Dare to Trust Read online

  “That’s interesting. We’ll see. She’s a little hesitant to take the chance. Kind of shy.”

  “Like someone else I know,” he said and reached out to press a strand of hair from her face.

  She couldn’t help but to smile at him.

  He held her gaze and she held his.

  “I’m really glad you didn’t throw me out of your house,” he said, and she laughed.

  “What?”

  “Back out there on the porch you seemed like you were giving Mike and me the boot. He had to leave, but I just got here.”

  “I let you inside, didn’t I?” she asked, lowering her eyes.

  “You offered me a drink, that’s being friendly,” he teased back.

  She looked at him and he reached out and pressed a hand to her waist.

  “We’re not bad men, Marlena. I know we’re older, but that just means we know what we want. We’re not playing any games.”

  “I asked you what you wanted.”

  “And I gave you a rational answer about commitment, protection, and care. But what my brothers really want is you. All of you.” He pulled her closer, reached up, and cupped her cheek.

  “Now, darling, I’m going to kiss you, because I want to, and because I think you want me to, too.”

  His lips lowered and she debated about turning away and denying this attraction to him, but she couldn’t, and when his lips touched hers she got lost in it, just like she got lost in Mike’s kiss.

  * * * *

  Jack was consumed by this petite woman he held in his arms. She tasted so good, and felt even better flush up against his body. He ran his hand along her hip to her ass and squeezed her closer. She pulled back and their lips parted. She was gasping for breath.

  “Oh God. Oh,” she said and covered her mouth with her hand. He held her by her hips.

  “You are one hell of a kisser, darling. I’ve been dreaming about those lips for months,” he said, and she uncovered her mouth and shook her head.

  “You don’t believe me?” he asked and she shook her head again.

  “Well you are. I could kiss you for hours. Hell, I could do a lot more than that. You smell edible, and not just like my mama’s cooking either.”

  She seemed embarrassed as she gasped and stepped away. She sniffed at the sleeve of her blouse. “Oh God, I must reek of diner food.”

  He chuckled. “Like I said, you smell edible.”

  “Great. You also said like your mama’s food.”

  “Our mama’s a good cook. That’s a compliment.”

  “Not after you kiss me and tell me my lips are addicting, that I’m edible, like your mama’s food,” she said, and he laughed aloud. She looked shocked and then she started laughing, too.

  “I guess that might come across kind of creepy.”

  “Creepy? You’re not kidding,” she said and moved around the counter.

  “Okay, so, back to business. Now that we got past the whole denial thing, let’s talk about this kitchen and your ideas.”

  “The denial thing?” she asked.

  “Sure, darling. You’re denying you’re attracted to my brothers and me. Now we know the feelings are mutual and we can move on from here.”

  “Really?” she asked with her hands on her hips, looking so damn sexy he felt his mouth watering.

  “Really,” he countered.

  She walked around closer.

  “Well, what if I told you that you made quite the assumption. Perhaps I was caught off guard by both you and Mike’s charms.”

  “Our charms? Like what?”

  “Like his uniform, a symbol of authority and power, and that thing he does with the one eyebrow raised up and his lip curls slightly. It’s intimidating,” she said, imitating Mike.

  He chuckled. “You do a Mike impression pretty good.”

  She blushed and lowered her eyes.

  “And me?”

  “You’re older, more experienced, and have a way with words. It gets me all confused and I don’t know how to react.”

  He pulled her closer by her hands and placed them up on his shoulders as he sat at the barstool by the counter.

  “It’s called shock and awe, baby. Just you wait until Danny gets you alone.”

  Her mouth dropped open and she stuttered.

  “Danny? I don’t even know how I feel about kissing Mike and then you in the same day.”

  “You’ll get used to all three of us kissing you, sometimes at the same time, with our lips exploring every inch of you.”

  She gasped and he pulled her closer and kissed her until she was limp in his arms. When he finally had his fill and felt that he got his message across, he dipped her slightly and stared down into her gorgeous green eyes as she held onto his shoulders.

  “You’re going to be our woman. You’re going to learn to trust us as we learn to trust you. Now don’t be scared. Follow your heart. I dare you to.”

  Chapter 5

  Marlena couldn’t help the exciting feeling she had inside all day long. She was going to start the kitchen project, but really she was excited and nervous about seeing the guys. She didn’t know who would be coming over to help her today.

  As she stopped by the counter where Adele was having a late lunch, she asked her another question about the Spencer men, and then Marlena asked her something too.

  “So you think you can trust them? I mean to be alone with them in your house?” she asked.

  Marlena worried her bottom lip and glanced around at the last few tables of the day.

  “I think I can. I don’t know. I’m just hoping they take things slowly and that I’ll have the chance to run if I need to. I didn’t expect them to be so persuasive. I really enjoyed talking with Jack yesterday. He was easy to talk to.”

  “And what about Mike? He can be intimidating with that serious expression he always has. He was in the military. You have to remember that men like that are resourceful.”

  Marlena exhaled. “I know. I could hardly sleep last night.”

  “I could imagine. But they seem like good men. How do their parents feel about them liking you?” Adele asked.

  “I don’t know. They haven’t said anything.”

  “How about Danny? Do you think he’ll be there to help you today and try to kiss you like his brothers did?” Adele winked.

  Marlena chuckled and placed her hand over her heart. “Oh God please, Adele, I still don’t know what to think of this or even if I want to take this chance. I’m a nervous wreck.”

  She heard the bell chime and Adele smiled. Marlena headed back to the kitchen for another order. She looked at the slip then checked the plates.

  “You okay, Marlena?” Rita asked her. “You seem a little frazzled today.”

  “I’m okay, ma’am. Thank you,” she said.

  “If my sons are putting any pressure on you, or making you feel uncomfortable, then you let me know,” Rita said to her.

  “Rita.” Roy said her name and gave her a stern expression. Rita pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and smiled.

  Marlena wasn’t sure how to take the fact that Roy interrupted his wife and seemed to be reprimanding her.

  “Marlena.” Regan said her name as he approached.

  She held his gaze, feeling a little nervous.

  “Honey, my wife worries about you, and she worries about her sons. You’re a good worker, a sweet young woman. We’re happy that our sons are staking a claim. We just want you to know that we’re here for you, too. Rita especially, if you have any questions regarding this type of relationship. You’re fairly new to Chance, and things might seem a bit different here, but they work out just fine.”

  “I appreciate that, sir.”

  “Regan. How many times do we have to tell you to call us by our first names. We’re working here together as a team. Got it?” he asked and smiled.

  “Got it. Thank you. I’d better get this food out there.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Marlena felt a little
less uptight and a lot more encouraged by Regan’s words. Truth was she didn’t know much about these ménage relationships. Just what Mercedes explained and what she heard around town. Maybe she would ask the men. That would give her a better understanding.

  As she delivered the food to her last table of the day, Adele waved good-bye, wished her luck, and gave her a hug. Marlena cringed when she heard the bell above the door ring. She thought she was done for the day. But the expression on Adele’s face surprised her. Adele smiled.

  “Looks like you’ll be finding out how good of a kisser brother number three is. Good luck.” She turned around and headed out the door saying hello and good-bye to Danny. Marlena locked gazes with him.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said and eyed her over.

  She placed her hands on her hips. “Hello, Mr. Spencer, counter or table?” she asked.

  He looked around the place and stepped closer. “Counter where I’ll wait for you to finish up so we can head to your place.”

  She raised one of her eyebrows up at him.

  He gave her hips a tap. “To start the kitchen project. Get that mind out of the gutter, girl. I’ve got standards,” he said and headed toward the counter, leaving her blushing and feeling turned on by him. She was in a heap of trouble.

  * * * *

  Marlena excused herself to get changed in the bedroom while Danny got things started in the kitchen. When she came out he was unscrewing the cabinet doors from the hinges and organizing the pieces.

  “Okay, so what do we do first?” she asked and he smiled. He was waiting for this since talking to his brothers last night. He approached, looking at her in her skinny blue jeans and a black T-shirt with the V-neck that accentuated her large breasts. She was so petite and smelled so good even at the diner where she smelled like food. He approached her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and held her close. “First we need to get one major detail out of the way.”

  “What’s that?” she asked, holding on to his forearms.

  “Our first of many kisses,” he said and leaned down and swept his mouth over hers. He kissed her deeply and when she moved her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back, he rejoiced inside. She wanted him, too. She was interested in this relationship between the four of them.

  As he slowly pulled back, her eyes were still closed and then they fluttered open.

  “Wow,” she whispered.

  “Wow, yourself, beautiful. Your kisses are addicting,” he said and then kissed her lips gently and pulled back. He gave her ass a tap. “Now, back to work. Let’s start with taking off the doors and keeping the screws and hinges together so we don’t lose them for later when we put these back on.”

  She nodded her head and went right into working along with him. He hadn’t done anything like this with a woman ever in his life. Nor had he ever met a woman who didn’t mind working with her hands or breaking a nail. Marlena was his kind of woman.

  * * * *

  The music was playing and she was chuckling at a joke that Danny had made. They were covered with dust from sanding down the cabinets and then wiping away the dust.

  “This wasn’t too bad at all. I think we’ll be good to go with the first coat of stain tomorrow,” he said.

  “I think so.”

  His phone went off and he glanced at it. Marlena watched him as his muscles flexed in his forearms and then she saw the bit of dust on his cheek. He texted back, and when she stepped closer she gently wiped the smudge away from his face.

  He smiled.

  “Thanks. That was Mike. Him and Jack are bringing over some dinner for us. Jack is heading over to the bar after.”

  “Oh they don’t need to do that.” She watched him cover his belly with his hand.

  “Sure they do. I’m starving,” he teased, and she smiled. She placed the cloth down onto the table then walked over toward the living room. She sat on the floor so she wouldn’t get any dust on the couches. She looked back at their work and Danny joined her on the floor.

  As she stretched out she wondered if the stain she picked would look right and then the top-coat once they made the cabinets look distressed.

  She stretched her sore muscles and then Danny was taking her hand.

  “You sore, baby?” he asked and she locked gazes with his blue eyes. He had a shadow of a beard and looked so rugged and sexy. Her heart pounded inside of her chest.

  “Come in front of me and I’ll rub your shoulders. You can’t be going to work all sore tomorrow. My parents will have my head,” he said, and she chuckled.

  “They would not. You’re their son, and they adore you.”

  He chuckled.

  “There were probably times they wanted to disown me.”

  She eased in front of him between his legs, and the moment he touched her shoulders she felt the shivers. She was so attracted to him this was insane. She needed to focus on something else.

  “Like what did you do to think they’d want to disown you?” she asked.

  “Well, let’s see, I kind of had a little rap sheet at a young age.”

  She looked over her shoulder at him.

  “You? No way,” she teased.

  But then she closed her eyes and moaned as he worked her sore muscles with his hands.

  “I stole a car once. I got into a bar fight and was arrested. I drank too much and nearly got kicked out of school my first year of college.”

  “My goodness you were a little bad boy. I don’t know if we should be hanging out,” she teased and went to sit forward, but he pulled her back between his legs.

  She laughed.

  He continued to massage her and told her about college and about the dorm he lived in. Very easily he had been manipulated into hanging with the cool crowd and trying to slide by with his grades. But his actions resulted in him almost failing out where his parents would have to pay for the college instead of have the scholarship money.

  He eased his hands a little lower as he massaged her shoulders and maneuvered out toward the front of her chest. His fingers got closer and closer to her breasts and she so badly wanted him to touch her there. She felt needy, achy, and like she wanted more from him.

  She eased back against his chest and then felt his one hand smooth down and over her breast. He massaged it as he kissed her neck and suckled against her skin. She could feel her breast tingling, the nipple hardening, and then she felt the cream drip from her cunt.

  She was aroused and he moved her onto the rug, pressed his body partially over hers, and kissed her.

  Marlena let him maneuver between her thighs and cup her one breast while he delved his tongue in deeper. He explored her mouth then kissed her lips while he massaged her breast and rocked his hips over her.

  Marlena never felt so wild and needy as she ran her fingers through his hair then lifted her thigh up and against his thigh.

  They were making out fully on the rug when they both heard the floor creak.

  Danny held her cheeks between his hands and didn’t look to see who it was. It was like he knew.

  “Looks like we’re having dessert before dinner,” Jack teased and sat down on the couch next to her head.

  “Don’t let us stop you. We’ll wait our turn,” Mike said, and then walked toward the kitchen. He started talking about the cabinets but she couldn’t concentrate. Not with Danny kissing her again and then rolling her to her side so he could lift up her top and explore her breasts.

  “Danny.” She said his name and he stopped what he was doing. He held her gaze and then gave her another peck on the mouth.

  “You taste too good,” he said.

  “Dinner is here. We should eat. I have to be up early for work,” she said and she could see the disappointment on his face as well as on the others. She sat up with his help and then Mike reached for her hand and pulled her up and into his arms.

  “Hey, gorgeous. Miss me?” he asked and she nodded her head without thinking first. He smiled and then he kissed her.

  She f
elt his hand massage over her ass and give it a squeeze. When he released her lips, Jack was there to take his place. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.

  “You tired, baby?” he asked and she nodded her head.

  “We’ll eat, then get you cleaned up and ready for bed.”

  “I don’t think so,” she said and pulled back as Danny opened up the boxes of pizza and two bottles of beer.

  She swallowed hard as she watched them eat and guzzle down a couple of bottles of beer. They were big men. How may did they have to drink before they felt buzzed? She tried not to think about Peter and how he got drunk. He always went after the hard stuff then would come after her and insult her no matter who was there.

  She put down the pizza.

  “What’s wrong? You don’t like pizza?” Mike asked.

  “Do you guys like to drink a lot? I mean alcohol?” she asked and then wished she hadn’t. She was embarrassed. What was she going to do, ask them if they ever got drunk and said hurtful things then hit a woman?

  “Baby, what kind of question is that?” Jack asked then took another slug of beer.

  She stepped away from the counter and threw her paper plate into the garbage.

  “Honey, does this have something to do with your fears and maybe someone who hurt you?” Danny asked her.

  She swallowed hard.

  “I just don’t like overdrinking, or being around people who overdrink,” she said and started to walk toward the living room, but Mike grabbed her and pulled her in front of him. He pressed her back against the counter so she couldn’t move.

  “Was the person who hurt you drunk when they did it?” he asked.

  “What?” Danny asked.

  “Mike, please.”

  Mike shook his head. “In order for this relationship to work, we have to be honest with one another. Talk to us. Explain your fears. Who was this guy that hurt you?” Mike asked as he cupped her cheek then pressed the loose strand of hair away from her face.

  She lowered her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’m not ready to.”

  “But this guy hurt you? He was an alcoholic?” Danny asked.