Hearts on Fire 5: Loving Frankie (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

Cassidy covered Frankie’s hand.

  “That old boyfriend of yours really messed you up, huh?”

  Frankie chuckled but felt the tears fill her eyes as she held Cassidy’s gaze.

  “You have no idea.”

  Cassidy gave a sympathetic smile. “Well, that was then, and this is now. Move on with your life and give those men a chance. Since you’ve been hurt so badly before, you’ll know the signs if it isn’t right. Just don’t go fucking them right away.” She smiled then leaned closer.

  “Or do fuck them right away. A ménage is hot, and having four huge, bad-ass men taking care of your every need and desire might be the perfect cure to get that old asshole out of your head.”

  Frankie chuckled. “And what about you? Are you keeping Keith out of your head or is he still trying to get you back?”

  Cassidy got quiet and put her money into her bag.

  “He’s persistent, but I’m not biting. Don’t you worry. It will be fine, and he’ll eventually get that it’s over.”

  “If you need me, call me. If he keeps it up, I’d tell Charlie and Lure. They’d take care of him.”

  “I know they would. I think it will be fine. I haven’t heard from him in a few days. So what are you going to wear tomorrow to Galileo’s?”

  “Not a clue. Probably a dress.”

  “Something sexy yet classy, just like you. Remember to make them work for your cookies.” She winked as she stood up.

  Frankie chuckled.

  Chapter 6

  “What if she doesn’t show up?” Nate asked as he and his brothers stood outside of Galileo’s waiting for Frankie to arrive.

  She was five minutes late. They were all dressed nicely in button-down shirts and dress pants, looking their best. Nate couldn’t believe his brothers were so into this woman and they knew nothing about her. He was skeptical. She had secrets, and that wasn’t a good thing. But he was attracted to her, too.

  Nate watched other couples, including some ménage groups, coming and going from the restaurant.

  “Look there’s the bus,” Mike said as a local transportation bus stopped at the corner among the many restaurants and shopping boutiques. Treasure Town was filled with them.

  Sure enough, Nate spotted Frankie right away, and so did his brothers.

  Mike whistled low.

  “Holy shit, I think I’m having chest pains,” Rye admitted, and Turbo chuckled.

  “She’s a damn goddess.”

  But Nate just watched her and watched the men checking her out as she smoothed her hand down the strapless blue sundress she wore, gripping her purse and a sweater in the other. Some guy said something to her, and she gave him the evil eye and then continued to walk toward them. Mike stepped forward to meet her first.

  “You look stunning, Frankie.” He pulled her close and kissed her cheek. She smiled shyly and looked at all of them.

  They just stared at her in awe then each gave her a kiss hello. Nate held back. She locked gazes with him.

  “Hi, Nate.”

  “Hello, Frankie. You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you. You guys look great, too.”

  They just stood there a moment. She looked away from them and toward the restaurant.

  “So this is Galileo’s? It’s pretty big.”

  Rye placed his arm around her waist and escorted her toward the door. “It is big, and we reserved a nice spot on the upper deck. That way the view will be amazing like we described.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  She ran her fingers along her star necklace. It seemed she wore that all the time. Nate wondered who’d given it to her. Then he thought perhaps a guy, and he felt angry and jealous.

  The hostess escorted them all to the top floor. Nate absorbed the scent of Frankie’s perfume and her sexy figure as she climbed the stairs along with Mike and Rye.

  The table was just as they’d asked. One close to the balcony, private in its own corner away from any prying eyes. It paid to know people, and apparently Turbo knew a lot of them around Treasure Town.

  Rye held her seat out for her, and they all gathered around.

  “This is so nice up here, and very private. How did you get reservations? I thought this place was booked up months in advance.” She placed her purse on her lap and her sweater on her chair.

  “Turbo seems to have those extra law enforcement connections,” Rye teased then winked at Turbo.

  Nate watched her eyes widen, and then she glanced at Turbo before looking down to her lap. She was nervous, and he wondered if she was intimidated by Turbo’s profession.

  “Did you work really late last night?” Nate asked her.

  “I didn’t get home until four.”

  “In the morning?” Rye asked.

  Turbo sat forward.

  “That’s dangerous, coming home that late at night to your neighborhood,” he told her.

  She looked at him and swallowed hard. “There’s always danger, Turbo. It’s being prepared and aware that keeps people from becoming victims. You should know that. Being a deputy and all.”

  The waitress came over to take their drink orders and to tell them about the specials. Frankie ordered a glass of white wine, and the men all ordered beers.

  “So, tell us about yourself. What do you like to do when you’re not working at Prestige or shopping with your friend Cassidy?” Turbo asked her.

  “Not much. I catch up on my sleep, work out a bit, and keep busy.”

  “You work out at a gym?” Rye asked her.

  “No, I run and had a bike until recently.”

  “What happened?” Nate asked.

  “It was stolen.”

  “At your place?” Turbo asked.

  She leaned back and gave him a hard expression.

  “Actually, no, it was outside of the juice bar on the boardwalk. You know, where all the clean-cut teenagers hang out.”

  Rye chuckled.

  Turbo held her gaze. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “Sure you did, Turbo. I get it. You don’t like where I live, but it’s none of your business,” she snapped at him.

  Nate cleared his throat.

  Turbo scooted closer, placed his arm around Frankie’s chair, and whispered firmly to her.

  “I’m making it my business. You’re a very attractive woman. Gun or no gun, you live in a bad neighborhood with criminals everywhere. I don’t like it. I’m worried about you, and I’m sorry if that upsets you.”

  “It sounded insulting,” she whispered.

  Turbo ran his hand under her hair and moved closer.

  “I didn’t mean to insult you. I meant to express that I care.”

  Turbo pressed his lips gently to hers, and Nate watched, feeling his whole body tighten. He wondered if she would pull away, and he realized that, if she did, he, too, would be disappointed. But his guard was up. Nate still didn’t like the secrecy and not knowing who Frankie really was.

  Nate released her lips and then smiled.

  “Just as I thought. Delicious.”

  She swallowed and turned slightly to reach for her glass of wine. Nate pulled back but kept his hand on the back of her chair as he stroked her bare shoulder.

  * * * *

  Frankie wanted to guzzle the wine in the hope that it would calm her nerves. Nate was intense and seemed to be watching her every move and analyzing her answers to their questions. Turbo, as usual, put her on edge. It was the whole deputy thing. She didn’t want to go down that path and trust another cop, yet she was interested, attracted to Nate just like she was to his brothers.

  She felt Rye place his hand on her knee under the table as they looked over the menus. She bit her lower lip as the wine slowly traveled through her body. Nate ordered her another one, as if he knew she needed it.

  “So is it just you and Rye who work construction or Mike, too?” she asked Nate.

  Mike held her gaze as he leaned back in his chair looking so damn sexy she wanted to kiss him, too. She cleared her head
as Rye talked about the small construction company they owned and the minor home improvements they did.

  “Mike’s a firefighter in Treasure Town,” Rye told her.

  She held Mike’s gaze and imagined how sexy and capable he must look in uniform.

  “As a matter of fact, I was thinking that maybe we could all go to the Station after dinner tonight. Maybe show you around the place so you can see all the memorabilia there. It might be nice for you to meet some of our friends,” Mike suggested.

  “Cassidy has been trying to get me to go there with her for the past few weeks,” she admitted as the waitress set down another round of drinks and then took their orders.

  “You haven’t wanted to go?” Mike asked her.

  “She just has a thing for first responders and doesn’t mind flaunting herself to meet someone new.”

  “How about you? Don’t have a thing for first responders?” Mike asked her in a sexy tone as he eyed her over. He lifted his bottle of Bud.

  She licked her lower lip as she held his gaze. “Don’t want to be just another notch in some cop’s belt or on a firefighter’s suspenders. I’ve learned to stay clear of men like that.”

  “Sounds like you had a bad experience,” Turbo told her, and she looked away and out toward the water.

  “We’re not all the same. We first responders,” Mike said, grabbing her full attention.

  She looked back at him, hoping they weren’t like Kevin then having that sensation in her gut, that fear that warned her to keep her distance.

  “Have you all lived around here all your lives?” She found it safer to change the subject, and Mike took a slug of his beer.

  Rye lifted his hand off her knee and sat forward. “Mike and I have been around here the longest. Turbo came back here after going to college for criminal justice. He joined the sheriff’s department twelve years ago, right, Turbo?” Rye asked.

  Turbo nodded.

  “That’s a long time. Did you join fresh out of college?” she asked.

  “No, once I graduated and came back to Treasure Town. Jake talked me into applying, even though I’d already put my papers in for the state police. I was twenty-three.”

  “How old are you now?” she asked.

  “Thirty-six.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and lowered her eyes.

  “And you? How old are you, beautiful?” Turbo asked her, leaning closer.

  She glanced up at him, knowing she should ignore the attraction and how appealing they all seemed. So much older and experienced. Was that really what she wanted?

  “Twenty-three,” she whispered.

  This time Rye clutched her chin and leaned closer. “You do need looking after, beautiful.”

  He pressed his lips to hers, and she closed her eyes and forgot why she should keep her distance from these older, more experienced men, and then the food arrived. Rye released her lips and winked at her. He was so handsome. How could all four of these men be so appealing and want her?

  The aroma of food and the way the night seemed to roll in at such a perfect time as the waitress lit the candles on the table added to the ambiance. The waitress lit more candles along the balcony by the telescopes, and with a glance up toward the evening sky, Frankie could tell it was going to get even better.

  They ate and spoke about the area, about Galileo’s, and, of course, about the Station. Rye would cover her knee and squeeze it while Turbo ran his fingers along her shoulders and bare skin making her feel flushed and overheated. She thanked them for dinner and wasn’t surprised that Nate handled the check. He seemed to be the one in charge, the leader, although Turbo asked the most questions and seemed like the interrogator of the bunch.

  Mike got up and then walked around to her chair.

  “Take your wine with you. We can move closer to the railing so we can see the stars better.”

  She stood, feeling the light buzz from the wine, or, perhaps, it was the spell these four men were putting on her. She wasn’t certain. She struggled between wanting to give in to the attraction she felt and being fearful of her past, not knowing if the danger was behind her or if she was still at risk. How badly she wanted to believe that she was safe now and could move on with her life. But what if she was wrong? What if Kevin got out of jail and was looking for her or even Carlotto, too? After all, she did know a lot about Carlotto that, at the very least, could destroy his fortune. It made her wonder why he hadn’t just killed her when he had the chance.

  In the distance she heard the echo of sirens and saw some flashing lights, but they were far from where the restaurant stood, and soon the sky pulled her complete attention. It did make her imagine Mike responding to a fire in full uniform and gear. He would look like some calendar model. He probably had a long line of females wanting to be added to that collection of notches she’d mentioned in his suspenders.

  She felt the hand against her lower back as her eyes locked onto the view.

  “Oh God, it is beautiful up here.” She leaned closer. She felt the arm wrap around her waist from behind and then Mike’s fingers moving her hair off her shoulder.

  He leaned down closer and kissed along her skin.

  “I like this view right here.”

  His lips kissed her skin, and his mouth moved over her collarbone then down her chest nearly to her cleavage. She felt disappointed as he moved his lips backed up and turned her to face him. His lips touched hers, and they kissed deeply until she felt another hand at her waist as Mike released her lips. Turbo was there as Mike stepped aside, and Turbo pulled her closer.

  He ran his fingers under her hair and along her neck, cupping the back of her head.

  It was intoxicating, like some sort of dream as Mike kissed her then Turbo took his place all in one smooth transition. Was she drunk? She’d had only two glasses of wine and sipped them slowly. What were these sensations? What was the deep feeling in her heart, her gut that had her returning their kisses?

  “We’re going to change your opinion of first responders, and for the better.”

  Turbo covered her lips and kissed her deeply, and she held on, kissing him back, completely turned on by all of them.

  She felt overwhelmed as Turbo released her lips. She turned in his arms, relieved to take a breather as she gripped the railing and tried to calm her libido. Then she stared at the evening sky. They had been right. It was a clear, beautiful night, and the rooftop of Galileo’s was impressive.

  She could smell the salt air and absorb the tranquility of being so close to the ocean in a town that seemed magical. Everyone spoke of Treasure Town as such a place, and she really thought it was corny. Now, being here like this, her views had changed.

  Turbo stepped back, and she felt the loss of his hold until Rye took his place. He cuddled next to her and sniffed her hair.

  “You smell edible, baby. I love it.”

  He tickled her, and she chuckled, completely flattered at his compliment and also aroused by his need to get so close to her. His palm pressed over her belly, his fingertips grazed the underside of her breasts, and she yearned for a deeper, more intimate connection. His lips kissed along her jaw, and she turned her head sideways toward Rye, meeting his lips and kissing him first. She was falling deeper and trying to fight the fears in her head and the memories of the lies and pain Kevin had caused her.

  They remained around her, all of them murmuring about the town, about work, and about heading toward the Station. She glanced over at Nate, who had yet to kiss her or even get close to her. She was surprised that she wanted him to kiss her, too, considering he seemed the most standoffish and gave off vibes of distrust.

  Maybe she shouldn’t get involved with them. She could have to leave, and it would hurt only more when it was time to go.

  “How about we head out now and grab a drink at the Station? I’d love to show you around,” Mike told her, taking her hand.

  “Show her off is more like it,” Rye teased, and she blushed.

  “I suppose fo
r a little while.”

  “The night is young. I want to learn more about you, Frankie,” Mike told her then kissed her lips softly.

  As they began to head out and down the stairs, they met some of their friends along the way. They introduced her right away, and their friends smiled. Some of the guys gave them high-fives and winked. She knew they were checking her out as she headed forward along with Turbo. Before they reached their truck, Nate took her hand, and Turbo released her with a wink and a smile. Nate’s expression was serious as he guided her around the truck to the passenger side and out of the view of the crowds of waiting people trying to get into Galileo’s. Rye opened the door, and Nate stopped her, placing his hands on her waist. She stared up into his dark blue eyes and felt exposed, guilty.

  “Where’s my kiss?” he asked.

  She licked her lower lip and stared at him then realized that he wanted her to make the first move. Was he unsure about this? Was he really worried, too? She felt slightly empowered, and that edge gave her the nerve to lean up on tiptoes and kiss him.

  His lips were firm and inviting, and his hands felt amazing as he wrapped her in his arms, deepened the kiss, and nearly made her come in her panties.

  * * * *

  Nate was only going to take a small taste. He had concerns. She was young and inexperienced, or so she appeared, and she was definitely holding back. He wanted answers. He wanted to taste her, feel her in his arms. Hell, he wanted to sink his cock into her deeply and get lost in desire and lust. Who gave a shit what was in her past?

  But as he explored her mouth and kissed her deeply, he lost all thoughts and focused on sensations. The feel of her sexy curves against his palms, the scent of her perfume and the shampoo she used, and the way her large breasts pressed tight against his chest aroused him. She moaned into his mouth, and he did the same. It wasn’t until he heard someone clear his throat that he realized his hand was halfway up under her dress, her thigh lifted up against his side, and he had her pressed against the truck. He ran his hands along her waist and cupped her cheeks. She was breathing heavily, her lips swollen and well loved.