“Meet our other brother Douglas,” Michael whispered then kissed her neck, somehow easing the intensity of the situation but not her guard. She felt overwhelmed at the moment, and now four sexy, hot men stood around her. What they had in store for her she didn’t know.
* * * *
Douglas wanted to laugh out loud when he heard the way Mikayla had spoken to his brothers. Although he and Pierre were adopted into the Fromm family, he still thought of them as his brothers. They were extremely close, and if it weren’t for their parents, Rosette and Miguel, Lawrence, and William, then he probably would have wound up dead on the side streets of New Orleans.
This woman was gorgeous, classy, and very young. Perhaps too young to truly understand such dominant men like he and his brothers.
“It’s nice to meet you, Douglas. Are there any other brothers hiding in the woodwork?” she asked with a bit of attitude. That surprised him, considering the fearful appearance she showed as he entered the house.
“No, sugar, I’m the last one,” he whispered and even he was surprised at how deep and dominant his voice sounded. He looked her body over, and he liked what he saw. She was built real well, with breasts that were more than a handful, and he had big hands. A firm, flat waist, an hourglass figure with an ass that stuck out just so. She had the cutest little pixie nose, and her huge brown eyes looked large as saucers right now. He had to hide his chuckle. She was freaking out. Damn, his dick was getting harder and harder by the second. He swallowed hard but maintained his cool even though she made him feel nothing but hot.
“Well, thank the Lord, ’cause I think I’m going to pass out,” she whispered, and she began to sway, only to have Michael lift her up into his arms and carry her through the doorway into the living room. They all followed, full of concern as Michael laid her on the couch and Antoine began to check her over.
* * * *
“What are you feeling, baby?” Antoine asked. He took her wrist and began to take her pulse as he stared into her eyes.
“I’m just a little lightheaded and, oh, sort of freaked out,” she whispered and he smiled at her, laying her hand back down before he caressed her rosy cheeks. She was a bit overheated.
“Why don’t we take this off, sugar, so you can cool down.” He began to lift her up while Michael helped remove the light jacket that matched her dress. Her skin looked silky soft, and she had toned arms, which made him wonder and hope that she worked out. He and his brothers loved to work out and keep in shape.
“How does that feel?” Antoine asked.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be such a mess. I can’t believe that I’m reacting like this.”
“What are you so freaked out about?” Michael asked over Antoine’s shoulder.
“Well, first of all there are four of you, and he just showed up today and bought a six-million-dollar home, and I’m just praying it wasn’t a joke or a lie of some sort because if it is, my career and business are done. Finished. Then this guy appears, and well, look at him. He’s huge and, oh God, so damn good looking, and then there’s you two who haven’t called me in weeks, and well I’m just utterly confused. So now that I’ve embarrassed myself, I think I should leave.” She sat up.
Antoine chuckled but placed his hands on her knees and held them.
“Sugar, don’t be embarrassed. We haven’t called you in weeks because we’ve been so damn busy. I told you that, but my schedule’s easing up, so we will definitely be spending some serious time together.” Antoine leaned up and kissed her on the cheek.
She swallowed hard, appearing adorable and very unsure at the moment. She spoke her mind.
“That’s rather presumptuous of you, Antoine. Perhaps I’m too busy to entertain dating at the moment,” she stated but lowered her eyes to her hands.
Michael sat down on the couch next to her and pulled her closer to him. His face was inches from yours.
“What Antoine said goes for me, too. I’ve been trying to track down Flores, which brings me to my question for you. Why would you accept an invitation to dinner from a man you’ve never met before when you know that I told you to take precautions because of what happened back in Orchidea with Illeanna?”
She let out a huge breath of air then looked at Pierre then shook her head.
“Well, look at him. He’s a good-looking man, very polite, and he just caused the biggest deal of my career. If he said to come to dinner, then I was going to dinner.”
Antoine laughed, but Michael was still angry.
“That easily you’d forget about Antoine and I?” He challenged her, and the poor thing looked so worried that she’d offended them.
“No, of course not but you hadn’t called and we haven’t exactly gone out on a date or anything, Michael, so what the heck?”
“Tonight’s our date,” Michael replied then swiftly pulled her against him and kissed her. It was a long and thorough kiss, and by the way Mikayla held on to Michael, and reciprocated, they were headed in the right direction.
When he released her lips, he smiled at her.
“I’ve been waiting to do that for over a month,” he admitted then gently rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip.
“Hey, Mikayla, for the record, I am definitely buying that house. I need it for a business venture, and it just so happened that I heard Michael and Antoine recommend you to numerous people they know. I never lie when it comes to money or when I make a promise. But, knowing that you were so thrilled with the big sale and that you were willing to do anything I asked of you tonight—”
Antoine was wondering where he was going with this.
“Let’s start this date over. It’s the first date for all of us, and I think that Mrs. Spencer had dinner ready. She is probably anxious to meet the first and only woman we have ever brought home.”
Antoine stood up and held out his hand for her to take it. She shook her head as if debating still on whether to run or stay, and his heart raced with worry that she would choose the former
But then her delicate, feminine hand was in his much larger one. He helped her stand, and they headed toward the dining area.
* * * *
Mikayla walked with them to the dining area. She could hear the sound of soft jazz music playing in the background. She couldn’t help but hope that Mrs. Spencer was old and gray and not some bombshell in a French maid’s costume with her ass hanging out.
She swallowed hard. She had never been a jealous person before, but instantly she wanted all four of these men, and she wasn’t willing to share. Truth be told, she wasn’t going to jump in bed with them either. She wasn’t easy. She had only one lover, and it lasted a matter of six months. Justin left her for another woman, one with better looks and more money. Her faults destroyed her chances of happiness. She wasn’t going to jump into a sexathon with these men. Besides, she didn’t know anything about Douglas or his interests. She wouldn’t be used, and she wanted more.
She felt the hand at her back and thought it was Antoine, but when she looked back, it was Douglas. Her belly did a series of backflips.
He pulled out the chair for her.
“Mikayla, you sit here, and by the way, you look real pretty in that dress,” he stated then took the seat across from her along with Pierre. Michael and Antoine sat on either side of her.
“Mrs. Spencer, meet Mikayla Aubert.” Pierre introduced Mikayla, and when she looked up, she was relieved to see an older, blonde-haired woman in her mid-fifties maybe. She was wearing regular clothes with a yellow apron that said “never trust a skinny chef.” Illeanna would love that apron.
“Hello, dear,” Mrs. Spencer said as she reached her hand out to Mikayla.
“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Mikayla,” she replied with a wink then began to walk toward the side table and grab two bottles of wine.
“Red or white, Mikayla?” she asked. Mikayla sure could have used a stiff drink about now, but she opted for a glass of r
ed.
“Thank you,” she stated then waited a moment before she sipped the wine. It was really good and helped to calm her nerves a little. That was until Pierre spoke.
“You like it?” Pierre asked from across the table, and when she looked up, she could see that Douglas pinned her with a dead stare. What the heck was he thinking? Was he trying to read her mind? She stared right back at him and raised her eyebrows at him in challenge. She had no idea why she did it, but it apparently had no visual effect on him, so she turned toward Pierre.
“It is very good.”
“Mrs. Spencer made cornmeal-crusted catfish with green beans and roasted potatoes,” Pierre told her, and she felt her stomach growl. She had been so nervous today meeting her new client, Mr. Bently, well, Pierre, that she had not eaten lunch. That’s why she felt so faint before. Damn.
“Is something wrong, Mikayla? If you don’t like catfish, Mrs. Spencer can whip up something else I’m sure,” Michael stated.
“I can make something else for you.” Mrs. Spencer walked back into the dining area carrying a basket of bread. Mikayla could see the steam coming off of it.
“Oh, no, I love catfish. I was just remembering that I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. It has been a crazy day.”
Mikayla noticed that Mrs. Spencer immediately left the room, and now all four men were staring at her with hard expressions.
“No wonder you felt faint. Mikayla, you shouldn’t skip meals,” Antoine stated firmly, and she wondered what was up with their attitude. She had skipped meals plenty of times with her busy schedule. And with hips and ass as big as hers, she could stand to lose a few pounds.
“Uhm, I forget sometimes if I’m real busy. It’s not a big deal,” she stated to their stern expressions, being sure to avoid eye contact. They were making her feel weird.
She took a sip of wine, and Antoine took her hand and brought it to his chest.
“You don’t think you’re fat, do you?”
“What?” She tried to pull her hand away.
She was just hard on herself because she sat a lot to work on the computer and couldn’t get to the gym or anything for weeks at a time. This was getting strange. How could they ask such personal questions?
“Because, sugar, you’ve got the perfect body. We don’t like our women skinny and bony. We like to hold them and feel our woman in our arms. Especially like a nice round ass to hold on to when we’re making love,” Douglas said as he held her gaze and then took a sip of his wine. She watched him lick his lip afterward and, golly geez, did she just wet her panties?
Her temperature was rising very quickly around these men. They were discussing sex, and she was trying to stay unaffected right now. Was this really a first date, and technically wasn’t there a rule against sex on the first date? Fuck! No, no fucking. Clear your head, woman, these men are pros.
“Well, first of all, Douglas, I don’t fall into the category as any of your women. This is a first date, and as far as my eating habits, they’re none of your business. I’m a busy woman with a career. Sometimes food has to wait.” She heard her voice shaking, and damn, by the look of annoyance on Douglas’s face, she was going to regret responding the way she did.
Michael touched her cheek so that she would turn toward him. She saw the intensity in his eyes that matched Douglas’s.
“Sugar, that’s where you’re all wrong. You are our woman. At least we are hoping that you’ll say yes when we explain our intentions over dessert.”
She couldn’t help but take a very shaky breath. Were they for real? Was this really going to happen?
“Supper!” Mrs. Spencer exclaimed as she began to place platters of the food onto the table.
“Do you need any help?” Mikayla asked, and she heard the men drop their forks and stare at her.
“Oh no, dear, this is my job. You enjoy yourselves and leave the dishes when you’re done.”
“Thank you,” Mikayla stated, and the men followed suit, thanking Mrs. Spencer before she left the room.
Now how the hell was she supposed to eat? As she looked up, she saw Douglas staring at her, and then he nodded his head toward her plate.
“I’m a big girl, Douglas, you don’t need to give me that look.”
“I’m not giving you a look sugar, I’m just imagining having you for dessert.”
She was shocked, and damn, it turned her on, too. She felt her cheeks set on fire and her hand shake while she took her first bite of food. Thank the lord that Mrs. Spencer was a great cook. Mikayla focused on that and cleared her entire plate.
“More wine?” Michael offered then poured her another glass. She was on her second and needed to slow down so she could keep up with these guys.
She was grateful when they began talking about work and what was happening in each of their lives. It was a nice conversation, and she learned that Douglas was a businessman. He made most of his money with an importing and exporting business and something about that caused a bit of tension between Douglas, Antoine, and Michael.
Finally they got to Pierre, and she learned that he dabbled in everything and was some sort of entrepreneur who owned restaurants and other businesses.
“Two of my sisters own a restaurant and now a third sister of mine is expanding the business with them,” Mikayla offered.
“Really? Where is this restaurant?” Pierre asked.
“Oh, it’s in Orchidea.”
“Orchidea is a desolate town isn’t it?” Pierre asked, and Mikayla smiled.
“If that’s what the word is on the streets, then so be it,” she replied with sarcasm. That was one of the reasons why it stayed so pleasant and nontouristy. But once Secret Pleasures opened, there would be lots of visitors. Of course all the surrounding land was not for sale. The late Frederick Parkinson ensured that the land would remain in the family name and undeveloped.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Pierre asked, sounding very intrigued.
“Well, Orchidea is a nice private town and community that strives on remaining close knit and small. Only recently have some businesses been branching out and advertising outside of the town to bring in more business.”
“Mikayla’s sister Angelique has a franchise of lingerie stores and is opening up the main one in Orchidea. It’s called Secret Pleasures,” Michael stated.
“Lingerie, huh?” Douglas asked, eying her over again then smiling. Damn, did that man know how to give sexy looks.
“Yes, it’s going to be great. Then of course Illeanna, along with Angelina and Ellena, will open up and expand Aubert’s to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There’s even going to be entertainment eventually. We’re all contributing financially so that it’s a family investment.” She was proud of that.
“That’s really nice, and how many sisters do you have?”
“There are five of us.”
“And your parents?” Douglas asked.
She lowered her head and played with her fingers a moment. She hated talking about them. Life had always been rough because they were on their own.
“We don’t have any.”
* * * *
Douglas was shocked. Here he was thinking that Mikayla was well used to having things at her disposal. She seemed so down-to-earth and it kind of bothered him that she could take not eating so lightly. He had known what it was like to starve and not eat for days at a time. People took simple things for granted. But it appeared that Mikayla was resilient. He really wanted to get to know her.
As Antoine began to talk about the hospital and some of his upcoming surgeries, it gave Douglas another opportunity to watch Mikayla. She was striking and wore hardly any makeup at all. He recalled finding Michael’s description of her appearing like a porcelain doll humorous at the time, and he’d thought the man was out of his mind. Douglas had seen plenty of beautiful women but none as lovely as Mikayla.
She stared at Antoine as he spoke about his profession. He was impressive just as Pierre certainly was. He and Pie
rre shared a similar childhood before the Fromms had taken them in. Being an orphan and living on the streets with gangs and criminals had made them rough and heartless at times. He felt the sting of reality. Could he ever get over his past and focus on his present and perhaps his future? He smiled as Mikayla laughed at something Michael said, and he wondered if his future was right in front of him and whether he was ready to open up.
“How about we head back into the living room for some cognac and dessert?” Pierre suggested as Mrs. Spencer entered the dining room.
“Are you sure I can’t help you clean up the dishes? I’m used to doing it, really, and it’s no bother at all,” Mikayla said as she began to gather the dishes.
Douglas noted that Pierre looked a bit annoyed. Pierre and his hang-ups about money and prestige. He would never allow a woman of his to dirty her hands. He had seen some of the gold diggers he dated. They were solely after his money and power.
“Oh, dear, it’s really fine. I can handle it.”
“Please, it’s the least I can do for such an exceptional meal. Please let me?” Mikayla asked as she held some dirty plates in her hand.
“That’s really sweet of you, Mikayla. We’ll meet you in the living room,” Michael stated as he nudged Pierre’s arm and led their brother out of the room.
Douglas was shocked. Pierre had actually let her do it.
* * * *
They headed into the living room, not so patiently waiting on Mikayla.
“I thought you were going to have a stroke letting Mikayla help Mrs. Spencer,” Antoine said to Pierre as he poured the glasses of cognac.
Pierre ran a hand through his hair.
“She is something else. Completely more than what you each described.” Pierre looked toward the doorway.
“She has a way about her. I don’t know what it is, but she’s special,” Michael stated.
“I think we need to make our intentions known. Part of the idea about getting involved in a ménage relationship was so that the woman we chose would never be lonely. Our careers entail taking up a lot of our time. Mikayla needs to come first,” Antoine stated.
Mikayla [Orchidea: Love on the Bayou 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4