Task Force Three and the Irish Jewel [The Men of Five-O #3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) (12 page)

“Please. I don’t want this,” she barely whispered, but her body swayed back against his cock in contradiction.

He licked along her soft neck, letting his teeth gently follow the slightly raised vein. He sensed her fear combined with her arousal. He had to make her see that this was meant to be.

“Oh yes,” Ava moaned, and he took it as a sign to feel a little more of her perfect curves.

He softly caressed her arms from wrists to shoulders then moved his hands.

He was a demanding man and even more demanding wolf, yet he found himself taking his time with Ava.

“Would it be so bad to have five men take care of you, protect you, and provide for you?” he asked softly against her ear as he moved his hands under her arms to cup both breasts. Ava moaned as she pressed back against him.

“You have lovely breasts, Ava.” He pressed them together, the lace lifting slightly as he watched them in the mirror. “Look at them, Ava. Look at how perfect they fit in my hands,” he teased then released one breast to press his hand inside the material and against her skin.

Ava moaned then pressed back against him, adjusting both her hips and chest so he could gain better access. He held in the chuckle of celebration. She was enjoying this. She felt the attraction.

Pressing his other hand along the taut muscles of her flat belly, he reached her hip bone and squeezed her to him.

Before he could go any further and explore her with his lips, he heard his brothers beckon him to return to the kitchen with Ava.

“You feel so soft and smell very good to me, mate. I’m concerned about that cheek. We really need to get some ice on it.”

She opened her eyes, appearing dazed a moment, then recovered and pulled away from him. He stepped away from her and watched as she grabbed her shirt and covered herself up.

“Come,” he told her as he held his hand out to her. She locked gazes with him a moment, appearing flushed. She didn’t take his hand. Instead she brushed right by him and walked independently back to the kitchen.

It appeared that the interruption pissed off his mate.

* * * *

Ava watched the men as they helped one another prepare some food in the kitchen. She held the bag of ice to her sore cheek but didn’t dare look at her arm that throbbed. The way these men reacted to her bruised cheek was enough to scare the crap out of her. Besides, the way that Kyle checked over her injuries made her practically come in her jeans. Her nipples were still hard, and her belly quivered with sexual need. She had never thought about sex so much in such a short period of time. She wanted him to shove those thick, long fingers down her pants and press them against her pussy. The need was so overwhelming she nearly blurted out her desires. But in a snap he switched right off and seemed to be right back to business. It didn’t mean anything to him. She didn’t mean anything. She was acting like a lovesick puppy or worse…a sap. She looked up at each of them, realizing that she would have done the same thing if any of the Declan men tried to touch her as Kyle had.
I need rest to clear my head.

They acted like their concern was so deep, and it made her feel like shit for running from them despite the fact that it could all be an act. She especially felt bad about Willy. God knew why. He was so obnoxious back at her apartment even though his kiss nearly knocked her on her ass. She caught Sean’s eye then quickly turned away as she held the ice pack to her cheek. Sean explained that Willy was their Commander, their leader, and head Alpha. She fucked up when she drugged him, but it wasn’t her fault. These men had her so confused and filled with emotions she didn’t know her ass from her elbow. She felt numb, exhausted, and that was when she looked at the clock on the stainless-steel microwave and saw it was nearly three o’clock in the morning.

She lowered the ice, feeling the fatigue outweigh her hunger for food.

“Keep that ice on there.” Mick’s deep voice startled her as she immediately replaced the ice against her cheek a little too quickly. She felt the pain, cringed, then closed her eyes. Mick seemed so critical and had such an ego with his sexy dimples and jet-black hair. Her pussy clenched, and her nipples felt swollen. Just thinking about their good looks made her horny.

I’m so damn tired. Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out.
She repeated the words, hoping her body would listen. These men couldn’t be trusted. Hell! She couldn’t trust herself around them. They were too appealing.

In an instant she felt the hand against her cheek and another on her waist. The hand was warm yet firm against her hip bone. A tingling sensation went down her thigh, and she swayed a little toward the person, realizing she never even looked to see who it was. Her eyes popped open as she faced Sean. She could get lost in the depths of his blue eyes. They held her gaze, and she stared at his shoulder-length brown hair, imagining running her fingers through it or holding fistfuls as he thrust his cock deep into her pussy. Right now it seemed everything led to her pussy. She had never thought about the damn body part so much. It seemed she was obsessing over it. She nearly chuckled out loud until he gently squeezed her hip bone, clearing her fuzzy head a moment. His warm hand held her good cheek, and she closed her eyes, craving his touch. Despite her need to be strong and not give in to their seductive ways, she needed the connection.

“You’re exhausted,” he whispered as he brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. She pulled the ice pack away, feeling the heat of his stare and caress warming her and breaking down the fight she so desperately needed to hold on to.

He leaned a little closer, and she felt the rush of fire go over her skin. Then she remembered Kyle in the bathroom and how he instantly stopped all emotion as if their moment meant nothing. She couldn’t live with being nothing to him. Only something real and concrete would make her take a chance. Quickly she placed the ice pack back against her cheek, thankful for the coldness. She just wished the frigid temperature would freeze her libido so she wouldn’t make a mess of things.

“How’s the food coming along, Mick?” Sean asked with his eyes still holding Ava’s gaze. She prayed he couldn’t read minds then racked her brain, trying to remember every detail she knew about wolves. Did Brennan and Walt really explain everything to her? Obviously not. They left out the key important factor about mates and control. It seemed that she was at their mercy. Or perhaps there were certain standards or type of behavior a female needed to succumb to in the presence of Alpha males.

“All set,” Mick replied, standing on Sean’s other side.

Mick smiled softly. “Let me see how it looks.”

Ava removed the ice as Mick touched her chin and tilted it up with his thick, rough fingertips. She hardly understood his words as she absorbed his fine features. He appeared disgusted with the bruise. Not in a way that made him less manly, more in a manner of wanting perfection and expecting no less. It was just an assumption, a gut feeling she had that made her feel a little less perfect even if she didn’t have the bruised cheekbone. Thank goodness he hadn’t seen the slight redness on her waist as Kyle had. He might not want to touch her. She felt the disappointment as quickly as the thought reached her brain. He appeared more critical and clean-cut. But what did she know? Obviously, appearances could be deceiving. They were wolves hiding in human form. Was she overthinking their every move and word or was she suddenly feeling inferior and lacking in self-confidence? Was she contemplating an emotional attachment to these men?

“We should ice it some more after you eat something. I don’t like the way that deep bruising is spreading toward your eye. You might wind up with a black eye by morning. Unacceptable,” he stated before he nodded for her to place the ice back onto her cheek. His stern expression added to the intensity of his final word.

“It is morning,” Pat added to the conversation. She glanced at him and his intense gaze. Standing at over six feet three inches, with an expression of dominance and concern that made her swallow hard, he was just as good looking as the others. But he seemed intense and perhaps arrogant in a debonair type of manner. At least that was the impression she had thus far.

Ava remained silent. She was definitely losing her mind. She, with her lack of experience with men, couldn’t be so bold as to believe she pegged each of them so accurately. What did she really know about any of them except the obvious that kept slipping her mind? How in the world could she be a mate to five men? The thought alone set her internal thermometer higher, making her feel out of control with Mick and Sean touching her and standing so close to her. She might combust if the others surrounded her, too.

She felt panicky.
I need to get out of here.

* * * *

Mick watched Ava and knew she was exhausted and scared. Every time he looked her way, she appeared either ready to bolt or about to cry. He felt bad for her, and he wondered what she had gone through and about her life back in Ireland. As he watched her and the way her long brown locks cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, he imagined holding her close to him, perhaps grabbing a handful of the brown silk or running his fingers through it as he made love to her. He was shocked at all the wild, erotic thoughts running through his head. She was their mate, and it was all natural, but not to Ava. She was human, and she had been on the run for a while. He and his brothers would have to tread carefully.

He took a bite of food just as he heard his brother Willy.

“What the fuck happened? Is Ava all right?”
Willy asked through their mind link, sounding groggy and very pissed off.

“Excuse me,” Mick stated, grabbing everyone’s attention as he rose from his seat. His brothers knew where he was going and that Willy awoke, but not Ava. She was too tired to notice Mick’s abrupt departure.

* * * *

“Where is she?” Willy asked as he slowly sat up on the couch and ran his fingers through his hair. He was trying to regain his focus, but his body felt heavy and his mind groggy.

“She is in the kitchen with the others. They’re eating,” Mick stated.

“Is she all right?” Willy asked.

“She has some bruising along her cheekbone. She may have a shiner by morning.”

“Fuck! When I saw that piece of shit strike her I nearly shifted,” Willy stated as he debated about standing.

“Do you want to see her?” Mick asked, sounding cautious and rightfully so, because right now Willy’s wolf was furious and the man just as angry.

“No. If I see her now in the state I am in I will throw her over my knee and paddle her ass for what she has done. It’s better if the rest of you monitor her. How does she seem otherwise?”

“Ready to bolt.”

Willy widened his eyes before he shook his head. “She’s scared. We have to make her see that we mean to protect her, not place her in further danger. Obviously we underestimated her.”

“More easily said than done, Willy. She’s a tough one. She tried taking off after we ensured her that you would be okay after the sedative she gave you.”

“What? How far did she get?”

Mick chuckled. “Not far at all. She can feel the attraction. If we can just make her understand and accept it, then we can find out more about her and this Fenly character.”

“Tread carefully and restrain her if necessary. I’m not up for another excursion of chasing her. I’m going to go take a shower then head to bed. We’ll deal with this when I have a clearer head. Oh…and make sure she doesn’t have any more tranquilizers on her.”

Mick chuckled as Willy headed upstairs.

The house was totally quiet. Ava awoke, startled and unsure where she was for a moment until the softness of the bed, warm and king-size, encased her body. It must have been one of those special foam mattresses that contoured to a person’s body. She hadn’t remembered even getting into bed. She was so exhausted she hadn’t even awoken with one of her nightly nightmares. She looked around. The light of the early-morning sun filtered through the shades on the large custom windows. Her body fought to remain in place and rest a little longer. She wasn’t sore, just worn out.

She thought of them. The Declan brothers and their claim to her. Damn Walt, and damn the stupid Circle of Elders. She wasn’t going to let these men control her life, nor would she let a group of were she never met or knew existed. This wasn’t what she wanted. She had to kill Fenly and gain back what was rightfully hers and her ancestors’. She was wasting time dwelling on what could possibly happen between her and the men when she should be focusing on getting out of here. She wasn’t going to get all soft and cuddly with these men and forget her responsibilities. As wonderful as it felt to be held in a man’s arms and kissed so deeply, revenge mattered more. If she could get back to her apartment she could grab more syringes and perhaps kill Fenly here in the States. Then she could just hop onto a plane and reclaim the castle.
More easily said than done, Ava.

Carefully, as to not make any noise, she slowly rolled to her side and slid off of the bed. Still in her jeans and T-shirt, she looked around the floor and found her sneakers. She recalled Mick carrying her upstairs after she nearly passed out in the kitchen. He must have tucked her into bed, being sure to remove her sneakers. Considering that her clothes were still on, she was confident that the Declan brothers were gentlemen. They also seemed much older than her, despite their youthful appearances. Maybe it was their professions or just the whole confident wolf mentality, but it kind of made her feel inferior. She should be used to having to prove herself. Hadn’t she been doing that all her life? Even when it came to the family business and her father, she had to prove her capabilities.

She swallowed hard, feeling the tears fill her eyes. In the last twenty-four hours she hadn’t thought about him. The men had been a distraction. She couldn’t think straight here. She couldn’t plan her revenge and destroy Fenly from here and under the Declan pack’s perusal. She felt her belly quiver with fear, and her hands began to shake. She had survived on her own for the last two years, but she admitted to herself she did have money, Walt, and Brennan. Maybe this was a battle she would lose. She swallowed hard and shook the defeating thoughts from her tired mind. She was an O’Brian, and O’Brians didn’t give up easily.