Colters' Woman (17 page)

She grinned mischievously. “Even underwear?”

“Especially underwear,” Ethan replied.

“If I had my way, you wouldn’t wear underwear,” Adam murmured close to her ear.

Ryan walked into the kitchen, his features drawn. He slid the phone across the bar then turned and limped out.

Holly followed his progress, her heart aching at the pain in his expression. What would it take to get beyond the barriers he’d erected?

***

She wasn’t sure what had awakened her, but her eyes fluttered open and searched the darkness for what had disturbed her sleep.

Holly strained her ears for the source of the noise she’d heard. A low moan filtered down the hall then an inarticulate cry. She sat up and glanced frantically around. Adam and Ethan were sound asleep in bed next to her, but Ryan was gone.

As carefully as she could so as not to wake the guys up, she eased from the bed. The house was chilly, and she shrugged on Adam’s flannel shirt for warmth.

She padded down the hall toward the noise, ending up at Ryan’s door. She pushed it open and peered inside. Ryan was on the bed in a tangle of sheets. The comforter was twisted and lay discarded on the floor.

He moaned again and stirred restlessly, his head shaking from side to side.

“No,” he said in a thick voice. “God, no. Stop for God’s sake, she can’t take any more.”

Holly moved closer, shocked to see Ryan’s face bathed in tears. Her chest constricted painfully. She sat down on the bed next to Ryan and put her hand on his forehead.

“Ryan, it’s okay. It’s me, Holly. Wake up.”

He let out a torturous cry, the sound hitting her directly in the heart. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, pulling him against her. She held him, rocking back and forth, running her hands through his tangled hair.

In response, he curled his arms around her, squeezing her tightly.

“I’m here, Ryan,” she whispered. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“Holly?”

His voice was muffled by her chest. He sounded confused. Uncertain.

She trailed her fingers through his hair, soothing him. “I’m here.”

He tensed in her arms then pulled away. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

But she wouldn’t let him shove her back. “Talk to me, Ryan. What happened to you?”

He leaned back and closed his eyes. She followed him down to the pillow, curling her arm around his stomach. She waited, not pressing him. She sensed an internal battle raging.

He scrubbed a hand over his face and took a deep breath. “We got caught with our pants down behind enemy lines. Our mission went down the toilet in a matter of minutes. Most of my team managed to get out but I got a leg full of shrapnel from a mortar round. I fell behind. They fucking left me there.”

She sucked in her breath. Granted she knew next to nothing about military matters, but wasn’t their creed never to leave behind a fallen comrade?

His breath came out wavery, and she knew he struggled to keep his emotions in check.

“I wanted them to go. I didn’t want to weigh them down. But they left me. I was captured and taken to a shithole.”

His words came out rambling, in a rush as if he had a hard time formulating his thoughts. This was likely the first time he’d talked about the experience at all.

“For two weeks, I saw and endured things I never imagined.”

His voice came out in a croak, breaking at the end.

“There was this one soldier. She was British. They wouldn’t leave her alone. They enjoyed tormenting her. After six days, she died, and they left her there to rot.”

Tears streamed down his cheeks. She held him closer, kissing his chest, trying to keep her own tears at bay.

“After she died, they turned their attention to me and another American soldier being held there. My leg was infected. I was running a fever and half out of my mind, but I’ll never forget the
pain
.”

He broke off again, his chest heaving with unspent emotion.

She pressed her forehead to his, her tears mingling with his. She hugged him to her, desperately wanting to alleviate his pain.

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her breasts. “I need you.”

She let him shove her shirt over her head, and soon they were naked, flesh pressing tightly against flesh. She kissed him hotly, allowing the full breadth of her passion and loving to flow into him.

Tonight she was the aggressor, making love to the man of her dreams. Their tongues mated and dueled. She rained a trail of kisses down his jaw to his neck and then down his chest to his taut belly.

His hands tangled in her hair, pulling her closer, holding her tightly. Her hands smoothed over the hard planes of his body, touching, feeling, showing him her love.

She straddled him, cupping his hardness in the cradle of her pelvis. She bent forward, sinking her hands into his hair. She pulled him to her mouth, kissing him fiercely. Then she reached down and grasped his cock, guiding him into her hot wetness.

Her fingertips trailed down his chest as she rose up, threw her head back and began to ride. He cupped her breasts in his rough palms, thumbing her nipples, plumping the soft flesh in his hands.

They rode fast, hard, each reaching for the waiting pleasure. She could feel him tighten beneath her, deep inside her, and knew he was close to his release. She felt the pinch of her abdomen, the wonderful pressure as it built, spread and finally burst into an explosion of color and ecstasy.

She leaned forward, panting against his chest as she bucked and writhed in her orgasm. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, murmuring things in her ear she couldn’t make out.

He shifted enough that they rolled so she was cradled in his arms. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. “I love you,” he whispered.

She tucked her head underneath his chin, letting the words spill over her. She knew he didn’t utter them lightly. She didn’t say anything. She just held him until she felt the even breathing of sleep overtake him.

Chapter Sixteen

Adam shuffled into the living room, looking around for the others. For the first time in longer than he could remember, he’d slept past dawn. He’d joked about wearing Holly out, but the truth was, she was exhausting him. He grinned and flexed his tired muscles. A man could only dream of that kind of tiredness.

He continued into the kitchen, expecting to see the others. However, Ethan was the only one there.

“Mornin’,” Ethan said around his mug of coffee.

“Where’s Ryan and Holly?”

“In the barn.”

Adam slouched down at the bar. “The barn? They going riding? We need to be hitting the road.”

Ethan’s lips curled into an amused grin. “He’s teaching her self-defense moves.”

“Huh?”

Ethan shrugged. “They’ve been at it for the last hour.”

Adam grunted. “Ryan must be feeling better.”

Ethan set down his mug. “Holly got up last night after Ryan went to his room. When I got up this morning, they were wound as tight as two springs around each other. Ryan looked more at peace than I’ve ever seen him.”

Adam’s heart lightened at that announcement. Maybe Holly was chasing the demons from Ryan’s soul. Lord knew he’d lived with them long enough.

He leaned forward on the bar, crossing his arms in front of him. She was nothing short of a miracle. To all of them.

“She’s incredible,” Ethan said.

Adam looked up and knew Ethan had read his thoughts. He nodded. “That she is. I can’t believe we’ve found her.”

He couldn’t describe his sense of awe. He knew his brothers had harbored their share of doubts as to whether or not they’d ever find the woman that would complete them, but he’d known they would. Felt it. He just hadn’t known when or how.

“I hope Cal can take care of the divorce as quickly as he thought,” Ethan spoke up. “We’re going to have to be careful, Adam. I don’t see her husband being willing to walk away so easily if he knows she can destroy him.”

Adam’s stomach knotted. “I’ve had the same thought.”

The door to the kitchen burst open and Holly stumbled in giggling, Ryan right behind her. Adam watched the ease on their faces. No torment, no darkness edged their eyes. Ryan looked
happy
.

Holly flashed him and Ethan broad smiles then she threw herself into Adam’s arms. He caught her in surprise, and she burrowed into his chest, shivering even as she laughed.

He kissed the top of her hair and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He looked at his brothers over the top of her head and saw in their eyes how affected they were by Holly’s presence.

“You ready to hit the road?” Adam asked as he pulled Holly away from his chest.

She wrinkled her nose and grinned. “Only if I get to ride up front.”

He laughed and kissed her chin. Then he swatted her on the butt. “Go get your bag and we’ll head out.”

***

The drive to Denver went quickly. Holly enjoyed the scenery, the peace of feeling safe and secure. She hoped getting a divorce was as simple as the brothers made it appear. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Mason would really let her go so easily.

As they pulled into a downtown hotel, Holly gazed around in awe. Then she glanced sideways at Adam and quirked her lips into a smile.

He raised an eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t have expected you guys to want to stay here. Downtown.”

He smiled. “We’re not complete backwoods hicks. Don’t get me wrong. We’re a lot more comfortable
out
of the city, but we thought you’d like this, and plus, Cal’s office isn’t far from here.”

“And we’re near shops,” Ethan said, leaning forward from the backseat. “So you can do whatever shopping you need to do before we go back.”

“How long are we staying?” Holly asked.

“A few days,” Adam said as he opened his door. “Thought we all might enjoy the break.”

Holly, Ethan and Ryan waited as Adam went to check in. A few minutes later, he returned and pulled the Land Rover forward into the parking lot.

“Let’s go in, get cleaned up then we can go get something to eat,” Adam said as he turned the engine off.

“A steak maybe?” Holly asked hopefully. Her mouth watered at the thought of a nice thick ribeye.

Ryan chuckled. “No worries about her fitting in.”

They climbed out and Holly shivered at the shot of cold air. Ethan curled an arm around her and pulled her close to his side as they hurried for the entrance.

They all crowded into the elevator and Adam pushed the button for the top floor. They got off and walked down the hall to the end. Adam opened the door and Holly eased past him into the room.

She sighed appreciatively at the large suite. To the right, a bathroom complete with Jacuzzi and shower, to the left, doorways to two bedrooms. Ahead was a cozy sitting room with a couch and two chairs, a big-screen TV and cocktail bar.

“Want me to draw you a bath?” Ethan asked her.

She shook her head as she wandered through to one of the bedrooms. “Just a quick shower. I’m starving.”

She hurried into the large bathroom and turned on the shower. Then she dug around in her suitcase and pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt along with a fresh change of underwear. She smiled ruefully at the plain-Jane white briefs and bra. When she hit the shops, lingerie was going to be one of the first things she bought.

Thirty minutes later, she came out of the bathroom to where the guys were watching TV. “Ready?” she asked.

They stood and headed for the door. Downstairs, they walked out to the Land Rover and climbed in.

“They have a good steakhouse not far,” Adam said. “Has great atmosphere. Laid back.”

“Sounds good,” she said enthusiastically.

In truth, she didn’t care where they went. The thought of a juicy steak had her positively slobbering. If she wasn’t careful, she’d have to wipe the drool off her chin.

They soon pulled into a crowded parking lot. A large, rambling old-style restaurant spread out across two lots. It was fashioned like a southern bayou cabin with cedar wood and a front porch boasting knobby rocking chairs.

Holly walked to the entrance, her arms snug around the waists of Ryan and Ethan. This was her first true outing with the three of them, and she felt self-conscious, but at the same time, devilishly happy. What woman wouldn’t be green with envy? She had three of the most drop-dead gorgeous guys in the entire state of Colorado all to herself.

Adam gave their name to the woman manning the front, and within seconds, she was shepherding them to a table in the far corner of the room.

Ryan held out her seat for her, and Holly sat down next to Adam. The waitress came by and they rattled off their drink orders while they looked over the menu.

Adam curled a hand around Holly’s neck and massaged gently. She loved his touch. Loved that he touched her so often. They all did. It comforted her in ways words never could.