those chores,” she clarified. “It’s just that I don’t like doing them as much as I do cleaning a bathroom.”

  “We know that, baby,” Raiden said, before changing the subject. “What is your favorite food?”

  “I love pasta and roast lamb.”

  “Do you like lasagna?” Tane asked.

  “I do.”

  “Have you ever cooked your own?”

  “I used to make it all the time, but now…” Her breath hitched, and she tried to quell the threatening tears. “It’s too much bother just for one person.”

  “We love Italian food,” Tane said.

  Shyann knew it was a hint, and since she liked cooking but hadn’t bothered that much just for herself, she was eager to make the dish for the brothers. “Do you have all the ingredients? I could make lasagna for dinner tonight.”

  “What ingredients do you need?” Brigg asked eagerly.

  Shyann was about to rattle off the stuff she’d need but inhaled when Brigg held up his hand as he stood before hurrying to the kitchen. He rummaged around in a draw then came back with a notepad and pen. “Write it down for me, darlin’.”

  After writing on the pad, she passed it over to Brigg. He winked at her as he took it the pad and then started adding to her list. Raiden and Tane piped up with a few suggestions, and by the time Brigg was done, the page was three-quarters full. Shyann wondered how often they went shopping and thought it probably cost them a fortune. She would give them some money to cover her share of food while she stayed at their house.

  She rose, picked up her plate, and was reaching for Brigg’s, but he shoved it out of reach. “You don’t have to do that, darlin’.”

  “I want to.”

  She gaped when all the men shoved to their feet and began helping. She rinsed the dishes, handing them to Raiden to put in the dishwasher while Brigg and Tane wiped down the counter and table. Raiden leaned down to kiss her on the cheek as he took the last plate from her.

  Shyann sighed with wonder and knew Raiden had heard her when he eyed her speculatively. She so wanted to wrap her arms around his waist to hold and hug him. Last night had been the first time she’d experienced any human affection from another person since her parents had been murdered, and now she was craving it. But that wasn’t all she was craving.

  Her breasts were swollen and achy. Her nipples were hard, her pussy wet, and her clit was throbbing. As she licked her lips she swore she could taste each of their unique flavors on her tongue. Even though they were brothers, they smelled and tasted different. Raiden’s scent reminded her of a mix between citrus and musk. Brigg’s aroma was more sandalwood, and Tane’s smelled as if he’d just stepped out of a pine forest.

  Singularly they were alluringly sexy. Collectively, they were pantie-dripping devastating to the senses and her reactive body.

  She met Raiden’s gaze when he cupped her cheek in his hand. The heat in his green eyes was so hot, the warmth in her blood grew even more. When her clit started throbbing along with the beat of her heart, she squeezed her legs together, but that only made matters worse. Juices leaked from her pussy, soaking into the crotch of her already damp undies. The ones she’d washed out last night after her bath and left hanging over a rail. If only she had other clothes. She’d be changing her undies every half an hour they were that potent.

  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are, Shyann?” Raiden asked in a raspy voice.

  She shook her head.

  “You make me ache, baby. I have to taste those sweet lips a
gain.”

  Chapter Eight

  Raiden slowly lowered his mouth toward Shyann’s, giving her plenty of time to stop him or pull away, but she remained still, their gazes locked together.

  The moment his lips lightly touched hers, she parted them on another sigh. He licked into her mouth as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his body. She moaned as their tongues rubbed together. He growled in response as he deepened the kiss. His cock twitched as it hardened even more, and he couldn’t help pressing his hips into her belly. She whimpered as her arms came around his waist and clung to him tightly.

  Raiden didn’t remember moving his hands from her waist but realized he had when he caressed up and down her back, getting closer and closer to her ass. When Shyann arched against him, he caressed his hands over her butt cheeks before squeezing them. She groaned as she tangled her tongue with his.

  As soon as Raiden noticed he was trying to shove one of his hands down her jeans, he slowed the kiss, skimmed his hands back up to her sides, and grasped her waist before releasing her lips. If he hadn’t stopped, he would have stripped her out of her clothes and fucked her on the kitchen counter. He needed to know that she was on board with making love to him and his brothers before he lost total control.

  Her eyes fluttered, open and she gazed at him from passion-hazed blue eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen and red from his kisses. When he had his breathing back under control, he lifted his hands from her waist and cupped her cheeks.

  “I want you so much, baby. We all do. Please, will you agree to being in a relationship with us?”

  Shyann backed up until her hip bumped into the edge of the kitchen counter. “What happens if we fail?”

  Tane and Brigg came over to stand on either side of Raiden.

  “Then we part amicably,” Brigg said. “But I don’t think we will fail, darlin’. If we all go into this with our eyes wide open with no preconceived expectations and we keep the lines of communication open, we can’t fail.”