One More Time: More Series Book 1

by S. Van Horne

  Damn, I need to get my head together.

  Walking back to the den, I stop short when I hear Len talking on the phone.

  “Okay, so we’re going to Stetsons Thursday night? That sounds like a plan. I don’t know what I’m going to do with him being back. I don’t know how to stop my feelings, especially when he’s all alpha male on me. It makes me hot as hell. Oh Julia, you should see who’s working with Neil. I swear my brother is only hiring hot ass alpha men. I needed a new pair of panties after visiting him. I promise I’ll tell you girls everything. I’ll have to figure out who’s supposed to be my bodyguard that day.”

  Okay, she has to be talking about me, right? God, I hope so. It would make it so much easier when she becomes mine and if she likes alpha males… damn, I can’t wait until it’s official. I’m not into BDSM, but I do like control in the bedroom.

  “I don’t know, Julia. I want to see where it goes, but I’m scared.”

  I make some noise to make it look like I wasn’t eavesdropping on her conversation. I walk into the den with a plan in my mind. I’ll be that man she’s with Thursday night. Just wait and see.

  “Hey, Julia, I’ve got to go.” She glances up at me. “Dante just walked in. I’ll see you then. Love you too, bitch.”

  “Where did the twins go?” I ask, walking up to her and pushing the stray locks that fell out of her ponytail behind her ear.

  “Went to pick up dinner. I didn’t feel like cooking. Want to go down and find a movie for the night? I just want to relax after today,” she says, walking around me towards the basement door.

  Damn, her ass looks good in those shorts. This is going to be a long night.

  Five

  LEN

  It’s a Wednesday afternoon, and I’m hanging out with Doc and Sin. Lord, these two are a trip. From what I pieced together, they grew up together and joined the Seals like Dante and Neil had. But these two are like little kids with dirty mouths.

  “Hey, Len, come over here and put some of that oil on me. I like it when you rub my body like you did last night,” Doc says wiggling his eyebrows.

  “Doc, you’re not lying either. Her hands were like heaven. The shapes she can make with a stick in her hand, God, I’m going to have fantasies about that for days,” Sin says with a wink.

  “Oh, just wait until I get the right oils. Then, you’re both in for a treat,” I tell them, laughing.

  Standing up from the lounge I was on, I walk over to Doc and pick up the suntan oil.

  “Turn over, Doc.” I motion with my hand. “And I’ll put some oil on your back. You want me to rub that knot again?” I ask him as I open the bottle of oil.

  “God, yes, please,” Doc exclaims as he turns over.

  “I’m next,” Sin says, and turns over as well.

  I start put oil on Doc’s back and rub between his shoulder blades, digging in with my hands to get the knots out.

  “You’re going to be sore in the morning, but remember it’ll be a good sore.” My hands move to one shoulder, work out the kinks, and then move to the other.

  “Right there.” Doc moans. “I swear your hands are heaven sent. So good.” He moans again, louder and longer. “Damn, don’t stop. Sin, you’re fucked. I’m never sharing.” I swear by the sounds he’s making that he’s about to have an orgasm.

  “Doc, we’ve shared before, and you’re not keeping that sexy ass from me. Len, hurry up. I can’t wait much longer,” Sin says from his lounge chair, where he’s still laying on his stomach waiting for me.

  A loud roar comes from the doorway, startling me and causing me to snap my head towards it. Doc’s head spins fast and Sin quickly twists and sits up from his lounge chair. There, we see Dante standing with his fist clenched, and his face red with rage.

  “What in the hell are you guys talking about?” he roars. “Nobody better know how good Len is. I swear to God I’m going to kill two of my brothers.” He pauses and takes two deep breaths. “Explain right now, and aren’t you supposed to be protecting her? How in the fuck are you supposed to do that out in the open?” He turns to look at me, his face transforming a little, and I see lust in his eyes as he takes in my bikini.

  Interesting.

  “And what are you wearing? Go put on something over that bikini,” Dante orders, then storms out onto the deck.

  “I’m only massaging them, and I’m fine with what I’m wearing. There’s also a ten-foot high privacy fence. How the hell are we not safe?” His high-handedness is a little too much and turning him into an ass. I have to force myself under control before I chuck the bottle of oil at his head. “Go back in the house and come back when you’re done being an ass. Why do you do shit to piss me off and hurt my feelings? You’re making me feel like I’m a slut, Dante,” I spit out between clenched teeth before standing up.

  As I walk over to Sin, I can feel Dante staring a hole into my back. My cheeks are flush with heat and my heartbeat is rising from the rage I’m feeling from Dante’s rudeness in front of Doc and Sin. I know my blood pressure is up which means I need to hurry and finish what I’m doing before the tears come.

  I can see Doc out of the corner of my eye staring Dante down. Beneath my palms, I can feel Sin tensing.

  “It’ll be okay. Don’t listen to that asshole, Len,” Sin whispers to me as I finish with his back rub.

  I look over towards Dante and drop my mask to show him exactly how his words affected me. His face softens, and he starts to walk towards me. I shake my head and rush into the house. First, I need to get control of my emotions before I can confront him.

  Fifteen minutes later, I hear footsteps behind me. I tense expecting to hear him yell again for not putting something on over my bathing suit.

  “Len, I’m sorry. I know you’re not a slut. Please don’t cry.” He turns me towards him, but I keep my head down, refusing to look at him. “Come on, where is that beautiful smile? I just lost my cool hearing Doc moan and talking like that…” He takes a deep breath. “I thought the worst, and all I could think about was making sure they weren’t taking advantage of you. Please, forgive me, Len.”

  “No different than Neil and you. I heard all about it every time I visited Neil, or when I visited your Facebooks. I hear how the twins are, too. I’m not blind, Dante. Trust me to use my judgment. I didn’t get this far in life without making the right choices. I may not be as experienced as you guys, but I’m not as innocent as you like to think,” I tell him, looking at his chest, still unable to meet his gaze; I don’t want him to see just how much he hurt me.

  He grabs me and hugs me tight to him, “I know. I’m sorry, mio tutto.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  I pull him tighter and breathe him in. God, I love his smell. It’s a mix of his cologne and the soap he uses. A year after he left, I sent him Reaction by Kenneth Cole. It makes me feel good knowing that he liked the cologne so much he kept using it. I thought of it after he sent me a bottle of perfume. To this day, I still wear it, Ange n Demon by Givenchy.

  “I’ll tell you soon. Did you get enough of a whiff?” His chest shakes beneath my nose.

  I know he’s laughing because I’m smelling him, but I don’t care. In his arms, I feel safe, safer than I’ve ever felt before. And, I feel whole.

  “I love that cologne,” I step back reluctantly and look up into his eyes. “I need to get into the shower. The guys and I are going to watch a movie after I cook dinner. I have a long day tomorrow, and Neil still hasn’t said who is coming with the girls and me. I think it should be the twins. They’ll have fun.”

  “I think it’ll be Eagle. His girl’s going out of town. So, he said he could go,” he tells me.

  “Okay, sounds good. I’ll see you on Saturday, right?”

  “Of course, Len. I’m going to have that talk with Doc now,” he says, smiling at me like he’s hiding something.

  He turns and walks away leaving me to wonder what he’s up to as I make my way to t
he shower.

  Six

  LEN

  Stetsons is packed.

  I’m so excited to spend time with the girls and relax, even if we have to have a bodyguard with us. Eagle’s a nice guy. He’s funny, but very reserved. He doesn’t joke around the way Sin and Doc did. Sure, he’s straightforward, but when the guys aren’t around, he’s very sweet and laid back. He said he just met this girl and is trying to be more respectful of the ladies. I think he’s normally that way and just acts different with the guys.

  “Drink up, bitches. It’s time to get our dance on, and we know Ashley won’t dance without a buzz. So down the shots and those drinks.” Julia holds up her shot in the air and screams, “Here’s to the night and all it brings. And, here’s to the hottie who wants a fling!”

  We crack up laughing and down the shot. I wave at the waitress, asking for another shot. I look over at Eagle and see him shaking his head, shoulders shaking with laughter. I’m glad he’s here.

  “Okay, so, hooker, what’s going on? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for drool-worthy bodyguards, but I know something’s up,” Ashley states as we wait for our next round.

  “Oh, hell no, you can’t start without me you cocking cockstorm jockey suckers!” A male voice sounds behind me. Squealing with excitement, I turn and jump into Andy’s open arms.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Eagle tense up and start to come our way. I quickly let Andy go, step back, and introduce them to each other. Eagle takes shakes his hand, and then walks back to his spot to continue watching us.

  “We wouldn’t dream of it.” I smile brightly at him. “How did you know we’d be here?”

  “Chris told me that you were going to hang with the girls tonight. Since, he’s meeting with Neil and won’t be home until late…well, I figured I’d come and hang with you girls. Now, I need a drink!” Andy picks up a shot and raises it in the air, “A toast. We drink to those who love us, we drink to those who don’t. We drink to those who fuck us, and fuck those who don’t!”

  We all slam our drinks back and shake our heads. Having Andy here really makes the night even better. He has a way of bringing joy out of a bad situation, and his love for his friends and family is fierce. I’m lucky to be a part of that circle.

  “Okay, now talk.” Julia pipes up looking pointedly at me.

  As I tell them what has been going on with everything, I see the fear creep into their eyes and the lines of worry etching their faces. They know I’m not the kind of girl to lead someone on, so this situation is very confusing and fearful for all of us. I haven’t had anything else happen, but since that first letter, one of the guys have always been with me.

  “Everyone knows you’re not one to lead men on, so this whole situation is kind of scary. Did you talk to Chris?” Julia says, handing the waitress her empty glass and getting her new shot.

  “We did fill Chris in on everything, because he’s mentioned in the letter. The hospital has been notified, as well as the police. However, since we have no clue who it is, the police stated there isn’t anything they can do about it. The guys have someone watching Chris, and of course, there’s someone with me all the time now. Unfortunately, until something else happens there isn’t anything anybody can do. They just told both of us to be careful and make sure we aren’t alone.”

  “That’s why he’s hanging with Neil tonight. Going over what needs to be done and also talking about getting security placed in our home,” Andy tells us reaching for his beer.

  “So, that’s it then? We just sit back and wait until this guy either hurts Chris or comes after you?” Ashley questions while waving the waitress down for another drink.

  “We don’t know who it is, so technically, there really isn’t anything anyone can do. The police do not have the manpower to have someone staking out in front of my house in hopes of catching this person placing another letter. They also stated that having former Seals guarding me is better anyway.”

  “That’s true. What about the party for your brother’s company? Is it safe to have it now that this is going on?” Julia asks me with worry clearly showing in her eyes.

  “Yes, from what I understand the guys have everything worked out with the hotel about security. Also, everyone will be there from family to former military buddies. I can’t imagine this person trying something with that many people surrounding me,” I explain.

  “Well, when you put it that way, it does make sense. We’ll also be there, and if we see anything weird we can always alert the guys.” Ashley starts handing out the shots the waitress just dropped off at our table.

  “Thanks. I’m so glad we’re out tonight. I needed my posse.” I look at all my friends surrounding me. “Okay, so raise your shots and let’s toast. Here’s to you and here’s to me, and here’s to all the men that lick us where we pee!”

  The people close to our tables cheer and laugh at the toast, and we toss back our shots.

  “Let’s dance, bitches!” Ashley screams.

  I turn to Andy and he jumps up, grabs my hand, and drags me to the dance floor. Whenever we all go out, he will take turns dancing with all of us. He’s about six-foot-tall with brown hair and deep blue eyes. He’s built and is a huge flirt. Chris knows this is just how he is and trust him not to go too far.

  Right when we get on the dance floor, we hear Luke Bryan’s; I See You start playing. Great. Even the DJ knows when I can’t get Dante out of my head. I start dancing and getting lost into the music.

  I look up at my girls and see guys starting to make their way to us. It never fails. My girls tend to draw in the guys’ when we go out. Julia’s a petite brunette with a body that makes you want to hate her, and Ashley’s a tall brunette with huge breasts and curves women would die for. Then, there’s Sara, who’s a fiery redheaded goddess with the perfect hour glass shape.

  I know Sara likes my brother. I keep encouraging her to go for him, but she’s scared he doesn’t see her that way. I’ve known Ashley and Julia since pre-school and Sara, I met in med school. However, she graduated in accounting and business, which is why she’s working at Seal Security.

  It seems like Julia has a crush on Eagle because she keeps glancing his way when he isn’t looking at her. The moment he turns to glance her way, she turns her head with a slight blush. The funny thing is, he’s doing the same damn thing. I don’t condone cheating and neither do my girls. They know he has a girl, so I’ll have to keep an eye on how things develop between them. I know they’re adults and can make their own choices, however, I know Julia wouldn’t want to do something that would hurt others.

  I take a brief look around, share a smile with the girls, close my eyes, and start dancing to Florida Georgia Line’s, This is How We Roll. I love this song and I love my country music. I’m a huge Luke Bryan fan so it helps he sings in this song, but Florida Georgia Line have really made a name for themselves.

  Suddenly, I feel two strong arms wrap around me. I stiffen, open my eyes, and see Sara staring right at me with a shocked look on her face. I take a deep breath preparing myself for telling off whoever it is that thinks they can just grab me, when a very familiar scent hits me. My breath stops for a brief moment. I glance over my shoulder and see Dante looking down at me with lust burning in his eyes. He has on a plain black shirt that’s pulled tight across his chest. The delicious sight immediately gets me wet, and I know my lacey boy shorts are ruined.

  His burning gaze hides nothing from me. It gives me the strength to let my mask down. I allow the lust, the love, and the want from deep in my soul pour from my eyes. There are so many reasons why I should be afraid and why it’s wrong, but with the liquid courage I’ve got running through my veins right now, I can’t stop it. I’m so tired of running from him and my feelings.

  I feel him stiffen, and I know that he sees the feeling running deep from within me. He lowers his mouth to my ear, “Damn, baby, you look fucking hot.” His whisper sends shivers down my spine. “Yo
u have every man in here wanting to see what’s under that sexy as hell dress you’re wearing. It’s taking everything in me not to bend you over that table to see what color your panties are. Tell me, baby. What color are they, Len? Tell me, mio tutto.”

  “Blue… n…navy blue. My favorite color. And my bra matches,” I whisper. “What does mio tutto mean Dante?”

  “It means my everything in Italian.” He murmurs to me.

  I’m shocked, but I’m so turned on. I swear if he ends up walking away after getting me so hot, I’m going to be pissed. I’ll kill him, but I know I’ll also be broken. I can’t deal with another heartbreak like I did after our first kiss. I start to pull away. Maybe this isn’t a good idea.

  “No, Len, don’t pull away. You’re probably thinking this isn’t a good thing. Your body language gives your thoughts away. We’ll talk later about everything. Right now, let me enjoy you in my arms. Be mine, mio tutto.” He pulls me closer and starts dancing with me.

  I hear him singing in my ear, and I’m shocked at the song he’s chosen to whisper to me. Until my last breath, I’ll never forget the words he sings to me.

  Chase Rice, Ride is now my favorite song. And, I decide that when I get a chance that it’s going to be his ringtone. I’m afraid to get my hopes up, but I pray he means what the lyrics are implying.

  “I know you feel it, Len. I’ve felt it since I was eighteen, when I kissed you goodbye. I’m tired of fighting it. Tonight, I’ll make you mine in every sense of the word. If that isn’t what you want, stop me now. But your body’s showing me that this is what you want. Tell me I’m not wrong. Tell me that I can have you,” he says in my ear, I can hear the desperation in his voice.

  Turning around in his arms, I gaze into his eyes and I see the truth.