by Becca Van
“If it makes you feel any better, your dad gave us his blessing,” Leo whispered.
Gypsy pushed up on his chest so that she was once more looking into his eyes. “He did?”
“Yeah, he did.”
“Why were you crying, sweetness?” Ivan asked.
Gypsy shrugged but looked away. When she pushed up so that she was sitting with her back against the headboard, Leo wanted to pull her back down into his arms, but he didn’t want her to feel crowded or pressured. They’d already fucked up once and he didn’t want to do that again. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that he and his brothers wouldn’t fuck up again, but hopefully it wouldn’t be until after they had her heart in the palms of their hands. When she covered her mouth as she yawned, Leo glanced at his watch and saw that it was getting late. They had an early start tomorrow and he wanted Gypsy to be rested. He sat up, leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead.
“Get some sleep, baby. Tomorrow will be here way too soon.” He rose to his feet, gave his brothers a slight nod of his head, and walked toward the door. “We’ll see you in the morning, Gypsy.”
He paused in the doorway and watched as Perry kissed her shoulder, rolled to his feet, and moved toward him. “Sleep well, darlin’.”
Ivan stroked his hand over her shin, smiled, and winked at her. “‘Night, sweetheart.”
Ivan shoved him and Perry out of the way and then closed the door behind him.
Leo sighed with frustration because he wanted to spend the night holding their woman, but he decided that she needed time to get her head around what they wanted with her. They’d only known her twenty-four hours and were moving way too fast. He and his brothers would have to slow down and back off. Hopefully as Gypsy got to know them she would want to spend more time with them and have a relationship with him and his brothers.
But keeping her safe was another matter.
Chapter Seven
It had been really hard to concentrate on getting things done over the last week. Gypsy often found herself staring off into space thinking over what the Chadwick brothers had said to her the night they’d turned up at her dad’s house. And even though she tried to push them from her mind it was impossible.
Everywhere she turned they were there. In her house, working at her side, and her body responded to them every time they were near. She couldn’t relax and she was becoming downright agitated. She wanted to feel their hands and mouths on her body again, but she still didn’t think it would be a good idea to start anything with them. At least not again.
She was working on site one and was glad that Leo, Perry, and Ivan were working on another site and she had room to breathe. She was thankful that their cousins, John, Mike, and Luke Chadwick had jumped at the chance of a job and those three men worked just as hard as she and the Chadwick brothers did. It was a relief to not have to watch everything they did like she’d had to with Joe and Guy.
That was something else that was bothering her. The sheriff hadn’t been able to find the two Wrench assholes and it looked like Guy was going to get away scot-free with assaulting her. But at least she hadn’t seen him or his brother around and didn’t have to deal with them anymore.
Her father was due to get out of traction in another week and hopefully he would be able to come back home, but Gypsy was still worried about him. What was she going to do about taking care of him? With both his legs out of action he would need twenty-four-hour help. Would her dad baulk if she suggested hiring a nurse? Maybe Jeanie would be happy to take care of him. But what choice did she have? She couldn’t very well leave him on his own when he couldn’t walk, and as much as she wanted to stay home to look after him, she had to run the business and make sure everything was up to par. If the buildings didn’t pass inspection they would fall behind, and then her dad wouldn’t get the bonus. And he needed that bonus. Even though her father’s business had survived the economic downturn, Gypsy had found out that he was running close to the wire and that bonus would certainly make things a lot easier. The quarter of a million dollars would put her father further into the black and then maybe he would be able to hire more men to get more work done faster.
Gypsy had calculated the time it would take to finish this project and then after working out a quote she had put in a bid for another residential building estate with a world-renowned land developer. If all things went according to plan her father would be sitting pretty for the rest of his life. The proposed estate would be built around a Pro-Am golf club with club rooms and an a la carte restaurant, with over two hundred houses. Although she was excited about the prospect of getting the winning bid, she hadn’t told anyone that she had entered a proposal. She wanted it to be a surprise for her father once he was well and back in his feet. She figured that he’d be near enough to retirement by the time that village was finished being built and could retire in style.
The building wasn’t to commence for at least six months and she and her dad’s employees would have finished their current project. At least that was the aim. Gypsy pushed those hopes and dreams aside, and even though she tried to keep them from her mind, she saw the three Chadwick brothers in her visage as if they were standing in front of her.
The only good thing about her dad coming home was that those three men could go back to their own place. She didn’t think she could deal with them being so close to her for much longer without breaking down and begging them to touch her.
Gypsy began to think she wasn’t as strong as she thought. She had never needed a man before and here she was pining after three.
She pushed them from her thoughts as she concentrated on aligning the overhead cupboards against the kitchen wall with the cupboard jacks. When she thought they were level she stepped back and pulled her tape measure from her pocket as well as her water level. After making sure they were even she began to drill the screws through the cupboard and into the beams inside the wall. After that cabinet was secured she moved along to the next one and repeated the process. By the time she got to the last one her arms were aching. It wasn’t that the double cabinets were that heavy but they were awkward and she’d never done this by herself before. She stepped off the small ladder, moved back, letting her aching arms hang at her sides, and viewed what she’d done. Gypsy smiled. She was happy with her work and felt proud of what she’d accomplished and was pleased she hadn’t needed help from the male persuasion.
Footsteps echoed across the tiled floor and she looked over her shoulder to see Ivan entering. He looked at the cabinets and then came to stand beside her, slinging an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side.
“Damn, baby, you’re a pistol.”
She met his eyes. “What?”
“You’re a damn fast efficient construction worker. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as good and fast as you.” Ivan stroked a finger down her nose.
“Thank you.” Gypsy blushed. She wasn’t used to getting compliments, but it made her feel good. “You, your brothers and cousins as well as the Ringer brothers are quick at getting the job done, and done properly.”
“We had good teachers. Our dads are in the construction industry and taught us everything we know,” Ivan said. “Do you need help with anything?”
“No, but thanks any way. I have it covered.”
“Just make sure you yell out if you need a hand. Okay?”
“Thanks, I will.”
“Good.” Ivan kissed her on the head, released her, and then hurried out.
She stood staring after him. All three of the Chadwick brothers took every opportunity to touch and kiss her. They were such tactile men and she was starting to crave their touch. Yesterday morning Perry had come in to ask if she needed help with anything and she’d jumped at the chance of getting the last of the Gyprock up on the laundry wall so it could be filled in and then painted later that afternoon.
He’d chatted to her and asked about her childhood but since she’d spent all her time working with her dad and she’
d told him so he had begun talking about growing up with his brothers.
“Ivan always had a warped sense of humor.” He smiled at her as he held the plaster board in place and she secured it with screws. “He had this thing about mooning people for a while. He’d seen it in a movie or something. Anyway, one day after school he stood out the front of our parents’ house and waited for what seemed like hours, looking up and down the street.
“Leo and I asked him what he was doing but he just shrugged and smiled. We were playing football but we kept an eye on Ivan because we were curious. We heard the car coming and turned just in time to see him spin so that his back was to the road and he dropped his pants.” Perry was laughing and took a few minutes to get his mirth under control.
“He bent over bare-assed and waggled his butt in the air. The driver of the car was a neighbor and was always complaining about something. Thank God she didn’t live right next door.
“The old biddy parked her car and came storming over to see our mom. Mom listened to her rant and rave and nodded and after the biddy was gone, Mom hauled Ivan inside and started to tell him off but she ended up laughing so hard she cried and had to walk away from Ivan because he dropped his pants and mooned her, too. But she did smack his butt first.”
Perry was good at telling a story and she’d ended up laughing so hard she had tears streaming down her face. She hadn’t laughed like that in so long and it had felt really good.
Gypsy came back to the present and realized she was smiling. She began removing her tools from the kitchen area as her thoughts circled in her mind.
Guy was a worry but there was nothing she could do about him. She just hoped that the sheriff caught up with him and locked him away.
Even though women were working in all types of jobs the world over, there were still some men who were prejudiced against women taking what the male gender considered “their jobs.” Men still dominated some aspects of the working world and that pissed her off. She hated that equality still wasn’t so equal. As far as she was concerned it shouldn’t matter what a person’s gender, race, religion, or sexual proclivities were. Anyone who could do a job and do it well should be praised. But that wasn’t how the world worked. It irked her that there was still so much bias out there, especially against women.
She had to be fair because not all people thought that way, just an ignorant few, but it still made it harder for a woman to get ahead. She and other women doing jobs considered to be “in a man’s world” had to work harder and longer just to prove themselves, and that filled her with indignation and anger.
Women may not be as strong as men or have as much muscle, but that didn’t mean they weren’t just as capable. There were always ways around not having as much brawn as the male gender and if it came down to sheer brute strength, she wasn’t averse to asking for help. Even men needed help to lift and do things beyond their capabilities, so why were women still ridiculed for asking for a helping hand? Men were accepted in what used to be considered “a woman’s job” without any qualms, such as chefs, administration assistants, cleaners and such, why didn’t it work the other way around, too?
Gypsy was about to head to the laundry room to install more cabinets, but the granite kitchen countertop people arrived before she could move. She stood back and directed them and because of the horrid-smelling glue they were using she began to get a headache and feel light-headed. After one last look around she stepped outside to breathe deeply of the fresh air but because she’d been inside so long with that noxious smelling stuff it didn’t help. She sank down onto the porch step and leaned her head against her knees as she drew in deep breath after deep breath. She wished the manufacturers of the glue would find some way to remove the god-awful smell. It didn’t matter how many times she smelled it, she would never get used to it or the way it affected her. And even though she was outside she could still smell it. It was that strong.
Gypsy rose to her feet and placed her hand against the siding of the house when she swayed. She tried drawing in a deep breath but the stench still assailed her nostrils, but she carefully walked along the house, keeping her hand on it for balance. Once she was away from the terrible odor, she drew in a few more deep breaths and sighed when the dizziness began to dissipate.
Just as her blurry vision cleared she heard a loud bang and something brushed by her hair, moving the strands she put up in a ponytail. She heard yelling and then she saw Leo, Perry, and Ivan running toward her. Leo reached her first. His big muscular body slammed into hers and the air whooshed from her lungs as he took her to the ground.
Gypsy struggled and pushed against his shoulders, but it was like trying to move a mountain. Tires squealed, an engine roared, and then all she could hear was Leo panting against her ear. She stopped struggling when she felt his hard, warm body along the length of hers and hoped like hell he couldn’t feel her hard nipples pushing into his chest.
“Are you okay, baby?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? What the hell is going on?” Gypsy pushed against his chest and nearly moaned when her hands and fingers felt his hard, warm pecs beneath them. She wanted to push his shirt aside and touch his skin-covered muscles.
Leo moved against her and she gasped when she felt his rock-hard erection push against her sensitive cotton-covered mound. She wanted to grab hold of his ass and rub herself against him but was able to circumvent that urge before she gave into it. Just barely.
He pushed to his feet and then he held a hand out to her. Gypsy clasped his hand and then started brushing dirt from her ass and legs.
“Gypsy, are you all right?” Perry asked just before he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. She could feel him shaking but had no idea what was going on.
“Of course I’m all right.” She pushed out of Perry’s arms only to come up against another hard wall of masculinity. When she looked up over her shoulder she met Ivan’s eyes. That was when she noticed how pale and angry he looked. His mouth was held in a tight line and his eyes were full of fear and rage. She stepped out of his arms and glared at all three men. “What the hell is wrong with you three?”
Leo grabbed her hand and led her closer to the house. He didn’t say a word but pointed to a hole in the siding of the house, right near where she had been standing. Gypsy blinked and wondered what had made the hole.
She glanced over at Perry when he walked away and started talking on his cell phone. She couldn’t hear what he was saying but his body language showed how agitated he was. She met Leo’s eyes again for a brief moment and then connected with Ivan’s before looking back at the small hole. She narrowed her eyes and stared. The sun came out from behind a cloud and she saw metal glinting in the light. The end of the metal looked like copper. And that’s when it hit her.
She was looking at a bullet hole and bullet. The loud bang and her hair moving a few minutes ago raced through her mind and as she stared at the glinting copper, she began to shake. Someone had tried to kill her. When her legs gave out she didn’t have time to cry out but she didn’t hit the ground like she had expected to. Ivan’s arm came around her waist and then his other arm was behind her knees and she was lifted up into his arms and against his chest.
Gypsy clung to him as the tremors took over and she was so cold she didn’t think she’d ever feel warm again. And then the tears came. She hated that she was falling apart after standing so strong and independent for so long, but the harder she tried to stop the shakes and tears, the more she quivered and the faster they fell.
Ivan took her to the ground and placed her in his lap. And then three strong, warm male bodies were surrounding her and even though she felt vulnerable at them seeing her this way, and she hated what she was doing, she felt safe and protected, and almost cherished for the first time since she left home five long years ago.
In that moment she knew she was and had been fighting a losing battle. She cared for them a lot and she wanted to stay in their arms forever.
* * * *
He and Perry had turned when tires squealed in the distance but neither of them had been able to see the vehicle speeding away from the scene. That’s when he realized how much danger his woman was in. Whoever had tried to kill her had to have had a rifle with a scope, maybe even a sniper’s rifle. Chills and fury wracked his body, and he didn’t know whether to scoop her up in his arms and carry her away to safety or to go after the fucker who’d shot at her.
He met his brothers’ eyes before looking down at the top of Gypsy’s head, then meeting their eyes again. Determination in his gaze when he nodded at his brothers. They nodded in return. It was time to push Gypsy and woo her in earnest. They could do nothing less. Ivan and his brothers needed to have her in their house as well as their beds. That was the only way they knew how to protect her. After dealing with the sheriff they would take her home, pack up her stuff, and drive her back to their place. She could get as mad and as argumentative as she wanted. He wasn’t taking no for an answer.
Gypsy’s trembling finally slowed and ceased. When she lifted her tear-stained face and met his eyes, his heart broke. She was an independent, capable woman with skills most women would envy, but she was still vulnerable and needed their love and protection.
“I’m sorry.” Gypsy sniffed and lowered her eyes.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart.”