by Becca Van
“Morning.”
“Hi, Rachel. It’s good to see you got a good night’s sleep. I thought you’d probably have trouble. How are you feeling today?” asked Connell.
“I’m good, thanks. So, do you guys have any plans for the day? I’m not used to sitting around being idle. I don’t think I could stand having to stare at these four walls for the next eight to twelve hours or so.” Rachel sat at the table with the two men.
“Seamus and I really liked the look of this town. We’re thinking we may settle here once this fiasco is over and done with.”
Rachel grimaced but didn’t say anything. She was well aware of the fact these two men had put their lives on hold because of her.
“Hey, Rachel. I’m sorry. That didn’t come out the way I meant it. None of this is your fault, sweetheart. Look on the bright side. If the boys hadn’t called us to help out, we wouldn’t have visited for a long time. Who knows where or what we’d be doing? You’ve made us start making decisions about what we want a lot sooner than we probably would have. Seamus and I are going to take the opportunity you’ve inadvertently given us and make the most of it. We grew up on a ranch, and seeing the properties for sale has us salivating to get back into an easier life after such violence. We both love the country and are thinking about buying and making a go of our own ranch,” Connell said.
“Well, I’m glad I could be some help,” Rachel replied laconically and smiled.
“So, do you want to help go through the property section of the paper with us? At least you’ll have something to occupy that overactive brain of yours,” Seamus said, a crooked grin on his mouth.
“Sure, why not? When we’re done, you two can help me in the garden,” Rachel replied with a deadpan tone.
“No problem, sweetheart. We just love tending garden,” Seamus replied facetiously.
For the rest of the morning, the three of them scoured the properties listed in the newspaper. In the afternoon they spent time weeding and tending to the large gardens. They had all the weeds pulled, trees and bushes trimmed and cut up and in the compost bin. Rachel sat back on her heels and stretched out her tired muscles. The garden looked so neat and tidy. She felt as if she had accomplished a lot with the help of her two babysitters. She stood, brushed herself off, and headed inside to clean up. She had every intention of having a meal prepared for when the men came home. After showering and dressing in clean clothes, she headed to the kitchen to start.
Rachel was rummaging in the fridge looking for the meat she’d placed on the shelf the night before. She couldn’t find it. She’d placed the steaks on a plate to defrost. She turned toward the footsteps coming inside and looked over to Connell. She could feel the frown on her face as the skin between her eyebrows puckered.
“What’s wrong, Rachel?” asked Connell.
“You or Seamus haven’t taken any steak from the fridge, have you?”
“No, why would we…” Connell began. “Seamus, get in here, now.”
The sound of anxiety in Connell’s voice as he yelled for his brother had the hair on her nape standing on end. Connell moved over to Rachel, pulled her away from the fridge door, and closed it. He brought her up against the side of his body, his free arm whipping up, a gun in his hand.
“What…” Rachel began.
“Shh, now, honey. Let us do our job,” Connell said calmly. Pulling Rachel back into the corner of the kitchen, he approached the pantry. He whipped the door open, glanced inside, and all but shoved her in through the door.
“Stay there till I come get you,” Connell commanded, closing her inside.
Rachel felt the walls of the pantry closing in on her. Connell hadn’t turned the light on, so she couldn’t see, but what was worse, she couldn’t hear him or Seamus. They obviously had the skills to move around like cats. Her breath and heartbeat were loud to her own ears. She strained to hear beyond the pantry door, but could hear nothing. She had no idea how long she stood in the pantry, her whole body shaking in a cold sweat of fear. She jumped when the door flew open, only to sag against the shelves behind her in relief when Seamus’s face registered in her brain.
Seamus reached in and pulled her out of the pantry and into his arms. He held her close, crooning to her softly until her shaking subsided.
“It’s all right, honey. No one’s here. Sorry we scared you,” Seamus said, stroking a hand down over her back.
“If there’s no danger, then why the hell did I just have to go through that?” Rachel spat out, her ire beginning to rise now that she was no longer afraid.
“We had to make sure whoever was here was gone. We’re just doing our job, Rachel.”
“You m–mean some–someone was here?”
“I’m afraid so, honey, but they’re long gone.”
“Th–they were here while we were out in the backyard?”
“Looks that way,” Connell replied as he entered the room.
“Oh God. What are we going to do? I can’t take much more of this.” Rachel sobbed, burying her face in Seamus’s chest.
“Shh, it’ll be all right, honey. We’ll catch this bastard. I promise,” Seamus declared, determination in his voice. “He’s going to slip up, and when he does, we’re going to be all over him.”
“Damon’s on his way home. He’s bringing Luke with him so they can check things out,” Connell said, coming in closer to Rachel, offering her comfort with the touch of his hand on her shoulder.
Rachel lifted her tear-drenched face from Seamus’s chest when she heard the squeal of tires on the concrete driveway and clutched at Seamus with another bout of fear.
“It’s Damon, honey. He’s come to make sure you’re all right,” Seamus soothed.
Rachel heard the front door slam and a pair of footsteps moving quickly into the house. She turned her head toward the sound. The flash of fear she saw on Damon’s face then the relief following had her pulling away from Seamus and throwing herself at Damon. His arms wrapped tightly around her body, pulling her in close to him, holding her as she cried against his chest.
“Ah, baby, it’s all right. I’m here now. You’re safe,” Damon crooned. He bent down, picked Rachel up into his arms, turned, and walked into the living room. He sat down on the sofa, taking her with him, surrounding her with his big, warm, muscular body.
Rachel breathed in his familiar scent, burrowing into his chest. She couldn’t get close enough to him. She wanted to burrow beneath his skin, join her body with his, and never leave. Rachel knew she was in trouble, in more ways than one. She was scared shitless not only that she wouldn’t survive her stalker, but that she was in love with three men.
What am I going to do? She felt the same for Tyson and Sam. She was in love for the first time, and it couldn’t be just one man. No. She had to do things unconventionally. She loved three men, and they were brothers. She’d gotten herself in so deep, in such a short span of time, she didn’t know if she could survive without being near them. She knew she should be running. That was the best-case scenario with someone out to kill her. But she didn’t want to. She was being selfish for once in her short life. She was going to reach out and grab hold, not willing to let go. She wanted the three Osborn brothers by her side for the rest of her life, and she was going to fight whoever was after her to get and keep what she wanted.
“Rachel,” she heard Sam call out, the front door slamming and footsteps sounding then halting.
“Aw, darlin’, come here.” Sam plucked her out of Damon’s arms and into his own. “Are you hurt, Rach?”
“No, Sam. I’m fine. I was just a little shook up,” Rachel replied from the safety of his arms, breathing in his masculine scent mixed with grease and oil.
Rachel drew back so she could see Sam and realized he hadn’t taken the time to wash up or change out of his overalls. She gave him a smile when she saw grease on one of his cheeks.
“Do you think we overreacted? I mean, all this just for some missing steak from the fridge,” Rachel said with a
slight smile.
“No, darlin’. Connell called me and said someone had been in the house when you were no more than yards away. I think we should get you to someplace safer,” Sam said.
“I agree,” Damon replied.
“But, where?” Rachel asked.
“You let us worry about that, baby. We’ll figure something out. Why don’t you and Sam go clean up in the shower? He’s made you all dirty,” Damon said, lightly flicking a spot of grease on the tip of her nose.
“Now, that’s the best idea I’ve heard all day,” Sam replied, standing up and taking Rachel with him.
Rachel glanced over her shoulder at Damon, giving him a giggle and a smile as Sam carried her from the room. It felt good to laugh again after such a big scare. She was going to enjoy her shower with Sam to its full extent.
Chapter Eleven
Tyson stormed into the kitchen, taking note of all the men sitting around the dining table. He pinned Damon with his eyes, his stance aggressive as he looked at his older brother.
“Where is she?”
“In the shower with Sam. Who’s looking after the hotel?” Damon asked.
“I’m lucky I’ve got such competent staff. I left Joe in charge for the night. He knows he can contact me if needed, but he’ll keep things under control. How’s our girl taking all this?”
“She’s okay. She was a little shaken up, but otherwise she’s fine. I think it’s time we set a trap for this bastard. I want him out of our lives. I want to be able to concentrate on our woman and not have to worry about someone getting to her,” Damon said, and Tyson saw his brother run a hand through his hair in frustration.
“I agree,” Luke said. “We need to get this bastard before he gets to her. I’ve called in a couple of friends of mine. They’re on vacation. They work for the government in a team of operatives that doesn’t exist on paper. They are like shadows, moving amongst everyday people, blending in without being noticed. No one will ever know they’re here.”
“When do they get here?” asked Tyson.
“They arrived last night, man. They were just waiting for me to let you know. You won’t know who they are, and you’re unlikely to see them. They’re that good at their jobs,” Luke stated.
“Okay, let’s get busy,” Damon said. Tyson and the rest of the men sat huddled together, plotting and planning out scenarios. Tyson was in agreement with his brothers and friends. They had a killer to draw out and a woman to keep safe.
* * * *
Sam turned on the shower, checked the water temperature, then began stripping Rachel’s clothes off. Once he had her naked, he worked to get rid of his own clothes. He pulled her into the stream of warm water, bringing her up against his naked flesh, relishing the slip and slide of wet flesh on wet flesh. He grabbed the shampoo, washed and rinsed his hair, then grabbed the soap. He lathered his hands up then reached over to Rachel. He slid his hands over every inch of her naked skin, paying special attention to all her erogenous zones. By the time he’d finished, his little woman was moaning and wiggling, trying to crawl into him. He guided her under the spray of water, watching as the soap suds slid down her delectable little body.
Sam smiled when Rachel giggled. Picking up the soap, she lathered her hands and went to work on washing him. By the time she reached his crotch, his cock was a throbbing mass of arousal, bobbing up and down with his heartbeat. The feel of her soapy hands enveloping his hard penis was so good he threw his head back and groaned with pleasure. The little vixen sure learned fast. She stroked him from base to tip, her grip tightening as she got to the head of his cock. He couldn’t help but thrust his hips forward, sliding his cock through her palm and fingers.
“You keep that up, darlin’, and I’m gonna come in seconds.”
Rachel didn’t reply. She just stared in awe at his cock, pumping her fist faster over his flesh.
“I’m getting close. I’m gonna come, Rach.” Sam growled, throwing his head back and yelling in victory.
Rachel didn’t let up until Sam covered her hand with his own, withdrawing it from his now-shrinking cock. She squealed when he picked her up, turned her so her back was against the shower wall, and knelt at her feet. He held her pinned against the wall, hooked her legs over his shoulders, supporting her weight with hands on her waist, and buried his head in her cunt.
The first swipe of his tongue along her pussy had Rachel screaming and shuddering as orgasm overtook her. He was astounded she had gone off from his first touch and couldn’t wait to send her over again. He loved that he could do that to her.
“That’s one, darlin’. I’m not letting up until you have at least two more.” Sam shoved his mouth back into her pussy.
He licked, nibbled, and sucked and knew he was taking her up higher and higher with every touch because she bucked and writhed beneath his mouth. He sucked her labial lips into his mouth and licked and flicked his tongue over her sensitive clit, making her sob with pleasure. He moved his arms down and wrapped them around her thighs. He thrust two fingers into her pussy, pumping them in and out of her body, making sure he hit her G-spot every time. He laved on her clit, curled the fingers he had buried in her cunt up, and sent her over the edge. The sound of her scream rang through his ears as her body shook above him, the muscles of her pussy clamping and releasing, her pussy gushing as pleasure consumed the woman above him.
“What…did…you….do?” Rachel stammered out between breaths.
“I’m just loving you, darlin’,” Sam replied, looking up into her face. The sight of her pinned to the wall by his arms, her face flushed, her lips full and red, her body still giving an occasional quake, was such a turn-on he felt his cock filling with blood and his balls aching. He had to feel her flesh enfolding him in her tight, wet warmth, and it had to be now.
Sam eased her legs down from his shoulders, holding her steady until she was stable on her feet. He withdrew his arms from around her and eased up from his squatting position until he towered over her. He gripped her waist, lifted her up, and pinned her to the wall once more. He guided one of her thighs around his hips, nodding with satisfaction when her other leg followed, crossing over and clamping herself to his body. He stared into her eyes, his cock aligning with her hole, and thrust. He buried himself into her depths with one powerful surge, groaning as he felt her flesh and muscles separate then close around his hard cock.
“Darlin’, you feel like heaven on earth. I love you, Rachel,” he said, looking into her eyes.
“Oh, Sam, I love you, too. God, I can’t get enough of you. I can’t get close enough. I want to crawl right under your skin and never leave,” Rachel moaned out.
“You and me both, darlin’. Now hold on tight, you’re in for one hell of a ride.”
Sam withdrew his cock from Rachel’s body, until he was barely inside her. He held her hips tilted up and powered back into her sheath. The sound of his own grunting and Rachel’s higher-pitched groans only seemed to heighten his sexual awareness. He slammed his hips against hers again and again, their flesh slapping together, water making sucking sounds as it slid and caught between their bodies, only to continue its journey down to the shower base.
Sam didn’t take it easy this time. He was too far gone to regain control over his body. He thrust and pumped, grunting with the force of him slamming his cock into Rachel’s cunt. Sam twisted his hips at the end of each thrust, his pubic bone slamming into Rachel’s clit, knowing he was enhancing her pleasure as she sobbed every time he did so. The move enhanced his own pleasure, as well, because he could feel her pussy ripple along the length of his cock. He leaned forward, bent his head, and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. He scraped the edge of his teeth over the distended peak, loving the sound of her mewling in response. He shifted to her other breast, giving it the same treatment, and then he pulled off with an audible pop, lifting his head and claiming her lips with his own.
Sam moaned into Rachel’s mouth and caught her moan in return, until Rachel froze on h
is body. She went totally silent and still, her body taut and trembling, and he knew she was on the precipice of her climactic release. She shoved her hips forward, screaming into his mouth as she clamped down on his cock, gripping him so hard he swore he could see stars. His body shuddered and shook over hers. He devoured her mouth, swallowing her moans, taking them into his keeping, her body quaking beneath him as she milked his balls and took him over the edge with her. When the last throb and shudder played out, he held her close and stood beneath the spray of the tepid water, staring into her eyes until they could no longer stay connected body to body.
Sam lowered Rachel until her feet touched the floor of the shower. He held her steady then, picking up the soap, gave her and himself another quick wash. He reached over and turned the shower off then grabbed a towel. He wrapped it around her cool, naked body then reached for his own towel. Neither of them said another word as they dried off, but he knew he didn’t need to. He could see everything he needed in her eyes and let her see the love he felt for her in his own.
* * * *
Rachel and Sam entered the kitchen dining room hand in hand. The men in the room stopped talking, smiled at her, and then went back to their conversation. Rachel released Sam’s hand and walked over to the kitchen counter and the empty coffeepot, and made a fresh pot. She wondered if her face was as red as it felt. She wasn’t ashamed of her and Sam’s lovemaking, but she wasn’t used to having sex then having to face other people. She tried to act as nonchalant as possible, but knew her movements gave her away. They were jerky rather than her normal smooth coordination. Warm arms wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her up against a hard, male body. She turned her head to see if her olfactory senses were working as well as she thought. Yep, Tyson had her wrapped up and against him.
“You and Sam sure sounded like you were having fun, sugar,” Tyson whispered against her ear.
“You heard us?” Rachel spun around in his arms. She realized she’d shouted her question and knew without a doubt her face was now the color of beetroot. “Oh my.”