Van, Becca - Taming Olivia [Terra-form 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (10 page)

“Humph, men,” Olivia muttered, looking away from Tony’s penetrating blue eyes.

Olivia was thankful for the interruption as platters of food were laid out on the tables. She’d hoped the attention of the three men sitting with her would be drawn away. Her hope was futile. The three men sat staring at her, unblinking, making her squirm with vulnerability.

“Do you have to keep doing that?” Olivia hissed through her teeth.

“Doing what?” Hugh asked in confusion.

“Staring at me. Have I got spinach in my teeth or something?”

“What is spinach?” Tony asked, moving his chair closer to hers and placing one of his massive arms on the back of her chair.

“Never mind,” Olivia ground out, sighing and relaxing as Hugh removed his arm.

Tony picked up a serving utensil and began to fill her plate with food. Olivia knew she must look ludicrous. She could feel her mouth gaping at the amount of food he put on her plate.

“Stop. Do you really think one person could eat all that?” she asked, stupefied.

“Easily,” Tony replied then began to place an even larger amount of food on his own plate.

Olivia picked up her heaped plate, stood, leaned over the table, and picked up Hugh’s empty plate. “Excuse my bad manners, leaning over the table, but there is no way in hell I could ever eat that much food at once. Maybe over three to four meals, but not at once.”

“No wonder you’re so small. You don’t eat enough,” Tony replied and tried to put food on her empty plate.

Olivia snatched her plate out of the way. She was going to serve her own food. “Stop it. Please. I can get my own food.” She heard Tony sigh but was thankful when he gave up trying to ply her plate with food.

Olivia served her own food and began to eat. She had no idea what she was eating and wasn’t really sure she wanted to find out. The meal was delicious, and once she began, she didn’t attempt to speak again until she had finished. She watched surreptitiously as the three men ate. They had each mounded their plates high enough to feed a veritable army. She couldn’t believe the amount they packed away.

“Do you always eat like that?” Olivia asked, placing her utensils on her plate.

“Like what?” Tony asked after swallowing.

“The amount?” Olivia asked then realized she was being rude. She lowered her eyes and mumbled, “Sorry. Forget I asked.”

Olivia saw Tony reach over to her from beneath her lowered lashes. He placed a gentle finger beneath her chin, raising her eyes to his.

“You can ask anything you want, little one. You are our mate. It’s only natural you want to find out about us,” Tony stated.

“Olivia, we want you to ask us questions,” Cedric stated. “The only way for this relationship to work is for all of us to be open and honest with each other.”

“You’ve got to open up to us, honey. Stop trying to hide parts of yourself away from us. You think we don’t know you use that sharp tongue of yours when you’re scared?” Hugh stared intently at her until she lowered her eyes.

Shit. How the hell did they know that already? She didn’t want them knowing so much about her. It was the only way she could protect herself from being hurt again. And she knew it was as inevitable as the sun rising. She would end up with her heart broken, her soul ripped out of her. It had happened time and time again. She didn’t think she could stand the pain when they decided she wasn’t what they were looking for.

“Olivia, look at me,” Cedric commanded.

Olivia didn’t want to raise her gaze but couldn’t help obeying the command in Cedric’s voice. She looked up at his eyes, drawn into his depths, as they pinned and held her.

“You can fight us all you want to and we would never take from you what you are not willing to give. But we know you have feelings for us, Olivia. We can see them in your eyes when you look at us. You can’t fight fate, sweetheart. As much as you want to, you can’t fight it. You can’t run from your feelings, Olivia,” Cedric said in a gentle voice.

Olivia lowered her eyes, not wanting to be caught in Cedric’s assertive gaze anymore. She didn’t know what to do. She had already given Cedric and Hugh her body, and she knew damn well she had feelings for Tony. She didn’t really want him to back off. She wanted him to take the choice away for her and claim her, but she knew he wouldn’t do that. She tried to imagine how she would feel if he was no longer in her life, trying to woo her into his bed. She felt pain pierce her heart, and she knew she had only been trying to fool herself. She didn’t know if she could hold them off for long. Not that she really wanted to. They were already chipping away at the protective walls around her heart. She’d already shared parts of herself she vowed she’d only ever share with April. And even though she’d told April some things, she now wished she hadn’t told her friend everything. In the end, she was the one who always ended up on the short end of the stick. She was the one who was always abandoned, left to pick up the pieces of her battered, broken heart and soul.

Olivia pushed her plate aside, stood to her feet, and moved away from the table before they could stop her. “I’m going to get some air. I’d appreciate it if you would leave me alone for a while.”

Chapter Ten

Olivia knew she probably should have stayed and cut down the three men with her tongue, but she was tired of fighting. As much as she didn’t want them chipping away at the walls she’d built up, she knew she had feelings for them and wanted to be able to express what she felt, instead of being such a bitch. She was so tired of fighting and keeping her mates at arm’s length. She wanted to feel loved and cherished. They treated her so well, and she had been so nasty in return. Yes, she now had April again and knew she would be lost without her best friend, but she knew even her and April held themselves back from each other. Being the good friends they were, she and April used humor and satire to bolster each other. She’d never realized how much until she was totally out of her comfort zone. Finding herself in a strange land with strange people made her feel so vulnerable and insecure. She had never realized she was such a coward. She kept trying to run instead of making a stand like she had with her recalcitrant aunt. It had become a habit to run or let her waspish tongue take over, and she didn’t know if she could let go. She needed to decide what she really wanted, but if she was honest with herself, she already knew what to do to free herself from her self-imposed prison.

Olivia stiffened, feeling a male presence behind her. She didn’t turn around, too afraid to see the knowledge of her cowardice in their eyes. She wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself defensively and protectively. She straightened when she realized how her body language portrayed her emotions.

“Olivia, why don’t you come back to our rooms? It’s getting late, little one.” Tony’s deep voice rumbled from behind her.

“I just need a few minutes alone. I thought I’d already made it clear I wanted to be left in peace.” Olivia spun round, sneering at Tony.

“You can’t stay out here all night, baby. It’s not safe and you’ll get cold. Let us look after you, Olivia.”

“I don’t want to. I don’t want you. I don’t want them. I want to be left alone,” Olivia yelled in desperation.

“You’re lying to yourself, Olivia. You want me as much as you want Cedric and Hugh. You can deny it all you want, but your body doesn’t lie, babe.” He reached out, gently clasping her upper arms in his massive hands. He pulled her into his body, holding her against his stomach and chest.

“I can’t do this,” Olivia sobbed, tears leaking from beneath her closed eyelids. “I don’t know how.”

“Do you think we do? We never even imagined we would be lucky enough to have a woman of our own. We know about sex, but we have no idea about love, relationships. We’re all in the same boat, babe. We are going to have to learn as we go along, but the only way we can make this right between the four of us is if you talk to us. We need you to tell us what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling. We also need time to get to know each other. I’ve worked with Cedric and Hugh for years, but I’ve never seen this softer side of them. We are all going to be learning together, baby. We want to know if something we do or say angers you. We don’t want you hiding from us. If you do, how we will ever learn? How will our relationship survive?”

Olivia rested her head against the bottom of Tony’s sternum, since her head only reached just below his pectoral muscles. He was such a big man. Who would have believed he would be so gentle with her? What he’d said was true. She knew she was going to have to learn to open up, or they were all doomed. But they all had to learn that the fastest way to piss her off was to tell her what to do. They were all going to need to comprise.

Olivia stepped back a couple of steps so she could look up into Tony’s eyes. “I’ll try to be more open and honest, but I’m not promising anything. I’ve lived like this for years, it’s who I am. I’m not going to be able to change overnight.”

“I understand that, baby, and so do Cedric and Hugh. We’re all in this together, all learning from and about each other. We know that doesn’t happen overnight. It can sometimes take years and years for people to fully understand each other. Come on, let’s go inside?” Tony asked, holding out one of his large hands to her.

Olivia took a deep breath, stepped forward, and placed her hand into his. His large hand engulfed hers, making her feel so small and lost, but also very feminine. She walked by his side, surprised she was able to keep up with him. She looked over to his long legs, realizing he was practically shuffling his feet. A giggle bubbled up from her chest. She covered her mouth with her free hand and looked away quickly, hoping Tony hadn’t noticed. She should have known better.

“What’s so funny?”

The question made her burst out with laughter. She just couldn’t contain her humor anymore. She let go of Tony’s hand and doubled over clutching her stomach, tears rolling down her face, her breath nearly nonexistent in her bout of hysterics. Finally her laughter dissipated enough for her to stand upright. She wiped the tears from her face, still smiling as she met Tony’s amused gaze.

“So are you going to tell me?” he asked her, his deep rumbling voice sending shivers down her spine.

“I’m sorry,” Olivia began, waving her hand toward his long, muscular legs. “You’re so tall, and I was keeping up with you. You shuffling just looked weird. Funny weird, of course.”

“Why, you little minx…” Tony started to reply, lunging toward her.

The look in his eyes frightened her, and she backed away slowly until she came up against the hallway wall.

“Olivia, look at me,” Tony demanded. “Do I look angry to you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really know you.”

“Baby, I concede we’re still getting to know each other. Just remember, I will never, ever hurt you. I was only going to tease you, like you were me. Please don’t ever be afraid of me,” Tony reiterated.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I just react without thinking. You know? I didn’t mean to hurt or anger you,” she said, her eyes sliding from his.

“Baby, I’m only feeling hurt because you’re afraid of me. You didn’t anger me. Come here, Olivia,” he said, holding his arms out and open to her.

Olivia bit her lip, looking at his massive, muscular arms and chest. Then she lifted her eyes to his and saw only patience and tenderness. She took one step forward, and then another and another, until his arms wrapped around her body. She leaned into him, inhaling his clean, masculine scent. She felt as if she was loved for the first time in her life, and she hadn’t even been claimed by Tony yet. Why didn’t she feel like that with Cedric and Hugh? They had already claimed her, but all she felt was as if she was a convenient body for them to spend themselves in. This big, gentle giant had done more for her in the short hours she’d known him than anyone had ever done in her whole life.

Olivia felt Tony flex his large arms and move them beneath her ass, and then she was being lifted up and up and up. She opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with the tall, gentle man. She stared into his eyes as he slowly lowered his head to hers. His soft lips gliding across hers in a gentle, loving caress made her heart clutch, her stomach melt, and her pussy throb and weep.

Olivia moaned when Tony’s tongue slid over her lips, requesting permission to enter her mouth. She couldn’t have stopped him if she wanted to. He oozed masculinity, testosterone, and sex. He was Hercules, Adonis, and Eros, all rolled into one being. She opened up to him, his taste exploding in her mouth. She couldn’t get enough of him. She moved her tongue along his, the rumbling moan he made vibrating from his chest, sliding over her nipples, making them peak. When she felt one of his massive hands cup the back of her head, holding her to him, she went wild.