The Bad Boys' Reluctant Woman Page 8

  She licked her lips and made her decision. Her past had been filled with uncertainty, and she’d expected her future to be the same. No more. Connor, Jake, and Brent had proven that to her. She wanted to feel like this every day. Zoe wanted to feel loved and cherished by all three of these men. Staring at the two men behind him she glared.

  “You’ve had your turn. When we’re ready to share, you’ll be the first to know. Do your worst, Connor. I’m ready.”

  ****

  Connor waited until Brent and Jake had moved away before putting his attention all on Zoe. She stared up at him waiting for him to move. He knew he’d hurt her with his first penetration, and he didn’t care; and he hated himself for it. That was one of his biggest curses. He’d seen the pain of her wince, and part of him had felt better for it. He let go of her hands, fisting his in the sheet.

  Closing his eyes he pulled out of her then slammed back inside. Her nails scored his arms as he used her body for his own personal need. Connor knew he wasn’t being fair.

  What shocked him was the feel of Zoe pushing up to meet his thrusts. He ground his teeth and then opened his eyes. Her face was void of any pain. She gazed up at him with desperation.

  He grabbed her hands and pressed them back to the bed holding her in place as he eased off her.

  Pulling out of her tight heat, Connor saw her eyes widen as he swirled his hips pushing back inside. He felt each pulse and ripple of her pussy around him.

  Connor let go of her hands and pulled her legs up straight over his chest. He placed his hands on her hips and fucked her. He pumped inside her hard and fast not giving her time to grow accustomed to him.

  He used her body to rid his mind of the pain and hurt he felt. Zoe submitted to everything he did. Connor closed his eyes when he felt the tears close in on him. Control. He needed control, and the only way to gain that was by being on top and taking what he wanted. Her hands ran over his body, and he pushed them against her head stopping her.

  Let go, Connor.

  No, I’m not ready. She’d find me disgusting.

  It’s in the past.

  He shook off the pain and hurt and concentrated on the hard fucking. Connor took the pleasure he needed from her body. His release built up inside him as he rammed into her. He slammed inside her twice more and felt the jerk of his cock pulse his semen into her body.

  When he opened his eyes, he saw her staring up at him, frowning. Her body was covered in sweat, and she looked tired.

  He pulled out of her watching her wince in pain. Now, the remorse swamped him.

  “I need to run her a bath,” he said. Connor moved away from the bed without looking at her. He left the room and ran up the stairs to the bathroom.

  His heart hurt as he thought about what he’d done. With other women he gave them pleasure as well as took it. He’d taken what he’d wanted from Zoe without thinking about the consequences.

  Shaking his head in bewilderment, he put the plug in the bathtub and ran the hot water. He waited for Jake and Brent to bring her upstairs.

  They’d wash and take care of her and then put her to bed. He’d been waiting for six months to be with her, but to him it had felt like a lifetime. What had he done? He thought Zoe would be different. He thought being with her would stop the cravings inside him.

  It hadn’t. What kind of man got off on seeing the pain?

  No, he was a sick bastard, and he’d pay for it. He damn well knew his pain was coming. Connor just wished he knew what form it was going to come in.

  Chapter Eleven

  Zoe woke up the next morning. Nearly every muscle ached in her body, and her pussy was sore. She knew it would be the moment she woke up. Over the years she’d had sex with several men. She’d never had it more than once in a night and never with a guy as well endowed as Jake, Brent, and Connor.

  She thought about Connor. He’d fucked her hard and then pretty much left her with a kiss on the head. Jake and Brent had stayed to help her wash up.

  “You’re awake,” Jake said.

  Turning over she saw Jake sat in the chair. They’d taken her to Jake’s room after Connor left her alone in the bathroom.

  “Good morning.” She sat up wincing from all of her unused muscles.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  Zoe nodded her head unsure what to say. Was this the morning after routine where they sent her on her way?

  “What time is it?” she asked.

  “A little after eight.”

  “Where are Brent and Connor?”

  “In the kitchen.

  She nodded her head, tucking the sheet under arms and putting her hair behind her ears. “I don’t know where my clothes are,” she said.

  “We’re washing them. We’ll pick the rest of your stuff up today.”

  “What? Why?”

  “You’re staying here now.”

  “I am?”

  Jake chuckled. She watched him get up off the chair and move toward the bed. He sat down next to her taking her hand in his.

  “Did you think we were going to fuck you and move on?”

  “Women at the bar talk. You’re not exactly known for keeping women around.”

  “You’re not most women, Zoe.”

  “Let me guess. I’m special,” she said, smiling.

  “You are, but I don’t think you have any idea how special you are.” He was staring at her intently.

  She felt a blush build up in her cheeks and down to her chest. His scrutiny made her unsure of what to say next.

  “You’re not sending me on my way.”

  “No, we’re not.”

  Zoe thought about Connor and the way he’d distanced himself last night.

  “He’s always been like that,” Jake said.

  “What?”

  “Connor. He distances himself all the time. It is like he’s afraid of letting go.”

  “How did you know I was thinking of Connor?” she asked.

  “You’re not a hard woman to read, Zoe. I wanted to talk to you about him. We didn’t get a chance last night.”

  “What, with all the fucking and him leaving you and Brent to clean up his mess?” She’d been hurt at how easily he’d walked out on her. It was unfair and childish, but she had wanted his attention after their time together.

  “Something happened to him when we were growing up,” Jake said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Brent and I have never questioned him about it. We know something happened. We just have no idea what happened.”

  “You do realise you’re being very secretive.”

  She watched him stare around the room and go over to a small box on the counter of his drawer. He pulled out a small photo and came back.

  “This was taken on the summer camp after we’d all turned thirteen.” He handed her the photo. “That’s me.” He pointed at the kid on the right. “That’s Brent.” The kid on the left. “And that’s Connor.” The boy in the middle. Connor as a thirteen-year-old looked gawky. His muscles hadn’t properly developed, and he was a little on the thin side. In the picture he was smiling and looked carefree. She thought about him now and couldn’t imagine him looking like the boy in the picture.

  “What happened?”

  “We don’t know.”

  “What do you mean you don’t know? You’re best of friends. Surely you would have talked about it or something.”

  Jake shook his head. “We didn’t talk about it.”

  “What about his parents?”

  “He doesn’t speak about them. The moment he turned eighteen, he left their place and never looked back.”

  “Do they live in Law Castle?”

  Jake nodded his head. “They used to live here. They moved away a couple of years back.”

  “You do realise you’re making me want to ask more questions than answering them.”

  “Connor made Brent and me promise never to ask questions and never to go to his parents’ house or talk to them. We used
to see them in the street, and we never talked to them. They tried to get Connor to talk, but he said something to them that made them turn the opposite way. They moved out of town, and we’ve never heard from them since.”

  “Why didn’t you go and ask them?”

  “He made us promise, Zoe. The promise between us is sacred. I would never break a promise like that.”

  Zoe chuckled. “That sounds corny.”

  “We made a pact to always be there for each other. Our bond is stronger than anything.”

  “Bros before hos, kind of thing?” she asked.

  Jake smiled. “Yep. We made that pact, and we’ve never been apart for longer than a few weeks. We all went travelling in our twenties to see a little of the world.”

  “You all came back here?”

  Jake nodded his head. “I guess there is no other place to settle down than where you grew up.”

  Zoe smiled. The only place she’d considered home was where she lived before her parents died. No way would she be going back to that place. The pain of it was too hard for her to bear.

  “This is your home now, Zoe,” Jake said.

  She stared at him wondering what he was implying.

  “Your home is with us.”

  “This really is not a one-time deal, is it?” she asked.

  “I think you already knew that.”

  Zoe blushed when her stomach growled. Jake chuckled. “I think that is my cue to leave and let you get dressed.”

  She watched as he moved towards the closet. He pulled out a pair of jeans and a checkered shirt. “Here, we bought you these.”

  “You got me clothes?”

  “Yeah, we all started buying stuff for you six months ago.” Zoe climbed out of the bed, wrapping the sheet around her waist. She went straight to Jake and hugged him close. No one, besides her parents, had ever gone out with the intention of buying her something. His arms surrounded her. She felt tears well up in her eyes. The emotion was too intense and unexpected.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Where it comes to you, Zoe, nothing is ever too much.”

  ****

  Jake walked down the stairs giving Zoe some privacy. He knew the clothes had made her happy. The tears he’d seen in her eyes were evidence of that. Brent was at the counter reading the morning paper while Connor was pulling out another tray of croissants from the oven. He knew Connor was dealing with a little bit of guilt. Understandable considering what the bastard had done last night.

  “How is she?” Connor asked.

  “Fine.” He poured himself a mug of coffee and waited for the woman in question to arrive. She’d looked so soft and inviting in her bed. Jake had wanted to get rid of his clothes and join her. Work, however, was on the cards for him.

  “Do you really think she’s going to eat all this?” Brent asked, pointing at the plate of pancakes, the two dozen croissants along with eggs and bacon. “I bet she doesn’t touch this food.”

  Jake laughed at the glare Connor sent Brent. It was obvious Connor had been dealing with his guilt and not thinking clearly.

  “She needs to keep her strength up.”

  “If she eats all this, she’ll need her strength to carry her out of the door.”

  “Look, why don’t you stick to writing porn, and you stick to whatever it is you do. I’ll handle the cooking.”

  They still hadn’t figured out what he did to earn his extra money. He loved being anonymous with his time. The attic room upstairs which he’d converted to a studio was incredibly private.

  “I don’t write porn. I write erotic romance.”

  “Same difference,” Connor said.

  A growl emitted from Brent.

  “There is a huge difference actually,” Zoe said, standing in the doorway. They all were startled and turned towards her.

  The jeans were a perfect fit, and the checkered shirt moulded to her curves perfectly.

  “You’re a writer?” she asked with her gaze on Brent.

  “Yes.” Jake laughed when he saw the blush stain Brent’s cheeks.

  “And you write saucy romances for women?”

  “And men. Just because we’ve got dicks doesn’t mean we don’t like a little bit of hot romance either.”

  “You sound like a girl,” Connor said.

  “Coming from the guy who owns a pink standing mixer,” Brent said.

  Zoe chuckled. “Not only that, you do bake.”

  “Baking makes me a girl?”

  “No, but in the past it was considered to be a woman’s place in the kitchen. I guess in this partnership, you’re the woman,” Zoe said.

  Connor advanced on her. Within seconds he had her pinned against the refrigerator.

  Jake watched to see Zoe’s reaction. She was smiling at Connor, and her body was completely open to him.

  “Do you need me to remind you how much of a man I am?” he asked.

  He watched her rub her hand against Connor’s crotch. She was teasing, and he saw the sparkle in her eyes.

  “Why would I want to do that when you walk away afterwards?” She pulled out of his hold, kissed Jake on the lips and then did the same for Brent.

  The message rang throughout the kitchen. She was pissed at Connor and showing him by taking favour with Jake and Brent.

  “I didn’t think you’d want me after,” Connor said. His arms were folded over his chest. Jake saw the defensiveness inside his friend.

  “So, I’d rather you use me and then leave the clean up for your friends? Is that how you did this with other women?” she asked.

  “Not all of them would stay long enough for me.”

  “I’m a slut for letting you have your way?”

  “What? No, I never said that.”

  “Good, then next time we’re all together, you’ll be the one staying to do the clean up after wards.” She walked right up to Connor and poked his chest. Jake fell totally, completely in love with her for that action alone. She was proving she could stand up to them. He damn well liked it. Especially because the person getting the poked chest was Connor. The guy needed to learn some manners. “I swear, Connor, the next time you walk away I’ll crush your balls. Do you understand?”

  Connor stared at her. Jake saw the admiration in his eyes. “Next time?”

  “You guys said you wanted me for more than a one night stand, so you’ll prove it.” She moved back to pour herself a coffee. Jake saw her hand shaking. He stayed in his seat waiting for her to make the next move. This was what she needed. He knew that and understood why. “I’m not moving in with you. I’m not ready for that. However, the other stuff. The dating you guys used to ask me on, I’ll be willing.”

  “Good, but you’ve got to promise us something, Zoe,” Jake said.

  “What do you want?”

  “You’ve got to promise us you’ll not step foot outside of Law Castle. You’re ours until further notice.”

  She nodded her head. “All right. I promise I will not leave Law Castle.”

  “Good.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Zoe finished her coffee while Jake, Brent, and Connor tried to eat some of the food Connor had cooked. He’d tried to get her to eat. She might be a big woman, but she couldn’t stomach food first thing in the morning. Maybe it was one of the reasons her weight stayed, no matter how many diets and exercise regimes she followed.

  “I can take the food with me to The Dugout. I need to go and speak to the manager to make sure I can continue to work there.”

  “Tell Steve he’d be doing us a big favour, and we’d offer to do something for him,” Jake said.

  Steve, no last name known to her, rarely stayed at the bar after hours. He was there for the morning deliveries and when she went to pick up her wages. For a bar owner, he lived like a recluse.

  “I will. Can someone give me a ride?”

  “Sure, I’ll drive you over,” Connor said.

  She went to argue with him and thought better of it. Jake and Brent kissed
her before they left the house leaving her alone with Connor. He packaged the food into boxes for her. She helped him transport them to his truck. They walked back in the house together. Zoe didn’t see him stop until it was too late. She careened into his back. Connor caught her in time so her ass wouldn’t hit the floor.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  He kept looking at her. She knew he had something to say. Instead of waiting for him, she pulled out of his hold. “We’d better get that food to The Dugout.”

  Connor nodded pulling away from her. He switched off the lights and wiped down the counter. They walked out to his truck together. He opened the door for her then helped her inside.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  He nodded his head. The tension between them was mounting. She didn’t like it. Zoe felt like he was trying to talk to her without saying words. It was a strange feeling to have. She’d never communicated through eye contact before. He got in on the driver’s side, started the car, and pulled away from the curb.

  Zoe spent a most of the trip looking out of the window. It was only a short trip. When he pulled up outside The Dugout, he cut the engine, and neither moved.

  “Did I hurt you last night?” he asked.

  She turned to face him, not answering his question.

  “Did I?” he asked, after some time had passed.

  “It is a hard question to answer, Connor.”

  “Physically, did I hurt you?”

  “A little, but you’re a big guy. I imagine some women struggle with you.”

  “Then how else did I hurt you?”

  She sighed not wanting the conversation.

  “Can we leave this to another time?”

  “No, I want to have this conversation now.”

  “Fine, then what happened to your parents?” she asked. Her anger increased as the walls pulled up around him.

  “I’m not talking about my parents—”

  “Then I’m not talking about last night.”

  She pulled on the truck handle. The door didn’t budge. “What’s wrong with this door?”