by Becca Van
Tears pricked the back of her eyes and began to leak out of the corners. She squeaked with surprise when large hands clasped her waist and then she was being picked up. She tried to slap his hands away but it did her no good. Zach held her up and then sat down on the edge of the bed and plunked her down in his lap. She felt the hard ridge of his erection through his jeans under her arse and her arousal raised another notch and cream leaked out onto her thighs. She couldn’t give in to them again. She couldn’t give in to herself, again. It was far too dangerous. They were already working their way beneath her skin and into her heart and she couldn’t allow that. Not now. Not with her life in danger.
Fear began threading its way through her body, into her veins and heart, until she felt cold to the bone. There was no way she could start anything with them, not if it led to one or all of them getting hurt. She had a feeling that the cop looking for her wasn’t going to give up until he found her and she didn’t want Noah, Zach or Tom getting caught in the crossfire. Her conscience wouldn’t allow it. Plus if she were honest with herself she was scared of getting rejected again. Just like her mother and grandmother had rejected her. She had begun to think that there was something wrong with her and was totally unlovable. She just couldn’t deal with that situation. Not from these men.
Beth totally lost the plot. She slapped at him with her palms, hitting his shoulders and chest over and over again, and she began to cry. She was nearly hysterical as she tried to slap his hands away from her. He gathered her into his arms and pinned hers against the side of her body, then threw a large leg over hers and held her securely.
“Beth, stop it or you’re going to hurt yourself. Don’t cry, honey. Talk to us.” Zach sounded really concerned and that only made her want to cry harder.
“You bloody morons, you just don’t get it do you? I can’t do this. I don’t want any of you touching me. Now get out and leave me the hell alone.” She was lying and hoped they couldn’t see through the only defense she had, but she had no other idea about how to keep them away from her, to keep them safe.
“Lies,” Noah snarled. “I asked you if you would let us pleasure you and you accepted. You can lie to yourself all you want, Elizabeth, but don’t you dare try to lie to us. And we haven’t even made love to you yet.”
“You can deny it all you want, Beth, but we know you desire us. We can see it in your eyes. You wanted that as much as we did. You were begging us to touch you,” Zach said in cold voice.
“I was not!” Beth felt like an idiot for refuting what they were saying because every word they spoke was the truth, but she had no idea what she wanted. Yes, she wanted them, but she also planned to leave as soon as possible. She was acting like a recalcitrant child but her mind was in such turmoil she didn’t know what to think. She could see the anger and confusion on their faces but she wasn’t about to relent. She had to do this for her own peace of mind. She should have left sooner instead of staying as long as she had. Her plan had been to make them complacent but she knew she was going to have to leave as soon as she could.
“Yeah, Beth, you did,” Tom said. “You were arching up into our touch silently asking us for more. Do you think we don’t know signals from an aroused woman? What I don’t understand is why you’re so angry? We didn’t even make love to you.”
“Physical attraction means nothing in the whole schematics of a relationship and if you don’t know that then you three need to stop thinking with your dicks and start using your brains. I was saving myself for someone who loved me and whom I loved in return.”
God, why do I have to feel so much for you all?
“Do you really think I want a relationship when I have a cop chasing me and wanting to kill me? Two of you are fucking cops and I don’t trust any of you. I hardly know you or Zach and your stupid macho brother over there I met for the first time a week ago for God’s sake. I’ve had enough of this. Let me go, Zach, or I’ll bring you to your knees.”
“I’d like to see you try, honey,” Zach goaded.
Beth twisted in his lap and without using her arms for support she kneed him in the groin. Not enough to disable him but just enough so he let her go with a small gasp of pain and she bolted from his lap, flew into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
“Way to go, Zach.” Beth heard Noah’s muffled voice through the door. When she couldn’t hear anymore she turned on the shower and got in under the warm water. She could still feel their hands and mouths on her. As much as she wanted that with them, wanted them to touch her again and again, wanted them to make love with her, she needed to wash their touch from her body. It was the only way to find the strength to keep them away.
She stood in the shower and scrubbed until her skin was pink and felt raw. Silent tears coursed down her face to mix with the water streaming over her. She wanted to love them, but she was too scared to let them near her again.
* * * *
“Hey don’t blame me. You two were in on it, too. I don’t understand what is wrong with her. She agreed to let us touch her, damn it. What the hell do we do now?” Zach asked quietly, as he heard the shower start in the adjoining bathroom.
“Keep her safe and let her make the next move,” Tom said.
“You’re shitting me, right? There is no way Beth is going to make a move on one or all of us.” Zach glared at his brother.
“Don’t you two start a domestic now, the last thing Beth needs is us fighting over her. Our first and only priority is to keep her safe and see if we can find this bastard before he finds her,” Noah said, diffusing the escalating ire between Tom and Zach.
“Yeah, but how do we draw him out without putting her in danger?” Zach frowned. “We don’t even know who we’re looking for.”
“I hear there has been a male in town asking about her. Do you have a description or anything else to go on yet?” Tom asked.
“No. Apparently her friend, Tasha Cameron, was in the bank when she heard the man beside her asking about Beth. Of course no one around here knows her by that name, so for now we presume he has no idea if she is in town or not, but something or someone must have tipped him off to be here asking.” Noah sighed. “With everything that’s been going on with the police database problems, I haven’t had time to go and see Tasha.”
“I have a few buddies from the force who have just finished their time as well and as of yet have not decided what they’re going to do. If you want, I can give them a call and see if they’re willing to come out here and help out protecting our girl,” Tom suggested.
“I’ll let you know, Tom. I’m going to call on Tasha this morning to see if she can remember anything about this guy and do a little asking around town. I want you to stay with Beth twenty-four-seven until otherwise notified. Zach, I want you to do a check up on our girl. See what’s been put out on the law enforcement database. It may give us some clues to what this guy is up to. Hopefully the damn computer system won’t play up this time.
“I’ll let you know if I find out anything and I want you guys to keep me informed of any information you find as well. See you later,” Noah rose from the bed and left the room with Zach following close on his heels.
* * * *
Tom relaxed back on the bed, waiting for the bathroom to be free so he could clean up. Of course he could use the main bathroom, but he needed to see Beth. He hated the way she had fallen apart before. He wanted her to open up with him, talk to him and tell him what she was so afraid of, besides the fucker she was running from.
He heard the shower shut off and grinned as he envisioned one naked, wet, pissed-off female. She was so feisty, it was going to be fun taming their little woman. He knew damn well she was using offense as a good defense. She was a little like him in that respect but Tom used humor instead of anger to hide behind.
The first time he’d been able to see her in the light by the back door, Tom’s heart had stuttered and his breath had caught in his throat. Beth was a beautiful, sexy woman and he looked forwa
rd to getting to know her even more. He’d been just as worried as his brother and Noah about Beth when she’d fainted, but after being in the Air Force he’d learned to make light of tenuous and tension-wrought situations. If he’d let them get to him, he would have been an utter basket case by now.
He’d served time in the military, fighting alongside the Americans as they fought terrorists and radical leaders when they had threatened both countries. He’d learned to develop a tough skin and get by on his wit, but Zach was right. If he wanted to get Beth to open up with them, he was going to have to ease up on her.
But underneath the confidence he portrayed, he wasn’t as self-assured as he showed everyone else. Tom hadn’t really had a relationship with a woman. Oh, he’d had plenty of sex with consenting adults, but the women he had hooked up with had known the score from the get-go and had only been interested in getting physical with him. Tom wanted so much more than that. He was sick and tired of being on his own. As soon as he’d finished his time serving his country, he’d gone back home to his leased apartment and started packing up. Tom missed his brother and wanted to spend more time with him and their best friend, Noah, but what he wanted most was to have a woman at his side. One he could come home to every day and grow old with. He was done with traveling all over the world with the Air Force. He wanted to put down roots and have a family and he knew that Elizabeth Lamb was the one woman meant for them. Trying to convince her of that was another story.
She was already in lust with the three of them but he wanted her to feel more than desire. He wanted her to love him for who he was, smart mouth and all. Trying to protect her was going to keep him, Zach, and Noah on their toes, but getting her to admit she had feelings for them was another story. Beth was scared and he just hoped she wouldn’t let that fear stop her from exploring what could be a wonderful relationship between all of them.
Until he was actually signed up with the police force, he needed something to occupy his time, and Beth was just that something he was looking for. Protecting Beth was definitely going to keep him on his toes in more ways than one and although he was concerned for her safety, he, his brother, and Noah were skilled enough to keep her safe.
He’d loved being able to spend the past week with her. She was funny and feisty and didn’t take any of his bullshit, but she was also a very caring person. When he looked into those amber eyes, he felt like he was drowning and his soul was being ripped from his chest and merged with hers. If only she felt the same way.
He glanced up when Beth walked back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her body and she froze when she saw him reclining on the bed.
“What are you still doing in here? I thought I told you all to get out.”
“You can demand and yell all you want, baby, but from now on I am your bodyguard. That means wherever you go, I go.” Tom grinned.
“Well, you can just bloody well get out of here so I can dress. I don’t need an audience.” Beth growled at him, shooting daggers at him with her eyes.
“You haven’t got anything I haven’t already seen, Beth. In fact if I remember right, I’ve also had a taste, hmm-mmm.”
Shit, when was he going to learn to keep his mouth shut.
“Get. Out. Right. Now,” Beth hissed through clenched teeth, her hands curling into fists by her side.
“Now don’t go getting your knickers in a knot, baby, you might do yourself an injury,” Tom goaded as he rose from the bed and moved toward her. He planted a peck on her cheek and with a chuckle left the room.
Beth slammed the door after him, making him laugh. Yep, it was definitely going to be interesting living with Beth.
Tom sauntered into the kitchen just as Noah and Zach were preparing to leave.
“What’s so funny?” Zach asked his brother.
“Beth is such a spirited little thing. It’s going to be fun trying to keep her in line.”
“Yeah, well just keep her safe,” Noah ordered.
“You know I will,” Tom said vehemently. There was nothing more important to him than protecting Beth. He might act like an arse but he took his job seriously. There was no way in hell Tom was letting anyone get to Beth while he was on watch, even if he had to die keeping her safe.
Chapter Four
Tom and Beth went shopping for groceries and to Beth’s surprise he made her wear a disguise. Tom had found a cap in his brother’s room and made her tuck her hair up beneath it as well as making her wear one of his large T-shirts, big baggy track pants and the ugliest sunglasses she had ever seen. Beth had taken a glance at herself in a mirror before she left and gave a mental grimace. She barely recognized herself. Luckily she had a belt that kept the bloody pants around her hips and she’d also rolled up the legs underneath so she could wear them without tripping.
Tom helped her shop and she was horrified with the amount of junk he was placing into the shopping cart. She had tried to surreptitiously place the items back on the shelf but he had caught her in the act. He’d wrapped an arm around her waist, plastering the entire length of his body against hers as he reached over her to retrieve the item again, placed a kiss on her lips and dumped it back in the cart. Beth didn’t bother trying to curb him again, afraid she would give away the arousal she felt for him every time he was close to her.
* * * *
He stood at the end of the aisle watching the bitch from his peripheral vision as he pretended to look over grocery items. He knew it was her. No one could ever mistake her small features and slight body, even though she and the bruiser with her and had tried to disguise herself with ugly clothes and large glasses. He cautiously followed as they shopped, totally oblivious to his presence. He was going to follow them and find out where she was hiding and once he did he was going to plan so he could get to her and silence her for all time.
* * * *
Beth and Tom unloaded Zach’s private pickup truck and put the groceries away. Once she was rid of her hideous disguise and comfortable again Beth sat down at the table with Tom and planned out the evening meal. She meandered back into the kitchen to see Tom making coffee and she sat down at the small table for a moment. Tom placed a mug in front of her and sat beside her. He studied her over the rim of his mug as he sipped his coffee. She looked away and hoped he couldn’t see how tired she felt. She was utterly exhausted after their shopping trip. The whole time they had been away from the house she had been on pins and needles. Several times the hair on her nape had prickled and she had surreptitiously glanced about to see if anyone was watching her, but no one seemed to be paying her and Tom any particular attention. She’d also noticed the way Tom looked around them the whole time they’d been shopping and she’d felt safe with him.
Beth hated the uncertainty of her life. With someone after her, she couldn’t plan to do anything. It was really hard for her to give up the control she’d had to Tom, Noah, and Zach. The constraint she kept on herself had been the only way she could get through each day and now she felt like her life was careening out of her grasp, especially with the three men trying to do everything within their power to get her into bed. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep herself under a tight rein and not give in to them. She gave a mental snort. She’d given in once already and it was only a matter of time before she did so again.
“I had a call from Noah and Zach when you were changing. Tasha gave Noah a description of the man who was asking about you at the bank. I don’t want you leaving this house anymore, not even to go shopping, it’s too fucking dangerous.
“Apparently you are listed on the police database as a person of interest in the murder of a man in Sydney and they have an all-points bulletin out on you to bring you in for questioning. You are not to go anywhere and if I find you trying to escape in any way, I will get a set of handcuffs and attach you to my side. Do you understand, Beth?” Tom asked.
“Look, Tom, I know I’m in trouble. I understand that. God, I’ve spent the last three years of my life running and lookin
g over my shoulder. There is no way I’m going to put myself in danger, but you don’t know for sure the person asking about me is the cop who committed murder.
“You can’t expect me to stay locked up in this house permanently or for however long it takes to get this bastard. I have a job. I need to work to keep a roof over my head. I’ve already taken one week of my vacation time and I can’t and won’t let you stop me from keeping my obligations. Shit, work is the least of my worries.
“I will go stark raving mad if you keep me locked up. Just take me back to my place. I’ll pack a bag and leave. That way you, Zach, and Noah will be left out of this mess and I can keep moving without having to lock myself into hiding. I can take care of myself. I’ve proven that already. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
Beth didn’t want Tom, Noah, or Zach getting hurt or even worse, killed, trying to protect her. The last thing she needed on her conscience was more guilt. She already felt guilty for not making the police in Sydney listen to her and trying harder to convince them that what she had witnessed was real. That poor man’s family must be suffering so much, not knowing where their husband, son, nephew, or father was. She’d kept an eye on the news but nothing had ever been mentioned about him. Surely someone had reported the man missing. There had to be someone somewhere who was suspicious.
“No fucking way,” Tom snarled and slammed his fist down on the table making Beth jump. “You are not going anywhere, baby, and if I have to tie you to the bed, I will. You can’t spend the rest of your life on the run, Beth. What sort of life is that? You would be looking over your shoulder all the time. You would never be able to settle down, get married or have kids. Is that what you want? Is that the sort of life you want to live for the rest of your life?”
Beth drew her eyes away from his as she felt tears tingle at the back of her eyeballs. “No,” she whispered. “I just don’t want to be the reason for any of you to be hurt in the process. I couldn’t live with myself if an innocent person got hurt because of me.”