Crossroads 3: Gut Instinct (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  She headed toward him as he hung up the phone and smiled.

  “How are you, Sonya?” he asked and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

  “I’m good, Big Guns, how are you?”

  He held her gaze, his beautiful brown eyes and great big muscles were to die for.

  “I’m feeling a hell of a lot better. How was your training session with my brothers? Learn some moves?” He took in the sight of her. She realized that she had forgotten her hoodie back in the gym.

  “Oh shoot, I left my hoodie back there.”

  “No worries. Caleb has it and is headed this way now.”

  “Excuse me, what is this workshop about?” some guy asked, interrupting the conversation.

  “Avoiding becoming a victim. Ways of taking precautions, recognizing danger before it’s too late,” he said to the man.

  “I’m in the wrong place. You guys are too,” he said to the two women, and they compared papers. Sure enough, they walked out of the room, leaving her and Big Guns all alone.

  “I don’t get it. There were so many people outside, and I thought they were signing up for these workshops. They’re so important.”

  He shrugged, and then he sat at the small table set up with chairs in the hallway.

  “The three earlier were filled up. It is the end of the day, and the barbecue probably will be getting started.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll go out and see if Beverly and Joyce are around or even Lacey.”

  “Wait, we can still do the class.”

  “That’s okay, Big Guns. It wouldn’t make sense to do it for just me.”

  “How about we walk outside and sit at one of the picnic tables and talk. You know, just you and me?”

  She swallowed hard and was about to answer when Caleb arrived.

  “There you are. You left your hoodie.” He handed it to her, and she thanked him.

  Big Guns looked at her breasts and then her face.

  “You’ll probably need that outside. The fall temperatures are slowly coming,” Big Guns told her.

  “What’s going on?” Caleb asked.

  “No one but Sonya showed up for the class, so we’re going to take a walk and do the class outside.”

  “Jay Bird and I will meet you in about twenty minutes. We have to help clean up the gym.”

  “Sounds good, right, Sonya?” Big Guns asked her.

  She felt a bit nervous about being with all three of them alone, yet she was excited that they seemed to want to spend time with her.

  “Definitely. It will be great, and I can pick your brains about keeping safe,” she added with a smile, and they both chuckled.

  “Okay, see you out there.” Caleb left the room.

  “Shall we?” Big Guns asked, motioning toward the door with his arm.

  “Why not?” She walked out of the small classroom, turning off the lights and closing the door behind them.

  * * * *

  Big Guns couldn’t believe how nervous he felt. What were the chances of this happening? Of him being able to spend some alone time with Sonya? Then, of course, his brothers getting to touch her and teach her self-defense moves. He wished he had been there for that, to get so close he could smell her perfume, the shampoo in her hair, and take in every gorgeous inch of her face. She was stunning, with long brown hair, big brown eyes, and a body that was sexy and petite. He could pick her up with one arm around the waist and lift her up against him.

  He thought about protecting her, possessing her, but had a feeling she wasn’t as experienced as some of her friends seemed to be. In fact, he kind of thought she was super shy most of the time, and then, other times, more recently that is, she would speak up or say something in return to a compliment. Even now, as they walked, she was so quiet.

  She was young. At least eight years younger than him and his buddies. Maybe that was why he felt so instantly protective of her.

  “So, what were you going to talk about in the workshop?” she asked as they decided on a picnic table.

  “Well, some of the more basic, everyday scenarios.”

  “Caleb and Jay Bird touched a bit on being aware of what’s going on around you and not looking down at your cell phone when you’re walking to your car. Taking in things like people sitting in cars parked near your car. Suspicious behavior stuff.”

  He smiled at her then reached over and tugged on a strand of her hair.

  “Like someone I know, who is always looking down at her cell phone, or at her lap.” He touched her chin and tilted it up toward him as he smiled down at her. She shyly looked away.

  “I know I do that. I’ll try hard not to anymore,” she said to him in a low, sexy voice that instantly made his cock rock solid. Fuck, she is so damn beautiful and sweet.

  He stared at her lips.

  “Can I ask you something?” He held her gaze as she looked up, and that intimidated expression just added to her appeal. It made him feel like she needed guidance, needed him to protect her from any dangers.

  “Do you like me?” he asked.

  Her eyes widened, and her cheeks turned a nice shade of red. He never was one to mince words. Add in his quietness, and when he did speak his mind, like right now, people were shocked.

  “Uhm, of course I do. You’re a really nice guy.”

  He felt a twinge of insult, a light tap to the gut at the way she said “nice guy.”

  “What I’m asking is whether or not you feel the same attraction for me that I feel for you? Because, baby, you are so damn sweet and sexy, I can’t resist the urge to touch you.” He then ran his hand along her knee.

  She tightened up and then licked her lip before nibbling on it. She seemed panicked, and that wasn’t his intention. Was he reading the signs wrong? Did she not like him in that way?

  “What made you decide to join SWAT?” she asked, changing the subject.

  He remained close to her and kept his hand on her knee as he held her gaze and responded.

  “I would have to say that it was a branch of law enforcement that called to me, and to Caleb and Jay Bird. After serving in the military and dealing with weapons a lot, I just feel more comfortable having a firearm on me at all times.”

  She swallowed slowly, and he watched her throat. He would love to kiss her neck, to whisper what he would like to do to her, close to her ear.

  “Like right now too?” she whispered, and he nodded, moving his face closer to hers.

  She stared at his lips. “Where?”

  “Oh, it’s a secret.” He leaned closer and pressed his lips to her cheek and ear. She sat still, and he continued to kiss her softly. He inhaled her shampoo, the delicious scent of her skin.

  “You smell incredible. What is that you’re wearing?”

  “Soap,” she replied, and he chuckled. She lowered her face and stared down at her lap. He caressed her knee.

  “Look at me, Sonya,” he said to her, and she did immediately.

  When she turned to face him, he slowly inched his lips closer to hers then, right before they touched, she closed her eyes, and he celebrated by pressing his lips to hers.

  She tasted so good, felt so good this close to him, and he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her snug against him. She turned her head, allowing him deeper access to her mouth and, in doing so, parted her legs slightly. He ran his hand from knee to upper thigh. Then he felt her hand cover his and stop him from going farther up. He wondered if her pussy was hot and wet for him. It had been months since he had sex because every woman he met he compared to Sonya. The same was true for Caleb and Jay Bird.

  Slowly, he pulled from her lips and then reached up with both hands and cupped her cheeks. She looked so fucking sexy it took some major willpower not to take that mouth again.

  “Sweeter than I thought. You’re some kisser, Sonya.”

  She shyly lowered her eyes.

  “What’s going on over here?”

  They heard the voice, and she pulled away and looked forward. It was Caleb and Jay Bird.r />
  “Just enjoying Sonya’s company. You guys all cleaned up and done for the day?” he asked them, and Caleb and Jay Bird both looked happy. He knew that they had seen him kiss Sonya. They wanted her too, but how were they to find out if she felt the same way about the three of them?

  Caleb took the seat next to Sonya. “Hey, beautiful, I missed you.” She smiled.

  “What’s going on? Any questions about the workshop Big Guns was running?” Jay Bird asked as he sat down across from Sonya.

  “We got off track a bit, but I think they’ll be plenty of time to answer any questions Sonya might have,” Big Guns said to her and then placed his hand on her knee under the table.

  “Great,” Jay Bird said. “So, how about we head over to the back where the barbecue is starting up? We saw Niko and Miles, as well as Suzette. They were helping to get one of the outdoor tables set up with drinks.”

  “Oh, I could help them with that. I wish Suzette had let me know.” Sonya stood up.

  Big Guns took her hand as he stood up too. He pressed his hand to her waist, and she looked up at him.

  “But then you and I wouldn’t have been able to have such a nice conversation, or a great first kiss.”

  She seemed really nervous when he said that, and he couldn’t help but to smile. She was really sweet, and he wondered if Caleb and Big Jay could take their time with her too. She was that special and seemed that inexperienced with men.

  They walked across the grass together and headed to the barbeque. Perhaps before the day ended, he could get her number and make plans for an official date. With the four of them? He couldn’t only hope so, but his gut told him that courting Sonya would have to be by baby steps, and he couldn’t help but to wonder why.

  Chapter 2

  Sonya Brothers re-checked her outfit in the mirror for the third time. She was growing impatient because Felicia and Selina were taking so damn long to get ready. It was a party at the Wellington Hotel and Resort, hosted by Randolph Senna, a wealthy businessman involved in real estate. Every year in September, just as the leaves were changing and the weather growing cooler up north, he threw a huge party welcoming fall. It was for adults only, and tickets were fifty dollars a piece but were completely donated to the preservation and development of Wellington, a cause that protected nature from being overrun by construction and the demand for more resorts and vacation homes. Fifteen minutes from the wooded mountains and clear from the natural lake and other animal habitats were more traditional homes and communities. Those homes that were close to the water or had lake-front exposure were mansions or large cabins that had been owned for numerous generations.

  “Selina, Felicity, I don’t want to be late. Suzette, Lacey, and Joyce are already there,” Sonya complained and then picked up her cell phone and looked at the messages. She had been looking forward to this function all week, despite going back and forth about going after learning that Big Guns, Jay Bird, and Caleb wouldn’t be there. She had a great time talking with them on Saturday at the police function, but she left things unsettled with them. She needed to put on the brakes, and none of the three seemed to be that kind of man. She figured it had to do with their age and experience, and it was times like these that she wished she weren’t a virgin but a worldly woman that could handle such dominant men. Instead, she’d snuck off and felt guilty about it all night and all day today.

  Another text came in from Suzette. She was telling her to get there because parking was terrible and soon they would be stopping the valet parking.

  “I’m leaving in two minutes, whether you two are ready or not.”

  “Calm your hormones, hot stuff. Some of us can’t just step into a cocktail dress and instantly look like a sexual goddess. The rest of us have to push things into place and readjust,” Joyce said coming out of the room wearing a strapless purple dress that hit her mid-thigh. She was stunning and blonde and filled out the top just as good as Sonya filled out hers.

  “Yes, and some of us need more time to apply makeup and make sure that we’re ready for any and all possibilities of hooking up with some local eye candy.” Selina placed her cell phone into her small purse and then smiled.

  “He doesn’t have to live locally. In fact, someone not from Wellington would be fine with me,” Felicity added, and Sonya chuckled.

  “Like Michael, who came from the city?” she asked as she opened the door to their apartment. Sometimes she wished she had taken them up on the offer to share an apartment together, but as good of friends as they all were, Sonya had a different approach to life. She wasn’t so carefree. She was shy, kept to herself, and was old-fashioned when it came to most things, especially sex.

  “Michael was one of my biggest mistakes, but I did learn a lot from that relationship,” Felicity said as she went into the hallway with Sonya. Selina locked the door and placed her keys into her purse.

  “What did you learn from Michael?” Selina asked.

  “What I definitely do not want in a husband or partner. He was more obsessed with looking into a mirror at himself than he was at complimenting me. I swear I felt like I needed to compliment him before he would even think of complimenting me. Especially how big his cock was. I mean really? He would make me tell him his cock was so big, even though it wasn’t. I’ve seen bigger ones, by the way, and he would hold it, and then he would use it. I swear I think he would watch it go into me and be impressed with himself. That’s why I never orgasmed with him. Jeesh!” As she’d rambled on, Sonya had felt her cheeks burn as Salina laughed aloud.

  “Oh, and his whole thing about fine wines and expensive cigars was bullshit. He didn’t know crap about fine wine. He fucking drank boxed wine and said it was a superb year.” She went on and on ranting about Michael, and of course, Sonya and Selina laughed the whole time.

  By the time they arrived at the hotel, there were so many people they had to wait to get close enough to the valet parking.

  “Damn, I think this event grows bigger and bigger every year,” Felicia said to her as she sat in the passenger seat. Sonya gripped the steering wheel as she saw all the people going inside. There were a lot of them.

  “Look at all the hot guys,” Felicia said aloud, and it was hard not to notice. Her belly tightened. She wished that Jay Bird, Caleb, or Big Guns were here. That thought made her feel a lot of things she wasn’t quite ready to face yet. Like getting involved with three men. Three bad-ass, retired military, SWAT men who probably knew fifty ways plus to hurt her. She had seen them with women at Crossroads. She knew they could get any woman they wanted. Hell, she knew a bunch of women who would sleep with them for the mere fact that they were SWAT.

  She swallowed hard. Could they want her just for sex? Would they be the men she lost her virginity to? Did she even want to be involved in a ménage relationship? Damn, I don’t need this.

  They were next in line for the valet, and once they got out of the car and she took the ticket, they made their way inside.

  Sonya wore a slim-fitting, strapless, cream-colored dress that had a shear overlay of lace from under her bust to halfway over the bottom. It was sexy, classy, and she filled it out well. She wore extra high heels to not feel like such a shrimp around everyone. As the three of them entered the event, they took in the sights of not only the other guests and their attire but also the gorgeous fall colors and decorations. There were pumpkins, haystacks, and lots of flowers. Mums, cabbage, and colored corn. It was an abundance of pleasurable sights and smells.

  “There’s Suzette and Lacey,” Sonya said, and sure enough, they began to approach along with their men.

  Niko had a hand at Suzette’s back and Miles held her hand. Stone was with Lacey since Louis and Junior were probably working. They greeted one another with hugs and kisses hello, and Sonya smelled the delicious apple drink in Lacey’s hand.

  “What is that you’re drinking?” Sonya asked.

  “Oh my God, this is the organic apple cider with a kick. I think Captain Morgan’s spiced rum. It is
delicious. They’re serving them right behind you at that table.”

  “Oh I want to try it,” Sonya told them.

  “We want martinis, so we’ll meet you over there at the bar.” Felicia told her.

  “Okay, no problem.”

  Sonya headed over to the bar where the cider drink was. As she waited for a glass served in a tall champagne glass with a fresh cube of apple, she listened to the nice music and took in the sights. She loved this time of year.

  “Sonya, is that you?” She heard the deep voice, turned around, and caught sight of Kenneth. She felt that instant fear factor, and he smiled.

  “You look stunning as usual. Meet my date, Lidia. Lidia, meet my friend Sonya. She lives here in Wellington.”

  Kenneth and Sonya looked up at the brunette with the brown hair and dark eyes. She was pretty but seemed kind of overdone with her makeup. It gave Sonya mixed feelings. Maybe she had been completely off about Kenneth. He had a date with him, so maybe he really wasn’t hitting on her after all? It gave her a feeling of relief. He obviously wanted to just be friends, and she was fine with that.

  “So nice to meet you, Lidia.” Sonya reached her hand out to shake it.

  “You too. You’re so lucky to live in Wellington. I live in the city.”

  “That’s nice too. I love visiting the city, but I could never commute there on a regular basis and deal with all the traffic and the subway system, but I do love the whole corporate attire and hustle and bustle of the business there,” Sonya said.

  “Yes, we do keep very busy and are constantly moving.”

  “Well, it is called the city that never sleeps for a reason,” Kenneth added, and Lidia chuckled.

  “That it is.”

  “Have you tried the cider?” Lidia asked her.

  “I just got mine now,” Sonya replied.

  “Smile!” The three of them turned around, and the flash went off on the camera. It was Felicia. She was snapping pictures like crazy.