* * * *
After lunch, Juliet tried to get them to take her home, but Richie wouldn’t have it. She was scared. He knew that, and it concerned him. It had his inquisitive mind reeling for explanations and the investigator in him urging to interrogate her, but he wouldn’t. He knew she needed time, convincing, seducing in a sense. Whatever her fears were, he and his brother wanted to conquer those for her or at least help her to destroy them.
He watched as she stood near the big tree. She was leaning back as Carl was showing her how he could skip rocks across the lake. Juliet was a stunning woman. Her long red hair cascaded down her back. He watched as she reached up to push her bangs aside, and her large blue eyes looked stunning. She wore very little makeup during the day. At night she wore a bit more but not overkill. Her lips looked pink and full right now, and he had watched her applying lip gloss as they had walked from the Delite Café and Diner.
Her hands were tiny and feminine. Her nails were painted strawberry red, and she watched Carl trying his hardest to make the rock skip.
Richie moved closer to her. “You look so beautiful standing here.”
She turned her head up toward him. He closed the space between them, and she attempted to slide away from the tree and his grasp, but he was too quick. In a second, he had her pinned to the tee, his arms wrapped around her waist as he hoisted her up against his body. He wedged his thigh between her legs and used his other hand to cup her cheek.
Her breath quickened, and he stared at her lips.
“I can’t not taste you, Juliet. You’re just too appealing.” He began to lower his mouth when he felt her fingers grip his upper body.
“Please, Richie. I don’t want to start something I can’t finish.”
“Why can’t you finish it? Is there someone else?” he asked, and she lowered her eyes. It would kill him and surely his brother, too, if there turned out to be another man.
“Answer me,” he demanded, giving her body a little squeeze as he hoisted her higher.
“There’s isn’t anyone else.”
He didn’t wait for her to continue to deny the feelings she had. He covered her mouth with his. He kissed her thoroughly. He enjoyed the taste of her, the way she clung tighter to him, and when she moaned, he squeezed her against him. She was so petite, tiny, and fragile compared to him, yet she was all woman and filled with curves in all the right places.
He felt her begin to pull away, but he kissed her more deeply before he released her lips slowly. He kissed along her jaw and down to her neck.
“Oh God, Richie, please slow down.”
“You taste so good, Juliet. I’ve wanted you for so long, baby.” He licked across her throat then kissed and nibbled as he pressed the palm of his hand against her ass. She must have felt his erection, because suddenly she gripped him harder to stop him.
“Richie,” she pleaded. He pulled back slightly and stared down into her eyes.
“That was really good.”
He couldn’t release her. She felt right in his arms, but he could feel her trying to distance herself from what had just happened.
He lowered her feet to the ground. She tried to step away, and he held her hand. When she turned to go in the opposite direction, Carl was there. Richie released her hand as Carl pulled her into his arms.
He cupped one of her cheeks, making her look up toward him.
“Please don’t run from this. Take a chance, Juliet. We promise to go as slow as you need.” Before she could respond, Carl kissed her, too.
Chapter 3
“Okay, spill the beans,” Alexa stated as she leaned against the bar where Juliet was mixing some drinks. They had a light crowd tonight.
Juliet looked up at her friend then walked down the bar a ways to give the two drinks to a husband and wife sitting there. She walked back over toward Alexa.
“What’s up?” she asked Alexa.
“Oh, don’t even try it. You were asking a lot of questions when I was interested in Chad and Michael.”
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Juliet replied. She looked past Alexa and around the dance floor. In the distance, she could see Richie leaning against one of the columns, talking with G-Force.
Alexa turned to see where Juliet was looking.
“Okay, I know I don’t know shit about your past, Juliet, but I still think a fair warning is due here.” Alexa’s words caught her attention.
“What are you talking about?”
“I hid a lot about my past, too. Shit, Juliet, we still don’t know anything about Elise’s past, or Ava’s for that matter. The point is we’re in this together. We’ve landed in a great town where most of the men are good, reliable men. They protect the women of Delite, and I like that best of all.”
Juliet busied herself by wiping down the counter.
“I thought you mentioned a warning.”
“I did. You can fight your attraction to Carl and Richie all you like. It won’t matter. The way the three of you look at one another when the others aren’t watching is incredible. I’ve seen that look in Chad’s and Michael’s eyes. Carl and Richie want you. They’re ex-military with secret backgrounds and all the sexy, mysterious things that truly light any sane woman’s fire. But, I hear you at night, Juliet.” Alexa lowered her head and swallowed hard. Juliet instantly felt sick to her stomach. She had picked the room in the farthest location from everyone else for that reason. She didn’t want them to worry.
“What?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. Not that Susanna and Ava don’t already know. They’re like two mother hens, and neither of them are old enough to fall under that description.” Alexa chuckled. She covered Juliet’s hand with her own.
“If something really bad happened in your past that’s keeping you from opening up your heart to dating, maybe it’s time you told someone.”
Juliet pulled her hand away and shook her head. She wouldn’t tell them that she killed Danny. She wouldn’t tell them about him.
“Okay, don’t freak out. I’m just speaking from recent experience here. Chad and Michael have helped me heal in so many ways, Juliet. I thought saying the words out loud and describing, remembering what terrible things Sally and I went through would make them dislike me or feel disgusted with me, but instead they vowed to heal me. Every day is a new step in the right direction. You deserve that, too, Juliet. We all do.”
Juliet held her gaze as her words sunk in. She was happy for Alexa, just like she was happy for Susanna and Paula, too. But her reservations were justified.
“Hey, baby doll,” Chad stated as he came up behind Alexa and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He kissed her numerous times on the neck, and Alexa chuckled.
“Hi, Juliet.” He took a seat next to Alexa and pulled Alexa onto his lap.
“There. This is much better.”
“Hey, I am working, you know,” Alexa teased.
“Well from across the room, it appears like you’re sitting at the bar alone waiting for some cowboy to mosey on up and flirt with you, maybe buy you a drink and seduce you into bed.” He nuzzled next to her neck. Alexa held him close.
“Ohh, sounds like fun. Don’t you think, Juliet?” Alexa asked, and she and Chad looked at Juliet.
“I suppose it does.” She smiled.
“Hey, the Delite Fire Department is setting up for the fair this weekend. I need some help tomorrow and Saturday morning. Any volunteers?” he asked.
“What time do you mean by morning?” Alexa asked.
“Nine o’clock or so?”
“I’m in. I think Susanna and Ava are setting up a booth for a few hours to help raise money. We’re doing some raffles to win a few free dance lessons here at Dixie Chix,” Juliet stated.
“Yeah, I think Susanna mentioned donating a flat-screen television and home theater setup to raise some funds, too,” Alexa said.
“She sure did. I’m planning on buying some of those raffle tickets. Although at night, I r
arely watch television anymore.” Chad kissed Alexa’s neck as he squeezed her to him. Alexa giggled then gave him a little slap on the arm.
“I need to go back to work. Break’s over. Let me down.”
“Give me some sugar first, sugar,” he teased, and she kissed him.
Juliet shyly looked away, and just as Alexa left, along came Richie.
Alexa turned to give Juliet a wave and a wink. As Richie passed, Alexa waved her hand in front of her as if saying that Richie looked hot. Chad seemed to catch the signal, and Juliet knew Alexa would pay for that gesture later. She laughed to herself.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Richie stated, and she whispered a “hi” before turning toward the bar tap. She was grateful when three new customers sat at the bar.
“Excuse me,” she stated then walked away.
* * * *
Richie watched Juliet walk over to the three new cowboys that sat at the bar. She smiled, and they flirted with her. His stomach clenched with annoyance and jealousy.
“So when are you and Carl going to set that woman straight?” Chad asked as he took a sip from the beer Juliet had poured him.
Richie turned toward Chad then realized that he couldn’t keep an eye on Juliet if he remained on this side of Chad. He moved to the other side, and Chad laughed.
“Can you see her better now?” Chad asked, and Richie nodded his head.
“So, what’s the deal?”
“The deal is she won’t go out with us.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Beats the hell out of me. We’ve been flirting with her, tricked her into going to lunch, and that went really well. When we’re with her, she’s sort of responsive, yet reserved. It’s like she’s on guard and hesitant.”
“Maybe she’s afraid.”
Richie took his eyes off of Juliet to look at Chad. He squinted his eyes at him. Chad leaned back and looked at Richie.
“What I’ve come to learn, and I’m certain you and Carl have picked up on it working here, is that these women are complicated but also very mysterious in their own ways. We may be ex-soldiers, Richie, but these women have pasts. Michael and I joke around about Alexa being the hardest thing we’ve ever had to infiltrate. Once she revealed her past, a little bit at a time, we learned why and we understand even the reservations she still has. It’s not easy. We’re all men who like to be in charge and are used to giving orders and acting instantly on those orders.”
“You have a point, Chad. I think that Carl and I are in the same boat here. We’ve been watching Juliet for quite some time. She’s young, too. That’s a definite concern for us, but watching other guys flirt with her? Forget it. I see fucking red, and it’s eating me up inside.”
Chad chuckled then nodded his head in agreement.
“I know what you mean. Your cousins basically had to corner Susanna and demand she pay attention to the attraction they felt.”
“Yeah, that made for some uncomfortable moments for Carl and me while running the surveillance cameras upstairs.”
They both laughed.
“Can I get you another one?” Juliet asked as she approached them.
“Sure, darling. I’m just waiting on Michael to get here.”
Richie watched as Juliet filled the mug of beer and set it down. She looked really good as usual. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and she wore that damn sexy Dixie Chix T-shirt with the rhinestones on it. Her jeans were super tight, too. As she turned then bent over to reach for something behind the lower shelf, he saw her perfectly round ass.
“Looks like we picked the best bar to sit at.” One of the cowboys stated as he and two other men took a seat at the bar. They were staring at Juliet’s ass.
Juliet turned around and smiled wide.
“Hey, fellas, what can I get y’all tonight?”
“If you come in a bottle, I’ll take one of you,” one cowboy stated, leaning far over the bar. He was going to touch her. Richie went to move when Chad grabbed his arm.
Juliet handled it fine.
“That has got to be the lamest line I have ever heard. You need to work on your pitch, Stevie,” she stated. The fact that Juliet knew the guy pissed Richie off.
“I was working on that since Saturday,” he stated, and his buddies laughed as they slapped him on the shoulders.
“Keep working, Stevie,” one of them teased.
“Aw hell, Juliet, come on and give me something good, will ya? Kelly might show up tonight or at least Friday night. I need a good line.”
She placed their mugs of beer down, and Richie was trying to figure out the situation.
“Why don’t you just be honest with her? Tell her that you find her irresistibly attractive, that you think about her all the time, and if she would just give you one moment to show how deeply you care, then she’ll understand your sincerity and devotion.”
They all stared at her and then at Stevie. His mouth dropped.
“He is not going to remember all that,” one of the guys joked, and they all started laughing.
“Can you write that down for me?” he begged, and Juliet laughed.
“Juliet, I need to change the tap on the cola,” Clifford stated.
“I’ll do it.”
Richie watched as she headed to the small room behind the bar that led down a flight of stairs to the basement where the kegs were.
“I’ll be right back,” he told Chad.
“Good luck.”
* * * *
Juliet was changing the kegs when she heard someone coming down the stairs. She was having trouble twisting the one attachment off. It always got stuck, and usually after many tries it would loosen.
“Damn it! Hey, Clifford, I think I need some help with this. It’s stuck.” She was bent over, and her ass was sticking out.
“I’ll help you.”
She heard Richie’s voice, and she gasped.
“What are you doing down here?” she asked him as he approached. He placed his hand on her hip and squeezed by her, pausing as their bodies touched.
“Helping you.”
She tried to step away, but he gripped her shirt.
“Direct me, baby.”
She knew that statement had hidden meanings. She also knew that he had watched her like a hawk tonight, and her nerves couldn’t take much more. Her nipples were hard, and her pussy throbbed. She was totally aroused, especially at the sight of him. He looked good. Too fucking good, and as she watched a few women flirting with him earlier, she thought she would lose her mind.
“Turn that one to the right. Then we need to replace it with this one.”
He leaned forward and did as she instructed. In no time the tap was changed, and Clifford yelled from upstairs indicating it was fine.
Juliet went toward the stairs when Richie snagged her around the waist. He pressed her back against the railing.
He was staring at the cleavage in the tight shirt she wore. His fingers played with the skin between the waist of her low-rise jeans and her top.
He fisted the shirt at the bottom as he held her gaze and stared down at her.
“I hate this fucking shirt. I hate that other men are looking over this perfect body of yours. A body that should belong to Carl and me.”
She took an unsteady breath as she held his forearms and embraced his masculinity with her mind and her senses but refused to physically show it.
“Please, Richie. We’ve been over this. I can’t.”
He released her top to press his hand against her cheek. His thumb caressed her lower lip, and he pressed his body tighter against her. She could feel his erection, and it turned her on.
“I find you irresistibly attractive, I think about you all the time, and if you would just give me a chance, then I will show you how deeply I care.”
She shook her head. He was using her own words, the ones she said in front of Stevie and those men, against her.
“What about devotion and sincerity?”
“That, too
.”
He covered her mouth and kissed her softly. She accepted his kiss and even his tongue as he deepened it. He explored her mouth, making her more aroused. She felt his hand move under her shirt, over her ribs and against her breast. He moaned into her mouth, and she moaned back.
His thumb pressed over her nipple, and she felt her pussy clench with need. This was a mistake. It felt so damn good, but it was a mistake.
She began to pull away when he wrapped her tighter then slowly released her lips.
“I want you so badly, Juliet. Carl and I are demanding and bossy, I know that you know that. We would never hurt you. But I am not a patient man. This feels too fucking perfect, too good to ignore.”
“Juliet, I need you up here,” Clifford called down to her, and she snapped back into reality.
“You can’t do this. I need to go.”
He stopped her as she went to fix her lipstick. He reached up and fixed it for her.
“You look perfect,” he whispered, and she straightened out her shirt, completely aware of how abrasive the material of her bra was against her oversensitive nipples. It would take a while for her to get over Richie’s touch. She may never be able to.
Chapter 4
It was closing time, and Susanna was finishing up the totals for the evening when she heard the knock on her office door.
“Come in.”
Carl and Richie entered the room.
“You wanted to see us?” Carl asked.
“Yes. Please close the door.”
She placed the last materials into her desk drawer then walked around to face the two men.
“How did it go tonight? Did you get a good feel for the layout of the club and where you may be needed most?”
“Yes. Considering it wasn’t as busy as our Friday and Saturday crowd, I think we came up with a good plan of action. Whichever one of us is on the floor, we can communicate through the sleeve mics and earbuds,” Richie stated.
The Sinful 7 of Delite, Texas 4: Double Infiltration (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 3