“It’s not a restaurant.” Wolfe smiled at her. “We’d never try to compete with the excellent food you make here.”
“Ah, now you’re being a tease.” She wagged her finger at them. Her nails stretched from the ends of her fingers like claws she’d painted bloodred. Falcon thought she looked fairly dangerous like that and wondered why she did it.
“Miss Dottie?” The cowboy at the counter called out and she winked at them before rushing over to him with the pot of coffee.
“Do you know Hope well?”
All four of them listened to the answer carefully. Any hint about Hope would be a great service to them at the moment. If Wolfe wasn’t going to let Falcon snatch her off the street then he was going to form a plan.
“She was here all morning talking to everyone about legends and stories. I think she was planning on looking for more details about the Chupacabra. She said earlier she was thinking about heading out toward the mountains to see if she could find any truth in the stories.”
Falcon’s heart skipped a beat in fear. The four of them understood the Chupacabra were real. They were evil creatures not originally from this world. They’d been fighting the Kimil and their homicidal tendencies for centuries. Now that they had a weapon against their mortal enemy, the war had finally shifted in their favor. Destiny had accidently discovered that the pepper spray women used in this word was fatal to their ancient enemy. She’d brought over some small canisters for the women in the market but he and the other warriors had found larger military-grade product to keep as a backup while here. He knew the Kimil were watching for the arrivals of the Atan and if they realized what Hope was, they’d hunt her down and destroy her after inhaling all her life energy. That was the one thing that scared him the most. That delicate woman wouldn’t stand a chance against a vicious killer.
“I told you we should have grabbed her when we had the chance.” He spoke to Wolfe, who looked concerned as well. “Now what do you want to do?”
“Can you follow her energy path?”
“I could follow that woman with both eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back.”
“Good, because we need to get to her before she finds any Kimil and they take her away from us. The last thing I want to do is frighten her though. She looks delicate and I don’t want to alarm her too much.” Falcon agreed with his brother’s assessment. He couldn’t imagine how a sweet innocent woman like Hope would react if threatened. She didn’t look strong enough to kill a fly. She’d run for her life and if she was heading toward those mountains, she quite possibly could stumble into a dangerous situation, never sensing the threat beforehand.
Chapter Three
Leaning her elbows on the desk, Hope looked out the window at the landscape around her. There wasn’t much to look at, but it was still beautiful in its simplicity. Sitting back at her laptop she tried to focus and think about the stories she’d heard this morning from Jorge and Dottie, but her mind wouldn’t be swayed from the two men who’d been sitting in the booth. If she was the romantic type she’d be lying on the sofa drawing hearts all over a page and thinking of love at first sight. That kind of nonsense didn’t exist outside of chick flick movies.
She was a realist, practical and down-to-earth. That was part of the reason why she liked storytelling so much. Often stories didn’t have a happy ending, but she liked the ones that did that most. Her e-reader was filled with frivolous happy-ever-after stories, but she knew the difference between reality and fantasy. Fantasies were what she’d thought of while she worked her pussy over with a vibrator as soon as she got back here from the diner. She’d imagined herself between both of those men and imagined their hands on her skin and what their cocks would taste like. Reality was, they forgot about her the moment she was out of sight. Hell, for all she knew they might be in a relationship together, which would make her feel even more pathetic.
Relationships didn’t work out for her, and she had long before decided it must be genetic. Both her parents were on their third and fourth marriages. Her mom’s last husband wasn’t much older than Hope. That was the way the world worked. She’d tried to change her image in college, choosing to be sweet enough to cause diabetes, but so far that wasn’t working out either.
A low rumble caught her attention and she heard the sound of a truck pulling into the small driveway next to the house. She got up and looked out the window, recognizing the monster vehicle that Eddie had been driving yesterday. She had the door opened as he was raising his hand to knock.
“Well hello there, Hope. I imagine you’ve been working hard all day. Care to take a drive with me? I’ve got to run supplies out to friends of mine that are doing some building outside of town.”
Hope had heard a few people mentioning the secretive building going on and it had piqued her curiosity. No one knew what was being built and according to the gossip she’d heard this morning, there were lots of theories from a secret government landing strip to a Toys “R” Us.
Eddie glanced past her. “Are you sure I’m not interrupting any work?”
“No, honestly I wasn’t being the least bit productive. I seem to be easily distracted today.” She held open the door and let Eddie come in. “Let me put my stuff away and put on a pair of shoes.”
Five minutes later she was sitting in the passenger seat of Eddie’s big vehicle heading out of town. The triangular mountains were in front of them as they barreled down the road. Eddie obviously wasn’t worried about getting a speeding ticket.
“Nah, at this point in the afternoon the sheriff is in his air-conditioned office and his deputy is having a nap behind a billboard out on the I-10,” he’d replied when she’d mentioned it.
He pulled off the main road onto what looked like a gravel drive. It snaked up and over a hill and then around another corner. Hope felt a small tickle of concern in the back of her thoughts. She was in a truck with a man she didn’t really know being taken out into the middle of the desert. She’d never felt any kind of maliciousness from Eddie and she often trusted her instincts, but she couldn’t shake the feeling like something big was about to happen.
She watched as they pulled closer to a big building obviously under construction. It didn’t look like much more than a square with some fancy siding at the moment and she understood the gossip. “What are they building?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Sure, who would I tell?”
“It’s going to be a special dance club. They are going to cater to a primarily female clientele.”
“You mean like a male strip club?” Hope instantly thought of the two men in the diner this morning. If they could dance half as intensely as they’d looked at her…but then they were probably trying to drum up business already. How much better could it be then to get the local women all worked up and flustered? They wouldn’t have had any idea she was new to town.
“If men can have their clubs then I’d say fair is fair.” She smiled, but suddenly the idea of being toyed with didn’t impress her any.
“I’ve got to drop off some supplies for them. Do you want to come in?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll wait here.”
Eddie looked disappointed when she said that, but she wasn’t about to put herself in the position of being made to look like a fool. She was certain that wasn’t Eddie’s plan. He wouldn’t have any idea of her reaction to the men this morning or even that she’d seen them.
“All right, I’ll make it quick.”
“Take your time, it’s beautiful here. I don’t mind looking at the scenery.”
He nodded and got out of the truck. He left it running and the air-conditioning on, which she appreciated. The afternoon heat was incredible.
Hope did enjoy looking around at the peaceful tranquility of the area around the truck. Eddie had them parked in a shadow of the building, which saved her from being overheated by the sun, yet the strange feeling of anticipation continued to build under her skin, making her feel anxious. Ru
bbing her upper arms, she looked around but didn’t see anything that would be a threat to her. That didn’t stop her heart from fluttering.
Off in the distance she watched a couple of four-wheel ATVs heading toward the building. As they drew closer she could feel her heart begin to beat faster and her hands started to tremble as a fine vibration ran long her limbs. What the hell? The last time Hope had felt this type of nervous anticipation was during a championship game when she used play fastball in college. She couldn’t take her eyes off the two vehicles, and as they approached she realized the size of the men driving them. They were huge and controlled the vehicles with ease. It was obviously they were talking to each other by the way their speed was matched and they continued to look over at each other.
She’d never been so fascinated to watch a man control a vehicle like that. If they drove a motorcycle with the ease that they controlled the ATVs she would have to changed her panties if she ever saw them. The one moved his head and she noticed a long braid that hung down his back. That made her sit up and her heart pound faster. It’s the guy from the diner, and the other one must be his friend. How she knew that she didn’t care. It didn’t matter if they were only trying to play a game with her in the diner by staring. She couldn’t have prevented her physical reaction if she tried. For a moment she thought about slipping down and hiding so they wouldn’t see her. She took a long, slow breath to try to ease her fluttering heartbeat, but her hand brushed her breast as she pressed against her chest. That brief contact made her pussy gush and she felt her nipples draw up tight and push against her T-shirt.
It was as if he heard her gasp, because the moment she did, the guy with the braid whipped his head in the direction of the truck and turned the ATV. His friend followed and Hope tried taking deep breaths, but the closer they got the hotter she felt and the more sensitive her pussy became. Get a grip. They’re only men. But they were more than that. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did.
The two vehicles skidded to a stop in front of her. The guy with the long hair was off his bike immediately and he’d pulled the helmet off his head. This confirmed she was right about who they were, but she didn’t understand her reaction to them. Despite her sunglasses, which she thought would have hid her eyes, he maintained eye contact as he strode closer to the truck. Her cunt clenched tight and then fluttered as the other man did the same thing.
She didn’t think to lock the door, or even hold it closed. The first man opened the door and heat rushed into the cab. Her body felt flushed and sweaty and she didn’t understand why, but she needed him more than her next breath.
“Come here, Hope.” He reached forward and she didn’t fight when he wrapped his arms around her hips, turning her as he slid her to the edge of the seat.
“How do you know my name?” Of all the things to ask that was the most insignificant, but her brain was quickly shorting out.
“We heard it this morning,” he replied as he stepped closer to her. He wrapped his fingers around the back of her head and gently pulled her forward. He was so tall that sitting in the vehicle she was only a smidge taller than him.
She never thought to fight when he drew his tongue along her lower lip and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. “We’ve been looking for you,” he whispered against her skin before pressing his lips against hers. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, teasing her. She couldn’t have refused him any more than she could stop breathing. The anticipation that had grown inside of her bubbled over. This felt more right than anything else in her lifetime.
He tasted like dark chocolate as he claimed her mouth in one of the most carnal kisses she’d ever experienced. She didn’t know how to react, but then she gripped his hair and kissed him back as ferociously as he did to her. He growled low in his throat and his fingers gripped her hips so tightly she knew she might have bruises later.
All too soon the kiss was over, and he pulled back slowly, continuing to press tiny kisses against her lips. She didn’t want him to stop. More, I need more.
“We’ll give you everything you need and more, Atan.”
She hadn’t realized she’d said anything, but when he pulled away she grabbed his shirt to stop him. What did I do wrong? He tangled his fingers in hers and held on as he moved to the side. The other man stepped in front of her and quickly claimed her lips. Strong and sure, he didn’t tease but seduced her all the same. Her protest died the moment he slipped his tongue against hers, stealing her thoughts and concerns like a thief in the night. She wrapped her arms around him and gripped his shirt with her fingers.
He deepened the kiss, claiming her, branding her heart. She’d never felt so overwhelmed as she did in this moment. There was a secret part of her soul that reacted to both these men. It wanted, it hungered, and they were the only ones who could sustain it. Skin, she needed to feel skin and then she needed to be on him, or under—or between them would be best. Hunger and need buried any rational thought she had other than the passionate hunger that burned between them.
“I’m not claiming you here, Atan.” He nipped at the underside of her jaw and trailed his lips to the sensitive part of her neck under her ear. “I want you to scream our names, but you don’t even know them.”
Only a bucket of ice water would have been more effective at killing her desire. She gasped and reality slammed into her like a freight train. Her legs were curled around his thighs and she was rubbing her pussy against the bulge in his pants like some cheap slut. That wasn’t the worst of it. She extricated her hand from where she’d slid it down the back of his pants, her fingers caressing the upper swell of his ass. The other man had crawled in behind her in the truck and she’d reached back and had a handful of his hair. The strands slid from her fingers like silk and her body heat spiked again when she imagined feeling his hair stroking her naked skin.
“Oh, my god. Get out of the way.” She pushed at his chest and he stepped back. Mortification rolled over her so strong she felt physically nauseous. Despite the heat of the day, her skin felt chilled when their hands left her. She hopped down to the ground and placed her hand on the side of the vehicle to balance herself. “I’m so sorry for my behavior. I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do.” The long-haired guy spoke from where he still perched on the seat. His expression was ravenous and he smiled at her like she was a chocolate cake with extra frosting. “I’m Falcon. He’s Wolfe. Now come back here.”
She looked up at Falcon and then to Wolfe as she wrapped her arms around her body. Her hand still tingled from the feel of Wolfe’s ass under her palm. It excited her and horrified her at the same time. Wolfe stepped closer to her, but she stepped back to maintain the distance. “You have nothing to apologize for, Hope. You’re more then we could have wished for.”
“Yeah, well I’m not that kind of person.” But I really wish I was right now. Falcon got out of the truck and she realized that she was completely overwhelmed here. They were huge. Larger than she’d originally thought. At five three she wasn’t the tallest person, but they had at least a foot on her, maybe more. If they decided to force the issue she wouldn’t have any chance of defending herself, but neither of them had moved any closer after she’d stepped back.
“I thought that maybe you’d come out here looking for us when I saw you sitting here. How do you know Eddie?” Falcon’s big beautiful brown eyes made her heart melt and reassured her. He didn’t look at all threatening, considering she’d ended a heated moment between the three of them.
“He’s a friend of my uncle’s and was showing me around.”
“Come for a walk with us, Hope. We’ll show you around.”
She didn’t sense any malicious intent in Wolfe’s icy blue eyes. She would have thought that neither of them had been affected by their brief interlude, except when she rubbed her forehead she’d snuck a peek at the incredible bulges in the front of their jeans.
Falcon slid into the truck and turned off the engine. “No point in
wasting gas.” When he got out he winked at her and handed her the keys. “Here, you hold these.”
Wolfe held out his hand. “We’ll keep you safe, Hope.”
* * * *
Wolfe’s heart slammed against his chest as he waited to see if Hope would take his hand. She looked at the keys that Falcon had given to her and then slipped them into the pocket of her shorts. Then she moved slightly closer and lifted her hand to his. Relief flooded him and he fought every instinct in him to toss her over his shoulder and make a run for the portal.
He could sense Falcon was thinking the same thing. Falcon tended to be more spontaneous than him and wanted to make a break for it. Both of them had been out inspecting the area around this town and noticed more and more carcasses of animals. The locals had a number of theories about the cause but Wolfe knew how they died. The Kimil had drained the animals of their energy which caused their blood to evaporate in their veins. The Midnighters didn’t know how many Kimil there were in this world, or whether they all were descendants of the original invaders or the same creatures that had mutated over the millennia. It didn’t matter because the threat against their Atan was growing every day. They needed to find their women and take them home where it was safer.
“Eddie said this is going to be a strip club.”
Her blunt question caught him off guard. He’d expected her to be more shy about the matter, but then her response to his kiss should have alerted him to the fiery passion inside of her. His cock throbbed with the memory of rubbing her pussy against him as they kissed.
Falcon took her other hand as he answered. “Yes, for women. We are looking at creating a safe place for women to express themselves without feeling any sort of judgment against them.”
“And you both will work there?”
Falcon met Wolfe’s gaze over her head and he grinned at her attempt at a casual question. “No.”
Stealing Hope [Midnighter Seductions 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4