by Dakota Dawn
Blessed 3
Her Guys
Someone is watching her.
Untrained enchantress Katarina Russalino’s dream has come true. She’s left her mask behind and is now free to pursue the men she loves, Gaven Walker and Lunn Renolds. For years they’ve made lusty fire sing through her veins and love consume her heart.
Will a stalker kill her dreams of love and ravenous desire?
Lunn wants nothing more than Katarina cuffed and moaning between him and Gaven. Unfortunately, Gaven doesn’t trust in happily ever after for fighting men like him, but Lunn is determined to show him they can have a passionate, love-filled future with Katarina.
Their protective sides rise up when Gaven and Lunn find out someone is after their violet-eyed woman. With the help of a good witch and a sarcastic cat, they may be able to save her and bind her to them for life.
Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 41,220 words
HER GUYS
Blessed 3
Dakota Dawn
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at
[email protected]
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
HER GUYS
Copyright © 2012 by Dakota Dawn
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-958-6
First E-book Publication: November 2012
Cover design by Harris Channing
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of Her Guys by Dakota Dawn from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Dakota Dawn’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Dawn’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
To my family for making me laugh.
For all the fans of hot romance—Oh yeah!
I’d also like to thank all the people who bought this book. I hope it brings you great joy. A romantic roller coaster is always the best ride and thank goodness it can be ridden over and over again!
HER GUYS
Blessed 3
DAKOTA DAWN
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
Crack!
Gaven Walker’s head snapped back, and sweat showered anyone standing within two feet of him. The picture of a little boy looking up at him with large frightened eyes as he shook his dead mother’s shoulder became blurry. One more painful picture down, a few more dulled down and he’d be able to finish this fight. The next picture in this horrible slide show was a hungry infant crying in a dirty box in the corner while his drugged-up mom begged everyone for another fix. The image disappeared when he took a hit to his already aching solar plexus.
The demons that taunted him pulled up a picture of a twenty-year-old beaten to death because he looked like someone else. Pain and rage for the innocent he couldn’t help held him in a vise grip. The next fist to his face dulled his senses so much that he didn’t even feel the blow that came after it. One of his best friends, Ben, begging Gaven to finish him off entered his mind. The scent of gunpowder, burnt flesh, and blood flooded his system. Ben dying in his arms as he carried him out of the battle zone stabbed at his heart. He missed Ben so fucking much. Another hit slammed into his midsection. The pain in his soul eased, a little. He wished he could get it to go away for good.
Focusing on Tiny, his opponent, he dodged the next blow and delivered a punch to the other man’s cheek. Pain for them both slashed through his chest. He knew Tiny was fighting the same demons he was.
Fifteen minutes later he delivered a punch that knocked out Tiny’s tooth. Deciding he’d had enough, he called the end of the match. Tiny nodded his agreement, and both men walked out of the ring feeling lighter than they had in months. Neither of them fought for money, only release. Gaven rolled his neck as he headed for the bar to get a drink and talk to his buddy, Lunn Renolds.
As he entered the bar area of Rico’s, a hostess offered him a mask. All the employees wore them and some of the customers did as well. This bar was unique in that you could come and fight upstairs then go downstairs and have a few drinks, eat, and play pool or darts. Down in the basement a person could hook up with someone else looking for love or just plain lust. He was not here for that, so he never went into the basement. He didn’t have anything against those who did, though.
Seeing his friend, he smiled then grimaced when pain shot through his jaw. Lunn had spotted him as well and grinned at his discomfort. Pulling out a chair, he plopped down and gently rubbed his jaw.
Lunn shook his head. “When are you going to learn to dodge? Dodging and hitting others is just as therapeutic as hitting and taking a hit, but you don’t have all the pain the next day.”
Catching the waitress’s eye, he ordered a beer and then turned back to Lunn. “I wish it were that simple.”
Lunn rubbed his red knuckles. “I beat another fool out of his money tonight. But it’s not the same now. I have all the money I need. I think we should find a new outlet for relaxation.”
“For me it’s all about peace. I wish I could find it in a different way. If I could I’d latch onto it with both hands and never let go,” he replied as he watched the waitress return with his beer.
Lunn tapped his arm. “Violet eyes just appeared. You missed her looking our way. I swear it looked like she was searching for us. Her eyes darted back and forth un
til they landed on you, and then she turned and looked at me for a second. She does that every time we come here. I think she likes us.”
“If she’s smart she’ll steer clear of all the men in this club, including us.” Even though he knew it was the truth, a part of him longed to be loved by her. He swung his gaze to the bar and watched as she smiled at the customers near her and filled a few drink orders. She had been working at this place for the whole seven years he’d been coming here. Something about her drew his and Lunn’s attention and had from the moment they’d met the beauty. Her violet eyes shone with innocence and joy. His cock stirred, but he ignored it with great effort.
Lunn leaned in closer. “Something about her drives me crazy. The way she can’t hold my gaze makes me want to tie her up and dominate her all night long. I want to make her beg for release, and when she’s squirming in need I’d push her over the edge and make her climax last for at least five minutes.”
“I hear you, but she’s only here to work, nothing more. And I’m not here to hook up any more than you are,” he shot back.
“For her I’d make an exception.”
“Give it up. She may not be into your kind of kink.” He watched how the light shone on her dark hair, and he pushed aside the dream of him running his fingers through that dark mass of glory. Her chest was small, but he knew the mounds would be soft under his rough fingers. The flare of her hips made him want to grab hold of them tightly and fuck her senseless.
Lunn leaned back and watched her buzz around the bar. “I think she just might be.”
He snorted, but wondered if she was. He also wondered what color her eyes really were. Nobody he’d ever seen had been born with violet eyes. He remembered seeing a few women with violet eyes at a concert. One of the women had sneezed hard five times in a row. When she was through with her sneezing fit one of her contacts had shifted, leaving her with one eye that was half brown and half violet. That hadn’t stopped him from admiring her contacts, though. Hell he loved them. The thought of gazing into Flower’s mesmerizing eyes while he plunged into her soft, hot pussy made his cock swell with desire.
When she passed the end of the bar, a customer grabbed her wrist and drunkenly stated, “It’s time you stop being a snob and go downstairs with me. I’ll make sure you enjoy it.”
“Let go of me.” Her response was rapid and firm.
Working here, she’d probably had this happen many times to her. That thought spurred his anger. He really hated bullies picking on the innocent. Especially her, a voice whispered in his heart. Knowing he wasn’t worthy of her love, he pushed the thought aside.
“Never,” the drunk man replied.
Another customer stepped in and decked the guy then followed him to the floor and started beating the shit out of the drunken man. The bouncer rushed over and pulled the sober man off the drunken fool. “Bill, you know you are not allowed to fight in here. Go upstairs if you need to fight. There are plenty of sober men who would love to fight you.”
Bill pointed at the man on the floor. “He was being rude to my girl.”
“Flower is not your girl. None of the girls here date the customers. You know that. Now go home and come back when you are in a better frame of mind.”
Bill looked over at the dark-haired beauty. “One day you will be mine.”
The bouncer took a step closer to Bill. The man put his hands up in surrender then turned and headed for the door. At the exit he looked over his shoulder at Flower then spoke something before leaving the club. Gaven wondered what the upset man had said.
As he watched, the violet-eyed dream smiled at the bouncer then returned to her office behind the bar. He nudged Lunn. “I’m glad that Bill guy didn’t persist. I would have hated to have had to kick his ass, especially after he defended her.”
Lunn rubbed his knuckles. “Yeah, I would have been right beside you. Some guys just don’t get it when a girl’s not interested in them. Makes it rough for the girl.”
“Unfortunately you see a lot of that in places like this.” He looked at the door she had gone through. “What do you think her real name is?”
“I have no clue. The bouncers never slip up and give out the girls’ real names. It is smart of the owner to make the girls wear half-face masks and make up names to put on their name tags,” Lunn stated.
“Flower is a good name for her. She smells just like one.” Her fragrance always stuck in his mind for days after leaving being near her. Earlier this evening when he’d paid her to fight, he’d happily inhaled her delicious aroma.
Lunn nodded. “Yeah, her scent makes my dick hard. It turns into a hungry monster every time I’m near her. She’s the only woman that does that to me, even though all the other women that work here are intriguing, too. Maybe it’s the mysterious atmosphere coupled with her exotic eyes.”
Gaven surveyed the room. “I hear you. Sunny is cute, and I like her golden hair. Blueberry always smells just like a blueberry muffin. But there is something special about Flower.”
“Very true.” Lunn scanned the club. “This is definitely a unique place to be.”
He drank the last swig of his beer. “Speaking of places to be, I better head out. I have to be at the pub in the morning.”
As he stood up, Tiny came over. “You leaving?”
“Yeah, my weekend is up. Got to get back to the real world.”
Tiny looked at Lunn. “You want to try to beat me at a game of pool?”
Lunn picked up his beer bottle and stood. “Why not? I’m feeling lucky tonight.”
“If that’s the case maybe I should play with someone else. I already lost a tooth to Gaven.”
He laughed. “It’s not my fault you didn’t duck.”
“True, very true.” Tiny eyeballed Lunn. “I think I’ll do better at the pool table.”
He snorted. “Good luck with that. See you guys later.”
Lunn gave him a man hug. “I’ll come by the pub soon. Watch for idiots on the road.”
“You, too, man.” As he walked away he wondered if the violet-eyed beauty was all right and why she chose to work in a place like this. Only troubled men hung out here.
* * * *
With a racing heart and trembling hands, Katarina Russalino watched Gaven walk to his truck through her father’s office window. Beneath his sweat-soaked T-shirt she could see his muscles ripple as he opened his truck door and slid in. Even after several rounds of fighting he still walked across the parking lot with confidence and strength. As he drove away, her heart ached to go with him. Because of the wildly decorated mask that covered half of her face when she worked, he couldn’t tell she was in love with him. He wouldn’t ever recognize her away from her father’s club.
Her papa’s voice carried over to her. “I know he’s gone, little flower. You can stop looking out the window. Why do you moon over him? He is a troubled man. Letting him go would be the best thing you could do.” Walking over to her, he took her mask off. “You are so beautiful. Just like your mother. I wish she was still alive. We both need her. She would know how to talk to you. How to guide you as you search for a lover, a partner in life.” His voice broke, and he turned away from her.
A tear trickled down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. Her mother had died when she was five years old. A plane trip to her homeland of Spain had taken her life. Everyone died in the crash. Her papa had never gotten over the loss of his wife. She still missed her ever-smiling mom as well. The doll she and her mom had picked out right before her mom got on the plane sprang to the forefront of her mind. A hint of her mother’s lipstick still lingered on the doll’s face. She had giggled when her mom had kissed and hugged her doll before hugging and kissing her for the last time. For years she’d held that doll every night. It comforted her then and to this day. She’d take it with her when she left her papa’s home.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You’ve done a fine job raising me, papa. I love you very much.”
“I love you,
too, little flower.” He paused and then ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t watch you loving this man from afar any longer. You don’t belong here. This place is not for you. I have you hiding behind a mask, for God’s sake. How can you find your true partner when all you see are broken men coming and going?”
Not liking where this was going, she prodded, “I could remove my mask.”
“Never! Not here. I make you wear a mask so the men who come here will never know how beautiful you are. You are not meant for this world. You are not tormented as we are. You are pure. I want you to go stay with your aunt. She’ll help you find the right man for you.” Guilt flashed in his eyes. “She knows you’re coming. I called her while you were at the bar mooning over Gaven. You must leave tonight.” As he spoke, his voice became more determined.
She wasn’t as pure as he thought. In college she’d had two sexual partners, trying to get over Gaven and Lunn. Neither man made her heart pound the way Gaven and Lunn did. They were never far from her mind, and when they were in the same room as her, she always knew exactly where they were. Like she was invisibly linked to them.
“No, Papa. I will not look for another. Not until I find out how he feels about me.” Placing her hand over her heart, she pleaded, “He is a vital part of me. I don’t know how or why he is. All I know is that he is. From the moment I laid eyes on him seven years ago, I have never been able to look at another man the way I look at him. No man makes me feel the way he makes me feel.” Except his friend Lunn, she thought, but she would never tell her papa that. “Soon I will be ready to seek him out. In two months, I will have my masters in hospitality. When I graduate, I plan to move close to him and get to know him. If this love is meant to be, I’ll soon find out. Please understand this is something I must do.”