by Maya Banks
Lauren smiled, chasing away the shadows in her eyes. Her gaze sparkled once more. No ghosts haunting from the past. No remnants of pain or shame.
“Is it wrong that I love the idea of having both of you wrapped around my finger?” she asked, her voice so sweet that it made Noah want to groan.
Liam lifted her hand to kiss each finger in turn.
“Not a damn thing wrong with that,” Liam said, his tone resolute. “It’s good you like the idea, because that is one thing you aren’t going to have a single say in. We’re going to spoil you rotten and we’re going to enjoy every damn minute.”
CHAPTER 16
TO Lauren’s surprise, when she got out of the shower the next morning, both men were up, dressed and waiting in the living room for her.
Dawn hadn’t even broken yet and the apartment was cloaked in darkness except for the lamp one of the men had turned on in the living room.
“Still have half an hour before you have to show up for work. Want some breakfast here? Thought you might be tired of the same ole stuff at the diner,” Noah said when she walked out of her bedroom.
She smiled. “Honestly I don’t normally eat the food there. I did at first, but you’re right, it got old fast. It’s good, don’t get me wrong. But different is definitely better.”
“I make a mean breakfast taco,” Noah said with a grin. “I don’t figure you have that on the diner menu.”
Lauren laughed. “No, can’t say we do. A breakfast taco sounds . . . intriguing.”
“Come on then. Come sit at the table while I make it. Then Liam and I will take you to work. We’re going to have a look around town today. We’ll be checking in on you periodically. I also programmed both our cell numbers into your phone while you were in the shower. If you have any trouble, if you even think something’s off or wrong, you call one of us immediately. Okay?”
She nodded.
Noah headed for the kitchen and Liam followed behind, taking Lauren’s hand on his way by. She settled at the table with Liam while Noah banged around in her tiny kitchen for the stuff he needed.
Ten minutes later, he presented her and Liam with a flour tortilla shell he’d fried brown in butter, filled with scrambled eggs, seared ham, and cheese with jalapenos and salsa.
Knowing it would be afternoon before she’d get the opportunity to really talk with them, she spoke up while they were eating.
“I handled last night all wrong,” she said firmly.
They were going to argue. She could see it in their eyes. Especially Noah’s. He got this fierce look on his face and his eyes filled with self-condemnation all over again.
She sighed and held up her hand to stop the flow before it began.
“You guys did everything right. I overreacted. I did. You were very honest and up front with me. You told me explicitly that if you did anything I wasn’t comfortable with to tell you and that you’d stop immediately. It should have been that simple. All I had to do was tell you I didn’t like what was happening.”
Noah shook his head, but she held up her hand again.
“I don’t want to turn it into another huge ordeal. I just thought that I owed you that at least. I got scared. I overreacted in the moment. That doesn’t mean that you did anything wrong. It just means that we hit a bump in the road. And as you said, we’ll get past it. I promise not to beat myself up about it, if you promise not to beat yourself up over it,” she said pointedly, staring Noah down as she spoke.
Liam’s lips twitched and he stuffed a bite of taco in his mouth, probably to stanch his laughter.
Noah opened his mouth, then promptly shut it. Then he nodded. “Deal.”
She smiled. “Okay, I need to get to work now.”
Noah rose, quickly clearing the plates away while Liam headed into the living room. He had his back to her when she came in on his heels, and when he turned, he was putting on a shoulder harness with a pistol. He reached for his leather jacket draped over the back of the armchair and pulled it on to cover the gun.
It was a sharp jolt of reality. She may be immersed in the fantasy of having two hot guys in her bed and in her life, but the reality was that they were here to protect her from a man who had no compunction about hurting her.
It was a sobering thought, and some of her good mood evaporated.
“Don’t look like that, baby,” Liam said. “It’s only here for your protection. So Joel Knight can never touch you again.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “I guess I just want to be able to forget about him for a while, and every time I think I can, I’m reminded in some way of why I’m here and why you’re here.”
He pushed into her space and pulled her into his arms.
“I hate the circumstances that put us together, but baby? I don’t regret the result for one minute. I wish we could have met under other conditions, but I’ll take you however I can get you. And if it means having to keep a close watch over you, I’ll just count that as a bonus.”
She hugged him to her, her mood lightening once more. Liam had a way of reaching in and wiping away the darkness that occupied certain portions of her mind.
“Ready?” Noah asked from the doorway to the kitchen.
Lauren pulled away and turned in his direction. “Ready.”
* * *
IT was a busy morning in the diner. Mondays typically were. It was as if everyone wanted to get out to see what the weekend gossip was. Tuesday mornings were always dead. Definitely her worst tip day of her schedule for sure.
The Colters and even her own brother usually made it in on her shift at least once a week, and they always left ridiculously large tips. After the first couple of times of arguing with them, she finally had saved her breath.
They loved her and they used any opportunity they found to take care of her. It was nice to have that kind of unconditional support.
Liam and Noah had garnered much attention. The townspeople hadn’t even bothered trying to be subtle. They stared while Noah and Liam had a cup of coffee at the start of Lauren’s shift. They stared when the two men left and returned a couple of hours later.
And when Seth ambled in close to eleven for a cup of coffee, two people made a beeline for him to warn him about the big strangers lurking at the diner. Lauren had stifled her laughter as Seth had patiently explained that Noah and Liam were good men and that Seth knew them personally.
“Everything going okay, Lauren?” Seth asked as she set his coffee down at his table.
She smiled. “Just fine. Typical Monday.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “You’re telling me. Your protectors have made quite a stir in town. They’ve been spotted all over Clyde and now the good denizens are convinced that they’re hit men. Believe me when I say, our receptionist has been fielding calls all morning and I’ve been stopped on the street, been flagged down in my patrol car and have even gotten calls on my cell.”
“Oh I’m sorry, Seth,” Lauren said. “This has to be a giant pain in your butt.”
“I’m not complaining, honey. I want you safe. It’s just life in a small town, and it should make you feel better that so many people are concerned about you. It should also make you feel better to know that if some stranger shows his face here, we’ll definitely know about it.”
She gave him a rueful smile. “That’s true. Joel would arrive in his flashy sports car and before he got out, the entire town would know about it.”
Seth laughed. “You’re so right there. There are drawbacks to living in such a small community, but the plusses far outweigh the minuses. We have good people here,” he said seriously. “I’ve known them all my life. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
“I love it here too,” she said wistfully.
She looked up when the bell over the front door jangled, and then she lit up. “Oh look! Callie and Lily are here!”
Before Seth could respond, Lauren hurried to greet the other two women.
They hugged her as soon as she got close.
/> “Are you here for lunch?” Lauren asked her friends.
“I see my husband is here,” Lily murmured. “Figures when I make an escape with Callie, he has to be here instead of at work.”
“Don’t look now, but here he comes,” Callie said with a snicker. “He has a frown. You know, one of those concerned husbandly frowns.”
Lily sighed. “Seat us, Lauren. Far, far away from wherever Seth is sitting, please.”
Lauren giggled and pulled the two women in the opposite direction as Seth. She settled the two women in a booth that only accommodated two people and overlooked the street. It was a beautiful, sunny spring day and the sun was shining against a brilliant blue sky.
The town square and Main Street truly were beautiful in the spring. Flowers lined the square and the street, and there was a quaintness that spoke to Lauren’s longing for a place to call home.
“Ladies,” Seth said as he approached.
He leaned down to kiss his wife, and then he brushed his lips across Callie’s cheek.
“How are you feeling, baby?” he asked Lily softly.
She smiled up at her husband. For all her exasperation, it was obvious she adored him, and well, Seth always looked at Lily like the sun rose and set at her feet.
“I’m fine. Dillon cooked breakfast but I knew I was eating with Callie, so I didn’t eat much. I left him at the house grumbling because I wouldn’t take him along, so he went into the office to do some stuff for work. I’ll ride back home with him when I’m done.”
Seth nodded approvingly. “Good. You shouldn’t be driving up and down the mountain alone. You’re not that far from your delivery date.”
Lily snorted. “Two months, Seth. Believe me when I say two months is an eternity when you’re as big as a house.”
Callie and Lauren laughed.
“Have you taken a break yet, Lauren?” Lily asked. “Can you sit with us a few minutes?”
Lauren checked her watch, then scanned the crowd. It was starting to quiet just a bit. The people of Clyde liked their lunch early, and so there was always an initial rush at eleven when lunch was starting to be served, but things usually quieted down by eleven thirty.
“Let me check with Clark and Evie and make sure there’s someone to cover my tables. I’ll be right back.”
Seth leaned over to kiss Lily again. “I’ve got to get back to the station. I’ll see you later.”
Lily and Callie waved Seth off as Lauren hurried to the back. She nearly ran into Evie as she walked into the kitchen.
“How are things looking back here?” she asked Clark.
“Getting the last two dinners up. Why?”
“Was going to take my break if we’re caught up.”
Evie shooed her away. “Go on and take it. I’ll hit your tables for any refills. You’re caught up on your deliveries. As soon as I take my two out, I’ll be caught up and I’ll take any newcomers that walk in.”
Lauren flashed a grin. “Thanks, Evie. You’re the best.”
Clark gave them both indulgent smiles. “You two are the best waitresses I’ve ever had. Can’t begrudge you a break. You’ve earned it. We’ve been busting ass since opening time this morning.”
“Typical Monday,” Evie said with a shrug.
Lauren turned and hurried back to where Lily and Callie sat. She snagged a chair from a nearby empty table and parked it at the end of the two-person booth.
“So what are you two up to today? Just doing lunch? And where is Mama C?”
“She’s baby shopping. In Denver,” Callie added. “Which means the dads went with her because they still won’t let her drive pretty much anywhere by herself. She’s decided she needs to outfit an entire nursery at her house for when the baby stays over.”
Lauren chuckled. “I can only imagine.”
Lily smiled. “She’s been so wonderful to me. She’s already explained that she’s coming to stay with me for the entire week after the baby is born and that I won’t have to lift a single finger. She’s barked orders at the men. Dillon is on cooking duty. Michael and Seth are sharing diaper changing and bottle-feeding when I need a break from breast-feeding.”
Lily grew misty eyed. “I don’t know what I’d do without her. Or the entire Colter family. Even the dads have volunteered to come over so Seth, Dillon and Michael can get some rest. I can’t even explain how much just knowing that they’ll be right there, for however we need them, means to me. It’s like a huge weight off my shoulders.”
Callie reached over to squeeze her hand. “And you forget me and Max. We’ll be right here whenever you need us.”
“And me,” Lauren piped up.
Lily smiled. “Yes of course. You’ll be right here in the middle of all of us. It’s a pretty wonderful place to be, you know.”
Callie turned a purposeful stare in Lauren’s direction. “Okay, so, I’ll fully admit, Lily and I came here with a purpose, and we also waited until Noah and Liam left before we came in because we wanted to corner you and interrogate you mercilessly.”
“Uh-oh,” Lauren muttered.”
Lily laughed. “You have to tell us what’s going on with those two. And don’t give us the cock-and-bull story about how they’re just protecting you until things are resolved with Joel. Because the way they look at you? Makes me shiver. There’s definitely more to this story than you’re letting on.”
Lauren blushed, her face warming under their scrutiny.
“I knew it!” Callie crowed. “Look at her face! Totally busted.”
Lauren sighed. “Okay, okay. Yes, there’s something more than just a professional relationship.”
“Which one?” Lily said, pouncing on the subject. “My money is on Liam. He’s so dark and broody and delicious. And those tattoos. Yum. He totally reminds me of Dillon.”
Callie shook her head. “I’m betting Noah. His gaze never leaves her. He’s constantly watching her. Always looking for any kind of threat to her. But when he looks directly at her, I swear that man’s eyes just smolder. If you could bottle that look? We could make millions. He is sex in a can, I’m telling you.”
Lauren burst out laughing. “Oh my God, you two are killing me!”
“So which is it?” Lily demanded.
“Uhm, well . . . both,” she said, dropping her voice so there was no chance of being overheard.
“What?” Callie squeaked. “Oh my God, you lucky bitch.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “Really?
Lauren nodded.
“Wow,” Callie breathed. “I swear I’m the only one who took on one man.”
“Yeah, well, can you imagine two of Max?” Lily pointed out.
Callie rolled her eyes. “No kidding. I’d never survive. Max is like having three men. Still, there are times when I look at you and I look at mom and I think, wow, that must be so awesome to have three men who absolutely worship and adore you. And now you, Lauren. You have two drop-dead gorgeous, stacked guys who want to spend every waking moment cherishing and protecting you? Jealousy is going to eat me alive.”
Lauren blushed again. “We’re still working through some stuff. I mean this is completely brand new to all three of us. None of us have experience in this and we’re having to feel our way around.”
“None of us had experience with it either,” Lily said in a serious tone. “I know it sounds crazy because of the way Seth, Michael and Dillon grew up, but they never considered for a moment that they’d have the same kind of relationship their parents had. So when they met me, they had things they had to work out and we definitely had to be careful in the beginning. We’re still working at it.”
“Is it hard and stressful?” Lauren asked.
Lily smiled. “At times it can be, but the good times far outweigh the bad, and I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have the love and devotion of three of the most terrific men I’ve ever met. I feel like I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”
“I feel that way too,” Lauren said quietly. “It scares me to
death and yet it’s thrilling all at the same time. I don’t want to mess this up and for it not to work out.”
Callie and Lily both reached for her hands.
“You’ll do just fine,” Callie said, her expression fierce. “They’re lucky to have you.”
Lauren grinned. “That’s what I love most about you guys. Even when I’m wrong, you still take my side.”
Callie sniffed. “Colters are never wrong. Just ask my mother.”
They all laughed. Evie brought out Lily’s and Callie’s plates, and the two women began eating.
After a moment, Lauren reluctantly rose, knowing she needed to get back to her tables so Evie wasn’t stuck covering the whole diner.
“I’ll see you two later, okay?”
Callie and Lily both waved a fork at her, and Lauren headed back to her section of tables.
CHAPTER 17
LAUREN knew something was wrong the moment Liam and Noah entered the diner at the end of her shift. She met them just a few feet inside the doorway, anxious as she surveyed their expressions.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Liam touched her elbow. “Are you finished?”
She hesitated. “I just need to go in back, put my apron up, collect tips and clock out.”
“Go on and get done,” Noah said. “We’ll wait for you here.”
She hurried away, dread tightening her chest. She hated the flutter of anxiety that bubbled in her stomach. What could possibly have happened in the short time they’d been gone?
She hastily untied her apron and threw it on the hook behind the kitchen door. Evie was already in the back counting out the totals, when Lauren hurried up.
“It was a good day, Lauren!” Evie exclaimed.
Lauren tried to smile. “I’m going to clock out, okay? Think you’ll be done by then?”
Evie frowned. “Is everything okay, hon?”
Lauren nodded. “Yeah, just need to go. I, uh, have plans. That’s all.”
Evie’s expression eased and her eyes gleamed. “Anything to do with those two hunky men who’ve been hanging around all day?”
