Caroline hugged Shelby just as Caroline’s cell phone rang. She pulled back.
“I’d better answer this,” she said, but as she did, they saw the truck pulling up to the woods. Shelby widened her eyes and looked about ready to have a panic attack. “Remember that they care about you, and take your time. They’ll understand, and when the time is right, you’ll tell them about the scars.”
The driver side door opened and Caroline turned to see C.J. and Hunter.
“What in God’s name did you think you were doing coming out here all alone and not answering my calls?”
“Well, my sister needed me and I knew you would figure out exactly where we went because when you took me here a week ago, you said it’s the perfect place to come and think and work things out.”
His angry expression went softer. He offered her his hand and she took it and he pulled her up into his arms. He held her gaze with a firm expression. “That doesn’t mean your ass isn’t going to get spanked for this.”
She nibbled her bottom lip. “C.J., someone might hear you.”
“Too late,” Bender said, and she looked across the roof of the car to see Kenneth helping Shelby from the car.
“We’ve got some talking to do, Shelby. Don’t shut us out. Don’t run from us. Let us help you, and if you still just want to be friends, then fine, but let us in,” he said to Shelby and she looked at Caroline.
“What choice do I have?” Shelby said, and Caroline felt her heart clench and she worried that everything they just talked about meant nothing. Then her sister locked gazes with her and winked where the others couldn’t see her and relief filled Caroline’s heart.
“Take care of my sister,” Caroline said.
“Ouch,” she gasped as Hunter gave her ass a smack.
“That’s their business, not yours.”
“Yeah, and you have your own worries to tend with,” C.J. said, and Caroline knew she was going to have to do some serious making up to her men, but at least her sister was safe, and hopefully smart enough to know that staying in Chance may be the only way to ensure she stayed safe and alive.
Chapter 4
Shelby had a lot to think about. She didn’t reply to their questions or offer up any information. She simply said she was tired and that her head hurt. What she hadn’t expected when she got to her house was to see Sam’s truck, and then him standing in the doorway waiting for her with a scowl on his face.
Her little yellow house with the white picket fence looked so small and welcoming. Even the daisies she planted in the window planters were meant to be welcoming and friendly. They were all a great contrast to big, angry Sam standing there on guard.
She swallowed hard, her mind and her body in turmoil. God, he’s so damn tall and good-looking. He’s perfect, and I’m not even close. The second shock to her system was how he immediately pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. She gasped at his abrupt move and then she found herself crying and him lifting her up and carrying her down the hallway.
Her place was small, only two bedrooms, but the scent of vanilla and spice filled her nostrils. It didn’t ease her mind as it usually did.
Sam laid her on the bed and she couldn’t even muster the strength to pretend she didn’t need him close or to lie and tell him she was fine and to just leave her be. She couldn’t. Her senses were overwhelmed. She was in tune to everything. The scent of his cologne, the invisible masculinity of his embrace, and the fact that he was a soldier, a trained, capable weapon, and he was here, in her bedroom. He was lying on her bed with her and protecting her. Was this real? Was he just being sympathetic, and perhaps doing his part beyond the limits of guardian?
But then she felt the caresses on her back as she lay on her side with him holding her. She realized, well, sensed the difference in the touch and knew it was Bender and Kenneth. All three men caring for her.
“You scared the hell out us,” Sam whispered. She felt the pinch of guilt. It was so weird, and she had been desperate to get away from Kenneth, Bender, and even Tazer and Parker because she felt like trash. She was scarred. Scarred for life because of Blade, and to think that he and Skip may still want her and could come here looking had her shivering. It reminded her about why she pushed these men away and why she insisted that Max assign Tazer and his brothers instead.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Sam caressed her hair from her cheeks and wiped her tears. She felt his fingers tilt her chin upward and she blinked open her eyes.
When she locked her eyes on his dark blue ones, she felt that instant attraction she had been fighting forever. He stared down into her eyes and it was like he could see to her soul. Another tear fell.
“You need to know something right now. We care about you, Shelby. We want you to be our woman, and we know you want us, too.”
“Sam.” She said his name and lowered her head. She couldn’t be with them. Not with these scars on her breasts and on her mound. How could they want her, want to look at those scars as they made love? How?
“Shelby Ann, you’re not listening to me, and that is unacceptable because I’m yours and you’re mine. I know you’re scared. Hell, baby, you’ve been running from us, denying your feelings for over a year. A Goddamn year, Shelby Ann. We sat there and we wondered why? What could possibly make you not want to explore this attraction we all feel? Then you said things. Things that hinted to a man hurting you and we find out about this guy from your past and about what they tried to do to you and it fucking angers us.”
She widened her eyes and tried pulling back, but he held firm and Kenneth pressed closer against her back. He was lying behind her and Bender was right there, too, caressing her calf.
“No, you listen to what he’s saying. To what we want from you, from a relationship,” Bender told her. She glanced at him. A detective in the police department, a man with such a charismatic, strong, powerful personality that out her on edge. He was filled with muscles that she could make out in that tight navy blue T-shirt he wore and the dark jeans. It didn’t even scare her that he wore his holster and gun. It aroused her, made her see him as sexy, capable, desirable. But would he find her desirable with the scars? Her soft expression went hard again and she looked away. Kenneth gripped her shoulder and rolled her to her back. He half straddled her body and she gasped as he cupped her cheeks and his eyes roamed over her breasts. The blouse she wore came undone and she was showing a lot of cleavage. She should feel sexy. She wanted to feel sexy, beautiful, and perfect for them. But the scars.
Her heart sank, but Kenneth, being the oldest, was obviously losing his patience with her because he encased her with his body, cupped her cheeks, and spoke his mind firmly.
“I know you feel it. I can feel your heart racing, your breasts are full, and your nipples hard against my chest, baby. I can see it in your eyes, the desire and the need to resist. Give it up. Stop fighting us. All we want to do is protect you and maybe if you’ll let us, even love you.”
She was shocked as the tears filled her eyes, but then Kenneth kissed her. He kissed her with so much desire she felt herself loosening in his hold, weakening in her need to fight, and that kiss grew into passion.
* * * *
Kenneth was done talking. He was finished trying to be patient as his brother explained their desire to make her all theirs. He knew she was scared and knew she wanted to resist because of her past and whatever it was those men did to her.
He lifted his body higher as he continued to kiss her deeply. When he felt her hands caress against his sides, he knew she was slowly losing the fight to resist the attraction. He explored her body with his hands, felt her tighten up when he cupped her breast, but he just kept kissing her, infusing his love, his compassion, and desire into her the best he could. He released her mouth to breathe and trailed kisses along her neck and her shoulder. “You taste so good, and feel incredible,” he told her and trailed his mouth lower. She grabbed onto his head as his lips descended lower to her breas
t. She held him close.
“Kenneth.” She exhaled his name, sounding sexy and breathless.
He tilted his head up toward her. “You want more. You want to let go with us and we will catch you,” he said to her.
She parted her lips to speak and he could see the turmoil in her eyes still and something held her back even now, even after such a passionate kiss.
“They hurt you. We know they did, but none of that matters now. You’re here with the three of us and when you say stop, when you really want us to stop we will,” Sam told her as he leaned closer. The moment she nodded her head and Sam kissed her lips, Kenneth continued in exploration. He licked her skin, inhaled her perfume as he closed his eyes, and relished in finally being closer to her than ever before. She was sexy, a lot smaller than them, and he reminded himself to not place all his weight on her. She was feminine and needed protection in every aspect of the word. She wasn’t fragile, though. He never would look at Shelby and think fragile. He sat up and Bender moved to her other side. So when Sam released her lips, Bender was there to tilt her head toward him and kiss her as well.
Kenneth was between her legs, staring down at her body. The black business skirt was nearly to her waist. Her sexy thighs were toned and felt so good against his palms as he caressed up and down her thighs while Bender kissed her and Sam caressed her breast. As Kenneth gripped her hips, felt her hip bones beneath his palms, the reality of her femininity hit him. She did need protection. From danger, from other men, from those men that could be coming to finish whatever it was they started with her two years ago.
He knew that her and her sister had no one to love them and care for them or protect them. Knowing Caroline’s story, he feared that Shelby’s might be worse. Tazer and Max had been upfront with them. Three men hurt her, scared her, but there was more to it. Shelby didn’t reveal everything. But as he glided his thumbs along her groin, she tightened up and pulled from Bender’s kiss.
“Kenneth.” She said his name and looked at him as she grabbed his hands and covered them. He held her gaze and his expression must have shocked her or made her see the desire, the care he had for her as she didn’t say another word. Her blue eyes sparkled and filled with tears that didn’t fall. Her lips were full, swollen from his brothers’ kisses. Her chest lifted and fell in a not-so-normal pace, giving away the fact that she felt as aroused and turned on as they did. Her blouse was parted, revealing her silky white lace bra that barely held two full breasts that would surely be more than a handful. He let his tongue peek out and licked his lower lip as his cock grew harder and her eyes widened, feeling it. His brothers brought her hands to their lips and kissed her knuckles, making her look at each of them. When his eyes zeroed in on her panties, barely there black lace, he knew they were going to make her their woman tonight.
“Don’t be scared of us.”
“I’m not,” she said rather quickly.
“You want us, too, then? You want to stop resisting and fighting this attraction we feel?” Bender asked her. Her whole face changed. She looked as if she were fighting back tears of emotion as her lips scrunched up and her eyes squinted. More tears fell.
“I want to so badly. I really, really do but—”
“No buts, Shelby. Tell us what is holding you back. Tell us right now,” he said to her firmly.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Did they tell you about Skip and Blade? About Mickie watching and how they were going to…rape me?”
His gut clenched and he bit the inside of his cheek. Of course Max and Tazer told them, especially when they wondered why she ran off like she did.
“They did, baby. It makes us so angry that they did that to you.”
“And you still want me, even though I couldn’t fight them off? That I allowed a man like Skip to abuse me, trick me, and tie me to a bed? He sold me off in some deal, some contract. Me? A human being, a woman, and I could do nothing about it. I was restrained against my will. I couldn’t get free. I couldn’t no matter how hard I tried, Kenneth.”
“I know baby. It kills me to know they did that to you and how scared you must have been,” Sam said to her and placed her hand against his chest over his heart.
“I want to take all that away. Those memories of what they did, what they tried to do.”
“I don’t think you can. You don’t understand. You don’t know the nightmares I live with every night. How I feel them touching me, staring at my body like they were deciding where to strike first and how they would rape me and get off on it. Those dark, evil expressions and then the look on Blade’s face as he clicked open the switch blade and began to explore my body with the tip.”
“What?” Bender asked, and Kenneth gently caressed her skin. He was trying to infuse his touch into her skin. She looked at him.
“You would want me still, even with scars?” she asked as tears spilled from her eyes.
He felt sick and angry, so fucking pissed off it was hard not to reveal that upset in his eyes. She saw it and she looked away. He gripped her hips and gave them a squeeze.
“Look at me,” he demanded, and he knew his tone was harsh. He didn’t mean it to be but her reaction as she instantly looked back at him showed him she respected his command. That she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. She wasn’t struggling to get free. She was struggling to let go of the past and the pain and fear she felt.
“This is why you wouldn’t give into the desire and attraction between the four of us?”
“Don’t you like the way we make you feel when we touch you?” Sam asked, and he cupped her breast and glided his thumb back and forth over her nipple.
“Yes,” she whispered, and Kenneth felt her body shiver with need.
“And when we kiss you, don’t you want more? Don’t you want us to make love to you and become one?” Bender asked.
She nodded as another tear fell.
“Well then?” Kenneth asked.
“I stop you, because I don’t want you to see the scars Blade caused.”
“On your body?” Sam asked.
“Where?” Kenneth asked, and she looked back at him.
“Kenneth.”
“Where?” he asked.
She held his gaze.
“Under my breasts,” she whispered.
“You’ll let us see. We need to get this fear out of the way,” Sam said to her as he and Bender slowly unbuttoned her blouse the rest of the way.
She looked so sexy. Her skin tan, soft, and free of any blemishes. He couldn’t help but to lick his lips at the sight of his brother’s fingers unclasping her bra, releasing her full round breasts. At first he didn’t see it but then he caught the sight of the faded red line on either side. Sam and Bender saw it, too, and both men looked at her as they each cupped a breast.
“You’re beautiful and perfect,” Bender told her then leaned forward and kissed her lips before he lifted her breast and kissed the scar there.
“Oh God, please, please don’t lie to me. I can’t take that. It hurts so badly to think you’re just saying that to me,” she said and she sniffled.
“No, baby. We don’t just say anything. You’ve known us for a while now. Do we ever just say shit to say it, or do we speak our minds?” Sam asked her, and she seemed to think about that a moment but then when she didn’t answer both men descended upon her breasts and feasted on them. He watched with adoration as Sam licked and teased her nipple on the right side and Bender licked and teased her nipple on the left side.
When Kenneth started to pull her skirt down, she froze again.
“Kenneth?”
He was silent a moment. His stomach felt like butterflies were in it. He was instantly filled with concern.
“More?” he whispered and his brothers stopped and she nodded her head. He slowly lifted up and undid her skirt and gently slid it down off her legs. He reached for the panties and the moment he began to pull them down, the scar—thin, light in color but definitely an effective reminder of
what those men tried to do to her—came into sight. He bit the inside of his cheek and tried so hard to not let images of what the scene looked like that night for her. How terrified she must have been and how damn fucking lucky that they couldn’t complete their violent acts against her. This was enough. To live with these scars and memories of a man cutting her, intimidating her before he planned on raping her.
“Kenneth,” she whispered.
He removed the panties and held her gaze.
“Let us take the pain and the fear away, Shelby. Let us love you, show you how real men treat their woman. How we’re going to treat you forever,” he said to her. She didn’t respond with words but instead she opened for him as he slid lower between her legs and kissed the scar softly, inch by inch before descending his mouth and tongue on her clit and pussy.
When she started to moan and wiggle then explode on his face, he knew she was letting go and finally letting them in. A glance up as he ate at her cream, and he saw his brothers feasting on her breasts and then taking turns kissing her and running their hands along her body. She was panting in between and thrusting her hips upward. He pulled back, replaced tongue with fingers, and stroked her pussy as he held her gaze.
“Tell us what you need, what you want.”
“You. All three of you,” she said.
He pulled his fingers from her pussy and then lifted his shirt up over his head, not even bothering with the buttons. He heard the tear and didn’t give a shit about ripping the designer dress shirt. Fuck it. He needed her, he needed to be inside of Shelby, claiming her as his woman. His brothers would claim her one after the next and they would move on from there and plan her protection, her companionship. She would finally be their woman.
Town of Chance: Fight for Freedom [The Dare Series 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6