To say he looked irritated was an understatement. She thought he was about to lay into her about her stubborn behavior, but he turned to Josh and Falk with a scowl.
“What was going on here? You both were supposed to be ready to leave when we got here.”
Falk rolled his eyes. “Relax, man. We were just talking to a couple of clients about their fitness goals. Sheri wants to get her black belt and Carol wants to lose some weight.”
Ava had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, too. The last thing either of those women needed was to lose any weight. What they needed was a cheeseburger. She started inching toward the door, not liking the tension between the three men.
“Well, maybe we can do breakfast another time. It looks like you have a lot going on here.”
Brayden swung around, frustration written in his expression. “They don’t have anything going on here. We’ve cleared the entire morning to spend with you.”
Josh moved to block her path to the door. “Of course we’re spending the morning with you. I’m starved. Let’s hit the diner.”
It suddenly felt overwhelming. These three men, a relationship with them, and the women that would always be flocking around them. She didn’t want to spend her life competing for their attention. She knew they were good men. It wasn’t their fault they were gorgeous. She simply didn’t want to feel the way she had when her husband had left her for another woman. It was too horrific to contemplate.
She sidestepped Josh and made a beeline for the door. “Actually, I just remembered some errands I need to get done today. Maybe we can take a rain check on breakfast.”
Brayden’s face tightened and he reached for her hand. Great, he was pissed off. “We can help you run your errands after breakfast. Please don’t rush off.”
Ava stood up straight and stuck out her chin. “I need to go. I’m sorry about breakfast this morning.”
Brayden finally heaved a sigh and flipped the lock open. “I’ll drive you home, then.”
She started to protest, but he held up his hand. “I will see you safely home, Ava. No arguments.”
She doubted anyone argued with Brayden when he had that determined look on this face. She gave in, knowing anything else would be a losing battle. “Okay. Thank you.” She turned to Falk and Josh. “It was nice seeing you. Have a good day.”
Josh and Falk looked confused but nodded. Falk gave her a small smile. “Don’t forget our date Saturday night. I’m taking you to Tampa for a romantic dinner.”
Ava fiddled with the door handle, looking everywhere but at Falk. “Why don’t you call me later in the week? Saturday is looking difficult.”
Falk clearly wasn’t used to women giving him the brushoff. He frowned. “Difficult?”
Ava nodded. “Difficult. Are you ready to go, Brayden?”
“Yes, let’s go.” Brayden gave Josh and Falk a grim look. “I’ll meet you two at the diner. We need to talk.”
They could talk all they wanted. Ava knew what she had to do.
* * * *
Falk and Josh were waiting in the diner when Brayden came in and sat down, an angry look on his face. Although he and Josh had been fairly clueless at the studio, Falk had a pretty good idea now what had gone down. He felt pretty shitty about it, too. Ava was getting over a nasty divorce and an asshole of an ex-husband. She wouldn’t take kindly to a couple of women flirting with them, no matter how innocent.
Falk had been the poor kid on scholarship at Harvard. He’d needed to learn to fit in. His looks had helped, but he had also learned to read people very quickly. If he hadn’t been so distracted this morning, he would have realized right away what was going on. He was getting soft since moving to Plenty. Letting his guard down. He couldn’t let it happen again.
“It was completely innocent,” Falk blurted.
Brayden took a deep breath. “I know. I know it was innocent. But our relationship with Ava is on delicate ground here. She’s looking for any excuse to withdraw from us. She thinks she’s found one today. She practically jumped out of my truck and ran in her house.”
Josh sipped his coffee. “What in the hell are you two talking about? Why is Ava upset? Is she sick or something?”
Falk scraped a hand down his face. “How can you be a mathematical genius and have no fucking clue what’s going on around you? Is Ava sick? Yeah, sick of men right about now.”
Sometimes Josh could be incredibly naive. The man didn’t have any sort of agenda or killer instinct. Never had. It had been up to him and Brayden to protect Josh at the hedge fund. Wall Street was worse than any episode of Survivor. It was easy to get voted off the island.
Brayden thanked the waitress for the orange juice. “Those women that were hanging off of you like tinsel. It freaked her out. Remember her ex was a lying, cheating scumbag. She doesn’t have the best self-esteem right now. We were supposed to be working on that, not working to tear it down.”
Josh’s face crumpled. “Fuck. Fuck. Those women don’t mean a damn thing. We were only talking to them. Just being polite.”
Brayden tapped his spoon on the table. “And admiring their cleavage. Did you think our woman would just stand there while you disrespected her?”
Falk bristled at Brayden’s words. “Now wait a fucking minute. We didn’t disrespect her. Sheri and Carol were pushing their tits in our faces. True. We were not encouraging them in any way. We were being polite to two customers. Shit, is she going to get upset every time a woman comes on to one of us?”
“Yes.” Brayden gave him a hard look. “Yes. At least until she believes in us. So, it’s up to us to make sure she doesn’t have a reason to get upset.”
Josh nodded. “We’re the ones pursuing her. Therefore, the responsibility lies with us.”
Falk fell back against the vinyl-covered booth. He felt like a real asshole right now. He’d hurt Ava and hadn’t meant to. He needed to let her know she was their priority.
“We just need a plan. Any ideas?” Brayden asked.
The bell above the diner door rang and Becca walked in. Falk started to grin. He waved at Becca.
“Hey, Becca. Can we buy you breakfast?”
* * * *
“We’re going to have a bonfire out at the quarries?” Ava laughed. “Are all the cool kids from school going to be there, too?”
Becca sniffed at Ava’s mocking tone. “This is going to be a lot of fun. We’ll sing songs and make s’mores. Right, Cassie?”
Cassie didn’t look too sure. “If you say so. I’m actually still pretty full from dinner.”
Becca, Cassie, and Ava were driving out to the quarries after dinner at Charlie’s. Jillian was home with her men who were both off duty. Ava had dragged her friends out for the evening so she wouldn’t sit in her house and brood about Brayden, Josh, and Falk. She needed something to get her mind off of them. Pizza and a bonfire seemed like a pretty decent idea. At least the pizza did anyway.
In the distance, Ava could see a large bonfire blazing orange and red.
“Are we meeting Mark and Travis? Becca, you didn’t light a fire and then leave it burning, did you?”
Becca took her eyes off the road briefly to give her a dirty look. “I may be blonde, but I’m not stupid. My brother’s a firefighter for fuck’s sake, and my other brother is the sheriff. The fire is in perfectly safe hands.”
Those safe hands became apparent as Becca pulled off the road and into the grass. There was a tent, several folding chairs, some blankets, and the three men she had been hoping not to think about tonight.
Well, fuck.
Becca tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, giving her a smile. “You can sit in this car and be too stubborn to go after what you want, holding on to the past. Or you can get out, talk to them, and move forward with your life. I know which one I would pick.”
Ava’s heart started to pound in her chest. The past, while painful, was safe. The future was scary.
“It’s not that easy, Becca. What if they don’t wan
t me?”
Cassie raised her hand. “I’m not really sure what’s going on here, but there’s something I do know. They want you, Ava. Those men are crazy about you. I don’t know what threw a wrench in your relationship, but Becca is right. Talk to them. If you don’t, you’ll only have yourself to blame. When I was dating Zach and Chase, it wasn’t easy to trust. But I took the leap, and well, it was worth it.”
“I could get hurt. Again.”
Becca nodded. “Yes, you could. Never thought of you as a coward, though. Are you planning to play it safe for the rest of your life? Never caring about anyone or anything? Sounds like a pussy way to live your life to me.”
“So now I’m a big pussy, huh?”
“Yep. Are you getting out of the car or not?”
Ava looked over at the men. They were standing about ten feet from the car, just watching them with somber expressions. Her heart ached as she gazed at them. It had only been a few hours since this morning, but she already missed being with them.
“I’m either going to be thanking you or kicking your ass tomorrow.”
Becca giggled. “I can live with that.”
Ava pushed the car door open. “Keep your cell phone on. If this doesn’t go well, I’m calling you for a ride home.”
* * * *
Ava took a deep breath and took the hand that Brayden offered, settling down on the large, thick blanket on the ground. The three men sat around her, making her more aware than ever of their sheer maleness. Her senses were overcome with how sexy they looked and smelled and they were only inches away.
It was a comfortable night and the fire didn’t feel oppressive as it would have even a week or two earlier in the year. She accepted the glass of wine that Josh held out. The men looked nervous which she thought was a good sign. She wanted them to care about the outcome of this conversation.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I overreacted.”
If she had been trying to surprise them, she’d succeeded. They glanced back and forth at each other, clearly shocked by her revelation. She pressed on. She’d had all day to think about what had happened.
“I’m still pretty scarred by my marriage. I’m sorry I let it color the present. You guys can’t control how people, women that is, react to you. It’s unfair of me to put you in that position. If you still want to, I’d like to go out on that third date with Falk. If you want to.”
Falk leaned forward and brushed his lips across her brow. “Beautiful, of course I want to still go out on our date. There was never any question of that on my part. We brought you here because we want to apologize.”
Brayden nodded. “You have nothing to apologize for, baby. We owe you the apology.”
Josh lifted her hand to his lips, sending a current of heat up her arm. “I’m so very sorry I hurt you, sweetheart. Please give us a chance to show you what you mean to us.”
“I wasn’t hurt so much as scared. There are so many beautiful women out there, and God, you’re so sexy. How can I compete? How can you tell me you want only me?”
Falk and Josh looked amused, but Brayden looked angry. She was shocked when he pushed to his feet and began to pace.
“I ought to spank your ass for saying something like that. You’re not competing with anyone, dammit. You have no competition. Fuck, we barely notice other women are women. Even if we do, we’re not looking to find, baby. Why would I want anyone else if I have you? You bring us to our knees.”
Ava struggled to her feet. She was tired of his threats. “You can’t constantly threaten to spank me, Brayden.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “I can’t? Seems like I just did.”
Ava got up close and poked him in the chest. “No more threats, buster. If you’re going to do it, do it. But empty threats will get you nowhere with me. Got it?”
Josh tried to pull her back. “Uh, sweetheart? The threat isn’t empty. Brayden will absolutely tan your bottom. We all will, for that matter, with a good reason.”
She turned to see Falk was smiling.
“What are you smiling at?”
He pointed to her. “You. You want him to spank you, don’t you, Ava? Your ex didn’t lift a finger to love you or give you any attention. He never made an effort. If Brayden, or Josh, or me take the time to turn you over our knee it will prove to you that we actually care, won’t it?”
Ava knew her psyche was ten kinds of fucked up, but hearing it from Falk really brought it home. Mike had never cared enough to make any effort in their marriage. She’d begged him to try something new in the bedroom and he’d refused. She’d wanted him to take the lead in sex, but he’d been too lazy. She could see clearly now that he had never really loved her. Why he had married her in the first place, she would probably never know. But she knew now it would never have worked out anyway. Other woman or no other woman. Her ex was a selfish, lazy asshole who was completely self-centered. In fact, he had probably married her to have a cook and a maid at his disposal that he could fuck from time to time. What a waste of five years of her life.
Good riddance.
She gave Falk a defiant look. “You’re right.”
If anything Falk’s grin got wider. “I know. If you want your spanking, we’ll damn well give it to you. Turn around, go into the tent, and wait for us in there.”
Ava could feel the electricity in the air. There would be no going back if she did as he said. Her panties were soaked and her nipples were tight and hard. She wanted this and she wanted them.
Without a word, she turned and went into the tent, mouth dry, heart pounding, pussy clenching. She was finally going to get what she needed.
Chapter Six
Brayden couldn’t believe how the evening was turning out. Ava wasn’t upset with them anymore, which was a good thing. She also wanted them to spank her, which was even better. His cock was standing at attention, pressing against his button fly. Ava wanted them. It was the moment they had been waiting to happen for months.
Kind of.
She didn’t know the truth about them yet. They’d made a pact that they would woo her for the three dates and then tell her the truth before making love to her. Taking her to bed before coming clean with her seemed wrong. Very wrong. She might like them now, but would she hate them later? He couldn’t let that happen.
He glanced at Falk and then at Josh. Both of them seemed as uneasy as he was. He knew they wanted her as much as he did. They were all falling for her with each moment they spent with her. But they wanted a future with her, not just one night. Or in this case, one morning. Brayden ordered his cock to behave. It wasn’t in charge, even if it thought it was.
“Damn you, Falk. She’s waiting inside for a spanking. How can we do that?” Brayden kept his voice low.
Falk shrugged. “The timing sucks, buddy. But she needs this. She needs to see us giving her something she wants. We’ll still tell her after the last date, just as we planned.”
“You don’t think we should tell her tonight?” Brayden asked.
“No. We just made up. Let’s not cause more problems today. Becca’s not going to bail our asses out next time. Let’s make tonight about her,” Falk urged.
Josh put his hand out, palm down. “We only pleasure her. Nothing for ourselves. Not until we come clean.”
Falk placed his hand on top of Josh’s. “Agreed.”
They were both looking at Brayden. He sighed and placed his hand on top of theirs. “Agreed. It’s about Ava tonight. Let’s go.”
They broke the huddle and headed into the tent, Brayden leading the way. He wondered if he would ever get used to how beautiful she was. The light from the lantern cast shadows around the tent and lent a glow to her creamy skin. She was breathtaking. He sat down next to her on the soft blankets. If Ava hadn’t forgiven them, the three of them had been planning a night of drinking to forget their problems. They wouldn’t have been in any shape to drive home.
She was nervously plucking at the buttons on her blouse. He covered her hand with h
is.
“You’re going to get what you want, baby. Tell us everything.”
She looked dubious for a moment, then her little chin firmed up and her gorgeous moss-green eyes sparked with determination.
“I’ve wanted a man who can take control in the bedroom.”
Falk stretched his long legs out. “We’ll be happy to do that. We like to be in control anyway, so it’s no hardship. Did you have anything specific in mind?”
Ava’s eyes went wide. “Specific? If you’re in control, aren’t you supposed to decide?”
Josh chuckled. “She has a point, guys.” He leaned and plucked off her shoes and started to massage her feet. Brayden couldn’t believe how tiny they looked in Josh’s hands, but she was petite all over. Her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed in contentment as Josh ran his fingers over her arches.
“That feels so good.”
Brayden grinned at her expression of pleasure. “Why do you wear those high heels anyway? They have to hurt like a son of a gun.”
Ava looked at him like he was stupid, which made him grin even wider. “Because I’m so short, of course. Duh.”
Falk and Josh were laughing at him. “Did she just say ‘duh’ to me? You are definitely getting a spanking, baby. Now answer Josh’s question.”
“I’m not sure how.”
Falk cuddled up next to her and began nuzzling her neck. “How about a multiple choice then? You want us to a, tie you up, b, spank you, c, use sex toys, d, all of the above.”
Ava was breathing hard and a moan escaped from her full lips when Falk nipped at an especially sensitive spot. “All of the, oh, above.”
Falk’s fingers made quick work of the buttons on her blouse and Brayden helped him strip it off of her while Josh continued his ministrations on her tiny feet. Brayden trailed his fingers down her stomach lightly and her hips canted toward his hand.
Plenty of Trust [Plenty, FL 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6