by Becca Van
Gypsy snorted. “He knew where I was and what I was doing the whole time. He has a lot of contacts in the industry and kept tabs on me through them. You know what the stupid part about it is?”
“What, sweetheart?” Ivan asked.
Perry watched her as he wiped down the counter and could see that she was having trouble keeping her tears at bay. She blinked a few times and then met his gaze as she sighed. “My dad was right all along. I needed a college education. I signed up one month after leaving home and took night classes. I got my construction management master’s degree last year.”
“Good for you, baby. You should be proud of what you’ve achieved.”
“I am.” Gypsy frowned. “It was really hard trying to establish a name for myself out from under my father’s wing. Some of the men I’ve worked with wouldn’t take me seriously. Just because I’m not tall and female and don’t have as much muscle, they used to ridicule and make disparaging remarks all the time.”
And that’s another reason you’re so prickly and work so hard, isn’t it, darlin’?
Perry realized that Gypsy had had to act tough for a long time and not show any emotion, but he and his brothers could see the soft vulnerable woman beneath that tough exterior and he was determined that she would be herself when she finally let her guards down with them. Already they’d made big inroads into chipping away at the shields she’d wrapped her heart in, and he wasn’t giving up until he had her heart in the palm of his hands. She was meant for them and they were meant for her, but convincing Gypsy that she was safe with them, that they would do everything to cherish her, body, heart, and soul, was much harder than he imagined.
“You’ve had it pretty tough, haven’t you, sweetheart?” Ivan asked as he walked toward her, tugged her to her feet, and pulled her into his arms.
Gypsy wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his brother. That was when Perry realized that they already had more her of her trust than he’d realized. Now all that was left to do was engage her heart, and that sounded a hell of a lot easier than he suspected it would be. But she was loyal, he’d already assumed that after dropping everything to race back home to help her dad out. He wanted her love and loyalty directed their way. When they had that they could spend the rest of their lives showing her just how special she really was.
Chapter Ten
Gypsy soaked up the warmth radiating from Ivan’s body. It felt so good to hug and be hugged in return. She didn’t want to leave his arms. In fact, she craved having all of the Chadwick brothers holding and touching her. Every time she thought about them or they were close by, her body responded. At first she’d been afraid by the unwarranted response but the more time she spent with them and got to know them the more she wanted.
When they’d told her that they had three fathers she’d been a little shocked. But as the information sank into her brain she realized that being with more than one man would have a lot of benefits. There would be help at hand constantly and having three men to cuddle up to, plus the thought of all of them loving and touching her, sent her body chomping at the bit to experience more with them. She’d already had a taste of what it would be like to make love with three men and she really wanted more of that, but she was still a little concerned about them all taking her over and decreeing her every action.
The hunger burning inside was relentless and she knew it was only a matter of time before she gave in and ended up in their bed. What concerned her most was that she wouldn’t live up to their expectations and they would walk away afterward. Gypsy didn’t have any experience with men. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been interested a couple of times, because she had, and she’d even gone out on a couple of dates, but the men she had dated had turned out to be assholes.
She’d only been working in Brady for six months when Rod had asked her to go out with him and she had accepted. He had been such a good-looking guy and he’d been friendly, flirting and joking with her, and she’d liked him a lot. But he’d turned out to be just like a lot of the other guys she’d been working alongside. After their second date and having such a great time, Gypsy had been looking forward to going out with him again. She’d let him kiss her at the end of the night, but when things had started getting out of hand she’d put a stop to it. She’d never been promiscuous, and she respected her body, so she hadn’t been willing to jump into bed with just anyone.
At work the next day she’d heard that bastard laughing and joking with the other guys, but it was what he’d said about her that had cut her to the quick. She’d never forget those words as long as she lived. “Yeah, she’s got balls hanging between her legs, just like we suspected. Any woman who does a man’s job has to be butch.”
Gypsy had avoided Rod and his cronies like the plague. She didn’t expect him to ask her out again, but when he had she’d just scowled, flipped him off, and walked away. From then on he never looked her in the eye again and his face would go red when he saw her and she suspected that he knew he’d overheard his maligning comments. From that day on she made sure she was emotionless and concentrated on doing her job to the best of her ability. She’d heard the nickname “ice butch” the men had dubbed her but that hadn’t hurt half as much as what Rod had said about her. She’d never dated again.
Even thinking about it still brought tears to her eyes and for some reason she couldn’t contain them no matter how hard she tried. They spilled over her lids and tracked down her face. She closed her eyes so that if the men looked at her they wouldn’t see them, but she should have known better.
Leo moved up behind her and pressed his front to her back. She didn’t have to look to know it was him. Each of the men smelled uniquely delectable and Gypsy had no trouble sniffing out who was who. That was another clue to her that she was falling for them fast. She’d never even thought about how a man smelt until she’d met them. When they were close enough to smell she always found herself inhaling deeply.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
Gypsy shook her head and inhaled deeply, trying to get her emotions under control. Air near her side moved and she didn’t have to look or smell to know that Perry was standing right next to her. His hand cupped the side of her face and his thumb wiped her tears away.
“Look at me, Gypsy,” Perry commanded.
She’d never heard that tone of voice from him before. She’d expect it from Leo, but Perry wasn’t as authoritarian as his older brother, but he came a close second. Ivan was the peacemaker of the three and the most impatient, but she suspected he could be just as forceful as his brothers if the need was warranted. And although she didn’t really want to look up, she found herself obeying his command.
“Why are you so sad? What’s upset you?”
“I’m fine.”
Ivan removed her arms from around his waist and stepped back just as his brothers drew away. Now that they weren’t surrounding her with their body heat she felt a little lost and cold, which was ludicrous because it had to still be ninety degrees outside.
She squeaked when Leo clasped her shoulders and spun her around, then he gripped her waist and lifted her from her feet. She gasped when her ass landed on the cool granite counter. If she hadn’t been wearing her cargo pants she would have felt the cold on her backside a lot more. Gypsy stared at him as he stared at her and as she was about to look away he took her chin between finger and thumb and held onto her firmly, but not enough to hurt her or leave a mark.
“You’re not getting down until you talk to us. Do you think we can’t see the pain in your eyes? God, but you’re stubborn.”
“I–I…”
“Sweetheart, how are we going to be able to ease your pain if you won’t tell us what’s causing it?” Ivan asked.
Gypsy shrugged and even though she couldn’t move her head much she lowered her eyes and shielded them with her lids and lashes.
“What has you so damn scared, darlin’?”
How could these three men know what she was thinking a
nd feeling? No one else besides her father had been able to see underneath her tough exterior. And then a concept she hadn’t thought of before popped into her head. Maybe they did care for her a little after all. They wanted a relationship with her, or so they’d said. Did they mean they liked her more than she’d thought?
Please, please be falling in love with me?
Oh. My. God. You’ve gone and done the unthinkable, Gypsy. You’ve gone and fallen in love with three men.
“I’m not good at relationships. I’m scared.” Gypsy cringed internally when those words left her lips. She hadn’t even known she was going to say them until they’d come out of her mouth.
“How do you know you’re not good at relationships?” Ivan asked.
“I’ve gone out a couple of times.” She shrugged again and tried to look away but she felt like she was being pulled into and drowning in Leo’s eyes. There was a connection between all four of them that she couldn’t dispute or disclaim, and it wasn’t just a physical one. Gypsy loved each and every one of the Chadwick men for who they were. They treated her like a desirable woman and no other man had ever done that before. And though she’d been pissed that they had gone to talk to her father about having a relationship with her, she also respected them for that. They hadn’t tried to sneak around behind her dad’s back while they tried to get her into their bed. They had virtues and morals that a lot of the men she’d worked with didn’t and that only made her fall for them a little deeper.
“What happened, baby?”
Gypsy found herself pouring out the whole story of Rod and his friends. With each word she spoke the angrier Leo, Perry, and Ivan looked. When she’d finished telling them and they stayed silent, she felt disconsolate.
Leo finally broke the silence as he wiped moisture from her cheeks. Gypsy hadn’t even realized that she had started crying again until his thumbs skimmed over her flesh. “Don’t believe a word of their bullshit, baby. You are the most feminine, sexy woman I, we, have ever had the pleasure of meeting.”
“Do you really think so?” she asked uncertainly.
“We know so, sweetheart.” Ivan smoothed a hand over her head and hair. “Do you think we would be pursuing you if we didn’t think you were sexy, attractive?”
“Darlin’, you’re so hot I walk around with a boner all day long.” Perry grinned at her and then he grimaced when he adjusted his cock in his pants.
Gypsy couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of his crotch. She could see the outline of his hard dick behind his jeans and the yearning to see and taste what he was packing was almost too much to bear. She glanced at Leo’s and then Ivan’s pants and saw that they were in the same condition as Perry. She licked her lips unconsciously and then snapped her eyes back up to theirs when all three of them groaned.
“We could show you how sexy and feminine you really are, baby. Will you let us do that?”
Gypsy knew what he was really asking but she needed to make sure before she said yes. She needed to know that they wanted her as much, if not more so, than the way she wanted them.
“How?”
“Let us make love to you, Gypsy. We know we could be real good together. Please, baby? Please, let us love you?” Leo asked.
Gypsy looked from one to the other and then met Leo eyes again. She drew in a fortifying breath and released it with a shudder. They all looked so tense. The muscle in Leo’s jaw was flexing as if he was grinding his teeth. Perry was clenching his hands so tight that his knuckle were white and Ivan…Ivan was leaning his hip against the counter as if he was relaxed and had all the time in the world to waste, but his biceps were twitching and jumping and stretching the sleeves on his T-shirt as if he was about to snap.
She didn’t want to refuse and wasn’t about to because she needed them so badly. There was really only one answer.
“Yes,” she whispered her reply.
Leo cupped her face between his hands, leaned down, and lightly kissed her on the lips. “Thank you, baby. We promise you won’t regret giving us your trust. Now why don’t you go and call your dad before it gets too late?”
Gypsy nodded and placed her hands on his shoulders for balance when he grasped her waist and lifted her down to her feet. After giving them all a last lingering look she hurried out and headed toward her room for her cell phone. She was puzzled over their reaction after giving them her answer. She had expected them to start kissing and touching her immediately, but she was glad they hadn’t, because after she called her dad she wanted to take a shower and clean up. Since she’d fallen asleep before they had arrived at their house she hadn’t had to chance to wash away the dust, grime, and sweat after a long day at work other than washing her face and hands. She wanted to be clean and smell nice for them.
After talking to her dad and making sure he didn’t need anything, Gypsy showered. While she washed she realized her dad had sounded preoccupied. Oh, he’d said all the right things and made all the right responses but she knew that there was something he wasn’t telling her, but then she hadn’t told him about being shot at either. They were like two peas in a pod, skirting around things and holding stuff back. It wasn’t that she didn’t love or trust her father, but she figured since he couldn’t do anything about what was going on that telling him would be futile. There was nothing he could do from his hospital bed and if he got angry and upset it may just set back his recovery.
She turned off the shower, dried off, brushed her teeth and hair, and rubbed moisturizer into her skin. When she was done she pulled her robe on and left the bathroom. She froze in the doorway when she saw all three of the Chadwick brothers in her room. Ivan was looking calm and relaxed, lying on her bed with his eyes closed and his hands behind his head.
Perry was sitting on the edge of the mattress on the other side of the bathroom door, but he was staring at her. And Leo was leaning against the dresser and even though he appeared tranquil, his muscles looked tight as if he was about to pounce.
Gypsy swallowed audibly as nerves started fluttering in the depths of her belly. She was nervous and excited at the same time. Her breasts felt heavy and swollen. Her areolae puckered and her nipples hardened. The internal muscles of her pussy clenched and cream dripped out to coat her folds.
Leo was the first of them to move and the closer he got the more she started to shake. He palmed her face between his big, warm, manly hands and stared down into her eyes.
“Don’t be scared of us, baby. We’d never hurt you.”
Gypsy couldn’t speak right then. She was so hungry she couldn’t have spoken coherently even if she been able to find words, so she nodded.
Leo slowly moved closer and then his head came toward hers. He stopped when his lips were just centimeters from hers, as if he was giving her the chance to pull away or call a halt before things got started, but she didn’t want that. She needed him, Perry, and Ivan more than she needed anyone else in her life. They had already managed to work their way in under her skin, into her heart and soul. Not being with them now that she realized how much she loved them would be like cutting her heart out. It didn’t matter if things didn’t work out in the future. All that mattered was the here and now.
Leo’s lips covered hers and his tongue pushed into her mouth. His arms came around her waist and he pulled her closer as he ravaged her. The more he kissed her the more she wanted and she felt like she was going up in flames. When one of his hands moved from her waist and caressed up her sides, she couldn’t help but moan. That moan turned into a whimper when he cupped her breast through her thin robe. But it still wasn’t enough. She didn’t want anything between the feel of his skin on hers. She wanted them to be flesh to flesh, wanted to feel every nuance of every caress until she burned alive.
She felt heat at her back and then hands fumbled with the belt of her robe. The robe was pushed off her shoulders and down her arms until it whispered against her skin as it fell to the floor to pool around her feet. Leo broke the kiss, licking and nibbling his way along
her jaw bone and down her neck.
Ivan, who was at her back, lifted and cupped her breasts with his big, warm hands as Leo kissed his way down her chest. His tongue caressed over her skin like hot, wet satin, and her breath came in great pants. She nearly cried out with frustration when Ivan released one of her breasts, but she managed to hold it in. Then she did cry out when Leo’s mouth closed around the aching peak. He suckled strongly as his other hand moved down over her belly to the top of her mound. She keened with pleasure when Ivan began plucking and pinching at her other nipple and tremors of desire wracked her body.
Leo released her nipple and then he knelt down in front of her, his breath wafting over her wet pussy lips as he stared up at her. She’d never seen such heat, such desire or hunger when a man looked at her before. Another quiver shook through her and she was scared that her legs would give out at any moment.
“Get her onto the bed,” Perry ordered. She’d wondered where he was but had been too caught up in sensations to look for him.
Leo stood up as Ivan swept her from her feet and carried her over to the bed. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Perry reclining on the mattress with his back resting against the headboard. He was totally naked and was stroking his big hard cock as he stared at her. More cream dripped from her cunt when her inner muscles clenched hungrily.
Ivan lowered her to the bed. Perry snagged her around the waist, lifted her until she was facing away from him, and then lowered her down against his body, between his splayed legs, so that she was resting her head on his chest.
“You are so fucking gorgeous, darlin’. I have never seen a sexier or more responsive woman in my life. I ache to make love with you.” Perry’s breath caressed her ear, eliciting another shiver, and goose bumps pebbled over her skin. “See, there is nothing icy about you, Gypsy. Not one single inch. That bastard just wanted to make you feel bad because you knocked him back. Don’t believe a single word that came out of that fucker’s mouth.”