“I’ll grab my bag and be back in a minute,” Charlie stated as he and Ben headed outside.
* * * *
Charlie took his bag off the bench on the front porch where he’d left it. He didn’t want to bring it into the kitchen earlier and scare Anna.
“I want to know who hurt her, who put that fear in her eyes,” Ben stated from behind Charlie.
“I know, Ben. So do I, but you see how scared she is. She was shaking the whole time we were in the kitchen with her. I’ve got a real bad feeling.”
“You think she’s on the run from trouble?”
“What do you think?”
Ben was silent a moment as he looked out toward the fields.
“I think I want to protect her and keep her safe. She’s beautiful, Charlie. She could be the one we’ve been waiting for.”
“I know. Let me examine her and see how bad it is. Then we’ll work at getting her to trust us.”
“I’ll stay nearby in case you need a
nything.”
Charlie smiled as he entered the house.
If Ben was feeling the attraction to Anna as he was, then he wouldn’t want to be far from her. Charlie knew that one day they would get their wish and find their woman just like Max and Eric found Stacy. They wanted that, too. He, Ben, and Wyatt knew that one day they would find a woman to share. They each wanted the same thing. They wanted a wife and a family. They each had learned through casual sex that something was missing. They each individually demanded control and submission in the bedroom, but together, making love to one woman was their dream. They had shared one woman once, and it hadn’t worked out. She had been in it for fun, but there were no real connections between the four of them. It would take a very special woman to be able to handle their sexual appetites as well as love them and accept them as a package deal.
They had grown up in Pearl just as their parents had. From a young age, their parents told them they each had a choice to make when it came to love. No one pushed them either way.
They had started off with separate lives that eventually led them together on the Triple C. Charlie had gone off to war, wanting to do his part in the fight against terrorism. That had put quite the damper on his relationship with Wyatt and Ben. Ben downright told him off the day Charlie shipped out. Charlie smirked at the thought. When he had finally returned from the war, injuries and all, his brothers were there for him as if he had never left.
Their bond was strong, and one night, after years of one-night stands and discussions over sharing a woman, they gave it a try.
The sex was incredible, but the connection with the woman was all wrong. It was frustrating and complicated because Ben liked the woman and he and Wyatt didn’t share the same feelings. That’s when they realized that if they were going to share, then they would all have to be attracted to the woman and feel a connection immediately. It wasn’t solely about sex. It was about love, emotion, and a feeling of completion. He could only hope that Anna could possibly be the one.
Anna was definitely a possibility. The simple fact that he and Ben felt the need to protect and comfort her was a step toward achieving their dream. It would take Wyatt’s acceptance of Anna and a shared attraction for her to be their mate.
* * * *
Charlie placed his medical bag on the bed as Anna stood straight and stiff in front of him. He tried to make her feel comfortable, but it seemed to him that she was still very scared.
He towered over her, and he remembered her fear in the kitchen and that his size added to her discomfort.
He smiled, and she nibbled on her bottom lip. He had noticed that Anna did that when she was nervous. She was adorable, but he did his best to act professionally and not think about the attraction he felt. It was becoming increasingly difficult the more he thought about what her body would look like without the clothes.
He swallowed hard, then cleared his throat.
“Why don’t we start off slow? I’m going to take your blood pressure and then your temperature. I’ll listen to your heartbeat, and then we’ll take a look at your injuries. How does that sound?”
“Okay,” she whispered, and her voice cracked. It was hoarse and rough.
“Come have a seat here.” He patted the bed, and she slowly sat down. He noted her contorted expression. She was obviously in pain.
Her hands shook as he took her blood pressure.
“It’s a bit high, but that’s understandable when you’re stressed and in pain.”
“I’m all right, really,” she whispered, her voice low. His stomach cramped at how appealing she was without her even knowing it.