by Becca Van
“Your temperature spiked to dangerous levels and you were convulsing, Jaylynn. You have no idea how fucking scared we were to find you that way. The doc gave you two shots, an antibiotic in case you had an unseen infection and a strong painkiller to ease the aches in your body and bring your fever down.”
She shook her head because she didn’t remember any of that.
“Don’t fucking shake your head at me,” Ajay snapped. “You were so out of it you had no idea what was going on.”
She drew in a ragged breath and shifted her gaze toward Cael when he clasped her foot over the quilt. Jaylynn remembered being sick and so exhausted afterward she hadn’t been able to move, but nothing else. No wonder she felt so awful. She had no idea what to do to get healthy again. She’d never met anyone who’d had glandular fever and didn’t know much about it other than it was sometimes called the kissing disease. She frowned over that because she hadn’t kissed anyone.
Ever.
That asshole she’d tried to neuter didn’t count since he’d forced his kiss on her.
How the hell had she contracted glandular fever? Was it contagious? Could she pass her illness on to the Rhodes brothers? She didn’t want to do that, but she wasn’t even sure she had the disease. Phoenix could have diagnosed her incorrectly, couldn’t he? She might only have a bad case of the flu. It had been making its rounds across America and from what she’d heard it was a harmful strain which had killed a lot of people.
There was no way she was going to take time off work even if her generous bosses had said they’d pay her the full month the doctor had suggested she needed off. She didn’t work that way. She’d always paid her own way and wasn’t going to stop now. Plus, she wasn’t staying here with Cael, Brax, and Ajay. She could end up giving her feelings away and that would be a huge embarrassment. What she needed to do was leave and head back to her apartment. She’d concede to taking the rest of the week off, but then she was returning to work at the diner. She had rent and bills to pay.
“Please call me a cab.”
Chapter Five
“You’ve always been stubborn, but this is just fucking ludicrous,” Cael said angrily.
“You can bitch as much as you want to, but you aren’t going anywhere.” Brax sighed.
Ajay grabbed the tray of food and placed it in her lap. “You’re going to stay here with us in our home, so we can look after you. Eat the damn food.”
“I don’t have to do what you tell me.” She folded her arms beneath her breasts and instantly regretted it when she noticed Cael was staring at her chest and quickly unfolded her arms.
“You’re going to eat everything on that plate, even if I have to spoon feed you while you’re tied to the bed,” Cael stated calmly.
Jaylynn sighed with frustrated resignation. The three brothers were staring at her with implacable resolve and she knew she wasn’t going to win this round. Besides, all of a sudden, she was starving, and her belly was grumbling. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten a decent meal. She could have eaten at the diner when she’d been on break, but lately just thinking about food had turned her stomach. Maybe that was because she’d been fighting whatever illness she’d picked up. Why was she hungry now though? Was it because she finally purged what had been upsetting her system? Maybe she was fighting an infection and the antibiotics were doing their job. She gave a mental shrug. She might never know.
* * * *
Cael sighed with relief when Jaylynn picked up the fork and broke off a piece of the vegetable omelet and lifted it to her mouth. He thought they may have finally gotten through to her, but knew that she’d no doubt try and fight them again.
He’d never forget seeing her small, delicate body convulsing on the bathroom floor. Seeing her so ill had scared the shit out of him. He wondered if Brax or Ajay was going to ask her again why she’d left Fort Worth. They had to have noticed she’d avoided answering the question. There were so many things they needed to discuss, but what worried him the most was the sadness he could see in the depths of her beautiful green eyes. He hated seeing those deep shadows of sorrow and wanted to ask her why she was so unhappy. She was no doubt still grieving her brother’s death, but he had a feeling there was more to her melancholy than Sebastian dying.
He was grateful to Sheriff Luke Sun-Walker for giving him and his brothers the time they need to take care of Jaylynn. Cael hoped by the time the month was up they’d convinced her to stay and live with them permanently as their woman.
Neither, he, Ajay or Brax said a word until she’d finished eating her meal. Ajay took the empty plate from her, set it back on the tray and handed her the steaming mug of coffee. He’d made it with milk and hoped she still drank it that way. When he remembered her taking a sip of his black coffee years ago and then spitting it out, he almost smiled. She’d been so disgusted with the way he took his coffee, she almost choked. However, she laughed at herself after she’d regained her breath. Jaylynn had been so happy, but the woman he’d remembered was nowhere to be seen.
She’d lost so much, and they’d been deployed more often than not. He wondered if their absences had brought on the change in her. If it had, he hoped to rectify the situation. Cael wasn’t going to give up until the sparkle of life and laughter was back in her gorgeous jade green eyes.
“Why did you leave Fort Worth?” Cael asked.
“What did I have to stay for?” she countered with her own question.
“You had us, baby.” Brax frowned.
“No, I didn’t.”
Cael knew she hadn’t meant to say that when color crept up her cheeks and she lowered her gaze.
“What the hell does that mean?” Ajay asked.
“You were away fighting for our country, which I thank you for, but I couldn’t stay there any longer.”
“Why?” Cael asked.
“Sebastian was in every room. Everywhere I walked, I saw his smiling face, heard his deep laugh. I couldn’t stay. There were too many memories, too much grief.”
“Why didn’t you talk to us, tell us how you felt?” Brax asked. “We could have helped you find a place and packed up your things. You could have stayed with us. We were worried sick about you, baby. We all had nightmares of hearing about you being found dead on the news.”
“Are you in trouble, sweetness?” Cael asked. “We can help you if you are.”
She frowned, bit her lip and slowly shook her head. “I’m not in any trouble.”
Cael had a feeling she wasn’t being quite truthful, but he would come back to that later. They needed to sort things out and tell her what was going to happen. He knew they wouldn’t be able to keep her in their home against her will, but he hoped she’d agree to stay with them. When he remembered what the doc had said, he decided to tell her. “Dr. Carter said if you don’t rest up and start eating properly you could end up with chronic fatigue syndrome. If you get that it will take you months, maybe even years to get over it. You need to follow his orders to the letter, so you don’t end up permanently debilitated with fatigue.”
“I can’t afford to take a month off work, Cael. I have rent and bills to pay.”
“Not anymore you don’t,” Ajay said.
“What?”
“We’ve already packed up your things and brought them here,” Brax explained. “When I told you earlier that your clothes were in the dresser and the closet, I meant all of them. You no longer live in the apartment above the diner. You live here with us.”
“You had no right!”
“We had every right,” Brax responded. “Your brother trusted us to look after you and we’re not going to go back on a promise we made him, just because you’ve got a bee in your bonnet about something.”
As soon as Brax said those words, Cael knew his brother had hit the nail on the head because of the guilt he saw flash across Jaylynn’s eyes.
“How long?” she asked.
“How long what?” Ajax quirked a brow.
“How lon
g are you going to live here? How long do you expect me to stay here? I have a life and I’m sure you don’t want me cramping your style. Ever heard of a third wheel, or should that be fourth wheel? You think I didn’t see you bring women home to share between you. I may have been younger, but I’m not that fucking naïve or stupid.”
“This is our house, baby,” Brax said. “We own it outright. As for the other, you don’t need to worry about that.”
“The hell I don’t,” she retorted. “No woman is going to want or put up with another female staying in her house with the men she loves. It won’t work. She’ll be jealous, and it will cause problems. I’m not going to come between you and your girlfriend or girlfriends.”
“You won’t,” Ajay replied.
“You don’t know that. You could meet someone tomorrow and click. She’s not going to want to come to your house if I’m here.”
“We’ve already met someone,” Cael said, staring intently at Jaylynn.
If he hadn’t been watching her so avidly he might have missed the tears pooling in her eyes and the soft gasp of pain when she inhaled.
In that moment, he knew one of the reasons why Jaylynn had left Fort Worth. She’d had a crush on them when she was younger, but seemed to have quickly gotten over her infatuation. Maybe she had, now he suspected she was attracted to them again. His heart and soul lit up with joy and determination. She was going to be their woman. He wasn’t going to let her get away from them again.
“I’m happy for you,” she said in a hoarse voice, still keeping her gaze down. “I think it would be better if I went back to my apartment. What’s your girlfriend going to think if she finds out I’m living in your spare bedroom?”
“It’s not the spare bedroom, honey,” Ajay said.
“Whatever.” Jaylynn handed her empty coffee mug to Brax and shoved at Ajay.
Ajay frowned, but rolled to his feet so she could get up if she needed to. Cael could tell his brothers were concerned she was feeling ill again, but he knew differently. He stood and hurried around the bed until he was standing in front of her.
“You need to move.” Jaylynn poked him in the chest.
“Do you need the bathroom, sweetness? Are you feeling sick again?”
“No. Please get out of my way.”
“I’m not letting you get dressed, Jaylynn. You belong here with us.”
“I do n—”
Cael leaned down as he bracketed her face between his hands and pressed his mouth to hers. She gasped and groaned, giving him the edge he needed. He licked into her mouth, rubbing his tongue along hers, before swirling and twirling in an erotic passionate dance of need. He kissed her like he’d wanted to for a couple of years. All the pent-up lust and emotion he’d had locked down tight came bubbling up as he ravaged her mouth. He growled when she melted against him, removed his hands from her face and wrapped his arms around her waist. They kissed, nipped and licked at each other as if they were starving. He wasn’t sure about Jaylynn, but he was and had been famished for what felt like forever. This was the first opportunity he’d had to show her how much he cared for her. She was a mature independent woman and there was no longer any need to hide his attraction.
When he felt her nails digging into his chest he broke the kiss and panted for air. Even though she was still ill, pale and way too slim, she was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. However, he wasn’t a saint and had normal manly urges.
He, Brax, and Ajay had always made sure the women they brought home knew the score. Most of them had been eager to be with them just so they could brag to their friends about fucking a Marine. He hadn’t cared at the time, but he had a feeling their woman was inexperienced. When he’d first started kissing her, she’d been hesitant, tentative as if she didn’t know what to do. As soon as she stopped thinking, let go so the passion could take hold, she’d burned him up from the inside out. His cock was as hard as a spike and aching so much he was almost in pain, but if he was right, they were going to have to go slow with her. Plus, she was still fucking sick.
“What did you do that for?” She covered her mouth and looked utterly horrified.
Cael’s heart sank, and he wondered if he’d just fucked up all their chances to have a long-lasting relationship with Jaylynn. She shouldn’t have kissed him back if she wasn’t interested. He mentally shook his head as he peered into her hazy green eyes. There was color in her cheeks and when he glanced down her body, he saw how hard her nipples were. And from the way she had her thighs clenched together, her clit was probably throbbing with need. He finally remembered to answer her question. “Because you’re ours, sweetness.”
She shook her head.
Brax and Ajay, who’d gained their feet while Cael had been kissing her breathless, moved closer to her. Ajay embraced her from behind and Brax laced his fingers with hers.
“You were like a little sister to us, baby,” Brax said.
“You were one of our friend’s sister and we just wanted to make sure you were okay. We hated that you were alone a lot of the time, honey. You were so strong and mature,” Ajay whispered against her ear. “But our feelings changed not long after Seb died. You were twenty-two and while we wanted to start dating you, we were still in the Marines. We didn’t want to start anything only to be sent on a mission. We’ve seen some of our comrades’ lives fall apart because their women couldn’t handle them being away so much. We weren’t about to start something only to have you walk away.”
“I-I…”
“Why did you leave, Jaylynn?” Cael asked again.
She shook her head.
“Why did you leave, baby?” Brax palmed her face and locked gazes with her.
“Why did you leave, honey?” Ajay asked as he pulled her tighter against him.
“Let me go,” she demanded in a shaky voice.
“Never!” Cael, Brax, and Ajay said at the same time.
“We’ve lost you once, Jaylynn. We aren’t about to lose you a second time,” Ajay said emphatically.
“You don’t even like me,” she wailed hoarsely. “I was a burden to you all. A promise you made to my brother, which you regretted.”
“Why would you say that?” Brax asked. “You never have and never will be a burden, Jaylynn. We loved watching over you, loved spending time with you.”
“Brax is right, honey. We used to hate it when we’d be called away. We’d much rather have spent all our time with you. You made us laugh.” Ajay kissed the top of her head.
“You’re lying. I saw you with those women. I saw you laughing as you looked over to our house. You were probably lamenting with your latest fuck about how annoyed you were for making that promise to Seb.”
“Do you think I go around kissing every pretty woman?” Cael asked.
“How should I know? I can’t read your fucking mind.”
“Watch your mouth, Jaylynn. I don’t like to hear you dropping the f-bomb,” Brax said.
“Oh, you fucking hypocrite.” Jaylynn poked Brax in the chest. “Y’all say fuck and more all the time. That is such a double standard. I can say what I fucking like, whenever I fucking want.”
“You’re right.” Brax rubbed the back of his neck.
“What?” Jaylynn cupped her ear and tilted her head. “I’m not sure I heard you right. Can I get that in writing?”
Smack.
Cael bit his lip when Jaylynn spun around to scowl at Ajay.
“You didn’t just fucking hit me. Tell me you didn’t.”
“No, I didn’t hit you, honey. I tapped you on the ass for that smart mouth of yours.”
Cael stepped in between Ajay and Jaylynn to break up their stare fest. He could tell by the slump of her shoulders that she was tired again, but knew she’d never admit it. Not even if he offered her a million bucks. He mentally snorted. She’d probably tear up the check and throw it in his face if he wrote her one, no matter how much was on it.
Jaylynn was a good person. He’d actually seen her coming out of a soup
kitchen one afternoon just after she’d turned seventeen. The next day, he’d seen her come home from school and after she’d dumped her school bag, she walked out of the house eating a banana. He’d been curious when she’d locked up and started walking down the street. Cael had hurried to his truck and followed her from a distance. She’d hopped on a bus and a few miles later got off again. After walking half a block she’d entered the soup kitchen. He’d parked his vehicle in an alley beside the building and gone in the back way. Jaylynn had never even known he was there. She’d been so happy, carefree and friendly. She’d treated the homeless like she would have him, his brothers, or her own brother as she’d helped dish up food. Three hours later she’d left and gone back home, but before she’d hopped on the bus, she’d given one of the homeless Vets sitting on the stoop a five-dollar bill and a snack for his dog. Cael had never let on that he’d known how she spent some of her free time. He had no idea how she’d coped with her workload of school, study and working at a local restaurant. She was amazing in his eyes.
Nothing had ever gotten her down. After her parents had died, she bounced back to her bright bubbly self after six months, but it had been different when Seb hadn’t come home. She’d sunk into a deep black hole she couldn’t seem to climb out of and then she’d left.
“You need to get back into bed, sweetness,” Cael said after pushing his thoughts aside. She was getting paler by the minute but was too stubborn to do anything about it. Was she worried about looking weak, looking vulnerable in their eyes? Fuck that shit. She was the strongest person he knew. What other young woman of fifteen would have helped her brother pay off the accumulated debts from her parents after they’d been killed? None of the kids he’d met in this day and age would have been so moralistic or driven to repay money they hadn’t borrowed.