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  Healing Hearts 8: Teach Me What Love Is

  Faith doesn't know what real love is, and neither do the three older men she falls for. They may be older and more experienced, but none of them are prepared for love or the danger attached to it. Faith was beaten by the one man she thought she loved. She's a shy school teacher and Rocky, Paulie, and Hendrick are the epitome of intimidation. They are older, experienced, and cocky. They say opposites attract, but it seems all four of them need to learn a lot about love, and perhaps desire gives them the open door they need to learn.

  Faith has loved and been betrayed. Rocky, Hendrick, and Paulie lost a brother to an addiction and his lost opportunity at falling in love and starting a family. When they meet Faith they think they can run the show despite how different it feels to be with her. Soon the teachers become the taught, and they all heal from their pasts and learn to love just in time to have it all taken away by a man from her past. Can their love help them to survive this? It's all on the line but even timid, shy Faith has learned a thing or two from her soldier, SWAT boyfriends, and she's willing to die to protect them.

  Genres: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Military, Romantic Suspense

  Length: 46,038

  Healing Hearts 8:

  Teach Me What Love Is

  Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Healing Hearts 8: Teach Me What Love Is

  Copyright © 2018 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-302-9

  First Publication: July 2018

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  Dear readers,

  Thank you for purchasing this legal copy of Teach Me What Love Is.

  Faith has a broken heart. She has lost what little confidence she had and fears that she can’t read people, especially men, and determine if they want to use her or actually care. Her shyness and sweet demeanor seem to be a target for aggressive men.

  After being hurt by an ex-boyfriend, she surely doesn’t want to experience such pain ever again. So she focuses on being a teacher, on the children in her class whom she adores, and prefers being alone more often than not. It’s when her friends harass her about hanging out, and it becomes too much to ignore, that she gives in and goes out with them.

  When she feels an attraction like nothing she has ever felt before to three brothers, she is hesitant to give into the sensations. Rocky, Hendrick, and Paulie are older, more experienced, and willing to learn more about this sexy little school teacher, with her designer eyeglasses, her baby blue eyes, and a shyness, yet sophistication that pulls on their protective strings. One kiss, and a few doses of jealousy, and they’re hooked. Can they convince her to take a chance with them?

  Faith wants to know what true love is, and whether or not it really exists. Her fears are authentic, and her fight to protect a broken heart make it difficult for these three men to show her that love is real.

  May you enjoy Faith’s journey.

  Happy reading.

  HUGS!

  Dixie

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  For all titles by Dixie Lynn Dwyer, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/dixie-lynn-dwyer

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Healing Hearts 8: Teach Me What Love Is

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Epilogue

  Healing Hearts 8: Teach Me What Love Is

  DIXIE LYNN DWYER

  Copyright © 2018

  Prologue

  Andrew Price sat in his truck across from the elementary school. Mercy was a quiet beach town. A place where families loved to raise their children. Where they felt safe and secure with the local police patrolling and basically very low crime rates. That unrealistic perspective made these people sitting targets. If he had his sniper rifle, he could knock them off one after the next and no one would know where it came from. He felt uneasy just thinking that. His focus was on his little beauty. The sweet, sensual blonde, as she watched the little kids playing and received hugs on her legs against the long floral skirt she wore today. His woman, or at least she used to be.

  Faith was everything to him. She kept him sane, calmed him, but the demons were too powerful. The stresses of life and what he wanted, what he deserved cost him everything. Including almost his sanity. That was why he needed her, or at minimum to see her, to watch her, to know she was there and that when the time came he could have her once again. He needed to be patient though. He was working too many things right now. Today was a risk, coming here, seeking her out. He drove the three hours but it was worth it. A whole year passed and his woman looked even more beautiful.

  She didn’t know how gorgeous she was, how appealing. So shy and innocent, a virgin. His virgin he never had the opportunity to claim because he screwed up. In his job, in his relationship with her, and securing his hold on her heart and on her soul. He would work on that now and from a distance. She would get his first gift soon enough. He would get her to forgive him, to accept his apology and then accept him in her life again. It would all come back together. He would fix it all.

  She would be with him now if he hadn’t struck her, beat her, took his rage and anger on his boss out on her. He was too caught up in the people he owed money to, and what needed to be done to finish off his deal with Greg. He wasn’t going to settle for a shake of the hand and a “see ya,” “good luck next time,” or some other load of bullshit. He was more than capable of handling the jobs. That corporate asshole Leonard Strayffer gave orders, declined Andrew for the higher paying job because he was anti military, plain and simple. The fucking hippie bastard and his fellow business buddies were all haters.

  Well, he would show them. Andrew was making a plan, and thanks to his best friend Greg, he would be able to hit Leonard and his buddies where it hurt most, the wallet, but also in their personal lives. In fact, Leonard’s wife should be getting the threatening letter and dead animal right about now. See how he handled that. Plus the pictures of Leonard going into the hotel room when he was supposed to be at work should piss his wife off big time. That should leave the cops with some interesting investigation, and one leading to a mistress. Greg’s idea, but Andrew’s was much more violent and ended with torturing Leonard and listening to him beg for his life and offer Andrew everything he wanted and deserved.

  His eyes went back to Faith. Gorgeous, sweet, sexy as sin Faith who hid her voluptuous body underneath her conservative attire. A virgin he was so close to claiming, to popping her c
herry and owning her for life, but he fucked up. He tried so hard to get the new promotion and that dick screwed him. Didn’t think he had enough experience and then when he raged, he had him thrown out of the company office building and then fired. It didn’t help that he got drunk and fucked around with the blonde at the bar with Greg. Or that he got busted by Faith’s cousin, and her friends.

  He ran his hand along his unshaven beard. He screwed up big time. Was stuck in a rage when Faith broke things off with him. She wouldn’t listen to his pleas for forgiveness. She wouldn’t.

  He slammed his fist down on the steering wheel and then took several uneasy breaths. He looked around him, seeing the patrol car coming down the street patrolling. He yanked up the clipboard and made it look like he pulled over to write some work things down. As the cop passed by he stared right at him and Andrew gave a nod and a smile. The cop looked at the clipboard and then gave a nod in return. Right under your nose. Here I am watching that woman. For all you know, copper, I could be watching those kids, and getting ready to strike. You can’t do a thing though. Not even if your gut clenches and you get a bad feeling. No, the bad guys have more rights than the good guys these days and I’m using that to my advantage. He smirked and looked back across the playground as recess ended and Faith gathered her students.

  She belonged to him. Her body was meant to be claimed by him and only him. Before he left for the job Greg hooked him up with, he had made sure she knew to never be with another man. To not look at another man or let another man touch her. Recently, though, her friends were getting involved with multiple men. Greg was pissed and worried that Everly would be doing that too and that he might lose her completely. Faith would never stray, for if she did then she would suffer greater than when he hurt her months ago. Whomever the guy was would die. End of story.

  He felt the rage begin to simmer and he took several unsteady breaths. Andrew needed to remind himself that Faith wasn’t seeing anyone, or going on dates, or even going out much. He needed to make his presence known and to help her understand that she belonged with him. It took months to get her to let him touch her intimately. There was no way she wasn’t still a virgin. No way. He had a plan, and Faith was the prize to that plan coming together nicely.

  * * * *

  Faith Coleman looked at herself in the mirror. She smoothed her hands along the slim-fitting black skirt and then adjusted her breasts in the blue top she wore. It was a little more sexy than she would wear but tonight was special. Brook was going out as well as Emma and Casey. She buttoned the top up another button higher, helping her deep cleavage to disappear. The outfit was tight. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself despite knowing that a certain manager at Gordon’s would make a point of looking at her. His expressions were dark, but flirty. He would appear out of nowhere and press up against her back, move in and sweep her away when some guys were hitting on her and she looked scared. It was like he took a protective role over her and she didn’t know why. He was older, and very handsome in a rugged, seasoned kind of way.

  She turned sideways. Was she trying to look good for him? Trying to show an interest she wished she had the guts to have? She felt the tears fill her eyes. Andrew’s words haunted her dreams, and apparently were forceful enough to be implanted in her head. “You belong to me and only me. I screwed up, Faith, but I’ll make it up to you. I’ll be back. Don’t ever let another man touch you or I’ll kill him.”

  She shivered from the memories. From the constant threats he made when she refused to see him and got the order of protection on him. She then moved from her cottage in Sussex to the town of Mercy when the cottage was for sale. She hadn’t quite enough money but Brook loaned her what she needed and she paid her back. In fact, she owed one more payment to Brook and she would be sure to get that to her.

  She shouldn’t be going tonight. She was a bad judge of character and older men like Rocky were players. Men looking for sex and nothing more. As lonely as she felt, and attracted to the man, she wouldn’t lose her virginity on meaningless sex.

  She grabbed her purse, made sure everything was locked up and headed out to her car. Fifteen minutes later she was at Gordon’s. Her friends greeted her hello and as she was handed her drink and reached for it, a strong, thick arm came around her waist just as two guys were passing by. She looked to the right, but then heard Rocky’s voice.

  “Just making sure they didn’t bump into you, Miss Coleman,” he said and she went numb with desire. The feel of his thick, large arm around her midsection made her feel feminine and safe. He was so charismatic, older, and sexy. He put the younger guys to shame and she wondered why she even found him attractive when he was obviously just out to mess with her and maybe get lucky.

  She pulled from his hold. “Good evening, Mr. Gove. Busy night for you as usual, I see,” she said very calmly. He looked her over and she felt it. Everywhere.

  “Hi, Rocky.” Two women came by. A blonde and a redhead. They eyed him over and the redhead licked her lips and stroked his arm. Faith was instantly turned off despite still feeling the attraction to the man. Rocky definitely grabbed women’s attention. He looked like some NFL linebacker, was very tall, and with that gruff along his face he looked mean yet important. Like a person would be cool just by hanging out with him. Faith felt like a mouse. Like something that could be snapped in half by a man his size.

  “Faith?” He whispered her name, reached up to touch her cheek and she snapped out of her daze, out of the angry, fearful expression she surely had and turned away. Thank God Emma directed a question toward her.

  * * * *

  Rocky was pleasantly surprised to see Faith here. He didn’t know why he was so compelled to flirt with her and make that serious, yet shy, unapproachable demeanor of hers get to him as he took it as a challenge to affect her. He hadn’t expected his game to affect him, but it did. In fact, every time Brook, Emma, Casey or one of her other friends came here with their men to hang out he would look for her. Rarely did she come, but tonight was special. Tonight Brook was back to visit, still recovering from her injuries. He felt that sick sensation in his gut. He completely understood Kinchley, Kernan, and Conan’s protectiveness over Brook and the fears they had when she was taken. Brook had capabilities and training. A toughness that most women didn’t have. Women like Faith surely didn’t have and nor should she.

  He stared at her now, the tight black skirt that went lower than most women her age would wear. It stopped right above the knees. Her top was slim-fitting, accentuating her tiny waist and full breasts but showed no cleavage. Again, most women would have at least kept the top buttons undone, showing off some of their racks. Not Faith. No, she wore hardly any makeup and didn’t need, too. She was a natural beauty, and those eyes. Holy fuck, those baby blue eyes were what drew him in. Then add in the glasses, the shoulder length sophisticated style and how prim and proper she was and he was aroused. Hell, he fantasized about the games they could play in the bedroom. He wondered if she would be game for them and then felt like he committed a crime for thinking such dirty thoughts about a school teacher. Christ, he was forty fucking years old. Had slept with a lot of women over the years, and it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that he slowed down, and was no longer interested in the one night stands. He wanted more, and he remained single, hadn’t slept with any women despite having access to plenty. Then she walked into Gordon’s one night with her friends and that was it. She was on his radar.

  As he thought about his brothers Paulie and Hendrick, both retired Army Rangers and now members of SWAT in Castings, he wondered what they would have thought of her after meeting her when Brook was here one night. He noticed both of them keeping their eyes glued to her, but neither approached and both were swarmed by single women looking for sex. He hadn’t asked them, and he wouldn’t push anything. They were a few years younger, a bit more wild, still recovering from their experiences in the military and now in SWAT, and didn’t seem ready to settle down.

  H
is heart raced. “Settle down? What the fuck am I thinking?” he wondered and looked her over again. The swell of her nice, round ass, her petite figure, and how small she was compared to everyone around her. He felt protective, and he knew that a woman like Faith meant commitment, meant a future, and she would probably want a family, a house with the white picket fence, a dog in the yard and normal men. They weren’t normal men. They were tough. Him included, despite now spending his days and nights as a manager of Gordon’s. It kept his mind sane and away from the thoughts of nearly dying in war as well as losing Keith, their brother who died in a drunk driving accident.

  He exhaled and squinted his eyes and looked back toward the bar. He didn’t want to think about that. About the downhill path Keith was going on and that he, Paulie and Hendrick couldn’t help him with. It was worse, knowing that the night Keith died his girlfriend at the time, Hailey, had told him she was pregnant. Baby Brianna was in Kindergarten.

  Of course he and his brothers took care of Hailey and Brianna and helped out in any way they could. After all, that was their niece, their blood and Hailey was a special young woman who deserved happiness and not what Keith put her through.

  He glanced at Faith one more time. She was perfect, but she was young and deserved a younger guy, and he knew that but he just couldn’t seem to get her off his mind. He should though. A woman like Faith deserved a guy with a regular job, a regular past, and not one tainted by the violence of war, the tragedy of his brother’s addiction, and the inability to commit. He was out of his head even thinking she would be attracted to him. Fifteen fucking years older. Jesus, I need to get my head out of my ass.