Robin and Her Merry Men (10 page)

Three weeks had passed without a word from the outside world. She k
new Mary was probably going ape
shit
by
not hearing from her, but it was the only way to protect her
and remain safe. With no idea
of
who was after her or what they knew, she couldn’t risk being seen
. Lack of word from John only seemed to clarify her suspicions. Knowing that, she didn’t want to go back. Not until she could face it without al
lowing her emotions to sway her. This was bigger than her personal relationships, and she had to have a clear mind when it came to any rash decisions or reactions.

On one particular night
after another great
carefree
gathering of music and stories, Will waited for her to walk to her room. Inste
ad of the normal lazy romantic parting, his kiss held more depth.
His hand wound in her hair, tilting her head back to gain entrance, tugging her body against the bulge in his jeans.
Her heart spiked, skipping a beat or two. She knew it was wrong, but being with Will felt right. He made her feel things she hadn’t ever felt before in her life. Protected. Loved. Special. Will didn’t try to stop her from putting herself on the line to do what she felt was right. He encouraged her to make a difference how she s
aw
fit. Somewhere, deep down,
Robin knew he wouldn’t let any
thing happen to her. All this crap that had stirred
might have had her scared before, but not now. Not as long
as she was here—
with Will.

“Mmm. You
feel what you do to me? I’ve gone
to bed for the past month wanting you, Robin.” Her breath hitched, stolen again by another kiss
.
Robin gave herself over to him
, entwining her arms around him. She cupped the back of his neck, pulling him in for more. She sucked his bottom lip between her teeth, nipping every so lightly. Will let out a groan, diving in and out of her mouth like he wanted to thrust his cock in her pussy.
He broke their connection, sliding his lips down her jawline and neck, stopping at that tender spot just above her
collarbone
. She could feel his warm breath along her flesh, the moisture cooling in the night breeze. The tip of his tongue traced a little trail to her throat where he sucked gently. The little sting his teeth created ignited her arousal even more.

“Will.” One breathless word was all it too
k. Without breaking their make
out session, he walked her backwards into his cabin, reaching around her to open the door. The room was dark with no candles or lanterns lit, but he managed to get her to the bedroom without falling over the living room furniture he ha
d brought after he was evicted from his home. Downsizing sucked, but he still had the basics and personal items that made it his.

“Stay here for a sec,” he mumbled against her mouth. She didn’t comprehend what he said until he moved away and she felt the instant loss. Instead of the reluctance she should be experiencing as the fog in her brain cleared slightly, it was the opposite. Having a moment to evaluate what was happening only made her want him more. He had taken his time, not rushing their relationship to this point. Now, it was time to show him what she wanted
.

Will fumbled around in the darkness, gathering the l
ighter off
the bedside nightstand and felt his way over to the dresser where the lantern sat. His fingers fumbled, shakily sparking the lighter three separate times before he got the wick lit. The warm glow cut through the room, and he turned. He almost knocked the lamp off the dresser and caught the whole damn place on fire when he saw a naked Robin laid out across his bed like a buffet of the most delicious de
s
sert ever created.
The innocence and unsur
e
ty in her big turquoise eyes made his dick almost explode. With no
thing covering
her but her hair, she waited.
Her body was amazing. From her pert handful
-
sized breasts down to her flat stomach and round hips, she was a goddess
disguised
as an outlaw.

When he
finally
got over the initial shock and could move, he stalked her. Slowly he stepped toward the bed, pulling his shirt up over his head a
nd tossing it across the room. Next came his shoes, kicked in opposite directions. He didn’t break eye contact. He couldn’t. She was a spell
—
summoning his heart, body, and soul.

Robin knew she was risking ruining the moment by making such a bold move, but that’s
who
she was.
I
t was all o
r nothing with her. With John had been the same, and even now she didn’t regret it.
If you didn’t grasp life by each moment, what all would you miss
? But now, here with Will, it was different. Instead
of the rushed roughness
with John, this had emotion. Content. Meaning? Before
she
overanalyzed
her heart more, the sight of Will stole her attention.
The man was perfect. His muscles were from hard manual labor and not from a gym. The sun bronzed farmers tan was sexier than any model o
r movie
star
. He was pure alpha male
, and she wanted him.

He must have read her thoughts, because he now loomed over her with a palm at each of her sides. “You. Little Robin Hoode
. A
re unbelievable.
Pure
p
erfection.” His random words hit a cord in her that had her falling for this man, and falling hard.

“As are you,
Will Scarlet
.” Just the way his name rolled off her tongue like plush velvet pushed his control. It took every ounce of his power not to take her. There was no way in hell he could hurry through this.

“I’m going to explore every inch of you
,
baby. And when I’m done, I’m going to do it again. I’ll never get tired of seeing you. Or touching you.” He lowered to his knees on the floor beside the bed and bent to kiss her ankle, flicking his tongue in little laps. “Or tasting you.”

She couldn’t put together coherent words. A soft mewl escaped her lips, ending on a breath.
He kissed up her calf, thoroughly loving each spot before ascending to the next.
“So sweet.” His tongue traced along the inside of her knee, making it impossible to hold still. It was sweet torment. The anticipation of where he would go next had her body heating to over boiling and tipping toward the temperature of the sun. And then it quadrupled. He crawled over her slowly, moving his nips and licks up the inside of her thigh to stop just short of where she wanted him most. She could feel the heat radiating against her pussy and
involuntarily
arched up for contac
t. Her body was taking over.
Now that he was in reach, her hands massaged first through his hair, then down his neck and the ripples of his shoulders. When he licked the crease of her leg, she came undone. Both of her hands dug into him, pulling him down to her. Instead of the contact she desired, he stopped and
rose
up to look at her. “No. No rushing. Tonight isn’t about that. It’s about getting there. I want to love you like you’ve never been loved
,
baby.”

His words sent a gush of cream from her cunt, dampening the inner sides of both legs.
“Then let me do the same.” She moved to sit up, only to have a flat palm gently hold her in place. Robin sighed, looking at him puzzled.

“Soon, but not now. I want you to just feel.” Before she could protest, he licked up to her belly button,
giving
butterflying kisses around it before he m
ove
d north. When he got to her breasts she wanted to scream. He was driving her crazy. Both of her hands roamed freely, itching for him to move higher enough where she could see what
a
waited behind his jeans. When he latched on to her nipple, all coherent thoughts dissipated. He sucked lightly at first, stopping to lick and tease the hard nub before slightly blowing cool air over it. When he took it in his mouth and rolled it between his teeth,
the tingling he created shot straight to the pulsating walls of her cunt. Her back arched off the bed, greedily receiving the attention. He released her and moved to the next, giving it the same orgasmic treatment as the first. Will traveled back up her neck and landed on her lips, absorbing the desperate frenzied hunger she gave with only more fuel to her fire in each lick. His bare rock hard chest brushed against hers in just enough pressure against her nipples she could feel
an
orgasm budding in her womb. Both of her hands slid down between their bodies and unbuttoned his jeans, springing free his
rock hard cock. Unable to resist, she clutched it, stroking her fingers along his length.

“I want you
,
Will. Please.” Every muscle in her body shook. Her hand circled around him, unable to touch. He was huge! “Oh my…” she panted. Her lungs burned with the need for oxygen as he thrusted in her hand. She shoved the rough material down with her other
hand
and drew her feet up to hook both big toes in the waistband and proceeded to shuck his jeans off, bunching them at his feet. A throaty laugh echoed against her neck.

“Now that’s a talent I’ve never seen before.”

“What can I say, I have learned to improvise in any situation. Please
,
Will
,
I need you
now!
” Her voice was low and husky.

“Mmm
,
I like it when you beg.” Will knew he should prep her more, but his control was slipping. When she swirled the pre—
cum
that had leaked out around with her finger, he snapped. He pulled out of her hand and nudged the head of his shaft on her lips, coating her juices on him with each swipe. Robin parted her legs wide, welcoming him to go farther
—
so he did. With one hand beside her face rest
ing
on his forearm and elbow and the other guiding him into the opening of her sweet spot
,
he pushed, gritting his teeth to prevent
himself from
shoving in hard. Her pussy kissed the head of his dick, suctioning him in
its
tight sheath.
Robin moaned in delight. He pushed against her muscles, stretching her with each centimeter he moved into her. “So tight…so good…
”
Will
held his breath, moving both hands to rest on the bed while he concentrated on not hurting her.
He had no idea she would be so small. He mentally kicked himself for not stretching her out first so she wouldn’t hurt but there was no turning back. As easily and slowly as he could, he pressed on, watching her head tilt up and shove against the pillow. Once he was fully seated
,
he stopped. She squeezed him as her body adjusted, relaxing slightly to his size. Her hips lifted up and down to move him and he knew she was ready. “Look at me
,
baby. I want to see you while we make love.”
Her eyes opened and met his, reflecting the same emotion he felt in his heart. As they made love, Will fell deeper and deeper
in
love with her. For hours they rose and fell
together
into the throws of orgasm
,
until their bodies
were exhausted. He rolled off
Robin and pulled her against him, cocooning her body as she faded off to sleep. Tonight had been one he would never forget, and would cherish forever. Never had he experienced multiple orgasms without breaking in between, but what this one little fragile woman did to him there were no words. In one night, she had claimed him for always.

Every night, Will delved in the deliciousness of
his
Robin, waking to her in his arms when the sun rose for a new day. And, just as the sun and the moon rose with each cycle, he discovered more about every inch of her body. From her hot little mouth that had milked him of his seed to the taste of her sweet cream, he looked forward to having her in his arms, and his bed
,
every day. They had snuck off from the others for a quick needed release, and made love under the bright full moon
until the sun peeked over the horizon
. He couldn’t get enough of her. Any chance he got, he stole her away to get his fix. Her body wasn’t the only thing he craved. He lived fo
r her stories and conversation and
his heart thirsted for her every waking minute. He was utterly and completely in love with her.

Robin lay wrapped in Will’s embrace as the forest began to awake
n
, the birds singing and the animals stirring in dawn’s dim light. Arguing erupted outside, pulling her out of a deep sleep. She tried to wake enough to see what the noise was about, but was still coasting between awake and asleep. When Will moved from beside her and got out of bed, she reluctantly rose. “What’s going on?”
h
er sleepy voice cracked as she rubbed her eyes, trying to focus. He stood, pulling on his jeans and shoes beside the doorway.

“I don’t know, but I’ll go find out. Go back to sleep
,
baby, keep the bed warm for me. Today we are going to sleep in.
” He bent down and peppered her face with kisses, making her giggle.

“Hurry back.”

“Yes
,
ma’am.” He strolled out the door, looking back at her once. She watched, smiling to herself. How had the grumpy asshole turned into such a hopeless romantic? She couldn’t believe how lucky she was. Never in her wildest dreams had she expected to be anything more than
acquaintances
with him, and here she lay tangled in his blankets, in his house, with him. Destiny had a mind of its own. The shouting escalated, tearing her from her dreamy thoughts and jarring her back
to
awake.

“Where is she! Don’t threaten me you piece of shit!”
t
he voice boomed, surly waking
anyone who was lucky enough to still be asleep.

“You have three seconds
to get Robin before things get
ugly
,
” John’s voice was low and lethal, his shoulders squared off and his hands in fists. Robin jumped out of bed
,
threw her jeans and hoodie on
,
and ran to the door. As she started out the door, she caught sight of Will and Collin both in a standoff with him and the others all close by.

“That’s funny,
truly. See, the thing is, she doesn’t want to see you. So
I’m
going to count to three and if you aren’t running for your life away from here, chances are slim that you’ll be seeing much of anyone
—
ever.” Collin took a step forward, moving shoulder to shoulder with Will. Robin didn’t know how John had found his way out here, but if she didn’t step in, he might not find his way out. She crossed the threshold and started down the stairs, her bare feet silent on the wood. No one noticed her until she ran to the scene, her eyes wide.

“What’s going on?”

“Robin! Thank God you’re okay. We need to talk.”

“That’s unfortunate, because you aren’t welcome here. Now, when Robin is ready to talk she can find you. It’d be in your best interest to forget the way out here. If you show up again, I will kill you
,
” Will growled.

Robin snapped her head between them and John, unsure
of
what to say. If she didn’t think of something soon,
there was going to be a
cockfight
. “Hold it
,
guys. John, what do you want?” Her hand perched on her extended hip, eyes narrowed and accusing.

“Wha
—
? What the hell is going on here? Are they brainwashing you? What do
you mean what do I want? Robin,
I had to move hell and earth to find you
. There are people looking everywhere for you.”

“I know. Which is why I can’t go back. Not now, maybe not ever.”

“Wha-what?” He stammered, still looking lost. Could
he really be behind it all? If the look on his face was anything to judge by, there was no way he could have set her up.

“Someone knew it was me
,
John. Now the question is, who? And more importantly, how?” Will and Collin moved to her sides, facing off against John. All it would take was one wrong word and the badass brothers would pounce.

“You can’t think I had anything to do with it…
Robin
,
what the hell?”

“Actually, Robin can think whatever the fuck she wants to, rich boy. You
,
on the other hand
,
need to leave. Now.” Will stepped forward, closing the distance between them and gently ushering Robin behind him.

“And I can speak for myself. Everyone needs to calm the hell down.” She pushed her way back in between them, unwilling to let egos go to blows. “Now, John. Do you know who was at my house?”

He glared first at Will and back to Robin, his lips curved in a snarl. “Vancover’s men. He checked the security cameras and had everyone who left early investigated.
You weren’t on them…as we both know. What we
were unaware of was your dad had followed you that night. He has had y
ou tailed for a few months now…
suspecting that because you didn’t fall into your place as their little social debutant, you were involved in drugs or something. His goof troop saw you park down the back street and waited, unsure what to expect. They
got photos of you making the drop
,
and went straight to Vancover
.
He of course sent out a team to recover the gem.
When you weren’t there, they sent out a damn
crew
to hunt you down.
The men that raided your house
didn’t find it of course, so they went to the police station and the mayor. Nottingham has made it his personal vendetta to catch you and make an example for poor people everywhere. He has been worried someone would take a stand, and you gave him enough leverage to make sure that no one will. It’s only a matter of time before he seizes all control over the city. The sad thing is, the government is clueless. They have agents and politicians neatly tucked in their pockets
,
all sitting on fat bank account
s
to insure their silence.”

“Shit.”

“I don’t buy it. See, I think you ran to your other rich asshole friends and sold her out. And when I prove it, Robin will see what I see when I look at you. A fake, self
-
absorbed, rich fuck who doesn’t give a shit about anything or anyone but making more money to pile on top of the
trust fund mommy and daddy left for you.” Will crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes searing holes in John.

“Who the fuck are you? I don’t care what you think
,
you lumberjack flannel
-
wearing redneck douche fuck! Robin
,
who is this?” He turned to her, expecting an answer. When she didn’t answer immediately, Will’s eyes fell on her too.

“These are my friends
,
John.” She
saw the
flash of hurt in Will’s eyes at her casual response.

“You forget.
I’ve known you all your life. Fo
rget what is going on out there.
W
hat the hell is going on here?” His look was condemning. It didn’t take long for both men to register the situation and realize she had been intimate with them both. They spent a few awkward minutes sizing each other up before turning their scrutinizing looks to her. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Panic and embarrassment choked her, making it hard to breathe. The longer she remained silent, the thicker the situation grew.

“I can’t deal with this right now.” In desperation, she ran. Robin knew that running from problems was never the solution but seeing the hurt on the two men in her life that she cared for was more than she could
bear
.
She was stupid to think a real relationship could come out of either. O
f course she had to screw it up.
W
hy wouldn’t she?

She jogged through the woods, her feet numb from the cold earth under them. Twigs and
briar bushes
poked her soles, leaving stinging cuts and gouges that would hurt like hell later when the
adrenaline
wore off. After about ten minutes, she slowed, almost hyperventilating. It had been years since she had had a panic attack, and given the crisp morning air
,
combined with her fear, it was a recipe for disaster. She clutched a tree trunk, trying to slow her breaths. The tightness ripped through her chest to her heart. It felt like someone was ripping it out with it still beating
—
except the pain in her heart wasn’t related in the slightest bit. As her inhales slowed, the pain grew.
So this is what a broken heart feels like. How am I going to fix this? How can I take on
M
ayor Nottingham? God
,
why did everything have to
be
so jacked up?
She shoved off the tree and began to walk, consumed by her thoughts.

She had no idea how long she had walked until she came to a dead end at the falls. The natural waterfalls were a good hour and a half hike from camp, meaning she had been gone probably double or triple that due to her uncanny directional skills. She sat next to the water’s edge, picking up a handful of pebbles to toss in.

‘Plunk!’
One after another she lo
bbe
d the little rocks at the wet surface, splashing her reflection. She couldn’t stand to look at herself. Two amazing men with whom she would be lucky to have
,
and she screwed them both up.
Maybe this is why I haven’t ever had a second date. God knows I’d just screw it up.

Two hours of
self-destructive
inner commentary later, footsteps came up behind her. She didn’t even turn to look. If it were some mountain man cannibal coming to kill her, let them. It was better than going back and having to face Will and John.

“Hey
,
sweetheart. So, this is where you took off to.” Collin sat beside her, joining her in tossing rocks at the pool. “Everyone is worried about you
.
”
When the tears finally broke free, she figured he wou
ld leave. Hell, she would have.
S
he was pathetic. Sleeping and having feelings for two men at the same time was wrong in so many ways. What kind of person was she? Her tears turned into wails as her heart unleashed
its
anguish and despair. Collin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, gently rubbing her hair and arm. “Sssshh. It’s okay
,
honey. Sssshhh. Calm down. It i
s
n’t all that bad now.” He cra
dled her until she cried it out and handed her a tissue out of his pocket. As soon as she stepped back in to the real world
,
she scooted back into her spot and stared off. After that little mental breakdown, she couldn’t look at him.

“Oh, it’s that bad.” She sniffled, blowing her clogged nose into the soft fabric. Collin sat quiet
ly
, giving her time
to
simmer before he attempted to make a point.

“When we were little, Will and I used to beg our parents daily for a dog. Will wanted a hound puppy one of our neighbors was giving away, and I had my heart set on a little chocolate lab with cute floppy ears and the
saddest
blue eyes you’ve ever seen. Every day, we’d walk by both places on our way to school and stop in to see them both. Momma said that animals took a lot of time and money she didn’t have, but she would allow us to pick one. Will and I argued, actually ending up in a
fistfight
over it and still neither of us would budge. One morning, Will came and woke me up before the sun rose and told me he had an idea where we would both get what we want. For the next six weeks of summer, we spent every day mowing lawns and doing chores for people in town. By the time school started, we had over three hundred dollars. Mom and dad were so impressed, they let us both get the dog we wanted
.”

Robin finally had twisted around to listen, touched by the story she had no idea what point it held. He smiled at her confused furrow. “What I’m getting at is that wh
en we realized what we would lo
se, we worked together to get what we wanted. Love isn’t something you can control
,
Robin. If they want you bad enough, they will resolve it and move on. If not, that just means less competition for me.” He winked, earning a smile.

“Thanks
,
Collin. I don’t see how this can work out though.
It’s not puppies. It’s two men.
A
nd I care for them both.
I’ve known John my whole life…
but the past couple months with Wil
l have been amazing. I…
I think I’m in love with him.”

“And John?”

She watched the blade of grass split in two between her fingers,
and sighed. “I don’t know. I care a lot about him. The thing is, I know I’ll fall for him too if given the chance. I guess I’m just greedy. The idea of losing eithe
r one is something I can’t bear.
”
Collin
stuck
out his bottom lip in a mock pout. She giggled, nudging him with her shoulder. “I couldn’t ever live without you either
,
Collin. Then there is the whole thing about me being a fugitive, being now homeless, and now probably losing all of the friends I have made here. I ruined everything.”

“No one is going to be mad, Robin. Franny and Sara were going nuts because you were gone. We don’t judge
,
sweetheart. We are your friends, no matter what. All of us.” He dropped a reassuring kiss on her forehead. “Come on. Bull will have the forest flattened soon if I don’t get you back.” He stood and reached for her hands, hoisting her to her feet. She wobbled, hissing in pain. Collin looked down and saw her blood covered feet and gasped. “What the hell!” He bent down and raised one of her feet to investigate, and cussed.

“It’s just a few scratches. Going barefoot in the middle of nowhere isn’t the best decision in the world, but given my current track record, it’s suiting.” Before she could wave him off
,
he had her other foot checked out and was tugging her to the water
’
s edge.

“Your feet are hamburger. Wash them off good while I go get a few things.” He had disappeared before she could protest. She bent down and scrubbed her sore skin,
almost puking when the removed dirt revealed a thorn the size of a pencil around and two inches long lodged in the pad of her left foot. She tried to remove it, but
every time
she moved it
,
a stinging ache spread up her leg. “Ouch!”
s
he hollered, unaware of Collin’s return. He saw immediately and gritted his teeth.

“Sit. Dang it
,
Robin
.
I should spank your ass for pulling a stunt like that. Let me see.” She did as he said and sat beside him while he pulled her feet up into his lap.

“I tried to get it out but it just makes it hurt worse.”

“That’s because these thorns have a poison on them. The Native Americans used to use them for weapons and hunting. Hold still. This is going to hurt like a bitch.” She gritted her teeth, dreading
its
removal. Before she could stop him he had it yanked out and was lathering her feet with a mixture of plants he had made a paste out of on a large leaf. The pain dulled instantly.

“Wow,
that stuff works great.”

“Another Indian trick. The forest is full of medic
inal uses.” He yanked off is t-shirt and tore it into shreds, tying them around her feet. “There.” He stood, helping her up again. She steadied herself, readying the long hike home when he bent down in front of her. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.” She stood there, staring.

“Collin, I can walk. I did
this;
I can live with the consequences. It was stupid to run, much less without shoes on.” She tried to step around him and he stopped her.

“There i
s no way in hell you are walking anywhere. Hop on. You’re getting a piggy back ride.” When she refused yet again, he scooped her up in his arms and left her no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck to hold on.

“You c
an’t carry me all the way back. I
t’s too far.”

“Yes I can, and I am. Now, we can either spend the rest of the time arguing, or we can figure out what to do about the mess you’re in with the law.” When she didn’t reply, he smiled inwardly. How could one woman be so gorgeous, so stubborn
,
and so damn
naïve
? His brother would be a bloody fool to let her go, and so would John. As much as he wanted her himself, he knew he had to sit both of the jackasses down and have a little talk. For now, he would focus on getting her back safe
ly
and hatch a plan to get the bounty off her head.