“Daphne’s all alone,” Eric said.
He stared at the picture. It showed Daphne in a beautiful white summer dress, hands on her hips. Her glorious hair cascaded down around her shoulders. The smile on her lips wasn’t as full as he remembered, but damn it, an answering pull in his cock drew him.
“I want her,” he said.
“No, you cannot do that. All three of us want her and you know the drill,” Micah said.
Eric stood up, looking from Dean to Micah. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I thought of her first.”
“That doesn’t count. It has never counted.”
He glared at his friends. The address was right there. Back home. Back where they all started.
He was an asshole back then. Hopefully, Daphne would have a big laugh over what happened, and he’d be able to connect with her.
Who the fuck was he kidding? He didn’t want to just connect with her. Even now, with space between them, he wanted to fuck her. To hear the sound of his name coming from her sweet lips as he drove inside her.
He’d been a dick back then, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t give him a chance now. If his memory served him right, she’d always been a nice woman. Sweet, kind, loving. She helped everyone.
Dean already had his cell phone to his ear.
“Hi, yes, I’d like to make a booking please,” Dean said.
He pulled his cell phone out just as Micah did as well.
“You can’t get me a room sooner?” There was a pause. Eric listened, seeing as his call was on hold as well. “Okay, in six months, can you make that for three rooms please?”
Eric hung up the call as Dean finished with the arrangements.
“What are you doing?” he asked. Micah didn’t look too pleased either.
“Simple, there’s only one way I can win her from you guys, and you’re going to have to be there to admit defeat.”
****
Present day
Micah cracked his knuckles and stretched out his neck. That hadn’t gone well at all. he didn’t know what the fuck was happening. Was he losing his touch? Women swarmed to him. He was good at what he did. Even in the boardroom, when tempers rose, he had the art of calming everyone the fuck down.
Now, as he looked out across the horizon, he wondered what the fuck he did wrong.
“Where’s Daphne?” Eric asked, handing him a cup of coffee.
“I scared her off.”
“How?”
“I offered her my services.” He brought Eric up to speed on the conversation he’d heard.
“Who the fuck is Bethany?” Eric asked.
Again, he filled him in on the woman who might be helping them win Daphne.
“If I can get her into bed, I know she’ll fall for me.”
Eric shook his head.
“What?” Micah asked, getting increasingly annoyed as this trip went on. This wasn’t exactly becoming cozy for him. far from it. He was losing every single where.
“Sex has worked for you in the past. It doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you now.” Eric slapped him on the back.
“Might I remind you, I didn’t bully her half as much—”
“But you still did. How often do you think that happens with murders, huh? Sorry, officer, my boyfriend killed him, I just stabbed him a few times.” Eric glared at him. “You’ve got to stop thinking that puts you in a better place than the rest of us. Believe me, it doesn’t.”
“Anyone ever tell you you’re a giant dick?”
“All the time.” Eric waved at him, leaving him alone with his coffee and his thoughts.
He’d never had to work for a woman.
They’d all fallen into his lap. Some had even begged for a night with him. Admittedly, he’d often left a generous tip and been gone before the morning light. Not that he’d ever paid for sex. More like he distracted women with his money so they’d leave him the fuck alone.
Sipping at his coffee, he wrinkled his nose. He wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, preferring his vitamin shakes in the morning, but whatever.
Staring out across the horizon, he shook his head. There was no way nature was going to offer him the answers to what he needed. Turning back to go inside, he started to explore the house. The bed-and-breakfast was huge, no denying it. No expense had been spared.
He moved from room to room. The dining room looked so elegant, and yet in the far corner, there was even a small play area for children. He pulled out his cell phone and got his computer whiz to have a check into Daphne’s finances. This place had to cost a fortune in upkeep. The next few months alone were going to be a nightmare. He’d already watched the news, and this lockdown had no end in sight.
With the call finished, he made his way toward the back of the house, coming to a stop when he saw Daphne with Dean.
Rather than make his presence known, he stayed back and watched.
Dean was a lot bigger than Daphne, and he had her captured within a corner. Micah wanted to go and be her knight. To save her from the asshole, but something in her eye told him not to.
Yes, there was worry and anger, but he saw something else. Even as Dean put his hands around her neck. His friend wasn’t squeezing, just holding, tilting Daphne’s head back as his lips delved between her chest.
Her hands were on his shoulders, not fighting him off, just holding him. The strap of her dress fell down her arm, as did her bra strap, and Dean had it out of his way within seconds, exposing her nipple.
Tight and red.
He’d wondered what she’d look like naked, and this was a nice little
