“We can bring along some food and an extra grill,” Taylor chimed in and Mercedes looked at him and tightened her lips.
“Oh this will be a lot of fun with so many of us. Maybe you want to come along, too, Will, Leo?” Adel asked because she felt funny not asking them as everyone else around them started inviting themselves along.
“We’ll see. Maybe,” Leo said.
“I’ll be there. I’ll bring some stuff with me to your place and my brothers can meet us there if they decide to go, too,” Will said to her and she smiled.
She looked around at the others and felt a bit of tension still and wasn’t certain why. One look at Mercedes and she seemed to know as a small smile formed on her lips and she winked at Adel. What did Mercedes know that she didn’t know?
* * * *
At 10:50 in the morning, Adel heard the pickup truck pull up in front of her cottage. She could see the truck reversing backward up the small driveway and the big box in the back of the truck. The picture of the ceiling fan looked big and she wondered if it would fit.
She opened the screen door and greeted Will as he got out of the truck. He smiled wide. She was wearing a sun dress with her bathing suit underneath it.
“Hi, Will.”
“Good morning, Adel. You look pretty as always,” he said to her.
She smiled and said thank you as she met him at the back of his truck. Will of course looked amazing. He wore a pair of jeans and a tight navy blue T-shirt that showed off his pectoral muscles. He towered over her as she stood in flip flops and asked if he needed help as he let the tail gate down.
“Not at all. You just stay looking beautiful while I get this thing inside.”
She noticed the picture on the box and she gasped. This fan was an expensive fan. More like five hundred dollars than fifty dollars and that was at wholesale prices for large numbers of inventory.
“Will, I can’t take this. That’s got a copper finish and real wood and those light covers are made of hand-blown glass. The covers alone are more than fifty dollars.”
“Adel, don’t worry about it. The fans are just sitting there collecting dust and eventually will be tossed out or used elsewhere. This is a great fan and will help keep you comfortable on those hot, summer nights,” he said and lifted the box.
She held the door open as he brought the box into the small living room. She was embarrassed about him seeing her small place. His place was big. He and his brothers had a huge house with lots of property and only a block from the beach.
“I don’t think the box is going to fit down this hallway. This is cute, Adel,” he told her as he looked at her. He appeared so big, too big in her small living room.
“It’s perfect for me, considering I live alone. I don’t need much,” she said, feeling embarrassed as she lowered her head. She felt his fingers under her chin and she immediately looked up toward him.
“Hey, it’s perfect for one person. So where’s your bedroom?” he asked and she gulped.
Since leaving Spencer’s last night with Mercedes she was feeling a bit nervous. Mercedes believed that Will and Leo were setting the groundwork for claiming Adel as their woman, and Steve and his brothers were pissed about it because they liked her, too. The thought had her up most of the night. Where Steve and his brothers showed their interest in her, or at least Steve did at work by flirting, Will, Hank, and Leo did not. They complimented her here and there and seemed to be concerned whenever she wasn’t smiling, and even now, Will offered to help with the fan, but he did agree that he wasn’t flirting with her. He didn’t want Steve installing the fan because Steve was a flirt. That was the only reason why Will volunteered.
“I just need to grab my tools. Also, do you know where the main circuit breaker box is? I’ll need to turn off the line going to this fan.”
“Sure. I’ll show you. It’s in the small room in the back.”
She calmed herself down and rationalized the situation as Will grabbed his tools. Fifteen minutes later he was struggling to get the old fan down and noticed some faulty wiring.
“This isn’t good, Adel. The wiring is all bad. I’ll have to replace this but I don’t know if I can do that without breaking into the sheetrock to get to the main hookups. It looks like the previous owner must have swapped out the new fan with an old one.”
“Figures. This place was on the market for quite some time but it fit my budget when I first got here. I can always get someone to come back and fix the sheetrock. I probably could do it myself.”
“You? Not happening. I’ll do it or even Leo. He’s great at spackling and taping, too. He’ll make it look like nothing ever happened.”
She heard her phone ringing.
“Go answer that. I’ll be a bit trying to get this sucker down.”
She walked out of the room and answered the phone.
“When I tell you to call me you’d better do it. Now enough is enough, Adel. We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t. I’ve got nothing to say to you. What don’t you understand about that?” she asked, raising her voice.
“You’re awfully mouthy. You don’t want to piss me off, Adel.”
“Or what? You’ll hit me? I’m not afraid of you. Just leave me alone and stop calling me.”
“Never, Adel. I’ll make your life a living hell. I want you back.”
“Never happening. Leave me alone.” She disconnected the call and threw her phone onto the couch. She covered her face with her hands.
“Adel.” She heard Will’s voice and gasped, instantly feeling embarrassed. He must have heard her phone call. Oh God what he must be thinking.
She turned toward him and wiped her eyes before the tears fell and forced a smile.
“Were you able to get it? Do you need help?” she asked and went to walk by him but Will grabbed her arm to stop her. He stared down into her eyes, his expression of concern and sympathy.
“Who was that? Is someone bothering you? A man?”
“Please don’t ask me any questions. I’m fine. I’ve got this.”
She attempted to pull free slightly, but he held firm.
“Talk to me. I can help you if you confide in me.”
She shook her head.
“I can’t.”
“You can’t, or you won’t?” he pushed.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re a man. Because you’re not even a friend. You’re my boss.”
He shook his head and pulled her close.
“I don’t just want to be your boss or your friend. I want more than that.”
Her eyes widened and she went to pull back but he drew her in closer.
“What are you talking about? Stop fooling around, Will.” She chuckled softly but it was lame. His comment affected her and had her wondering why he said that.
“Adel, look at me. You can’t be so oblivious to the way I feel about you. Come on, even Leo was making certain that Steve wouldn’t get a chance to be alone with you.”
He reached out and cupped her cheek, then ran his thumb along her chin.
“I made certain it would be me here today changing this fan and being the only man in your bedroom.”
“But you’re my boss. Why would you and Leo do that? What kind of game are you playing, Will? I don’t play games.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and cupped her hair and neck with his other hand and held her gaze. His eyes roamed over her lips and the cleavage of the tank top she wore. “You sure aren’t. You’re special. You’re everything my brothers and I need in our lives and have searched for.”
“Don’t say such things. Quit it, Will.” She tried to push him away but his expression firmed as his eyebrows burrowed.
“You don’t think I’m serious? You haven’t noticed the way Leo looks at you or how jealous Hank gets when Steve or any other male employee talks to you?”
“Your brothers aren’t interested in me, and certainly not Hank. He hardly even
speaks to me.”
He chuckled low. “Hank is so into you he doesn’t even want to admit it out loud. He’ll come around. He has trust issues.” He leaned down as if he might kiss her.
“Don’t, Will. This will make matters worse for me right now.”
“Worse for you how? Is someone bothering you? Threatening you? An ex? Who is he?”
“Please, Will, don’t ask me questions. I’m not going to tell you anything. It’s none of your business. You’re my boss.”
“But I want to be more than that.”
“Why are you doing this? Why me? You can have your choice of any woman you want and so can your brothers. Hell, Will, I’ve cancelled dates for you. I’ve made excuses over the phone for you and your brothers so you could avoid seeing a woman you slept with ever again. How can you expect me to take you serious?”
“That was months ago, besides, we all have different ways of trying to get you out of our heads. Maybe mine was stupid, and I realize that now because no woman, no other person compares to you. What will it take to prove that we’re serious about getting to know you and taking this to the next level?”
She held his gaze. Stared into his hazel eyes and tried to see if he was telling the truth or just being Will, the bachelor, the out-for-a-good-time kind of guy.
He brushed his thumb along her lower lip.
“You’re killing me here. I want to taste you, Adel. Let me kiss you and see if you feel what I’m feeling.”
He lowered his mouth closer and closer to hers. A few different reasons why not to kiss him entered her mind but only for a moment. Then his lips touched hers.
She felt his firm, masculine lips press against her own and at first she was shocked and scared. As his hand massaged along her waist and she absorbed the scent of his cologne and the feel of his muscles she began kissing him back.
But then her mind traveled over the things that had occurred in her life and the pain that Bentley, and her own father, had caused her and she panicked. How could any man love her when her own father didn’t?
She pushed against his chest and he released her lips. She covered her mouth and shook her head.
“Baby, please. Talk to me, Adel. Don’t fight this.”
She uncovered her mouth.
“I should have stopped you. We shouldn’t have kissed. I’m not good for you. You’re not good for me.”
“You’re so wrong, Adel. You’re perfect.”
She felt the tears reach her eyes as she pushed away from him.
“Adel.”
She turned toward him.
“I’m not perfect. I’m not interested in playing your games. That shouldn’t have happened.”
He stepped closer and she stepped back.
He looked upset, hurt, and she felt badly but she needed to stand her ground. This wasn’t good. She was so confused.
“I want to talk to you about this. About that phone call.”
“No, Will. Let’s forget both ever happened. Now can you do that and fix the fan or do I need to get someone else to?” She held her ground and he looked her over. He ran his fingers under his lip as if contemplating his next move or the right reply.
“Steve is not allowed in this house, never mind in your bedroom.” He walked back down the hallway and she felt like crying. Hell, like screaming. What was she going to do? Will kissed her. She kissed him. He was one of her bosses. Oh God, she’d have to find a new job. How the hell would she do that? No one was hiring, and this was right in town. Damn you, Bentley. Damn you!
* * * *
“Okay spill the beans. What the heck happened between you and that sexy man Will?” Mercedes asked as Adel joined her and the others down by the water. Despite the bad way things went down with her and Will, he and Leo showed up and they brought beer, food to cook up, and a grill big enough to cook everything.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why not? Is it that bad?” Mercedes asked and Adel nodded her head.
It was hot out and everyone was either in the water or making their way in.
“Well whatever happened it sure didn’t change their minds about coming here. I wonder where Hank is. He’s the oldest right?”
Adel nodded her head.
“He’s the one that doesn’t really socialize but works out a lot? Martial arts I think I heard Taylor say.”
“Oh, speaking of Deputy Taylor and his brothers, how did things go? Did they ask you out?”
“Oh God no. That is not going to happen.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I’m too young for them, I work in the Sheriff’s office, and everyone would feel awkward. Taylor gives me the evil eyes whenever one of the deputies flirts with me. Then when I’m out, like at Spencer’s, and Kurt and Warner are there, they give me dirty looks and then they stare at whomever I’m with, making the guys feel uncomfortable. It’s like a silent message to leave me alone.”
“Okay, so I don’t see the problem.”
“They aren’t serious about me. Would you consider a ménage relationship, sex with three or even four men, if they were only looking for a good time and to explore an attraction? I know I don’t want to walk around Chance with a ‘used goods’ sign plastered on my forehead. No thank you.”
Adel thought about what Mercedes said and she realized she feared the same thing. When she thought about entertaining an attraction to Will, she immediately thought about his brothers, too. It was like they were all connected. How would she face her friends and the employees at the company if Will, Leo, and Hank used her for sex? She would have to quit. She’d have to face Harold, their dad, and he knew the truth about what happened to her. He knew her father chose Bentley over her and that Bentley cheated on her and abused her. Harold would be disappointed and think maybe she was trying to use his sons for their wealth and connections.
“I know what you mean, and you’re right. I think we both need to be cautious and not take any chances with any men until we’re certain.”
Mercedes nodded toward the men as a group of them, including Taylor, Kurt, Warner, Leo, and Will, removed their shirts, showing off their sexy muscular bodies before they made their way into the water.
“Or until we become too aroused and needy to even care,” Mercedes said very seriously and Adel agreed and they both looked at one another and started laughing.
* * * *
“So you never got anything out of Adel about the caller?” Leo asked Will.
“No, things turned badly once I kissed her. It was like she freaked out and panicked. She sounded so insecure and untrusting, like we would use her and leave her for scraps.”
“What? Why the hell would she respond like that? We haven’t given her the impression that we would treat her like crap. This would be a big risk getting personal with our personal assistant,” Leo said then chuckled.
“Yeah, I want to get real personal with her and this waiting is killing me, but she’s scared, and it’s obvious someone hurt her.”
Leo scrunched his eyes together as they stood in the water up to their chests. He ran the water along his arms and shoulders.
“You think someone hurt her, like abused her or you mean broke her heart?”
“She’s an old-fashioned kind of girl. I think maybe both. If you heard the emotion in her voice as she took that phone call you would know what I mean. She sounded scared and like she was trying to be tough.”
“She can trust us though. You told her that we’re all interested?”
“She didn’t believe me. She even said that Hank never says a word to her or shows interest in that way and nor do you.”
“That’s because we didn’t want to come on too strong, but maybe we should step on the gas a little here?”
“I’m not sure, Leo, but I can tell you this, her kisses are addicting. What I would do right now just to hold her in my arms and kiss her.”
They heard the squeal and then looked toward the water’s edge to see Mercedes,
Adel, Alicia, and Marlena along with a few other women. Steve was filling up water guns and shooting them.
They were all laughing as everyone reached for a water gun and tried to fill it up. It was such a childish game to play but as Will caught sight of Adel running to hide with a water gun in hand he winked at Leo and they both made their way toward the shoreline to grab a water gun.
Of course there were smaller ones left but that didn’t matter.
“We’ll sneak around and get her on both sides,” Leo said and they filled the guns then ran up the beach and over the grass just as Adel came around the tree. To their surprise she had water balloons and threw them right at them one after the next.
Will got hit in the shoulder and Leo got hit in the head. Instead of stopping, Leo charged.
“Oh you’re in trouble now, Miss McKinley,” Leo told her and Adel screamed and laughed as Leo chased her.
In a flash he lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder.
“Leo! Put me down. Put me down,” she said but was laughing.
“Oh no, Adel, you’re in for it now,” Will said and squirted her with the water gun a few times as Leo brought her to the water.
“Wait, wait. I need to take off my cover-up. I don’t have a change of clothes.”
“Oh well, we’ll think of something later,” Leo said and then ran with her over his shoulder into the water, her sundress and all, and dunked her.
She came up laughing and then splashing him. The others were carrying on and still shooting the water guns and even starting a game of volleyball. Will watched as Leo pulled her closer and brought her deeper into the lake and away from the crowd. His brother would make a few steps forward in the progress department. Will was certain of that as he slowly took his time to join them.
* * * *
Leo’s heart was racing inside of his chest. The feel of Adel in his arms was more than he anticipated. Her laughter brightened his mood and those damn big brown doe eyes did a number on him every time.
He held her close and then she pushed back. “I have to get this off. It’s making me sink.”
Dare to Forgive [The Dare Series 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4