“So beautiful,” Lucca whispered, kissing her lips, shocking her before he quickly pulled away. She wanted to protest but then he stepped back and Krane took his place. He reached for the pendant. She stood there stiff, aroused, heart pounding inside of her chest. “It looks stunning, just like you tonight.” He leaned forward to kiss her cheek and she went to turn so she could feel what it was like to have Krane’s lips against her own but then Star pressed up against her back, wrapped an arm around her waist, and kissed her neck and her shoulder simultaneously. She was stunned by the electrifying attraction filling the room. They had to have felt it. They were fighting it, denying it, and she wanted to know why.
Then both men stepped back and immediately the atmosphere went back to normal as if nothing sexually stimulating happened between all of them at all. Part of her wanted to scream and demand that they tell her why they didn’t want to kiss her and take from her body and make her their woman. Another part of her was scared out of her mind to give in to something so foreign and powerful it rocked her body, made her pussy clench and her nipples hard. These men were the only ones who did that to her. She trusted them. Hell, she loved them.
She took a deep breath and exhaled.
She walked over to the painting and covered it up. She ran her hand along the top and then turned to look at them. They remained where they were, just watching her.
“I think I should call it a night. You guys are probably exhausted, too,” she said and bent down to grab her purse, causing the high slit in her dress to reveal a full thigh. The men watched. Lucca licked his lips.
They want me. They’re just fighting it and I don’t know why. I don’t care why either. I want them, and I’m going to make them take this chance on me and let me love them. They fill that hole in my heart, and make me feel safe and complete. I don’t want to leave now. I want to feel them close. I want to absorb their kisses and get lost in their embraces. I want to give them the one and only thing I have left to give that isn’t tainted or scarred. My virginity. I’m ready. Now I have to make them want me, too.
Chapter 6
Star looked over Malayna’s schedule for the next several days and evenings. She planned on visiting a few galleries with Nalia and Aspen. What caught his eye immediately was her dinner date with Ellington Cossin and Pierre Lafranchess. He was breathing through his nostrils as his brother Border entered the kitchen in their penthouse.
“What’s going on?” Border asked.
“I got ahold of Malayna’s schedule for the week. Krane just sent it over.”
“And?” Border asked.
“She’s having dinner with Ellington and Pierre tomorrow night.”
Border gripped the counter and stared at Star.
“Star.”
He put his hand up and Border exhaled then slammed his hand down on the table.
“They want her.”
“Stop,” Star interrupted.
“Fuck no, I’m not going to stop. What the fuck are we doing here? Why are we fighting what we feel?”
“Because we can’t give her what she deserves and what she needs. She’ll be in constant danger.”
“She’s not in constant danger now? I can’t even sleep I’m so worried about her. You saw her the other night after her party. She’s not better. She’s scared and she’s dealing with nightmares and memories embedded in her head from what those assholes did to her. We don’t even know the details, but that picture she painted—”
“I know!” Star yelled and then took a deep breath and exhaled. “I know, Border. I’ve been listening to Krane and Lucca since that night. I heard them say they weren’t giving her any time to argue, that they were starting her self-defense training this morning. They’re there now.”
“And have you heard from them? It’s nearly eleven.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“What are you going to do about this dinner date with those two suave assholes that want to get her in their beds?”
“Investigate them and be right there for their little dinner date. You’re going to get Malayna to ask you to join them.”
“Me?” Border asked, pointing at himself.
“Yes, you.”
“What the fuck do I know about art and galleries?”
“You don’t need to know shit. That isn’t your purpose. You’re setting the stage to let these two guys know that she is off limits on a personal, intimate level. Business with paintings, fine, anything more intimate is a no-no.”
“What if Malayna tells me to leave? You know, lets me know that she wants to be alone with them, then what?”
Star was silent. Border pushed. “Then what?” he asked through clenched teeth.
Star held his gaze with a firm expression as the thought burned his heart and made him feel utterly sick. “Then you leave. It’s her choice if she wants to engage in some sort of relationship other than work related with them.”
“I’m not okay with this, and neither are you. Come on, man. We’ve been through heavy shit. Why are we pushing her away from us? She wants us, too. She feels it.”
“We can’t. She doesn’t even know what a relationship with a man is. She doesn’t know love, or about the demands we will make on her in bed and out of bed. We require respect, control, and dominance in every aspect of the words. She’s sweet, shy, classy, and we will destroy the good in her and corrupt her with our voracious appetites.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. None of us has even been with another woman in over a year. We sure as shit haven’t been with one since having these feelings for Malayna.”
“Just focus on what you need to do.”
Border stared at him and Star wanted to tell him that he wished it could be different but how could he corrupt such innocence as Malayna? Such a beautiful, youthful woman, who was talented, sexy, and so easily liked by everyone she met? How could he make her be part of this life? His lifestyle where he and his team would need to leave her when they went on some job, or hunt for the family? What about the club businesses and what an investment and time-consuming job it was?
Border shoved from the island and headed out the door. Everything he said and how he reacted to Border was all wrong. He was losing his mind. He wasn’t able to focus on what needed to be done. Malayna did it to him. It was all because Malayna came first and she was the one woman he wanted with all his heart and soul and it scared the living shit out of him.
* * * *
“I don’t want to,” Malayna said to Krane.
Krane and Lucca stood next to her at the shooting range. Two different guns sat on the counter for her to learn to shoot with.
“You have to. You’ve allowed us to lead you, and give you some basic gun safety training all morning. You can do this. God forbid something went wrong and you needed to defend yourself. You have to be able to. Come on and pick up the gun like we showed you,” Krane demanded.
She exhaled in annoyance and he held his ground. All morning they worked on defense moves where guns were involved. He had to resist pulling her into his arms and kissing her breathless as he inhaled her shampoo and felt her feminine curves against his body. Krane knew she was petite and sexy, but the feel of her in his arms made him feel so damn protective he wanted to take her away to some secret location and out of reach of any danger.
She picked up the gun. Krane guided her arms and hands to place them in the right position as they had practiced earlier. He whispered close to her. “Aim at your target.”
“I don’t like this.”
“Aim at it,” Lucca commanded and she turned to look at him but kept the gun pointed straight ahead. She gave him a mean expression and shot the gun without looking. She hit the target right in the center. She put the gun down and stepped back, nearly pushing from Krane, but Krane grabbed her arm and Lucca grabbed her hips, stopping her. They pressed her up against the counter and she gasped, looking up at them.
“You hit the fucking target without even looking. How?” Lucca
demanded to know.
“I never said I didn’t know how to shoot a gun. You assumed, and you wanted to train me. Satisfied?” she asked with attitude.
“No. When did you learn?” Lucca asked. She lowered her head and exhaled in annoyance.
Krane gave her hip a nudge with his. “Tell us.”
“You assumed I didn’t know how to use a gun, but my mom and I lived in a remote area where our neighbor was a good mile down the road. We were two women all alone and we didn’t take chances.”
“So it was for protection?” Lucca asked.
“And hunting, too, when we felt like it.”
“Hunting?” Krane asked, feeling surprised that she would know how.
“Yes, but it didn’t do my mother any good when those men came to the house to take me. She never had a chance to get her gun. I didn’t have a chance to get inside either.”
“What happened?” Lucca asked her. Krane caressed her arm and pressed up against her back. They were both holding her close.
“I showed up as two men were dragging my mother from the house. I heard her screaming and saying that she was the only one there and as I came up the hill I heard the gunshot and then saw my mother fall to the ground.”
“Damn,” Lucca whispered.
Malayna stood there stiff, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I couldn’t run. I couldn’t move and then they looked at me and I turned to run. I tried to run as fast as I could to my neighbors and through the wooded area when suddenly out of nowhere an arm came out and clotheslined me. It was Vlladim. I was eighteen years old. Eighteen,” she whispered. Lucca pulled her into an embrace and held her tight as Krane caressed her back and pressed kisses to her head and then her shoulders.
“We’ve got you, baby. We’re here now, and we’ll do whatever we can to make you feel safe again. Whatever you need,” Krane said to her and he knew he wanted Malayna as his woman. He wanted his team to claim her as theirs and to take away all her fears, and to show her what true love was so she would never be alone again. How much longer would they have to hide their feelings, and why?
* * * *
To ease Star’s mind, and to avoid having Border accompany her to the dinner meeting, Malayna agreed to meet Pierre and Ellington at one of the Mulichecks’ nightclubs called The Crest. She had never been to any nightclub before, nor to a city like Chicago, but she tried to act unaffected by it all. Thankfully Nalia and Aspen had brought over a series of dresses for her to wear to the club and she was shocked at how sexy they were. As Border gave her a bit of attitude about trusting Pierre and Ellington, and Murin and Dubkova insisted they would provide security, too, she decided to pick the sexiest of the cocktail dresses. The one she put on was a deep blue that dipped low in the front and even lower in the back. She couldn’t wear a bra or panties with it, and wondered if it were too much, until she climbed down the stairs and met her entourage of security.
Border, Krane, and Lucca looked as if they were biting the inside of their cheeks as Murin, Dubkova, and four other security guards couldn’t take their eyes off of her. She heard the low whistle and then Border giving orders to get to the awaiting vehicles.
Krane took Malayna’s arm and looped his through hers. His eyes roamed over her abundant breasts that peeked out from the dress and looked about ready to escape cover. She knew she wore the special tape to keep them in place but it was still nerve wracking.
“Where did you get this dress?” Lucca asked her as she slid into the backseat of the SUV.
“Nalia sent over a few things. She knows better than I do what women wear to nightclubs.”
“It’s a bit much considering this is supposed to be a business meeting,” Krane snapped at her.
She held his gaze and knew he was going to be jealous. “Who said it was just business, Krane?” she replied and then looked away as he shot his head toward her.
She couldn’t stop taking deep breaths, inhaling the scent of their cologne and the manliness of their presence around her. She was a glutton for punishment but set on making them see she wanted them and that it was okay to want her. As they arrived at the club they bypassed the front entrance and pulled along the back of the building to a private entrance she assumed was available for special guests. She caught sight of Ellington and Pierre as they got into the club and saw how some security guards were patting them down and really being rough about looking them over for weapons. She felt the hand on her hip and then turned to see Star and Border and boy did they look pissed off. Star looked her over and then zeroed in on her eyes. “Malayna,” he greeted her and then leaned forward to kiss her cheek.
It was supposed to be subtle and noncommittal but it was everything but that. The atmosphere around them was palpable, and the effect they had on her and her on them was so damn obvious that her heart pounded inside of her chest. She heard her name and straightened her shoulders as Pierre and Ellington greeted her.
“My God, you look stunning, like a movie star,” Ellington said to her then kissed her cheek and let his hand glide along her lower back.
“Thank you, and you look great, too,” she said then Pierre kissed her hello and slid his hand along her arm, caressing it. She smiled at him.
“We are definitely the luckiest men in the place tonight,” he said then winked. She felt her cheeks warm and shyly looked away only to see Border and Star shooting daggers at the men.
“How about a drink first, then we can head to the table. I think Star said it’s almost ready,” Pierre offered her.
“Sure,” she said and then both men placed a hand on her hip and guided her through the crowd to the bar. A quick glance behind her and there were Dubkova and Murin following close-by.
“Are your friends joining us, too?” Ellington asked.
“I don’t believe so. I thought Border might have but it seems they are good with keeping an eye on me from a distance.”
“They’re very protective of you. Do you find it hard to socialize with bodyguards like that around you at all times?” Pierre asked and nodded toward the two big Ukrainians Dubkova and Murin.
She saw Murin and knew he heard Pierre and she smiled at him then looked at Pierre. “Absolutely not. They’re not only guards, they are friends and make me feel safe and secure.”
“Then that is a good thing, although Pierre and I can’t quite compete with the Mulicheck brothers either.” Then he chuckled and she smiled.
“No need to compete,” she said.
Pierre licked his lower lip and gave her a sexy smile. “That’s good to know.”
Suddenly a hand came down hard on Pierre’s shoulder and Malayna looked up to see Star standing there. He was definitely in a bad mood.
“Your table is ready. Krane will show you to it.”
Both men stood up and waited for Malayna to stand up and come along but Star stopped her and nodded for Pierre and Ellington to go ahead. Star pressed his hand to her lower back and practically over her ass. She almost lost her footing but his other hand moved along her belly and held her firmly.
“I’ve got you, baby, and for the record, I really like this dress, but not the fact you wore it for them.”
As they got to the table he gave her ass a little tap and she gasped and looked over her shoulder but his expression was firm and unreadable.
“Enjoy your dinner meeting. Randolph will be your server,” he said and walked away.
Malayna could hardly catch her breath. Her ass where Star tapped it tingled with the aftereffects of his move. Her nipples hardened and her breast felt full and damn it, she missed his touch and wanted more of it. She sat down and crossed her legs, the move causing her gown to shift and reveal full thigh. She noticed Star watching from the bar along with Border as Dubkova and Murin took position close-by. After the move Star made on her, teasing her, it made her wonder what he wanted and if he did find her attractive, and had her being as sexy as she could because she knew they were watching.
Soon enough it didn’t matter. She was ful
ly engaged in conversation with Pierre and Ellington and enjoying it immensely. They spoke to her about their galleries, about their ideas for her work and of course about her visiting some of them this week. She pulled out her cell phone and they pulled out theirs, making plans to meet and go over the venues and then meet at the estate to pick some pieces and begin a theme for her first show of her work. She felt excited and overwhelmed with the possibilities because of their enthusiasm and all she wanted to do was share it with the Mulicheck men.
She was laughing at something Pierre said before they kissed her good night and then he whispered into her ear that he would love to take her home with him and Ellington, which shocked her. She didn’t want to lead them on as both men pressed close and waited for her response. “I’m truly flattered, but I think it wise we keep this strictly business.”
Ellington made a sad face. “We could be perfect together. The three of us,” he added.
“I thought the two of you were competitors.”
“We’ve been friends for years,” Pierre told her. She wondered if they were gay or something, but then Ellington chuckled. He caressed her cheek and then down her bare arm.
“I can assure you we’re not gay or into each other. We just know when we see something we want and neither of us is willing to step aside to let the other have it. That it would be better all-around to share. A woman as special and precious as you would be a serious situation to embark on,” Ellington said to her.
“Definitely worth the trouble, but maybe not the broken bones,” Pierre said and glanced behind her. She didn’t have to look to see that they were probably referring to one if not all the Mulicheck men.
“I’m flattered,” she whispered.
Pierre bit his lower lip. “Those lucky bastards.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, darling. The Mulicheck men have quite the reputations, but they can’t seem to keep their eyes off of you,” Ellington told her and then he leaned down and kissed her cheek as he ran his palm along her lower back.
The American Soldier Collection 15: Their Battle for Love (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8