by Tara Rose
She fell asleep, totally sated, and sore in places she didn’t think could be sore. She’d never had fantasies that had come close to what these two had given her tonight, and she knew she’d never forget it. Never. Not if she lived to be one hundred years old.
Brett and Mark were nothing like Keith and Billy. Not even close. The memories of what those two had done to her were dimmer now, as if part of them had been erased forever. Maybe one day they’d be gone for good? Brett and Mark would help her banish them, never to return.
* * * *
Mark gave Nita one more hug as they dropped her off behind the shop where she lived with her grandmother. He didn’t want her to leave. They’d already asked if she could spend the day, but she’d hesitated.
Mark almost smacked himself in the forehead for asking such a stupid question. “You need to help her, don’t you?”
“Yes. The shop is open seven days a week. She works too hard. I’ve been after her for years to sell it or limit her hours, but she said there’s no one on the island to take over what she provides. I think she hopes one day I’ll simply do it.”
“Is that what you want?” asked Brett.
“I don’t know, and that’s the truth. I don’t have her gifts. No one that I know does, and it would be a shame to lose that on this island.” She frowned. “I’m sorry. You don’t want to hear this.”
Mark pulled her close. “Don’t be sorry. We want to hear everything you care to tell us. And thank you for yesterday. It was perfection.”
“Thank you. I don’t have words for it. It was the best day of my life.”
He kissed her hair and asked when they could see her again.
“I don’t know. When would you like to?”
“Now.” She smiled, and Mark’s heart gave a strange lurch at the emotion coursing through him. Had any man on this damn rock ever really looked at her? Or bothered to get to know her?
“I wish I could.”
He and Brett exchanged a glance over her head. “How late does the shop stay open on Sundays?” asked Brett.
“Only until three. She used to keep it open until nine, but we rarely had people in from the middle of the afternoon on.”
“And what about the other nights?”
“We’re open until nine on Fridays and Saturdays. Those are our busiest days. Monday through Thursday we close at six.”
“Then have dinner with us later.”
Mark grinned. Why hadn’t he thought of that?
“Um, okay.”
“Stop being so unsure that we want to see you,” said Mark. “Haven’t you figured out you’re stuck with us?”
“I don’t know what to say.”
She looked so conflicted he wasn’t sure what to say either. “Say yes.”
“All right. Yes.”
They each gave her another hug, and then when she’d closed the door behind her, they stared at each other. “What have we done here?”
Brett frowned. “Do you regret it? Last night, I mean?”
“Oh, hell no. But she’s the most insecure woman I have ever met. What are we going to do about that?”
“I wonder if most of it stems from high school? Maybe once she learns to trust us, and realizes we aren’t out to hurt her, that will lessen?”
“I hope so.” He gave Brett a sideways glance. “So…about last night…are you okay with it? I mean, I know we never discussed anything like this. Hell, we’re not even friends. Not really.”
Brett gave him a long, searching look. “Yeah. It’s weird, isn’t it? I mean, the way we’re acting this morning. Like we’re best friends and have always done this. Last night didn’t feel odd, and I wasn’t even uncomfortable. I was only focused on Nita. Do you suppose that’s what happened to Arizona and Dallas, too?”
“I don’t know about that. They were friends first. So were Taj and Jeff, Elliot and Kade, and Nando and Graham.”
“Estevan and Liam weren’t. I mean, they didn’t hate each other, but they’re about as opposite as it gets. And Ian and Jagger weren’t friends at first, either.”
“Proving this can be done regardless.”
“So what do we do? Just take it one day at a time and see where it leads us?”
“I’m okay with that, as long as we remember to keep talking to her.”
Brett nodded. “Absolutely. Keep the focus on Nita. Where should we take her to dinner later?”
“I was thinking Oceanview.” Oceanview was an upscale restaurant on the southern end of the island. He’d been there plenty of times and loved it.
“Sweet. I wonder if she’s ever been there.”
“Doubtful.”
“Great. It’s settled then.”
Chapter Fourteen
Nita wore a flowered skirt, boots, and a sweater. The guys had told her that Oceanview didn’t have a strict dress code, but her grandmother said it was a dressy place, and that meant she had to wear something nice.
“Want me to curl your hair?”
Nita sat at the kitchen table while her grandmother used the curling iron on her hair, chatting away about what it was like to date her grandfather on the island when they first met. “We had no fancy restaurants then. Least not the kind me and your grandfather would have felt comfortable in.”
“What kinds of things did you do together?”
“We walked along the beach a lot. Back then, no Durante or Raleigh would go near it. They gettin' brave now.”
“Do you think Alaina’s friend will figure out what those documents and medallions say?”
She nodded. “Mayhap she will. But I think that diary be the real key.”
“I forgot to ask them if Graham let Alaina copy it so she can send it to her friend.”
“You can ask them tonight. Now stand up and let me get a good look at you.”
Nita stood and twirled.
“You look right pretty, child. Good enough for them two to eat you up.”
Her resolve to tell her grandmother what had happened in high school came back. They’d said they would help, but had they meant it? And when were they supposed to do this? Surely not before they went out to dinner tonight. That conversation required time and patience.
Her grandmother chuckled. “Did I embarrass you, honey?”
“No. No, I’m all right.” She’d interpreted her silence the wrong way, but under the circumstances, that was best.
“You spent the night with two men. Don’t think I don’t know what went on.”
Her pulse raced. “Are you upset with me about that?”
“Course not. You have a good head on your shoulders. And if you trust them two, so do I.”
“I didn’t plan for it to happen that way. It was only lunch. And then we went to the movies, and Celina was there with Arizona and Dallas. We all went to Brett’s house, and then Celina and her two Doms left.”
“You don’t have to explain to me, child. We both grown women.”
“Well, I just didn’t want you to think I set out to seduce them.”
“You too smart to play games, child. I know that, and I sure them two men know it, too.”
Nita was spared from having to say anything further when a knock sounded on the door. She let Mark and Brett inside, and marveled at how easily they made small talk with her grandmother, as if the three had been best friends for years.
Her grandmother chuckled and patted their arms as they talked, and then practically pushed the three out the door. Nita waited until they were on the road heading out of town to ask when they wanted to help tell her grandmother what Keith and Billy had done to her.
“How late does she stay up?” asked Mark.
“She reads until ten or eleven every night.”
“Then we’ll tell her after dinner.”
While she was grateful they still intended to help her with this, she had hoped they’d want her to spend the night with them again. No doubt neither of them would be in much of a mood for sex or play after that conversation. But it had t
o be done, and the sooner, the better. Especially now that her grandmother knew she’d had sex with Brett and Mark already.
“What just happened?” asked Mark, leaning forward from the backseat. “The air in here cooled suddenly. Have you changed your mind about telling her?”
She turned to face him. “Am I that transparent? I don’t mean about changing my mind. I mean the way you sensed my thoughts.”
He shrugged. “Some people are easier to read than others.”
“I feel the same way.”
“And you’re avoiding the question,” said Brett softly.
She smiled at him. “You’re right. I am. No, I haven’t changed my mind.”
“Then what’s bothering you?”
She sighed. “I was hoping for a repeat of last night. But once we sit down to talk about high school, I doubt you two will be interested in that.”
“You’re assuming too much.”
Mark caressed her shoulder. “Nita, you’re stuck with us. I told you that earlier. And I suppose we will have to discuss how often we get to spend the night with you, and where. Brett and I don’t live next door to each other like Arizona and Dallas do.”
Nita smiled as a rush of excitement coursed through her body. This was real. They wanted to be with her.
“What time does the shop open each morning?” asked Brett.
“Ten.”
“Then we have plenty of time to get you back in the mornings. We leave for work at eight, or earlier when there’s a crisis going on.”
“Or when Asa has one of his famous early-morning meetings,” said Mark.
The sarcasm in his voice was impossible to miss, and Nita laughed. “Does he do that a lot?”
“Too often. I don’t think the man sleeps.”
Talking about Asa and the company reminded her that she’d never asked them whether Graham had let Alaina copy the diary, so she asked now.
“Not sure,” said Mark, taking out his cell phone. “Let’s find out.”
While Mark talked to Graham, Nita glanced out at the countryside. She hadn’t been to the southern end of the island in a long time. There were more hills, and fewer people lived there. Many of the retired Durantes and Raleighs had homes in this area, as well as a few others not from either family who wanted seclusion from the hustle and bustle of the town.
Oceanview was perched high on one of those hills and, like its name suggested, offered a stunning view of the Gulf. Nita spotted the gleaming structure before they reached the road leading up to it. As they climbed, Mark told them that Graham had allowed Alaina to copy pages from Shona’s diary. She’d scanned them into her computer and sent them via e-mail to her friend at Pepperdine.
“That’s exciting,” said Nita. “What if she’s able to connect the dots and find out who cursed your ancestors? Do you realize you could potentially break free of it? Surely your families have redeemed themselves by now.”
“It’s hard to believe we could be free of it,” said Brett. “We’ve all grown up believing that would never happen.”
“Is that why you’re both so nonchalant about this? I’d be jumping out of my seat with anticipation if I were either of you.”
“Others have thought they came close to discovering the secrets before,” said Mark. “So you’ll have to forgive us if we’re a bit skeptical.”
“Well, I have a good feeling about this. What if you can break it? Would you two travel?”
“I don’t know,” said Brett. “Maybe one day, but honestly, there isn’t any place I’m dying to see.”
“Same here,” said Mark. “I guess we’re the exception to that rule.”
“Do a lot of your relatives want to see other places?”
“Some of them talk about it all the time.”
“What about you?” asked Brett. “Haven’t you ever wanted to leave the island?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Sure, I love to dream, but I have no money to travel.”
“What if that wasn’t an issue? Where would you go if there were no obstacles?”
“You’ll laugh.”
“No we won’t,” said Mark.
“Two places. Egypt, to visit the pyramids and other mysteries. The other place is Colombia.”
Brett raised his brows. “South America? Why is that?”
“They produce the most roses. I adore those flowers and would love to see where they grow so many at one time.”
“We grow roses here, too.”
“Yes, but not like they do. I’ve seen pictures online.”
“So, is it safe to say that the rose is your favorite flower?” asked Brett.
“Yes. Especially the reds and purples.”
“Hence the reason you have that magenta streak in your hair.”
His grin made her pussy wet and her clit throb. She wished they could have dinner in bed, but it was very romantic that they wanted to take her out.
The restaurant wasn’t crowded, but Nita felt self-conscious because most of the people in it were related to Mark and Brett, or obviously knew them well. She recognized many of them by face if not by name, but it was Brett and Mark they all addressed, not her.
They introduced her to every person who stopped to speak to them, and everyone smiled and shook her hand, but she also caught the expressions on their faces. Most of them were wondering what the hell Mark and Brett were doing with the granddaughter of the local voodoo priestess. And almost all of them stared at her hair with either disapproval or amusement on their faces.
By the time they got to their table, Nita wished they’d gone to Lady of The Night again, or one of the other casual places downtown. She’d have even been fine with That Eighties Soda Shoppe, which was still a popular high school and college-age hangout. They made killer cheeseburgers, and since she rarely ate anything like that at home, it would have been just as much of a treat as the food at this place.
She opened her menu and tried not to stare at the prices.
“Any idea what you’d like?” asked Mark.
She closed it. “There are too many choices. I can’t even pick. Will you two order for me?” Nita didn’t want to tell them why she was so overwhelmed at that moment.
“We’d be happy to.” He cut his gaze toward Brett for a second, and then leaned closer and lowered his voice. “In fact, why don’t we make that part of our protocol? Let us order for you when we go out to eat. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t let us know about food dislikes. We’d never make you eat something that you don’t like, or that makes you sick.”
Her pulse raced. “Protocol?” Her voice came out in a near whisper. “That makes it sound like I’m actually your sub.”
They exchanged a quick glance. “We were hoping that’s what you wanted. To try this at least. I thought we’d all decided that last night.”
She had to avert her gaze for a second because her thoughts were so confused. “It is what I want.” And yes, they had decided it. But that was last night. “When we walked through the restaurant…” Her voice trailed off as she tried to formulate the right words.
“Can you be more specific?” asked Brett. “What did we miss?”
“The way your relatives and friends looked at me. Like they couldn’t believe you were with me. Surely you saw it. I know I didn’t imagine it.”
“Ignore them.” Brett’s expression and his voice were cold. “Nita, we’re not like that. We don’t go for that ‘don’t associate with the natives’ crap. Okay? I thought we made that clear? We want to be with you.”
She swallowed hard. “Thank you. This is all new to me. It’s a lot to digest after hanging back for fourteen years, being afraid of my own shadow.”
His gaze softened, and he reached for her hand. “We get that. Of course it would be. We don’t mean to give the impression that we’re blind to that. But we also don’t care what anyone else says. We don’t even like most of the people you just met.”
She couldn’t help but smile.
“In fact,” sa
id Mark, “we could tell you gossip about each of them that would turn those streaks in your hair white.”
Now she giggled, imagining how that would look.
“So don’t you worry about them, okay? We’re here with you because we want to be.” Mark glanced around and leaned closer. “And fuck anyone who doesn’t like it.”
Nita took his hand, as well, and squeezed them both. How could any woman resist these two? She thanked her lucky stars that she’d given them a chance. Everything she’d ever wanted was right here. All she had to do was relax and let it into her life.
Chapter Fifteen
Dinner was incredible. They shared saheena, curry mango, buljol on a coconut bake, and baighan chokha among them, and by the time all three declined dessert, Nita was stuffed. “I have never tasted food this good.”
Mark smiled. “We’re so happy you liked it.”
“I seriously have to try and make some of these dishes. My grandmother would love the baighan chokha. When our family on St. Croix came to visit once, my cousin Petra made it, although it didn’t taste quite as good as this did. But my grandmother loved it and still mentions that dish from time to time.”
“Do they visit often?” asked Brett.
“Not nearly enough. She’s my age and has the same gifts as my grandmother. She has her own shop on the island but is thinking of closing it down and leaving.”
Mark frowned. “Why?”
“She was in a long-term relationship that was so toxic, and she’s finally realized that and has left him. But all the memories of it are wrapped up in where she lives, and she needs a fresh start.”
“Tell her to come here.”
Nita laughed. “I know, right? It would be perfect. And I’d have the advantage of her cooking skills, as well.”
“Do you enjoy cooking?” asked Brett.
“I really do. I’m not very good at it, but I do try.”
“You can cook for us anytime you want.”
She laughed again. “That would be fun, but I’m not sure you’d ask me to do it a second time.”