Hearts on Fire 2: Michaela (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “So how about we make plans to go to that boutique I mentioned? I would love you to meet my friends Tasha, Mel, and Catalina. We’re going to try and make some plans for a girls’ night out next week.”

  “That sounds like fun. When do you want to go to the boutique? I work Friday and Saturday nights.”

  “Okay, how about on Thursday afternoon this week?”

  “Great.”

  * * * *

  “What do you mean she’s not at home?” Jake asked Hal over the cell phone.

  “I just got here and she isn’t answering the door. Why are you freaking out?”

  “Shit. Just see if you can find her in town. Look for her bike. Ask Ike if he knows where she went?”

  “Okay, now you have me concerned, Jake. If you know something and you’re not telling me…”

  “I can’t get into it now, but I just got off the phone with Alonso and the news isn’t great. He thinks that these men are getting closer. The Feds seem to be onto something, and when agents saw Dipero and then Duvall, they didn’t nab them.”

  “Why the hell not?” Hal asked, raising his voice.

  “Alonso thinks there’s more going on with that Solomon guy who was dating Michaela’s sister. He’s trying to pull the pieces together along with the detectives working the case. He asked that we watch over Michaela.”

  “Great, and she doesn’t even have a cell phone. Why?”

  “Because someone could track her. She’s smart and she’s trying to remain under the radar. Look for her, I’m leaving the department now, and I’ll look, too. Maybe she went toward the shopping strip?”

  “I’ll check the boardwalk. It’s only a few blocks away.”

  Hal disconnected the call and got into his truck. He headed toward the boardwalk, keeping an eye out for Michaela as well as her bike. Once he parked the car, he walked the main strip and came upon Sullivan’s. Maybe Serefina had seen her? Just as he headed closer, he spotted Michaela’s bike and her sitting at a table talking with Serefina. He pulled out his phone and texted Jake before entering.

  “Hey, Hal, what a nice surprise,” Serefina stated as he approached. She stood up and he greeted her with a kiss to her cheek.

  “Need a drink?”

  “Iced tea is fine,” he told her as she walked away.

  He pulled the chair closer to Michaela and leaned forward to kiss her hello. Their lips touched and instantly he felt relieved. He realized just how much he cared about her already. Heck, he was in love with her.

  “Are you okay?” she asked him, placing her hand on his shoulder as he moved his arm over her chair behind her shoulders. He leaned closer.

  “I was worried about you when I stopped by the house and you weren’t there.”

  “I decided to grab another book about renovating bathrooms. I was considering removing the old tub and placing a pedestal tub or maybe a free-standing one in its place. There’s really nothing to salvage in the master bathroom. Here, this is what I was thinking.”

  She pulled the book from the shopping bag and fingered through the pages. Hal stared at her, absorbing her perfume and the way he felt so content and happy being this close to her and just talking about the house, renovating, and sharing her ideas. It was a great feeling, even though only minutes ago he was freaking out that someone may have taken her or tried to hurt her. His heart was still racing. But as she ran her fingers along the pages, pointing out a combination of ideas, he had to smile.

  “I think that one would look great. Plus that other tub right there may not even fit down the hallway. It is kind of narrow up there.”

  She looked at him and stared up into his eyes. It was a moment, a period of time that passed around them, but their focus and their energy was consumed by these moments their gazes were locked.

  She smiled and then pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

  “I know. I feel it, too.” He placed his hand against her cheek and drew her closer for a kiss. This time when their lips locked, he felt the connection so strong and deep in comparison to any other. It was as if they both realized the intensity of their emotions. Releasing her lips, he ran his fingers along her hair.

  “I guess we have some measuring to do.”

  She smiled and her eyes lit up. “You’re going to help me?”

  “Of course I am. I came by to see you and spend some time with you. Want to head out now?”

  “I’ll just make this iced tea to go,” Serefina stated, interrupting the conversation as she twirled around and headed back toward the bar.

  Hal and Michaela laughed.

  * * * *

  The moment he parked his truck next to Hal’s Jake felt a bit more relieved, but only after seeing Michaela safe and protected with Hal would he be able to move on with his day. As he closed his door, he saw them holding hands and heading toward him. She smiled when she saw him, and all the fear drained from his body.

  “Hey, I thought you had a lot of work to do?” she asked and immediately walked up to him, stood up on tiptoes, and kissed him. He held her in his arms and squeezed her.

  When she went to pull back, he didn’t let her go.

  “Jake?” she questioned him, so he released her and then placed his hands on his hips.

  “We need to do something about this whole no cell phone thing. We were both looking for you and there was no way to contact you. I was thinking that maybe I could add one to our service plan.”

  She crossed her arms in front of her chest even though she held a bag in her hands.

  “Okay, what’s with you two? It’s like you’re trying to keep tabs on me, or don’t trust me. Does this have something to do with your ex-girlfriend?”

  Jake felt the tightness in his chest and Hal looked about ready to drop.

  “Ex-girlfriend?” Jake asked her.

  “Listen, you don’t have to explain anything to me about your past, well, lovers, I guess. I just hope you know that I care about you guys a lot and I’m not her.”

  Hal placed his hands on her shoulders from behind.

  “No, you’re not her.” He then stared at Jake.

  “I need to get back to work. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

  “Is something going on? Did you talk to Alonso? Did he have an update?” she asked him. He looked at Hal.

  “Not really. But just hearing all the details of their process and the fact that the Feds had Dipero and Duvall in their sights and didn’t arrest them, does make me a bit concerned.”

  “What? Oh God, did he say where they were seen?” she asked as she shivered and looked around them. Hal pulled her against his chest.

  “No. But probably not around here. Alonso will call me in the next few days. Don’t worry. It seemed to me that Alonso would give the heads-up immediately. I’ll see you a little later baby, okay?” He leaned down and kissed her. She allowed Hal to wrap his arms around her from behind as Jake got into his truck. As he left, he saw them head toward the beach, and he wondered if Hal would tell her about Lisa? Maybe that would be a good thing, and she could understand their fears just as she shared her fears with them.

  * * * *

  Michaela looked out toward the beach and the ocean. The sun was so bright it made both the sand and the water glisten. There were so many people enjoying the day. She had been living in Treasure Town for a couple of months or so now, and hadn’t even come down here to enjoy the beaches. Maybe this weekend, on Sunday she would.

  She closed her eyes and breathed in the smells around her. The salt water, the smoke drifting from a small barbeque by the picnic area, roasted peanuts, buttery popcorn, and even some hot dogs being sold by vendors along the boardwalk. The food carts on wheels reminded her of Chicago and New York. But these carts were shiny stainless steel, and each had gorgeous, vibrant umbrellas in various colors.

  “Don’t tell me this is your first time down here by the beach?” Hal asked, standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. He was massaging her muscles, his wi
de, masculine body wedged against her smaller frame. She felt feminine and secure with Hal so close.

  She placed her hand over the top of her eyes to block out the sun as she looked at him.

  He squinted his blue eyes, which nearly matched the ocean water, at her, trying to hold her gaze against the rays of the sun. She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “It’s not so condemnable. After all, I’m sharing the experience with you first.” She winked.

  She felt his palm move slowly up her waist. It grazed the side of her sensitive breast before he placed it against her cheek.

  “You’re sharing a lot of firsts with my brothers and me.”

  She gasped and began to lower her eyes and head as her cheeks burned, but he held her cheek in place and leaned forward to kiss her.

  When they parted lips, he squeezed her to him. “I love being with you.”

  “I love being with you, too. I thought you had to work today.”

  “Oh, I do. My shift begins in a few hours.”

  She wanted to ask him about Lisa. She wondered if they showed up like this because they were insecure. She didn’t think it was possible considering how sexy, mature, and perfect he and his brothers were.

  “You came out of nowhere and just when my brothers and I needed you, Michaela.” He stroked the frame of her face as if he were admiring every bit of her. It made her feel self-conscious, yet aroused.

  “I could say the same for you, Billy and Jake. God, when I think about how Jake and I met.” She chuckled.

  Hal got serious and gripped her hip snugger, drawing her closer against his body.

  “That was a serious situation, and you could have been hurt or worse. Realizing what we do now, about your past, about getting shot, it’s surprising how you handled that guy in the sheriff’s department.”

  She swallowed hard. “It had a lot to do with my frame of mind, my determination to never be a victim again, and well, Alonso’s help training me.”

  “I’ll admit he did a good job and taught you some incredible moves. That kind of makes me feel jealous,” he confessed.

  “Jealous?”

  “He had to have touched you, held you in his arms to show you step by step what to do.”

  She nibbled her bottom lip. “I’ll admit we spent a lot of time together, but we realized very quickly that we were meant to only be friends. I told you before. I never had a boyfriend, never dated, or even fooled around. My life revolved around work, getting to a point where I was more than financially stable, and then giving one last attempt to hold on to family. I could have lost it all. But I didn’t. Now I’m not going to say that hearing about this Lisa woman, or even thinking about all your past lovers, doesn’t burn me inside. But it is the past. You’re here with me now, and I think it shows that I’m willing to take a chance with you, Billy, and Jake.”

  He smiled. “We may have had a lot of experience with women. Hell, I’m sure we have like eight to ten years on you, Michaela, but I can definitely see the difference here. With you, everything is different.”

  She tilted her head at him in question. “Different how?”

  “In every way.” He looked out over the beach and ocean. “I feel different when I wake up in the morning and all day long. I think of you constantly. I worry about you. I fear that we won’t be able to keep you happy, or that we might disappoint you. I worry about a lot of things because when we’re together it feels so right.”

  She felt his sincerity, as well as the underline of fear he seemed to have.

  She ran her palms up and down his chest over the shirt he wore.

  “Hal, I may not have the experience you do, but I’ve learned the hard way that people shouldn’t be taken for granted. That every day is a gift, every moment someone touches your heart, shows compassion, or gives freely of themselves, that it’s a blessing and a gift. I don’t know what tomorrow may bring. I don’t know what next month, next year may bring my way, but right now, standing here with you, remembering how you, me, Billy, and Jake made love and spent so much time with one another, means everything. I don’t know what that woman did to the three of you to make you fearful that I could do the same thing.”

  He started to talk and she cut him off.

  “No, Hal. I’m not upset with you for comparing. I hope in doing so, you three will see that I’m not her. I’m me. I may come with baggage, I may even have that damn bull’s-eye on my forehead still, but I’m honest and I’m real. I just ask the same of the three of you. Honesty. Plain and simple.”

  He reached up and stroked her lips with his thumb. He held her gaze and Michaela could see the struggle in Hal’s eyes.

  “Billy, Jake, and I thought that Lisa was the one for us. She played the whole ménage thing well. It had been great for months.”

  He told her and she felt her chest tighten. So maybe she didn’t need to hear about her. Maybe it was a bad idea to pretend to be so tough and understanding? She hadn’t expected the hurt, the pain in her belly just thinking about drop-dead gorgeous Hal, and sexy, sweet Billy, and macho, authoritative Jake sharing another woman. Not her.

  She swallowed hard as he trailed his thumb very gently down her throat and across her collarbone. That pain of insecurity in her belly just turned to fire in her heart.

  “What went wrong?” she asked, sounding breathless to her own ears.

  He looked as if he were biting the inside of his cheek. He looked away, over her shoulder in the distance as he spoke. As if recalling it still hurt.

  “She wanted more people in our bed.”

  She felt her body jerk in response. “Excuse me?”

  He looked back down at her, still holding her firmly, still caressing her throat, her collarbone so intimately and softly even though his eyes were filled with fury and pain.

  “She wanted more people in our bed. She wanted a fucking orgy, not a real committed ménage. Lisa was high class, wealthy, a snob in many aspects. The more we got to see her true colors, the more we drifted apart.”

  “What made you finally break things off?”

  He stopped caressing her neck and stared at her as if he were uncertain he should tell her.

  She reached up and laid her palm against his cheek.

  “If you can’t tell me, I’ll understand. I mean if it hurts too much.”

  He took a deep breath and released it. “At first, it was because she cheated on us with two other guys.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “Stupid bitch.”

  Hal blinked his eyes, shocked at her response, and she saw the small smile appear and disappear quickly.

  He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. She hugged him tight.

  His lips moved over her neck to her ear.

  “No one knows what else she did, Michaela. No one.”

  She felt on edge. What more could this woman have done to them to make them feel such pain and to cut themselves off from any other relationship until now?

  “Hal?” she whispered against his chest and shoulder. He held her closely. One hand was over her hip and ass and one flush against her lower back.

  “She was pregnant with our baby. She didn’t tell us and then she aborted it.”

  Michaela’s eyes filled up with tears. These men were noble men, good men, who would have cared for that baby even if they didn’t care for its mother. It was obvious that Lisa had issues. But to see how her decision had affected Hal, and more than likely Jake and Billy the same way, she felt terrible. She stood on tiptoes and hugged his neck as he ran his hands along her curves.

  “I’m so sorry, Hal. You and your brothers must have been furious and felt betrayed.”

  “She said it was her body and she didn’t want a child to ruin her figure and her social life. It was in those moments that we finally realized how wrong she was for us. We didn’t know why we let it go on for so long. I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.”

  She leaned back to look up into his
eyes. She could see it still hurt to talk about it.

  “Is this why you three spoke so much about trust?”

  He nodded. “We have some fears of our own, as you probably figured out by now. Jake is already so overprotective of you. Billy is the same.”

  “And you?” she asked, giving him a smile.

  He moved his hand up between them and caressed her breast.

  “Hal.” She looked around to be sure that no one saw his move.

  He chuckled. “These are mine now. I can play with them whenever I want.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yes. In fact let’s grab your bike and get back to your place. I think I need some cuddling time with you in your bed before I go to work.”

  She chuckled as he gripped her hand and pulled her along with him. She felt all giddy and excited inside. She was happy with Hal, Billy, and Jake. She wanted to hold on to this moment and sensation for as long as it lasted. Maybe everything would work out for the four of them after all?

  * * * *

  The moment the front door closed, Hal lifted Michaela up into his arms, causing her to drop her bag with the book in it. He didn’t care, and neither did she as she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him back. He pressed her against the wall at the bottom of the stairs and pulled from her mouth.

  “Bedroom or right here?” he asked her.

  “You’re in charge.”

  “That I am.” He reached for the hem of her blouse and tank pulling it up off of her and onto the floor. Her pretty pink polka-dot bra was a great contrast to her olive skin. “I love all these pretty bras you have, baby, but I prefer you naked.”

  He undid the clip, and the bra fell to the bend of her elbows as he cupped both breasts and feasted on them. He used his hips to secure her against the wall. She tilted her head back and thrust her hips and breasts forward.

  He nipped one hard little nipple and then swirled his tongue around the areola as she moaned.

  “Fuck. I need inside you now.”

  “Yes. Yes, now.”

  He pulled back and she grabbed at his T-shirt and pulled it up and over his head. He grabbed her hips and carried her upstairs as she licked and nibbled along his chest, shoulder, and neck. As her teeth pressed harder at a sensitive spot, he felt his cock thicken under his jeans.