Stranded with Her Bullies

“The fridge, freezer, and fresh groceries are through there.” She pointed out each unit and then toward a door before turning back to him. “You can all cook for yourselves. You don’t need me. That’s the tour. You know where everything else is. Enjoy.” She stepped toward the door and he blocked it. “Get out of my way, Micah.”

“I remember you having a spine, but I didn’t realize you had an attitude with it.”

She glared at him. “Having a spine? I shouldn’t have to deal with this. You think I want you three here? You think I care to be in the same breathing space as you? I’d rather be in the damn forest with wolves than you guys. At least they’d kill me quickly. What you three did was nothing short of torture. I never got it. Even now I don’t get it. I was never mean or horrible. I didn’t do anything to you, so what could I have possibly done to you, huh?” She pressed her hand to her head. “I’ve wasted too much time talking about this already. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’ll stay out of your way.”

He reached out to grab her arm, pulling her back. The way she tensed, he didn’t like it.

Pushing her up against the wall, he cupped her cheek, seeing the rise and fall of her chest. The shirt she wore highlighted the fullness of her tits. She was cold too. Her puckered nipples pressed against the front, and it took all of his strength not to take them through the fabric of her clothing.

He’d scared her.

Daphne was terrified. He saw it in her gaze, but he also knew she was confused.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“That’s not going to cut it.” She gritted her teeth. “You think I got through high school without any issues, you’re wrong. I had my grandma. I had this place. You three made high school miserable, and I couldn’t stand it. I’d go to bed crying because of what you guys did to me. You don’t just get to say sorry and it will be okay.” She swatted his hand out of the way. “Don’t touch me.”

She pulled away and Micah watched her go.

Dean was by the stairs, but Micah didn’t think Daphne saw him. As always, his friend was silent, watching, waiting.

He shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “Well, we’re fucked.”

“No, we’re not.”

Micah snorted. “I’m considered the charming one, and she didn’t fall for me. What makes you think she’s going to fall for you?”

Dean raised his brow. “You think I’m going to give her a choice?”

Micah growled. Fuck Dean and his dominant ass. No one was going to beat him. Out of the three of them, he was the one who’d hurt her the least.

Chapter Two

Dean followed Daphne outside to the small little rose garden that lay just beyond the patio and a small patch of grass for people to take a stroll. Her bed-and-breakfast was one of the most well-to-do within the area, offering a great deal of privacy and beauty. For years, people in town would often gossip about what happened here. Unless you had a booking, there were no random stop-offs.

Daphne’s gran had been strict about her privacy and rules.

He watched her now as she bent toward a large, thick mass of roses. She pressed her face against them, inhaling their sweet scent. He expected her to take one of the harsh flowers and snap it off, but she didn’t. She merely took her time inhaling the scent.

She reached out, touching one of the petals.

He’d give anything to be those blooms.

“Why are you following me?” Daphne asked. She glanced over her shoulder, her dark-brown gaze penetrating his. Did she know what he was thinking? How he wanted her? Craved to feel her naked curves wrapped around his body? To drive his cock so deep within her that she couldn’t think straight? Rather than say those words, he watched her. She stepped away from the bed and took off past a couple of large trees and over a small bridge under which a trickle of water filtered through. He didn’t know how her grandma came to inherit such a beautiful piece of land, but the two women had improved on it, he was quite sure.

When they got to the gazebo, Daphne spun around and held her hands up. “Stop. Okay? Just stop. The silent staring was acceptable in high school because I knew you were thinking up your torture plans, but it’s not okay now. We’re grown adults.”

“But you liked me watching you.”

“No, I didn’t.”

He reached out, touching her face. So soft and gentle was the feel. “Yeah, you did.”

“You’re delusional.”

“No, delusional is believing that after everything I put you through, you’re going to pick me.”

She frowned at him. “You make absolutely no sense.”