“Okay, so I don’t see the problem.”
“They aren’t serious about me. Would you consider a ménage relationship, sex with three or even four men, if they were only looking for a good time and to explore an attraction? I know I don’t want to walk around Chance with a ‘used goods’ sign plastered on my forehead. No thank you.”
Adel thought about what Mercedes said and she realized she feared the same thing. When she thought about entertaining an attraction to Will, she immediately thought about his brothers, too. It was like they were all connected. How would she face her friends and the employees at the company if Will, Leo, and Hank used her for sex? She would have to quit. She’d have to face Harold, their dad, and he knew the truth about what happened to her. He knew her father chose Bentley over her and that Bentley cheated on her and abused her. Harold would be disappointed and think maybe she was trying to use his sons for their wealth and connections.
“I know what you mean, and you’re right. I think we both need to be cautious and not take any chances with any men until we’re certain.”
Mercedes nodded toward the men as a group of them, including Taylor, Kurt, Warner, Leo, and Will, removed their shirts, showing off their sexy muscular bodies before they made their way into the water.
“Or until we become too aroused and needy to even care,” Mercedes said very seriously and Adel agreed and they both looked at one another and started laughing.
* * * *
“So you never got anything out of Adel about the caller?” Leo asked Will.
“No, things turned badly once I kissed her. It was like she freaked out and panicked. She sounded so insecure and untrusting, like we would use her and leave her for scraps.”
“What? Why the hell would she respond like that? We haven’t given her the impression that we would treat her like crap. This would be a big risk getting personal with our personal assistant,” Leo said then chuckled.
“Yeah, I want to get real personal with her and this waiting is killing me, but she’s scared, and it’s obvious someone hurt her.”
Leo scrunched his eyes together as they stood in the water up to their chests. He ran the water along his arms and shoulders.
“You think someone hurt her, like abused her or you mean broke her heart?”
“She’s an old-fashioned kind of girl. I think maybe both. If you heard the emotion in her voice as she took that phone call you would know what I mean. She sounded scared and like she was trying to be tough.”
“She can trust us though. You told her that we’re all interested?”
“She didn’t believe me. She even said that Hank never says a word to her or shows interest in that way and nor do you.”
“That’s because we didn’t want to come on too strong, but maybe we should step on the gas a little here?”
“I’m not sure, Leo, but I can tell you this, her kisses are addicting. What I would do right now just to hold her in my arms and kiss her.”
They heard the squeal and then looked toward the water’s edge to see Mercedes,
Adel, Alicia, and Marlena along with a few other women. Steve was filling up water guns and shooting them.
They were all laughing as everyone reached for a water gun and tried to fill it up. It was such a childish game to play but as Will caught sight of Adel running to hide with a water gun in hand he winked at Leo and they both made their way toward the shoreline to grab a water gun.
Of course there were smaller ones left but that didn’t matter.
“We’ll sneak around and get her on both sides,” Leo said and they filled the guns then ran up the beach and over the grass just as Adel came around the tree. To their surprise she had water balloons and threw them right at them one after the next.
Will got hit in the shoulder and Leo got hit in the head. Instead of stopping, Leo charged.
“Oh you’re in trouble now, Miss McKinley,” Leo told her and Adel screamed and laughed as Leo chased her.
In a flash he lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder.
“Leo! Put me down. Put me down,” she said but was laughing.
“Oh no, Adel, you’re in for it now,” Will said and squirted her with the water gun a few times as Leo brought her to the water.
“Wait, wait. I need to take off my cover-up. I don’t have a change of clothes.”
“Oh well, we’ll think of something later,” Leo said and then ran with her over his shoulder into the water, her sundress and all, and dunked her.