STORY EXCERPT

Sheryl paused, reconsidered, then decided she had nothing to lose. Maybe, just maybe, they could help her. “I’m looking for my sister.”

“Your sister?” Shane tilted his head to the side.

“My sister, Carol, came into the woods, and I’m worried about her.” Instead of asking more questions, they waited for her to go on. “She’s going through a rough time and…” What could she tell them? Keeping Carol’s privacy was important, but would knowing more help them?

“Do you think she’d do something…bad?” Shane’s mouth twisted as though trying to find the right words. “Do you think she’s okay?”

Sheryl struggled to keep the sudden rush of emotion from overwhelming her. “I don’t know to both questions.”

“What happened?” Dylan’s voice was low, comforting.

“She was in love with a woman named Dana. One night, when Carol was driving, they had an accident. Dana didn’t survive.” Remembering still hurt. How much harder was it for Carol?

“And your sister blames herself.”

Sheryl nodded, confirming Win’s assumption. “I don’t know what frame of mind she’s in. She could’ve come out here simply to clear her mind.” Yet she couldn’t shake an awful feeling she was wrong.

Shane leaned closer. “You think she might do something drastic. Is that it?”

He hadn’t said the words straight out, but she knew what he was getting at. She had to answer truthfully. “I’m worried she might not be paying attention to her surroundings and get hurt.” She swallowed hard. “Or, worse, that she might want to hurt herself.”

“Damn. So you really think she’s suicidal?”

She glared at Win, wanting to punish him for voicing her fear. Yet again, she had to tell the truth. “Like I said before, I just don’t know.”

“Did she leave a note? Did she tell you good-bye?” asked Win.

“Well, no.” Yet she had. But had Carol meant it as a final good-bye?

“Then she actually could’ve come here to clear her mind. To get away from things, right? Maybe you’re getting worried too soon.”

She hoped he was right, but her gut said otherwise. “I guess so. But I don’t want to take the risk.”

“Has she ever come into the woods by herself before now?”

She started to say no but then remembered. “Once before when another friend of hers passed on.”

Win glanced at the other men, and she knew what he was thinking before he said it. “Then doesn’t that make it even more possible that she’s doing the same thing this time?”

“Yes,” she said, hesitantly.

“But you’re still worried.”

She nodded. Did she need to tell him her gut fear? She didn’t want to voice it out loud. If she did, then it might come true.

They didn’t speak again for several minutes as they reflected over what had been said. Had she done the right thing in telling them?

“We’ll help you find her.”

She looked to Shane. “You will?” Wetness struck her face. At first, she thought she’d finally lost control of her tears and let them fall. Then she wiped it away and looked to the dark sky above her. The moon was now hidden behind dark clouds.

“Yeah. We will.”

His expression was so determined, yet so calm that she believed him. She had to believe him. “Thank you.” She swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. “I can’t tell you how much your help means to me.”

“You’re welcome. Looks like a rain storm’s moving in.” Dylan lifted his face to the sky and drew in a long breath. “It won’t amount to much, though. Might be heavy rain, but it’ll blow over soon enough.”

How did he know? Yet now wasn’t the time to ask.

“Don’t worry, babe, we’ll help you. A little rain won’t bother us.”

She almost laughed at Dylan. Why had he called her babe? Yet, she couldn’t deny she liked it. “Are you sure? But how? How will you help?”

Shane stood, and the other two did the same. “We’ll take a look around, see if we can find any sign of her. In the meantime, you’d better get inside your tent.” Rain began to strike his handsome face.

“You’re going to look for her now? In the rain?” Going through the forest during the night was dangerous enough, but the weather would make it even more dangerous.

“Rain won’t kill us. Besides, we might as well get started.”

“Where will you look, Shane?”

“Where were you going to look? Do you have any ideas where she might have gone? Or were you flying blind?”

She didn’t have a clue. Had, in fact, known it was a long shot to find her. “No. I found her car down the trail and was just keeping on the path, hoping it would take me to her. I was winging it and praying I was going the right direction.”

“It’s okay.” Win took her arm, gently, comfortingly. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

“You guys tell me that a lot.”

“What?”

“You tell me not to worry. It’s easier said than done, you know.”

“True enough, but worrying won’t help your sister. Besides, we’re very good trackers. I’m betting we can track her down.” He grinned. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

“Do you promise?” It was a silly thing to ask, yet she needed to hear the reassurance.

“Sure do. And we always keep our promises.” He squeezed, reassuring her even more.

ADULT EXCERPT

“We’ll get back to the search soon. First, we need to eat and decide where best to keep looking. The others will be checking in, too. Then we’ll have a better idea.” Dylan walked beside her, capturing her between their bulks. Win stood at the top of the steps leading into the house, his face composed, as though doing his best to keep his thoughts hidden.

She was still tired from the previous day’s events, still sore with bruises covering her body, but another part of her was ready to go. As shameful as it might have seemed, she couldn’t help but want them. It was as though she’d waited for them her entire life and had finally found them.

Shane kept moving, not toward the kitchen where food still waited, but to the left and down the hallway toward the bedrooms. There were three bedrooms, the one she’d used to the right, another to the left, and one directly at the end of the hall. She suspected it would be the largest of the three, and once Dylan pushed the door open, her suspicion was confirmed.

She stopped, turning Shane free even when that was the last thing she wanted to do. “What are we doing?”

He cupped her cheek, met her gaze, the green eyes changing with amber bits in them. “We’re going to give you what you need to keep going.”

So they’d known. Or they’d sensed it. However they knew, they did. She needed to touch them, needed to feel warm flesh against hers, needed to soak up their strength to renew her own. If she didn’t, she wasn’t sure she could handle another hike into the woods. Especially if she found Carol’s lifeless body.

But how could she want them while her sister was still missing? How could she indulge in pleasure when her sister could be lying in a ditch somewhere, hurt and afraid?

Yet she needed them. Desperately. Hungrily. Not for pleasure, although there would be that, but for their strength. She sensed she’d gain the support and comfort she needed as though their touches could transfer their hope, their power, into her and keep her going. If she didn’t do something soon, she’d break in half and become useless to Carol.

She lifted onto her tiptoes, offering her lips to his. He took her up on the offer, his kiss soft at first, then growing urgent. He tugged at her lower lip then nibbled at the corners of her mouth. She did nothing more than enjoy it, giving him permission to take charge. His hands slipped behind her neck, keeping her close.

She closed her eyes, giving herself to him. Letting whatever would happen, happen. Opening herself to him. Joining with him in a blatant craving for help.

Hands trailed over her body, removing her shirt then her bra. His fingers followed the material as it slipped from her arms. Her jeans were pulled over her ample hips to fall to her ankles. Barefoot, she stepped out of them, never opening her eyes. Instead, she focused on the sensations of their fingers against her skin, the swipe of a tongue over her breast, between her butt cheeks. She trembled in anticipation.

Even when she was lifted off her feet and placed on her back on top of the bed, she still didn’t open her eyes.

“Let me taste you.”

She spread her legs, obeying Win’s request. A quick inhale followed his fingers seeking refuge between her folds. His thumb massaged her already throbbing clit while he dipped two fingers in her pussy, finger-fucking her gently. Her pussy walls clamped around his digits, trying to keep him inside her while praying he’d soon give her his curved, erect cock.

A mouth took hold of her nipple and sucked hard. A tongue lashed over her hard bud then gave way again to the slight bite of his teeth. A hand covered her other tit. “You’re beautiful, baby,” said Shane, his warm breath tickling her skin.

“I’m going to have your sweet ass,” whispered Dylan against her ear. “Ease onto your side, sugar.”

She did so as he trailed his palm over her hip then along her butt cheek. The bed dipped as he lay down beside her and spread her cheeks. She gasped again when he put his tongue to her dark hole, licking around it then thrusting it inside, giving her a small preview of what he’d soon do with his cock. His fingers teased her, going around and around her dark hole, skimming the tight muscles yet never taking the place of his tongue. She arched her back, begging him to put his cock inside her.

Her body had been alive before, sizzling with desire, but that, too, had only been a preview. Sensations burst apart, spiraling outward from her core. Her body trembled, aching for more.

Win sucked on her clit, driving her insane. He tugged then nibbled then added a quick swipe of his tongue. Harder, he slammed his hand against her entrance, driving his fingers deeper into her pussy. He was torturing her as only a man like him could, sending her close to the precipice, only to pull away and bring her back down. And yet, her body never had a chance of relaxing, instead staying at a high threshold until another blast of lust pushed her even higher. When he took his mouth and fingers from her, she cried out in protest.

“You taste great, sweetness, but I want more than a mouthful.”