Gang of Broken Hearts Read online

  She was so angry the tears filled her eyes. She pushed from Hunter’s arms, and he half let her go, but she didn’t even know what to do to stay up right. Her arms flailed, and she kicked her legs, accidentally kicking Hunter, making him grunt, and she went under the water. She knew how to hold her breath, but as she tried swimming, she didn’t go far. Then she felt strong arms wrap underneath her, lift her up into the cradle position, and bring her deeper into the lake.

  “Marino, let me go.”

  His deep brown eyes held hers. “Not a chance in hell. We’ve got shit to straighten out. Clearly you’ve misunderstood where we stand.”

  * * * *

  Hunter couldn’t even talk he was so furious. Dee’s words, her accusation that they were after some sexual fling, or whatever, completely got under his skin. Thank God Marino had taken her, or he might have blurted out how long they’d wanted her to be their woman, how deeply they felt for her, and that it was more than a fling. That they hoped it could be a lifetime of happiness. Now, however, he felt shot down, dirty, as though he was hitting on some younger woman and she’d seen him as experienced trouble. Did he really need all this bullshit? He’d never even dated a woman for long and never had been interested until Deirdre.

  He swam a little closer to her and Marino and listened.

  * * * *

  “You’ve got some things all wrong,” Marino told her.

  “Forget what I said. I didn’t mean it. It doesn’t matter. Let’s just forget what happened.”

  “Forget that kiss? Forget what it feels like to hold you in my arms and to feel this body, the one I longed to explore, pressed up against mine? Not fucking happening.”

  She swallowed hard. “Marino, we shouldn’t have kissed.”

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

  Marino felt her shaking in his arms. He held her closer.

  “Hunter, relax. You’re scaring her.”

  Hunter looked insulted, but it was the truth.

  “He’s not scaring me,” she whispered and looked away.

  “I want you to put me down where I can stand.”

  “Why?” Marino asked.

  “Because I can’t think like this,” she admitted, and Marino hid his smile. Apparently she was feeling the attraction between them, and she needed to gain some control.

  Before he could suggest it, Hunter saw what Marino saw and swam to the small raft. He brought it back over and pressed it closer to her.

  “Hold on to this,” he said, and Marino reluctantly released her so she could hold on to the small raft.

  She did, and when she pressed over the top of it, her breasts looked even more enticing.

  “First things first, we like you. We’ve been attracted to you for quite some time, but you’re distant and shy, so we couldn’t make a move.”

  “When Marino says we, he means the four of us. Sunny and Travis included,” Hunter added, and she widened her eyes and then looked toward the shoreline where both Sunny and Travis stood watching them.

  “Does that scare you?” Marino asked.

  She nodded.

  “Do we scare you?” Hunter asked as he wiped a bit of water from her cheek.

  “That doesn’t matter. I just don’t think this is a good idea,” she said, not admitting to the attraction.

  What was in the way? What held her back? Marino wondered.

  “Why isn’t it a good idea?” Hunter asked.

  “We’re all friends. I like it here, and I don’t want to leave.”

  “Why would you have to, Dee?” Marino asked.

  “I can’t be in a relationship with you. With anyone. I just can’t. Please understand that it’s for personal reasons.”

  “Someone hurt you?” Hunter asked her.

  Marino saw the tears in her eyes, and she quickly looked away and cleared her throat in an attempt to hide the emotion he and Hunter saw.

  “Let go of the raft,” Hunter said to her.

  She locked gazes with him and looked at him as if he were crazy.

  “Why?”

  “So I can find out something.” He pulled her toward him as she let go of the raft. He held her close, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, and he stared down into her eyes.

  He caressed along her back then lower. “What do you feel? Right now? In this moment?” he asked her.

  She looked toward Marino.

  “No. Look at me and tell me what you feel.”

  “Aroused, scared, confused,” she rambled off.

  “I feel the same things. I’m sure Marino does, too, because we’ve never liked a woman the way we like you. We’ve never had such strong emotions and desires to be near any woman but you.”

  “Hunter, if this has to do with last night…”

  “No. It doesn’t have anything to do with last night. I apologized for putting you into that position. I don’t want to hear the denial, the lies you’re telling yourself in order to push us away. One day we’ll know why you’re so scared, but for right now, I want to know if what we feel is stronger than those fears we all have. I want to know,” he repeated and then lowered his mouth to Dee’s and kissed her.

  * * * *

  Dee wanted to cry. She wanted to be happy and to feel loved and cared for, but she was scared and untrusting. However, when Hunter kissed her, she felt the same powerful attraction and pull that she did when Marino kissed her.

  As Hunter’s kiss grew deeper, she felt her heart racing and her eyes well up with tears. She wanted things she thought she could never have. She wanted, needed, to be loved. But could she open up her broken heart, or was it too late for her because of the danger lingering from her past?

  When Hunter’s hand cupped her breast, and she felt his thumb trace along her nipple, she moaned then pulled back. His large, firm arm was snug around her midsection, and she felt his hard cock against her pussy.

  “That isn’t something to take lightly,” he whispered then kissed her lips softly before pulling back.

  Marino pushed the raft away, and she lay her head on Hunter’s shoulder as they remained in the water together.

  She had a thousand thoughts running through her head, and she thought of all the reasons to fight this attraction. But all those thoughts ended in sadness until she thought of giving in and accepting their interest. But what if Ghost and Raven found her? Then what?

  * * * *

  When they got out of the water, Marino couldn’t help but to hold her hand and then pull her in front of him so he could guide her by her hips. He towered over her, as did his brothers, and that just made him feel more protective.

  She squeezed out her hair and then turned to look at him and Hunter.

  “I need my towel.”

  “Go hang out with your friends. We need to talk with Sunny and Travis. But keep in mind, they’ll want to talk with you, too.”

  “Hey, thought you could use this,” Georgia said, joining them and handing Dee a towel.

  “Oh thanks,” Dee said, and Marino held Georgia’s gaze.

  “Next time I’ll think of that. Thanks, Georgia.”

  “You probably forgot as you raced down the beach to rescue Dee from those jerks that were talking to her,” Georgia replied.

  “Jerks? You knew them?” Hunter asked before Marino could.

  “I’ve seen them around town recently, but they’re not from around here. Heard they caused some trouble at Rocky’s the other night. So thanks,” Georgia said, and he nodded.

  “I’m going to go dry off and lie out a bit,” Dee said to them.

  “Finally. We’ve been waiting to enjoy the last bit of sun together. Come on,” Georgia said, and they headed up.

  Marino glanced at Hunter, who had his arms crossed as he watched Dee. Marino did the same and saw men looking at her and that damn sexy body.

  “Fuck,” Hunter whispered. Marino looked at him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Order me to do something because watching her walk
away from us right now and seeing others look at that body is driving me fucking insane.”

  “I feel your pain. Let’s talk to Sunny and Travis. They’re waiting on us.”

  “That’s an order,” he added, and Hunter shook his head and walked with Marino toward their buddies.

  The other men who were standing with Sunny and Travis nodded hellos toward Hunter and Marino then walked away.

  “What the fuck happened?” Sunny demanded to know.

  “I saw those dicks talking to Dee, and you two weren’t doing shit, so I made a move,” Marino said, and Hunter chuckled. Sunny and Travis didn’t take that comment too well, and Marino felt bad for a moment.

  “It doesn’t matter. We got the response we’ve all been waiting for. She’s attracted to all of us. She knows we come as a package deal, but she’s scared, and I don’t feel too good about my gut feeling on that,” Marino told them.

  Sunny squinted. “What does that mean?”

  “It could mean a number of things, but first you two should know that Dee doesn’t know how to swim,” Hunter told them.

  “What? And she was going into the lake alone? Any of those guys could have done what you did to her, Marino,” Travis said, beating Sunny to it.

  “We reprimanded her for it. Teaching her how to swim will give us more alone time with her, so I’m over the shock and the anger,” Marino told them.

  “For a moment it looked like she was trying to get away from you guys,” Travis said to them.

  “No, she was just fighting what she was feeling and trying to deny it. Believe me, once you taste her like we did, you won’t let her go. Hell, Hunter is ready to join her and her friends on their blanket right now just to keep her that close,” Marino teased.

  “Can’t blame him. I’m feeling pretty damn protective of her right now in that damn skimpy bikini,” Sunny added and glanced up that way.

  Marino and the others did the same, and Marino saw her friends whispering to her. Dee covered her face with her hands and then lay back to enjoy the sun. She looked hot. His cock hardened.

  “We need to go slow no matter how much it kills us,” he said.

  “You think someone broke her heart? Some guy from her past?” Travis asked.

  Marino looked at Hunter.

  “Something is holding her back from accepting what she feels for us.”

  “Then it’s our jobs to figure that out and help her see that with us is where she belongs,” Sunny told them, and they all agreed.

  * * * *

  “We saw part of what happened. I can’t believe that you’re going to lie there in the sun and not say a word more to us. Come on, Dee.” Georgia pushed for information.

  “I’m sorry. I’m trying to wrap my brain around this myself. What do you want me to say?” Dee asked.

  She kept her eyes closed, and she tightened up trying to focus on the feel of the hot rays against her skin instead of the desire flowing through her body. She wanted to see where Hunter, Marino, Sunny, and Travis were right now. But she was trying to act unaffected.

  “How did you feel when Hunter and Marino kissed you?” Cynthia asked her.

  Dee rolled to her side then onto her belly.

  “I was scared out of my mind. They’re so big, and their muscles and tattoos… Intimidating.”

  “Hoy crap, you’re not kidding. They tower over you,” Maggie added and then exhaled as if envious.

  The tears filled Dee’s eyes again. Why was she getting so emotional?

  “Hey, what’s wrong? You should be thrilled that those four are interested in you. They have never shown interest in any woman as long as I’ve known them,” Cynthia said to her.

  “I’m good,” she whispered, but her voice cracked.

  “Oh, sweetie, you are so not good. You’re freaking out. You’re that scared of them?” Georgia asked and then touched her hand.

  “Not so much scared of them as I am of getting involved with them in that way. If things go wrong, I’ll have to leave here. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

  “Why would it not work out, and why would you have to leave? We’re here for you. Besides, they mess with ya, and we’ll make their lives a living hell,” Maggie told her, and they all chuckled.

  “Damn, it sure is hot. We should go back into the water,” Cynthia said to them.

  “Yes, with a few cold beers so we can enjoy the day,” Maggie said.

  “I’ll grab a few rafts that we can lean on,” Georgia said.

  “We can’t go in deep,” Dee added as she sat up and fixed her bathing suit bottom.

  “Why not? You were in deep with Hunter and Marino earlier,” Maggie said.

  “I don’t know how to swim.”

  “Oh, so they took advantage of that fact and held you in their arms? Interesting. Then maybe I should grab a life vest, or they’ll come over and hold you and make our chatting session awkward,” Georgia suggested, and they all laughed.

  “I’ll hold you in my arms, but I’m not kissing you. So not into that,” Maggie said, and they laughed some more.

  “We just won’t go too deep,” Dee said, and they headed toward the water with rafts and beers in hand.

  As they swam a little farther out, and Dee held on to the raft and her beer, she noticed Sunny and Travis enter the water, along with Hunter and Marino.

  “Oh well, I guess you have four personal bodyguards, Dee,” Maggie told her.

  “What?” she asked, not noticing the men had moved closer until Sunny was next to her.

  “And what the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

  “We have her, Sunny. She’ll be okay with us,” Georgia said to him, and Sunny gave Georgia a stern expression.

  “Or maybe not,” Georgia added, and her friends chuckled.

  “I’m okay with the raft, Sunny,” Dee said to him, and he pulled her closer, pressing up against her back.

  He whispered next to her ear. “And if someone nocks the raft out from under you, then what?”

  “My friends are here.”

  He shook his head. But as she began to give him a hard time, she noticed her friends moving to the side, talking to the other men. Portland and Shiloh were checking out Georgia and Perkins, and Dugan were talking to Cynthia as a few other guys stared flirting with Maggie.

  Sunny was bringing Dee farther out into the deeper water.

  “Sunny,” she said, but he didn’t stop swimming. His body was pressed against her back and his arms encased her as he kicked his legs.

  “I’ve got you,” he whispered to her and when he stopped swimming, she felt his lips press up against her skin.

  She took a sip of beer, trying not to focus on the effect Sunny had on her. He was a big shot among their circle of friends as well as his team. The four of them had started the volunteer biker program to support the families of fallen soldiers at their funerals.

  The others took sips from their beers, and then Sunny ran his hand up and down her back.

  “Thanks for all the help today. It was a great success,” he told her and she looked over her shoulder at him.

  “Any time. You know I love to help out with these types of events.”

  He continued to caress her back, and then he pulled her from the raft and turned her around so she had to straddle his waist.

  “Sunny,” she protested weakly, and he shook his head at her then held her tight.

  “We’ll go as slow as you need. But first things first.”

  She was lost in his eyes, the deepest blue, and before she could react, he kissed her. He deepened that kiss so quickly it was as if he were desperate to have finally gotten to taste her. It made her feel desirable, thought of, and she kissed him back. Someone took the beer bottle from her hand.

  When he eased his lips from hers and trailed them along her throat then lower, she grabbed a hold of his head. He licked her breast right along the edge of the material, and she pulled back.

  His eyes zeroed in on her breasts then her lip
s and eyes.

  “I’ve waited too long to taste your lips. My brothers were right. You’re addicting.” He lowered his mouth to hers again and kissed her until they were both breathless.

  “May I?”

  She turned to see Travis, water up to his chest, pectoral muscles looking hard. They stood out prominently, indicating the enormity of his muscular build.

  Sunny looked as if he didn’t want to release her, and that gave her anxiety and worrisome thoughts about a ménage relationship working. But all thoughts ceased the moment Travis’s lips touched hers and he kissed her until he had his fill.

  When he was done and slowly pulled from her lips, he dipped her body in his arms, letting her float on top of the water as he looked her over. Sunny joined him, as did Hunter and Marino. Marino reached out and traced along her tattoo.

  “A set of shooting stars. I like it.” He lowered so he could place his arms under her body to hold her upright as he kissed along her belly to her belly-button ring.

  She giggled and then tried to move, but the moment she began sinking, she grabbed Travis tightly.

  “She needs to learn how to swim,” he said to them.

  “First lesson right now?” Sunny asked.

  She was touched by their concern and wondered what she was going to do about these feelings she had for them. But then they got so serious as they showed her how to swim on her back and to take rests then how to do the breaststroke and hold her breath. They taught her to swim as she kicked her legs and moved her arms, and wise guy Travis taught her how to do the doggy paddle when all else failed and she got scared.

  Needless to say, when they finally had her swimming for the shore, doing a combination of a screwed-up breaststroke and doggie paddle, she was exhausted and couldn’t wait to go home. It was a hell of a day, but an enjoyable one that she knew had changed her life in Pearl from here on out.

  Chapter 5

  Marino and Sunny loaded up the truck as Dee figured out what else she needed to complete the landscaping around her house.