Naughty Temptations

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

ADDISON

Bright, warm shafts of morning sunshine slashed across the four bodies in a tangled pile of limbs on the hotel bed. Why—how—was I awake? Because I think they broke me. Seriously!

The s****l excess had continued through the night, stopping only a short time before dawn. My body was sore and exhausted. I should be out cold, snoring, drooling on the chest pillowing my head.

My overactive brain was the problem. The damn thing won’t shut up. It kept spitting out a million different ideas and questions with absolutely no answers in sight.

How did this work?

What happens now?

Had it been a simple one-night hookup?

If that’s the case, how will I handle seeing them again after today? Talk about awkward.

“Stop it, baby girl. Go to sleep,” Dylan ordered in a husky tone. “I can hear your brain working overtime.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Jagger grumbled. “We claimed you. You’re ours.”

Hendrix chimed in with, “So sleep. Rest up for later.”

Later?

As if reading my mind, Jagger clarified, “You’re going to need your energy for round two.”

Round two?

I decided I didn’t want to know what that meant.

“You claimed me. I’m yours. But I don’t understand what that means.”

“f**k,” Hendrix growled. “Explain so we can all get some sleep, Dylan.”

Strong arms wrapped around me and I was dragged up the bed with Dylan, who piled pillows against the headboard and leaned back with me draped over his side. He scrubbed a hand over his face then started talking.

“We waited a long time to claim you, Addie. Gave you time to grow up, experience the world. That’s done and over.”

“What?”

I sat upright, fully alert, arms crossed over my chest, ready for a fight.

“It’s done. We’ve claimed you. That means you’re ours to take care of. We’re taking you home.”

“Home?”

Where the hell was that? None of us had a home. Not since my mother married their father, who traveled the world building clean power plants, had there been one place I’d called home. Once I’d finished school and started working, my own career had meant constant travel. The same went for Jagger, Hendrix and Dylan. Even after they left the military they’d worked as special operatives. None of us had put down roots. There were no permanent addresses. Every city was just another temporary stop before moving on.

“We bought a place on the Oregon coast, high up on a rocky cliff,” Dylan excitedly explained. “A bed and breakfast with a spa.”

“You’re going to love it,” Jagger sleepily mumbled.

“The renovations are almost finished. The four of us will head back there, settle in, get the place open and running, start a family.”

Dylan had it all figured out, except for one thing.

“I have a job,” I stated in a firm tone.

Yes, I remembered the bargain I’d made with God. But I’d been abducted and terrified when I’d vowed to quit and have no excitement or putting myself in danger if I got out of it in one piece. There’d been something about marrying a regular guy and becoming a housewife too. But no one, not even God, expected declarations made while in a dire situation to be honored, right? And if I did decide to honor my vow that would be my choice as a strong, independent, self-sufficient woman. No man would tell me what I was and wasn’t going to do. Not outside of the bedroom. f**k that!

Hendrix wrapped himself around me from behind, snuggled in close, and softly informed me, “No you don’t.”

“What?” I barked.

“No more job.” Jagger sat up and raked a hand through his messy hair.

I wanted to shove his hand away and take over finger combing the silky strands. Instead, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I will not be distracted from the conversation by their sexiness, damnit!

“Of course I have a job,” I grumbled.

“Nope,” Hendrix breathed into my ear then sucked on the lobe.

Sure, the part of my job I loved was coming to an end because of my age. That didn’t mean I couldn’t still be part of the unit. Yeah, doing what? Boring intel gathering or riding a desk. That wasn’t for me. But what the hell were they talking about?

I shot a glare at Dylan. Wasn’t he supposed to be explaining? He was doing a shitty job of it.

“We told the director that you quit.”

I snorted. “You can’t quit for me.”

“We did,” Jagger confirmed. “And we’re taking you home to Oregon.”

Hendrix picked up where his brother left off. “The four of us will run the bed and breakfast, and make babies.” He nuzzled my neck then growled, “Lots of babies.”

God, that was my dream but it sounded too good to be true. And I knew better than pin my hopes on wishes and fantasies. Plus, hello…independent, strong woman here.

“You can’t just make decisions about my life without my input and expect me to change everything for you.”

Jagger chuckled and Hendrix tightened his hold on me. It was Dylan who responded. “What part of we claimed you and you’re ours don’t you understand, baby girl? I can and will make the decisions for this family. You’re coming to Oregon even if we have to abduct you to make it happen.”

A deviant thrill raced through me at his words but I ruthlessly shut it down cold. Who the hell did Dylan think he was to make such declarations? The overbearing caveman! And the other two were nodding in agreement. Did they think I was some simpering, incompetent princess in need of saving? Ha! I’m a queen. I’ve got my s**t handled.

I remained silent and fumed, letting them dig themselves in deeper.

“You will no longer be working for the CIA, used as bait for human traffickers. Non-negotiable. We will all be going to the B&B in Oregon,” Dylan declared. “If you don’t want to help us run it, fine. You can find a safe job in town.”

Jagger added, “None of us, including you, believes in marriage or that it’s relevant, but you will be living with us in a committed relationship.”

“And there will be lots of s*x,” Hendrix, the horndog, whispered in my ear.

Three cell phones chimed with text messages within seconds of each other. I knew it wasn’t mine since it had been taken by the traffickers last night. All three men jumping to attention and checking their phones resulted in a variety of creative curses and grumblings.

They were already dragging on clothes as Dylan said, “We have to go meet our team but it won’t take long.”

“Get some sleep, Addie.” Hendrix shot me a lecherous grin.

“Stay in the room,” Jagger ordered. “We’ll bring breakfast back with us.”

Before I had time to adjust to the change in demeanor, they were dressed and armed, each kissing me goodbye before heading out the door.

Flopping back against the pillows with heavy sigh, I knew there was no way I’d be able to sleep. I needed to clear my head and the best way to do that was go for a run.

Pulling on a sports bra and my workout clothes, I scraped my hair back into a ponytail, laced up my sneakers and grabbed my iPod. I stretched in a grassy area behind the hotel, popped in my earbuds and took off at a steady pace.

After the first couple of miles the tension had dissipated and I found my regular, easy stride. I let my mind wander and by the sixth mile, I was picturing a life with roots, a permanent address, a town I knew. It sounded like heaven. And the Oregon coast…I had to admit that Jagger, Hendrix and Dylan truly knew and understood me. I loved the ocean and cloudy, rainy climates. I easily imagined jogging on the beach, kayaking in the surf or just looking out over the ocean sipping a glass of wine.

Don’t get me wrong, their delivery had been horrible. The Three Kings showed how they earned their titles by being stubborn, pigheaded, large-and-in-charge autocratic cavemen.

And then it hit me, a lightbulb turning on in my head and illuminating the truth. They’d behaved exactly as who they were, ex-Army Rangers accustomed to being in charge and making all the decisions. For Christ’s sake, I doubted they knew any other way. If I expected them to not try and change me, I couldn’t change them either. I had to accept them for who they were. And that was men who did not ask for input from a civilian they considered to be under their protection.

By the eighth mile, I’d worked everything out in my head and was anxious to see my guys, to tell them yes. I wanted what they did, never wanted to be without them. Cranking up the music, I picked up my pace and headed for the hotel with a big goofy grin stretched across my lips. That’s when my worst nightmares came back with a vengeance.

I didn’t hear anything, never sensed anyone was near. A pair of massive arms wrapped around me and lifted my feet off the ground. I screamed but had no time to fight. A tactical Hum-V pulled up, the door opened, and I was thrust into the dark interior, sandwiched between two big, solid bodies.

Not again. Never again!

My fight or flight response kicked in and I went ballistic, slamming an elbow into one man’s ribs and hitting the other’s jaw with an uppercut. I kicked, punched and even bit until I was slammed down flat on the seat, the full weight of a huge man pinning me down, and he got right in my face, holding my head still between his hands.

My vision cleared and I saw Jagger looking equal parts angry and terrified. I sobbed his name.

“I told you to stay in the f*****g room,” he chastised.

Turning my head to the side and I saw Hendrix kneeling on the floorboards next to the seat, his gray eyes wide and wild. “You didn’t even leave a note.”

I could see it in both their expressions, they’d been thrust back to the time I’d been twelve and they’d narrowly saved me from being abducted at a hotel in Russia. And the fresh horror of last night returned with a vengeance. I’d unintentionally scared the hell out of them.

With tears clogging my throat, I cupped Jagger’s cheeks and croaked, “I’m sorry.”

His lips crashed down on mine and he claimed my mouth with brutal possession. I willingly surrendered to his need.

He pulled back and before I could even drag in a breath, Hendrix’s mouth was on mine. His normal tenderness had been replaced with fierce dominance. As with his brother, I let him take what he needed from me.

Next thing I knew the door was ripped open. I was pulled from their arms and slammed up against the vehicle with Dylan in my face. “Never again,” he ordered.

I nodded my agreement and threaded my fingers through his hair. “Never.”

It took him longer to be satisfied I was all right before he ended his commanding kiss and hugged me tight. “Jesus, Addie.”

“I’m so sorry!”

There was no doubt what I was in for. After scaring them twice in less than two days, all three of my men were going to be in full on dominant alpha male mode. At least one of them would have his eyes on me at all times and I wouldn’t have a minute alone.

I wasn’t complaining. Not in the least. Because I’d realized something else.

Hendrix, Dylan and Jagger…they loved me. It was primal, fierce, possessive and ran soul deep. And it was all mine. There would be times I felt suffocated but I’d know I was well and truly loved by three men who would never look at another woman. I was it for them like they were it for me.

“I’m yours. Take me home!”