STORY EXCERPT

Charlie leaned against the building and exhaled. She had her eyes closed and just breathed in the cool night air. She thought about Kyle, about what he did and how close he could have come to death, and then reminded herself that he didn’t die. That he came to her and she was there for him to help him best she could. To give him that extra chance to survive and not give up hope. She hadn’t been there for Tavern. Had thought his abuse, his violent tone, and the way he struck her before he left meant he changed and had become someone different, someone she couldn’t trust. Could he have done those things to her on purpose to make her hate him? To make it so that when he took his life in combat, it would make it easier? The stupid bastard screwed her head up good. Made her fear letting her guard down and letting anyone too close. At least anyone who wanted to connect on an intimate level. When she was overseas, she could have engaged in meaningless sex, but she declined. Being vulnerable again was her greatest fear. Plus, she thought of Titus, Corey, Aleck, and Mavis the moment one of the soldiers, Gus, started kissing her and exploring her body. She stopped him from going any further as she realized she wasn’t ready, and certainly wouldn’t have sex just to do it or to prove a point to herself. That she wasn’t weak, that she didn’t fear intimacy, and that sex was just that, sex and nothing more when it was something more.

She took another unsteady breath and heard the footsteps. “Are you okay?” Titus. Always here for me. Always seeing through the walls I put up. Why can’t I admit that I have feelings for him and his brothers? Why?

He stood in front of her, and when she felt his large, warm hand on her hip, she opened her eyes. Titus towered over her, standing about six feet four, with his dark brown hair, firm jaw, thick, solid body that could crush her so easily, and his handsome seasoned expression. He was a lot older than her. Fifteen years plus. He was very good-looking, tanned skin, capable expression, and she knew he was an expert martial artist and boxer, a retired Marine. He stepped closer and pressed his palm against the wall right above her shoulder.

“You’re amazing, baby.” Her eyes widened, and she held his deep blue ones, and couldn’t help but to look at his lips, and feel how dominant his presence was. It aroused her and intimidated her at the same time. “The way you spoke to Kyle, calmed him down, was unbelievable to watch. I have to admit,” he said as he stroked her hip, then used his thumb to caress along her temple softly. “That I was scared. Really worried about your safety, but you held his gaze and held your ground and talked him down. You saved him,” he said, and those words hit her hard as a tear escaped her eye. He squinted, swallowed hard and then wrapped her up into his arms and hugged her tight. She held on to him, not even realizing that she needed this. Needed him and felt like she could let go. That’s when the walls shot back up. When she composed herself and pulled back.

“I appreciate the support, Titus. You’re a good friend, and I know you understand,” she said, and she saw the change in his expression, then the slight scowl. He maneuvered her against the wall.

“Call it friendship if you like for now, but I know it’s a whole lot more and so do you. I believe I warned you about my patience level.”

“Titus.”

He shook his head. “No, woman. You are going to listen to me and listen good and hard, so you get it. My brothers and I are planning on making you our woman. We’ve been patient. Waiting on you to deal with what you need to, but this running away, pushing us away, it has to stop. We can’t take it no more,” he said and looked at her lips. She felt her body shaking, and she was caught off guard more than likely by the emotional evening she had and would continue to have as she remained here with Kyle and his family.

“Titus, I can’t do this now. I told you I’m not ready.”

“You’re more than ready,” he said and lowered his mouth to hers. He plunged his tongue in deeply and squeezed her by her ass, then cupped her breast, and she moaned at the deep sensations she felt. She let go a moment and felt his thick, hard muscles, inhaled his cologne, acknowledged in her head his important position in this town, in the county and it all intimidated her as thoughts of his, or his brothers hurting her filled her mind. Aleck and Mavis particularly as they recently retired from the Marine Corps and they had PTSD. She pulled back, and he released her lips but then trailed his mouth along her jaw and neck.

“You’ll let us in. One step at a time, one encounter like this at a time with each of us and you’ll see it’s meant to be.” She didn’t respond with words but instead pressed him away from her and fixed herself up.

She looked up at him and could see he was shocked by how she easily pushed him away after that kiss. It wasn’t easy doing this. It was so damn hard, but she just couldn’t let go of the past, of the pain, the loss, the hurt and the failure to save her own fiancé’s life. Nor could she risk being physically struck, abused by a man more powerful, one who was dominant and in control like Tavern had been. She could remember the strikes to her body, hell, her face, and the fear. The dirty, worthless sensation she had was her motivation to keep a wall up and to be alone and do what was necessary to save others before they destroyed or lost their lives and loved ones.

“I need to get back inside. I appreciate your assistance, Sheriff. Have a good night, and be safe out there,” she said, dismissing him and another hot and heavy encounter that would leave her body aching all night, especially in bed, alone tonight.

ADULT EXCERPT

Aleck was breathing through his nostrils, inhaling the scent of her shampoo, admiring her sexy body and feeling so needy and desperate to claim her. He slid his arm around her waist, and she gasped, gripping onto his forearms as she stared up into his eyes. Her sexy green eyes always drew him in.

“You like it?” he asked her, and she nodded, stared at his lips and by the way he held her, her top lowered. He looked down. “You wore this outfit to the Horsemen?” he asked. She gulped.

“Aleck.”

He shook his head. “Never again, Charlie. Never without one of us to watch over you.”

“Nothing happened. I was fine.”

“Technically I stopped those four big dicks from making their moves, and they did touch you,” Corey said, and Aleck saw red.

“Men touched you?”

“I was fine, and you guys do know I can defend myself. I can handle being on my own. Hell, I was just overseas and wasn’t I fine?”

“About that, she almost cheated on us,” Corey said, and her jaw dropped. Aleck felt his heart ache with pain, and he went to ease back, but she gripped him.

“Corey, I didn’t cheat on you guys, and not for nothing, as we discussed earlier, I don’t belong to you. We aren’t dating or anything, and weren’t when I was overseas.”

“Who was he?” Titus asked, with his hands on his hips and breathing heavily.

“That’s fucked up. She's too young. She doesn’t get it or want the commitment,” Mavis said.

“What?” she asked, looking at him.

“Who the fuck was he?” Aleck asked, giving her hips a squeeze.

“Corey, really? We talked about this.”

“They need to know how you feel. What you said to me at the bar outside. This is the process of letting down those walls and admitting the truth,” Corey said to her, and he stroked her hair, then looked at Aleck. Aleck squinted.

“A soldier. Donovan was a commanding officer, and we spent time together.” Aleck was breathing heavier. She shocked him as she pressed her palm to his chest. Tears filled her eyes. “I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t let go, feel in control of my emotions, my heart, my body and just let go and have a meaningless fling,” she said.

“Why?” Aleck whispered. She gulped, and a tear fell.

“I thought of the four of you. Knew that you’re the only ones who make me feel safe, cared for, and that I was willing to let go and take a chance with when I was ready to have sex again.” He pulled her closer, cupped her hair and head and kissed her. Aleck’s heart soared, and his dick hardened. He wasn’t letting Charlie out of their lives, out of this house tonight. She did want them like they wanted her.

He pressed her against the wall, and she started kissing him back. He ran his other hand up her skirt, pushed it to her waist and then slid his fingers up into her cunt. She moaned into his mouth. When he released her lips, she cried out.

“Aleck, oh God your fingers are so big,” she said, shocking him.

“My cock is too, and we’re going to fill you up, baby, make you all ours,” he said to her as he lowered down, pushed off her panties, then raised her thigh over his shoulder and latched his mouth onto her cunt.

Corey joined in. “You’ll stay tonight. Become our woman,” he said.

“Oh Lord, we should slow down. We should…oh!” she cried out and lifted her hips.

Aleck released her pussy and stood up. “Titus.”

“I got it,” he said, and Aleck picked her up into his arms and brought her out of the bathroom. He heard the plastic being removed from the bed and he lowered her feet to the rug.

“You want us? You’re ready?” he asked, holding her by her hips. She ran her fingers through her hair and then looked toward Mavis and Titus. Aleck saw Mavis standing there, and then he stepped closer. Aleck moved out of the way as Mavis pulled her close.

“You want this? You’re ready to accept us as your men? No fucking games?”

“Mavis…I’m…I’m scared. You all scare me.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“How do we scare you?” he asked, as he eased her arms behind her back. He held her wrists with one of his hands then stroked her jaw with the other. Aleck could see how huge his brother’s hand looked against her small, feminine cheek. Was she afraid of their sizes as well as their ages and capabilities?

* * * *

“I know there are things for us to work out. I know that you’re young, that your experiences have kept you holding back, resisting, and maybe questioning our integrity. I’m fine with that. We’ll work it out, Charlie. Can you let go and just feel? If you can tonight, then I can, too, and my brothers can, as well, and we’ll see where all this desire, this possessiveness, and care lead us. Will you take the chance?”

He saw the tear fall from her eye. “Lead me, Mavis. I need you four to lead me and help me to let go.”

He licked his lower lip then pressed his mouth to hers. That kiss grew deeper, and with his brothers around him, they would make her see how special she was and how much they already adored her. His desire turned to a possessive need, an awakening to the fact that she was within his grasp and ready and willing to let go. He squeezed her wrists, then lowered her off-the-shoulder top so that her breasts were exposed. As he eased his mouth from hers, Corey stepped behind her and began to kiss her shoulder and unclip her bra.

“Mavis,” she moaned as he licked the tip of her full, luscious breast then tugged on a nipple.

‘Oh God,” she moaned again.

“Sweet Jesus, woman. You are incredible,” Aleck said to her.

“Are you on the pill, Charlie?” Titus thought to ask as Mavis released her wrists, her bra fell to the rug, and he suckled against her breast while Aleck and Corey pushed her shirt down from her waist because it was a stretchy material and he wasn’t letting her breast go. Then they pushed down her skirt and panties. They were undoing her shoes, lifting one foot at a time as he moved his mouth from one breast to the other. Titus stepped closer, cupped her cheeks. “Do we need condoms?”

“No.” He pressed his mouth to hers. She was moaning and rocking her hips when Aleck eased his fingers up into her cunt. The move caused Mavis to release her breasts and step back and take off his clothes. As Titus released her, she cried out another release.