Entwined Souls

by Cindy Pike

  “Ready to make my brother yours?” Sara asks with a smile.

  “More than.”

  I couldn’t keep the smile from my own face if I tried. I know this is going to be a party to end all parties.

  ∞∞∞

  More than a little tipsy, I let Heath swing me around the dancefloor one last time before we have to leave to catch our flight. He still hasn’t told me where we’re going and the others have been equally as tightlipped about it. It’s very annoying when they gang up on me like this but considering the circumstances, I won’t make much of a fuss over it—this time.

  “How’d I get so lucky?” Heath asks, pulling me in close.

  “I was just going to ask you the same thing. How did you get so lucky?”

  When he laughs, I laugh with him. The truth is, we’re both the lucky ones. Though I feel luckier because I get all five of my men.

  His deep chuckle rumbles through me, making me feel all warm and cozy.

  3 Kyle’s Simple Dream

  Eight Months Later

  Heaven by Kane Brown

  In another backyard wedding, only drastically scaled down, Kyle and I are making our vows to each other today.

  My dress is a simple, heather gray with a high neck. The hem hits mid-thigh and the back has a cutout in the shape of a diamond, exposing a good portion of my back. My heels, a soft suede in a matching gray, has a slight platform. My hair is pulled back with soft curls cascading down my back, my makeup light enough to just accentuate my natural beauty.

  Once I’m ready, I head down the stairs and out to the barn. The scene that greets me is magical. Twinkling lights create a soft glow.

  Kyle is standing by an arch, green vines curling around it, white roses scattered amongst the greenery. Though it’s beautiful, nothing compares to the sight of Kyle in his military dress blues. I never used to care about a man in a uniform but it’s different when it’s my man.

  Bales of hay create aisles in the barn, creating the sense of an intimate gathering. Not at all compared to Heath and I’s ceremony.

  Each ceremony has fit my relationship with each man perfectly so far, including when I married Owen at the hospital. It’s like closing the chapter of our beginning and opening a new chapter, where we’re an official ‘us.’ I’m confident that trend will continue.

  With each step toward Kyle, moments of our history flash through my mind. Each moment reinforces the fact that Kyle has, and always will be, there for me, no matter what happens between us.

  His eyes are filled with adoration when I stop next to him.

  When he speaks, his words are warm, spreading joy through me. “If I don’t live to see another day, I can die happy just from the picture of you right now.”

  My rock—always.

  My eyes moisten. “If you die today, I’ll follow you.”

  “If she follows you, we’re all coming after her,” Silas chimes in, making an amused smile spread my lips. “So don’t fucking die.”

  With just our family present, Kyle and I say our vows, promising to be there for each other, no matter what life throws at us.

  After the ceremony, Kyle and I pack up his SUV for our camping trip, loading Shield and Cain into the car with us.

  Kyle can only take the weekend. He’s got an order that needs to be started no later than Monday or he won’t be able to get it done by the deadline. Even then he’s going to be putting in some late nights and early mornings, but we’re desperate to take a couple of days for just us.

  I hug and kiss each of the others before we leave and rub down each dog too. I’ll miss them all but it’ll be nice to spend some time alone with Kyle.

  ∞∞∞

  There’s a fire roaring in front of us and I’ve got my marshmallow almost perfectly roasted. Kyle wrapped a blanket around my shoulders when the night air started biting and soon after, Shield came to lay at my feet. Cain is at the opening of our tent.

  Kyle is a master at camping, which is news to me. It only took him about fifteen minutes to set the tent up, and it’s not a small tent either. It’s large enough to stand in, and all of my men and the dogs could fit in here with me. It would be a tight fit but I’m not entirely averse to the idea.

  Kyle made us hotdogs for dinner, served with a salad that Owen made for our trip, along with canned baked beans heated over the fire. He’s got three marshmallows on his poker and I’ve got our graham crackers and chocolate ready and waiting for them to be done.

  My marshmallow is finally a nice, even brown so I pull my poker back and place it on the cracker with the chocolate on top. Then, I sandwich it with the other half of the cracker and put the poker out, turning it into a big gooey mess.

  After I take a bite, I’ve got chocolate and marshmallow all over my face but I couldn’t care less. Camping is about getting messy and just enjoying nature—at least, that’s what I want it to be about for me.

  Kyle pulls his marshmallows from the fire once they’re burnt and quickly prepares his s’mores before eating all three remarkably fast. Once he’s done, he scoops me up and carries me to the tent.

  On his way, he makes sure to lick off the chocolate and marshmallow from my face. With every lap of his tongue, the air around us charges and, before I know it, I’m laying on the mattress and we’re swiping clothes off, letting them fall wherever they may.

  Kyle stands bare-chested before me and I take my fill of him. He does the same, those eyes running over the length of my body.

  He kneels in front of me and shuffles forward. With his hips cradled between my legs, he lowers his head to kiss and suckle on my neck. Chills radiate outward, the sensation arousing. I cross my feet behind his back, kicking off my shoes to try and move things along.

  Kyle smiles against my neck at my impatience.

  “I wouldn’t have to do it if you’d move your ass.” I mean the words, but they come out breathy and don’t have the impact I wanted.

  “Patience, honey,” Kyle says, his voice husky, heating me up to the point where it leaves little to no room for patience. “We’ve got all weekend.”

  My squirming only makes him go slower.

  I’m going to kill him. After the sex.

  He slowly makes his way down my neck to my chest, undoing my bra and lavishing attention on each of my breasts. By the time he’s done with the other side, I’m breathing hard and both my nipples could cut glass.

  If the hardness pressed up against my jeans when he comes up to kiss me on the lips is anything to go by, he’s more than ready too.

  “Can we move this along now?” I pant out.

  If he says no, I might not wait until after the fun to kill him.

  He grins. “Okay.”

  Just like that, he gives in. He doesn’t make me beg.

  He always gives me what I need, when he knows I need it.

  Quicker than I can process, my pants and underwear are gone, his are halfway down his thighs, and he lines up and slides right inside me.

  I close my eyes from the bliss.

  “Eyes, Nora,” Kyle grits out, his jaw clenched from the pleasure.

  My eyes flutter open and I focus on his warm, chocolate gaze.

  “Watch me while I make love to you for the first time as your husband.”

  God, why does he have to be so … everything?

  We look into each other’s eyes as he moves inside me, slowly at first, drawing out our pleasure. I’m not sure if I want him to keep this pace or move faster. The pleasure is so exquisite.

  “Kyle…” I’m at a loss for any other words.

  “I know, honey. I know.”

  On the last word, he picks up speed and I growl low in my chest, only further igniting him. I love every second of it.

  Wrapping my legs tighter and higher up his back, I pull him closer to me, into me, fisting my hand in his hair. I pull him down and our lips meet in a rough, fast, hard kiss. I’m not in the mood for slow and sweet anymore.

  “You’d better not treat me lik
e I’m glass or I might have to hurt you.”

  We both know I’m just teasing but it gets my point across and he gives me what I want.

  “Fuck yeah!” I call out, my head falling back.

  Before long, I’m tipping over the edge and crashing hard in the most beautiful way; Kyle follows close behind me.

  When we’ve both come down from the spectacular orgasms, we fall asleep snuggled together on the blown-up air mattress, with the dogs laying on the enclosed space outside of the tent.

  ∞∞∞

  The rest of our camping trip is much of the same, with some hiking and fishing thrown in. Out of the two, I enjoyed fishing the most. It was so relaxing. Even though I didn’t catch much—and what I did, we threw back—I’m still thankful for the experience.

  On our last day, we pack everything up before going for one last hike up to a ledge where we can see the valley below. It’s an awe-inspiring sight to behold and I file the moment away in my top ten favorite moments with Kyle.

  As is becoming a trend, I’m sad to be leaving but happy to get back to the others.

  4 Living for my Work

  Warrior by Ledger ft. John Cooper

  As we step into the trashed house, my heart sinks for the dogs we’re here to rescue. This is how they have had to live? Despite my sadness for the dogs, there’s a rage inside that I’m becoming far too familiar with. How anyone could live in this kind of filth is beyond me—and to force innocent animals to? It’s sickening.

  Piles of trash, so high that they blend into each other and nearly touch the ceiling of the mobile house, litter the whole living space. Animal feces are scattered all over and I know I’m going to have to scrub my tongue later to rid myself of the taste of the smell of shit in my mouth.

  There are other animals here but I’m only taking the dogs. The others will either go to foster homes or the local animal shelter. The unfortunate reality is that some will be put down but I can’t save them all, so I save the ones that I can. After a ton of therapy and training, along with rehabilitation and more love than they’ve ever known was possible, they’ll go on to save countless others in the future.

  We find six dogs in crates at the back of the house, the floor of their cages covered in urine and shit, not a hint of food or water in sight. They’re all covered in their own droppings and, for the longer-haired breeds, their hair is so matted, they’ll need to be shaved.

  My eyes blur with the sting of unshed tears. Heath’s warmth hits my back, his strong arms wrapping around me to hold me tight.

  “How can anyone live like this? Let alone subject the poor animals to this kind of life,” I say, my voice cracking. “Not that it’s any kind of a life.”

  Despite the dire circumstances, all we’re greeted by is wagging tails. They don’t know how sad their lives are; they just freely offer unconditional love. They deserve so much more than this and I’m going to make sure they get it.

  “We’re going to make sure they don’t live like this anymore. Come on, let’s get them out of here and into the kennels in the truck.”

  I’ve never been more thankful for my truck than right now.

  Both Heath and I approach a dog, watching to see how they’ll react when we get closer. Heath’s charge seems happy to see him. He’s wiggling around so much, I’m surprised he’s not vibrating. At least there’s that.

  But the dog I approach cowers to the back of its cage, shaking in fear. My heart breaks for it. A quick visual inspection shows the ribs sticking out, its hip bones protruding.

  The anger that rises up inside me will have to be dealt with later. Right now, if I don’t keep calm, it will only set me back in helping the poor thing.

  I keep my voice soft and low, trying to not scare it any more than it already is. “It’s okay, baby. I’m here to help.”

  I pull the thick gloves from my back pocket, slipping one on each hand. They go up to my elbows, just in case the dog tries to bite me.

  Sadly, this little guy likely won’t be suitable for my program. It’s too aggressive. I can’t take the risk of one of my animals further traumatizing my clients. My clients depend on the safety and the security my program provides. I can’t compromise that, but I’ll make sure he finds a loving home.

  ∞∞∞

  Once the rescues are settled into the barn, I check over them to see how they’re getting on. This is a key part of their rehabilitation; it helps them get used to other animals, while keeping the other animals safe because of the distance between them.

  Confident they’ll be okay, Heath and I head up to the house and I head straight to the shower.

  I turn on the shower, letting the water run warm for a moment while I strip down and toss my clothes in the hamper. Instead of falling into the hamper, they hang at the top, and I make a mental note to run a load once I’m done here.

  “Wanna save water?” Heath says.

  I turn as he makes his way to me, reaching behind his back to pull his shirt off. His muscles flex and stretch, making my mouth go dry and other parts get wet. Heath is working on getting his pants and boxers off while I stand there drooling.

  “I doubt the extra time we take will be saving water”—I band my arms around his waist and pull him with me into the shower—“But I don’t care.”

  He grabs my hand firmly and spins me into his toned arms. “Good,” he growls, lifting me up; I wrap my legs around his narrow waist. “Because I don’t give a fuck about the water right now.”

  The warm spray hits my back, making me arch into him. The low rumble that vibrates from his chest sends zings of pleasure down my spine all the way to my toes.

  Then, my head is under and out of the spray in a breath, my back hitting the tile, supporting me, as his hands palm my ass. One of them takes the short trip to my pussy to play with it, eliciting a throaty moan from deep inside me.

  “That’s it, sweetheart. Make those noises I love.”

  He says it like I have a choice. I wouldn’t be able to hold them back if I wanted to. Which I don’t. I’d never deprive him of something he loves.

  I love that I can always count on my G man to give it to me nice and sweet. It’s such a contrast to how he is outside the bedroom. I love knowing I’m the only woman that gets to see this side of him.

  “Brace yourself on the tile. I’m coming home.”

  My heart flutters. I love that too—that I’m home to him. They’re home to me too.

  He seats himself to the base, rotating his hips in the most delicious way. When he slides back, he pulls out completely and slides the head of his cock up and down my pussy.

  Fuck.

  “Damn it. I love it when you do that…”

  I forget whatever else I was about to say when he thrusts back into me.

  “I love doing it to you.” Heath pistons his hips, bringing us closer and closer to the beautiful release. “Hold on to me, sweetheart.”

  I do as I’m told, enfolding him in my embrace completely.

  Heath shoves his face in my neck, lightly biting my shoulder.

  He’s always so gentle with me. It makes me ache with how tenderly he treats me. It’s beautiful.

  When I come apart for him, it’s as sweet as a flower blooming, and in his eyes, I can see that’s exactly what it looks like to him.

  5 Silas’ Winter Wedding

  Two Years After Jason’s Sentencing

  Pillowtalk by Zayn

  With Christmas just behind us, I’m working on the last-minute tasks needed before the wedding.

  When Silas proposed, I knew we’d have a winter wedding. It’s just a wonderful plus that we got a few inches of snow overnight. The entire hotel and the grounds where the wedding will be taking place looks like a winter wonderland. The sight is breathtaking.

  It’s been a long two years but life doesn’t stop for love. I’d never have guessed that with Silas being the first to declare his love, we’d be the last tying the knot. Once today’s over, everything will be back on equal f
ooting, mostly.

  I’m making sure my dress is wrinkle-free when Owen comes into the shared living space in our hotel suite.

  “Hey, gorgeous. Anything you need from me?” Owen looks even more handsome than the day I met him. I’ll never get used to how beautiful they all are. Inside and out.

  With a soft smile, I put down the steamer wand and turn toward him. “No, this is all that’s left. Then it’s nothing but rest, relaxation, and pampering for the next two hours. Where are the others?”

  “Working out in the gym. Heath is drawing in a bit of a crowd. I’d have thought after all of these years of him being out of the ring, his fame would have dwindled some.”

  Owen comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my torso, placing a kiss on the side of my head. We make a pretty picture in the mirror before us.

  A flash goes off as the photographer snaps the shot. I smile, grateful that she was able to capture this moment for me.

  I think back to a few years ago. Has it really been that long? “I’m sure it didn’t help when we were all in the news after everything that happened with Jason. Poor Kyle got hit the hardest with that fallout.”

  When Kyle saved me and Flynn from Jason and the media got a hold of the story, they ran with it, focusing their hawk-like eyes and cameras mostly on him. All the guys got some of the media hounding them but, for whatever reason, they hit Kyle the hardest.

  “He’s a big boy; he can handle it. And he does better than the rest of us, save for Heath, who’s had the most experience with these sorts of things,” Owen says, his face nuzzling into my neck. “Come on, I’ve got a surprise for you before we head out for our massages.”

  Owen pulls me over to a table, surrounded by enough chairs to fit me and my men. A small smile stretches my lips and my heart, thinking about how wonderful it will be that I’ll be able to call each one of them my husband after today.

  “When you had your appointment, was there anything pertinent they told you?” Owen asks, checking in with me. This is the first chance we’ve had, having been so busy with wedding preparations.