Jace was shocked at this situation. He knew he wanted to kiss Valentina and feel what his brothers had felt. They talked about her constantly, about ways to get through to her. It was crazy how their cousins were interested in her sister and being her guardians. He couldn’t believe that Valentina had been shot twice and was alive. He felt her pushing away from him, and he slowly let her go but kept his hands on her waist. She reached for the buttons on her blouse but Sparrow stopped her. Jace released her to his brother.
Sparrow cupped her cheeks and tilted her head up towards him.
“This has something to do with Lois and Kenny, and why they’re so scared to let our cousins near them? Why you keep pushing us away?” he asked her.
She tried looking away.
“Don’t. Just be honest with us.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“What happened?”
“No,” she said and tried pulling back. Sparrow kissed her on the mouth and deepened that kiss until Valentina was limp in his arms.
When he finally released her lips, she looked so sexy, her voluptuous breasts pouring from the white silk bra she wore.
“Stop kissing me. I can’t think,” she said.
“Good,” Ridge stated, taking her from Sparrow and kissing her next. He lifted her back up onto the counter and then Beck tapped him on the shoulder. Ridge moved out of the way and Beck kissed her next. He released her lips.
“You feel it. Don’t deny the truth.” He kissed her again. He trailed his mouth along her neck and they all watched and waited for another chance to kiss her and explore her sexy body. When Beck lowered down to kiss the scar, her eyes widened and she gripped his shoulders.
“I can’t. I’m sorry, but I can’t do this.”
“Why baby? Why, when it feels so powerful and so right?” Jace asked her.
Beck pulled back and shook his head. “Why?”
Tears filled her eyes and Jace felt his gut clench with fear of what she was going to say.
“Because of Lois and Kenny. They come first. Anything I would want for me can’t happen. It can’t,” she said, and as a tear fell she wiped it away and pushed off the counter. She buttoned her blouse.
“I’m sorry I made your steaks get cold.”
They watched her run from their kitchen and out the front door, the sound of the screen door slamming behind her and echoing through the house.
“Holy shit,” Beck said, running his fingers through his hair.
Jace felt immediately sick to his stomach and his mind began to wander to his own past and the injuries he’d sustained. The nights had been getting difficult again. As his brothers talked about what just happened, about Valentina’s injuries and about her body and how they wanted her, he felt the anxiety begin to increase. He had been fighting it for days, wondering what was making him hold on to staying here and not to disappear into the woods to camp out and be alone. He knew exactly what was making him stay home this last month and a half.
He looked out the door and thought about Valentina. He was sticking around because of her. To catch a glimpse, to have a small conversation, and that led to wanting to kiss her and taste her lips like his brothers had gotten to. She was pushing them away and denying these feelings because her sister and Kenny were her responsibility.
“We should call Helena. She knows what happened to Valentina. We’re her guardians, and we have a right to know.”
* * * *
“Shit, Val, that’s why my cousins called me last night. I was working a midnight and they left messages. I never got to call them. What am I going to tell them?”
“Nothing,” Valentina said as she walked with Helena through the farm and all the various booths set up with fresh produce and fruit.
She looked at Kenny and Lois, who were talking to a woman by the strawberry stand. She was shaking their hands and smiling wide. “Who is that?” Valentina asked on guard.
“Evan’s mom, Dora. Those three men are her husbands.”
“Oh, God, there’s Evan.”
Valentina went to walk over, but Helena grabbed her hand.