by J. L. Beck
Trevor nods. “I hate to agree with the old man, but he’s right.”
I raise my hands in frustration. “This is monumental. How on earth can we all want the same girl?”
“Doesn’t mat—”
“It does!” I cut Jake off. “This woman is special and no amount of denial, games or ignoring it is going to change that.”
My two older brothers look over at me.
“I mean. I know it has only been a week, but for me, it feels like fucking forever. I just want to be around her all the time.”
Trevor nods. “Okay, I admit. I find myself at her desk and wonder how I got there.”
Jake laughs. “Try hiding in your office. From a woman who looks like her, no less!”
I laugh. “Well, we hid from Miss Drop Her Panties.”
Jake snickers at my nickname for his last EA. “That was different. I didn’t want to fuck her.”
Trevor and I stare at him.
He shrugs. “Of course, I want to. Have you looked at Jenna? I mean that body. Like back, front, hell, just kiss her till I…” He halts.
“So, what do we do?” I ask.
“Do?” Jake asks.
“Yes, I have wondered too,” Trevor says as he turns to Jake. “Have you thought about it?”
Jake stares back at him, not appearing to know what the hell he is talking about.
“You have, right?”
I look between the both of them.
Trevor rolls his eyes and continues. “Let’s say for the sake of possibilities that Micah lands her.”
Jake looks startled.
“Yeah.” Trevor nods. “You have to sit at every family gathering as he has her by his side, holding her hand, her smiling at him, in love with only him.”
Jake looks away. “I never thought about that.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask.
Trevor looks back at me. “If you snag her, then we have to be around you both at some point. Then…” he doesn’t finish.
I now see his point. “Well, what if one of you snags her as you so stupidly put it. Jenna isn’t the type to be just sexed and…” I halt.
The car goes utterly quiet again.
“Okay, so…she’s a virgin.” Jake nods.
I feel surprised at hearing this from him.
“Oh, I heard her. I mean a virgin? Come on!” Jake shakes his head. “A woman that looks like she does? Like she was made to make love to and she slips below the male radar for this long?”
“No, dude. I really believe she is,” Trevor confirms my opinion.
Jake sighs. “So, that leaves me out.”
We both stare at him.
“How so?” I ask.
Jake doesn’t look at us. “I do not do virgins.”
Trevor laughs.
Jake turns his glare on him. “Unless…”
Trevor stops laughing and glares back at him. “You will not collar that woman and make her act like you are god…” His fists are clenching at his sides.
Jake looks upset suddenly. “Fuck you, I would never do such a thing.” He rolls his eyes. “So sweet, natural and I bet she tastes like…”
“…Liquid honey,” Trevor finishes for him.
I look between my brothers. “Okay, so we need to be careful with her.”
“Hell, yeah!” they both exclaim.
I almost jump in my seat at this reaction. “You two REALLY like her!” I mean I guessed it but I thought maybe it was just sex as these two were like dad, jump in and out of bed with a different woman like other men change their underwear. But they both want to protect her and that means more than just wanting sex with her.
The car goes quiet again, and I wonder how they are going to react to what I say next, “Okay, so what if we share her?”
They both turn to stare at me.
Trevor starts to laugh. “Are you crazy?”
I shake my head. “I am totally serious.”
Jake rubs his jaw as if he considers this. “Mmm…”
Trevor looks over. “No, man! That—I mean that isn’t…”
“Okay then.” I nod. “If you won’t, then she is mine.”
They both again, turn to stare at me.
“I mean… just think of it. I only get to kiss her, hold her, be with her. You two would be her brother in laws.”
They both sit up in their seats.
Yep, I knew it! I hide my smile. “I already plan on breaking our rule. I mean I have to. What if some other guy gets her?” I watch their faces closely as I spill the next part, “Like say… Pete.”
They both look thunderous. Like they might punch me in the head or something.
I nod. “See? You never thought of this, have you? I mean maybe she won’t take to us or can’t, cause you heard her. She doesn’t date her bosses or coworkers. That leaves us three out.” I need to convince them. I have thought about this for three solid days. I mean it does sound crazy and all, but it would kill me if someone like Peter Powell got a hold of her. Then he would ruin her. Plus, she is mine and I won’t lose her to some dickhead. “I mean like tonight for instance.”
They both again look at me.
“There are going to be at least 50 men there. Rich, good looking and do you think someone like her will go unnoticed? I mean just look at her, then when she speaks and they hear that voice, then wander over and look into those sweet eyes?”
Both men look thunderous again.
“Yeah.” I nod. “I’m going to make sure that does not happen. If you two have no balls and are gonna wuss out, leaving her to the wolves—?”
Both men narrow their eyes at me, they reach forward and grab me up.
“Hey!” I yell.
They laugh.
Jake clutches my head and gives me a noogie on my scalp while the Trevor tries to give me a dammed wedgie.
“You think you’re going to dare us into this, kid?” Jake laughs.
“Yeah, outsmart the better looking brother, like me?” Trevor adds his laugh.
“Better looking?” Jake rolls his eyes.
“Let me up!” I seethe. “I mean we aren’t fucking ten anymore.”
They both laugh hard but let me go.
I sit up and try to straighten my hair out and get my underwear outta my ass.
They keep chuckling.
I scoff and finally look at them. “So, we need a plan.”
They both glance at each other and then give me a nod.
YES! I knew they liked her as much as I do and if any of us will have her or if we hope to keep her, this is the only way.
CHAPTER TEN
Jenna
I arrive at the market square as they call it. I am wearing my red dress. It is sexy, yet not too revealing. I wanna feel sexy, and especially where no one I know will see me. I mean I try to dress understated at work and the reasons for this is so obvious. I mean look at the men there. No…try not to look. I have really. I’ve tried really hard. It’s just…well LOOK at them. They are drop dead sexy and I bet they make a woman feel like… I shake my head. No thinking about them. I does me no good. I cannot have them.
I wonder if maybe I should try to find a boyfriend or something? I mean I have to find a way to block these thoughts about these certain men. I roll my eyes, not one man, but men. THREE. God, I must be insane.
I walk through the entrance and look at the first painting. Yes, this is the one I saw before. I just love it. It is just so…
“Hey.”
I turn to see a man standing beside me. “Oh, hello,” I reply.
He tilts his head at me. “I’ve never seen you here before.”
I shrug. “No, it’s my first time here.”
He nods. “Quite the painting, eh?”
I look back at it. “Yes, I love it.”
He steps closer. “So, do you know the artist?”
I blink my eyes. “Um, no. Why would I? I mean it’s sort of a secret right?”
He laughs. “You are playing d
umb. You know who it is.”
Now, I back up a little. This guy is good looking but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a nutjob. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He shakes his head and turns to point across the room.
I turn to follow his gaze. My eyes widen.
I see Jake, Micah, and Trevor standing in front of the far wall. “One of them is the artist?” I ask in a muttering tone. What are they doing here? I wonder what I should do. Like try to pretend I never saw them? Walk right over and ask them what they are doing here?
The man takes my elbow. “Well, let’s see.” He escorts me over to where they’re standing.
“Just beautiful… Micah,” Trevor says.
I wonder what is happening. I peek around Jake’s wide shoulder and my eyes round. “How?”
The three men all turn around.
Micah smiles at me. “Jenna!”
I blink my eyes and step closer.
The men step aside as they watch me closely.
It’s me, on the canvas in a sort of haze of colors. At least, it looks like me. Now that I’m closer, maybe it isn’t. It is a beautiful painting though. I look up at Micah.
He shrugs.
I look over at Jake.
He pins me with that dark gaze.
My startled gaze swings to Trevor. “Why did you say that to Micah? About it being beautiful, like, like he…”
Trevor looks uncomfortable.
Micah steps forward. “Because I painted it.”
I step back. “YOU? You’re the unknown artist?”
He nods.
Trevor smiles. “Surprise?”
I am now really confused. “You all knew I was coming here?”
Jake sighs. “No, we just guessed. When you said it was the one where no one knew the artist, chances were that it would be here.”
I look at each of them.
Micah steps forward. “We were already going to be here, but I was so hoping it was my painting that you were talking about. And this painting is of you. I just painted it three days ago and added it tonight.”
“B-but why?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I, well. Dammit, Jenna you must know that I like you.”
My eyes widen. “I-I…”
He takes my hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.”
“Good, cause right now I wouldn’t know what the hell to say.”
They all stare at me and laugh.
I bit my lip. “Did I just say that out loud?”
They all nod.
I flush.
They all chuckle again.
“So…” the man who’d escorted me over, speaks up, “Can I get you a drink?” He looks right at me.
The three men all turn to glare at him.
He stares back at them all. “What?”
“Get yourself a drink,” Jake growls.
“Yeah and drink it way over there,” Trevor adds as he waves his hand toward the other side of the gallery
The man looks at me. “Can’t the lady answer for herself?”
I open my mouth to tell him, I can.
The three of them turn and sort of lean into the guy.
I step back. What the fuck?
The poor guy slinks away.
“What was that?” I ask.
They turn back around and smile at me, but none of them gives an answer.
Then Jake finally does, “He was a creep.”
Trevor nods. “Admit it, Jenna, he was. Like he’s the kind that just comes to these events to pick up women.”
Okay, this has gotten weird. Are they my body guards now?
Micah grabs my hand. “Come on. You want to see the rest?”
I nod.
He drags me along. His paintings are magnificent. To think it is Micah that did these? Well, actually it isn’t so surprising. I mean if anyone were an artist, it would be a guy like him.
Still, I wonder about the painting he did of me. Then he wasn’t even shy about it. About me seeing it, I mean. Like…he wanted me to know, as he openly said, You know I like you.
Then the other two. Jake and Trevor, they just stood there like they knew that already and they seemed fine with it. What changed since just this afternoon? I know something has, but I just cannot for the life of me, figure out what.
So, for the next couple of hours, they were all with me at one point or another. And the oddest thing, they would step in front of any guy who got close to me. Like they were actually blocking men from getting anywhere near me.
It was so odd and kind of funny too. Cock blockers? I mean it is one thing to try and protect me from Peter whom they thought was a racy type. But blocking all men? I should have gotten mad, but damn, having any one of them standing next to me was just too delicious to refuse.
Micah turns to me. “I will get us something to drink. What would you like?”
I shrug. “Well, they are serving champagne?”
He smiles. “And I bet you like the pink.”
I gasp. “Yes! How did you know?”
He smiles. “I’ll be back.” He looks over at Trevor and gives him a nod.
I look between the two. What?
Trevor grins and nods his head.
Micah takes a step away and his expression changes “Oh, shit!”
I turn to follow his startled gaze.
The supposed creep from before is pointing at Micah and a group of women are standing around him. They all look over with excited expressions on their lovely faces.
Suddenly, a rush of people run across the gallery floor heading straight for Micah.
Trevor laughs and looks over at Jake.
Jake is grinning. “Well, the kid is now a star.”
Micah looks panicked as they all rush him. “Take care of her.” Then he is pushed back away from us as at least ten women are asking him questions.
“Can I pose for you?”
“Where did you get the idea for the abstract?”
“If I buy one, can we have a night together?”
My mouth is open in shock.
Trevor takes my elbow and moves me over toward Jake. Their eyes meet. “I’m going to get her some pink bubbly.”
Jake nods and his eyes darken as he moves closer to me.
My mouth snaps shut. Okay, now I definitely know they are watching over me. I also cannot get over how those women just stormed poor Micah. I now know why he kept himself a secret. I watch as one woman reaches down and grabs his ass. He jumps as if he’s startled. My eyes widen. “Well, just fuck no,” I mutter and take a step toward them. No one is going to woman handle him!
Jake grabs my arm.
I look up at him.
His dark eyes are twinkling.
“Let me go,” I seethe.
He tilts his head at me. “And if I do, what are you going to do?”
I am now getting angrier as the same woman does it again. The blonde haired skank! “I am going to teach a bleached haired slut some manners!”
Jake looks over at Micah and the women and sees what I do. He starts to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Trevor arrives with my glass.
Jake motions his head toward the crowd. “Micah is getting some hands on experience.”
Trevor looks over as now, two women have their hands on his fine ass. He bursts out laughing.
I am fuming, as it is so not funny. The man is so sensitive and sweet. It’s like sexual abuse!
Trevor looks at me. His eyes round a bit. Then he glances at Jake.
“Yeah, man. She is gonna go ballistic if we don’t do something,” He is still chuckling.
“How dare they woman handle him!” I exclaim. “It’s sick!”
Both men start laughing hard.
“It is not funny!” I snap.
At my outburst, they both quiet down.
Trevor hands me my glass. “Okay, sweetness. I will distract them all, okay? Then you can rescue our boy.”
I am beyond appeasing
as I grab the glass and tip it back in one huge gulp.
They both stare at me.
I swipe my mouth. “Okay let me at her or at both of the filthy sleazes.”
They are both staring at me.
I am so angry, I don’t care that those gazes are directly on me as I again try to step out of the hovering male enclosure they have me in.
“Okay, just calm, okay?” Trevor asks. He nods at Jake.
Jake takes my elbow again. “Just slow your roll Ali.” He laughs. “God dammit, you are adorable.”
Trevor grins. “Right? Damn.” He turns and walks over to the podium that is at the center of the room.
“W-what is he going to do?” I ask an amused Jake.
He shrugs. “You never know with Trev.” He again chuckles.
Trevor steps up and taps the mike. “Attention everyone.”
The room that is rather noisy seems to quiet down. All gazes turn to him.
“So, tonight. There will be a giveaway of one of the paintings on show.”
I gasp and stare at the crowd of women groping and hanging all over my boy. I freeze. MY BOY? My body starts to tremble. Oh, fuck. I’m jealous! It hits me like a freight train on jet fuel traveling a thousand miles an hour.
“Please gather at the desk to fill out your tickets.” Trevor motions to the huge reception desk.
A poor clerk is standing there with a paling face like he has no idea what Trevor is taking about.
The crowd moves away from poor overwhelmed Micah.
Except for the two skanks.
While Jake is watching the crowd, I pull away. Before he can react, I am across the room and right up on these two whores. “Step away from him,” I demand.
The two fawning females look over at me. Both are taller than me, or they’re wearing heels and that makes them taller. But I don’t give a fuck. I care about where their dirty hands are.
The blonde smirks. “And who the hell are you?”
I square my shoulders and am about to lose my shit. “I am the chick that is going to pull every bleached hair out of your empty head if you do not get your slimy hand off his ass!”
Jake runs up. “Dammit, Jenna!” He looks mad, but there’s still a spark of amusement in his eyes.
The two chicks get a look at him and let go of Micah.
Micah looks shocked and is staring hard at me. His green eyes suddenly go deep in color.