She slung her purse over her shoulder, ready to greet the day. It seemed almost surreal that less than forty-eight hours ago, she was fresh into town and knew no one. Now she’d found these two spectacular men.
The drive down the mountain wasn’t nearly as scary as going up the mountain, perhaps because Hunter seemed to drive more cautiously. He dropped her off in front of the bar where she’d parked.
Derek slid out of the seat first and helped her out. “How about if we pick you up at five?”
She didn’t want them to see her lowly abode. “Maybe I could just meet you at the soup kitchen.” She had no idea where that might be located.
He shrugged and gave her the address. Both men approached and gave her a toe-tingling kiss good-bye. Wow. Her head spun from all the attention. “Tonight then.”
“We can hardly wait.”
From the glint in Derek’s eye she couldn’t help but glance at his crotch. My God. His hard-on was pressing against his fly. He winked, got back in the car, and waved.
As soon as the car disappeared from sight, she climbed into her car. No way could she go into work looking so casual. There were a few other choice words she might have used to describe her clothing, but whatever the wording, she had to change.
Once home, she put on a conservative blouse and skirt. She’d debrief her boss about what happened then tell him she was meeting them again tonight and that she needed to leave a little early. While she had no real inside scoop, she prayed he’d be pleased that at least she got to see the inside of the massive compound.
As she stepped out of her apartment, Kendis, her neighbor, came out of hers. The tall woman grinned and rushed toward her. She was wearing jeans and a pretty top, but Jen couldn’t tell if she was headed to work or about to run errands.
“How did it go?” Kendis bubbled with enthusiasm.
“Amazing. I’ll get your shirt cleaned and bring it back, but to say it did the trick was an understatement.” While this was an assignment that probably should have been kept under wraps, she couldn’t help but tell someone.
“Aren’t the Black brothers divine? I mean, I’ve seen them around but never had the courage to talk with them.”
“They’re really nice. I’m sure they’d be happy to meet you.” As much as she’d loved to chat about the men, she had to get to work. “I’m actually late to work now.”
“Oh, go. We’ll catch up.”
A little after 8:20 a.m., she finally made it to the paper. Grant swiveled in his chair. “Have a good evening?”
He couldn’t possibly know that she’d spent the night. Perhaps Madelyn had seen her leave with the men or else they spotted her car in front of the bar early this morning. “As a matter of fact, I had a wonderful evening.” She was bursting to tell him. “I got to have dinner at Panther Cove.”
He slapped a hand over his chest. “Get out!” He leaned closer. “What was it like?”
“Amazing. I will admit it wasn’t my taste. I’m more into Modern than Gothic, but everything was finely crafted and very expensive.”
The door to the boss’s chamber opened. “Anderson. You’re late.”
She squeezed Grant’s shoulder. “Later.” She rushed into his office. He didn’t offer her a seat. “I’m sorry, sir, but I just got home from Panther Cove.”
Chapter Eight
To Jen’s delight, Mr. Diggers’s brows rose and a smile swept across his face. “Excellent. Please sit and tell me everything.”
She’d tell him everything, except that which was sexual in nature. “I met them at the bar like you suggested.”
“I take it that went well.”
She couldn’t keep the heat from rushing up her face. “They invited me over to dinner. They were always with me so I had no opportunity to take any pictures, but the compound must have included at least ten if not fifteen homes on the estate.” She described the layout of the homes and the lake in back.
“Anything unusual stick out?”
Telling him about the monks was almost embarrassing since they were mocking her, but she regaled him with the story anyway.
He waved a hand. “It was done in fun. I’m sure they’ve heard all the rumors. Did you tell them you worked for the paper?”
“I had to. I don’t lie well.”
He shrugged. “Just as well. Any other pertinent details? If you just got home, that implies, well, you know. You must have learned something important.”
“Just that the family has always been rich. They lived in France and Spain for a few years, but nothing to suggest any secret society. The fact I met their crew implied they had no secrets.”
Diggers stroked his jaw, schooling his reaction. “I have to say you’ve outperformed my highest expectations.”
Her pulse soared and she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Thank you. In fact, I need to leave a little early today.” She rushed to tell him why before he denied her request. “Hunter and Derek invited me to join them at the soup kitchen tonight. I’m hoping to get more information. I didn’t want to sound overly curious on the first night.”
He tapped his forehead. “I knew I was right in hiring you. Good job.” He leaned forward. “Do you need any extra money for clothes?”
She had no idea what he was implying. “What for?”
“You’ll need to look sexy. I doubt you have a lot clothes that fit the bill.”
She wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or pleased that he cared she wouldn’t have to dip into her savings to look good. “I can handle the clothes, but thank you.”
“Well, write up your impressions while they’re fresh.”
She stood, determined more than ever to get the scoop on these men. She could almost taste her raise coming.
“One more thing,” her boss said. “Don’t be fooled by their charm. From what I’ve been told, if they think you’re a threat to their safety, they’ll work extra hard to make you soft toward them.”
She waved a hand as if she had it covered, but deep inside she wanted to puke.
Stupid Mr. Diggers. He didn’t know what he was talking about. The Black brothers might try to ward off the press, but they cared a lot for her. Diggers had said himself that rarely did anyone but the super influential people ever get invited to the compound. She bet those dignitaries weren’t made love to like she was. If Hunter and Derek weren’t interested in her, their cocks wouldn’t have been so hard so often. Diggers was wrong. And she was going to prove it.
Grant waved her over before she got to her desk. She trotted over, happy to get her mind off of her boss’s implication. “What’s up?”
“Just got two calls in a row. One was about two teenagers breaking into the hardware store, and the other involved a successful search and rescue of a couple who were injured in the woods. You want to take one of them?”
Since she was in the mood for a happily-ever-after story, she chose to interview the two hikers.
“Great!” Grant handed her the information. Happy to get out of the office, she left.
* * * *
The interview went well. Poor Bill Dunlap. He’d broken his leg when he took a ten-foot tumble down a rock face. He was lucky the ledge caught him. After his girlfriend, Chrissie, stabilized his leg, she half walked, half jogged back to the park entrance and was able to get help.
Jen had made it back to the office by three and was finished writing up the story by four. Now it was time to get ready for her date.
Mr. Diggers was right about one thing. Her wardrobe was sorely lacking. Perhaps this weekend she’d go to the mall and see if she could find a couple of cute things to wear. The men surely wouldn’t want to be seen with someone wearing ill-fitting clothes, and she couldn’t keep wearing Kendis’s shirt every time she met with them. At least tonight they’d be at a soup kitchen where no one would care what she looked like.
She pulled on a pretty red, lacy bra and matching panties that had been her going-away present to herself, black leggings, and tank top. In
case it was cold in the soup kitchen, she tossed on a button-down shirt that she left mostly open.
After reapplying her makeup, she headed out. Because she lived in a bad part of town, she hadn’t been surprised to learn that the soup kitchen was only six blocks from her home. Being so close, she decided to walk. That way if by some luck they landed back at Panther Cove, her car would be home and not where someone could steal it.
As she approached the building, she immediately spotted Hunter and Derek directing some truck drivers where to unload the food. She’d never really contemplated where soup kitchens got their food, but she thought a lot of people donated to the needy cause. From the looks of it, these two had bought everything.
She trotted up to them. “Hey!”
Their discussion stopped and they glanced up. It might have been in poor taste, but she glanced at their cocks nonetheless. They almost swelled right before her eyes, and her ego shot skyward. They did like her. This wasn’t some ploy to steer her away from some secret. Ridiculous.
As if on a hunt, they charged toward her. She laughed at the gleam in their eyes.
Derek was the first to grab her. He kissed her hard and quick before passing her off to Hunter. She loved how they weren’t jealous and seemed to enjoy having her around.
“We were hoping you’d come.”
Surely they didn’t think she’d stand them up. “I want to meet the members of the community.”
Hunter wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulses of lust licked her pussy. “Come on, and I’ll introduce you to the real people who do good around here.”
The way they treated her like she belonged with them still overwhelmed her. Some things couldn’t be faked.
Inside, the place was bustling. The majority of the space was taken up with tables covered in an assortment of tablecloths. About forty people, mostly men, were sitting and waiting patiently for the food to be ready. As they passed a gentleman in a thick flannel shirt, Hunter stopped and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder.
“How are you doing, Howard?”
The man looked up and smiled. His teeth were decayed and some were missing, but there was something gentle about him. “Can’t complain none.”
Hunter patted him on the back. “Glad to hear it.”
He must have spoken to another half dozen before he introduced her to the kitchen staff. Most were women, but a few men were there. She wasn’t able to tell which were permanent and which were volunteers, but she figured it didn’t matter.
“This here is Jennifer Anderson. She’s new to town and works at the paper. Be sure to welcome her.”
There was a round of comments. Then he introduced her to a woman who was probably closer to sixty than fifty. “This wonderful lady is the glue of this place. Dorothy here organizes and orders everyone and everything around. She’s a real gem.”
With each word, her face turned a prettier pink. “You boys sure do know how to charm a lady.”
“Tell us what to do.”
The back door opened, and the workers from the truck came in with trays of food. Dorothy turned around. “I do love Tuesdays. I don’t have to cook. Just serve.” Dorothy looked right at her. “Be good to these boys. They are the best.”
“I know that.”
Derek waved her on. “Let’s get you an apron and put you to work.”
As soon as she donned the smock, the workers divided the food by kind.
Dorothy rang a bell. “Come and get it!”
Chairs scraped and conversations flared. To her delight there wasn’t much pushing or shoving. Dorothy must keep everyone in line. For the next twenty minutes she scooped up beans and carrots and placed them on the paper plates. Soon the line began to dwindle, and when she looked around, the plates had been licked clean.
The young girl next to her picked up one of the trays to bring it back into the kitchen when Jen felt rather than saw a glob of mashed potato hit her shirt. Where had that come from? She scraped it off her shirt and placed the food in the trash behind her. As soon as she returned to her position, another splat of mashed potato landed right on her tit. She spun around and caught Hunter and Derek both talking to another worker. Instead of accusing them of throwing food, she checked the rest of the homeless. They were all finished eating. The few remaining people were just chatting.
Okay. This was war. A pea hit her in the head. She spun around, and Hunter, who was three people down from her, stood grinning.
He was so going down. All she had were a few beans and carrots left in her tray. She wasn’t sure which projectile would have been the best, but the beans looked the most aerodynamic. Pretending she wasn’t going to retaliate, she waited until both men faced someone else. She picked up the bean and let it fly.
Damn. It hit the ground. That was so unfair. Here she prided herself on her softball skills.
The girl on her other side, who said she was a sophomore at Samuel Elders College in town, had just picked up her container.
“Would you mind switching places with me?”
“No problem. I saw the Mr. Black with the long hair toss the mashed potatoes at you.” She held up her hands. “I don’t want to get in the way of this food fight.”
They switched. “Thanks.” Now she had a couple of fries to toss.
As soon as the men seemed focused on speaking to a homeless woman who was dressed to leave, she let the projectile fly. Yes! She’d beaned Derek with a french fry.
He whipped around. His eyes widened then quickly narrowed. How he managed to pick up more mashed potatoes and sling it at her before she could duck, she didn’t know. The food hit her neck.
The whole episode was so ridiculous that she started to laugh. Once the giggles escaped, she couldn’t stop. Grabbing a handful of fries, she bobbed and weaved her way near both of them and tossed the food at them. She did hit Derek but unfortunately nailed both men on either side of him.
Derek cupped his mouth and yelled, “Food fight!”
To say chaos broke out would have been an understatement. While most of the homeless had left, the remaining few seemed to want to get involved.
Food landed on her arm, her pants, and in her hair. She rushed back to her food and, with a gloved hand, grabbed a handful. The problem was that a lot of other workers got in the fray. Chocolate cake hit her squarely in the face and she broke out laughing. Food flew, people shouted, and others cheered.
A whistle blew and everyone froze.
Dorothy had her hands on her hips shaking her head. From the way she was fighting a smile, she wasn’t too upset. “I don’t know who you think is going to clean up this mess, but no one is leaving until my kitchen is spotless. Do you all hear me?”
Hunter and Derek saluted. As soon as Dorothy took off her apron and walked out, they burst out laughing again.
Derek held up his hands. “I want to apologize for things getting out of hand. We paid for the food, and since everyone already had his fill, we figured the food was headed for the trash anyway.” He glanced at her and grinned.
One of the homeless stood up. “It was the most fun I’d had since I gave up drinkin’.”
Someone tapped the saltshaker against the table. “Here, here.”
Hunter went into the kitchen and pulled out a bunch of towels. He tossed one to each worker. “If you weren’t involved, feel free to leave. Derek and I will stay late and clean up.”
At least half of those seated stood and came forward. “Give us a cloth and we’ll help.”
Hunter went back for more and passed them out. It probably didn’t take but fifteen minutes to get the place spotless. Neither of her men tried to hide the fact that they were taking every opportunity to bump into her. She’d bent over to retrieve a fry when Hunter rubbed her ass.
She shot up. “Hun-ter!”
“Jenn-ifer!”
She laughed. “You don’t want people to get the wrong impression.”
His chin jutted forward. “About what? That I can’t wait to get you na
ked and fuck you silly.”
“Shh.” Did he have no sense?
Two volunteer college girls, who were overly cute, trotted up to them. “Do you need us for anything else, Hunter?”
They called him by his first name? That was so wrong. She was only five years older than them, and had she not been intimate with both brothers, she would have addressed either man as Mr. Black.
Oh, shit. Had he slept with these girls? A streak of jealousy wider than the table she was standing in front up cut through her body.
“I think we’re good. Thanks again for your help.”
“Anytime.”
The redhead actually winked. Once they were out of sight, she faced him. “Do all the women come on to you?”
He pulled her close. “A lot do, but note Derek and I only want you.”
At the moment she didn’t care who was watching and rewarded him with a kiss. Derek slid up behind her and cupped her breasts.
She pulled away. “Guys. Not here.”
“Where then?”
They leaned in close. “Perhaps I could stop at my place and pick up another set of clothes and then we could shower at the Cove.”
Derek nuzzled her neck. “How about we just shower at your place?”
The thought horrified her. “The place isn’t fit for guys like you.”
Hunter laughed. “As long as we’re with you, we don’t care.” He hugged her close. “Come on.”
She wasn’t in the position to ask them to drive her to their house. The last time they let her wander she’d found their playroom. Perhaps there were other off-limit rooms they were afraid she’d discover.
“You’ll be sorry.”
Derek pulled out his phone and called a local pizza place. “Pepperoni good with you?”
If that was what they wanted, she was good. “Sure.”
They escorted her to their car. They must have seen her walk up. “Hop on in, kitten.”
Their lighthearted banter really appealed to her. If they didn’t want to be with her, they could have dropped her off at home and driven back to the Cove. Instead of heading straight for her place they stopped at a convenience store and picked up two six-packs of beer.
Protecting Their Mate [Panther Cove 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 7