Her Guys [Blessed 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (6 page)

Branda and Rain walked up to her.

Rain spoke first. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you. My brother-in-law, Marshall, was the last manager of this pub. We stole him for one of our family businesses.”

She laughed and briefly touched Rain’s arm. “I guess I should be thanking you for opening the position up for me.”

“You’re welcome. Gaven says you are doing a great job,” Rain responded.

Branda spouted, “Yeah, maybe even better than Marshall.”

Rain whipped her attention to Branda and raised a brow. “You do remember that
I’m
your partner, don’t you?”

“Gaven inferred it. I think you should kick his butt in darts as payback.” Branda shrugged and grinned mischievously.

Gaven rushed to say, “Troy, get your wife under control. She’s trying to start a fight.” He swung his gaze to Rain. “What I said was that Katarina is doing just as good as Marshall did.” He pointed at his eyes then pointed at Branda. “I’m watching you.”

Trent nudged Gaven. “Don’t let Branda get to you. She’s just trying to rattle you so you won’t win tonight.”

Gaven raised his shoulders and then let them drop. He repeated the motion several times. “Thanks. You’re probably right, man. It’s game on.”

She watched as they discussed what order to go in. The all-girl team would go first, then Lunn and herself would go, then the twins, and last, Gaven and Trent.

Lunn stepped close to her. “Gaven likes to go last. We’ll have to watch him. He sneaks up and wins almost every time. How good are you at darts?”

Making a face, she answered, “Not very. How about you?” She hoped winning this game didn’t mean much to him. From being around him at her papa’s club, she knew he was used to winning fights, at least.

“Medium,” he responded.

She grinned. “So what you’re telling me is that we are about to lose.”

“That about sums it up. Now you know not to take Gaven up on any cash bets,” Lunn spoke low and into her ear.

She shivered at the sound of his voice in her ear. Breathing in his scent made her want him even more. Lunn and Gaven had different scents, and they both drove her crazy with desire.

Gaven walked over before she could respond to Lunn. “What are you two talking about?”

Lunn shrugged his shoulders. “Just about the game.”

“Hmmm. Did you tell her the goal is to hit the center ring?” Gaven turned to her before Lunn could answer. “We like to keep it simple. You want to place twenty dollars on your team to win?”

Katarina stifled a laugh and cut her gaze over to Lunn then back to Gaven. “No, I better not. Maybe next time.”

Gaven’s head whipped over, and he stared at Lunn. “What did you tell her?”

“Nothing. We were just talking about how much experience she has.” Her handsome partner innocently rocked back on his heels and smiled.

Gaven didn’t look like he bought it. “Troy took the bet. How about you?”

Lunn glanced over at Trent. “I don’t think so.

“You two are no fun.” Gaven was motioned over by Trent.

She grinned and looked up at Lunn. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

Lunn tilted his head. “I hate to see a newbie to our circle lose money. Especially the sweet ones.”

The look in Lunn’s eyes shot desire through her pelvis. Being so close to him and Gaven was going to be hard on her in a deliciously painful way. Her need for them was growing every day. How much longer before they realized it? Would they be happy or sad when they found out?

She felt Lunn nudge her and realized it was her turn. Moving forward, she picked up her darts and threw one. Damn, it hit the outermost ring. Throw number two stuck in the corkboard that the dartboard was attached to. Another two feet over and she would have stuck the dart in the wall. She looked at Lunn and mouthed “sorry.” Concentrating hard, she threw her third dart. It landed right next to her first one. She was glad she hadn’t added to the holes in the corkboard that time. Lunn stepped up and threw a dart. His landed one ring closer to the center than hers. His second and third darts landed two rings away from the center.

After they stepped aside, Lunn whispered in her ear, “Not bad. At least we hit the board most of the time.”

That was about all they did for the rest of the game. But Lunn didn’t seem to mind, and that freed her up to just enjoy the game and the people.

She went over to Branda, who was standing by the table getting a drink. “I like your tattoo. That flowering vine looks sweet traveling up your arm.”

Rain came over. “See. That’s what I told her. She’s still a little nervous about what people will think about her tat. I told her it’s not what other people think, but it’s what she thinks that matters.”

Branda held out her arm. “You don’t think it’s too much?”

She shook her head. “No, I love the color and detail. It looks so real.”

Branda’s face lit up. “I think it looks real, too. Rain talked me into it. I’m glad she did.”

Looking up, she saw Gaven and Lunn watching her. Heat rushed to her cheeks.
Hide your feelings, girl.

Branda drew her attention away from Gaven and Lunn. “We need to get together and talk about the party that’s being thrown here in two weeks. I’m doing some cookie arrangements for it. Do you work tomorrow night?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll come by at about seven, and we can talk shop. How does that sound?” Branda asked.

She thought she caught a gleam in Branda’s eyes, but she wasn’t sure. “That sounds fine. I’ll be here.”

Trent’s voice carried over to them. “Girls, stop gibber-gabbering. It’s your turn.”

Rain scrunched up her face. “All right, already. What’s the hurry? You needing a beating?”

Trent’s eyes heated up. “I’ll take a beating from you any day, my love.”

Rain looked at her watch. “Let’s hurry this game up. We only have two more hours before we have to pick the baby up.”

She glanced at Trent and asked, “How old is the baby?”

A grin slashed across his face. “He’s eight months old. My mom and dad have him right now.”

Rain came back and pushed Lunn in the direction of the dartboard. “Right now being the operative words. Let’s get this game over. I feel a strong need to leave.”

She had to hold back a laugh as she quickly threw a dart and almost missed the board. A few rounds later, Gaven and Trent did a victory dance after they won the game. Troy paid up and then warned Gaven he’d win next time.

Trent took a last sip of his soda then took Rain’s hand and kissed it. He scanned them all then said, “It’s been fun, but now it’s time for us to go have some personal fun.”

Troy and Trey took Branda’s hands in each of theirs and made their excuses as well. Once they were all gone, Gaven turned to her. “That was nice of you to tell Branda you liked her tattoo. It covers a scar that has bad memories.”

“Oh. Well if that’s the case, I’m glad I went with my gut and complimented her tattoo. Nobody should feel self-conscious about their body.” The artist had done a fabulous job. She hadn’t seen any scar tissue at all.

Lunn stepped in front of her, and to her surprise he pulled her into his arms. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his hard body pressed against hers. Katarina wished the moment would never have to end.

He leaned back and looked down into her eyes. “Thanks for being my partner tonight.”

A shiver shot down her spine. His voice was as sexy as his hard body. “It was my pleasure.”

Gaven tugged on Lunn’s arm, and he let her go. She missed his heat immediately. Gaven draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her in close to his side. The pulse in her clit started pounding. Damn, it felt just as good to be pressed against him as it did to be flush up against Lunn’s warm body. Sandwiched between them would be even better.

Gaven’s words brought reality crashing down. “She works for me, so keep your distance.” He squeezed her for a second then released her. “Thanks for helping out tonight. I’ll let you get back at it.”

Her heart dropped to her stomach. Squaring her shoulders, she said, “Glad I could help out. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.” At her words, she thought she saw his eyes darken with a flash of desire. But when she looked away then looked back, there was no desire in his eyes. It was most likely just wishful thinking on her part. Love was rough.

As she passed by one of the larger windows, a spike of fear shot through her chest. She swallowed hard and looked out into the parking lot. Shit, did she just see a shadow move?

The bartender called to her, “Hey, Katarina. Can you help me out for a sec?”

“On my way.” She looked back outside and noted how the wind blew, casting a plant’s moving shadow over a car. After blowing out a nervous breath, she went back to work. Her fear was totally unfounded. No one was watching her.

* * * *

Rage boiled in his blood. From his view in the parking lot, he had seen her face light up as she’d played a game of darts with the group of people. Some he knew, and some he didn’t. The only person that needed to make her happy was him. Flower’s lovely body was made just for him. He clenched his fists as he remembered Gaven and Lunn touching her. Releasing the breath he’d been holding, he cocked his head to the side as he realized they might not know she was taken.

Soon he would have to teach her a lesson, though. No one touched her but him. When she walked over to the bartender, he slinked from behind the plant he’d been using as camouflage and went to his car. As he slid into the vehicle, a little fur ball bounded into his lap.

“One day I’ll have her trained as well as you, Rosie. She will jump into my arms everyday when I come home from work. My favorite meal will be ready and on the table waiting for me to eat it up. I’ll give you a few bites, but not many. I don’t want you to get sick. What do you think about that?”

The little dog barked excitedly.

A gravelly laugh came from his throat as he petted the dog some more. “One day soon she will be ours. She’s too loyal to me to fall for either of those men. She just let them touch her tonight because she’s not a rude person. No, she’s not. Besides, I’m more handsome, don’t you think?”

The dog barked again and was rewarded with a doggie biscuit.

A loud ring had the man growling. “Hello,” he said sharply.

“We need you to come to work. The party will arrive in one hour,” his boss stated.

He scowled. “I’ll be there.” If the money wasn’t so good, he wouldn’t go, but taking care of a woman wasn’t going to be free.

He looked through the windows of the pub. Flower was helping a waitress clean up a large table. He’d planned on following her home. Women needed men to make them feel safe. Soon he’d have to stir things up so she could see how much she needed him. With a disgruntled sigh, he started the engine and drove away. The only thing that kept him going was the knowledge that she’d soon be his.

* * * *

Katarina looked around her apartment parking lot nervously. What was wrong with her? Getting out of her car, she hurried to her door. Living alone for the first time in her life must be making her mind go wild. She briefly wondered how long it would take for her to feel comfortable on her own.

A noise behind her had her spinning around. She blew out a breath of relief and waved when she spotted her four-foot-ten-inch-tall, unibrowed neighbor from across the street. The lady was sweet, but she liked to talk a little too much. Mostly about her turtle, Sam. She was tired and sent out a prayer of thanks when the woman just waved back and entered her apartment.

A scream deep in the complex had her dropping her keys. Her heart tried valiantly to pound its way out of her chest. She reached down to retrieve her keys, never stopping the scanning motion of her eyes. A squeal escaped her throat when she touched something soft and warm. Fuck!

Looking down, she saw a fluffy white cat. It bumped its head against her hand and purred. Relief washed over her. As she petted the cat, she heard an angry shout. “You stupid motherfucker. You scare my girl again and you’ll be the one peeing your pants.”

“Well, now we know why that woman screamed. I wasn’t really scared. How about you?” she asked the cat. The cat purred, and she felt a crazy sense of peace envelope her. “Who do you belong to?”

Mesmerizing blue eyes stared into hers. The pretty Persian kitty didn’t have a collar. Was it homeless? It wasn’t dirty, but it was a little lean. It probably belonged to a neighbor.

She grabbed her keys and petted the cat one more time. As she unlocked the door, the cat brushed against her leg and meowed pitifully. Looking down into its eyes, she gasped when she thought she saw stars appear in the dark pupils of its blue eyes. For a second she wondered if it was magical, and then she quickly pushed the thought aside. So far she’d never met another magical being. They seemed to be few in number. The cat rubbed its head against her leg and looked up at her with big, begging eyes. Minus the stars.

She pushed her door open and the white fur ball waltzed in like it owned the place. A peek around the complex proved that no one was rushing over to get the cat. After closing and locking the door behind her, she smiled when the cat jumped on the couch and circled a few times then settled down to take a nap. A pet could be just the thing she needed. She’d ask around later to make sure no one was looking for the pretty kitty.

Katarina watched through her window as Branda walked into the pub with Rain by her side. Was Rain in business with her? She looked at the baby Rain had riding on her hip. No doubt about who his father was. He was sure to break as many hearts as his dad and uncles.

Branda stopped at the bar and said something to Doug. He quickly got two glasses of tea and handed them to her.

Putting her paperwork aside, she walked out of her office to meet them.

Branda smiled invitingly. “There you are. I ordered some snacks to eat after we talk about the upcoming party.” Branda turned and touched the baby’s hand. He quickly grabbed her finger and started touching her ring. “Have you met little Lando Cortino?”