The Bad Boys' Reluctant Woman Read online

  “No, I haven’t.”

  Whose was that voice? She didn’t recognise her own voice. Her mouth was dry, and her heart was pounding inside her chest. Whenever she was with Connor or Brent or Jake, her heart always threatened to burst from her chest. “I’d take it nice and slow. Then when you were ready, I’d fuck you hard. You’ll be begging me to take you there all the time.”

  His hand curved around her hip and then pressed against the apex of her thighs. “Your pussy will probably be the most fucked item on the menu. I want to open your legs wide and lick you until I hear you screaming my name in pleasure. I’m not going to lie to you, Zoe. I love fucking pussy. My cock is big, and I’ll pound you until you can’t think straight.”

  “This is what you want?” she asked, licking her lips.

  “This is what Jake, Brent, and I all want. A chance to prove to you how good it can be for all of us. We want you, Zoe.”

  “I can’t give you what you want.”

  “You can give us a chance and time. A chance to prove ourselves to you and the time to prove we want you for more.”

  He cupped her cheek. “We don’t care about your past, Zoe. We want your future to be with us.”

  “You can’t speak for your friends, Connor.”

  “No, I can speak for myself.”

  “And what do you want?”

  “You, at my house, in my bed, naked.”

  Zoe gazed into his eyes. She saw the need in his depths. Zoe recognised the pain inside him. She felt something similar most days of her life. Every where she travelled to, she tried to find a home. Law Castle had looked like the right place to be. These three men had her scared. What if she settled down, made some friends, and they left you?

  You’re worried about something that might never happen, Zoe.

  The pain of being alone hurt far more than the pain of knowing no one cared for you. She’d spent so many years trying to find the love she’d lost out on when she’d ended up in the system. Zoe wanted to have a small memory of it to keep her going.

  “Take me back to your home, Connor.”

  She placed her hand in his and waited for him to lead the way.

  ****

  Jake was pacing the front room. He could kill his fucking friend. Brent sat nursing a scotch while he stared into the dead fire. It was the height of summer. The flames would be flickering inside in a couple of months. He wanted to slap Brent.

  When they’d pulled up at The Dugout, Brent had been walking round to the front. His clothes covered in mood and water. Zoe had long gone according to Vicki. After Brent described in great detail what had happened between them, Connor had gone in search of their woman while Jake took Brent home.

  “Could you stop pacing? You’re giving me a headache,” Brent said.

  “I’m giving you a headache. You didn’t go after Zoe. She could have hurt herself. Shit, she may have hurt herself for all we know.”

  “Connor will call us if he can’t find her. She pushed me down hard, Jake. I thought she’d gone back into the bar. I’m not wearing any underwear, and on the fall I hurt my balls, all right. I’ll be lucky to father children.”

  Jake laughed. The way Brent had described the shove he took, he wasn’t surprised if the guy’s balls were stamped on.

  “She wanted me to take her, Jake. I was already horny, and then her jeans were in the way. Before I had chance to explain properly she was gone. She looked at me with so much hurt in her eyes.” Brent shook his head taking another sip of scotch.

  Jake sat down next to his friend. “Connor will bring her back.”

  “They have a connection. I’ve seen it.”

  He didn’t need to say anything. Jake had seen the connection between Connor and Zoe. They’d both been hurt in the past. That was clear to see. “We’ll form our own connections.”

  The sound of Connor’s truck pulling up on the driveway didn’t leave Jake with a lot of hope. Jake sat in his seat wondering what the next few minutes would bring.

  The front door opened. No other sound came, and he couldn’t make out another set of shoes. Seconds later he felt a presence at his back. Both Jake and Brent turned. Zoe stood in front of Connor. She looked tired.

  He stood up as Brent spun around.

  Her eyes were wide as she looked at both of them. “I found her walking down the dirt road towards her apartment,” Connor said. “She’s going to stay here for tonight at least. I’m going to get her settled in.”

  “Are you all right?” Jake asked.

  She nodded her head. He couldn’t do it anymore. Jake walked over and wrapped her in his arms. Her natural earthy scent surrounded him. He kissed her cheek and moved down to her neck. Jake couldn’t help but feel like he’d come home when her arms went around him.

  “Thank you for inviting me to your home,” she said.

  He pulled back, staring at the streaks left by her tears. “You’re always welcome here.” It saddened him to see the emptiness inside her. “I’ll leave you to get washed.”

  Connor moved her down the hall to the stairs. Before she moved past the sitting room, Zoe’s gaze moved to Brent. “I’m sorry for pushing you.”

  “No harm done, angel. You’ve got a lot of strength inside you.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “No harm. I’m good as gold.”

  She left the room. Jake sat down on the spare chair in the room. His heart ached inside his chest. He never knew how much having her in his home would affect him. “You made her cry.”

  “I didn’t mean to make her cry. I was going to explain to her and then bring her back here myself.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I don’t think this is entirely your fault. I think there is something else going on.”

  Jake got up and moved toward the kitchen. He glanced around at all the fancy equipment. Considering how masculine Connor was, Jake couldn’t get over his feminine tastes. He owned a pink whisk. Shaking his head, he moved towards the fridge and grabbed a carton of orange juice.

  A picture on the front of the fridge caught his eyes. He stared at it for a few minutes. Jake took the picture off the fridge and moved to the counter to sit down. His arms ached from the work he’d done at the mechanics shop during the day. The picture was taken at the picnic he’d attended with Connor and Brent. It was the traditional picnic that Law Castle had every year. There were always fairs and a large gathering of people. In the picture there was over thirty men lined up. At the time he’d believed it was one of the best days of his life.

  Flicking it over he saw the note Brent had made, the words were, The Law Castle Bad Boys, followed by the date of the picnic. Andy, the wife of two of the guys who’d been part of the crew, had taken the picture.

  “What are you looking at?” Brent asked as he walked into the kitchen.

  “The picnic photo.”

  “Why?”

  “You said Tristan gave you a warning about Bill and specifically mentioned about the Law Castle Bad Boys,” Jake said.

  Brent groaned. “I’m sick and tired of hearing about the, ‘Law Castle bad Boys’.” He signed the air with both hands. “It makes us all sound like some gang or rock group. I’m not a member of any gang.”

  “Yes, you are. You agreed to it, and you’re in this picture.”

  “Forget about the circus shit that surrounds our town. What are you getting at?”

  “Do you think Tristan wants to get us involved?”

  “With the Bill situation?” Brent asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I have no idea, but I don’t like the sound of it either way. If someone is trying to fuck up our town then I want them gone. Law Castle is a good place.”

  “I agree with you.”

  They both glanced at the ceiling when they heard the water running.

  “I’ll talk to Tristan tomorrow about this.”

  “Yes, I’m going to bed,” Brent said.

  Chapter Seven

  Zoe followed Connor into
the bathroom. It was a huge room at the far end of the hall on the third floor. “This room is bigger than my apartment alone.”

  “We all loved the house instantly.”

  She smiled as he placed her bag on the floor next to the large bath tub. They hadn’t stopped off at her apartment. The only clothes she had with her were the ones she was wearing.

  He took her jacket off her then turned towards the bath. She watched him put the plug in place then turn the tap for the water to begin filling up the tub. “Thank you,” she said.

  Connor stood up turning toward her.

  “For what?”

  “Bringing me here and not asking questions. Most people demand answers and always fire questions at me.”

  He cupped her shoulders, his gaze on her. That was one of the small things she liked about him. Connor made sure to look into her eyes. She knew he wasn’t taking a cheap shot at her breasts or any other part of her.

  “I’ll leave you to get washed.”

  Panic gripped her. She reached between them and caught his hand. “Don’t leave me,” she said.

  Connor faced her, his gaze going from her to the bath tub. “I’m not that strong, Zoe.”

  “I don’t want that from you. Please, don’t leave me.”

  He frowned, staring down at her. She felt like a teenager again waiting for someone to tell her more bad news.

  “How many people have you said that to?” he asked.

  “I said it to my parents once.”

  “Did they leave?”

  “Yes, and they didn’t come back.”

  “All right. I’ll stay. I’m keeping my clothes on.”

  She smiled, which felt forced to her.

  “Don’t worry, it’ll come back.”

  “What?”

  “Your smile. Everything will fall into place. I won’t let you go.” His arms were around her, and she closed her eyes. The panic disappeared with his presence.

  Zoe knew she needed to remove her clothes and get into the tub. She’d not had a bath in a long time. The one she had at her apartment was chipped. A shower was the best for her.

  Connor left her to turn the tap off.

  She fingered the shirt tails while her mind flashed over every single sexual encounter in her life. Her first had been when she was eighteen. There had been another boy in the foster system. They’d run away together. Shaking her head, she cleared her mind. In all of her encounters, she’d rarely been naked.

  Biting her lip, she pulled the shirt up over her head. As she pulled it off the last little way, Connor stood in front of her. He stared into her eyes. The bra she wore was not a lovely piece of silk. It had been a white bra, but with the number of times she’d washed the damn thing it had turned grey. Her cheeks went red with embarrassment.

  “Are you wishing you’d found someone else?” she asked.

  His hand against her cheek forced her to look at him. Why were they always doing that?

  “Do you really think we’re as shallow as that?”

  “I don’t really know you,” she said.

  “Then we’ll show you how little your underwear means to us.”

  She gasped as he flicked the catch at the front. Her bra sprang open, and her tits fell out. The warm air brushed across her nipples. For the first time Connor’s gaze left her eyes, and he stared at her chest.

  “May I?” he asked.

  Unsure what he wanted, she agreed for him to do anything. His rough palm held the weight of her breast in his hand. She sucked in her lips to stop herself from begging for more. Both of his hands cupped her breasts. Her eyes closed to absorb every sensation.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said.

  “You like them.”

  “Baby, I can’t wait to see you above me. I want to watch them bounce as you take my dick inside your cunt.”

  He yanked her close and covered her lips with his.

  The touch of his clothing rubbed her nipples, making them incredibly sensitive.

  Connor pulled back, running his thumb along her lip. “Allow me.”

  He knelt before her, his fingers going to the button of her jeans. She stood, shaking at him being so close. The light in the bathroom showcased everything she had to offer. Her whole body tensed as the sound of the zipper echoed around the room.

  His hands pulled her jeans down her legs. She followed the jeans, watching as her body was exposed for him to see.

  “You look amazing,” he said. His hands ran up her thighs. She blushed wondering if she still had some cellulite around the back.

  Zoe was about to tell him to stop when he grabbed her panties and pulled them down. She stood naked before him. Her hands lay by her sides as she didn’t have a clue how to deal with them.

  “Look at me, Zoe,” Connor said. She hadn’t even realised she’d closed her eyes until he said her name.

  She opened her eyes and stared down at him. “To me, you’re beautiful.” He stood up and cupped her cheeks with both of his hands. “You’re beautiful.”

  He kissed her lips before helping her into the bath. She sat down into the tub. The warmth finally seeped into her bones and warmed her through.

  Connor knelt beside the tub. Neither spoke for a few minutes. She basked in his attention. His hand moved along the water playing with her finger tips. The connection she felt with him was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

  Zoe knew she felt something for all three men. Jake was the most outgoing of the three, while Brent appeared to be the most dangerous. Looking at Connor, Zoe knew he really was the most dangerous out of all the boys. He was quiet and attentive. She saw the darkness inside him and knew part of him had been lost along the way. Zoe saw and recognised it as a part of her had been lost along the way, too.

  “How come you never ask me questions?” she asked.

  “I never expect you to answer them. Why ask questions I know you’ll never answer?”

  “You’re evading my question.”

  He chuckled. Connor grabbed her hand lifting it up to lay a kiss on the inside of her palm. She was naked in the tub, and with Connor she no longer felt self-conscious.

  “Some answers are not worth the pain.”

  ****

  Connor knew she wanted something more from him. He’d purposefully not asked any questions as he knew only with time would she talk about her past. He watched her in the bath tub. His cock was thick and aching with need. She looked so damn beautiful and tempting. He wondered if he could take a picture of her and send it to Jake and Brent to show them what they were missing out on.

  “You know the other two care about you,” he said. They should have been here with him. Zoe was meant to be their woman. He felt it down to his soul. Whenever she was near, the darkness inside him began to disappear. The shame he felt slowly eased out of him as if it wasn’t there.

  “I was in the foster care system,” she said. He stared at her, shocked by her words.

  “I know.”

  He watched her lick her lips and tuck some hair behind her ear. Connor took note of her hand shaking. She’d drawn her legs up tight against her chest. “My parents died during a hit and run. They’d dropped me off at a friend’s house while they went out a date.”

  “And you don’t think they should have gone on that date?” he asked.

  “They fought a lot. I thought that was how it was supposed to be. They both had issues, but they were trying to work it out. More time together had been the supposed cure for them. Some guy ran them over while they were crossing the street. Killed them instantly. I think it was instant. The cops never went into detail.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Ten. There was no one else who wanted me. I was placed in the system and then moved from house to house. I was in several of homes, but they never stuck.”

  Connor didn’t force her to talk. He knelt by the bath tub waiting for her to talk. “I can’t talk anymore,” she said.

  He stroked her hair, pressing a
kiss to her temple. “How many people have you told that?”

  “None,” she said.

  “Then we’re good.”

  She smiled. It was the first real smile he’d ever seen from her. He stayed and waited for her to wash her hair and lather her body. When the sponge began soaping her whole body, he almost blew his load inside his pants. He shook his head in an attempt to gain control of his rioting emotions.

  After she rinsed the soap from her body, he grabbed a towel and helped her out of the bath. He dried every inch, wishing he were licking her with his tongue. She’d taste so damn good. His arousal getting the better of him, he leaned down and swiped each nipple giving them a generous lick.

  When she bent down to grab her shirt, Connor stopped her. “No, wear this one.” He pulled the shirt he was wearing off, and handed it to her.

  “Thank you.”

  He waited for her to put the shirt on then held his breath. She looked damn good. Her nipples were hard as they pressed against the fabric of the shirt.

  “I made up the spare room for you.” He opened the bathroom door as Brent walked past. The other guy stopped and stared at her.

  The shirt he’d given her only covered her ass and the top part of her thighs. She looked damn good, and looking at the expression on Brent’s face, he was as affected by her as Connor was.

  “I’m taking her to the spare room,” Connor said.

  “Great, I sleep there,” Brent said, pointing at the partially opened door. “Come and get me if you need anything.”

  “I will, thank you, Brent.”

  Brent nodded his head. Connor sensed the tension between the two. Zoe stared down at her feet.

  “I’ll get you settled in.” He took her hand and pointed out Jake’s room and then his own.

  She made her way into the guest room.

  “Thank you for letting me stay. I don’t think I could have gone back to my apartment,” she said.

  “You’d have gone back. The only difference is the fact that you’d have been gone out of Law Castle tomorrow.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I just do.”

  Connor kissed her head and then made his way out of the guest room and down to the kitchen. Jake sat at the counter looking at the picnic picture.