A glance at Lucca and Border, who’d remained straight-faced for a good hour now, told her that something stirred emotions that didn’t make them happy. Her gut clenched. They hadn’t been the same since walking around Casper’s looking at old pictures.
She excused herself from the conversation with Gia Marie, Marianna, Jax and Jameson Spaulding, and Aspen in order to check on her men.
She smoothed out her short black skirt and adjusted her top, a light blue blouse that accentuated her breasts and hugged her figure. Her men loved it on her yet complained about the low V dip. She smiled to herself. They were so protective. Then she realized as she approached Lucca and Border that she was feeling pretty protective of them, too.
They caught sight of her before she even took two steps. Both held beer bottles in their hands. Lucca took a slug of his, never letting his eyes move off of her. Border licked his lips as she approached. Her pussy clenched and her nipples hardened immediately. How the hell did they do that to her?
She felt the light bump against her side as a few guys started laughing and she saw both Lucca and Border jump up. The guys apologized for bumping into her, she smiled and told them it was okay, and then hurriedly turned toward Lucca and Border, who looked ready for a fight. Something was wrong.
She blew off the guys quickly and headed straight to Lucca and Border. They were standing and both reached for her and pulled her into their arms. Both laid a possessive hand on her ass but were looking over her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” she asked them.
Lucca looked at her first. “Are you okay? What did they say to you?”
“Lucca, they said sorry for bumping into me. It was no big deal. What’s wrong? Something is wrong, I can tell.”
He stared down into her eyes and Border rubbed his palm from her ass to her back and then back down to her ass again.
“Nothing. Are you having fun? Do you feel comfortable with Marianna and going to see the gallery tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes. She’s very nice and friendly and seems enthusiastic about my work. Nalia and Aspen got everything delivered to the gallery.” She lowered her eyes.
Border gripped her chin and tilted it up toward him. “What is it? Are you unsure?” he asked.
“I’m nervous about it. The pictures and the paintings are a bit different than the ones that will be displayed in Chicago. Those are more personal. I’m second-guessing whether I should display them in Chicago or here. Like maybe I chose the wrong ones even though Ellington and Pierre know what they are doing, and Marianna, too. I don’t know. I’m just—”
Border pressed his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly. She ran her hand up his chest and he pulled her close until he finally released her lips. “You’re panicking,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers.
Lucca caressed her arm and her hip. “You’re so very talented, and all of your work is special. It will be a hit.”
How did they do this? She came over here with concerns for them and they made this about her. Then she realized how they blew off her concerns about them being okay. She had come to realize that each of her men were stubborn and very strong willed. They were also American soldiers before they were anything else. It was part of the reasons she adored them so much. They were capable and strong and loyal. Seeing them here in Salvation and at a place like Casper’s that seemed to bring out the memories of the times they served was special and a part of them she liked seeing.
Then it hit her. Maybe this wasn’t so positive for them? Maybe the pictures brought on bad memories. How could she ask them without upsetting them? Both Lucca and Border were intense, demanding men. She wanted to help them and be here for them like they were always there for her.
“I’m sure it will work out. I’ve got nothing to lose but a potential career in the art industry,” she stated and chuckled.
Border gave her ass a tap. “You’re going to do great.”
She took a deep breath and released it and then took both their hands and held them in front of her.
“So, this place is very cool. I absolutely love the old photographs and all the pictures from the last thirty years. How many soldiers do you think have come through this place and even come back to visit?”
“Don’t know,” Border said and took a slug from his beer bottle.
“A lot, I think. I was surprised at some of the faces in the pictures,” Lucca said to her. She looked at him since she didn’t seem to be getting anywhere with Border.
“Familiar faces? Like men you knew when you served?” she asked. He looked away from her. That was a first for him. To avoid her like that.
“Lucca?”
He looked back at her then reached up and cupped her cheek.
“Yes, Malayna. I saw familiar faces of men who no longer walk this earth or get to live a happy life, or feel the love of a perfect woman.”
He pulled her close between his legs and kissed her. Border remained holding her hand and placed it on his thigh as Lucca kissed her gently. When he released her lips his hand was under her hair and against her neck and cheek. He used his thumb to caress her skin.
“I love you so much. Do you know that?” he whispered.
Her eyes filled with tears. “Yes, Lucca, and I love you, too.”
She saw the emotion in his eyes and it pulled at her heart. She didn’t know what to say or what to do so she hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She looked to the left as she remained with her cheek against Lucca’s shoulder and locked gazes with Border. He looked so serious. She just spoke freely as Lucca caressed her back and her ass and held her against him.
“Border, does this place upset you?” she asked him and he seemed surprised by her observation by the way he widened his eyes and then squinted at her.
“What?”
“You and Lucca seem angry, or maybe sad being here. Why is that? Were there people in the pictures you knew, friends that you haven’t seen or something?”
He appeared to be biting the inside of his cheek. He looked away from her. Her gut clenched.
“Border?”
“Don’t,” he snapped at her and she lifted slightly, feeling the effect his anger had on her.
He took a slug of beer then placed it down onto the bar. He made a funny expression with his mouth like he suddenly got a bad taste in it or something.
“I can tell you’re upset and—”
“Don’t, Malayna. I’m fine. Just enjoy the night.”
She was hurt by his words and dismissal. This was a side of Border she wasn’t fond of and wondered why he was being this way with her. Before she could push, which her gut warned her this was not the place or the time, she heard the familiar voices and some laughter behind her. Lucca loosened his hold and she turned to see Star, Krane, and a few of their friends.
“I think we should head out. Aspen and Nalia said that you will need your rest for tomorrow night,” Star told her.
She pulled out of Lucca’s arms and she noticed how Star looked at Border and Lucca then back to Border with concern.
“I should go say good night,” she said to Star.
He stepped closer, placed one hand on her hip, and the other he used to trail a finger from her jaw to the V of her blouse. “Not alone and showing off what belongs to us. Krane will walk you around and we’ll meet out by the SUV.”
Her breasts tingled and she licked her lips. “Okay,” she said to him.
He licked his lips then leaned down and gave her a kiss. When he released her lips he gave her a wink. “Dubkova and Murin have the SUV waiting. Make it quick,” he ordered.
Star was so demanding and in constant control. She loved it as Krane took her hand and pulled her along with him. He kissed her neck and whispered into her ear. “I can’t wait to get you home and strip you out of this outfit.” He suckled her skin and she giggled and pulled away, turning to see Star talking to Border and Lucca. They seemed like they were all angry and maybe arguing. Before sh
e could stop to go back to them, Marianna and her men Jax and Jameson were saying good-bye.
* * * *
The ride back to the large ranch was quiet. No one was talking and Border knew why. He and Lucca were more affected by the pictures on the walls at Casper’s and the fact that a lot of those men never made it home to their families. Border and Lucca could have been two more of those men added to the wall if it weren’t for Star and Krane who located them and rescued them from the enemy prison. He felt his hands shaking. It had been so long since he had thoughts of that time, and of those memories.
He looked at Lucca, who stared out the window straight-faced. Malayna was between them, legs crossed, so sweet and innocent. She represented everything they thought they could never have. She knew something was up. She cared so much for them and recognized their distress and anger. She wanted to give of herself to them, wanted to ease their pain, and she didn’t even realize that just being here with them helped. That accepting their proposal for marriage, giving her virginity to them, and making them the only men she had ever been with was more than enough to heal them.
Maybe he was thinking so much about the prison and the pain he and Lucca felt because Malayna had been a prisoner, too. She never shared all the things that Cornikup and Vlladim did to her. She focused on the fact that she had her virginity, the one thing that no one was able to corrupt and steal from her.
He reached over and took her hand. The feel of her dainty fingers clasped between his sent a wave of emotions through him. He felt the rumbling of anger for the men who were lost, the fear and hope of never being a prisoner like that again, and the worry that somehow he may not be able to protect his family, his woman, and that had to be his focus.
By the time the SUV stopped he felt himself losing control. He needed Malayna. Naked, accepting to his control and need to possess her, fill her with his cock, and connect so deeply and as close as humanly possible so he could exhale and not feel this anxiety.
They slid from the seats. Lucca lifted her up and placed her feet down on the ground as they all looked toward the front door. The other security had remained around the house and Malayna said good night to Dubkova and Murin as well as the other men. They nodded with respect. Even their security adored her. He felt a surge of possessiveness.
She paused a moment, appearing to ask what they were going to do when he gripped her hips and guided her toward the stairs. She glanced at him, opened her mouth, but then closed it.
He got her into the bedroom and turned her around to face him.
He pulled off his shirt, tossing it to the floor. He stared at her body, the way the V of her blouse showed off her luscious breasts but also the paint palette in gold with the authentic jewels they had given her for her birthday. He reached out and when his fingers touched her skin as he lifted the necklace she shivered from his touch. He locked gazes with her.
“You’re so beautiful, Malayna. So giving and caring, youthful and energetic.” He released the charm and then slowly unbuttoned her blouse. The sight of her large breasts bursting from the lace bra made his cock harden. He pressed the material from her arms as Lucca joined them. He was already undressed, only wearing boxers when he took position behind her.
She parted her lips as the blouse fell to the floor and the sound of Lucca unzipping her skirt sounded so loud in the quiet room.
Her skirt fell, revealing matching tiny thong panties in white lace that barely covered her pretty little pussy.
“I need this, Malayna,” he said to her, his emotions too thick, too overwhelming to speak more. She seemed to understand his need as he lowered to his knees and held her hips then leaned forward to kiss her belly.
As her bra fell from her arms and hit the floor, he glanced up, noticing her breasts then the erect nipples calling to him to be tasted. But Lucca was there to cup them from behind her and then thumb the tips, making her moan softly.
He licked her belly, slid his hands along her hips, taking down her panties. She held on to his shoulders as she stepped from them and he tossed them backward.
He pulled back and looked at her from head to pussy. Their gazes locked and the love he felt for her overwhelmed him. His eyes teared up and she saw it, widened her eyes, and he lowered to caress her skin and kiss her hip bones. He tightened only a moment when he felt her delicate fingers run through his hair.
“I love the softness of your skin, the perfection of it. You’re a gift from heaven, Malayna. A gift to be loved, cherished, and honored.” He kissed her pussy and she moaned softly.
“I want to be gentle. I want to relish in the feel of licking, kissing, sucking every inch of you, baby, but I need you so badly right now. I need the safety, the pureness that being inside of you gives me,” he said.
“That gives us,” Lucca added.
Border looked up to lock gazes with Lucca. “That gives us,” he said, and he knew that Lucca was thinking the same thoughts about the past, about their prison of hell they nearly died in and about how quickly life can change in an instant.
“I love how you taste, how feminine you are, and how sexy at the same time,” Lucca told her and kissed her on the mouth with her head turned sideways.
“I love being here with the both of you. You make me feel so safe and so loved,” she said to them after Lucca released her lips.
She ran her hands through Border’s hair and then tugged it, surprising him. She held his gaze.
“I also love how commanding you both are. How demanding of my body you can be. I love your tattoos, and the fact that you are soldiers, and heroes,” she said.
“Not heroes,” Border whispered.
“My heroes,” she replied.
She parted her lips and moaned the second Lucca lowered down and did something behind her. She gripped on to Border and Border lifted her thigh up over his shoulder and grabbed her ass to steady her. He latched on to her cunt with his mouth and suckled and feasted on her pussy. She rocked her hips and he could sense Lucca doing something behind her.
She gripped Border’s shoulders, her nails digging into his skin.
“Please. Oh God, I need you both inside of me, please,” she begged.
He released her lips and Lucca wrapped an arm around her waist as Border lowered her leg. That was when he saw Lucca stroking a finger into her ass and suckling her neck. She was bent over and panting, her large breasts looking so sexy and firm. He cupped them and she reached for his hips and began to undo his pants. He allowed her the control a few more minutes, but the need to take her together was overwhelming.
She shoved his pants down as she jerked from Lucca’s strokes. She found his cock as he stepped from his pants and boxers and immediately took him into her mouth. Her hands landed on his upper thighs and she sucked and bobbed her head over his cock. He ran his fingers through her abundant chocolate locks and rocked his hips. “So fucking good. I need inside that pussy, baby. I need you and so does Lucca.”
“Oh yeah, I need her. Can’t wait to fill this ass with cock. She has me so hard.”
He pulled from her mouth and Lucca pulled his fingers from her ass and lifted her up to carry her to the bed. Border lay down on the edge with his legs hanging off and took her from Lucca. He instantly covered her mouth with his and she surprised Border by gripping his cock with her hand and aligning her pussy with it before lowering down over him. He exhaled as he released her lips and hugged her to him. “Heaven. You’re fucking heaven, baby.” He suckled her neck and she rocked her hips. Lucca returned from walking to the nightstand, most likely to grab the lube.
“I need you. God, I fucking need you so bad it hurts, Malayna. It fucking hurts,” Lucca admitted. Border knew exactly what his brother meant.
“Get in her ass. Make love to her with me, Lucca, it’s healing,” he said to him.
Malayna gasped a moment later and lifted up. Lucca grabbed her hips and began to sink into her ass. Together Border and Lucca began to find an equal rhythm where they could ease their achin
g hearts, show Malayna how much she meant to them and healed them until finally they just needed to claim her fully.
She cheered them on. Encouraged them to move faster and fuck her deeper, harder. It was like she knew they needed this. The sounds of their lovemaking would surely wake the house and they didn’t care. She felt so good, so sensational that they rocked the bed and felt her scream her release just as Border and Lucca came at the same time.
She collapsed against his chest and kissed his tattoos and pressed his hands up above his head and licked his nipples one after the next, making his cock feel almost painful sensations. He moved her hands off of his and held them against his chest as Lucca kissed her back and gave her ass cheeks a few smacks before he eased out of her.
“Feel better now?” she asked him and Lucca after they cleaned her up and they lay holding her between them. Lucca chuckled as he ran his fingers along her hip then up over her breast, making little goose bumps appear on her skin.
Lucca pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. His cock hardened against her ass and she pushed back.
“You have a pretty powerful body, Malayna,” Lucca told her.
She tilted her head sideways to try and see him. He lifted up so they could lock gazes. “Really?” she asked.
Border cupped her breast and ran his thumb over her nipple.
“Yes, really.”
She licked her lower lip. “Did I make you happy, or are you both still angry and sad?” she asked, shocking Lucca. He glanced at Border.
Border reached for her chin and brushed his thumb over it.
“You’ve made us happy, like always, Malayna. You’re our happy thought, our most powerful gift, the love of our life and our everything.”
She smiled. “Good, because you’re both my happy thoughts, too, as well as Star and Krane. Where are they anyway?” she asked.
The American Soldier Collection 15: Their Battle for Love (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 13