by Dakota Dawn
Dang, even the restrooms had TVs. This place was serious about sports. She also noted how clean the place was. Doing her business quickly, she washed her hands then headed out the door.
Now that she knew they served some food here, a thought struck her for the party food she’d be making. Stopping a few feet from the restrooms, she dug out her notepad and started jotting down a few more ideas to run by Gaven.
Feeling someone invading her personal space, she glanced forward then up. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and her jaw dropped down as if all of her facial muscles had forgotten how to do their job. No freaking way. What was he doing here? How long had he been here?
Forcing her jaw muscles back into action, she stammered, “Mr. Cortino. I–I didn’t know you were here. Did you just show up?” Please say yes, please say yes. She would die if he’d seen her singing. Damn, he was fine.
“Yes. Finding you here makes it worth the trip,” Trey responded.
Relief washed over her from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. Thank god he hadn’t seen her on stage. Fumbling with her notepad, she looked down long enough to put it back in her purse then slowly let her eyes travel up his lean waist, over nice, broad shoulders, along a muscular neck, strong chin, and firm but full lips that, right before her eyes, formed a knowing smile. Heat cranking up another notch, she knew she was turning a bright shade of red. Jerking her eyes away from his kissable lips, she took an unsteady breath. If she didn’t stop ogling him, she’d never be able to go back to his bookstore. Maybe he had an online site. Or maybe she could just stop staring at him.
Not able to look him in the eye, she mumbled, “It was nice to see you again. I better get back to my friends.” A boldness she’d never had before suddenly took hold of her. “If we bump into each other again maybe we could have a drink together or something.”
As she turned to scurry away like a leery rabbit, she felt a warm hand wrap lightly around her wrist. Turning back to him, she made the mistake of looking directly into his eyes. Dark green with light green strands that looked like a never-ending fireworks display. New Year’s Day fireworks sparked in his eyes every day. Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t look away to save her own life. It was like she was being drawn in by an invisible force. Those dang butterflies in her belly started their crazy dance again just like they’d done the last time she’d been near him.
Rapt eyes continued to hold her as his husky voice slid smoothly across her skin. “That is a wonderful idea. I’ll have to make sure we bump into each other again and again.”
Clit throbbing, panties getting wetter by the second, she swallowed hard as he brought the inside of her wrist closer to his lips. Her lids fluttered shut just as his lips made contact with her sensitive flesh. The touch of his silky tongue darting out for a taste of her sent shudders lashing through her whole body. Nipples hard as diamonds poked painfully against her shirt for all to see.
She wobbled. Why did that happen every time he kissed her wrist? Did her body crave something her mind didn’t know about? After her first sexual experience, the attack, and two blah dates she’d gone on in the last year, she had no desire to be with a man. Building her company was her only desire. So why was her body reacting this way to his touch?
He must have sensed her confusion because he moved a strong hand under her elbow and guided her back to her friends’ table. Once she was safely seated, he leaned down to her ear and whispered, “I’ll be dreaming of you until we meet again. I’ll see you very soon. Goodnight, my lovely little treasure, tesoro mio.” His tongue lightly teased her earlobe, sending a shiver of desire straight between her legs. Easing away, he stood. With a slight nod of his head, he looked at her friends. “Ladies.”
They all three stared after him as he smoothly strolled away.
As soon as he was out of sight, Sienna and Rain pounced. “Who was that?”
Trying to be nonchalant, she shrugged one shoulder. “Just a man I met at a bookstore.”
Sienna and Rain smiled at each other.
Rain obviously couldn’t help herself. “When you’re done with him, let me know. I don’t mind seconds. Not when the guy is as hot as him.”
“It’s not like that. He’s just nice to me…to all women.” Branda tried to correct her words. All the while she could feel that her cheeks kept a tight hold on their bright color.
Sienna pursed her lips. “It didn’t look that way to me. That sinfully handsome devil has the hots for you. With a body like his, I’d eat him up. And that hair. I could run my fingers through it for hours. You should go for it. He obviously likes you. What are you going to do about it?”
After counting to ten out loud, Branda eyed them both before she continued, “Nothing. Not a thing. He was just being nice. Guys like him don’t go for big girls like me. Besides, great sex and love are just a fantasy. They’re not real. Men are players not lovers.” Seeing Sienna’s sad face, she amended her statement, “Except for what you and Teddy have together. I’m sure you two will have it all. And I’m very happy for you. Hey, we’re here to party, remember? Rain, go sing us another one. Make it lively.”
Watching Rain step onto the stage, Sienna said in a thoughtful tone, “You know he looked kind of familiar. I just can’t place him.”
“Did you shop at his bookstore?”
“Possibly. I can’t put my finger on it right now, but I’m sure I have seen him before. Oh well, I’m sure it’ll come to me later. Have another pepper, they’re great.”
Chomping on the stuffed jalapenos, they both laughed at the crazy moves Rain was making. This was just what they’d all needed.
* * * *
Trey slipped back up the stairs unnoticed. Helping their buddy, Gaven, out in the evenings paid off big-time tonight. He couldn’t have been shorthanded at a better time. Opening the office door, he moved through the room to stand next to Troy, who was steadily reading Branda’s lips through the two-way mirror that overlooked the pub. They had been watching the girls for the last couple of hours and had learned a lot about Branda.
Troy never took his eyes off Branda. “She told her inquiring friends that you were nice to all women. She thinks she’s too fat for us to be interested in her. She believes great sex and love are just fantasies. She thinks all men are players, not lovers. Now she’s trying to soothe her friend’s ruffled feathers, and she is doing a great job of it.”
Finally taking his eyes off her, he turned to Trey. “I saw how she responded to your kiss. Just like Nonno said. Hell, even Papa and Uncle Gabriel said it happened to them when they met Mom and Aunt Bellina. Now do you believe Nonno?”
“The verdict is still out. We haven’t claimed her yet. But I must confess I’m leaning toward Nonno’s story.” Trey sighed loudly like a man in love. “You were right. She’s perfect. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Something about her drew me to her. It was more than sexual attraction, although her body has it all. Beauty. Stacked frame, so curvy and soft. Sweetly scented. I could lap her body up all day. And when she blushed, I thought I was going to come in my pants like a teenager after his first girl. Damn, that blush turned me on. I can’t believe she responds to both our touches. That’s never happened in the family before.”
“No, it hasn’t,” Troy said, “but the blessing is only four generations old. We are the first set of twins in the family since the blessing was bestowed. Maybe us being twins has something to do with it.”
Trey watched her as he spoke. “Words can’t describe the way it feels to touch her emotions. She was nervous, sexually aroused, and embarrassed all at the same time. I actually needed to calm her. We have to find out everything we can about her. Did you call in a favor and find out where she lives yet?”
“No,” Troy responded as he watched her as well.
“Good. Now that she’s come to us there’s no need to call in any favors. I’ll follow her home tonight.” A smile flitted across Trey’s lips. “Her cheeks colored so prettily when she saw me. I believe sh
e was embarrassed at the thought that I might have seen her singing. I don’t understand it, but I could sense her distress before I even kissed her. Not wanting to scare her away, I lied to her. I didn’t like it, but it was well worth it. Her relief was so strong I swear I felt it personally.”
Troy nodded. “That’s what Nonno said would happen. We Cortino men are supposed to be able to read our true love’s feelings. After the bonding kiss she’s not supposed to be able to lie to us even to save herself from embarrassment.”
“Our bond must be extremely strong because she hit on me with the pinkest cheeks I’ve ever seen. Like she couldn’t help herself, and that happened right before I kissed her.”
A large smile crossed Troy’s face. “This is just more proof that she belongs to us. When I met her at the bookstore, I could feel her attraction to me instantly. It was weird in a wonderful way. And I was just as attracted to her even though she was dressed a lot like tonight, in clothes that cover her curves as much as possible. I need her as desperately as I need my next breath.”
Brows drawn together, Trey said, “The more I think about it the more I believe Nonno’s story could be true. Great-grandfather must have truly saved a witch in Italy. And it looks like the blessing she cast on him and all his descendants is true. Not that I thought they were lying. It’s just that I’ve never seen the blessing in action, so I wasn’t sure, you know. How did it go...
“To your true love’s inner wrist
“you must place a licking kiss.
“If she’s yours, you will not miss
“the shudders of her bliss.
“Her nipples will come to a hard peak.
“You can have her within a week.
“Her emotions you can feel
“which shows you that your love is real.”
Troy nodded in agreement. “That’s right, Nonno repeated it all the time. Tonight we found out she belongs to both of us. It’s time to step up our claiming of her. She’s responded to both of us, and we can read her emotions. Even from here, I can feel her confusion, hope, and fear.”
They watched hungrily as Branda cheered Sienna on.
Trey couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad she hasn’t gone back on stage. I don’t think I could handle hearing her sexy voice again without getting a hard-on from hell. You think she sings around the house? I hope so. I love it when women sing as they move through the house.”
“Maybe if we give her something to sing about, she will, eh?” Troy replied softly, his eyes watching her closely. “Head out the back way. She just asked Sienna and Rain if they were ready to leave, and they said yes. Call me as soon as you have her address. I can’t wait to start making her ours.”
* * * *
Trey watched in horror as the three piled into Sienna’s car and sat there talking for at least fifteen minutes. Had they been taught nothing? Sitting in a car in a parking lot was a dangerous thing to do. Any psycho could come up and kill them. What were they doing in there, for heaven’s sake?
Trey’s phone rang, and before he could say anything, he heard Troy ask, “Where does she live? Why didn’t you call me?”
Disgust filled Trey’s voice. “I didn’t call you yet because I’m still sitting in the damn parking lot waiting for them to pull out.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” Troy asked.
“I wish I were. From what she told you, I gather she must live close enough that we could have made several trips to and from her house by now.”
Concern colored Troy’s voice. “Do you think something is wrong? Should you go check on them?”
“I don’t think that will be necessary. They just started the car. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.” Trey hung up, heart pounding with excitement. Tonight they’d find out where their true love lived. She was the part missing in their lives, and now she’d been found. From the moment she’d responded to his kiss, their lives had all changed. She belonged to the two of them, and they belonged to her.
With each turn of his truck, Trey was led closer to home. Branda or Rain must live very close to them. Heart pounding, he watched as Sienna’s car pulled into the drive of his neighbor’s house. His neighbor!
Whipping out his phone, he called Troy. At the sound of Troy’s voice he asked, “What was the name of the little girl who lived next door to us? For the life of me, I can’t remember.”
“You know, if you hadn’t asked me I could have told you. Let me think. Sylvia. No. Sina. No. Sienna. That’s it. Sienna. We haven’t seen her for at least fifteen years. Why do you ask?” Troy questioned suspiciously.
“That name sounds right. My mind went blank, but I believe you’re right. Guess what, Sienna just pulled into our neighbor’s driveway. Branda’s Sienna is the De Pescinas’ daughter. They all three just went into the house. This could take some time if they’re checking on the house for her parents then heading out to Rain’s and Branda’s houses. For Branda, I’ll be patient.” Every part of his body wanted to burst in and take her straight to his house. Straight to his extra large bed.
“Sienna didn’t move back home, did she?” Troy asked. “Last I heard, Mom said she lives in some little town an hour from here on some cattle ranch. Of course, Mom calls her Carisa’s daughter, which is why it was hard for us to remember her name.”
“I don’t know if she moved back or not,” Trey said. “All I know is that she just pulled into her parents’ house. Last I heard, her parents were out of the country. Mom did say they were going to get someone to house-sit for them if they could find someone. Branda may be their house sitter.”
“She could be. If not, they’re probably just picking up mail and checking the alarm. They shouldn’t be long,” Troy stated.
“Sienna’s coming out now, followed by Rain and Branda.” Trey paused as he watched. A minute later he added, “You’re not going to believe this. Branda is waving them away.”
“No shit. You’re telling me our mate is living next door? This couldn’t get any better.” Troy’s voice boomed with excitement.
Trey cringed. “It looks like it. Sienna and Rain just drove off, and Branda went back inside the house. Heads up, bro. I wouldn’t call her our mate to her face. It sounds a little barbaric.”
“Noted. I won’t tell her that, but it is the truth. Our need for each other is barbaric. The word mate feels right to me because she is now bonded to me,” Troy responded.
“I can understand that. If you don’t need me back at the pub, I’ll go inside and call Mom. I’ll bet she knows a lot about Branda. You know how close Mom and Carisa De Pescina are. I’m sure they’ve talked about our new neighbor.”
Troy was quick to respond. “I won’t need you here. Go ahead and call Mom. I’ll be home in a couple of hours. We can talk about what you find out and what our next move will be. See you in two.”
“Yeah, in two.” Trey hung up and immediately started dialing their mom’s number. He knew she would know at least a little information about his vero amore. Most likely she knew a lot.
* * * *
Two hours later, Troy walked through the door. Seeing Trey’s stricken face, he felt his gut twist into a tight knot. “What’s wrong?”
Trey wiped a shaky hand across his face. “She was attacked a little over two years ago in front of her apartment. A rapist, Roy Smyth broke her nose and cut her left forearm so bad it took well over a hundred stitches to close up all the wounds. He was in the process of taking her panties off when her neighbors rounded the corner, tackled the guy, and called the police.
“Roy was sentenced to five years in prison. The police know him well. He has a long criminal record. They are hoping to prove he was involved in a few other crimes, so they can keep him in prison for a few more years.” Trey’s voice shook with anger.
Troy poured them both a drink and handed Trey his before he said, “That disturbing bit of information makes me remember that she seemed unsure of herself when we met. Now we know at least part of the reason why.”
Trey groaned and closed his eyes in misery.
“That means we will have to proceed with caution. I felt her pain. I don’t think she’s ever felt the pleasure of a loving, giving touch.” Two deep breaths later, Troy continued, “Did you tell Mom she’s ours?”
Looking even more miserable Trey answered. “Yes. I didn’t have a choice. You know Mom. She wouldn’t give me the information I needed until I told her about Branda’s reaction to us. You know Mom doesn’t gossip.”
“That means the family will descend upon us in two weeks,” Troy remarked.
Trey nodded. “Mom said they’d all be coming to meet her two weeks from now. I tried to put her off, but she said that wouldn’t be necessary, that the blessing will make sure we have her within a week. That will give us one week alone with her before the family shows up to meet her.”
Excitement laced Troy’s words. “We’ll have to move fast. I know she likes cinnamon. We’ll bring her a large cinnamon candle. One from Ella’s shop. She sells the best ones. We can act like we’re welcoming a new neighbor to the neighborhood. She’ll, of course, be shocked that there are two of us and that she knows us. We have to get her to invite us in so we can get to know her better and start making her comfortable around both of us. So we can test her response to us a little more.”
Trey was looking more excited by the minute. “Let’s do it. Let’s make her ours.”
The twins bumped fists then started fine-tuning their plan.
Chapter Four
Branda had just seen out another happy customer then returned to the kitchen to start cleaning up when she heard the doorbell. Darn. She hoped nothing had happened to the cookie bouquet in such a short time. She had some cookies left over, but not enough to start over.
She opened the door without looking out the peephole, so sure she knew who it was. As she opened the door, she asked, “Is every—”