STORY EXCERPT

“Do you know those men who were talking to you and your friends?” Frank asked, eyes narrowed and suddenly a bit less flirty and more serious. Could she have angered him because she didn’t go all gaga over his moves?

“My bosses and coworkers, and no, I just met those men tonight.”

“They spotted you way before introductions,” he said and stared at her face, gazed over her breasts before fiercely holding her gaze.

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Of course not. That’s the point. You don’t know men like that. Your brothers should have taught you to be a bit more aware of—”

She stepped forward and pressed away from him. The whole brother mention just shocked her and made her feel like he flirted to get control of her and now he was trying to make demands and order her around like a kid sister.

“Seriously? Bye, Frank. Have a good night and whatever you’re doing, be safe,” she said and walked away.

“Cayenne,” he said her name and she gave a dismissal wave with her hand and walked away. As she did she caught sight of Harver and gave him a dirty look as well as he spoke into his wrist and squinted at her. She was annoyed when Marcy waved her over toward a crowd of other men and Kartan and Halden were there too. She was fuming mad and she shouldn’t be. They were her brothers’ friends, they didn’t take her seriously and obviously thought of her as too young, unknowing and nothing more. Why did that hurt? Why was she insulted?

She was still seething with anger when she spotted a man walking right toward Kartan. It happened so fast. His eyes looked evil and determined, and she saw his movements, glanced down and saw the large knife, his eyes on Kartan.

“Watch out!” she yelled just as the man lunged toward Kartan. She shoved Kartan hard and came up fast with an elbow to the man’s neck, stunning him. She slammed her forearm down on his arm, making him release the knife, but then he struck her in the stomach and she fell to the ground as men, some kind of security along with Frank and Harver, got to her. She could barely catch her breath as Kartan and Halden held her.

“Are you okay? You saved my life,” Kartan said as he caressed her hair from her cheek but then Frank and Harver moved them out of the way and were helping her up. Her ribs on one side hurt and she couldn’t stand up straight. The punch to her stomach by the man, who was already taken away, had hit her hard.

Frank hugged her to him and lifted her up and carried her away.

“Just take easy breaths. What the fuck were you thinking, getting in the way of that?” he reprimanded as Harver cursed, talking into his mic as he slid a key card and opened a door, then there was a hallway and another door and she closed her eyes and felt about ready to throw up. She hugged her belly.

“What the fuck happened out there? Is she okay?” She recognized the voice, then blinked as she saw Coda standing there. Then Gatlin, Mortar and Hayes appeared too. Frank lowered her to a couch and she gasped and curled up into the fetal position.

Frank and Harver were bent down and caressing her hip and belly.

“Where does it hurt?” Frank asked in a fierce, hard tone.

He was pissed off and blamed her. She just saved lives. “I’ll be okay… in a minute,” she said slowly, still unable to catch her breath.

“The fuck you will. God damn it! You could have been killed,” Harver yelled at her and she started to push his hands away to sit up. The strap to her dress fell slightly and she could feel her dress dip and more breast get exposed and she looked up and took several breaths.

“I’m fine,” she whispered.

“You’re not fine. You shouldn’t be here or socializing with men like that. Do you have any fucking idea who those men are? What they are involved with?” Coda yelled at her.

“No. I wasn’t socializing…. It was business, and they are investors. We all…just met tonight,” she said and tried straightening up but leaned back and placed her hand over her belly and ribs. She rubbed them.

“We should check your ribs,” Gatlin said.

“Not happening. I’m feeling better. That punch was just really hard and he was a super big guy,” she said and then lifted her strap back into place and she took several breaths.

“God damn it,” Harver said with his hands on his hips, his gun and holster showing and they were all so huge and intimidating normally but pissed off, they were a sight. She closed her eyes and took several breaths.

“Okay, I should get back out there.”

“No!” they all said at the same time and she jumped, then leaned back.

“Are you staying over tonight or heading home?”

“I’m heading home. I have a late flight.” She eased forward and went to stand and felt the pain but she pushed through it. She hadn’t expected Coda, so big and fierce, to gently hold her by her hips. She looked up at him. He was breathing heavily through his nostrils, his eyes gazed over her breasts and made them tingle. She damned her reaction to them. She knew better. Knew they were not commitment types, were wild, did crazy things, worked intense jobs for the government and private organizations and were not going to look at her as anything other than a piece of ass. Her only safety from them was that her brothers were good friends, and they saw her as a sister.

She gave a soft smile and patted his hands.

“I’ll be just fine, Coda. You all should get back to work and I need to get back out there to my bosses so they know I’m okay.”

“You’re not going back out there. Back out to those Arab dick assholes who want you in their bed!” Frank raised his voice at her with his hands on his hips, appearing so angry.

“Frank.” Coda said his name in warning.

“She isn’t going back out there,” he repeated.

“She stays with us. We can escort her to the hotel and the airport,” Hayes added.

“Uhmm, excuse me, but that is not happening. I’m fine now. I just have a stomach ache. I need to go back out there so they know I’m fine.”

“I’ll fucking tell them that you’re fine,” Harver said when there was a knock at the door.

Harver walked over and opened it. She couldn’t see who it was as Coda stared down into her eyes and caressed her hips. “You watch your ass. These are not men to get involved with,” he said in warning and it made her gut clench but also fire burn inside of her. She was attracted to them, but they saw her as their friends’ sister, as young, maybe immature and definitely not woman enough for them. She pushed on his hands.

“I have six older brothers, I don’t need six more.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“What are you doing in here, Coda?”

“Ensuring your safety, and making sure you didn’t make a huge mistake.”

“What mistake would that be?” she asked, walking closer and dropping her heels onto the floor.

“Letting that dick explore your body or even take you to bed,” Harver said from her left. He was standing right there in the darkness of the corner of the room.

“Seriously? How is that any of your business?”

“It sure the fuck is our business,” Mortar added, coming from her bedroom.

“Get out,” she said and turned, only for Coda to be on her so fast she was shocked. He slid his arm around her waist and hoisted her up against his chest. He pressed his hand to her head under her neck and held her gaze as he stared down into her eyes.

“He is all wrong for you. You’re pretending to like him to piss us off and that isn’t going to happen,” he said through clenched teeth.

“You think I would do that just to annoy some older guys I fooled around with and meant nothing more—”

 He pressed his mouth to hers, hard. He squeezed her to him with one arm locked around her waist like a vise grip, and his other hand gripped her hair and head as he devoured her moans. That kiss grew hot and wild fast. He plunged his tongue into her mouth as he gripped her ass and backstepped her toward the couch. She felt so much when he kissed her, it irritated her. Why had she fallen in love with non-committal men? Men with reputations as being wild ladies’ men, but right now, in his arms, him exploring her mouth, and crushing her to the large couch, none of that mattered.

He was relentless as he maneuvered his fingers between her legs, spread her panties and pressed digits to her cunt. She pulled from his mouth, tilted her head back and gasped.

“Coda!” she exclaimed.

“You want us as much as we want you,” Harver said as Coda suckled against her neck and stroked her pussy.

“You give in to the sensations, the orders of your commander and your men. You are ours, Cayenne. Enough of the bullshit and the torture,” Mortar added.

“No, no, it isn’t fair, or right. You aren’t commitment material. You want to screw and nothing more.”

“It’s what we can give right now,” Coda said to her.

“I’m not a whore,” she snapped at Coda, and he pulled his fingers from her pussy and lifted higher over her.

“You’re not a whore, you’ve turned our worlds upside down and we don’t know what to do and how to handle you. I can’t believe you let that fuckhead kiss you, grab your ass and show possession of you and like you’re his lover already. Tell me you aren’t fucking that dick,” he demanded to know as he gripped her chin and cheek and pinched her nipple.

“Oh God, no. No, we aren’t dating or sleeping together.”

“Lucky fucking man, or he would suffer,” he said and pressed his mouth to hers and continued his exploration.

She cried out as she came and he swiftly lifted her up with one arm. She grabbed on to his neck and she felt Harver press up against her back and kiss her neck. Mortar grabbed her hand and moved into Coda’s position. She thought she heard his cell phone go off, but then Mortar cupped her cheeks and looked her over then at her lips, then into her eyes.

“You are our woman already. We make love to you tonight, claim you our woman, and tomorrow, if we let you out of bed, and head home, we make it official,” he said and then pressed his mouth to hers.

He was talking guardianship, officially claiming her their woman. She felt tears fill her eyes, and passion, desire, possessiveness fill her heart. As he released her lips, Harver slid around her, kept his hand on her ass, squeezed one ass cheek as he cupped her jaw.

“You are ours. No other men can have you ever again,” he said and pressed his mouth to hers. She wanted to tell him there weren’t other men. That she had one lover and hadn’t let down her guard, or opened up her bed to anyone for several years now. Thank God she didn’t sleep with Kartan just to get these men out of her head and to force herself to take a chance and just let go. That sex was no big deal when she knew it was. She felt more kissing these men, feeling their hands on her, having her close like this than she ever did with Danny, who she truly loved. It was nothing compared to these sensations.