Diane [The Town of Pearl 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (6 page)

* * * *

Lucas Santos was hardcore. Out of the service for sixteen months and he still wasn’t used to civilian life. His brother Drake had been out for two years now and he seemed none the better. He hated crowds, he disliked questions, and he always felt on edge. It was part of his PTSS. He especially suffered at night. He needed to talk with Doc again and get his sleep aid medication changed. He didn’t like how it made him feel groggy until almost lunchtime. He could feel how irritable he was even now. There was so much work to get done, and making the clocks with his brother helped to keep his mind clear from the flashbacks.

“When the hell is he going to get here?” Lucas asked as he looked around the restaurant and then outside. He didn’t like hanging out in public and having to talk to people. He did better alone, in the safety of his workshop or even the house on the ranch. This setting made him nervous and extra sensitive.

“He’s probably at the boutique trying to buy something else,” Drake said as he looked at the specials menu.

“I’m getting impatient about seeing her in those things he’s purchased, yet the thought of trying to converse with her and being fearful of saying something stupid is making me feel sick. It really pissed me off to see those guys hovering around her the other day. She’s a beautiful woman. I hope we haven’t lost the opportunity to come clean with her. Plus, she needs looking after. Look what happened the other night with her car. What if Mark wasn’t coming home from one of his jobs and it was someone else?” Lucas said and Drake just mumbled.

Drake was a quiet guy who liked to keep to himself, too, until he met Diane. Lucas on the other hand had a lot of anger and sadness inside of him, and sometimes Lucas wondered if that was why he preferred staying on the ranch and never venturing into town. But then again, since seeing Diane and hanging out with a few of their friends, Drake seemed to come out of that phase, while Lucas had been resistant to coming out for lunch. Lucas was the one who nearly backed out entirely. He wasn’t sure if he was right for Diane. He was hard. He knew that, and wasn’t certain that he could be gentle, never mind provide her with the same love and desire his brothers could.

“Oh shit,” Drake said, and Lucas looked up to where his brother was looking. Sure enough, he felt his own chest tighten and similar words fill his head. Diane and Mark. “How the hell did he get her to go anywhere with him?”

* * * *

Diane was in a complete panic. The entire walk over here to Francine’s she wondered what it would be like to be Mark’s woman. When she thought of him, she immediately thought about Drake and Lucas. But it was hard to focus on her thoughts, never mind walking without losing her balance with Mark’s warm, large hand pressed possessively against her lower back. She felt it clear through to her skin and wished she could feel his hand move lower. The thought made her imagine it against her ass. She was aroused and feeling so damn attracted to him she thought she might start hyperventilating. How the heck was she going to have lunch with him and his brothers?

She tried not to focus on his words, and what he said back at the boutique. Could he really have bought those items for her to wear, and not some other woman? It just didn’t seem possible. It didn’t make sense. She never saw them with other women. Mark was the only Santos to frequent town. He had to between helping Wyatt and Matt with security. He went away often, doing special jobs for the government. At least that was what Sage had told her. Then of course there was that conversation Mark had with Willie about not doing his job protecting her. Could Mark and his brothers simply be trying to act like guardians?
Oh God, I feel like such a loser.

As they walked deeper into the restaurant, she stopped short. People waved hello and she waved back trying to focus on them, but her eyes, her body immediately located Drake and Lucas in the restaurant. It was crazy, but she felt their presence.

Drake with his serious demeanor, black crew cut hair, his deep blue eyes that matched Lucas’s, and a body that was perfection. All three men had perfect physiques. She heard they had their own gym at their house on the ranch and they continued to train like active-duty military men. The thought made her heart race faster.

Just as she looked to Lucas, she saw that mean, don’t-fuck-with-me expression he was known for and she gulped. Intimidation was too weak of a word to use to describe Lucas’s expression. Hell, complicated, mean, unapproachable, quiet, scary, all didn’t seem to totally fit either. The man made her stomach quiver.

“There they are, in the corner,” Mark whispered as he placed his hands on her shoulders and walked behind her. She jumped, turning away from Lucas and Drake a moment. Her nipples hardened instantly. She felt as if his touch sent shocks of desire and heat throughout her entire body. Never in her life had she felt anything so strong and so instant, and it frightened her. She felt too much. The thick, long strength of his fingers as they clutched her shoulders and the way the front of his jeans pressed against her ass. She was certain that wasn’t the belt buckle she felt tap her spine.

She glanced up toward him and swallowed hard. His expression was firm. He almost looked upset, and when she turned to look up, she locked gazes with Drake. The man looked lethal because of his short-sleeve black shirt, bulging muscles, and the long, deep scar on his arm. He’d hidden the scar his first winter and fall in Pearl but couldn’t in the hot summer months. He also had a slight scar by his eye, but she tried not to stare.

“Diane is joining us for lunch today. I just so happened to be shopping at the boutique, and convinced her to come along.”

“Hello, Diane. It’s nice to see you,” Drake said as he stood up and offered her the seat in the corner. She would be trapped if she sat there. She wanted an escape route if this got too intense or if she felt like she was making a fool of herself.

“Can I sit here? I really can’t stay long but I don’t want to rush you guys,” she added as their expressions changed. Lucas seemed angry but just as quickly as that expression appeared, it disappeared. She quickly sat down.

“Yes, Diane has a busy afternoon and evening ahead of her. She’s leaving for a trip to Keanter and Dallas tomorrow,” Mark stated as he took the seat to the right of her. Now Lucas was on her left and Drake was across from her.

“For how long?” Drake asked in a very low, raspy voice that did a number to her insides. She held his gaze and swallowed hard. The man was gorgeous, scary, sexy, wild.
Oh God, help me. What the hell did he just ask?

Drake crossed his arms in front of his wide, thick muscular chest. She could see the chain to his dog tags that were beneath the T-shirt.

“How long are you going for? Why are you going? Who is accompanying you?” Drake asked her. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and looked at Lucas and Mark who seemed to share the same expression of concern right now.

“I’m going with Elvira, a woman we work with in Keanter who supplies storefronts and boutiques like ours with merchandise. She’s part of a nationally broadcasted fashion show they are doing in Dallas and she needs help backstage. I’ll be gone for about five days. Sunday afternoon, I’m returning.”

“Do you have our cell phone numbers, Diane? I think you should take them and call us to check in. You know, make sure that you’re okay,” Mark said, drawing her attention to him. They all pulled out their cell phones and she felt a bit annoyed.

“That’s not necessary.” She hurried up to finish. “I have Hank’s, Paul’s, and Willie’s, plus Wyatt’s, so I think I’ll be fine. But thank you for caring,” she added.

“I still would feel better if you had ours and we had yours. You can never be too prepared,” Mark said and smiled.

“Okay.” She reached into her purse as the waitress came over.

“Hello, gentleman, so nice to see you again. Hi, Diane.” Marty the waitress said hello. She was staring at Drake, and Drake didn’t even look at her.

“I noticed you by the boutique again, Mark, getting something else for me?” Marty asked, as she held the pen between her teeth and stared at him.

Mark squinted his eyes and then leaned back in his chair all suave.

“I think we’re ready to order,” he said, and Diane felt her stomach twist. Marty was a pretty young redhead. She had a nice body, but her personality outside of Francine’s wasn’t very nice. She actually lived in Turbank but Francine was desperate for another waitress and Marty was recommended by a friend of Francine’s.

“We’ll talk later then,” Marty said and then looked at Diane.

“What can I get you?”

“I’ll take the small chicken Caesar salad please and water with lemon.”

“Hmm,” Marty said as she gave Diane the once-over. Diane was feeling pretty uncomfortable. These men were probably sleeping with Marty or whomever else and dressing them in lingerie from Diane’s boutique and it was making her feel sick. Once the orders were taken, she felt the hand on her knee and jumped, turning toward Mark.

“Ignore her. She was just trying to make you jealous. She’s been after us since she started working here last month,” Mark told her.

“Why would I care?” she replied. He raised one eyebrow at her and stared into her eyes.

“Well, you seemed annoyed by her.”

“I don’t like women who throw themselves at men.”

“Neither do we,” Lucas stated, drawing her attention toward him.

“Well, apparently Marty doesn’t know that. But she does know about all the lingerie you buy at our boutique, as I’m sure other women around town and elsewhere do,” she said, and was surprised by her attitude. She was jealous and right now she should be pretending to not care, but she did care. She didn’t want other women touching them, being with them, and eyeing them over like candy. But then again, who was she to say otherwise?

Lucas leaned forward with his hands still under his chin, he stared at her. She focused on the dimple in his chin.
God, he’s beautiful. I love his shoulder-length hair, the firm expression on his face. The way his muscles are bulging from his shirt sleeves. Oh God, my breasts feel full and my nipples are hard. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Everyone knows we like the lingerie you’ve picked out for us at the boutique. Haven’t you ever wondered why we buy the ones you pick out? Why they’re in your size?” Drake asked. Lucas didn’t say anything to her. He just stared at her. It was unnerving.

She shook her head. Were they trying to tell her that they were buying them for her?

Mark moved closer. She could feel his masculinity, his darkness, and the aura that made him so frighteningly appealing. He was so mysterious and sexy.

She felt his arm go over the top of her chair. His forearm brushed gently against her shoulders. “You’re shaking,” he whispered.

She swallowed hard, and slowly looked at him.

“I don’t feel comfortable here like this. I don’t know what type of game you’re playing. I’m not interested in hearing about the other women and the lingerie. I’m not. If this is because of the other night, and the fact that you found me, Mark, changing my own tire on the side of the road, then just quit it now. I’m able to handle myself. I don’t need men to take care of me.”

“I have to disagree. I think you do need looking after. Besides, you should know why we brought the lingerie because we’ve been buying the lingerie for you,” Mark said. She whipped her head around to look at him. She was shocked, annoyed, confused.

“What? Why?”

Lucas chuckled. She glanced at him. At the black shoulder-length hair, the blue eyes, and the button-down shirt with the chain to his dog tags showing. The man was sexy and mouthwatering.

“Because you love lingerie. You love ordering unique styles from across the country and even in Europe. You love it and it interests you, so it interests us.”

“You’re confusing me. Why would I interest you?”

She felt Mark’s thumb and pointer caress her shoulder.

“Because you’re gorgeous,” Drake whispered from across the table. With all three men staring at her and one touching her while the third was so close he could touch her, too, she was losing her control to remain unaffected.

“We want to get to know you, Diane. We’ve been hiding our feelings for long enough,” Mark told her.

She was flustered, annoyed, embarrassed, and mostly scared. They were too much, too intimidating and she thought about getting up and leaving. She didn’t want to make a scene. Yet, hadn’t this moment been something she was waiting for? Something she even fantasized about because of her attraction to them. It was her insecurities, her lack of self-confidence that made her timid here instead of assertive. Then she felt a hand on her legs that were crossed under the table, as well as Mark’s hand squeezing her shoulder.

“Slow down, don’t freak out. Just breathe and take your time,” Lucas whispered.

Drake and Lucas were not the calm ones. Mark, yes, he was calm, but having Luke whisper in her ear and tell her to relax and stay calm was just not even normal.

She turned to look at him.

“I don’t know what type of game you’re playing with me. Stop messing with me and let me leave. This was a mistake,” she whispered.

Mark leaned forward and looked at Lucas, then Drake, and then back to her. “Baby, the last thing we want to do is mess with you. Maybe we’re explaining this wrong,” he said.