Armored Hearts (The Town of Pearl 7)

She thought she didn’t want to sleep. She was aroused, excited, thrilled to feel this way with them an

d for each of them to have an attraction to her and want to share her.

She never would have thought something like this could happen to her. But here she was willing to let five men have their way with her body. Claim her, take her in every hole, and ultimately ruin her for anyone else ever again. She knew if she gave into this attraction, this fantasy, that she would never be the same woman. No men would compare to these five soldiers, her protectors.

She tried to clear her mind and as she focused on the feel of their hands, their tender words and compassionate touches, she drifted off with no concerns about nightmares. Just dreams of what could possibly be, with men so complicated, headstrong, and powerful as these five American soldiers.

* * * *

“I won’t allow any of you to hurt her. She’s been through enough. Isn’t it obvious that the abduction and assault affected her more deeply than Silas and Dmitri had thought?” Ford asked as he stood in the hallway outside the bedroom door with Fisher, Flynn, and Grey. Fenton was holding India in his arms. A glance back into the room and Ford could see her naked body. It was bruised, but she was one sexy, curvy woman.

“I’m not going to hurt her. I already care for her. She’s different from other women, and not because she’s recovering from an assault, but because she does something to me. I feel it every day. I can’t wait until I can leave work so I can see her. She’s my last thought at night and my first thought every morning. I’d say I’m taking this attraction very seriously. For God’s sake, Ford. We could all have what our friends have,” Fisher told Ford.

“He’s right. This is how it happens sometimes. Out of nowhere, a woman so perfect, so right for all of us just appears. Look at Dale, Virgo, Matt, and Quaid. Duke, Jay, Sandman? Hell, even Wyatt, Charlie, and Ben met Anna in a similar way and look at all of them. Look how happy, and content they are.” Grey shared his opinion.

“Ford, just look at fucking Fenton. Now that’s some serious shit. In the twenty fucking years that I’ve know that crazy, mean bastard, I’ve never seen him look and act the way he does around India. Hell, he’s caring, compassionate, and in tune to her emotions. Plus, she’s responsive, despite his attitude and abruptness toward her,” Flynn said.

They chuckled.

“He’s been a snappy fuck. I was wondering what had crawled up his ass a few weeks ago when she first arrived. Now I get it. He’s been attracted to her from the start,” Ford said and chuckled. He ran his fingers through his hair. He took a deep breath and released it.

“We’re going to take this seriously. Plus, slowly. Those bruises she has, and the healing ribs are a lot to absorb and not be so fucking angry at. I swear, I hope Silas and Dmitri kill the fuckers who did this to her,” Flynn told them.

“She may need to talk to someone. We’ll help her with that, too, if need be. It seems the painkillers might have been masking her fears and the post-traumatic stress she suffers from. We all know the signs. You saw her struggling to get out of the dream,” Ford explained.

“And Fenton was the one to pull her out of it. She clung to him. That’s pretty damn ironic,” Flynn added.

“She needs all of us, and thinking about it, she could be the one person that’s able to get through to Fenton and make him feel good again. We’ll have to wait and see, and take the necessary precautions. We’ve had our share of women, and we know how a lot of them that come passing through Pearl really are.”

“Yeah, Ford, out for a ménage experience, wild sex with soldiers, and then they’re long gone. She’s not like that. She feels the connection we feel, too,” Flynn told him, appearing and sounding quite firm.

Grey stepped toward the door. “The best thing we can do is show her what kind of men we are and how reliable we can be. If it’s meant to be then something more will happen. We don’t really know her. We only know that since she arrived here, we’ve been on edge, aroused, and completely into India. Let’s take this one step at a time,” Fisher suggested, and they all agreed before they headed back into the room.

* * * *

Fenton held India against his chest. She was warm, naked, and felt perfect in his arms. He never cuddled with a woman. Not after sex and certainly not with a naked woman in his arms who he hadn’t had sex with. Yet. He knew he was going to have India. There was no denying the attraction. What was even wilder was that his team, his brothers, were feeling it, too. Instead of feeling freaked out or uncomfortable with that, he felt relieved. He was a hard man, a damaged man in so many ways. With his brothers by his side, he could let his guard down a little and they would be there to ensure both his safety and India’s. But the way he was feeling, his gut knew he wouldn’t be the same man after making love to this woman in his arms.

He was wide awake, could hear the men talking in whispered voices in the hallway. They were freaking out, worried about how they were all attracted to India. Hell, he was, too. The emotions, the connection he felt to her was immediate, and each day, each moment in her presence it grew stronger. He felt that tightness in his chest and he knew what it was. He was fearful. He caressed his palm along her ass and then back to her hip.

Her skin was silky smooth, her curves tight and toned. He wondered if she worked out at some fancy gym in Chicago. The thought made him imagine the numerous muscle heads that would try to hit on her. He recognized the emotion that caused his gut to coil up tight. He was jealous. She didn’t even belong to him. He hadn’t even sunk his cock deep into her depths and gotten lost in her body and her enticing scent. Yet, he was jealous. But he didn’t have that same feeling knowing that his team, his brothers would share her body, too. That gave him peace of mind. They protected what was theirs, and India would definitely belong to them.

Fenton’s desire for her was nearly overwhelming. It was like when he got into his truck on a beautiful spring day and one of his favorite songs came on the radio and he blasted it as he sped down the back roads. That thrill and excitement, a pure happy sensation that momentarily made him forget his troubles, his inadequacies, and his failures.

He swallowed hard. He looked down at the beautiful woman clinging to him. Her long, platinum-blonde hair cascaded down her back and along the sheets behind her. She was curvy, voluptuous like no woman he ever met or had sex with before. It kind of intimidated him, she was so beautiful. There was an extra sweetness and sassiness in the empowered aura around India. He liked that. He had a feeling that under normal circumstances, India was a powerhouse in business and in negotiations. She had style, class, and a sophistication that he just couldn’t compete with. He reached up and caressed her luscious lower lip. Why would she even be interested in a man like him? Or, men like his team?

He watched her, took the time to absorb the moment, the feel of such beauty and sexiness in his arms. He felt undeserving for so many reasons.

He was a monster. A man who had become so callous and desensitized toward death. His own nightmares, scars, and close calls in the service were like vultures in the night stealing any ounce of rest or ease. He couldn’t even share with his brothers, his team about how badly his nights were. Having India here to care for and watch over seemed to change his evenings. He watched her as she slept. He kept his eyes on her during the day when she was awake, walking around and not fully recovered.

India moaned softly and then clung to him tighter. He felt her nails against his side and then her thigh lifted upward and straddled his one hip and thigh.

He in return watched Ford, Fisher, Grey, and Flynn enter into the room and see her move around. He ran his hand over her thigh to her naked ass, his fingers grazing her pussy lips from behind. She was wet, aroused, even in her sleep.

“God, she’s so beautiful,” Grey whispered as he stood by the side of the bed, leaned over, and stroked a finger along her shoulder, down her arm and to her breast.

Her nipple hardened and she made another soft noise.

“She sure is perfect,” Ford added as he climbed onto the bed and ran his palm along her hip and ass.