Soldiers of Pearl 1: Invasion of Hearts (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11

  “You didn’t eat. You need to. When we’re done here, we’re going to take you into town and show you around.”

  “That’s not necessary. Didn’t you hear what I said? I don’t need you around me.”

  “It’s not up for debate,” Reno said in a very commanding way yet without even raising his voice. She felt it straight to her pussy and knew that every moment she spent with these men meant she would get more and more attracted to them. It was scary and not a very bright idea considering she wouldn’t be sticking around long.

  Reno held open the door and Rex walked with her again with his hand against her lower back guiding her. The moment her gaze locked onto Smith and Brock, she froze in place. Brock and Smith were showing a very simple move. How to get out of a wrist control. One woman was shaking her head and rubbing her wrist. Brock was looking at her.

  “You can do it, Sammy. This will work no matter how big or strong the person is,” he told her, but she was shaking her head.

  Brock looked up and caught her eye. He smiled. She felt it straight to her chest and nearly gasped. The sight of him standing there, casual black martial arts pants and a black T-shirt stretched across bulging muscles. He was a lot older than her, and appeared so mature. She knew he was the leader of the team when they were in the military. His tattoos stood out, especially the one along his neck. Next to him Smith held her gaze, his expression hard, blank as he looked her over. He was tough to read, and always seemed on edge and maintained that look of intimidation in his eyes.

  “Let’s try something different,” Dalton interrupted.

  “Sammy, what’s making you scared to try the moves? We want to help you and learning some self-defense is not only a great survival tool as you head out there to work outside the shelter, but it is also a confidence builder. You’ll feel more capable and prepared,” Dalton said.

  Sammy shook her head.

  They took a seat and watched for a while as some of the other women tried the moves and leaned them. But Arabella watched Sammy as she sat down looking so sad. Rex and Reno were talking with Hank, and Sammy turned around and saw Arabella sitting there. She got up and joined her on the bench.

  Arabella gave a soft smile.

  “It’s harder than it looks,” Sammy said.

  “I know it is. They make it sound so easy. It just takes practice and discipline. Martial arts are exactly that, an art. You have to love it, believe in it, almost get lost in it.”

  “Lost in it?” Sammy asked.

  Now Rachel and Gina joined them, too.

  Arabella said hello and continued. “I can remember when I first started taking some classes. The Sensei was tough, and I wasn’t sure I had the capabilities to continue even though I found the training so interesting. He told me not to quit. He said find the meaning of the art for you and hold on to it.”

  “What was it?” Sammy asked.

  “Did you figure it out?” Rachel asked.

  “I did. I found that when I was memorizing the moves, lost in the intensity and meaning behind each move and purpose of that move, that it began to click. Something in me identified the art as not only a form of defense against an attack, but also a time to be one with the power within me. You see no one can make you do this. You have the power inside of you to take each new move and make it your own. The power, the determination, the strength is your inner force. It’s what you make of it. Someone can’t do the moves for you. You have to do them yourself.”

  “Can you show us?” Sammy asked.

  Arabella looked up and noticed the men still talking to some other women and their kids. “That’s what the guys are for.”

  “No, you make it sound so different. Like you understand the fears we have. The fear blocks me from trying to be assertive. I wanted to do these classes in hopes of building up that self-confidence Dalton and Brock speak about all the time,” Sammy said.

  Arabella wasn’t sure what to do but then the women were pulling her up and she was taking off her shoes and socks. Now Gina, Sammy, Rachel, and her stood on the mats.

  “Okay, stand in front of me and give yourselves an arm’s length room on both sides. Good. Now watch me.” Arabella did a move where she struck her arm fist downward left and then right as she stepped forward with the opposite foot.

  “Got it?” They nodded.

  “Okay. I want you to remain in place. Just do the moves on my command and march in place. Don’t move forward yet.”

  They stood there ready to go.

  “Now close your eyes.”

  “Close our eyes?” Sammy asked.

  Arabella moved closer so the women could hear her whisper.

  “I want you to close your eyes and feel your body. Sense the power running through your veins, pumping in your blood.”

  They closed their eyes.

  She glanced at them. They were listening, being serious about this, and she hoped that it helped them.

  “You’re getting stronger. You’re ready, and this is actually relaxing you, giving you strength and rejuvenation. Now strike left.”

  They all threw the first downward strike. “Now right,” she commanded. They threw the right punch as they stepped in place. “Again,” she said and then picked up the pace until they had the coordination down.

  “Okay, open your eyes.” They all did and they were smiling, but Sammy looked uncertain. Arabella stood in front of her.

  “Okay now you’re all ready to use the move and walk forward.”

  “This isn’t going to work,” Sammy said.

  “Focus on your body, your mind, your power, Sammy.”

  “Begin. Left. Right. Move forward.” As she said the commands, the women moved forward and Sammy’s shocked expression was priceless as Arabella went to strike back and Sammy countered each strike with the one move.

  “Holy shit!” Sammy yelled out as she stomped forward until Arabella was knocked off the mats.

  “Awesome,” Arabella said and raised her hand up for a high five. The others gathered around smiling and asking questions.

  “What do we have here?” Brock asked, joining them along with the other guys.

  “That was so cool,” Dalton told Arabella then gave Sammy a nudge in her shoulder, smiling. Sammy blushed and lowered her head then looked at Arabella as Brock looked her over. From the side she saw Reno and Rex smiling and watching her.

  “Arabella taught us this cool move and helped me to understand the meaning behind martial arts. Arabella, can you show us more?” Sammy asked.

  “You have these guys. They’re the professionals.”

  “You looked pretty professional of a teacher to me,” Smith said, arms crossed and appearing ready to interrogate.

  “Yeah, how long have you been teaching martial arts?” Hank asked her.

  “I didn’t say I did,” she replied.

  With Hank, Dalton, Brock, and Smith staring at her with those intense expressions, she started backing up off the mats.

  “Who wants to see what else Arabella knows?” Smith called out, and the women started cheering and smiling.

  “No. I don’t think so.” Arabella shook her head. Brock reached for her elbow and walked her to the center of the mat.

  “I want to see what you’ve been hiding, Bella. Or should I call you Arabella? That’s a gorgeous name.” He looked her over.

  “I’m not going to spar with you.”

  “Oh, she knows the terminology, too. I was curious as to how she did that move that night on the guy who grabbed her,” Smith said as he circled around her.

  “Really, I’m not doing this,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

  The women were watching and they looked half concerned and half curious. She felt kind of bad. She did seem to have given Sammy and the others the push they needed to learn from the men.

  She felt the small shove to her arm and then the next push from Smith.

  “Two against one? Really?”

  “Can’t handle it?” Brock as
ked, teasing.

  “Maybe she can’t,” Smith added. Smith gave her another small push and it set her off.

  They wanted to see what she had? She’d show them.

  “Nice and easy now, Arabella. We wouldn’t want you to show up Smith and Brock and kill their reputations,” Dalton teased, and everyone chuckled. Brock laughed and then took a gentle strike toward Arabella.

  She countered it quickly and then Smith went in for a strike and she countered that, too, as she twisted out of their reach. Round and round they sparred taking turns kicking, punching, but not making contact. It was just sparring and to show agility, speed, and capability. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed this art, and for a short time was able to focus on the enjoyment of it and not the fact it had helped to save her life multiple times.

  “Wow, I’m impressed, Arabella. Real impressed,” Brock said. Then he went to swipe her legs out from underneath her, but she high-jumped as Smith came at her and she lowered all the way to her butt, swinging her leg out, nearly knocking Smith over. Everyone laughed and cheered.

  “Okay, you three. I think we’ve seen enough,” Dalton said as Smith gave her a look and then a small shove. They were chuckling and it was as if he got the last hit in. Her instructors back home used to do that and then as they left the mat someone who wasn’t paying attention had a joke played on them. They would come up behind them and press their foot into the back of their knee making it go out. The person usually fell. She hadn’t thought twice about it as she moved behind Smith, pressed her foot into the back of his knee, and watched him lose his balance. But instead of falling, he twisted around, grabbed her around the waist, and brought her to the mat. He straddled her in no time and everyone oohed and ahhed as they cleared out of the rec center for lunch.

  She stared up into Smith’s dark blue eyes as he held her shoulders down flush to the mat. She tried easing up but he had her pinned good beneath his heavy weight. They were both breathing heavy, holding one another’s gazes. Smith’s dark eyes were beautiful.

  “You’re a sneaky little thing. Thought you were going to get me good, huh?” he asked, squinting those eyes down at her with a very tiny, barely noticeable smirk.

  She tried pushing upward but he didn’t budge. Brock sat down on the mat next to them and drank a bottle of water as he chuckled like this was the most natural thing for Smith to be straddling her on the mat.

  “You should know better than to sneak up on men like us,” he said in warning. She gulped and he must have read the fear in her eyes. She turned away.

  “You can let me go now,” she whispered, feeling breathless, aroused, stimulated in more ways than just from an exhilarating sparring match. She could feel Smith’s iron-clad thighs against her bare skin. She felt his cock, hard, long, and thick settled over her belly and mound. In her mind she imagined what it would be like to let Smith inside of her to take her virginity and show her what it was like to have sex. It shocked her to think the thought, never mind consider the action.

  “We got this, guys. We’ll turn off the lights when we’re done,” Smith said to Dalton and Hank who chuckled as they grabbed their gear and headed out. Now she was all alone with Smith, Brock, Reno, and Rex who stood there by the edge of the mat just smiling and watching.

  “She pulled some good moves on you guys,” Reno said.

  “She sure did,” Brock added.

  “You can let me up now, Smith. I need to head back to the cottage.”

  “When I’m ready. I’ve got some questions.”

  She released an annoyed sigh, but truthfully she was overstimulated and needed out of here now. Smith must have sensed her anxiety as he released her arms but still straddled her body. The man was so big, and filled with muscles. He was rock solid, firm, and damn, he was big everywhere. She could feel his erection push against her mound as he adjusted his position over her, trying to not put his full weight on her.

  “I want to get up.”

  “In a minute. Tell me how long you’ve been doing martial arts?”

  “Ten years minus the three I’ve been on the…traveling.” Stupid, stupid, stupid. These men made her brain malfunction.

  “You were going to say on the run. Care to explain?” Brock asked her.

  She looked at him and that intense stare of his. He looked older, mature and experienced, but also hard. She gulped.

  “No. I was going to say on the road.”

  His eyes widened as if no one ever denied an answer to one of his questions before. Well, now someone did.

  Brock leaned over, his face inches from her own. “We’re not the bad guys. We want to help you, Arabella.”

  She locked gazes with him, and absorbed the way he said her name. How easily she could lean a little to her left and touch her lips to his. To feel that masculinity, that power from such firm lips. These men, all four of them, were tearing down the walls she fought so hard to build up.

  “Come on, baby. Just let go and accept the help,” Smith said.

  “That’s not necessary. My family and I will be leaving soon enough.”

  Smith stood up in frustration but before she could get up off the mat, Brock was there. They were kneeling toward one another facing each other. He was so much larger than her. His spread bent legs encased her whole lower half. She went to move, but he placed a hand on her waist and then other against the cheek that wasn’t bruised.

  He looked over her lips, and she licked hers in a nervous reaction to his stare.

  “You’re not leaving here. I’ve tasted these lips. You’re too perfect to let go.” He leaned forward and kissed her. His hand cupped her cheek and neck. His body pressed against hers and he deepened the kiss. She gripped his shirt, accepted the kiss because he felt so good, and she wanted to know what it felt like to be held in his arms. To be held in a strong and capable man’s arms because she wanted it and not because those arms were forced around her.

  The thought brought images of Kever and she tried to ignore them. She was kissing him back, taking from him what she wanted, needed, and craved. She’d never kissed a man like this before and something carnal came over her until she felt his hand on her ass squeezing, pressing her body snugger against his own and felt the hard ridge of his cock. Reality came crashing back. Kever’s hands upon her, forcing her thighs open, and of course the cut from the blade. She was so stupid. How could she let herself go? She pulled back and nearly fell over.

  “Oh God,” she said then felt the hands on her from behind. Someone was helping her up. She pushed from them.

  “Don’t touch me. Please, just stay back,” she said, hearing her own wild voice and the fear echo in the rec room.

  Smith appeared shocked and Rex and Reno were right there looking hungry, interested in kissing her, too, and she panicked.

  She felt Smith’s hand gently reach out to take hers as he began to say something when she cut him off.

  “Let go.” She pulled from Smith’s grasp then bent down to grab her sneakers and socks.

  “Bella, wait. Let’s talk about this,” Brock said to her as he stood up with his hands on his hips and an expression that said he lost it, too.

  “No. That shouldn’t have happened. That can’t happen again. I can’t handle that.”

  “We want you. We want to take care of you and your family. Please talk to us,” Reno added. She was so shocked.

  Why would they want me? I’m broken. I’m all screwed up because of what happened with Kever and for what I did to help him shoot Sotoro. If these men knew I was a criminal, that I aided in a man’s attempted murder by seducing him, they would hate me. They would probably turn me in. God, I’m so stupid. I can’t have a life or any happiness.

  “Arabella, we want to help,” Brock stated.

  “We’re not your problem. I’ll take care of my family. They’re my responsibility, not yours.” She sat down and put her socks back on and then started to reach for her sneakers. Rex knelt down to help her, and when he placed his hand on her upp
er thigh as he used his other hand to push her shoe onto her foot, she gasped and leaned back.

  “I can do that.”

  He held her gaze. “Let me,” he said and fixed her sneaker then laced it up. He caressed her calf and stared up into her eyes. She loved the feel of his big warm hands on her. She shouldn’t. She should stop him. But damn, he was so handsome. His green eyes were so intense, and with the firm jaw, the slight dusting of whiskers, she was aroused. She moved to her other foot. They all stood around her.

  “We understand that you’re scared. We get it. We’re trained professionals. Law enforcement and military,” Reno told her.

  “No. I don’t need your help. We’re not staying here. I just need a little more time and some more hours at Rocky’s to have extra cash saved for the road. We’re out of here. We’re leaving Pearl.”

  “Please don’t go. We want you to stay. We want to get to know you,” Rex said as she pushed her foot into the other shoe and started lacing it up.

  He was so sweet and kind, but she knew that type. When would his true personality come out? When would they attack?

  “Don’t look at us like that. What you see is what you get. We’re not pretending here. We sincerely want you,” Brock told her again.

  She shook her head. “I can’t do this. I’m sorry but I can’t entertain you like that. I’m not that kind of woman you need.”

  “You’re exactly what we need,” Reno said, taking a seat next to her.

  “What the hell do you mean entertain us? The attraction between us is real. It’s been instant from the start, Bella. You don’t have to fight it. It’s not a mistake, it’s something special.”

  “It is a mistake. I’m not in any position to make such a decision. I have responsibilities. I won’t open myself up for more sadness. I have a family to support and protect.”

  “Protect from what?” Reno asked.

  “From who?” Brock asked her.

  She squeezed her eyes tight. She wanted to tell them so badly and see if they could help her. But it wouldn’t be right to drag them into her problems. The priority was to keep Cora, the kids, and her mom safe.