“Why won’t it work? Don’t you like us? Don’t you want to get to know us?” Bandit asked her.
She looked at Stack. He caressed her waist with his hands but didn’t move to kiss her like he wanted to.
She took a deep breath and then exhaled. “I can’t explain it, okay? It’s just bad timing.”
“Not with this. We can’t stop thinking about you. Logan is…he wants to see you again too.”
She chewed her bottom lip, and Stack gently brushed his thumb along her lip, stopping her.
“You’ll hurt yourself. Your lips are too perfect.”
She stopped worrying her lower lip and held his gaze.
“Maggie,” he whispered and began to lower his mouth to hers.
“Hey, the table is ready,” Howard interrupted, and she nodded and turned to move, but Stack and Bandit remained holding her.
“We’ll finish that later,” Stack said.
She stepped away, and they headed to the dining area with her friends.
* * * *
Maggie forgot all about the intense moment at the bar earlier and was laughing as Stack and Bandit mingled with some friends. They were both so charismatic, and Gale, the one female friend of hers, was flirting with them.
“You both have such big muscles. Your jobs sound so dangerous. What do you do to relax? I like full-body massages. Do you?” She flirted shamelessly and Maggie wanted to smack her so-called friend. Well, acquaintance. Maybe not anymore. Did the woman have no shame? It hit Maggie pretty hard when she identified her annoyance as jealousy, especially as some redhead at the bar sent over two beers Bandit and Stack, and then winked and waved to them. Seriously? Women did that kind of thing? What the hell?
When she felt the hand move over her knee under the table, she jumped slightly and turned to look at Bandit.
“Are you feeling okay?” he whispered.
“Fine,” she replied, absorbing his cologne and the feel of his extra-large hand covering her knee. It was as though an imaginary line lay beneath her skin from where he touched straight to her pussy. She shifted slightly. Her friends talked about getting another drink at a bar, but she was tired, plus she didn’t want to stick around here and watch more women send Bandit and Stack drinks.
“I need to use the lady’s room before I go.”
Both men stood up, along with her friends.
She told them she was leaving, and they all said goodbye and talked about hanging out again.
Bandit walked her to the lady’s room. She looked at him before she went into the bathroom and glanced toward the bar where Stack was talking to the redhead. Her heart sank. This was a good thing. She didn’t want to get involved with them. She needed to remain single, or she would screw this up with them. They would want to touch her, and she would want them to touch her, but then she would think about Corbin and his threats.
She went into the bathroom, did her business, and then washed up.
When she walked out, Stack and Bandit were there and headed out with her.
“You can stay if you want to. Don’t leave on account of me,” she told Stack.
He grabbed her upper arm and gently glided her from the bar.
“I’m only here because of you.”
She turned around to face him in the parking lot. “I doubt that. I saw the redhead. Did you make plans to meet up with her?”
The words were out of her mouth faster than she finished saying them in her head.
Stack gave a little smirk and pulled her close. “Jealous?”
She snorted in response.
He caressed his hand at the base of her head in a very controlling and sexually arousing manner.
“Baby, you’re the one we want.”
He swooped down and kissed her deeply. She kissed him back until they were battling for control of the kiss, and she felt him raise her one thigh up against his waist. Bandit cleared his throat, and slowly Stack lowered her thigh and caressed a hand along her ass as he released her lips.
He gave her ass a tap. “You watch that little tongue of fire, baby.”
Before she could respond or recover from Stack’s kiss, Bandit turned her around, pulled her close, and held her gaze.
“I was the first one to ask you out, but I’m not going to be the last one in the team to kiss you.” He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her sweetly, gently, before releasing her lips and leaning his forehead to hers.
“Damn, baby, you pack a hell of a punch.”
“Oh God, this is bad. So bad.”
“No it isn’t. It’s perfect, just like you. You’ll see. Everything will be just fine.”
Bandit then hugged her tight while Stack caressed her back. It felt so right. So perfect, but she knew this was a mistake. How the hell was she going to fix this?
Chapter 5
“Mr. York. We found another one in a gallery in Austin. It was purchased during a convention a few months ago in Dallas,” Aubrey James, Corbin York’s assistant, told him.
“It’s signed M. Reed? You’re sure it’s Maggie’s work?”
“Yes, sir, it’s her. I’m getting in touch with the curator. I’m told by my people that it’s got a price tag of ten thousand on it.”
“Offer twenty thousand and tell the curator that the buyer does not want to be identified.”
“Yes, sir,” Aubrey said and then exited the office.
Corbin stood up and looked at the series of paintings on the wall in his home office. They had all been painted by Maggie. His Maggie. He reached for the picture in his desk drawer and stared at it. Maggie at twenty-one. Old enough to claim her, to protect her from those lousy parents and those sex-craving college boys who’d sniffed around her. He had a plan. She’d been his from the start. He’d seen her first. He protected her, watched over her, and taught her body to accept only him and his touch. Some nights he thought he had made a mistake not taking her virginity and truly making her his woman. But then he needed to have things perfect for her. She was going to be his wife, his lover, his everything.
He brought the picture to his lips and kissed her. He opened the drawer and ran his hands over the blindfold and the rope. In his playroom, everything was set up. She would be his in every way. And if she denied him, or broke his rules, he would punish her until she saw him as her everything too.
“I’m coming for you soon, Maggie. Very soon.”
* * * *
It was Maggie’s day off from work, and she headed to the park with her art supplies and a fresh new canvas. She found a little spot down the pathway that overlooked the lake and the garden of gorgeous colorful flowers. As she set her things up, she saw a lovely couple kissing by the big tree, smiling and giggling, and it warmed her heart. She was shocked when she thought about Stack, Bandit, Logan, and even Breaker, although she hadn’t had one conversation with him. But as Logan had told her a week ago, they did everything together. That meant they shared everything too.
She started to paint on the clean canvas. She looked toward the side and picked up on different things she saw. The way a flower petal hung open and another remained closed, waiting to bloom fully. The deep green of the grass and the sound of water in the fountain from the lake. Children laughing, and the peacefulness surrounding her. Life was perfect here.
She didn’t even mind the people passing by, some even looking at her work in progress. This was what she loved to do, and when she was in her zone, she didn’t feel pain or fear, only passion and happiness.
It wasn’t until the low roll of thunder and the sun disappeared under a cloud that she realized time had passed so quickly. A storm was brewing, and she started to pack her things and wondered f she would make it to the small gazebo in time to protect her new piece.
“Need a hand?”
She heard the deep voice, and then the lightning lit up the sky and people rushed to get to shelter. Breaker.
She nodded, and he grabbed the painting, and she grabbed her bag of supplies. He took her hand, and they hu
He got the painting under cover, placed the easel on the ground, but the rain came down hard and fast as she dropped her bag and then stopped to pick it up as rain covered her.
“Oh God, thank you. I would have been so upset if that was ruined.”
“Hadn’t you seen the dark clouds? You didn’t hear the thunder?” he asked and then stared down at her.
She shook her head, and his eyes roamed over her shirt. She glanced down and gasped. The white shirt she wore was soaked enough to be see through. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“Too late for that,” he said and then looked out at the storm.
She shivered and then gasped when another bolt of lightning lit up the area, followed by fierce thunder. A moment later, she felt him pulling her into his arms.
“Have you always been scared of storms?” he asked.
“Who said I’m scared?” she asked, and another loud thunder clap went off like an explosion. Even Breaker seemed to be affected by it, jerking slightly as he held her close. She turned to look at him. “You, too?”
He held her gaze. “The big ones remind me of a different time and place.”
She swallowed hard. “You mean combat?”
He turned her around so that she faced him and pulled her close. “Something like that.”
She absorbed the feel of his big muscles and how hard his body was. He was like steel, a machine, and his expressions were just as hard all the time. In fact she wasn’t sure if he knew how to smile since he was so conditioned and trained. He was a soldier even in civilian life. Why was she completely aroused by this?
“The guys were looking for you,” he told her.
“They were?”
“They called your cell phone.”
She pulled back, but then another bolt of lightning struck and thunder rolled, and he pulled her close again. His hand maneuvered over her lower back, securing her against him.
She reached into her back pocket, pulled out her cell phone, and it was off.
“I leave it off when I’m painting,” she told him.
“I was out here looking for a place to just relax and enjoy. I saw you over two hours ago.”
“Why didn’t you come over?”
“I could tell you were in your creative zone or whatever it is artists call it. You had this look in your eyes. So I waited and watched from over there.” He pointed to a tree only about twenty feet from her. She hadn’t even noticed him, but she sure did notice him now.
The scruff along his chin, his chocolate-brown eyes, thick eyelashes, and the firmness of his jaw. He was big and tall like the others, but harder, as though he’d seen so much in his life and it had taken a toll on him. The fine lines by his eyes were another indication. The tan, tough skin was masculine and appealing. She should be fearful of his age and experience, but she wasn’t. She liked him holding her like this. She felt protected, and that shocked her. That affected her as she reached up and touched his cheek.
“You’ve never even had a conversation with me before, Breaker.”
“What have we been doing for the last ten minutes?” he replied, his voice rough It gave her the chills. He was so hard, strong, his tone just as intense.
She chuckled in an attempt to blow off the intimidation she felt, and then her cell phone rang as the storm began to pass and the sun started shining through, bringing a greater feeling of heat.
“Hello,” she answered.
“Maggie, it’s Caroline. You’re not going to believe this, but we sold your Midnight in Austin painting.”
“You did? Oh God, for ten thousand?”
“No.”
“Damn. How much, or should I say how little?” she asked and held Breaker’s gaze.
“Twenty thousand.”
“What?” she practically screamed into the phone.
“I know. It’s crazy, but someone out there loves your work. The individual did not want to be identified and paid cash. I can send you the money, or do you want to collect it next week when you drop off a few more pieces of your work?”
“I don’t know if I’ll have any more pieces complete by then. I’m working on something now, and the few I have at home aren’t really that great.”
“You said the same thing about the other four you created and sold. Send me pictures as soon as possible. Twenty thousand dollars. You’re on your way. And just so you know, I already have requests for your future work. Some people were in the gallery when the call came in on the sale of your painting. The people overheard your name, and they wanted to see more of your work. That’s all it takes, honey. You’re so talented.”
“Thank you. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Maggie disconnected the call, and Breaker watched her. She suddenly had an uneasy feeling in her gut. Twenty thousand dollars was an awful lot of money, especially when the price listed was ten thousand. She wondered a moment and thought about the one show where the man paid double for a painting of hers, but there was a bidding war. Could she really be establishing a name for herself that would bring in such high price tags? It gave her mixed feelings, but then Breaker interrupted her thoughts.
“Good news?”
She smiled wide. “One of my paintings at a gallery in Austin just sold. For twenty thousand dollars.” She began to spin around in a circle with excitement.
Breaker wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her close, and cupped her chin and cheek. “Congratulations, Maggie.”
She stared into his eyes as he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.
* * * *
Breaker didn’t know what to say when he released Maggie’s lips. He remained holding her and staring down into her eyes. She seemed to have been hit just as hard as he had been from their kiss. She just seemed to stare at him with a shocked expression, her lips slightly parted and her cheeks nice and rosy. It was so strange. He’d come out here to the park today to be alone, and to distance himself from the conversation at home about Maggie and how sexy she was and how his team wanted to get to know her but she seemed fearful. Then he’d spotted her. He’d watched her like he watched people he was sent to look after, monitor, or even hunt.
But soon those intense, accusatory, negative perspectives turned to interest and attraction. When Maggie was lost in her art and creating, she looked so emotional, so real, and he felt protective as well as attracted to her.
“Breaker?” she whispered, drawing his attention back to her. He stood there like a mute, unable to speak because she was so lovely.
He caressed her cheek and then her lower jaw. She was feminine, petite, and once again, that protective, possessive feeling consumed him.
“I came here today to get away from the others. All they have been doing is talking about you. About getting to know you, about kissing you, and making you part of us. Maggie, I don’t know if I can be the kind of man that you deserve.”
“Breaker, please don’t.”
“No, Maggie, hear me out. I’m not the type to go and confess emotions and get all sappy and shit. I’m not.” His voice rose, and he felt her stiffen.
He tilted her chin up toward him.
“You’re so damn beautiful. My God, Maggie, while I watched you today and saw the pure emotion, your love and your talent come through on that canvas, it touched me. I’m a hard-ass, sometimes an ill-mannered Marine, damn it, and watching you paint, sitting under a tree and trying to see what you saw, did something to me. I don’t know what you’re afraid of. Hell, we’re all afraid of different shit, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to give this a whirl and see where it leads. You feel it, don’t you? You’re attracted to all four of us, aren’t you?”
She lowered her eyes, and he feared she would say she didn’t feel it, but then she slowly nodded. “But, there are things that stand in the way of this working.”
“What things, baby?”
“Things I can’t talk about.”
“Things you won’t talk about, so we can work it out, you mean?”
“Breaker, it’s complicated.”
“Do you like being around us? Do we make you smile, make you laugh and feel good, happy?” he asked her.
He saw the tears in her eyes, and he felt angry at whoever had hurt her.
She nodded.
“Think of it like this. It doesn’t matter who hurt you or broke you down. What matters is who made you smile again. I want to make you smile, Maggie. I want to make you not feel fear again. Let me in. Let my team in.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she shivered in his arms.
She didn’t respond, but instead, she hugged him tightly, and he held her as the sun broke through the clouds. The rays filled the park, and a feeling of happiness filled him like never before. Maggie was going to be their woman. He was certain of that.
* * * *
Breaker helped Maggie put her things in her car. She was still trying to process the turn of events today.
She had a lot to think about, and if she really wanted to give this relationship a try, she needed to get over her fears of being touched intimately by a man. She looked up at Breaker. The man was so big, tall and good looking he stood out in a crowd.
‘”Do you need to leave, or can we grab lunch or a coffee?” he asked her.
She lowered her eyes and thought about it. She looked him over. Tight blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a button-down dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was a good-looking cowboy, a Marine, and she started feeling things she really didn’t know how to process. Bandit, Stack, Logan, and Breaker made her want. For the first time in forever she wanted to be kissed by a man, held in his strong arms, and even touched intimately. But she feared that for a lot of reasons, including the simplest one. Getting hurt. She never let a man close to her body. But she liked how their hands felt on her skin, against her hip, and over her belly when one of them approached from behind to hug her.
Time. She just needed time and to get used to them being around her and being close.
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