Some Kind of Wonderful Read online

  “Bartending is hard work, but I expect my employees to be classy and attractive, with good, friendly personalities. John and Keith said you would be perfect and I should pay you extra because you’re so good at what you do and very sweet. I’m taking their word for this, and like I mentioned, I am desperate. Would you be available tomorrow at four o’clock? I’ll have an hour to go over things with you, and what your job and location will be for the night.”

  “And the pay?”

  “Not a word to anyone. Thirty an hour, cash. Now are you interested?”

  “How many hours?”

  “Until at least midnight, but realistically three a.m.”

  She cringed, but thirty an hour cash was a no brainer.

  “What do you need me to wear?”

  “Black and white. Preferable a simple, straight dress, knee length, classy, heels but obviously not too high. You’ll be on your feet for hours. Plus you get tips, too.”

  “Okay. I have a dress I can wear. Please send me the address.”

  “No problem and thank you. I hope this works out. It could mean more jobs, but we’ll see how tomorrow night goes.”

  “Thank you.” She ended the call. She looked out toward the fields a moment. John and Keith recommended her? Wow, their little talks the last couple of times she sub bartended really made them recommend her.

  “Who was that?” Birdie asked, and Freddie opened the door so she could climb up into the truck.

  “A job offer for a night.”

  “Excuse me?” Birdie asked.

  She laughed. “It wasn’t a pimp or something.” She chuckled.

  “Nice. Kind of hard to figure out what the call was about with the little bit we heard. A dress you have to wear, pay, how many hours, what’s your type, so what is it?”

  She explained how John and Keith recommended her.

  “You work so many hours as is,” Birdie said and then started to pull out of the long dirt driveway.

  “It’s good money and I need to work.”

  “You in debt or something?” Freddie asked her, and she readjusted her position in the seat as Birdie drove the truck out of the driveway. She didn’t want to say, but maybe she needed to. Maybe she needed to give them enough information to see that she wasn’t in any position to mess around. She had a schedule, an order of responsibilities, and needed to remain in this chaotic state of mind until the debt was paid and she had a good amount of savings stashed away. She was there. A couple of months more and she was there.

  When she felt Freddie’s large, heavy hand caress her knee and then slide back and forth up her thigh, she jerked and turned to look up at him. He squeezed her knee. “You’re afraid of me? Of us?” Holy God, yes she was, and why would he ask that? Was she looking freaked out? She was as she shook her head and went to turn away, but then he cupped her cheek as he turned in the seat. “Look at me,” he said to her, holding her jaw gently between masculine, large fingers. He was so charismatic, rugged with the slight shadow of whiskers along his cheek, the fine lines by his dark blue eyes from squinting all the time, maybe being serious all the time. They all had them. They were hard, experienced men. She felt fragile, yet protected, and that was a first for her.

  “Freddie, don’t.”

  “No. No, you don’t lie to me. To us, not ever, because we aren’t liars, and have not lied to you once.” She closed her eyes and sighed. Why was he doing this? It would be so much easier if he just accepted that she couldn’t date, fool around or—

  His lips touched hers and that was it. All thinking stopped and a moment later she was in his arms, he was plunging his tongue into her mouth, and she was gripping onto him, kissing him back. She sensed the truck stopping, and she knew they weren’t nearly close to town yet, then sensed the dirt road and then the truck stopped. Freddie lifted her onto his lap, and she was so petite she fit in his arms as he released her lips and she lay her head on his shoulder. They were both breathing rapidly, and she jumped when Birdie caressed her bare back. Her sweater lifted, and he slid his palm along her waist and somehow adjusted her to his liking. As she turned in shock of what just happened, she saw his face, the sincerity and desire in his blue eyes. Freddie lifted her up, and Birdie pulled her onto his lap, and stared down into her eyes as he caressed her hair from her cheek.

  “You’re so damn beautiful. Your eyes, so telling, and your body,” he said and gazed over her body as he used his palm to caress up under her sweater while using his arm to lift her. “It’s incredible.” He pressed his lips to hers. She reached up, unable to deny how good this felt, and she kissed him back. He cupped her breast under her sweater, and squeezed gently, tried to cup it all but couldn’t. Then he slid it down to her hip and her ass, easily lifting her higher. She kissed him back, and they battled for control of the kiss when she felt Freddie’s warm lips against her bare belly, his firm, large hand on her hip bone. She moaned and then shivered. Freddie licked and suckled along her skin and the piercing she had, then lower into the seam of her pants, and she felt so aroused. So needy. She lifted her hips, and when he undid the button, she pulled from Birdie’s lips. Freddie gripped her hips.

  “Whoa, slow down. What happened?” Freddie asked.

  “We have to stop,” she said and pushed down her sweater, then paused as she looked at the seriousness, the hunger in Freddie’s eyes, the pulsating veins by the side of his temples, his red face, the muscles, the seasoned look. Tears hit her eyes. She wanted them. She was attracted to them, but they were a team of four extraordinary men. Large, muscular, and hard. Hell, they scowled more than they smiled. Freddie stroked her skin and lifted up. Birdie cupped her jaw and spoke to her.

  “What happened? You were enjoying this just like we were. What did we do to frighten you?”

  “I think that we should…I really…uh…can’t really.” She stuttered as she looked at both of them, and tears threatened to fall. Freddie lifted closer, and she stared into his dark blue eyes. She was a hundred and twenty-five pounds, and he and his brother were probably more than two hundred and twenty-five pounds of pure, solid muscles. Her breasts felt tender, her nipples hardened, her pussy felt swollen and needy, and she knew these moments would happen again, and probably with all four men, and that scared her the most. Would it remind her of the potential gang rape? Of Bennet’s drugged out, drunk state of mind as he ripped her top and shoved her into his crowd of eagerly drunk men? A tear escaped her eye as she touched her palm to Freddie’s cheek. “Some people hurt me, Freddie.” He narrowed his eyes further, and she had to look away. She glanced up at Birdie, as her voice cracked. “I don’t think I can let the walls down, ya know? I just don’t think it would be smart. I have a lot of responsibilities, and a lot on my plate right now, and fantasizing about some kind of fling or whatever that will lead down an even lonelier road wouldn’t be smart, or the right thing to do for all involved.”

  Birdie shook his head, and Freddie squeezed her hip and then kissed her belly. “This isn’t a fling. Wouldn’t be a fucking fling,” Freddie said so seriously. She ran her fingers through his wavy brown hair. He paused and squeezed her hip as Birdie cupped her jaw again, his forearm over her breast and chest, the heaviness even arousing her.

  “Someone hurt you. You’re being honest and we appreciate that. Had a feeling that maybe you’re living a tough life, with responsibilities, and perhaps the experiences you’ve had with men weren’t pleasant. We aren’t going to hurt you. We’re hard men, yes, older, more experienced in life, in sex,” he said and licked his lips as he looked her over. “But we’re gentlemen. Always have been and always will be. We also know the difference between just sex, some fling, and when something is more. We want to get to know you. It seems like slow is what you need, and we’re willing to do that because we all need slow, too.”

  “You do?” she asked.

  “Hell yeah, you’ve seen Axel, and he only recently returned from serving where he came close to dying. He’s in recovery mode, and trying to pull himse
lf back to normal a bit too fast, but it’s like he’s trying to be normal for you,” Freddie said to her.

  “For me? Why? I don’t mean anything to him, and shouldn’t be his focus. Recovering should.”

  Birdie and Freddie both shook their heads and snorted lightly. “That isn’t true at all. You’ve affected him in so many ways just as you’ve affected all of us. He’s determined to get better faster, get rid of the sling so you see him as a full man.”

  “That’s crazy. He’s huge, and muscular, more manly than, well, the four of you are just so…

  Birdie chuckled and raised both eyebrows up at her as he clenched her chin with thumb and finger.

  “Okay, you’re gorgeous, sexy, have huge muscles, are soldiers, are capable, and mysterious, because you barely talk to other people. When you do, Axel and Conan kind of bark, and it seems like you’re all ready to give orders. It’s intimidating to most people, but to someone like me, it scares the heck out of me,” she admitted.

  Freddie shook his head. “Never be scared of us. Our attitudes, demeanors, maturity are well earned and for good reason. We’ve seen things and experienced things other men haven’t.”

  “You think we’re sexy?” Birdie teased her, and she was already aroused, lying here squeezed into the cab of their truck like this and by Freddie’s description of their experiences. She felt her cheeks turn red, and she started to lift up.

  “No,” both men, said and she froze.

  “This is nice. Being like this, close to you, talking to you, inhaling your scent, that smell of your shampoo, and to feel your sexy, voluptuous body in our arms like this,” Birdie told her and lowered down to kiss her. She kissed him back. As she reached up to cup his cheek, Freddie took her hand, lowered it down to her side, and then lifted her top to do some exploring of his own. She was so aroused being sort of restrained lightly by Freddie, kissed thoroughly by Birdie, that when Freddie pushed her bra up and exposed her breast she tightened up and then came as soon as his mouth suckled on her tit. He moaned and Birdie did, too. It was outrageous and she felt so much. She knew if they were someplace more private with more space than this that she wouldn’t care. She would let go and have sex with them. The realization had her pulling her mouth from Birdie’s, tilting her head back and moaning aloud.

  “Holy fuck,” Birdie said, and he cupped her other breast, tugged on her nipple while Freddie suckled on her breast, swirled his tongue over the nipple, and nipped her.

  “Freddie,” she exclaimed but couldn’t move her arm. His large hand held her wrist, and it aroused her so very much. She panted for breath. “I can’t take it. Please, oh God, please, we’re in a truck,” she said and Birdie chuckled.

  “God damn, baby, you’re so fucking sweet,” he said, and Freddie lifted his mouth from her breast, released her wrist, but she didn’t move. She just watched him. He held her gaze as he fixed her bra, but couldn’t get her breasts into the cups. She was well endowed, and it wasn’t easy to find bras that fit her breasts. Everywhere else she was thin, toned, but was no threat to men of their sizes and abilities.

  “Thank you,” Freddie said, rising up as Birdie helped her up so she could fix her top as Birdie rubbed her back under her sweater to under her hair and neck. Freddie kissed her lips, and when he pulled back and winked, Birdie gave her neck a little squeeze. She turned to him, and he gave her a nod, indicating for her to kiss him next. She did it. Didn’t think twice, or overthink for that matter, as she leaned closer and touched her lips to his.

  “She said that someone hurt her?” Axel asked Freddie and Birdie. They had come back to the ranch and told them what happened between them and C.C. It sounded hot, and Axel was feeling a lot of things right now.

  “Sounded that way, and like she had and still has a tough life. She’s working tomorrow night for some guy in Benter, a private party or something,” Freddie told them.

  “What guy?” Conan asked, as he leaned against the counter in the kitchen with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

  “I don’t know, we didn’t want to push, ya know. We made progress today, and even though we kissed her, explored her a little, she needs time. We do know that John and Keith had recommended her, so we’re assuming the guy must be legit,” Birdie told them.

  “I wanted to spend more time with her. Her body”—Freddie shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair—“is exceptional. Her breasts so full, ripe, and fucking bigger than my hands,” he said, sounding shocked.

  “She has tight abs, sexy hips, and soft skin, and felt so fragile, feminine in our arms between us, right, Birdie?” Freddie asked him.

  “I never felt anything like it before. For a pint-sized little thing, she packs one hell of a punch. I didn’t want to leave her,” Birdie told them.

  “Jesus, she’s young though. It’s been a while for me, the whole intimacy thing in general,” Conan said, straight-faced.

  “This won’t be a fling. I knew it immediately. One kiss, the feel of her on my lap made me feel protective, possessive, and I don’t want to lose this chance. I think she’s the one for us,” Birdie told them.

  “Jesus,” Axel said and exhaled. It made his heart race and his stomach churn with uncertainty. If they were wrong they could hurt the poor thing. But if they were right, if she was the one woman to complete them, to make them an official family, how would they protect her, love her, and give her everything she deserved?

  “What about these issues, her financial situation, this incident or incidents that hurt her, and put such a fear in her? Or the fact that we know very little about her?” Axel asked them.

  “That’s what we need to work on,” Birdie replied.

  “When? When are we supposed to get to know her when she’s working all the time?” Conan asked.

  “We’ll make the time, even if it entails meeting her at Harper’s or wherever she’s working that we can go to and see her. We have to try. Nothing ever felt like this before, and I want more. I want it all with her,” Freddie said.

  “How did you leave things with her?” Conan asked.

  “Friends first,” Birdie said and Freddie exhaled.

  “Friends? Friends? How the fuck could you leave it as friends first when the two of you made out with her like that? You sucked on her—”

  Conan didn’t complete his sentence as he ran his fingers through his hair and then gripped the island. “This isn’t going to work. Nothing has changed in regards to our demands in the bedroom. To what each of us expects from a lover. She’s sweet, I get that, and maybe had a bad experience with a man, I get that, too, but maybe these are warning signs.”

  “Don’t panic. Have we ever, ever all felt an attraction to the same woman at the same time? Have we? No, and that isn’t the only thing that makes C.C. special. If some asshole did hurt her, and she knows heartache, fear, pain, and she’s struggling to care for her family, then that just makes her more real. More like us and not a lot of women who have thrown themselves at us, and want both the capable soldier and materialistic things. We’ve seen really bad shit in our lives. We’ve cheated death. This could be our true beginning of happiness. Our some kind of wonderful. So you know what? If C.C. needs time, needs me to be a friend first, so be it. I’m on board. How about the rest of you?” Birdie asked.

  “Fuck yeah! Ooh rah!” Freddie said and fist pumped.

  “Ooh rah!” they all said together. They were going for it. That pint-sized little sweetheart was going to be their woman, their mate, their everything.

  Chapter 4

  “Is this really a drink?” the guy asked.

  “Yes, sir, it is. The Captain Jack is pretty famous.”

  “Hey Jake, check this drink out. This beautiful, young lady just introduced me to this. It’s called a Jack Sparrow.”

  “I’ll try one,” the guy’s friend said, and soon a few of their buddies came over. It was a successful party for the businessmen, and Collin Fanning was getting compliment after compliment about that bartende
r C.C. his friends from Cherry Hill had recommended. She was stunning, had gorgeous hazel-green eyes, and so many of the men asked who she was, and he saw them flirting. Right now, he stood a few feet behind her and heard her engaging some of the very uptight businessmen. She seemed to have a knack for making them feel comfortable and he liked that.