Playing to Win

by Becca Van

  “I haven’t had time to read it,” Cindy said. “Before I was hurt the first time, I was busy trying to prepare lessons for the kids.”

  Niki smiled. “I knew we were right in hiring you, and while I’m sorry you had an accident, since it was on Safe Haven property, our liability insurance will cover any and all expenses. Would you like me to drive you to the hospital?”

  “I can do it,” Grant said.

  “I’ll go with you.” Shane pushed to his feet. He’d already gathered up the trash and put the bloody wipes in a plastic bag.

  Jake hated that Cindy was hurting again, or more, and he was pissed at himself for not jumping in to offer to drive her to town for medical attention before his older brothers. Right now, he felt as if Shane and Grant had spent way more time with their woman than he and Curt had. Nevertheless, he hoped that would change soon. None of them were giving up on her until she was living in their house with them where she belonged.

  Convincing Cindy of that was going to be difficult, but he had every intention of winning her over. No matter what.

  Shane and Grant helped Cindy to her feet. Jake stood and glanced at Curt. Curt didn’t look any happier than he was about the situation, but they’d get their turn with their woman soon enough. All they had to do was be patient, which he figured was going to be harder than he suspected, but he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize his and his brothers’ chance with Cindy in any way, shape, or form.

  Losing wasn’t even in his vocabulary.

  * * * *

  Cindy was sitting in the middle of the front seat as Grant drove the truck Shane had earlier. Each time she breathed in through her nose, their delectable fragrances had her mouth watering. She sighed and blinked her tired eyes, trying to keep them open.

  “You sound tired, baby. Did you have trouble sleeping?” Shane asked.

  She nodded.

  “Why don’t you rest your cheek on me and close your eyes until we get to the hospital?” Shane suggested.

  “Okay,” she said, too weary to argue when all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. However, with her wrist throbbing so badly, the likelihood of her falling asleep was nil.

  She listened to the deep timbre of Grant’s and Jake’s voices as they talked. She didn’t really care what they spoke of, but she could listen to them chatting forever. The deep cadences were intoxicating and manly. Jake’s and Curt’s voice were more modulated baritones, where Shane’s and Grant’s were more raw. They sounded as if they had bits of gravel in their throats, making their tones more…well, gravelly, and she liked it a lot.

  “We’re here, sweetie.” Grant caressed his hand up and down her thigh. He’d placed his hand on her leg almost as soon as he’d gotten into the driver’s seat. The only time he’d removed it was to change gears.

  After parking and turning off the truck, the men got out. Shane shifted toward her as she undid her seat belt and scooted across the seat. He took her good hand in his and helped her to the ground.

  All her muscles had stiffened up on the drive, and she felt a little awkward as they all walked toward the hospital entrance, but she sucked up her aches and pains and nibbled on her lip.

  Shane was grasping her elbow, and Grant had a hand on her lower back. She could feel the heat of his palm and fingers seeping through her clothes and searing her skin. His hand was so damn big, two of his fingers were close to the top of her ass.

  A spark of desire skated up her spine, making her shiver.

  “Are you cold, sweetie?” Grant looked down into her eyes.

  “A little,” she answered truthfully. She had a feeling now that all the adrenaline had worn off and the pain in her wrist was getting worse was the reason for her cool state.

  “I’ll go and get my jacket from the truck.” Shane turned and hurried away.

  Grant guided her to the nurse behind the desk, but before he or Cindy could explain about her injury, Dr. Axel Raymond exited the double doors to the emergency area and rushed over.

  “Cindy, what are you doing here? Do you have complications from your wounds?”

  “We think she might have broken her wrist,” Grant explained.

  “Come on through and let me have a look,” Axel said, leading the way.

  Cindy followed with Grant at her side and lowered her eyes to the floor when she saw that Axel was watching her walk and frowning. Just as they reached one of the curtained cubicles, Shane stepped up beside her. “I’ll help you put this on after Axel has examined you. Okay, baby?”

  “Thanks.”

  “Can you get up on the bed by yourself, Cindy, or do you need some help?” Axel asked.

  “I’ve got her,” Grant said, then turned to her, grasped her hips, and lifted her up and onto the bed.

  Axel nudged him aside as he gazed at her wrist. When he pressed on a really sore spot, she groaned. “You definitely need an X-ray. That black-and-blue color is usually a sure indication of a break or fracture. Wait here while I get a nurse to get a wheelchair and we’ll get you to the X-ray department.” The doc hurried away.

  Three hours later, Cindy was wearing a cast and her arm was in a sling.

  She hated that she would only be able to use one of her hands for a while, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from fulfilling her obligations, but she had no idea how she was going to cope with dressing and other things she needed two hands for.

  “Keep your arm in the sling for at least one to two weeks, Cindy. I want that bone healing properly. If you go using your hand too much, you could end up making that fracture worse. Am I clear?” Axel looked at her sternly with his eyebrow quirked.

  “C-Crystal,” she stuttered. The pain medication he’d given her was making it difficult for her to speak. Her tongue felt thick and ungainly.

  “Are you ready to get out of here, sweetie?” Grant asked.

  “Please.”

  Instead of wheeling her out of the hospital in the wheelchair as she’d expected, Grant bent down and plucked her out of the seat as if she was as light as a feather. She rested her cheek on his chest and closed her eyes, savoring the warmth from his body and the way he smelled so good.

  Shane walked at their side.

  As soon as Cindy got back to Safe Haven, she was going to start teaching Brett, Belinda, and Angela the lesson she’d prepared.

  That was, if she could stay awake long enough.

  Chapter Nine

  “She asleep?” Grant asked.

  “She was out as soon as I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her against my side,” Shane said.

  “There’s no way we’re taking her back to Safe Haven or to her own place. She’s going to need help now that her arm is in a cast. We’ll need to call Niki and Kat as well as Jake and Curt to let them know what’s going on.” Grant glanced at Shane and then back to the road.

  “How are we going to stop her from leaving our house again?” Shane combed his fingers through his hair.

  “We seduce her.”

  “Do you think that’ll work?” Shane asked.

  “I fucking hope so. She feels the connection, but she’s fighting it. We have to break down those walls so she’ll let us in.”

  “We do.” Shane nodded. “I have a better idea.”

  “What’s that?” Grant gave him a questioning look.

  “We convince her to move in with us. She won’t have to worry about paying rent and bills or skipping out on meals to make ends meet. I also want to talk to her about paying off her student loans. We can more than afford it.”

  “I know, but don’t broach the subject of the loans before we have her where we want her. She’s used to being independent and will likely get her back up if we stick our noses in where they’re not wanted.”

  “Yeah, okay. You’re right.”

  “’Course I am.” Grant grinned, and Shane chuckled.

  He and his brothers were going to have to work out a schedule for babysitting duty. Not that Cindy was a baby, but their woman
was going to need help until she got her wrist out of the plaster.

  Grant hated that she’d fractured her arm, but he also had a good feeling about this. Having Cindy in their home again was a dream come true. He just hoped she didn’t shatter all of his dreams by leaving again.

  * * * *

  Cindy rolled onto her side and gasped when she bumped into something warm and hard. She opened her eyes, blinked the sleep haze from them, and gaped when she met Shane’s hazel eyes.

  “How are you feeling, baby? Are you in pain? Is your wrist hurting?” He brushed the hair back off her face.

  “No, it doesn’t hurt that much,” Cindy answered truthfully.

  “You are so fucking beautiful.” Shane stroked a finger down her cheek.

  Her heart flipped at the compliment. She had no idea why praise from Shane or his brothers boosted her confidence and made her feel good, special.

  “I’m sorry for—” She didn’t get to finish her apology for mucking up his and Grant’s workday because of her clumsiness since Shane covered her mouth with his.

  Cindy whimpered with need as she kissed him back. She was too tired to put up a fight, and she was also sick of being alone.

  She’d been trying to keep distance between them, but she wasn’t really sure why since all she’d ever dreamed about was being in a loving relationship herself.

  It didn’t matter that her father had up and left her, her mom, and her sister. Shane, Grant, Jake, and Curtis were nothing like her dad. At least what she could remember anyway. There was good and bad in every race, but the Kenny men had already showed her with actions that they were the good guys. They’d taken her into their home after she’d been shot and looked after her.

  She was tired of doing everything for herself, and while she would remain independent, it would be wonderful to have someone, or four someones, to lean on occasionally. When he broke the kiss, she was breathing fast and hard, but she was also shaking with arousal.

  Her breasts were swollen, her nipples hard and achy. They were so sensitive the lace of her bra was almost painful. Cindy wanted to take her clothes off to get some relief, but more than anything, she wanted Shane’s hands on her naked body.

  She startled when another hand caressed over her hip and turned to glance over her shoulder to meet Grant’s smoldering green-eyed gaze. “Say yes, sweetie,” he murmured before pressing his lips to hers in a chaste kiss, then pulled back again. “Say yes and be with us. We want everything with you, Cindy.”

  She looked back at Shane when he moved beside her, and when she saw someone move from near the end of the bed, she was surprised to see that Jake and Curt were standing at the bottom of the bed eying her intently.

  Cindy realized she must have slept the day away because of her lack of sleep the night before and the pain relief medicine Axel had given her.

  “Grant isn’t lying to you,” Shane said, drawing her attention. “None of us would, baby. We know our own minds and know what we want in a woman, and you’re it.”

  “The age difference doesn’t bother you?” she asked, hedging.

  “Not unless it does you. You’re what, twenty-four, twenty-five?” Jake asked.

  Cindy shook her head and drew in a deep breath, and then answered, “I’m twenty-two.”

  “Do you care that I’m thirteen years older than you are?” Shane asked.

  “No.” She looked at Grant questioningly.

  “I’m thirty-four.”

  “I’m thirty-two.” Jake winked at her.

  Curt smiled. “I’m the baby of the family and am only thirty. If you think my brothers are too old for you, we could always run away and be alone together.”

  Cindy giggled. Curt’s humor had broken the tension in the room.

  “Over my dead body,” Shane stated.

  “That can be arranged, old man.” Jake waggled his eyebrows, and Cindy laughed.

  “We’ll never lie to you or cheat on you, sweetie,” Grant said, bringing the conversation back on track. “We won’t ever hurt you on purpose either. We’re only human and are bound to fuck up a time or two, but as long as you let us know if and when we piss you off, we’ll be fine.”

  “You might promise to be faithful now, but what happens if and when someone younger and sexier comes along and catches your eye? Where will I be if I open myself up to care for you all and you decide you don’t want me anymore?”

  “Has someone done that to you, darlin’?” Curt frowned.

  “Not to me directly. No.”

  “Talk to us, honey,” Jake said.

  “I want to sit up,” Cindy said.

  No sooner had the words left her mouth than Grant and Shane helped her to settle against the headboard with pillows at her back. Shane and Grant settled beside her. Jake and Curt sat on the end of the bed. All four of them were staring at her avidly.

  She took a deep breath and started to explain. “My dad left my mom for another woman just after my sister Erica was born. I’d just turned six years old.”

  “I’m sorry, baby.” Shane twined his fingers with hers.

  “That must have been real hard for you all.” Grant draped an arm over her waist.

  “We know what it’s like to lose someone you love, darlin’,” Curt said.

  “I’m sorry for your loss, honey,” Jake stated.

  “He didn’t die.” Cindy frowned.

  “Just because your father is still alive doesn’t mean you, your sister, and mom didn’t grieve him as if he did.” Shane raised her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it.

  “Your mom must be a strong woman to raise two young girls by herself.”

  “She wasn’t at first.” Cindy sighed.

  “What do you mean by that, sweetie?” Grant asked.

  “Momma started drinking. We were evicted from our home because she’d decided that we were more important than money. We traveled all over for a year, living out of the car, but she couldn’t hold down a job since she was drunk nearly all the time.”

  “Damn, who looked after you and your sister?” Jake asked.

  “I did,” Cindy answered. “There were times I’d go hungry so that Erica would have food to eat. I’m just grateful we ended up here in Slick Rock. The people are all so friendly and the men protective. I’m not sure if someone said something to my mom about her drinking, but all of a sudden she stopped. When she’d cleaned up, she got a job and though we still struggled since she didn’t earn much, life was much better. I still looked after Erica since Momma was working as much as she could, but I didn’t mind since we had somewhere to live and food to eat.”

  “Is that why you worked so hard to get your teaching degree?” Shane asked.

  “Yeah,” Cindy replied. “I didn’t want to struggle my whole life the way my mom had. Because of Erica’s hearing impairment and having to learn ASL as well as wanting to teach, I decided to combine the two.”

  “ASL?” Curt asked.

  “American Sign Language.”

  “You are so damned amazing. Do you know that?” Grant tightened his arm and pulled her against his side.

  Cindy shook her head. “I’m no different than anybody else, Grant. Most people have struggles to overcome in their lives. There’s nothing at all special about me.”

  Shane cupped her face, turning her eyes his way. “That’s where you’re wrong, baby. Everything about you is special. You have the biggest, kindest heart of anyone I’ve, we’ve, ever met. You’re shy and sweet, but you will—and I have no doubt have—stand up for the underdog. You’re beautiful and so fucking sexy, I get hard just looking at you.”

  Cindy’s cheeks flushed as she gaped at him. Warmth surged into her heart and soul, and just maybe, she started to think that she might have something to offer these men after all other than just her body.

  “We want to make love with you, Cindy,” Grant said. “We want to have you in our lives on a permanent basis.”

  “No other woman will ever measure up to you, darlin’,”
Curt stated earnestly.

  “You’re it for us, honey.” Jake caressed up and down her quilt-covered leg.

  “We want everything with you, Cindy. The whole nine yards. Please tell us you’ll have a relationship with us?” Shane pleaded.

  She’d swallowed around the emotional constriction in her throat. No one had ever said such nice things about her before, not even her momma. Of course her mom told her she loved her often and how appreciative she was of how responsible she was, and how she took care of Erica, but nothing like the four Kenny men had just said.

  She wanted this more than anything else she’d ever wanted in her life, even her teaching degree. All she had to do was say yes and they’d be hers, but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep up with four men. She was a virgin and had no idea about sex. Sure, she knew how everything worked and how slot B fit into slot A, but that was it.

  She was nervous and excited at the same time.

  Cindy didn’t want to come across as naïve in their eyes. Would they think she was an anomaly, a weirdo, if and when they found out she’d never had sex?

  She wasn’t sure she could handle any of them looking at her as if she were a paradox.

  “Hey, what’s the frown for, honey?” Jake asked.

  “I want to say yes. I really do.”

  “But?” Curt quirked a brow.

  “I’m scared.”

  “Of us?” Grant asked.

  “No. Yes. I don’t know.”

  “Tell us what you’re thinking, baby,” Shane stated firmly.

  Cindy sucked in a shaky breath. If she didn’t take a risk, she’d never know what it would be like to make love with Curt, Jake, Grant, and Shane. That thought caused her heart to clench with pain, and that was the moment she realized she was already falling in love with them.

  She didn’t want to lose them before she’d ever had them.

  “I’m scared of the way you all make me feel because I know there are no guarantees that things will work out between us.”