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“You feel it, don’t you? When one of us kisses you, you feel the attraction, the power of this connection.”
“I want to. I want to accept it, to explore it and take a chance, but I can’t,” she said, pulling away.
He grabbed
her hand and pulled her back and against his chest. He held her tight and stared down into her eyes. “Why, Shawna? Why can’t you let us in?”
“I’m afraid. Afraid to trust you, afraid to let you into my heart, and afraid that you will hurt me even though you claim such noble intentions.”
He thought about her words and the emotions he saw in her eyes. She needed time. They couldn’t push her.
“I understand. But our desire for you grows stronger every day you’re in our lives. I know that you’re scared. Hell, we’re scared, too, because we’ve always had just one another and now we all want you to be part of us. One team, one family. It’s a risk. But it’s one we’re willing to take. Won’t you take the risk, too? Baby steps and all, just don’t turn your back on these feelings. They’re too strong, and too perfect, baby.”
She hugged him tight and never responded as the nurse came into the room to check on Keith. Stitch would tell his brothers about this conversation and make them see that she needed time. Now that the danger was behind them all, time is what they had plenty of.
* * * *
Shawna was so tired she fell asleep against Stitch’s shoulder on the drive back to the ranch. She didn’t even wake up until she felt the hands on her body as someone opened the door. She blinked her eyes open to see Mercury standing there looking concerned and serious. She was shocked at how good of a rest she had against Stitch. So far at night she pulled her comforter and pillows into the large walk-in closet and slept in there, deep in the corner. She felt safer having the walls around her. If the men only knew.
“Come on, honey, I’ve got you,” Mercury whispered.
“It’s okay. I can do it,” she said as she slid to the passenger door, her dress lifting to her upper thighs as she eased toward Mercury. She saw him look down and then lick his lower lip before he lifted her up and into his arms.
“Mercury, you can put me down, I said I’m fine.”
He looked down into her eyes and then glanced at her lips. “Maybe I want to carry you, and hold you close.”
She kept her arms wrapped around his shoulders and stared at his face, the shadow of whiskers on his skin as he walked her from the SUV into the house. The sun was already beginning to set, the rays cascaded through the large windows in the living room and toward the staircase. She could hear the other’s voices echo from the kitchen.
“Everyone’s in the kitchen.”
“I need to get washed up. You can let me down.”
He squeezed her a little snugger and carried her to the washroom. When he set her down, he trapped her against the wall with one hand against her hip and the wall and the other against her shoulder and the wall. He leaned forward. “I missed you.” Gently he pressed his lips to hers, and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt being kissed by Mercury. He was the fiercest, and the one in complete control. She didn’t feel guilty for letting him kiss her, she felt guilty for fearing that she couldn’t give them all what they were asking for. Yet the numbness she felt deep within her heart was turning to an ache. She didn’t know what it meant, but she fought, pushing to understand it.
He released her lips and then gently pushed a strand of loose hair away from her cheek.
“I’ll wait for you.”
She knew it was useless to tell him that he didn’t have to wait for her. Instead she nodded and then walked into the powder room, closed the door, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was flushed, her breasts full, and her body moist just imagining what it might feel like to be made love to by a man. But then came the thought of five men wanting her. Five retired military soldiers who represented her newest fears, yet her every fantasy come true.
* * * *
While Mercury and Shawna were in the hallway, Stitch explained quickly about his conversation with Shawna in the hospital today. Tex, Lee, and Tiek nodded their heads. “She’ll come around. She’ll see that this can work and it’s real,” Tiek stated.
“You seem pretty confident,” Tex said.
“I told you about what happened in the bathroom. Now with each of us working on kissing her, letting our feelings show, she’ll see this is legit and not some scheme to show loyalty to Keith,” he replied.
“Let’s talk more later. She had a rough day, and I think she’ll want to go to bed right after we eat,” Stitch stated.
As they gathered the food, the baked chicken, breadsticks, corn, and mashed potatoes, and set them on the table, Mercury and Shawna appeared.
“Hey, how are you feeling, darling? How was Keith?” Tex asked as he placed his hands on her waist, leaned down, and softly kissed her on the lips. Her cheeks turned red and she shyly looked down then at the others. Stitch saw everyone smiling softly. This was a good thing.
“I feel pretty good. Keith is the same. No change. He’s not worse, so that’s a positive,” she replied as Mercury guided her to her seat at the table.
“That is a positive sign,” Lee chimed in as he stood next to her chair, gave her shoulder a squeeze, and then walked to his chair.
