“Oh, how rude of me. Sorry, Axel, guys. This is Detective Randy Rimarez. He worked with Michael.”
They each shook the man’s hand hello, but then Randy took position next to Mariah.
“How are you doing? Do you still need some help back at the house? I don’t mind at all,” Randy told her, taking Mariah’s hand and caressing the top of it. L.T. watched, his gut clenching as he stared at the man. Randy wanted Mariah. But what man wouldn’t find the platinum blonde attractive? She was stunning, and her innocence drew all types of men toward her. That’s why Michael had been so protective.
“Oh, you don’t have to help out. But please come by and have something to eat. The neighbors sent over so much food,” she told him and then turned toward L.T. and the others.
“You guys are definitely coming over. Right?” she asked.
The men responded immediately, but L.T. was caught staring at her. The sound of Mariah’s sweet voice always snagged his attention. But being nearly ten years older than her, ultimately an old man comparatively, after all he’d gone through, he quickly nodded and then turned toward Jeb. He was going to have to ensure that the Randy guy knew Mariah was off-limits and also speak with Jeb about what was needed.
“L.T., are you okay?” Jeb asked as they moved away from the others. He glanced over his shoulder at Mariah and his men, who now placed themselves around her, causing Randy to have to stand a few feet in front of her. They knew how to protect their own. And Mariah was theirs to protect, for Michael. He would expect them to watch over her. She was too young and innocent to take care of herself. She needed them.
“I’ll get through this. I just can’t believe Michael is gone.”
“I know. Listen, there’s something I wanted to mention to you and the guys. But I don’t want Mariah to know. Do you think we can get together tomorrow?”
L.T. heard the concern in Jeb’s voice. Something was up. Jeb was retired military and retired from the police department. He was a smart man with great instincts.
“What is it?”
“Not here,” Jeb whispered as he looked around, and even toward Randy.
Randy seemed to pick up on Jeb’s glance, and the man didn’t look happy.
Instantly, L.T. didn’t like Randy.
“Okay. Just tell us when and where and we’ll be there.”
Jeb placed his hand on L.T.’s shoulder and it took every ounce of his control not to pull away. He didn’t do physical contact well. He avoided it as much as he could.
“Thank you.”
The reverend entered the room and L.T. knew it was time for everyone to take a seat as the final prayer was said for the wake. Tomorrow morning would bring the funeral and the final farewell to Michael. He didn’t know how he was going to get through it. He just knew that he should focus on Jeb and Mariah and try to help them get through it.
He walked toward the row behind her as Jeb sat on her right and Deacon sat on her left. Quentin and Axel sat on either side of him. They all automatically surrounded her to protect her. As the prayer began, L.T. closed his eyes and focused on his own memories of Michael. Another lost soul. Another good guy leaving the earth too soon. It made him question his own existence and his own mortality. Was there more he wanted in this life? Was there a woman to share what time he had left with, or had his sole commitment to the military, and now his job, taken precedence over everything? He couldn’t help but to stare at Mariah’s platinum blonde hair that flowed down her back in healthy waves. But as the reverend mentioned Michael’s name again, L.T. cleared his head. This was his best friend’s baby sister. He couldn’t give a woman like her what she needed. Besides, he couldn’t even make love to a woman without his team with him.
They all became dependent on one another in that aspect. They feared the one-on-one contact and that feeling of giving into their emotions, their weakness, and exposing themselves unprotected.
They’d learned to feed off of one another, and bring fulfillment to each of them as they brought a woman to exuberant pleasure. Mariah was too good for that. She was too sweet, too petite to handle their hard ways. Plus, Michael would kill them.
He had to stop lusting over Mariah. She was finishing up college, trying to establish a career and they were too old for her anyway. She was off-limits forever.
* * * *
“I feel terrible. I know the guys are so upset. Garrett said that if you need anything at all, he, Gunner, and Wes will get here as quickly as they can,” Gia Marie told Mariah. Michael had been in the service with Garrett. They had been friends ever since, and he loved going to their family restaurant and bar, Casper’s.
That’s how Mariah had met them and Gia Marie.
“I appreciate that, Gia. I know it has to be tough on Garrett and the others. They went through war and some seriously dangerous missions to get back home safe and sound. I can’t believe that a shootout with the bad guys took Michael’s life.”
“Neither can any of us,” Gia Marie whispered then gave Mariah a hug. She sure did appreciate the kindness and the support of such good friends and family. Living out here, where there were so many retired military just trying to live their lives and put the horror of war behind them, made times like this a bit more bearable.
Gia Marie walked away, and Mariah glanced over toward Deacon Rayas, one of Michael’s close friends and troops. He was in a dead stare at her and gave a small smile. Just as she was about to smile back, feeling her entire body hum with a sexual awareness of him, she heard Randy’s voice.
“I finally got a chance to talk with you. You’ve been such a good host.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. It was the third or fourth time he had done so. She looked past him to see Deacon again, but he was gone. Her heart sunk with disappointment. She really had a major crush on all four Marines.
Mariah listened to Detective Randy Rimarez as he tried to flirt with her. She was so tired, as she shifted her feet to try and place more weight on her other foot, when really she felt as if she could collapse. It had been a long day, and tomorrow would be the most difficult.
“I just can’t believe that Michael is gone,” Randy whispered and he ran his hand over the back of his neck as he hung his head. “He was such a good friend.” Mariah took his hand and squeezed it, offering some support to him, even though she felt about ready to crash. This is what she had been doing the last few days.
He looked at her. “You’re so strong, Mariah, and you don’t have to be. We can be here for one another.” He lowered his voice and then reached up and caressed his thumb against her cheek.
She wasn’t totally surprised by his flirting, even now, during this somber time. Her silence must have made him realize that she wasn’t ready for this conversation of the hidden innuendoes, because he asked another question.
“So, when are you headed back to school?” he asked as he nibbled on his lower lip and stared at her so intently. She swallowed hard.
“I’m going to stay here for another week to help out Uncle Jeb. I have midterms coming up, and a lot to accomplish if I want to complete my degree earlier.”
“You’re amazing, Mariah. Smart and beautiful,” he said then winked as he gave her one of his very sexy smiles. She had to admit that Randy was a good-looking man, but she really didn’t date much. Because she had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was raised on a ranch, guys thought she was easy and naive.
“I appreciate the compliment. I’ll be glad when I graduate and then get a job.”
She thought about Michael, and his words of advice. He had been so proud of her and her accomplishments. They’d lost their parents when he was away in the service and he felt terrible for not being there for her. Truth was, things hadn’t been great between their parents, and they fought a lot. They were arguing that night when they had the car accident.
She instantly felt such a loss. How was she going to go on without Michael?
Mariah felt the hand on her arm. She looked up to see Randy caressing her.
; “Hey, are you okay? You zoned out for a second.”
She nodded her head and began to feel really numb with all the emotions. Her head began to spin, and she didn’t want to pass out. Not now. Not in front of all these people and especially not in front of L.T., Axel, Quentin, and Deacon. They would think she was immature and weak. That was definitely the opposite of what she wanted them to think of her.
She placed her hand over Randy’s.
“Will you excuse me, please?”
“Do you need me to come with you?” he asked.
“I’m good. Thank you.”
Mariah walked away from him and headed toward the stairs. She gripped the railing and prayed that she wouldn’t stumble. Before she reached the top of the stairs, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and lift her up. Gasping, she grabbed on to the muscular body, relieved to see Axel.
“Oh, God, Axel, you scared me.”
His stern expression made her shake in his arms. Brown eyes, dark crew cut hair, and the tattoos on his arm she knew were hidden beneath the shirt he wore had her libido going into overdrive. She lusted over these four men. Her brother’s best friends. She even had flashbacks of seeing Axel with no shirt on once. Hard muscles, dips and ridges of steel beneath his skin, and that sexy, black, intricate-looking tattoo on his arm. The man was incredible.
“You’ve been going nonstop. You need to take a rest. What if you fell down the damn stairs and broke your neck? Then what?”
She just stared at his handsome, firm face. She was always so mesmerized by Axel’s ability to unnerve her and make her think about doing such naughty things with him. Hell, she’d do naughty things with any of them. But they saw her as Michael’s sister, and way too young.
Well, life’s circumstances could make a woman grow up fast, and some mature, way quicker than others. Sometimes she felt as if she were so much older, and that life was only getting tougher to survive.
“I’m fine. I need to be. Uncle Jeb can’t handle this all alone.”
He gently lay her down on the bed, and she clutched his shirt, letting her fingers press against his back muscles. He didn’t pull away, staring down into her eyes.
“You look exhausted.”
Just what I want to hear while I’m touching you and we’re both on a bed, with your lips inches from mine.
“I’m okay, Axel. I’m a lot stronger than you know.”
He raised one eyebrow up at her as he released her completely but remained sitting on the side of the bed next to her. His muscled thigh was against her thigh, and she fought to not close her eyes and moan in appreciation for this fine specimen of a man.
“You need to rest. Tomorrow will be worse,” he said.
She stared up into his brown eyes. Axel always looked so serious, and sad. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and always wore a black Stetson. Words of warning echoed ever so softly in the back of her mind. Michael had said to be careful and not trust so easily. Some of his friends couldn’t be trusted. Did he mean Axel? What about L.T., Quentin, or Deacon? Sweet, calm, and compassionate Deacon? Damn, she hoped not.
She pressed her tongue lightly out to lick her lower lip. She hoped that she wasn’t drooling. She wanted to pull off sexy and sophisticated, despite their misguided idea that she was too young for them.
“When are you headed back to school?” he asked, reminding her of their difference in age. So what that they were ten years apart? Randy was Axel’s age, and he wanted to date her or at minimum have sex with her. He came up with a lot of excuses to visit her.
“In a week. I have midterms.”
“You still planning on finishing up early?”
“Yes. As long as I pass all my classes.”
“Are you going to be able to handle studying and passing, with all the emotions going on?”
“You want to come visit me at my apartment back at school to help me?” she asked, feeling daring. She may be exhausted, and only twenty, but her body, in particular her pussy and her breasts, sure did recognize this hunk of male perfection.
He looked as if he were biting the inside of his cheek. Then came the reprimanding.
“You’re acting kind of brazen, college girl. You wouldn’t be able to handle me visiting your apartment.”
“Try me,” she replied, her voice cracking. He shook his head as he eased his thigh away from hers. She’d spooked him.
“You listen to me. You take your time in the men’s department. As a matter of fact, you shouldn’t even date anyone. And don’t go inviting men to your apartment so easily, acting all mature. You’ll be old enough, soon enough. Take it from a man with lots of experience and some years on you.”
Oh, God, just what I needed to hear. His reminder of his experience, as I long to be part of his experience. And the gall of him telling me to not date and to not be so quick to offer men to come to my apartment. I don’t just want any man there. I want four in particular. Geesh.
He stared at her and gave her an expression that stated his discomfort with the direction of the conversation. Well, when the attraction is there, it’s there, buddy. When are you going to stop fighting it?
She thought he was tough as nails, and now Axel was showing her his compassionate side. She felt the tears hit her behind the eyes, but she also felt like giggling. This was not the Axel she knew. He was really trying to be here for her. She had to remind herself that these men, Axel, were taking Michael’s sudden death just as hard. She couldn’t focus on the circumstances behind Michael’s death. Especially not now. Not when she was so exhausted, yet internally wired up with Axel sitting this close to her.
She caught him staring at her deeply, and she needed to move, or do something to lighten up the thickness of the air. He might be oblivious to her sexual desire for him, but she sure as hell wasn’t.
Mariah placed her hand over his hand. He immediately looked down at where their hands met and then back up at her.
Holy shit, I didn’t expect to feel such a zing from touching him like this. I have to be strong. I need to be confident. These men are experienced, and I know what they are into. Sharing.
Her belly did a series of flips and flops. She stared right up into his dark eyes.
“I’ll be okay. I’ve learned to take care of myself years ago. So what about you? How long is the crew in town for?” she asked.
“Just a few days. We have some things to work on back in Dallas,” L.T. stated as he entered the bedroom. Axel immediately stood up. She felt the loss of his body next to her, as well as the feel of his hand beneath hers. She stared at L.T. The man was a God. Crew cut blond hair, dark blue eyes, and such hard, defined features. He always wore dark sunglasses, too. Not now that he was in the house, but even without the shades his eyes looked dark and unreadable.
He was intimidating, especially standing at six feet three while she lay down on a bed.
Feeling a bit out of sorts, she sat up.
“I thought I told you to rest,” Axel stated firmly. His tone was anything but compassionate and gentle. She felt as if he were reprimanding her like some child. Her libido cooled off quickly.
“I’m fine. I should go downstairs to say good night.”
She placed her feet on the rug and gripped the edge of the bed. Her head was spinning.
“Hey, there’s no need to move. Everyone just about left. You can call it a night,” L.T. said as he knelt down on the floor beside the bed. He placed one hand on the edge next to her hip and the other one on her knee. How he appeared so quietly and swiftly in front of her added to her head spins. He moved quickly and quietly for such a large man. Her pussy swelled even at that observation. She swallowed hard.
She nearly lost her breath from the impact of his touch. Holy mother of God, he is lethal.
“Oh, God, Randy? I told him I would be back.”
“He left, too. Said he would be here in the morning to accompany you and your uncle. We told him that we were here,” Quentin stated as he and Deacon walked into the bedroom.
It had been years since they’d surrounded her like this. She instantly thought about the campfires near the lake and the movie nights she was included in. Michael always made her feel part of their group. The four men did their part to make her feel welcome and as if she was one of them. But she didn’t want to be one of them. She wanted to be their one and only. The thought of them with another woman gave her nightmares to this day.
Now she felt like she could pass out. The bedroom was pretty big. It was an old house and had multiple rooms. The four men were staying there tonight, too. Just thinking about that right now made her feel faint.
“Good. I don’t care for that guy,” Deacon said and then walked closer. “Are you feeling all right? I thought you were going to pass out downstairs,” he continued, and for some reason it really annoyed her. They seriously thought she was weak.
“Listen, I appreciate the four of you being concerned about me, but I’m fine. As I was telling Axel, I’ve been taking care of myself for quite some time. It’s emotional and I’ll miss Michael,” she said, and saying his name made her voice clog in her throat.
L.T. touched her shoulder.
“We care about you. Michael would want us to watch over you. You were his little sister, and we’ll want to make sure that you’re safe.” Her hopes, her attraction and desire for the four of them just evaporated into thin air. They thought of her as a little sister. Michael’s little sister, who needed looking after.
Well, wasn’t that a punch to the gut?
“I appreciate that. You’re good friends. You’re good men. I think I’m going to go shower and get ready for bed. Like all y’all said, tomorrow is going to be worse.”
She watched as the men said good night, and then filtered out of the bedroom.
She wondered if maybe she should accept Randy’s advances and move on from her fantasy of having four sexy retired Marines as lovers. She closed the door and made two fists at her side.
“God, I wish they saw me as a woman and not some innocent little college girl.”
The American Soldier Collection 6: Their Masquerade (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2