STORY EXCERPT

Lilac blinked as she came back to the present. She couldn’t believe she’d eaten all her chowder whilst lost in introspection, but she felt better for it. After a quick glance at the clock on the back wall, she realized she only had a few minutes left before her shift ended.

She’d been here way before the diner had opened for breakfast helping Enya make the muffins, pies, and cakes. The place had been busy from the moment the doors had opened at the new time of seven and she hadn’t taken a break. Delta had shoved a full bowl of clam chowder into her hands and then pointed toward the door. “Go and eat. When you’re done, you can go home.”

“But I—”

The other woman hadn’t let her finish speaking. She’d pointed toward the door again, and then signed, “You’re dead on your feet, Lilac. You’ve been working since four in the morning for the last month. Are you sure you’re okay? You’re really pale.”

“I’m always pale.” Lilac smiled.

“I know, but you’re paler than normal.”

“I’m fine.”

Delta looked at her skeptically but didn’t say anything. Lilac didn’t want to get into the story in regard to her skin or eye coloring, or that she was having nightmares. There was no way she was going to put a damper on her new friend’s happiness.

“Go eat.” Delta pointed toward the door again. “When you’re done, go home and get some rest.”

“Aye, aye, captain.” Lilac grinned and mock saluted her friend and then headed out.

“Do you want more coffee?” Enya’s question brought Lilac back to the present.

“No, thanks.” She picked up her bowl and cup and carried them back to the kitchen. After rinsing the dishes and putting in the dishwasher she waved to Delta, gathered her things from the cupboard in the storage room and walked down the hall toward the diner and the exit.

She’d just reached the end of the serving counter when she glanced toward the door. Her heart missed a beat and then slammed painfully against her sternum. Sweat sheened over her skin, and yet she shivered with cold. The trembling fear started in the pit of her stomach and rippled out through her whole body until she was sure the quaking was visible to anyone who cared to look. Lilac wanted to step backward, away from the diner’s glass front and door, but she wasn’t sure her legs would remain under her. Her knees felt as if they would buckle beneath her at any moment.

“Are you all right, ma’am?”

The question came from a long way away, and while she nodded, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be all right again.

“Whoa.” Someone gripped her elbow. “Why don’t you come and sit down before you fall.”

Lilac didn’t even realize she was panting until she turned her head to look at whoever was holding on to her arm. She was about to tell them to let her go, but the words got caught in her throat when she looked up, and up, and up some more. Standing to her right was one of the men she’d seen watching her earlier, and while he was as handsome as sin, she didn’t know him from Adam.

“I’m fine.” She jerked her arm from his grip and had to bite the inside of her cheek when she hit her elbow on the corner of the counter. Tingles and numbness raced up her arm after hitting her funny bone and nerve hard enough to leave a bruise, but she ignored the discomfort and took a half step back.

“You don’t look fine, Lilac.”

She shifted her gaze to the man she hadn’t seen standing beside the one who’d been holding her and forced a smile when she realized it was the sheriff who’d spoken.

“I’m okay, sheriff.”

Luke shook his head, skirted around the handsome guy until he was standing in front of her, and narrowed his gaze. “Don’t lie to me, Lilac. You look as if you’ve just seen a ghost.”

She licked her suddenly dry lips and wondered if she should tell the sheriff about who she’d thought she’d seen. She shook her head. Going to the law hadn’t helped her all those years ago, and because of that, she had trust issues. Yet Luke, Damon, and his deputies weren’t like the sheriff in Bemidji. She’d seen them searching and helping others with her own eyes. Damon had been the one to stay with Enya after she’d been knocked unconscious when that crazy man had kidnapped Delta. He’d even ridden in the back of the ambulance to the new hospital that had been built on the far west side of town.

Luke nudged her chin up with a gentle finger beneath her chin, lifting her gaze to his. His expression was stern and earnest, and she realized he wasn’t going to let her get away from him without telling him what he wanted to know.

She glanced at the other man, and heat crept into her cheeks when she found him staring at her intently. Heat shimmered in her middle and slowly spread outward, causing private places to react, and that scared her more than maybe seeing the cult leader’s son.

Lilac had seen too many things to want to have this kind of reaction to any man, and yet her body had made the same response when she turned to see who was watching her earlier. Not one but the three identical men caused her dormant libido to perk up with interest, and that downright terrified her.

“Lilac?”

She hadn’t noticed she’d zoned out until Luke called her name. She returned her gaze to his and nodded before turning toward the hallway and the diner office.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Breathe, sweetness,” he ordered in a raspy voice. “You have nothing to be worried about. You’re fucking gorgeous.”

“Sexy as sin,” Nash said as he tugged the button on her trousers open.

“Look at these beautiful breasts,” Cree said in a growly voice as he cupped Violet’s now bare breasts. “So damn gorgeous.”

“Oh,” Violet gasped when Cree began to knead her soft flesh.

Wilder brushed the bra straps from her arms and then tugged it off before dropping to the floor.

“Lift your foot, baby.” Nash tapped on her right foot.

Wilder held her steady as his brother removed both of her shoes and socks and then he pulled her slacks down over her hips and off.

His heart was beating so fast in his chest he couldn’t catch his breath, but it was no wonder when he had all of his dreams standing in front of him in only a pair of mauve satin panties. He licked his lips as his gaze wandered over her sexy-as-sin body. Her dusky rose-hued nipples hardened further under his intent gaze, and he slowly lowered his head.

Violet gasped when he laved the flat of his tongue over first one hard nipple and then the other. When he drew one of her nubs into his mouth and began to suckle on the tip, she moaned.

Cree was skimming one hand up and down her back while he cupped and molded her other breast, alternately squeezing her ass cheeks every now and then.

When Violet fell against him as her legs gave out, Wilder knew it was time to up the ante.

He nodded to Cree and Nash. Nash rose before stepping back, and when Cree moved aside, he swept her up into his arms, carried her to the bed, and lowered her into the middle of the mattress.

She was so fucking beautiful. Wilder could have stayed where he was, eying her sexy body over for a long time, but right now he wanted to make love to her more than he wanted to take his next breath.

He knelt at the end of the bed, caressing over her soft, smooth shins before traveling higher and higher. Violet closed her eyes and moaned when he began smoothing his hands up her inner thighs, getting higher and higher, until his fingertips brushed the edge of her panties.

“Wilder,” she gasped and opened her passion-hazed eyes to meet his.

“What is it, sweetness?”

“I want… I need…”

“We know what you need, Violet. Just relax and feel, sweetness.”

Cree and Nash got up on the mattress next to Violet after removing their uniform pants.

Violet glanced at each of his brothers in turn and gasped when she noticed they were only wearing boxers. She blinked when she glanced at their crotches and quickly squeezed her eyed closed after seeing their hard ridges outlined by the formfitting knit material.

“Lift your hips, Vi,” Wilder commanded as he hooked his thumbs into the sides of her panties.

When she arched up, he tugged her undies down. He was the one gasping when his eyes locked onto her soft, smooth folds. Her labia were a healthy blushing hue and drops of cream glistened on her lower lips.

After throwing her panties to the side, he hooked his arms under her knees, lifted and spread her legs and then dove right in.

She groaned as he growled. He licked her from bottom to top, taking a moment to swirl his tongue over her engorged nub before lapping his way back down to her creamy well and dipping his tongue inside.

“Oh, oh,” she gasped.

Wilder glanced up her body just in time to see Cree kiss her voraciously. Nash was plucking and pinching at one of her nipples while suckling on the other. Violet had her head tilted back and her eyes closed as she panted.

Each time he swirled his tongue over her clit, enticing her body to produce more cream, he quickly lowered down to lap up her sweet honey.

When she started rocking her hips, Wilder knew she was getting close to orgasm and rimmed her cunt with his finger.

As he dipped his finger into her tight, hot, wet entrance, he twirled his tongue over her pearl and then delved in further.

She was so fucking tight, he hoped that when it finally came time to make love with her, she would be able to take him without feeling any pain. Wilder set about sending her to the stars, hoping that making her come before he penetrated her would be enough to ease his way into her tight pussy.

There was no doubt whatsoever in his mind that Violet had never been with another man.

Possessiveness surged into his heart, and he started to slowly pump his finger in and out of her soaked pussy.

“Oh.” Violet’s legs trembled in his arms, and from the way she started writhing, she was right on the edge.

He increased the pace and depth of his pumping finger when he felt that distended spongy spot inside her, he twisted his finger and rubbed it as he sucked her clit into his mouth.

That was all it took.

Violet cried out as she hurtled over the edge. Her internal muscles clamped around his finger before releasing and clamping down again. Her whole body shook and shivered as she climaxed.

Cree and Nash continued to suck and lick at her nipples while Wilder kept pumping his finger in and out of her cunt, licking over her clit until the internal contractions began to wane and finally cease.

When she threaded her fingers into his hair and tugged, he lifted his head from her pussy and withdrew his digit from her entrance.

Cree and Nash released her nipples and caressed their hands over her body, gentling her down from her climactic high.

Wilder shoved to his shaking legs and quickly stripped from the rest of his clothes.

He needed to claim Violet. Right now!