“I’m not going to hurt you, honey. Don’t be so scared. I know you feel it. I can hear your heart racing from here.” He looked away from her to take a sip of his seltzer.
“We’re looking forward to being downstairs at Dixie Chix. We can keep a better eye on you. Make sure you stay out of trouble,” Carl added.
“Please don’t do this to me,” she whispered as she lowered her head and clasped her hands together on her lap. Both men reached under the table and covered her hands.
She jerked at their move then looked back and forth between them. Richie looked very serious as usual. Both men were very big men. They were tall with large, wide shoulders. Richie’s facial features looked chiseled and intense, while Carl appeared more relaxed. But right now they both showed that same intensity.
“Juliet, we’ve been patient, but you see, we can’t wait anymore,” Richie began to say, and she felt that panicky feeling inside. Bot
h men squeezed her hand as they moved their chairs closer to hers.
“What he means to say is that watching other men flirt with you, touch your hair, and want you is making us crazy with jealousy. We like you, and we know that you like us, too.”
“I do like you, but I don’t date. I don’t want to be in a relationship with a man or men.” She felt her cheeks flush.
“Is that what scares you? Are you afraid of a ménage relationship? You worried about what people might say?” Carl asked her.
“Please don’t do this. If you’re going to try and pressure me, then I’m leaving. Right now.” She went to move, but Richie placed a hand on the back of her chair. She glanced around the room. They seemed to have grabbed a few people’s attention. She didn’t want that attention.
“I won’t leave. Let go of the chair, Richie.”
“I have your food ready for y’all,” the waitress interrupted and began to place the food down in front of them.
Juliet moved the food around with her fork. She watched as Carl and Richie began to eat their lunch. She stared at each man’s hands. They were large and muscular, including their fingers, which were long and thick. They were so much larger than hers. She liked how they felt on her skin, and she would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit how attracted to them she was. But she was also too scared to get close to them. She had guilt left in her heart over Danny’s death. She was the reason he died. She had caused it. Juliet just couldn’t take that kind of chance again. Carl and Richie were military men. They were strong, resourceful, and everything she could ever want in a man, or in this case, men, to start a serious relationship with. But inside, that guilt nagged her. So did the feeling that she would never be safe until the monster that haunted her dreams was dead. She just couldn’t get over it.
* * * *
After lunch, Juliet tried to get them to take her home, but Richie wouldn’t have it. She was scared. He knew that, and it concerned him. It had his inquisitive mind reeling for explanations and the investigator in him urging to interrogate her, but he wouldn’t. He knew she needed time, convincing, seducing in a sense. Whatever her fears were, he and his brother wanted to conquer those for her or at least help her to destroy them.
He watched as she stood near the big tree. She was leaning back as Carl was showing her how he could skip rocks across the lake. Juliet was a stunning woman. Her long red hair cascaded down her back. He watched as she reached up to push her bangs aside, and her large blue eyes looked stunning. She wore very little makeup during the day. At night she wore a bit more but not overkill. Her lips looked pink and full right now, and he had watched her applying lip gloss as they had walked from the Delite Café and Diner.
Her hands were tiny and feminine. Her nails were painted strawberry red, and she watched Carl trying his hardest to make the rock skip.
Richie moved closer to her. “You look so beautiful standing here.”
She turned her head up toward him. He closed the space between them, and she attempted to slide away from the tree and his grasp, but he was too quick. In a second, he had her pinned to the tee, his arms wrapped around her waist as he hoisted her up against his body. He wedged his thigh between her legs and used his other hand to cup her cheek.
Her breath quickened, and he stared at her lips.
“I can’t not taste you, Juliet. You’re just too appealing.” He began to lower his mouth when he felt her fingers grip his upper body.
“Please, Richie. I don’t want to start something I can’t finish.”
“Why can’t you finish it? Is there someone else?” he asked, and she lowered her eyes. It would kill him and surely his brother, too, if there turned out to be another man.
“Answer me,” he demanded, giving her body a little squeeze as he hoisted her higher.
“There’s isn’t anyone else.”
He didn’t wait for her to continue to deny the feelings she had. He covered her mouth with his. He kissed her thoroughly. He enjoyed the taste of her, the way she clung tighter to him, and when she moaned, he squeezed her against him. She was so petite, tiny, and fragile compared to him, yet she was all woman and filled with curves in all the right places.
He felt her begin to pull away, but he kissed her more deeply before he released her lips slowly. He kissed along her jaw and down to her neck.
“Oh God, Richie, please slow down.”
“You taste so good, Juliet. I’ve wanted you for so long, baby.” He licked across her throat then kissed and nibbled as he pressed the palm of his hand against her ass. She must have felt his erection, because suddenly she gripped him harder to stop him.
“Richie,” she pleaded. He pulled back slightly and stared down into her eyes.