Sidney’s Triple Shot [Apache Crossing] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Lori King

  Her knees gave out underneath her, and Sidney slumped to the floor, covering her head with her arms. She could sense movement near her, but her ears were deaf to it as she cried into her knees. This was all her fault. Austin was just saying out loud what everyone in the bar was probably thinking.

  Hands gripped Sidney’s biceps and tried to pull her arms away from her cowering head, but she tightened up.

  “Sidney!” She could hear her name being called, but the anxiety attack was too strong for her to respond. Her breathing was coming out in gasps, and her knees and chest were now soaked with her tears. She couldn’t stop her body from shaking violently as terror overwhelmed her. “Sidney! Damn it, Sidney, look at me!”

  Xavier’s voice was angry and harsh and did nothing to ease her fears. He began running his hand up and down her back until her breathing slowed, and she focused every bit of her attention on its motion. Up and down, back and forth, side to side, then up and down again. His hand never stopped, and before she knew it, her breathing was coming out in soft hiccups, and she could hear the voices around her rumbling with tension and frustration.

  “She’s having a panic attack, I think.”

  “Should we call 911?”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Sidney? Love, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “Shut up, Tyce. You’ll make it worse!”

  “Enough!” Xavier’s authoritative tone stopped the buzzing chatter for a moment as everyone focused on him. His hands went to Sidney’s arms again, and he tugged them away from her head. She lifted her chin to look up at him, still shivering hard. He grimaced. “Sid, baby, it’s all right. Everything’s all right now.”

  Her eyes darted around nervously, and she struggled to keep breathing at a normal pace. Kara stood with her hand over her mouth and concern in her eyes with Austin at her side. His eye was already swollen, and Tyce’s blue button-down shirt was ripped, and blood dripped from his split bottom lip. Noah knelt at her side while Xavier knelt in front of her, looking nearly as frazzled as her nerves felt.

  “Honey, let’s go to the back, and get you cleaned up. Can you stand up for me?” Noah murmured softly to her, and she felt her eyes narrow.

  “Don’t treat me like a child,” she whispered.

  Noah blanched and shook his head. “No honey, never. I’m just worried about you. I’m not sure what happened that caused you to freak out.”

  Sidney’s eyes slammed back into Tyce’s, and anger hit her. “You told me I would be safe with you,” she snapped accusingly, and his face went white.

  “What?” he said in astonishment.

  “How can I feel safe with you, when you could attack me if I say the wrong thing? Austin didn’t say anything that wasn’t true, and you tried to kill him,” she snarled, letting anger take the place of the terror that had overwhelmed her. Noah’s hand froze on her arm, and Xavier looked pissed. Before she could say any more, Xavier’s hands gripped her under her armpits and jerked her up to her feet.

  “Not here, and not now. Let’s go.” With that, he scooped her up into his arms and took off for the manager’s office with Tyce and Noah following behind. She could hear Noah give instructions to Austin to go put some ice on his face and to the other employees to clean up the mess and get back to business.

  Once they were all privately ensconced in the office, Xavier sat her down on top of the desk and trapped her between his arms that he braced on the desk. “Now, do you want to explain to us what the hell you’re talking about?”

  Sidney’s body trembled under his anger, and he eased back, giving her some space, but still stood close enough to keep her from running. “He tried to kill Austin.”

  “That prick deserved it for what he said,” Tyce said, clenching his jaw in frustration.

  “No, he told the truth. I’m basically sleeping with all three of you in trade for a place to live and clothes to wear. He’s just calling a whore a whore,” she said sadly, staring down at her hands, because she was afraid if she looked into their eyes she would see the acknowledgment that she was right.

  “Don’t you ever call yourself a whore again!” Xavier yelled, and she jumped. Tears began falling down her cheeks uncontrollably, and he cursed.

  “Honey, why do you feel that way? We told you that we want you to be in our lives permanently, not as our play toy,” Noah said softly from near the door.

  “I don’t know if I can do this. I should have just left,” she said, more to herself than in response to them, but they heard every word.

  “So now you’re going to run? Because you’re afraid of me?” Tyce’s voice cracked with emotion, and it drew Sidney’s eyes up to meet his tumultuous blue gaze.

  The truth was there on the table for all of them to see. She was scared. How could she explain it, when she didn’t understand it.

  “I can’t help it. What if I say the wrong thing and upset you?” she whispered, and Tyce shook his head in astonishment. He dropped onto the couch and ran his hands through his hair.

  “Sidney, I would never hurt you!” he responded, and she just watched him. He seemed genuinely upset, and her anger eased a little.

  “You hurt Austin!” she said roughly, and Xavier held up a hand to stop Tyce from responding.

  “Stop. Sidney, Tyce was defending you, not attacking Austin. I understand you had a moment of panic, but you have to stop and look at this from Tyce’s point of view. If some woman said something like that about one of us, how would you react?” Xavier said. The anger was gone from his voice, and now it had that hard edge that made her body tingle.

  She dropped her eyes from his and stared at her lap again. “I don’t know. I guess I would be pissed, too.”

  Xavier sighed heavily. “You can’t run away from us or push us away every time we do something to upset you.”

  Tears were still falling down Sidney’s cheeks, but she nodded her understanding.

  “Sidney, I’m sorry I scared you, and I’ll go out there and apologize in public if that will make you believe me. But please understand that I would do it again, and I will do it again if anyone dares to talk about you that way,” Tyce said sternly, and she took a chance and locked her gaze with his. She didn’t see any anger or frustration, just rock-hard determination.

  “Why?” The word slipped off of her tongue before she could stop it, and she was shocked when all three men chuckled.

  This time it was Tyce who sighed heavily. “Because I love you.”

  Sidney could feel all of the blood leech from her face, and her body went cold. She shook her head slowly in the negative, and Tyce nodded back silently. She turned to Noah and then Xavier, and though no one said a word, she could see it in their eyes. All three men thought they were in love with her.

  “No. You can’t do this to me,” she snapped and jumped to her feet. “I have spent my whole life craving it, needing it, wishing for it, and now…now that I’ve finally decided that I can live without it…you taunt me with it. No one loves me. I’m unlovable. Sure, I’m fuckable, but I’m not the type of woman you take home to your mama or that you stand at the altar waiting to see walking down the aisle toward you.”

  “You don’t really believe that?” Noah asked in shock. All three men froze as they watched her. She spun on him and glared into his beautiful blue eyes.

  “I’ve never believed anything more. It’s been the running theme of my life,” she responded. Her tears were gone, as was her fear and anger. Now all she felt was resignation that her fate was decided. She would enjoy the time she had with them, in their bed and their lives, but then she would leave. Before she got hurt, she would end it.

  “It’s not anymore, baby. You are loved more than you will ever know, and I hope you will give us a chance to prove it,” Xavier said tenderly, and he reached out to pull her into his arms before she could protest.

  His mouth covered hers, and he kissed her like a man desperate for a taste of her. She opened to him easily enough, but she did
n’t give him anything back. She remained passive under him. He growled in frustration against her mouth a moment later.

  “Tyce, Noah, apparently Sidney has decided that she can hold herself back from us, and not feel anything,” Xavier said.

  “Well, then we will just have to show her how responsive she is, brother,” Tyce said with a snicker, and Sidney frowned.

  A moment later she was on her back on the desk, and Tyce was tugging her short shorts over her hips while Xavier pulled her halter top up to release her breasts to his mouth, and Noah bent to take her mouth in a mind-blowing kiss. She moaned into Noah’s open mouth as Xavier bit down gently on her hard nipple.

  “Wait, stop. There are people in the bar!” she gasped, breaking free of Noah’s mouth for a moment.

  “There sure are, and if you don’t keep quiet, they will all hear your moans of pleasure,” Xavier said against the curve of her breast, making her squirm.

  Tyce forced her knees apart and then bent to lick her now soaking-wet slit. At the first touch of his tongue to her throbbing clit, she cried out and felt her stomach clench. Moisture flooded her pussy as Tyce’s laugh vibrated against her inner thigh, and he slid his hands under her ass to cup her cheeks. His tongue slid from her clit down through her creamy folds and all the way back to her winking asshole. He twirled his tongue around that sensitive bud and then dragged it back up again to tease her clit. She whimpered and twitched under his ministrations, and Xavier let out a sharp laugh.

  “Yes, baby, that’s what we want. Don’t think so much about what could happen in the future. Just enjoy how we make you feel right now.” His husky voice was full of heat.

  It was like they stole her ability to think when they all touched her like this. She writhed under their hands, unable to hold still. Her orgasm was within reach when Xavier pinched her nipples hard, causing her to cry out. Both Tyce and Noah stopped what they were doing and backed away from her instantly. She was left untouched and cold, hanging on the edge of an orgasm. What the hell were they doing?

  “Hey!” she gasped, unfulfilled need spiraling like hot iron in her body.

  “No,” Noah said with a sad shake of his head. Tyce wouldn’t even meet her gaze.

  “No more, Sidney. You get no more until you accept that we love you and you can promise us that you won’t run again,” Xavier said, and anger grayed out Sidney’s brain. Any conversation they might have had was shut down by her frustration at his ultimatum.

  “You’re all assholes, let me up!” she snapped viciously, and she stood, grabbing her clothes and holding them to her naked body like a suit of armor. “Fuck you, Xavier.”

  She turned and pushed her way into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and sagging back against it, trembling with her desire and anger. She heard him through the door. “I mean it, Sidney. This isn’t a game. You won’t get a single orgasm out of any of us until you can make that promise. We love you, but we won’t be toyed with either.”

  She was in shock. It wasn’t so much that she was angry, but she was hurt. How could he push her like this? It wasn’t fair. He shouldn’t tease her with fantasies of what life could be when he knew damn well that it wasn’t going to be that way.

  Sidney stared at her reflection in the mirror over the sink. Fear was evident as well as the horniness she was now subjected to. Who would have thought that after hating men for so long, she would now crave three of them with equal fervor? Angrily, she pulled her clothes on and ran a cold, wet cloth over her face and neck. She could see her still hard nipples poking through her halter top, but she couldn’t change it, so instead she straightened her spine and stormed out of the bathroom.

  She half expected the three men to still be sitting in the office waiting for her appearance, but it was empty. Irritation, relief, and trepidation all warred in her belly for control of her emotions. She pushed herself down the hallway to the bar, which had now started to fill up for the lunch rush. She was determined to get through her shift without giving them an inch. Who did Xavier think he was in her life that he could demand words of love from her?

  Her eyes met the challenging, icy-blue gaze of Xavier, who stood on the other side of the room watching her, and she tossed her hair defiantly before smiling at the customers in front of her bar. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him know how horny I am, she thought to herself, and she put on a brave front as she threw herself into her work.

  Three hours later the crowd had dropped off, and Kara came looking for her. “Hey, Sid, Tyce said to let you know your costume is in the office. We’re all supposed to be in costume by six, so I’m going to run home now and change, and when I get back you can change, okay?”

  “Yeah, Kara, that’s fine. Anna will be here any minute, and she can cover if you’re not back. Hey, did he happen to mention what my costume is?” she asked curiously, and Kara grinned.

  “Oh yeah, I actually got to see it, but I’m not going to spoil the surprise.” Kara winked at Sidney and left before she could argue further.

  She clenched her jaw as she watched Kara’s pretty red hair swirl around her narrow shoulders. What if he picked out something scandalous? It grated her nerves that she wasn’t given a choice in what costume she was going to be wearing, but it was too late to request changes now.

  The tinkle of feminine laughter caught her attention, and she turned to see Anna entering the bar. The beautiful Asian woman was dressed in a thigh-high dark-blue dress that had an uncanny resemblance to a Marine Corps officer’s dress blues uniform. It was belted off and button down, but she had left the buttons open over her cleavage, exposing a white satin bra and her perky breasts. Her dark-brown hair was wrapped up in a bun at the base of her head so that a white Marine Corps cap could sit jauntily on top of her head. White stilettos paired with thigh-high white stockings made her look like a sexy stripper preparing for her routine. Sidney started to giggle as Anna headed her way.

  “Holy shit, woman!”

  Sidney and Anna both turned to see Gage and Lane seated at their regular table and staring at Anna. Lane’s look was one of humor and appreciation for a beautiful woman, but Gage looked like he had been bulldozed. His mouth hung open a little bit, and he still held his beer in the air as though he had stopped middrink to stare.

  “Hello, boys,” Anna called out cheekily as she spun on one heel to show them her costume. “Do you like my costume?”

  “You’re the best-looking female Marine I have ever seen, doll. If the Marines are changing the women’s uniform, I may have to reenlist!” Lane said playfully, and he smacked Gage’s shoulder like he wanted him to join in the joke. Tension grew as Gage didn’t respond. He just sat there staring at Anna as though he had never seen her before.

  “Gage, are you all right?” Anna asked hesitantly. Sidney suddenly felt awkward. Like she was watching a special moment that she shouldn’t be privy to. When Gage still didn’t answer Anna, she huffed loudly and reached for her apron. “I better get to work.”

  “You look fucking fantastic, A. But you already know it. That costume is damn near indecent,” Gage finally said quietly, and Sidney’s eyes grew round as Anna’s pretty face flushed with irritation.

  “Close only counts in horseshoes, so I guess I’ll take my nearly naked ass over to the other side of the bar and see if they need drinks,” Anna snapped back, and she fled across the bar. Sidney turned back to Gage, only to find his face had dropped in disappointment.

  “You’re such a moron, man. That girl wants you, and you keep being an ass,” Lane said with a shake of his head.

  “I’m too old for her,” Gage said, and Sidney giggled.

  “Hmm…I think you’re scared of her. She’s hot as hell, fiery, and ready to take life on like a bull rider taking the reins. She’s the perfect woman,” Lane said with a shake of his head.

  “Well, then, you fuck her.” Gage snapped as he stood up and slammed his beer back. “I’m going home.”

  Sidney watched as Gage stormed out of the b
ar without a second look at Lane or Anna. Lane was left shaking his head at his friend, and Anna looked like she was ready to cry as she watched the tall man push through the front doors.

  Seems like everyone is having relationship issues around here, Sidney thought to herself as she set another beer down in front of Lane and headed back to the bar. It wasn’t her place to say anything, but she knew for a fact that Anna didn’t think Gage was too old for her. At thirty-eight he was certainly older than Anna’s twenty-four years, but age was just a number, right?

  As Sidney was finishing her round of checking on her customers, Kara came barreling back into the bar, and Sidney couldn’t help but laugh out loud at her friend’s costume.

  “Well, what do you think?” Kara asked, tossing her long hair over her shoulder. It had been spray-colored jet black, and she wore a pair of camel-colored suede short shorts with matching thigh-high suede boots and a paisley button-down blouse with a camel-colored suede vest over the top. The vest had long fringe that hung off of the font and the arms. It was the perfect Cher costume, and Sidney told her so. A moment later, Austin came bustling back into the bar, wearing a coordinating Sonny costume.

  “Oh my God! You guys look great! Are you two going to be serenading us later this evening, too?” Sidney asked, still laughing at the pair of them. Austin’s costume looked even more ridiculous with his swollen cheekbone and black eye.

  “Maybe, you never know,” Kara replied with a wink.

  “Wasn’t Sonny shorter than Cher?” Sidney asked Austin as the big man came closer to her.

  “Hey, Sid, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn’t mean anything by what I said…” he said, looking ashamed of himself.

  “Don’t sweat it, Austin. It’s not the first time I’ve been called a whore. Anyways, I better get to the back to see what my costume is.” She untied her apron, leaving it sitting on the counter and cautiously walked to the back office. Nerves danced in her belly as she approached the closed door.

  She wasn’t exactly sure she was ready to face the Dawson brothers after what happened earlier in the day, but the longer they had left her alone, the more she missed them. She found that she had an urge to find one of them and just hold him close. It was a rather unsettling feeling. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she pushed open the door to the manager’s office.