by Marla Monroe
“What happened then?”
She told him the rest of it and hoped that would be the end of their conversation. Thinking back over the events from the previous night made her nervous again.
“What color was the car? Did you see the driver well enough to describe him?”
“The car was a dark color. Either navy blue or black, and it was a four-door sedan of some kind. I didn’t see the man. It was too dark.”
The sheriff asked her several more questions about what he sounded like and if she got the feeling that she knew him or not. Lana answered as honestly as she could. When he finished writing down what she had told him, he leaned back against the back of the booth and sighed.
“Lana. There was a woman killed early this morning not far from where you live.”
Lana gasped. The sheriff continued.
“She had gotten home late from spending time with her, um, boyfriend and never made it inside her trailer. I don’t want you outside at night by yourself anymore. I’m going to talk to Rick about making sure that anyone who works the night shift has an escort home.”
“I–I guess Rick will probably follow me when I close at night.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. Paul and Justin both said they plan to see that you get home safely.” His mouth twitched as if he were trying to hold back a smile.
“Is that everything, Sheriff? I need to get back to work.”
“That’s all. You be careful, Lana. Something tells me that you had a close call last night. It’s a good thing Paul and Justin drove by when they did.” He stood up as she did and followed her back to the counter.
“I’ll tell Rick you want to see him.” She quickly walked through the door and made her way back to the window.
Rick looked up with a question in his eyes. Did he look a little worried? Lana wasn’t sure why she thought that.
“The sheriff wants to talk to you.”
He nodded and handed over the headset to her before walking toward the front counter. She had to stop and take a deep breath before she could answer the drive-thru. The idea that someone had gotten murdered not long after she made it home had her insides crawling. As much as she didn’t want to get involved with Paul or Justin, she wasn’t going to say no to their offer to see her home safely at night.
By the time she had finished cleaning up her area after closing, she was once again exhausted and a nervous wreck thinking about the drive home. She hadn’t heard from either Paul or Justin, so she wasn’t sure if they still planned to see her home or not. She really didn’t want Rick to follow her home.
“Your ride’s here, Lana.” Rick’s sarcastic voice startled her as she was pulling her purse out of her locker.
“Um, thanks, Rick.” She turned around and ran right into him.
“I could have followed you home, Lana. You don’t need those two sniffing around you. They’re depraved, and they’re going to want to use you. Once they’ve had you, they’ll drop you and move on to the next easy target.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She moved to walk past him, but he stepped to the side, blocking her path.
“They share their women, Lana. Half this freaking town is like that. It’s sick. If you let them, they’ll turn you into a whore.”
“Stop it, Rick. I’m not seeing them. They’re just being nice and making sure I get home safe. Besides, what they do is none of my or your business.” This time she managed to squeeze past him. “Are you going to lock the door behind me?”
Lana didn’t stop or turn around to be sure he was coming. Right then she didn’t care. All she wanted to do was get away from him. She had no idea where Paul and Justin would be, but she hoped they were in the back. She didn’t relish walking around the building alone in the dark. When she opened the door, Paul stood there waiting on her.
“You ready?”
At her nod, he held out his hand and gripped her elbow lightly as he ushered her toward her car. Their truck was parked next to it, and Justin was sitting in the driver’s seat. When he saw her, he smiled.
“Hi, Lana. How are you doing?”
“Hi, Justin. I’m doing okay.”
“You look worn out. We’ll get you home in no time.”
Paul held out his hand expectantly. She frowned. “What?”
“Give me the keys to your car. I’m driving you. Justin will follow us.”
“I can drive my own car, Paul. You don’t have to.”
“Give me the keys, Lana. I’m driving.”
She sighed and handed over her keys. He helped her in the car then got in the driver’s seat and started the car. It turned over the first time. He didn’t look at her as he pulled out of the parking lot, heading to her apartment.
Lana didn’t say anything on the short ride there. She was tired and more than a little unnerved at the turn of events. When Paul pulled into her parking spot, she started to get out, but he stopped her with a hand to her arm.
“What?”
“Wait for Justin to get there to unlock your door.”
A soft tap at her window had her jumping. It was only Justin. She unlocked the door and let him help her out. Both men followed her to her apartment. She felt silly now.
“I don’t think anything is going to happen to me with you two here. I can walk to my apartment by myself.”
“We’re not taking any chances where you’re concerned.” Paul reached out and ran his thumb lightly over her lower lip. “Go on in and lock the door.”
She looked from him to Justin and back again. They seemed to be taking everything way too seriously for just being friendly. Maybe Rick was right and they wanted her as a playmate. Her pussy creamed in her panties at the thought. That was not a good sign. She had no intention of being anything to them, much less a playmate.
She unlocked her door and stepped inside. When she turned to close the door, she gave them a shaky smile.
“Thanks for seeing me home, guys. I appreciate it.”
“Do you work tomorrow?” Justin asked.
“No. I’m off tomorrow.”
“Good. You need to rest. You’ve got circles under your eyes.”
She frowned at him. “Are you saying I look bad?”
“No! I didn’t mean it that way. Just that you need some rest.” Justin’s eyes grew wide.
“We’ll talk to you about your schedule for next week later, Lana. Lock up.” Paul’s eyes held hers for a split second before she blinked and pulled away.
She closed the door and quickly locked it, sliding the dead bolt home before she checked the window to watch them leave. Her mouth watered at the sight of their tight asses walking away. She was in so much trouble.
* * * *
Sunday afternoon, Lana grabbed her Kindle and a Diet Coke with the intentions of going to the park for a couple of hours. She was restless and needed some fresh air and wide-open spaces. Being cooped up working all the time didn’t agree with her. It was supposed to be a little cooler with a light breeze for a change. She planned to take advantage of the situation and catch up on her reading in the process.
Before she could open the door, someone knocked. Lana froze for a split second, wondering who it could be. She peeked through the peephole, and once again, Justin’s face appeared on the other side of the door. She rested her forehead against the door and closed her eyes, but another loud knock jarred her, and she quickly stood back up to unlock the door and open it.
“What are you doing here?”
“That’s not a very friendly greeting, sweetheart.” His wide grin only added to her unease.
“I was just going out. What did you want?”
Paul appeared next to him with a frown marring his face. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t see where it’s any of your business, but I’m going to the park to read and relax for a while.”
“See, that’s perfect. We’re here to take you there.” Justin’s smile was enticing.
“Why
are you taking me to the park?” She was sure her confusion was written all over her face.
“Because you need some fresh air and the park is a nice open public place for us to get to know each other better.” Paul’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
“But I don’t need you to take me. I can go by myself. And why do you want to get to know me?”
“Why does any man want to get to know a beautiful woman? You intrigue us. All we can think about is your delicious body, how your eyes dance when you’re angry.”
Justin reached out and took her elbow lightly in his hand. “Let’s quit wasting time. All the best spots are going to be taken by the time we get there if we don’t hurry.”
Lana wasn’t sure why she allowed them to maneuver her into their truck, but she was going with them for good or bad. Being sandwiched between the two sexy men kept her nerves on edge and her pussy wet. She had never reacted to another man, much less two men, like this. In fact, until recently, she hadn’t thought she could actually get riled up during sex. Now she wasn’t so sure that she couldn’t. Not if her constantly wet panties around these guys was any indication.
They pulled into a parking space near the park, and Justin helped her step down out of the truck. The slight breeze ruffled her bangs and softened the sun’s heat as they headed toward an empty spot under a large tree. Before she could plop down on the drought-damaged grass, Justin produced a blanket and spread it on the ground. She realized then that Paul was carrying a cooler and Justin a small box.
“What’s in the box?”
Justin grinned. “You’ll see soon enough.”
She watched him set the box on the ground next to the blanket. Both he and Paul held out their hands. Lana chewed on her lower lip for a second before taking their hands and allowing them to draw her onto the blanket. After helping her to sit down, Justin handed her Kindle to her before removing her sandals. He caressed her ankles then briefly massaged her feet. The sensation left her feeling a bit shaky.
Paul opened a Diet Coke and passed it to her. She took a sip while watching the two men get comfortable on the blanket. They leaned back on their elbows and seemed to watch the Frisbee game several kids were playing. She finally relaxed against the tree and turned on her Kindle to read.
It took her several minutes to lose herself in the book with the two handsome men lounging on either side of her. She couldn’t help being aware of them. Paul’s smoky scent reminded her of a winter’s night sitting in front of a fire. It curled around her and stoked the embers slowly awakening deep within her.
Justin’s scent was subtly different. Fresh pine and earthy woods surrounded him. It roused her need for something more, only she wasn’t sure what it was. Both men smelled like home to her, and she didn’t know what to make of that. Until a few months ago, she had never even heard of them before. Now she was equating them with something serious to her. It had her reading over the same passage several times before she finally managed to settle.
She wasn’t sure how long had passed, but Justin sat up and pulled something out of the box he had brought. She pretended to ignore him until Paul joined him and they passed a bottle between them. Curious, she looked up and found both men staring at her, unreadable expressions on their faces that swiftly turned to amusement.
“Time to put some sunscreen on you. You’ve had enough sun for the day.” Justin began smoothing the lotion over her foot and up her leg in soft swirling motions. Paul soon followed suit on the other leg.
“Um, guys. I can do that. Besides, I already put some on before I left the apartment.”
“We know. We can smell it—among other things.”
It was the “other things” that stopped her from saying more. What more could they smell? The idea that they could smell her arousal mortified her. She couldn’t stop wiggling when they reached the hem of her shorts at the top of her thighs.
“Settle down, babe.” Paul started rubbing lotion into her arm, moving slowly up to her shoulder while Justin took the other arm.
They continued their sensual massage around the back of her neck and then across her chest above the neck of her V-neck shirt. By the time they had finished, she was one mass of aroused flesh, complete with panting and a dry mouth. She couldn’t miss the desire shining from their eyes. Paul’s hazel ones sparked, dark and daring. Justin’s promised pleasure beyond anything she could imagine, and she could imagine a lot.
Paul slowly lowered his head toward hers. His lips brushed lightly against hers. Then he leaned toward her ear, and his hot breath sent chills down her spine as he spoke.
“Your hot pussy is weeping for us, isn’t it, Lana? I can smell your ripe perfume from here.”
She could feel the heat seep up her neck and into her cheeks. No one had ever talked that way to her before. It both shocked her and turned her on, sending another rush of liquid heat to her pussy. She struggled to move away, but she had nowhere to go. Justin had crowded in on her other side. He leaned down and licked the outer shell of her ear.
“We’re going to love you, Lana, like you’ve never been loved before.”
Their blunt words and promises had jumping beans bouncing around on trampolines inside her stomach. Trapped between them as she was, Lana could only whimper when Paul laid openmouthed kisses along her neck. Each one seared her skin hotter than the last.
“You belong to us, Lana.” Paul’s words stilled her heart for a split second.
Rick’s claims from the night before ran through her mind once again. It was enough to jumpstart her heart. She wasn’t one of their women to be used and tossed away when they were through with her. She couldn’t deny that she felt something for them, but she wanted more than what they would ever offer her. Lana knew better than to hope for more from them. She swallowed hard and pulled away from them.
“No! No one owns me.”
Chapter Four
Justin’s heart nearly stopped at Lana’s emphatic no. Her eyes flashed fire as she scooted up on the blanket and struggled to stand. He quickly steadied her before getting up as well. He noticed Paul’s dark expression and shook his head at his brother. They didn’t need to push her right now. The stakes were too high with a killer in the area.
“Sweetheart…”
“Don’t call me that. I’m not your sweetheart. What is going on? I just met you the other night.” She looked from one to the other of them with confusion clouding her eyes.
“We like you, Lana. We want to get to know you.” Justin sighed.
“Getting to know me is a far different matter than belonging to you.” She crossed her arms and glared at Paul.
Justin shot his brother an exasperated look before schooling his features to try and placate Lana.
“Paul’s impatient. We’ve known that we wanted you since the first time we saw you hanging out at that drive-thru window four months ago. It’s been hard waiting to introduce ourselves.”
“Why did you wait?”
Paul spoke up this time. “Because we were in the middle of a rush project that took all of our spare time to finish. We didn’t want to introduce ourselves and then not see you again for weeks.”
“We wanted time to court you like you deserve,” Justin added.
“Then what’s with the full-court press all of a sudden?” She looked genuinely confused.
“You could be in danger with a killer out there. We want to protect you, and the only way to do that is to spend more time with you. That means speeding up our time line some.”
“I don’t need you to protect me. I can take care of myself.”
Justin quickly placed a hand on Paul’s arm. He knew his brother would say something that would only make things worse. He looked into his brother’s eyes and saw the pain before he masked it. Paul wasn’t the kind of man to show weakness, not even to his brother, so the fact that he’d seen it at all told him just how much Lana meant to him.
“You’ve been taking care of yourself for too long now. Let us help you. You sho
uldn’t have to struggle so much when we want to make things easier on you.”
“Why me? I’m nobody. I’m not beautiful or witty or any of the things that men go for.”
“Don’t say that about yourself.” Paul stepped closer to her. “You’re gorgeous and smart. If you don’t think men want you, then you’re blind. I don’t want to hear that crap out of you again.”
“Look, I’m not, um, really very good with sex. You will only be disappointed if this goes any further.”
Justin wanted to kiss away the self-conscious expression on Lana’s face. It was obvious that she didn’t have a lot of self-esteem when it came to her body. He couldn’t help but wonder why. No one knew much about her other than she had moved home to take care of her mother when she was diagnosed with cancer. What had her life been like before that? He wanted to know everything about her.
“Look. I know I came on a little strong, Lana, but I’m not used to beating around the bush. I want you. We want you. While there’s a crazed killer running around we’re going to be watching out for you, so you might as well get used to it.” Paul’s stiffened jaw said that he meant business.
Justin waited to see what Lana would do with his brother’s declaration of intent. Either he’d succeeded in scaring her off, or she would step up to the challenge. He desperately hoped she wouldn’t pull away. It would make keeping her safe that much harder because there was no way he would stop watching out for her.
“Sometimes you don’t always get what you want, Paul.”
“And sometimes I do.”
They were staring at each other as if trying to read the other’s soul. Justin didn’t move, didn’t make a sound as they fought a silent battle between them. Finally, Lana looked away and hugged herself as if she was cold.
“Come on, sweetheart, and have a seat. I’ve got a cold Diet Coke in the cooler with your name on it.” Justin gently took her hand and pulled her back onto the blanket.
As she knelt beside him, Paul pulled the drink out of the cooler and wiped it off before handing it to her. Justin reached inside the box he’d brought and pulled out wrapped-up sandwiches and bags of potato chips.
