“He was okay with that?” Shane asked.
“He gave me a little time but could tell I was concerned. I filled him in on some of what we know or are assuming. Needless to say, Kane is worried and wants it resolved in the next few days.”
“The next few days? How the hell are we supposed to do that?” Quincy asked.
“Making sure we’re there for her and getting her used to us being around. Which is why we’re all heading to Harper’s tomorrow night,” Seren said.
“Won’t that make her nervous or maybe intimidate her? We are big men and showing up as a team together might freak the poor little lady out,” Quincy said to Seren.
“We gave her tonight. We aren’t going by Harper’s, but tomorrow night we will, and while we’re there we’ll get her to agree to hang out with us on Sunday,” Seren said.
“Look at you. The youngest and least experienced with women, and you’re strategically planning this seduction like a military operation,” Quincy teased. His brothers chuckled.
“I get the feeling that infiltrating Jade’s defenses, despite her age, and assuming her lack of experience, is going to be a lot more difficult than we think,” Shane said.
“We kissed her, and she kissed us back. That’s progress right there,” Colby said and nodded confidently.
“Stealing a few kisses is one thing, gaining her trust is another. This is complicated. A ménage relationship is not a game. We have to be sure about this moving forward. Are we all in it for the long haul, no matter what?” Quincy, the oldest of the brothers, asked.
“Hell yeah,” Seren said.
“We know where you stand, Seren. I mean the rest of us?” Quincy asked, and looked at Shane and Colby.
“I don’t plan on hurting her. The attraction is there, am I going to say this is it? Forever? No. Not yet, anyway. There’s a process, and I’m willing to go slow, which you all know isn’t like me when I want something. I’ll take things slow. I’ll see where it leads.”
“Good enough, Colby. You’ll want her as your woman. Just think about her with any other men but us right here. Think about that,” Seren challenged his brother, and Colby squinted his eyes and took a sip of his beer like it tasted bad. “Yeah, I thought so,” Seren said, and then looked at Shane. “Shane?” he asked.
“I’m where Colby is, maybe a bit further back since I haven’t spent time with her or kissed her. I feel something, though, when we’re close, standing near, so I know I’m willing to explore those feelings.”
“That’s good, and I feel the same, so I think we can say we’re going for it. We’ll take our time, learn more about Jade, and hopefully she’ll reciprocate the emotions. Let’s plan on heading to Harper’s tomorrow night after work,” Quincy said, and they all agreed. Seren smiled wide.
“Here ya go, honey. I’m sorry about last week and not leaving you the right tip,” Brian said to Jade. He was her customer from last week that had a six hundred dollar bill. He handed her a hundred and a twenty. She was shocked.
“Seriously?” she asked.
He licked his lips and stared at her top. Tonight, she wore a fitted T-shirt with the name Harper’s printed on the top. It was tight, and she had cut the collar out and wore a red, white, and blue flag bandana around her neck, plus shorts she picked up at the bargain store for two dollars. They fit nice, were a little big and hung off her hips a bit, but it looked good. It was hot in here tonight and very crowded with the band playing.
“I didn’t want you hating on me,” he said and stroked her arm. She tightened up, and he squinted. “You aren’t mad at me still, are ya, honey? I don’t want to ruin my chances with ya.” He winked.
She chuckled. “I forgive you, and I appreciate you making things right. Now, what can I get you?” she asked as him, and his friends stared up at her, smiling.
“Your number to start,” he said.
“Your address so I can take you home and spoil you rotten,” another guy said, and they chuckled.
“How about we start with some drinks and see what happens?” she asked, and they chuckled and started ordering drinks.
This time, the other guy tapped his chest with the credit card. “I’m paying tonight, darling, and I’m a great tipper. Probably even ridiculously generous when I’m drunk,” he said and smiled at her.
“That’s for shit sure. You could charge anything to that card and he won’t remember shit,” his buddy said.
“Well don’t you worry, I’m an honest person, and I will be sure you mean it when you tip me later.”
“Oh baby, I’ll mean it. Hell, I mean it right now,” he said and eyed her over.
She laughed. “You guys are very funny and good looking, too. Not sure if you noticed that table of ladies over there. They haven’t been able to take their eyes off of you,” she said, trying to steer their attention away from her.
They glanced that way. “Hmm, well then, send over a round on us,” the guy with the credit card said.
“Will do. Now, what will the rest of you be having?” she asked and then took their orders. She hurried to the bar to put in another round for the ladies, and Ade smiled at her.
“Brian make things right?” he asked.
Her jaw dropped. “Did you say something to him?” she asked him.
“Cherise did, and she let him have it good.”
“Oh God. Cherise is crazy.”
“He gave you your tip, though, right?” Ade asked.
“Yes, he did.”
“Then that’s what matters. What he did was screwed up. Now, it’s fixed and his friends will be good to you. Though I would have to say they seem very interested in you.”
“That’s why I steered them toward those other ladies.”
“Is that what this round is for?” Ade asked as he mixed drinks and set them onto the tray.
“Yes, sir.”
He chuckled. “Playing matchmaker, are ya?”
She grinned. “Just keeping the peace.” She took the tray of drinks, and when she turned around she spotted Seren and his brothers all walking into Harper’s. She nearly stumbled, and her heart skipped a beat. They looked right at her, and she gave a nod and a smile, then headed toward the men. She handed out their drinks and then the ones for the ladies but needed to go back for a few more. Of course, the ladies were smiling and yelling toward the men thanking them. She got the other drinks and headed back to the table again and then on her way past the men, Brian stopped her.
“Sweetie, you know those four men at the bar, the Fortane brothers?” he asked, and she didn’t look that way but nodded. “Buy them a round on us. Heroes, all four of them.”
“Heroes?” she asked.
“They were all in the service, retired after injuries fighting in the war. Seren got shot in the shoulder and was forced to retire,” Brian said.
“Quincy was an Army Ranger, did some badass missions and took five bullets to his body and survived,” the guy with the credit card said.
“I think Shane was stabbed in the abdomen, needed like five surgeries, and it was touch and go for a while. Navy Seal,” another guy added.
“And Colby?” she found herself asking, and feeling upset, nervous about knowing this.
“A Green Beret. Colby was captured over enemy lines. No one really knows what happened, but he was stabbed several times before he fought his way out of there. They’re all heroes and lucky to be alive,” another one said to her.
“I will be happy to give them drinks from you.”
They nodded, and she felt so different knowing that they were military men, that they could have died. She instantly imagined if they had died that they never would have met her, and if she hadn’t fought and ran, that she never would have met them, either. She swallowed hard and headed back to the bar.
The way the four men looked at her, ate her up with their eyes, made every body part react. Her nipples hardened, her pussy ached, her heart banged against her chest.
“Evening, Jade,” Seren sai
d to her, and she looked way up at the four men and then at Seren.
“Evening. Uhm, those guys over there bought you a round of beers. Wanted to thank you for your service,” she said. They all looked up, truly looking uncomfortable, but Seren gave a wave and a thank you. She noticed that Shane and Colby turned back toward the bar.
Quincy placed his hand on her hip, then slid his hand toward her bandana. “What’s this?” he asked and squeezed her hip, sending goosebumps over her skin.
“You like it?” she asked and had to hold the tray she had down by her side as he pulled her close, his hand on her ass.
“I like it, but these shorts and this top are a bit too sexy.”
She felt her cheeks warm and stared up at his green eyes. This close to him, she could see the fine lines by his eyes, the seasoned expression, and even the way he held her felt like a man who knew his way around a woman’s body. Was she out of her league here? She was only twenty-three.
“Don’t look so scared, baby. Things will work out fine,” he said and gave her ass a little tap that she felt go straight to her cunt. She took a deep breath as he leaned down and kissed her cheek, then her neck. “You be a good girl, and we’ll be here all night to talk when you can.”
She eased back and looked at Colby and Shane, who looked hungry.
“Jade, orders up,” Ade chimed in, and she looked at him and saw his smile and wink.
She cleared her head. “Excuse me, I need to keep working.”
“We’ll be right here, darling,” Seren said, and she went toward the other end of the bar to grab the drinks.
“Something you want to tell me?” Ade asked as he placed the drink order down on the tray.
“Not really. Listen, the table over there ordered the Fortane men a round on them.”
“Okay, I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks, Ade.”
“Hey, I like that blush and that smile on your cheeks. The Fortane men? Wow, impressive,” he said and winked, and she didn’t know what he meant, but then she took the order and continued on her hectic schedule for the rest of the evening. Whenever she had a moment, she did go by the Fortane men, each taking their turns touching her, caressing her hip, her ass, or tugging on her bandana. She liked it. A lot. But their experience intimidated her big time.
Shane was walking back from the bathroom when he spotted Jade coming down the hallway. She was retying her apron, looking down, and then as she glanced up she stopped short. She was beautiful, and her hair was done up fancy and off her shoulders, leaving her neck exposed. “Long night?” he asked, knowing it was nearly two in the morning.
She exhaled and then smoothed her hands along the short apron. “Sure is. You look tired,” she said to him as she stared up at him. He wondered if he looked old, like not good enough for someone so young and pretty. Truth was, he was exhausted, up early every morning working in the garage, sometimes late at night to finish things up.
He rubbed jaw. “I guess the early mornings take their toll by Saturday.”
“You should get some rest,” she said and reached out and touched his arm. He didn’t know what came over him, but he slid his arm around her waist and turned her away from anyone’s view but his. She gasped and held onto his forearms. He pressed her closer to the wall.
“I’m only here to see you, to watch you, to talk to you when you can between working.”
She gave a soft smile. “You should get your rest. I’ll feel badly that you came here to talk.”
“Well then, how are we supposed to get to know you better outside of work? We need to make plans.” She exhaled and looked away. He squeezed her closer, gave her a little shake. “Sweetie, don’t be scared.”
She looked up at him, then around them, and then back up. “I am, though. Honest, I am scared.”
That bothered him.
“Whoever hurt you or put you on edge like this, we aren’t him.”
“I want to believe that what you all say is true, but…” She shook her head.
“But you’re being cautious, I get it.”
“Do you?”
He nodded. He licked his lower lip. “Spend time with us tomorrow. Whatever you want to do. Why don’t we come by your place?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Didn’t you like spending time there Thursday night with Seren and Colby?” She gave him a sideways look, and he chuckled. Couldn’t believe it, but he did. “Okay, a more public place.”
“I don’t go into town much. Just for the basics.”
“Ever drive an ATV?” he asked, and she smiled.
“A few times.”
“Well then, what about having some fun driving the ATVs and then picking up lunch? Or better yet, packing something and finding a spot to talk and just enjoy our company and talk?”
She seemed to think about it. “I won’t be alive until about eleven,” she said to him.
He nodded. “Then we’ll pick you up at your apartment at eleven. Make sure to wear some jeans. Not shorts,” he said and caressed her bare thigh. She felt feminine, petite, and sexy.
She chuckled. “I did mention riding before?”
“You did.”
“Okay, I need to get back to work.”
“One more thing.”
She squinted, and he cupped her cheek and lowered his mouth to hers. He almost didn’t pull back. He wanted more. Wanted to deepen that kiss, but he knew where they were, and he just made major progress. When he released her lips, she stared up at him. “You Fortane men sure do know how to kiss.”
“We know how to do a lot of things and are even better when we do them together,” he flirted, and she blushed.
“I bet,” she said, and then caressed his arm before she walked away.
He followed, his eyes on her ass, those toned thighs, and then around him as other men looked at her with desire in their eyes. He thought about his brother’s words and about how they felt about the idea of her being with any other men. “Not fucking happening,” he whispered and then walked toward his brothers, who had their eyes glued to Jade as she headed back to work.
“Hey,” Quincy said to him, then Seren handed him another bottle of beer.
“Tomorrow, we pick her up at eleven and do some trails with the ATVs,” Shane said and took a sip from his beer. A glance at his brothers stunned expressions made him feel giddy inside. This was crazy. He felt like a fucking teenager.
“Now that’s what I call progress.” Seren tipped his bottle toward Shane, and they all looked a bit more content until it was time to leave and head home.
Chapter 6
Jade paced the small apartment. She kept rubbing her hands on her jeans then looking sideways in the mirror, making sure she looked okay. She was actually excited about this. Freaking out a bit, but excited. She really liked Seren, Colby, Shane, and Quincy. She felt badly last night that Shane especially stayed out late to spend time with her at work and watch over her. They would touch her, flirt, and it made certain people notice. She supposed it had to do with the way things worked in Cherry Hill.
Sooner or later, that sheriff was going to come around and ask her questions. Why she didn’t feel as nervous as a few days ago could only have to do with the Fortane men. She sure hoped they were sincere and not just using her.
What Love Feels Like Page 8