by Becca Van
“Here you go, honey,” Crispin said as he entered the room again.
Jaimie drew a bracing breath in preparation of trying to get her aching body upright, but before she could push up, Beckett and Daire had their hands on her, gently lifting her until she was sitting with her back up against the headboard.
She winced and bit her lip when her hip cramped and her arm throbbed. The cramp dissipated but from the incessant throbbing on her left hip, she had to have the world’s biggest bruise. Or maybe she was so sore because she’d landed on her previously damaged pelvis.
Crispin handed her the glass of water and two pills. “Thanks,” she murmured before shoving the medicine into her mouth and taking a couple of sips of water. She moved from her left hip until she was no longer bearing any weight on it and sighed with relief, but her relief was short lived.
Her full bladder had made itself known when she’d first woken up, but now it was screaming at her. Nevertheless, there was no way she was getting out from under the covers. She didn’t have any pants on, and she was only wearing a man’s large T-shirt. While she wasn’t tall, she wasn’t short either and had no idea if it would cover everything appropriately if she stood up—that was if she could stand up. Right now, she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t want to look like a damsel by swaying on her feet or collapsing altogether in front of these buff, confident, alpha-type men. From the auras of power radiating from them, she had a feeling they were trained military. Wait! Hadn’t someone already told her that?
Jaimie felt as if they had but since everything was so blurry in her mind, she couldn’t be sure.
“Do you need to use the bathroom, sweet thing?” Daire asked.
She wished she could deny it, but she couldn’t. Much to her embarrassment, she was going to need some help if it was only to get herself onto her feet.
“Yeah,” she muttered under her breath.
She squeaked when Beckett shoved to his feet before flinging the covers down toward the end of the bed. Her face heated when she realized the shirt was bunched up around her waist, showing off her panties. At least she still had her undies on. That would have been too much to deal with right now. She quickly tugged the shirt down until she was no longer baring her wares, and then she was being scooped up into a strong pair of arms. She sucked in a breath as Beckett’s body heat seeped into her own, causing her to shiver.
When her breasts began to swell and her nipples hardened, she bit her lip to prevent the moan building in her chest from escaping her mouth. Shards of pain shot up from her broken wrist and down into her hand, but instead of gasping or groaning, she bit her lip harder. She was determined not to let on how much pain she was in because she didn’t want Beckett to think he’d caused it since he hadn’t. Jaimie had a feeling she was going to be feeling a lot of pain for a week or so every time she moved.
“Shit! Did I hurt you?” Beckett asked as he stopped walking.
She gazed up at him and shoving her teeth harder into her lip as she shook her head. When she thought she could speak without panting she said, “You didn’t hurt me. I think any movement at the moment is going to cause me problems.”
“Geezus, fucking hell,” Daire spat out.
Jaimie turned her eyes his way and looked down when she saw he was staring. She squeezed her eyes closed against the threatening tears and tried to regulate her breathing. When Beckett had picked her up, the T-shirt she was wearing had ridden up again, revealing a massive bruise on her hip as well as the pink scar where she’d had her surgery.
“What the fuck?” Crispin rasped out.
“Please, put me down?” Jaimie whispered her request.
“Baby, you’re too sore—”
“Please?”
With a reluctant sigh, Beckett carefully lowered her until her feet touched the floor. He held on to her waist with one hand and her left shoulder with the other. Her right arm was in a sling tucked securely over her chest. She closed her eyes when dizziness assailed her and hoped that she wasn’t swaying on her feet. When the wooziness passed, she opened her eyes to find all three of the Rafferty brothers frowning at her with concern. While she was appreciative of their worry, she wasn’t used to anyone caring about her one way or the other.
Jaimie took a tentative step back from Beckett and sighed with relief when her left hip didn’t give her any angst other than still being painful. She carefully turned on her heels and headed toward the bathroom. The en suite was big and modern with a huge walk-in shower as well as a spa bath in one corner. There were four raised sinks set atop an almost marble white granite countertop with various colorful flecks through the granite for contrast. She purposely avoided glancing at herself in the mirror along the wall over the sinks and hobbled her way toward the closed door where she the enclosed toilet was.
After doing her business and washing her hand, the only one she could use, she raised her eyes to the mirror and immediately wished she hadn’t. Her long blonde hair was sticking up every which way. Her face was paler than ever before and the dark smudges beneath her eyes made it look as if someone had punched her. In a word, she was a mess.
She glanced longingly at the shower but since she had a plaster cast on her arm, she knew that was out. While she’d love to get into the tub, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get out on her own, but there was no way in hell she wanted those three sexy men seeing her naked.
Jaimie wasn’t embarrassed about her body because she was in the right height/weight ratio according to the BMI index, but she wasn’t used to flaunting it either. She was used to seeing nakedness since she was a nurse but baring herself was a whole other ball game. So, with reluctant resignation, she turned away from the tub before rummaging under the sinks. Thankfully, she found a toothbrush still in its packaging as well as a fresh tube of toothpaste and a hairbrush. It was going to be awkward using her left hand since her right was the dominant one, but she’d do the best she could.
After brushing her teeth and hair, she found a washcloth and washed her face. It might not be much, but at least she felt a little better. When she was done, she hobbled toward the bathroom door and froze in the doorway. Beckett, Daire, and Crispin were standing at the side of the bed with their arms crossed over their chests with angry-looking expressions on their faces.
She took a step back—and wouldn’t you know it—her hip and leg chose that moment to give out. With a cry of fear, she flung her left arm out as she went tumbling toward the floor, squeezing her eyes closed as she braced herself for the expected pain.
The pain never came.
Strong, muscular arms caught her around the waist and under her legs, scooping her up against a hard, brawny chest. Jaimie looked up into Daire’s hazel eyes and when she saw the heat in his gaze, she started to pant. He was looking at her as if she was the bread laid out at the last supper.
Even though she had no idea how he could find her attractive in her present state, she was surprised when her body reacted to his heat, his delectable aroma, and his masculinity. He and his brothers took her breath away, literally and figuratively. When she noticed him frowning at her, she lowered her gaze. The urge to reach up and touch his beard and those sexy lips was so strong, she had to concentrate really hard on keeping her hand to herself.
It was impossible to miss how her hard nipples were poking against her bra and the cotton of the shirt, but she hoped that none of the men had seen them. She decided to ask the question foremost in her mind in an effort to keep them distracted enough to keep her arousal hidden. “Why are you angry?”
Daire carried her toward the bed, but instead of setting her down on the mattress, he sat on the edge before settling her in his lap. Beckett and Crispin came and sat on either side of them.
Crispin cupped her cheek. “We aren’t angry, honey.”
Why do they call me by endearments? Are they the type of men to call all women, honey and such?
She pushed that thought aside and got her mind back on track. “You all looked an
Daire gently tugged on her hair until she was meeting his gaze. His deep, gravelly voice sent shivers of heat skating up her spine, causing goose bumps to pebble over her skin. “We’re not angry, sweet thing. We’re frustrated.”
Jaimie frowned. “Why?”
She turned toward Beckett when he clasped her left hand in his, lacing his long, thick fingers with hers. Frissons of heat shot up her arm, centering in her chest before spreading out to her breasts and down to her pussy. While she was a virgin, she wasn’t totally inexperienced either since she’d fooled around once, letting her then-boyfriend get to third base, but she knew her reaction to the men she’d just met was an anomaly, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it other than try to ignore the lust coursing through her blood.
“Because you agreed to stay in our home so we could help you. You’re independent to the point of being stubborn.”
Jaimie shrugged because Beckett was right. She was far too independent sometimes. Even to her own detriment, but she’d had to be. She’d been on her own for a long time. Her mom had been killed when she was fifteen years old, and she didn’t even know who her father was. Her mother’s parents had disowned her for getting pregnant out of wedlock. Jaimie hadn’t been and still wasn’t interested in meeting such judgmental people. When her mom had passed, she’d been put into the foster system and while it hadn’t been easy, she’d survived. After she’d come out of the grief-filled fog she’d existed in for over a year, she’d vowed to depend on herself and no one else.
Even though she knew everyone needed a helping hand now and then, she found it difficult to accept it.
“Look at me, honey,” Crispin demanded in that smooth bass timbre that sent heat searing into her womb and pussy.
She tried to push her desire down deep as she met his hazel eyes. “You can’t do everything yourself. You’re limping, and there is no way in hell you can use your right hand. Please, let us help you.”
“Why? You don’t even know me.”
Beckett slid from the bed until he was kneeling in front of her. Even while he was kneeling, his gaze was a little higher than hers and she was sitting on Daire’s lap.
“We’d like to get to know you, baby.”
As Jaimie stared into his green eyes, there was no way she could miss the lust or attraction in his gaze.
“All three of us are attracted to you, sweet thing,” Daire rasped against her ear, causing another shudder of heat to rip up her spine.
Her pussy clenched and cream wept out onto her panties. When Beckett groaned and she saw his nostrils flare, for a second or two she wondered if he could smell her arousal but knew that wasn’t possible. At least, she didn’t think it was.
Jaimie startled when she heard a loud knock on the door. Crispin sighed as he shoved to his feet and walked away as he muttered under his breath.
“Let’s get you covered up so we can make you something to eat and drink,” Daire said, just as Beckett stood and turned toward the closet.
Daire rose, easing her to her feet but kept a hand on her waist to keep her steady. When she realized that he and Beckett had both done that, her heart filled with warmth. They were very caring men, and while she wanted to tell them she was attracted to them, too, she held back.
What woman in their right mind panted after three men at the same time? There was no way she could choose one over the other, so she decided to keep as much distance as she could, emotionally and physically, as possible.
That was going to be one of the most difficult things of her life because if she hadn’t been hurt, she wouldn’t have had a reason to restrain herself from jumping their bones.
Chapter Three
Crispin wished they hadn’t been interrupted after Daire had revealed their attraction to their mate, but maybe it was good timing. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what Jaimie had been about to say or not.
He knew who was at the front door before he opened it, and while he was glad his cousins and their mate had turned up, he was also frustrated. There was so much he wanted to know about Jaimie. He had so many questions whirling around in his head, but he suspected if they started asking, their woman would feel as if she was being given the third degree. That was the last thing he wanted. If she felt as if they were interrogating her, she was likely to ask to leave.
He and his brothers were going to have to try to be patient with their mate. She was in a lot of pain, was pale and exhausted. Crispin had hoped she’d slept the rest of the afternoon and night away, but maybe it was a good thing she’d woken up. She’d already slept more than twelve hours. If she’d continued sleeping she’d probably have trouble sleeping tonight.
Having Sage here would hopefully make Jaimie feel more comfortable, and if his mate’s belly was full before she went back to bed, she might sleep through the night without being disturbed by any soreness.
He craved for him and his brothers to be able to claim their mate. If they did, she’d take on some of their DNA and heal up much faster. Crispin hated seeing her in pain.
He pushed his thoughts aside as he opened the door to his cousins and their woman, Sage.
“Hey, Crispin. I hear you’ve met your mate. Congratulations. I also heard she was hurt rescuing a child. Is she all right?”
Bladen wrapped an arm around Sage’s waist from behind, pulling her back to rest against his front. “Baby, give the man a chance to answer one question before asking another.”
“Sorry.” Sage gave Crispin a chagrined smile.
Crispin nodded as he stepped aside to let them in. Bladen slung an arm around Sage’s shoulders as he steered her into the house. Dax’s shoulder checked him, smirking as he walked past, and Cason just slapped him on the shoulder. Crispin led them into the kitchen, waving them toward the long dining room table on the opposite side of the room while he started pouring coffee.
Jaimie, Beckett, and Daire entered not long after. Crispin had two full mugs of coffee in each hand which he’d been about to deliver to his cousins and their mate, but he froze as soon as he gazed at Jaimie. She was so fucking beautiful and sexy, she took his breath away.
She was wearing Daire’s robe which was way too big for her, but thankfully he and his brothers didn’t really feel the cold. On Daire, the hem of the robe would have stopped mid-thigh, but on Jaimie, it hung well below her knees. While she was mostly covered, which Crispin was glad of since he didn’t want anyone but him and his brothers seeing any part of her body, he hated that there was a slight gap over her chest even though her slinged arm protected her breasts from view. He wanted to drop the mugs, rush over to her and pull the lapels closed, but he turned toward the dining room instead. His tiger was pushing to get out, and Crispin was worried if he so much as laid a single finger on her, he’d end up ravishing her. That wasn’t an option since she was hurt and still getting to know them.
“Come on, baby, let’s go sit down.” Beckett guided her to the table and after seeing her seated, sat beside her. Crispin would have taken the chair on her other side if he didn’t have more coffee to get.
“How do you take your coffee, honey?”
“White, no sugar, please.”
“Sweet thing, these are our cousins, Bladen, Cason, and Daxon Fox and their ma…wife, Sage.”
“Hi, Jaimie.” Sage smiled. “I’m so pleased to meet you. How are you feeling? I heard about what happened in town yesterday. You’re so brave. Everyone’s calling you a hero for saving that little girl’s life.”
“Thank you,” Jaimie whispered as she blushed. “It’s nice to meet you all.”
“Here you go, honey.” Crispin set a steaming mug of coffee in front of her before handing cups to both of his brothers. When he was done, he skirted around the table taking the seat opposite his woman. He could tell she was uncomfortable with the praise as she blushed a bright pink. Their woman had such an expressive face and eyes. She might think she was hiding what she was feeling, but he and his brothers had no trouble reading her. He could tell she wasn’t used to getting any sort of praise. That had him thinking about her family. Didn’t her parents ever compliment her when she’d done a good thing?
“How long do you have to keep the cast on for?” Sage asked.
“I don’t remember the doctor saying.” Jaimie frowned.
“Six weeks minimum,” Daire said. “Broden had given you a shot and you were pretty out of it when he was explaining things.”
“Did he say anything else?” Jaimie asked.
“Just that you were to rest as much as possible, take the medicine he prescribed every four hours for pain management and to call him anytime if we were unsure, or you were hurting too much,” Beckett answered.
“Are right-handed, Jaimie?” Sage asked.
Jaimie nodded.
“That sucks,” Sage said. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need help with anything.”
“Thank you.”
Crispin frowned toward Jaimie when he heard her breath hitch, but he couldn’t tell what she was thinking or feeling because she’d lowered her head and was using her hair to shield her face. He decided it was time to take the attention off of their mate so she’d relax. “How’s the bed-and-breakfast going?”
“It’s great,” Sage said. “Elsa and her mates are over the moon. They must have had one of those rating people stay with them without even realizing it. A few days ago, there was a big write up in the New York Times which was emailed through. They were given a five-star rating for the accommodations, food, and grounds.”
“Wow, that’s great.” Crispin smiled.
“Is the bed-and-breakfast close?” Jaimie asked.
“Uh…um…it’s not far, but we’re booked solid for the next three months. The motel behind the pub is booked out too. Emmy and her men planned to have musicians play at the pub every weekend from the start of spring. People in the surrounding counties and from hundreds of miles away love coming to those gigs,” Sage explained.
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